I never write reviews, but felt prompted after my first bite after my first bite. My husband and I had lunch here on Valentine's day. Holy fried chicken sandwich. It was AmaZIng. Best EVER. I also had a Caesar salad and it was super delish too.
Our service was fantastic. The waiter actually told me I "must" get the sandwich. Boy was he right. He was attentive, funny, informative, yet not annoying.
Super great experience. Can't wait to go back!
I loved it!
Service was perfect, as was the presentation of all dishes. I had the bone marrow appetizer. Â when making the exotic choice, sometimes you win; sometimes you lose. This time I lost, but I loved the looks of it. Â
All entrees were delicious. Server was friendly and knowledgeable.
Great service and locally sourced food.
My partner and I visited this restaurant with friends, taking advantage of a special voucher we had for dinner. The voucher gave us 4 appetizers and 4 entrees at a discounted price.
We were seated immediately and greeted by our waiter. He explained the menu was all locally sourced foods when possible, and that pastas, breads and a few other items were made on the premises. After telling us the day's specials, he gave us time to make some drink selections.
Service was well paced and relaxed for a leisurely meal that allowed the four of us to have a few laughs and good conversation without feeling rushed. The W hotels are a stylish, trendy brand. The Wave followed that feeling with its seating and decor, just steps down from the main hotel lobby. There weren't a lot of other diners during our visit, so the ambiance was perfect for us to converse comfortably. The size of the space made me think it would be quite lively and much louder with more diners.
We each ordered an appetizer and were easily swayed by our server to also order the featured flatbread. The flatbread came with our drinks and was delicious with a combination of herbs and pancetta.
We had two orders of the steamed mussels and two of a featured pasta with pork as our appetizers. Everyone remarked on how flavorful the food was, and how large the portions were for being appetizers. Our only complaint was that both orders of mussels contained several that never opened and many that didn't open very much.
Our dinner entrees consisted of two servings of the featured pork chop, the salmon entree and the steak filet entree. Our food arrived at a good temperature and large portions.
The bone in pork chops looked huge on the plates with a serving of a sweet farro side dish. All of it was delicious. My pork chop was a little on the tough side and a bit challenging to cut, but I had ordered it medium well. If I eat meat, I cannot stomach it with any pink showing. Meat lovers think I'm ruining the meal, but I have found many places can cook a good medium well steak or chop that's still tender and flavorful. We were surprised to find that our chops contained a lot of fat, which made what was edible a more realistic portion size. It was still plenty of food.
I tasted the steak entree and it was mouthwatering. I definitely preferred it over my pork. It was very tender with a flavorful light glaze or sauce. I didn't try the salmon, but my dinner mate said it was very good as well.
We passed on dessert, though the menu was tempting. There had been more than enough food on the table already!
Our server returned with our bill and pointed out all the line items to us so we could understand the breakdown of the bill with our voucher added. He did this without asking, taking care to be sure we understood all the various line items and deductions. I appreciated this since receipts these days are often designed for the establishment and not the patron's understanding.
The Wave was surprisingly good, considering I don't always expect too much from a hotel restaurant. I wasn't aware of the locally sourced approach to the menu beforehand. I've found this always has a positive impact on a dining experience and coupled with excellent service, I'd be happy to return.
Disappointed by my meal here with friends. Â We were seated right away which is nice. Â For apps we shared the porcini risotto, mussels, and the charcuterie platter. Â Mussels were great but I've had better. Â The risotto was way underseasoned and had some crunchy grains of rice left in it. Â Charcuterie was yummy too, but didn't pair up right (meat/bread/veggie ratio was all wrong).
For dinner I had the petite steak medium rare and it came with duck fat fingerling potatoes and creamed swiss chard. Â The meat was cooked perfectly, but the sauce on it and on the plate was overwhelmingly peppery and literally burned my mouth. Â The potatoes were ok, but I didn't taste a trace of duck fat nor were they crispy. Â The chard was nice and was a huge portion, but it needed salt and our server never came back to ask if we needed anything so I made do. Â
We did get a good amount of food for our money but it wasn't great food.
The restaurant itself was beautiful and had a great vibe.
A better menu from Chef's previous employer, but I didn't notice originality. Â Flavors are noticeable but blending of ingredients can be heavy instead of complimentary. Â Good value for $$ due to generous servings.
Ginza Drink - Â the best lychee blend drink in town where flavors are distinct.
