Restaurant in Chicago, United States
Serious kitchen, two formats, no wrong choice.
Elske is one of Chicago's most consistent $$$$ kitchens, ranked #269 on Opinionated About Dining's 2025 North America list and climbing. The Scandinavian-influenced New American cooking from David Posey comes in both tasting and à la carte formats, giving first-timers real flexibility. Book at least three to four weeks out — the room fills fast for good reason.
If you are choosing between Elske and Smyth for a serious dinner on Chicago's West Loop, Elske is the easier recommendation for first-timers: it offers the same $$$$ price tier with a warmer room, a patio that actually works, and the flexibility of both tasting and à la carte formats. It sits at #269 on Opinionated About Dining's 2025 North America list (up from #157 in 2024 and Highly Recommended in 2023), which tells you the kitchen is consistently getting stronger, not coasting. Book it. The question is just how.
Elske occupies the corner of Randolph Street's restaurant corridor at 1350 W Randolph St, inside the West Loop neighbourhood that now anchors Chicago's most concentrated stretch of serious dining. The kitchen is led by David Posey, and the Scandinavian-inflected New American cooking here draws a clear line: seasonal ingredients treated with restraint, flavours built on fermentation, smoke, and earthy sweetness rather than richness or luxury protein. For a first-timer, the clearest point of reference is a tasting-menu restaurant with the personality of a neighbourhood room — never formal enough to feel stiff, never casual enough to feel accidental.
The format question matters most here. Elske runs both a set tasting menu and an à la carte option, which puts it in a different category from single-format restaurants like Alinea (Progressive American, Creative), where you take what comes. That flexibility is a genuine advantage for first-timers who are not sure how committed they want to be, or for pairs where one person finds locked tasting menus frustrating. According to Opinionated About Dining, there is no wrong answer between the two formats — both reflect the same kitchen priorities. But if you are coming once and want the full argument, take the tasting menu.
The room is airy and the patio is a particular draw when the season allows. Randolph Street's dining strip can feel sceney, but Elske's room reads warmer than many of its neighbours. Service carries the same character: engaged without being theatrical. For comparison, Boka a few blocks north runs a comparable price point with more conventional New American framing; Elske's Scandinavian lean gives it a clearer point of view.
Bar and counter seats at Elske are worth requesting specifically. In a room that fills quickly , Opinionated About Dining notes the dining room books fast , counter seating gives you a sightline into the kitchen's pace and a slightly less formal register that suits the à la carte format particularly well. If you are a solo diner or a pair who wants to eat without the ceremony of a full tasting, book the counter and work through the à la carte. The juice pairings and esoteric wine list are easier to explore at the bar, where the pace of the meal is more yours to set. Counter seats also tend to open up on slightly shorter notice than the main dining room, which is useful given overall booking difficulty.
Past dishes documented by Opinionated About Dining include lamb tartare on rye, duck liver tart with salted tamp, and yeasted chickpea pancakes with smoked trout , a short list that tells you the kitchen's orientation clearly: fermented bases, acid-forward building blocks, and animal fats used as seasoning rather than the main event. The signature dessert is a sunflower seed parfait with sour honey and licorice, which is worth knowing in advance if bitter-sweet finishes are not your preference. The flavour profile sits closer to the Nordic-influenced cooking you would find at Lazy Bear in San Francisco or Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg than to the French-leaning precision of Le Bernardin in New York City or The French Laundry in Napa.
Elske is open Thursday through Monday for dinner only , Tuesday and Wednesday are dark. Hours run from 5:30 PM on Thursday and Friday (to 9 PM and 10 PM respectively), 5 PM on Saturday and Sunday, and 5:30 PM on Monday closing at 9 PM. There is no lunch service, so the dinner-or-dinner question answers itself. Saturday at 5 PM opening gives you the most room time before the dining room fully fills. Booking difficulty is high , plan at least three to four weeks ahead for weekend seats, longer for prime Saturday slots. Counter and bar seats, as noted, can come available on shorter notice and are worth checking closer to your date.
For Chicago context, Elske is harder to book than Girl & The Goat or Boka, roughly comparable in difficulty to S.K.Y., and easier than Alinea. If your dates are fixed and Elske is fully booked, EL Ideas is the closest alternative in spirit for a chef-driven, intimate format.
Elske works leading for diners who want a serious kitchen without the full performance of a multi-hour theatrical tasting. The dual format (tasting plus à la carte) makes it practical for pairs with different appetites for commitment. The room and patio suit a date dinner or a small group celebrating something without needing a private dining room. It is a harder sell for groups larger than four who want a shared, convivial loud-table experience , Girl & The Goat handles that better. And if you want the full avant-garde Chicago tasting menu experience, Alinea is the stronger argument, at higher cost and considerably more booking friction.
For further context on what else is worth booking in the city, see our full Chicago restaurants guide, our full Chicago bars guide, and our full Chicago hotels guide. If you are building a longer trip, our full Chicago experiences guide and our full Chicago wineries guide are useful additions. For New American contemporary restaurants at a similar tier in other cities, The Wolf's Tailor in Denver, Sons & Daughters in San Francisco, and Providence in Los Angeles offer useful comparison points. Emeril's in New Orleans operates in a different register but at the same price tier if New Orleans is on the itinerary.
| Detail | Elske | Smyth | Boka |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $$$$ | $$$$ | $$$$ |
| Format | Tasting + à la carte | Tasting only | À la carte |
| Booking difficulty | Hard | Hard | Moderate |
| Dinner only | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Days closed | Tue–Wed | Varies | Varies |
| Counter/bar seating | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Patio | Yes | No | Yes |
Elske does not serve lunch , dinner is the only option. The restaurant opens Thursday through Monday from 5 PM or 5:30 PM depending on the night. Saturday at 5 PM is the earliest start and gives you the most unhurried pace before the room fills. Friday and Saturday evenings are the busiest and run to 10 PM, giving more time if you plan to order broadly.
