Went here for Restaurant Week...I got the steak and was pleased with it...My man got the salmon and it was deeeeeeelish...I saw the bowls that the lobster bisque was served in and they were so tiny so opted to get the salad instead...The white chocolate cheesecake tasted pretty good...The key lime pie was very limey...All in all, just okay in my book...
Review Source:Went here for a valentines day dinner and the food was delicious. We ordered calamari to start and it came with 3 different sauces that were amazing. For entrees we ordered 2 different types of fish, a salmon and a whitefish. The whitefish was had more of a chinese flavor but was sooooo good. Both were cooked perfectly and the mashed potatoes and slaw that came with were devine. The decor is very modern and the lighting is pretty cool. I would def go back .
Review Source:My lovely wife and I stopped here for a late lunch after spending the morning touring the design studios at the Merch. Â We had 10:00pm dinner reservations after a show at 7:30pm, so we figured a substantial lunch was in order to hold us over.
At 3:00pm on a Thursday, the place was all but empty. Â But having celebrated our anniversary a "tad" too much the prior evening, we decided to go the water and Pepsi route for drinks and leave the higher octane stuff for later.
I've been to the Nick's in Rosemont, but tucked into the North side of the Merch, this location is a little bit more like a sports bar, at least that's my opinion.
We started with the Flaming Spinach and Artichoke dip, which was expertly ignited by our server, Vince. Â It was yummy, and a good way to start. Â Be wary though, because the first bite of the tasty dip is like molten lava.
My wife chose the Fish Tacos and couldn't have loved them more. Â The battered cod was cooked perfectly, and the avocado crema was a great accompaniment. Â The coleslaw was probably some of the best we've ever had in a restaurant, cool and creamy with just the right amount of tang to compliment the fish.
I opted for the Blackened Tilapia sandwich. Â The blackening spices were just right, producing a very nice amount of heat while not overpowering the fish. Â Served simply on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, and a dab of remoulade (I would have been happy with some on the side as well for dipping the thin crispy fries), it was pretty darn good.
As other reviewers have said, this really isn't a date spot but you gotta make your own romance, right?
We left happy and filled just enough to carry us through to our late night dinner reservations.
We enjoyed a lunch here after a Chicago Architectural Foundation tour of the Merchandise Mart. The food and service were both very good. Â We tried the vodka pasta, lobster bisque, and the crab cake appetizer--a single very large crab cake that was as good as any we've had. Â The prices did seem just a little high for lunch.
Review Source:The food at Nick's was great and the restaurant is very nice. Excellent seafood selection and our waiter was fantastic and attentive.
The only downside was that the restaurant was pretty empty on a Saturday night during dinner, so it was a bit of an odd vibe. The Merchandise Mart is so quiet on the weekend too, so it didn't have the Chicago "buzz" that you would expect at a nice dinner.
Oh, and one last thing... we brought my 4-year-old nephew with us and they actually made him homemade chicken nuggets - they were delicious!
We went here for Valentine's Day and we were very disappointed. The ambiance is definitely not good for a date. The lights are bright and it feels more like a fast food place with the big booths and white paneling. The food was okay but definitely not up to scale with the prices. It might be an ok lunch spot if you work in the Merchandise Mart but I would not come back here for dinner.
Review Source:The food was pretty good. Â Chilean sea bass is definitely a winner here. Â I would give the food 4 stars.
This place gets 0 stars for ambiance. Â I've been to Nick's when it was under Chase tower and I set reservations at this location based on my experience from there. Â The lighting in the dining area is SO bright here. Â I brought my girlfriend here for valentine's day and I would compare the ambiance to McDonalds or Wendy's. Â It was quite ridiculous. Â I will never come here for a date again
A fish out of water.....
We walked in and felt like we were in a hotel lobby bar with too much neon and mod colors. SUPER bright and TVs all over the place. Certainly not the "Chicago" experience we were looking for and this restaurant long had a reputation for.
