Guildhall — Restaurant in New Trier Township

I will start by saying the food is fantastic. That certainly helps when going out for a nice meal and prices starting at high teens ending in high thirties for a plate. Apps are all reasonably priced but my main issue here (again, the food is on point and I recommend going for that alone) is the layout of the space. It's open and thus everyone is on top of each other. The two tops we got assigned to border the bar and have patrons standing on top of you while drinking/waiting at the bar. Combine this w/the last spot and we got the entire traffic flow coming and going from the main point of entry to the front section. It was like eating on a highway...people literally didn't stop coming next to our table for one second.

My other issue is the fact that they must have informed the people who distribute water if a glass remains anything but 100% full for more than 10 seconds they are fired. I literally had the same arm cross my plate 100 times...to keep topping my water off. There is a difference between knowing when someone needs water and water boarding their cup. It was not pleasant.

I am not usually one to write disparaging remarks but again, when I pay $160 for 2 people I expect to be sat in a room where I am not in traffic, be able to hold some form of conversation w/out yelling and maybe even enjoy my water until it's almost done w/out having it quickly filled.

Again, the food is excellent and this ambiance is superb, I could take some amazing HDR photos here and make this place look amazing but when you get into the dining aspect of things, I think a couple less tables and a little more room to breathe and speak is what Guildhall needs.

Great food but needs work on a couple other things...try a drink there first to get the idea and kudos to Glencoe for stepping up their restaurant game, I would expect to find this place in the city but w/a little less...

The restaurant itself is very nice. The food is delicious. The whole place created a wonderful impression. I had two dogs with me, and all the waiters were extremely polite, checking if everything was fine, being kind to our sleeping dogs, and even bringing a bowl of water for them — which completely melted my heart.

But then came the moment of payment, and it turned out the restaurant only accepts physical cards. I only had Apple Pay, and so did my friend. They should have warned us in advance about such a restriction. Fine, maybe they forgot — it happens. They called the administrator to help resolve the issue. A woman named Ekaterina came. She suggested I transfer the money to her via Zelle and she would pay the bill. Okay, that seemed to solve the problem.

But then she started acting unbelievably rude, saying that for a $70 bill I am OBLIGATED to add tips. She cheapens this wonderful restaurant with her provincial manners. I stayed silent, but my impression was already ruined. I entered the amount, and she repeated it again: “You left too little, you must leave at least twenty percent.” Does she even have the right to dictate that?! Can’t I leave cash directly to my waiter if I want? She looked absolutely pathetic. How can anyone feel like leaving tips after such words? She should not be the face of this restaurant.

And she didn’t stop there — she actually said: “Girls, have you even been in America for long?!” How shameless do you have to be to speak to guests in such a tone? At the very least, I should not have to listen to such remarks from an administrator. That’s how one single person can ruin the impression of an otherwise wonderful place. I would strongly recommend the owner to train this administrator in proper guest relations — she clearly needs to improve her...

Doing it right! This was our second time eating out since COVID "stay at home" began in March, so you can tell we are on the cautious side. Guildhall has set up a quaint little village of greenhouses that offers private dining experiences outdoors, but in protected and heated environments. The night we went it was 41 degrees outside and we were comfortably warm. The houses sit on a raised wooden platform, so your feet are not on the cold concrete. There are faux furry cushions on the chairs that are fresh for every customer. And the houses are aired out and sanitized between parties. We observed all of that happening. There was even a little bottle of hand sanitizer on our table for us to use. Once inside our dining experience began with a selection of seasonal hot cocktails, appetizers and a full menu. We started with the onion fondue which was exceptional. We had the fish & chips, burgers and the duck which were all amazing and we were unable to finish the generous portions. The waitstaff was very attentive, passing by and taking note if the water glasses were low or if it was time to clear the plates. They always wore their face masks, so we did as well whenever they came and opened our door. In our experience, we had to make reservations 1 week in advance to find availability. It was fun and we hope to...