Smart casual is the practical benchmark. At a $$$$ price point with OAD recognition, showing up in a blazer or equivalent is appropriate, but Elske's West Loop room is warmer and less formal than the city's most ceremonial tasting rooms. You do not need a tie. Think: dinner-out clothes rather than office clothes. Avoid very casual streetwear, which will feel out of register with the room.
Three things matter most: First, you have a genuine choice between the tasting menu and à la carte , both are worth doing, so decide based on how long you want to sit and how adventurous your table is. Second, the room fills fast and booking difficulty is high, so plan well ahead. Third, the cooking leans Scandinavian-influenced rather than classical French or American comfort , expect acid, fermentation, and restrained sweetness rather than rich sauces. The sunflower seed parfait dessert (with sour honey and licorice) is a good litmus test: if that sounds appealing, you are the right audience.
Elske works well for pairs and tables of three or four. For larger groups, the format (especially the tasting menu) can be harder to coordinate, and the room's airy-but-not-sprawling layout is not built for loud communal tables. No private dining capacity is confirmed in available data. If you are booking for five or more, contact the restaurant directly to confirm what is possible. For large-group Chicago dining at a comparable price tier, Girl & The Goat handles the format better.
If it is your first visit, take the tasting menu , it gives the clearest picture of what David Posey's kitchen is doing. On the à la carte, documented highlights from OAD include lamb tartare on rye, duck liver tart with salted tamp, and yeasted chickpea pancakes with smoked trout. The juice pairings are worth considering if you want something thoughtful without wine; the wine list skews esoteric. Do not skip dessert: the sunflower seed parfait with sour honey and licorice is the signature and worth arriving for.
Yes, and it is a good option. Counter and bar seating at Elske gives you a sightline into the kitchen and a less structured pace, which suits the à la carte format well. Bar seats also tend to open up on shorter notice than the main dining room, so if you are trying to book within a week or two, check counter availability first. Solo diners and pairs benefit most from this option.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elske | New American, Contemporary | $$$$ | Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Ranked #269 (2025); Chef: David Posey document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { var el = document.getElementById("Achievements_chefs"); if (el && el.parentNode) { el.parentNode.removeChild(el); } });; Year after year, Chefs David and Anna Posey hit their marks with this Danish oasis. A marvelous patio seamlessly flows into an airy dining room that fills up quickly — and for good reason. In choosing between the set tasting and the a la carte, there is no wrong answer. Both journeys capture the spirit of what makes this restaurant special by showing a respect for the seasons, delightful originality, and a stylish flair that never comes at the cost of flavor. Past highlights include lamb tartare on rye, duck liver tart with salted tamp, and yeasted chickpea pancakes with smoked trout. The signature dessert is a sunflower seed parfait with sour honey and licorice. Juice pairings and esoteric wines round out the evening.; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Ranked #157 (2024); Year after year, Chefs David and Anna Posey hit their marks with this Danish oasis. A marvelous patio seamlessly flows into an airy dining room that fills up quickly — and for good reason. In choosing between the set tasting and the a la carte, there is no wrong answer. Both journeys capture the spirit of what makes this restaurant special by showing a respect for the seasons, delightful originality, and a stylish flair that never comes at the cost of flavor. Past highlights include lamb tartare on rye, duck liver tart with salted tamp, and yeasted chickpea pancakes with smoked trout. The signature dessert is a sunflower seed parfait with sour honey and licorice. Juice pairings and esoteric wines round out the evening.; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Highly Recommended (2023) | Hard | — |
| Alinea | Progressive American, Creative | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Smyth | Progressive American, Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Kasama | Filipino | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Next Restaurant | American Cuisine | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Boka | New American, Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how Elske measures up.
Dinner is your only option — Elske does not serve lunch. The kitchen runs Thursday through Monday, with doors opening at 5 PM on weekends and 5:30 PM Thursday and Friday. If you want the full experience, a Thursday or Friday booking gives you slightly more room; Saturday fills fastest.
Elske's airy, patio-connected dining room on Randolph Street reads dressed-up casual — think a clean, put-together outfit rather than a suit. The room is serious enough that jeans with a blazer land correctly; full formal wear would feel out of place in the West Loop neighbourhood context.
Book early — Opinionated About Dining notes the dining room fills quickly, and Elske ranked #157 in North America in 2024. You face a real choice on arrival: tasting menu or a la carte. OAD's position is that neither format is the wrong call, so pick based on how long you want to sit. Both approaches reflect David and Anna Posey's seasonal, ingredient-led cooking style.
Elske works for groups, but the room fills fast, so groups of four or more should book as soon as reservations open. Parties wanting a shared experience should consider the tasting menu format for consistency across the table; the a la carte works better for groups with varied appetites or dietary preferences.
Past dishes documented by Opinionated About Dining include lamb tartare on rye, duck liver tart with salted tamp, and yeasted chickpea pancakes with smoked trout. The signature dessert is a sunflower seed parfait with sour honey and licorice. Juice pairings and esoteric wines are available to round out the meal — worth considering given the kitchen's seasonal focus.
Yes, and it is worth requesting specifically. Counter and bar seats at Elske offer the same kitchen output in a less formal setting, which suits solo diners or couples who prefer a quicker pace. Given how fast the dining room fills — noted by OAD year after year — bar seats can also be a practical route in if the main room is fully booked.
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