Fish quality was good. Presentation: they were trying to be hip and it did not work for me. All the reviews raved about the lobster bisque which was fine. Not great. WAY over priced and not really much of an experience. I was  disappointed. Cocktails were meh, my husband ordered a bourbon on the rocks it came in a giant glass with a full scoop of ice in it. If you like the taste of bourbon ask for ice on the side. I had a martini dry but the vermouth was overwhelming.
Service was OK.
The entire experience left a lot to be desired. Might be a good place for a meeting.
This was restaurant number two during my restaurant week take over. Unfortunately, this restaurant delivered less than a stellar performance. When I go out for restaurant week, I expect to have a fantastic experience. It should include some of the restaurant's best courses, great service and excellent dessert. Nick's only "brought it "in two of the three expectations. The service was pretty good but the food was less than spectacular. It was, dare I say, Blah. The only part of the meal that I was satisfied with was the chocolate Molten Cake. However, I feel that the restaurant's miniature creation of this dessert was a bit insulting.
All and All, Nick's Fishmarket didn't deliver at all. I give it 2 NOMS.
I met someone for lunch here today. Â I got there a few minutes early, and asked the greeter whether the person I was meeting had arrived yet. Â Since she hadn't the greeter volunteered letting me wait at the bar.
The bartender was instantly receptive. Â I didn't have a drink, as I was going to meet my friend minutes later; nevertheless, she was extremely friendly as I was waiting.
As for the service at the actual table, it was a little more scattered than I would have otherwise preferred. Â According to my dining partner, Nick's normally isn't as busy as it was today for a weekday lunch. Â However, it was restaurant week, so the restaurant was pretty much completely booked..
I had a salmon with asian bbq sauce, jasmine rice, and side of vegetables. Â I think it was about 20$. Â The salmon was wonderful, the jasmine rice was mediocre, and the vegetables were great.
I sometimes work at the Mart so I finally went there for lunch. I was pleasantly surprised.
The restaurant has a very trendy blue color themed decor. Very spacious seating and quiet environment that's perfect for a business lunch.
Appetizers:
- Lobster bisque: it was perfect. Perfect portion, not too big to skip entree and not too small to leave you yearning for more. Actually I lied. I kept yearning for more but the rational part of me told me to stop.
- Black and blue Ahi Tuna: the fish was very fresh but the spices were too strong for my palate that's used to sashimi.
- Flaming spinach and artichoke: loved the dip. Although you would think the flame would add some kick to it. Nope. Still very good.
- Blackened tilapia sandwich: fish was awesome. Not much else to it. Fries were not good. Soft and over fried. Sad.
My guests seemed to have enjoyed their food. The salads look good too especially when there are giant grilled shrimps. They seem to have daily specials that look delicious too.
Next time you are tired from walking around the Mart gazing at the beautiful furniture, try Nick's out. It's better than you average downtown lunch spots with slightly higher prices but it's worth at least one visit IMHO.
I'd definitely go back to Nick's. The service wasn't bad, but it also didn't have me jump for joy; it was ok. Â That's really the only area where I'd give less than 4 stars.
What sold me on this place was the food (I had a buffalo chicken sandwich which was solid) and the ambiance. I bet this place is a good place to dine/hang out at the bar after work. Â Please note: I only tried the buffalo chicken and fries; so I'll have to update my review once I've sampled their other dishes. Â
The price tag for my sandwich is about what you'd expect for lunch downtown; $16 (which includes a beverage and taxes.)
I came in with a friend for lunch. Â I was at the Mart for work and didn't want to go to the food court. Â The ambiance was very modern. Â The service was attentive but not overbearing. Â The food is what really shined. Â We split a big salad as an appetizers. Â I had the dover sole - and I rarely gush over a menu item, but it was outstanding. Â I wish that I had saved more room for dessert but we ordered 2 and shared - key lime pie and creme brulees. Â Next time I'm down in that area, I will be back.