Freebie -- yummy bread with in-trend chive butter.
Porcini Risotto appetizer can be a meal in itself.
Mussels -- it was amazing that the flavor did soak into the mussel. Â Charred garlic bread.
Cobia -- fish with oxtail. Â A heavy combination. Â Sauce reminds me of Fish Escabeche (sweet and spicy) from the Philippines.
Special Occasion? Â Forgetaboutit! Â You pay for dessert. Â The Server also mentioned the full amount of bill in front of guest. Â Tacky!
The food was an obvious delight-- the petite tenderloin, risotto, and the flatbread even more so. Patrick was what really made the dining experience. Brought life to what could have been a blasé Sunday otherwise- hugely knowledgeable of the menu, attentive, and equally as fun. They're lucky to have him.
Review Source:Had brunch here today.
First, I'll start with the positives! Our waitress (Alexandria) was awesome. She was attentive and personable so we got started off well!
Second, my omelet (mushroom, peppers and goat cheese) was very good as were the potatoes served with it. For whatever reason, the cook added ham to my omelet although I didn't order it. I'm not a person who looks a gift pig in the mouth so no fussing from me on the ham.
And now the bad...
My date ordered the tomato bisque and grilled cheese and that dish just isn't ready for prime time. The bisque tasted like Prego marinara (seriously) and the grilled cheese was a buttery, gloppy mess. She struggled through it and shared her thoughts afterwards. Had I known, we may have sent back.
Truth be told, I debated not leaving this review. The hostess was very nice and our server was so attentive that I hate to write anything negative especially in regards to a single dish.
But the onus is on restaurants to get it right and that bisque...it's not bisque and probably shouldn't be served under that name. My suggestion to the nice folks ay Wave is to either remove this from the menu or revamp considerably.
This place is very small but it is not too expansive. The food quality is good. The atmosphere is nice. The only bad part is this resturant is too small. It is located in the hotel. The entrance to the hotel is nice, but the hotel is also very small. I would not recommend this hotel to peple but the Wave Resturant is decent. I really like their oatmeal.
Review Source:I've had some mixed experiences here lately. The host staff is always very W appropriate but I've had some strange servers who haven't been very timely or attentive on a weekday where the crowd is pretty small.
Some of their dishes are delish and some leave you wanting.
Good:
Pita + Feta yogurt - this is their "bread" and it is amazing
Scallops - Cooked well w. delicious couscous
Flank Steak - SO GOOD. Definitely recommend. flavorful, well cooked, and I love plaintains
Pass:
Bluecrab fritters - too fishy and bready
Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi - the diff textures don't meld together well
Prawns - also kind of fishy
Eggplant Ravioli - not the creamy rich experience you are hoping for
Overall I only come here after I've visited Bliss. Wouldn't go out of your way to make it here otherwise.
It wasn't busy when we were there. Â The front desk for the "W" hotel had more action than the entire restaurant did while we were there. Â We went with the restaurant week menu during lunchtime.
The hubby had:
1st-Roasted chicken salad (apples, almonds, endive, apple cider vinaigrette)
2nd-Grillled chicken tikka (naan bread wrap with chicken served with fries)
3rd-Pumpkin cheesecake
I went with:
A Mimosa (not part of the menu deal)
1st-Mezze (hummus plate)
2nd-Spanish melt (tuna and fontina cheese w/an orange and arugula
side salad)
3rd-Panna cotta
The NOT so good:
-Mimosa's are $15, for about a small 2-3oz shot glass...I mean champagne glass. Â What was I drinking...I mean THINKING?
-The roasted chicken salad was scantly dressed. Â The hubby commented on this a few times.
-Ketchup for fries came in a tiny little personalize sized bottle. Â A little difficult to open and even more difficult to get enough ketchup out when you really like ketchup with your fries.
-The desserts were small enough for Barbie. Â They were tiny tea cup sized, a baby cheesecake bite and a small shooter glass of Panna cotta. Â It was just a tasting that made me long for just a little more because they were both good. Â Perhaps the portions are bigger on their everyday menu.
The GOOD:
-The Mezze starter was prefect. Â The favors in the eggplant zalouk were so good. Â
-The Spanish melt was also good. Â The tuna was so fresh I almost forgot it was tuna. Â The bread was crisply toasted. Â The presentation was open faced which I personally thought made it a little easier to eat.
