Nobu Chicago — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

I’ll preface this by saying my friends & I all have experience working in the restaurant industry.

My friends & I booked a reservation to celebrate a birthday. When booking the reservation, we were told a dessert with our friend’s name would be presented at the end of our meal.

We went on a Wednesday night, so it wasn’t busy, however it was obvious our server kept forgetting about us.

We sat at the table, were greeted by our server, were given water & a drink menu. We ordered drinks, which took 30 minutes to reach our table. During that time, no one stopped by our table asking how we were doing. Another 10 minutes passed by before we were given food menus (under no circumstances should it take 40 minutes to be given a food menu… my friends & I looked online at the menu because we didn’t know what else to do).

The food was good but not what we were expecting, especially after all the hype we’ve heard about this place & for the price.

After the entrees, we were asked if we were interested in another drink or dessert. I placed an order for a drink & we asked for a dessert menu. (We still had hope that the birthday dessert would be presented.)

It took 20 minutes for my drink to be brought to the table & for us to be given a dessert menu. Moreover, the birthday dessert we were promised was not brought to the table.

Throughout our time there, my friends & I noticed our service kept casually chatting with other servers at the service station. Additionally, it seemed like he paid more attention to other tables than ours, such as taking their orders & bringing their drinks in a timely manner.

Our server presented the check & we asked to speak to a floor manager. The gentleman who greeted us at the host desk came to our table. As we explained our less-than-expected dining experience, he was nervously fiddling around with a pen in his hand. He offered to take care of our dessert & take us to the rooftop. By that point, my friends & I had no intention of staying longer or spending more money at the roof top. So, in a passive aggressive tone, he asked, “So what do you want me to do?” This response felt unprofessional, as a manager he should’ve had a better idea to amend the situation.

Again, my friends & I have been servers & hosts in the past, so we understand the industry & aren’t ones to complain. However, our experience was subpar, especially for the price point of Nobu & our note of celebrating a birthday.

I would not go again, given the poor experience we had. I had high expectations but was...

A Tale of Two Experiences at Nobu Chicago

Last evening, my dining companion and I ventured to Nobu Chicago, eager to indulge in their acclaimed $225 per person omakase/tasting menu. Anticipation was high, bolstered by our remarkable rooftop experience in September, which set a lofty benchmark. Unfortunately, our journey through the culinary landscape of Nobu this time painted a starkly different picture.

The evening began on a promising note, with initial offerings that hinted at the culinary excellence Nobu is celebrated for. However, as the night progressed and the restaurant swelled with patrons, a noticeable dip in the quality of our gastronomic adventure emerged. This decline was not subtle; it reached a point where we found ourselves compelled to send one dish back to the kitchen—a move we seldom feel compelled to make. Another dish, featuring fish that was both cold and bland, remained largely untouched on our table. It seemed as though it had been hastily retrieved from the depths of a refrigerator and given a quick makeover in an attempt to pass muster.

This was not the Nobu experience we had envisioned. The dishes, which should have been the stars of the evening, felt average, boring, and executed with a lack of passion. It was as if the soul of the cuisine had been lost in translation between the kitchen and our table. A tasting menu, especially one at this price point, promises an odyssey of flavors and impeccable presentation—a promise that, sadly, was left unfulfilled.

It's crucial, however, to highlight the silver lining of our experience: the service. The staff at Nobu Chicago delivered impeccable service throughout the evening, earning a flawless 10/10 rating in this aspect. Their professionalism and attentiveness were unwavering, a testament to the high standards Nobu sets in customer care. It's a genuine pity that the culinary aspect did not mirror this excellence.

Reflecting on our September visit to the rooftop, the contrast in quality is jarring. That experience was a showcase of Nobu's potential to dazzle and delight, setting a standard that our recent visit simply could not live up to. While the service remains a beacon of excellence, the inconsistency in the culinary execution leaves much to be desired. In the crowded arena of fine dining, especially at such a premium, every dish should sing. Unfortunately, on this occasion, Nobu Chicago's performance was more of a murmur, leaving us longing for the symphony we know they're capable of...

On Sunday, March 9th, 2025, my boyfriend and I had our first Nobu dining experience with my cousin and her fiance. From the moment you walk in, the ambiance is created by the beautiful environment as dark walls contrast unique light fixtures and gilded leaves float across the ceiling catching the light of the fading evening sun. We were given a warm welcome by the hosts, chefs and waitstaff as service began at 5:00pm, greeting us in unison as we entered the dining room. What followed the next three and a half hours was the best dining experience I've had so far.

I could tell you about each dish we had, what was in it and why it was so amazing, but I don't want to do that. Part of what made our experience so fun and delightful was placing trust in the lovely manager who curated a menu for us that wowed our palates from bite to bite. From my very first bite, my very first drink, it felt like the staff really took into account our tastes and tailored a menu that was more of a tasting journey. The contrast between flavors, textures, sauces--it was all amazing and so much fun. With the exception of dessert, we sent back the dishes cleaned off with barely a garnish left—and even that was only because we were so full by dessert!

My favorite part? You had to truly be present for each bite and each dish, to listen to our awesome waitress as she told us the ingredients, how to eat what we were given, and all through the night, we were given trivia about the history of Nobu and how its philosophy came to be. Our drinks were always replenished, our plates cleared to be clean and ready so following courses would not be mixed with flavors of previous courses.

I have often told that hospitality is about how you make people feel, and that night, Nobu's management, waitstaff, hosts, chefs and cooking staff were peak hospitality because we left feeling spoiled, buzzing from the delightful array of flavors and wonderful conversation and company we had all through the night. We truly enjoyed dining at Nobu Chicago, and can't wait to go back again. I'm not listing the dishes we had because I'm advocating for a curated experience--engage with your servers, set a price limit and let them surprise you if you're up for a foodie adventure. You won't be...