Review Source:Great place. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. The lobster risotto and fish tacos are excellent. Â Also, many awesome craft beers on tap. Â The service is fast and friendly. Â Even though Nick's is in a new location, it is still popular and crowded especially during lunch.
Review Source:My colleagues and I enjoy stopping at Nick's after work for the great Happy Hour specials. Â They offer free bar bites on Mon/Wed/Fri, and the bartenders are friendly, so I'm always comfortable dropping by myself. Â With the cold weather upon us, I'm excited to order the Lobster Bisque - BEST IN THE CITY! Â Excellent food, convenient location, great service - I love having Nick's near my office.
Review Source:Haven't eaten Nick's Fishmarket food since I worked downtown over 25  years ago when it was at  the lower level of what was known as the "First National Bank Plaza" on  Monroe between Clark and Dearborn and it was excellent.
Today they catered the BOMA event on the 7th floor at the Merchandise Mart and it was once agian, EXCELLENT!
I had samplings of the following and EVERYTHING was cooked perfectly and had excellent flavor!
Fresh sauted Spinach with just the right amount of oil and garlic,
Some sort of beef in a rich brown gravy
Tender thin white fish
Asparagus (AWESOME!)
Chicken kabob with green pepper and onion MMMMMMMM!!!
Bravo Nick and staff!!
I went to the old Nick's a couple of times before it moved to this location and liked it, so I was curious to see what this Nick's was like. I stopped in for dinner one night when I was in the area. I was surprised by the fact that there were only 2 other people in the entire place. The old locale was pretty packed after work, but I guess the new spot really just caters to people who work in the Mart.
I wasn't looking for anything fancy, so I just ordered the fish tacos. There are only 2 tacos, but they're pretty big. It also comes with a side of fries or cole slaw. I opted for the slaw, and there was quite a bit of it. The fish in the tacos is fried cod, I believe. They were good; I've had better fish tacos elsewhere.
The server was very attentive (probably because no one else was there), so no complaints on that front.
My guess is that this place does a lot of lunch business. They close at 8 pm, so it's probably good for a post-work drink or quick dinner, but that's about it. I doubt I would go out of my way to go there again, but if I'm in the area, I might stop by.
I stopped in for a drink after visiting the home design retailers in the Mart. Â I don't visit the Mart frequently, and it was good to find a spot to relax.
The bartenders were funny and I enjoyed a glass of sparkling. Â Good spot to reflect on all of the design ideas that one finds in the building with your favorite beverage.
We ate here a few weeks ago after reading a few positive reviews online. Â People had mentioned the menu changing. Â Should have paid attention to this. Â The menu that is online is completely different than what is actually there. Â The food wasn't bad at all, but it was definitely not what we were expecting. Â
I had the Seabass, which was rather good. Â It was nothing to write home about. Â My girlfriend had the sea food risotto, which she said was OK. Â The menu was not too diverse, and if you have shellfish allergy, like myself, you can go ahead and cross out 3/4 of the menu. Â Hopefully they update their menu online so you can know what you are getting into.
I was here for restaurant week and enjoyed my experience but wasn't wowed by it. Â Perhaps the decor of the place threw me off...I felt like I was sitting in an airport chain restaurant. Â That being said, the bar area itself is nice enough, it's just the dining area that is abysmal looking. Â For a restaurant located in the Merchandise Mart, the Mecca of Interior Designers, I expected more.
Now on to the food: I had the lobster bisque (amazing!), the Lobster and Shrimp Risotto had an entire lobster tail (impressive!) and lots of shrimp. Â The risotto was a little rich, in that there was a bit too much asiago cheese, but still tasty. I had the Key Lime Tart for desert and while it was a small portion, I was fine with that as I was already stuffed. Â It was good, but not mind blowing. Â
Our server was pleasant enough and food was brought out in a timely manner. Â
Essentially my meal was good, but given how many amazing foodie places there are in Chicago, I was a little underwhelmed. Â I'm glad I gave it a shot though!