-The hubby's wrap was pretty amazing too. Â It was the perfect entree for a burger and fries kinda person.
-The portion sizes (minus the dessert) were perfect; not too big, not too small but just right.
-The desserts (tho smaller than small) were very good. Â I preferred the Panna cotta over the cheesecake, the hubby was the opposite. Â The Panna cotta had a few layers of a lemony like jello. Â It was a nice texture combination, slightly chewy and tart paired silky and rich. Â The cheesecake wasn't a creamy smooth cheesecake, to me it tasted a little more like pumpkin pie than cheesecake.
The BEST:
-The service was great; the hostess, waitress and supporting staff really went the extra mile for us. Â We had people making sure our waters were full, our finished plates were cleared, and table was clean of our messy crumbs. Â Our waitress was attentive and sweet topped with more sugar and it was completely genuine.
-Bonus, the manager (or some very well dressed man) even stopped by to make sure we were enjoying.
-The atmosphere was sophisticated and trendy.
Breakfast review: Â Shitty scrambled eggs. Â Crisp, tasty bacon. Â Best breakfast potatoes ever. Â Orange juice costs $8.00 a glass and tastes like Minute Maid. Â
Bar snack review: Â Awesome mezza platter; the eggplant stuff is terrific. Â Wouldn't order the calimari again. Â
Wonderful staff and great location.
A genuinely uninspired meal. I had dinner while staying as a guest. I ordered the fish of the day, which was Thai-inspired. The fish was in a very bland broth that neither complemented the fish nor brought out the flavors of the mushrooms or tomatoes served with the dish. The green beans on the side were cooked well, though, and crisp. I was set to order desert and a drink, but after 15 minutes of no one asking, I gave up. I also had the Pomegranate Fizz, which was a bit like a Cosmo with bubbles. Overall, Â was sorely disappointed, especially once the bill came. I don't mind spending 65 dollars on a meal if it's great, but this was thoroughly bland.
UPDATE:
Emailed the manager per her comment on my review and never heard back from her. Unimpressed. Moved to one star.
I think the snarky reviews about this place being pricey are dumb. Â You pay for amazing food, fabulous service, classy atmosphere and this place has all three.
Server = Georges (French guy) - He is AMAZING. Â Go with with recommendations on wine as he is a sommlier. Â His palate is extensive. We went with all of his recommendations on food except for the dessert and we were so happy we did. Â He is rediculously passionate about food and wine. Â Ask to be in his section.
Starter Food=
Beet salad - I don't like beets, but my husband who likes beets said this was a great dish.
Manchego Stuffed Dates - Melt in your mouth...savory and sweet. Â A must order.
Waygu Steak - Fantastic. Â Cooked to perfection. Â Sauce could be used on anything. Â A carnivore must order.
Sea Scallops with Risotto - Smooth, tasty and oh so good.
Entree to Share=
Slow Roasted Pork - A little fatty, but also melt in your mouth. Â The best pork dish I have ever, ever, EVER had.
Side=
Carmelized brussel sprouts - I hate brussel sprouts. Â I eat them because they are good for me. Â These were both good for me and tasty. Â I had three servings of these.
Dessert=
Georges recommended the Apple Crisp, the Pear/Ginger Tart and the Creme Brulee. Â We did #2 and #3, but instead of the Apple Crisp we did the Smores. Â Big mistake. Â The Smore dessert is cold and when you refrigerate marshmellow fluff it becomes a bit hard. Â The dish was tough to eat and not much of a surprise for flavor.
Creme Brulee and the Pear Tart - Layers of flavor, light and so yummy.
In short - go see George and eat and drink whatever he tells you. Â You won't go wrong.
I was staying at the W so decided to eat here one night. After eating pizza and hotdogs the whole day I was happy to have a light mediteranian meal.
I needed vegetables bad and got the asparagus salad thinking it was whole asparagus, it was just shaved and a bit boring. Then the scallops, shrimp, risotto, and Chicken came out, they were all amazing! The free pita and feta dip was so good too!
This review is for both breakfast and dinner.
Although the website says this place is "Mediterranean-inspired" I didn't find the food here Mediterranean at all.
That said, I have no idea what type of food it really should be cuz it's pretty random.
