Ema - River North

4.7

4586 Reviews

$31 to $50

Mediterranean

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 17, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 136 times today

Good for special occasions
Charming
Lively

A Mediterranean & California-inspired restaurant featuring small plates & Chef CJ Jacobson's lighter style cooking in Chicago's River North.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Mediterranean, Californian
Hours of operation
Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–4:00 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 3:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(312) 527-5586
Website
http://www.emarestaurants.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
CJ Jacobson
Catering
Enjoy Ema Catering for your next event at home, in the office, or for your next celebration! Contact emaparties@leye.com for more information.
Private party facilities
The open and inviting dining room features reclaimed wood, rustic white brick and an indoor ivy terrace with operable windows. The dining room accommodates groups up to 150 guests and may be custom configured for your next family-style dinner, business lunch or cocktail reception event.

Location
74 West Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60654
Neighborhood
River North (Chicago)
Cross street
Clark & Illinois
Parking details
Valet parking is located just east of Ema on Illinois Street at the Hyatt Place/Fairfield Inn valet. Valet costs $25 for 3 hours, no validation needed. Regular rates apply after 3 hours.
Public transit
Red Line Stop at Grand / Blue Line Stop at Clark
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Popular dishes

Classic$13.95
za'atar, vegetable crudite, california olive oil
Spicy$14.95
piquillo pepper, lemon, basil
"Bhel" Hummus$15.95
pineapple, avocado, pomegranate, tamarind, crispy rice, mint chutney
Wild Mushroom$17.95
truffled mushroom ragu, sherry, garlic
Hummus w/ Lamb Ragu$18.95
slow-braised lamb, spicy harissa

Spreads

Charred Eggplant$14.95
aleppo, mint, olive oil
House-Made Labneh$14.95
local honey, date, pomegranate, aleppo, mint
Toasted Almond & Garlic$15.95
castelvetrano olive, fresh herbs
Moroccan Onion Dip$15.95
medjool date, tamarind chutney, crispy leek

Raw

Truffled Salmon*$18.95
roasted garlic, chive, crispy leek
Hamachi & Charred Avocado*$19.95
coconut cream, lychee, jalapeño, makrut lime vinaigrette
Big Eye Tuna & Honeycrisp Apple*$21.95
pomegranate, moroccan mint, yuzu nigella vinaigrette

Salads

add green falafel / $6.95, add grilled chicken / $7.95, add faroe islands salmon* / $10.95

Tahini Caesar$15.95
hearts of romaine, radish, quinoa crouton, mimolette cheese
Brussels Sprouts & Honeycrisp Apple$15.95
pomegranate, marcona almond, honey dijon vinaigrette
Greek Village$16.95
romaine, tomato, cucumber, kalamata olive, feta, red pepper, dijon vinaigrette
Mediterranean Chopped$15.95
arugula, romaine, cauliflower, caper, date, parmesan, olive, red pepper
House-Made Stracciatella$18.95
mighty vine tomato, crouton, sherry shallot vinaigrette, basil

Vegetables

Feta & Olives$14.95
marcona almonds, sweety drops, lemon zest, middle east spice
Brussels Sprouts$14.95
crispy shallot, pumpkin seed, agrodolce
Pan-Roasted Romanesque Cauliflower$15.95
house yogurt, local honey

Hot Mezze

Crispy Potatoes$12.95
mizithra, rosemary, scallion crema
Green Falafel$13.95
beet tzatziki, tahini, lemon zest
Hot Honey Halloumi$14.95
crispy garlic dukkah
Delicata Squash Farrotto$16.95
brown butter, crispy sage, squash vinaigrette

Sandwiches

served with mesclun greens or za'atar fries

Green Falafel$15.95
tomato, hummus, purple cabbage, tzatziki
Grilled Chicken$16.95
hummus, purple cabbage, sweet & spicy peppers
Braised Short Rib*$18.95
beef jus, hummus, purple cabbage, crispy shallot

Kebabs

served with basmati rice

Grilled Halloumi$17.95
greek cheese, red onion, date, red zhoug
Chicken Kefta$18.95
lemon, olive oil, tzatziki
Grilled Chicken$19.95
yogurt marinade, sweet pepper, zhoug
Lamb & Beef Kefta*$19.95
lemon, olive oil, tzatziki
Grilled Shrimp*$29.95
roasted tomato, souvlaki, lemon, zhoug
Faroe Islands Salmon*$24.95
sweet pepper, red onion, lemon, olive oil, zhoug

Surcharge

As a way to offset rising costs, we have added a 3.5% surcharge to all checks. You may request to have this taken off your check should you choose.

What 4,586 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.5Service
4.6Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Chicago / Illinois
Mediterranean
Chicago
Mediterranean

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Ema - River North offers a vibrant Mediterranean experience with "delicious food" and "great service." Guests rave about the "hot honey halloumi," "hummus with lamb ragu," and "crispy potatoes." The ambiance is "bright and welcoming," perfect for both family dinners and date nights. "Highly recommended" for its creative dishes and attentive staff.