We enjoyed an excellent dinner. The service was superb. Atmosphere stylish modern with the bar area lit from below in blue light. ...A cold winter Chicago night (7°) we had the chicken and rice soup to warm up. My wife had the seafood salad and was very happy. I had chicken piccata - generously served with angel hair pasta, Goose Island beers ... price was right and we will return
Review Source:I went to Nick's Fishmarket for the first time for lunch with my new boss. Â She had been there before and said the food was good. Â We both ordered the seafood salad for lunch. Â The portion was pretty large and didn't skimp on any ingredients. Â There was tons of fish in this salad - big pieces of crab and tons of shrimp. Â The salad was perfectly made and so filling! Â Nick's has a great location in the Merchandise Mart which is right next to where I work. Â I'd love to go back to Nick's for lunch or even dinner sometime.
Review Source:This is the prefect place for a business lunch - comfortable seating, good service and decent variety on the menu. Â Ask about the daily specials because they usually have some nice dishes. Â I tried a mahi-mahi with a chimmichrui sauce and really enjoyed it. Â Portions are fair and they are willing to make substitutions so that's a plus. Â A solid 3-star experience.
Review Source:Oh, Nick's. Â I've tried twice now at your new location, and it's just not the same. Â The only thing that is familiar is the food, which is still of great quality. Â But your service has gone WAY down hill. Â
Some of the bummers from my last lunch visit at Nick's:
- No cheesy poofs until 4pm. Â The cheese puffs and sliders were the reason we came here for lunch! Â After some begging, we were able to get a few.
- It appears as though the wait staff is in need of some help. Â They need either (a) more bodies to help wait tables, (b) training for their existing staff or (c) all of the above.
- A three-person lunch with two appetizers and two entrees should not take one hour and forty minutes.
I don't think I'll be coming back any time soon, unless someone is having an event here and I have to go back. Â I'll use my reallynicerestaurant points at The Clubhouse out in Oakbrook next time the wife makes me go shopping with her.
Sorry Nick's -- it just ain't the same. :(
Everyone in our office was so excited to see Nick's Fishmarket open in the old DUMPhey's spot. The food is delicious and the staff is very friendly. What's not delicious or friendly is the hair that's been in my food on two of my three visits there.
My friend and I went there last week and split a Carne Asada salad. The salad was huge and topped with lots of stuff, so I don't know how I spotted the big blondish hair sticking out of the edge. When I showed the waiter, he said, "Oh gross!" as he hauled it away. He tossed us some divine frites as a consolation prize while we waited for a fresh salad. He ended up comping our meal, which was nice.
My coworker and I went back today and enjoyed a great meal...until the bus boy delivered my Chocolate Molten Cake complete with a black hair garnish on top. Ewww. The staff wasn't *as* apologetic today. They kind of smirked and shrugged as they tried to figure out who the blondish hair from last week could have belonged to.
I *want* to say that I won't go back, but those frites are like crack. And it's in the building, so here's hoping that the hair will just burn off during the deep fry process.
For a Merch Mart business-oriented spot, this place beat my expectations.
Came here on a Friday night after GT Fish & Oyster's 2+-hour-long wait was too much to stomach. (MEHHHHHH)
Lovely service, decent albeit limited wine selection and palate-pleasing seafood.
We started with a half dozen oysters. Super fresh sea delicacies even though one of mine had sand bits.
My girlfriend got the shrimp and lobster risotto which came with a huge lobster tail on top. The risotto was rich and rib-sticking.
I got the mahi mahi with a lemon butter caper sauce - it melted in my mouth. I've been craving some solid mahi and this did my craving justice and then some.
We got a bottle of Gruner Veltliner to wash it all down and rolled out of the restaurant fat and happy. Definitely will go back either for lunch or dinner - with clients or friends.
I thought this was a great place for a business lunch.
The mixed grill was delicious, but my dining companion's parmeson encrusted grouper with mashed potatoes made me jealous. Â Both had a good amount of veggies which impressed me.