BREAKFAST
Thanks to the Corporate lunch vouchers we got, we've been eating breakfast here every morning. First day I had Steak and Eggs ($15) with fresh squeezed orange juice ($6) and coffee ($3). The Steak was just steak tips, unmarinated. Boring. The eggs are, well eggs. The hash was very good though. The second day, we got the three egg omelet (we chose salmon, onion, and cheddar cheese) ($12), yogourt parfait ($8), and egg sandwich (I substituted bacon with canadian bacon) ($12). The egg omelet was not bad, the yogourt parfait did not have enough yogourt, and the egg sandwich was delicious. But honestly, for the price, is it really worth it? No, not at all.
DINNER
Thanks to the pouring rain, we decided to just eat in the hotel. The restaurant upstairs was closed for some corporate event so we had to eat at Wave again.
To start, instead of bread, we were served these crispy pitas with whipped cream cheese or something. I guess thats about as Mediterranean as the place got. I didn't like it.
The service was slow.
We got the Sirloin ($32) with truffle fries ($7) and green beans ($5) on the side, gnochii ($12) and prawn ($12). The Sirloin had a lot of fat and tendon and was hard to chew. The Truffle fries were burnt. The green beans were tasty but greasy. The Gnocchi was REALLY good, but the portions are tiny. The prawn was average, and only three of them came for $12.
We were eating slow, and the servers kept coming to our table trying to take away our plates even though we had food on the plates. I guess that's good service?
Anyway, definitely not worth the price.
I braved the Wave restaurant this morning (I was staying upstairs at the W for the previous three nights). I debated on using my extra hour before I had to leave for the airport to work out and then realized I'd worked out about every day this week and yet, I hadn't eaten breakfast more than once, so breakfast won (not to mention the fact that I didn't eat dinner last night).
I have a confession. I am all too often an insane bitch for the duration of the morning leading up to my flight, if that flight leaves before 3pm. Add to the fact that food hadn't been in my system since a salad for lunch and froyo for dinner the previous day, and well, you can imagine (at least my friends and boyfriend can).
My flight was at 1pm. I woke up late at 9am due to the fact that the goddawful Whiskey Sky Lounge was located right above my room and the music was pumping until 2 am. I should mention that I'm hardly the type to complain as I am often awake until sunrise, however this week I had a lot of early mornings so I wanted to wake up early and work out AND eat breakfast. But that wasn't meant to be. This made me bitchier than usual.
So, I woke up an hour later than intended at 9am, and had to scramble to pack and shower and I thought room service might be nice to order so it could show up by the time I finished doing all that, but oh guess what, there wasn't a room service menu to be found in the room (just that door card thing you leave on the knob by 2am to indicate what mediocre breakfast option you are choosing to spend upwards of 10 dollars for, unless you want cereal for 7 dollars or toast for 6 dollars. Just on principle, I can't do that).
I dragged my cranky self down to the Wave and was greeted by a lovely hostess and a lovely waiter and almost all was well (despite my excruciatingly frustrating experience with the goddamned lobby computer that ostensibly allows you to check in for your flight. Guess what? It doesn't work if you book that flight through Orbitz).
Back to the calming, accommodating staff at the Wave. They made things better for me for the half hour that I could manage to eat half my breakfast. I ordered a far too large 3-egg omelette with asparagus, mushrooms and smoked mozzerella. Because eggs tend to disgust me, I didn't fare well with this, as the vegetables caused an not so appealing liquid from the eggs and veg water. That's not their fault. I own up to my issues. The flavor was meh, besides, so I left most of the omelette on the plate. The breakfast potatoes were delicious (except the ones touching the egg and veg liquid) and I was able to manage a bite of the whole grain toast.
Oh why do I even bother trying to eat breakfast, when I am typically so concerned, nay, obsessed with all the stuff I want to accomplish or need to accomplish during the day? Allegedly it's the most important meal of the day, but I can't agree. Coffee is the most important meal of the day.
That said, besides the kind waiter, food runners and bus boys, I was extremely appreciative of the individual tiny bottles of Tabasco (of course I needed more than one) and ketchup. As I used to be in food service, myself, I appreciate this. I still have nightmares of being assigned "condiments" as my side work. UGH!! The marrying of ketchup bottles was the absolute most soul sucking activity I've had to endure in my entire career.
End of story, as it's going on far too long.
Service is easily four stars.
Food is a bit less than three stars.
Soy latte (yes, they have soy milk!) 3.5 stars.
I was desperate. I didn't hate it, but I doubt I'd go back unless I was pressed for time again (that is, if I were staying at the W Hotel. And that's a review that still needs to be written).
