The Exchange — Restaurant in Chicago

Where to even begin here..

TLDR: My wife and I had our 200 person wedding at the Exchange in November of 2024 and truly could not have imagined a better experience from start to finish in our wildest dreams. The place is breathtakingly beautiful, the planning process was a breeze. The staff from management to servers to bartenders are exceptional, and the food was just as good at-scale as it is for a table for two (one of the best in the city). Cannot say enough good things, the easiest decision you can make if you’re considering the Exchange for your wedding. More detail below for those inclined..

Venue Vetting When getting started, we met with Alyssa who runs the events and is nothing short of a superstar. She was so accommodating, friendly, fun to talk to, and flexible with every painstaking question we had when figuring out if the place was right for us.. which admittedly became obvious pretty quickly. She also was not pushy at all, which I think is a rare quality in this industry.

Wedding Planning During the actual planning, Alyssa made everything so unbelievably easy and stress-free. They do a ton of weddings, but not every weekend or twice a weekend like some places, who seem to barely have time for you. Whenever we had a question, the answer was never "no we don't do that", it was 99% of the time "yes" and if not it was "not exactly, but we'll figure out the closest thing possible". They are also full-service in the sense of–you work through Alyssa on tables/chairs/silverware/food/liquor/desserts etc. rather than having to deal with separate vendors for each one. Cannot emphasize enough how convenient that made it for us.

Venue: The space itself.. nothing like it. Three different rooms which can all have a different feel, but seamlessly come together at a big event like a wedding. The Atrium, the star of the show, is just the most beautiful place in the city, and the jaw-dropping trees are movable, which allows you to configure the room however you'd like. Underrated aspect is we were able to save a ton of money on florist because it is so gorgeous already. Then the Listening Room, where the main restaurant is and has an amazing sound system. Inside tip- we had these doors closed and different music playing here for the older folks who wanted a break during the wedding. Third area is Theos, stunning long bar which helped a line not build up--which can be common at weddings. The other bonus of these different locations within the space where we could take different group and couple photos, which allowed us to cut out HOURS of touring around the city to get different group shots. Tip–get an elevator pic.

Food Stating the obvious, but because they are a restaurant, they do their own catering, which makes everything so much easier and you know the quality of the food is top-notch. The pre-wedding tasting was so much fun in their private dining room (which quick plug--we definitely plan to rent out at some point). Only feedback was that everything was so good making selection tough.. So many options to choose from, including the classics but also amazing veggie options. Amazing appetizer options, both elevated (crab cakes, poke bites) and simple (mac and cheese shooters), and great dessert options. They can even help order local desserts/late night foods if you have a special idea in mind.

Liquor: I might normally not call this out separately, but Christian manages the liquor and he is also top-notch at his craft. When we came in for the food tasting, we tasted a few of the cocktails, which were all incredible. We had recently tried a very specific cocktail and he tried to recreate it, tinkering with it until we were satisfied and we ended up using it as our signature cocktail! Their wine selection is also fantastic.

Character limit running out but clearly cannot say enough great things. The day of went flawlessly and we have never had anything but a phenomenal experience even when going for a casual brunch/dinner. Do yourself a favor and book your wedding here or just go for...

The interior of The Exchange is beautiful. Stunning really, yet I forgot to capture it with photos face palm. There's a small room in the front that has the bar, the dining space is in the middle (photo) then there's a large atrium with tables and couches where you can dine as well. The music selection is great, they play vinyl albums in their entirety.

We were their to celebrate my friend's milestone birthday. When I whispered this to the host, she came back with a menu that said "Happy Birthday" printed on the menu (similar to Maple & Ash). That was a nice touch. While our server was kind, she didn't offer any suggestions about the menu. I picked this restaurant because I saw the royale burger on Instagram (see screenshot) and it looked amazing - I was more than willing to clog my arteries. For drinks we ordered a Mexican mule and my friend had the Whistling Honey (both drinks can be seen in the burger picture). The bartender hand delivered our order and explained how my friend should nibble on the sugar garnish then take a drink. He walked away after the first taste, she had questions but he was gone. Both drinks were deceptively strong, just like we like it.