I tried both the molten chocolate cake and the keylime pie and I would go back just for dessert any day. Â (The dessert was giant, so I didn't have room to eat nearly enough of it after lunch).
Restaurant week review! Had to change our reservations the day before but they had no problem, and the reason became obvious when we walked in...there was no one there! Granted, it was a Monday, but still not a good look.
So for our dinner I got -
Lobster bisque - Quite good. A little heavy on the sherry, but I actually liked that.
Lobster and shrimp risotto - Came with a big ol' lobster tail and lots of shrimp. Â However, the risotto itself was really heavy on the cheese and th seafood didn't get much of a chance to shine.
White chocolate cheesecake - Tasted...off. Â I couldn't taste white chocolate or even regular chocolate - just a heavy citric taste. Maybe they keep their cheesecake too close to their key lime pie?
Oh, and one awkward moment - we ordered a bottle of wine, and my glass ended up with more sediment than any of us had ever seen. Â It looked like someone had dropped wafers in my wine glass.
So the waiter comes by, says he'll get me a new glass...then carefully pours the wine out of my glass into a new one. Ok, I know it's picky since the sediment is natural and I can't really dock them for it, but there had to have been a better solution...no?
To my friends who had to back out of the reservation...you didn't miss much.
4 1/2 stars!
Came here for restaurant week. Â Nick's is located inside of Merchandise Mart and when I walked in I felt like I was on a cruise ship. All I needed was Issac behind the bar to prepare my drink. Â It is very well lit so if you are looking for a romantic environment this may not be the place for you. Â
The server, Andrea, was AWESOME. Â She was very knowledgeable on all things Nick's and not just the items available for restaurant week. Â She was very attentive and made us feel as if we were her only customers. Â The lobster bisque is to die for!! I could have just had that for dinner. Â The salmon was yummy and the key lime pie was the perfect way to end the meal.
I suspect my friends and I will try to find a reason very soon to return. Â Hopefully Andrea will be there.
The process for making reservations here was: open table, restaurant week, seafood, menu looks okay and they have space for 7 on a Saturday night. The reservation was made at 4:00 pm. The first three in the group arrived an half hour early and waited at the bar, John the bartender was great with recommendations and extremely accommodating.
I would have liked the ability to transfer drinks to the dinner bill but that's nit-picky. After the next two arrived we were seated at our table, which I might add was ready for us when we arrived. Our waiter was absolutely perfect, attentive without being overly so. I have a pet peeve of intrusive waiters who constantly interrupt the evening.
Anyway, the food. Delicious. The lobster bisque was wonderful, some of us considered licking the bowl, yes just that good. Everyone ordered from the restaurant week menu and all of the entrees received rave reviews. The lobster and shrimp risotto was perfection, as was the tilapia and salmon. The filet medallions were perfectly cooked and just as good as the rest.
The staff and service was great. The space is bright and open. The food was outstanding and we all left full. What more do you need?
Came here for Valentines day. The place was not romantic but its was clean and nice.
1- Salad - Very Nice. fresh shrimps and great house dressing.
2- Lobster Bisque - Decent. Like most place.. it was a lil heavy on sodium
but it had the most lobster and crab bits.
3- Black and Blue seared tuna - Decent. Fresh fish. I thought it was cut a lil too thin and the spice out the outside over powered the fish a little too much.
4- Mojito - God Awful. It was 50% lime juice, 1% mint leaves and 40% Club Soda. Sigh. it was horrible so i had to return it and come to find out... the girl bartender was new and it was her first day at that shift. Apparently ran out of mint so there was no taste to it. Thank god the waitress was smart and offered me a drink. I had a Lemon Martini and that was fine.
5- Orange glazed salmon with whipped potato- very good. fish was perfectly cooked.
6- Ahi Tuna with shitake and rice - very good. Good amount. Again, fresh fish and perfectly done.
THIS IS NOT A GOOD PLACE TO TAKE A DATE...