4,586 Reviews

J
Javier
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Don’t skip the bhel hummus. One of the best plates i’ve had this year.
Is this helpful?
E
Eftihia
Chicago
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I went to Ēma for Valentine’s Day dinner and it was very lovely. The dishes are meant to be shared so we were able to try a lot of things for a decent price, I really enjoyed the lobster and the lamb/beef kofta. The service was incredible, our waiter was on top of everything and we had such a great time! The portions are a decent size, some things I expected more but generally it was a good portion!
Is this helpful?
H
Howard
VIP
Chicago
179 reviews
5.0
179 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent spot for a business lunch, great food and service.
Is this helpful?
G
Giselle
Greater Boston
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on February 9, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 5
horrible server. pushy and gave us a dessert without even telling us our options. - manager called and dealt with this situation but overall the food was great here and I would definitely come back.
Is this helpful?
A
Angela
VIP
Chicago
39 reviews
5.0
39 reviews
Dined on February 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I had the best server and the hummus was delicious
Is this helpful?
N
Notcookingtonight
VIP
Chicago
20 reviews
5.0
20 reviews
Dined on February 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We had a great experience at Ema!! Cute place, really good service, great food, and restaurant week made it a really good value!! The chocolate crunch dessert was delicious!!
Is this helpful?
T
Tracy
VIP
Greater Boston
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on February 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The bathrooms of the Hyatt hotel were not clean so maybe restaurant could work with the hotel to make sure that this is taken care of.
Is this helpful?
R
Rafael
Chicago
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on February 7, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Super delicious restaurant week menu. The Sticky Date cake dessert cannot be missed! The ambience and service were top notch as well. Only thing I’ll say is that I wished the negroni I ordered came on one large rock, but I’m also just really persnickety about that kind of thing lol
Is this helpful?
C
Chelsea
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
My husband and I came here for restaurant week and the food was absolutely fantastic! Our server Jose gave us some great recommendations and was so friendly! We got the grilled eggplant, falafel, hot honey halloumi, salmon kebab & lamb kebabs! We ordered dessert as well but got it to go cause our daughter was getting fussy, but I’m sure that’s just as good too! NO COMPLAINTS on any of the dishes, we’ll definitely be back again.
Is this helpful?
B
Bridget
Chicago
54 reviews
5.0
54 reviews
Dined on February 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
It was a great meal. The service was fantastic. They gave fabulous recommendations!
Is this helpful?

FAQs

Ema - River North offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (312) 527-5586.

Ema - River North is rated 4.7 stars by 4586 OpenTable diners.

Ema - River North does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 17, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 136 times today

Order delivery or takeout

74 West Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60654

Additional information

Cross street
Clark & Illinois
Neighborhood
River North (Chicago)
Hours of operation
Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–4:00 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 3:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Mediterranean, Californian
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Valet parking is located just east of Ema on Illinois Street at the Hyatt Place/Fairfield Inn valet. Valet costs $25 for 3 hours, no validation needed. Regular rates apply after 3 hours.
Public transit
Red Line Stop at Grand / Blue Line Stop at Clark
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
CJ Jacobson
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.emarestaurants.com/
Phone number
(312) 527-5586
Catering
Enjoy Ema Catering for your next event at home, in the office, or for your next celebration! Contact emaparties@leye.com for more information.
Private party facilities
The open and inviting dining room features reclaimed wood, rustic white brick and an indoor ivy terrace with operable windows. The dining room accommodates groups up to 150 guests and may be custom configured for your next family-style dinner, business lunch or cocktail reception event.

Featured in

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card

Ema - River North

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

50 Chicago Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

The Diner Reviews Are In: 100 Best Restaurants in America

Gift card

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts & Honeycrisp Apple

Chicken Kefta

Hummus

Classic$13.95

Spicy$14.95

"Bhel" Hummus$15.95

Wild Mushroom$17.95

Hummus w/ Lamb Ragu$18.95

Spreads

Charred Eggplant$14.95

House-Made Labneh$14.95

Toasted Almond & Garlic$15.95

Moroccan Onion Dip$15.95

Raw

Truffled Salmon*$18.95

Hamachi & Charred Avocado*$19.95

Big Eye Tuna & Honeycrisp Apple*$21.95

Salads

Tahini Caesar$15.95

Brussels Sprouts & Honeycrisp Apple$15.95

Greek Village$16.95

Mediterranean Chopped$15.95

House-Made Stracciatella$18.95

Vegetables

Feta & Olives$14.95

Brussels Sprouts$14.95

Pan-Roasted Romanesque Cauliflower$15.95

Hot Mezze

Crispy Potatoes$12.95

Green Falafel$13.95

Hot Honey Halloumi$14.95

Delicata Squash Farrotto$16.95

Sandwiches

Green Falafel$15.95

Grilled Chicken$16.95

Braised Short Rib*$18.95

Kebabs

Grilled Halloumi$17.95

Chicken Kefta$18.95

Grilled Chicken$19.95

Lamb & Beef Kefta*$19.95

Grilled Shrimp*$29.95

Faroe Islands Salmon*$24.95

Surcharge

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does Ema - River North offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Ema - River North restaurant rated?

Does Ema - River North offer gift cards?

Is Ema - River North currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Featured in

50 Chicago Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

The Diner Reviews Are In: 100 Best Restaurants in America

Gift card