The restaurant week menu was offered, we declined and stuck to the house menu. My friend ordered the Short Rib with a side of Broccolini. I ordered the Royale with Cheese Burger. I'm sad to say we were both disappointed with the meal. Our main dishes lacked flavour. Now, the broccolini was delicious, we tore that up. The short rib wasn't as tender as expected. I ordered the burger medium rare and I wonder if it would have been better well done? If so, that's something that the server should have told me. If I needed to ask for extra cheese, I would have liked to have been told that too - because the burger that came out looked nothing like the screenshot from Instagram. I was instantly disappointed, the first bite didn't make me table shimmy. I was now eating a $25 cheeseburger that I didn't like or want. Sadly, I didn't finish the burger - I asked for a box but left the unfinished portion at the restaurant. My friend was gifted a slice of the chocolate bauloise cake, it looked like a brownie but it wasn't.

The staff was very friendly, we unintentionally shut the restaurant down. It closes at 9p, which we were unaware of until we ordered a second round of drinks at 8:50p. They were kind enough to place the order and let us enjoy our drinks. My friend switched to the Smokin Old Fashioned. I missed the smoky presentation and the server tried to recreate it for me (see video) Our reservations were at 7p, and our food came out at 7:33p. We left around 9:45p, we only felt comfortable staying that late because there were about 2 other tables and some people at the bar. Again, the staff was kind - they weren't rushing us. The bill for two was $154, after tip my total was $195.26. A little pricey for a first date option, but expected for a celebratory occasion.

There's no valet and street parking is tough to come by. We lucked out and found a metered spot on the corner of Van Buren & Michigan Ave. It was $17 for 3 hours. Highly recommend taking a cab or rideshare.

The ambiance and friendly staff make this a great pre-dinner or just drinks spot for me. (I am still pretty bummed about the royale...

Future Chicago Brides look no further! My sister's wedding took place at The Exchange last weekend, and I cannot say enough positive things about our experience.

Alyssa, the Director of Sales and Venue Coordinator, is A+ at what she does. Her hospitality mindset means that she is always striving to get to a 'yes' for the client. She has a keen eye and attention to detail. You know you're in good hands while she oversees your big day. It's also a huge plus that she's kind and just a joy to work with.

Chris is a Director on the restaurant side of the business and is phenomenal as well. He went above and beyond to ensure our guests felt welcomed and comfortable, and that philosophy carries over throughout the entire service and staff team.

The two are part of memories from the day that our families will cherish forever.

As for the venue itself:

It's GORGEOUS. Upon entry, you're greeted at the Listening Room. This is a quaint bar and restaurant that serves as a gathering space for early ceremony arrivals and as a cocktail hour spot for guests during the room flip. This is where our couple featured Mariachi entertainment during cocktail hour, and was perfect for this use too.

The main atrium will simply take your breath away. The soaring glass ceiling allows in soft, natural light that makes for perfect photos on your big day. The marble clad venue offers a neutral palette that is suitable for any decor and design of your liking. While the overall decor aesthetic is modern and minimal, they have tastefully preserved historic features such as ornate lighting fixtures that adorn either side of the signature grand staircase.

Theo's is a bar on the other side of the venue that offered an area for guests to order their drinks with ample space and enjoy conversations on the thoughtfully arranged furniture when they weren't on the dance floor.

Not only is it a beautiful venue, it's rich in Chicago history. Originally built in 1904 and previously the Chicago Railway Exchange, this building was designed by Daniel Burnham, one of the most prominent names in Chicago architecture.

The food was great. Chicken vesuvio and mushroom rigatoni were on the menu and both were equally excellent. The caesar salad was a great starter, and don't miss out on the bread and extra fluffy butter spread.

The drinks were also excellent! I would highly recommend the strawberry gimlet served as a signature drink. The team was great at preparing some in advance of cocktail hour to minimize the initial wait at the bar.

You can't beat the location. Odds are that you will have out of town guests visiting for your Chicago wedding. What better location to show them than this prime spot on Michigan Avenue, directly across from the Art Institute. The location also serves a perfect opportunity to take advantage of garden photos at the Art Institute while minimizing travel and logistics.

Overall, I would gladly recommend The Exchange, Alyssa, Chris and team to any bride in search of their perfect venue. Thank you for a wonderful experience from...