I booked this reservation in hopes of having a nice romantic dinner with my fiancé since I have heard so much about this place.  When we walked through the doors we were severely disappointed.  It was way too bright, there was a 60th birthday party going on in the back, there were TV's on, and there was no music. Â
The food was great, but the atmosphere was horrible. Â The only time I would ever come back is to have a quick drink after work at the bar, if an only if I was close by.
The food is good, but not worth tolerating the atmosphere.
Food- 4 stars
Service/Ambiance- 2.5 stars
I had gone to the old location in Bank One/Chase plaza for years as a kid since my dad's office was conveniently located in the building on the plaza, but I decided to try it now that it's opened in the Mart.
The house salad was par for the course, but the lobster shrimp risotto was quite tasty and hearty on a blustery winter's day. Â The restaurant was odd as it tries to be fine dining but the dining room we ate in had 2 large screen tvs playing CNN and ESPN. Â The service was also a bit lacking. Â Maybe they don't bring out the A-team staff for lunch.
Overall it was good and I'll be back if I'm in the mood for seafood.
For many years, Nick's Fishmarket (back then it was in Chase Plaza) was just about the only fine-dining restaurant in the Loop. In the 70s, It was the epicenter of the "three martini lunch" for businessmen who still wore suits every day to work.
Sadly, those days are long gone. People don't really drink martinis at lunch and men hardly ever wear suits anymore. And Nick's Fishmarket closed its doors last year. It was the last of a dying breed.
My coworkers and I used to go to their former location for special-occasion lunches every now and then and were more than a little bummed when it closed. Where else was I ever going to find abalone on a menu? There's already so few decent places one can eat at in the Loop. Slim pickin's gettin' slimmer all the time.
My boss read in Crain's that Nick's reopened in the Merchandise Mart and chose it for our holiday lunch. We were pretty excited to go back to a familiar spot.
The restaurant is quite striking but is a little out of place among all the fast-food chain restaurants that occupy the Mart. It's on the first level and I wonder if it will see enough traffic.
The four of us sat down and waited for the delicious garlic rolls that are typically brought to your table within minutes of sitting down. They didn't come, and then I noticed that the menu now lists them as a "side" and charges for them. No longer are they gratis. That didn't sit too well with us, but my boss insisted we order them anyway; after all, lunch was on her.
There's a few things on the menu that I always liked: carne asada cobb salad, tuscan sliders, and any fish that's parmesan crusted. I went with the parmesan crusted tilapia which came with two sides. Remembering how much I loved their skinny hand-cut fries, I chose those and steamed broccoli.
The fish was terrific but I was dismayed that the fries were no longer skinny. I know it's a minor thing but I just have a preference for skinny fries as their texture holds up better.
Others ordered similar dishes; some had lobster bisque or the soup of the day, which was chicken noodle (which seems way too pedestrian for a place that's trying to be high brow).
We all enjoyed our food but everyone agreed that it just wasn't the same. Maybe we liked it more before because our choices are so limited, but for the price, we all concurred that there are other places that do it better.
Came here for lunch b/c it had been over a week since I had a vegtable, maybe longer-
I liked Nick's when it was in the old Chase bldg, loved the Lobster Bisque, so I was happy to see it was open last week in the Mart-
ENVIRONMENT:
I like the modern feel of the place, it suits the ages that dine there-It's still the same style as Blue Print that once resided there, so nothing really has changed much-
FOOD:
I ordered the Mahi Mahi Blackened style that has a Cajun Cream sauce-A decent amt of fish for lunch, I asked for seasonal veggies and rice pilaf-I waited about 5-8 minutes for my food-It came out hot and perfect, the fish was white inside and no fishy taste at all-
My total was 18.00 plus tax, only had water since they didn't serve Coke products-
The only negative comment I can make is that the waiters look like they are zombies working there-Like they hate their job, not a single one looked happy to be there-Bussers did but not the waiters, but honestly that's trying to find something wrong with the place-
I will go back to see if the bisque is still the same, I had it highly rated so it better not have changed at all!
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