Uvae Kitchen and Wine Bar — Restaurant in Lake View Township

This is an embarrassingly late review - but I keep thinking about how wonderful my experience was visiting Uvae Kitchen and Wine Bar late October on a Thursday evening.

First: AMBIANCE: I loved the romantic, intimate and cozy vibe as well as the seasonal decorations at the time. My partner and I arrived around 6:00pm to enjoy the Happy Hour Deal ($2 Oysters – $2 Shrimp – $5 Bubbly), which is from 5 - 6:30 Wednesday through Friday (3 - 6:30 Saturday & Sunday). Thursday evening was perfect at that time, as it was not crowded at all when we arrived (but I will tell you it became rather full before we left)!

VALUE: Not bad! The Happy Hour bubbly was absolutely delicious - Los Monteros Cava Brut from Spain. I recall it because it exceeded my expectations (I generally prefer drier drinks, and happy hour deals usually are sweet / cheap, but this was excellent - I complimented it to the waitress and she shared that they have a special deal with the company. Phenomenal!) We even ordered a whole bottle to share at regular price after appetizers because we were so impressed. (HH Oysters were OK as well - I was a tad bit underwhelmed, but mind you I'm super picky after having some seriously hoity-toity and expensive oyster selections from coastal areas this past year, so no complaints other than possibly a shucking issue with shell bits - quality good for the value of happy hour deals though). Otherwise, regular prices honestly fit in to what you'd expect from a Chicago (Andersonville) gem!

Speaking of the waitress: SERVICE was AMAZING. She was practically running the whole place herself as it got busier and busier, and still had time to chat amiably with us and groups around us. Her recommendations were were perfect -

FOOD: We ended up with one dish to share from each section - Earth, Sea, Farm, and between the 2 of us, we struggled to eat everything! "Earth" was Brussel Sprouts with Pork Belly, some stand-out Shrimp and Grits from the "Sea" section (possibly my favorite!), and "Farm" was a short-ribbed Wellington (my partner's absolute favorite). Everything was amazingly delicious and had lovely unique spins on flavors.

Drinks: My partner enjoyed a seasonal hot Uvae Wassail (Hot Apple Cider-based), and I had the Drunken Squirrel (Whiskey / Pumpkin Syrup / Absinthe).

All in all, not a cheap outing, but we had a fantastic time. Highly recommend for special occasions, date night, happy hour, girl's night, sips and charcuterie boards.

I will definitely be...

I have been a regular customer her for a few years with my best friend. We love sitting at the bar during happy hour with Cava wine and ordering the hush puppies until today. It has been a few month since we were in and the last time the hush puppies, (you get four of them) were $12. They had gone up from $10 on the last visit prior to that. We went back today and they are now $14. ...for 4 corn meal hush puppies. we loved when we coudl have hush puppies, two cavas each and leave spending over $20 with a tip. We won't be ordering them anymore. You priced yourself out. The bartender who was pouring our wine was in a bad mood and very hard to approach and engage with. The other bartender with the wonderful piercing's told us that his coworker was in a bad mood as it had been a long two days. What? I told the nice bartender that it doesn't keep coming in a nice experience when the first point of contact at the bar is in a bad mood. The host was wonderful and greeted us when we walked in. I am unsure what is going on, but, money is tight for everyone and when you want to spend it for a fun happy hour and catch up with friends, this wasn't the best experience. We both have sung your praises since we have been coming in, but tonight wasn't it. We told the other bartender about our experience and he said it was noted and agreed of his colleague being in a bad mood. I wish this could have been...

Best little gem of Andersonville! We've eaten there numerous times and it is always amazingly delicious! Never disappoints (brunch Nutella croissants are my fav- and the on tap bubbly of course) Extensive wine list, meal pairings etc. Always willing to work with the customers to make it a special experience. We had our friend's first outing with her baby there (12 of us) and they were very accommodating. Everyone loved it, and all who live in the city have continued to dine there and support. Due to Covid they had to close inside dining again, so when we were out that way we placed an order for one of their virtual wine tastings. Picked it up, brought it home and had the tasting online that week. It was so fun. (We also got a meat & cheese plate) they make everything from scratch- if you can go or order brunch online for home- get the BLOODY MARYS! They're house infused garlic & jalapeño vodka is out of this world. Lindsey (the owner) is a Level III Sommelier and does a lot of the virtuals. She's incredibly knowledgeable. Also- this is a small local spot and they participate EXTENSIVELY within their Andersonville neighborhood. They do many community events, participate in local charity functions, and truly care for all of their staff. Uvae is by far my favorite spot up north! Read the reviews- they speak for themselves, AND they're just...