We just came back from dinner here for the restaurant hotel it was pretty good :) I don't know if I would come here if I lived here for dinner but for being here for work and not wanting to go out in the cold...I'm pretty happy with dinner.
We did it tapas style which was really nice...and our waiter was super sweet and nice...took care of us.
Let's talk about a Restaurant Week FAIL.
Oh yes, at the W.
For such a swanky hotel, you'd think that the food/service at the Wave would also be top notch. Â But, we were misguided. Â It was the complete opposite! Â
Let's discuss where things went wrong:
1. Our waiter wasn't exactly friendly, attentive or informative. Â Yes, we were there for Restaurant Week, so the menus were already placed on the plates for us. Â But, the waiter didn't even explain any of the items, recommend anything or even greet us with an 'intro'. Â Meh. Â Plus, he refused to acknowledge my friend who was desperately attempting to get his attention so we could pay the bill. Â LIke, helllllllo. Â
Props to the OTHER waiter, though. Â We eyed him enviously as he cheerfully greeted his tables and took the time to actually explain what the eff was on the menu. Â
2. Service was painfully SLOW. Wave wasn't even crowded on a Saturday night. Yet it took forever and an effin' day to get the food! Â We waited like 20 minutes between courses, seriously. Â What exactly are ya'll doin' in the kitchen?
3. Now, the items offered for Restaurant Week were a little unmemorable. Â The calamari was ok, but I think I've had better at Leona's. Â The pork was good, albiet a bit dry. Â And, that apple tart dessert thing tasted like "a combo of McDon's apple pie, Taco Bell cinnamon stix and apple chips". Â Sound appealing? Â Didn't think so. Â
4. The menu is overpriced, frealz. Â $28 for some pork tenderloin? Â Please. Â I guess if any hotel an do that, it's the W. Â
5. BIG GROUPS TAKE NOTE: My friend noticed that the bill actually charged a 19% service fee (as we had a group of more than 6 people). Â However, the menu stated that the gratutity would be charged at 18%. Â When my friend confronted the manager about it, he stated that the fee was actually 19%. Â Well...maybe you guys should update your menus to reflect accurate information. Â
The manager changed the bill (probably against his will) and then basically threw the revised bill back on our table. Â Love the manners.
Also, Makers on the rocks is apparently $12, not $10 as I thought was listed on the menu. Â Perhaps they could add a note or disclaimer for people (like me) that don't know that you tack on an extra fee for ish on the rocks? Â That'd be much appreciated. Â
Although the decor is trendy, modern and swanky, it doesn't make up for the terrible service, mediocre food and shady price charging techniques. Â The W has failed me. Â Spend your money elsewhere.
I'd heard about the street food menu and was curious to check this place out. Visually, I can't get enough of the W - the decor is really hip and I love how the lobby is filled with couches and chaises, which feed right into the bar and to Wave. I thought it was really cool that my group could hang out in the open, relaxed lobby area and still order food and drinks without having to do a formal sit-down thing.
The street food menu is a $10 deal on Wednesday evenings. Each month features a new country (January is Morocco, coming up Feb = Israel, March = India, April = China). You get a featured cocktail and your choice of 3 items off the menu. Keep in mind that everything is pretty small (including the drink) so think of this more as a sampling or a happy-hour snack, that sort of thing. My group was pretty hungry and we were digging the food so we ended up just ordering 2 rounds each, haha. It's a really good deal compared to the prices of the regular menu, too!
I ended up trying 4 of the 5 dishes they were offering:
- potato croquettes were really creamy inside, delicious!
- beef and date bastilla, with sugar and cinnamon - I know this sounds weird...it was kind of like a beef churro. Flavors that I did not understand but somehow worked really well. I regret ordering this only one time!
- chicken kebab - good flavor but a tad dry
- Merguez sausage roll - nice and spicy! Cucumber relish and a yogurt sauce helped to cut the heat, though.
- eggplant zaalouk - I didn't try this one but my friends liked it
I will definitely be back for upcoming "street food" events but also to try their regular dinner menu!
Wave is a totally mod, swanky restaurant overlooking the lake in the W Hotel. Â We sat at a long table that had sofas instead of chairs and had a great view of the water.
Andy M definitely got the prize meal of the day, he went with the mac & cheese, the chicken and chocolate candy bar choices off the Yelp  Eats menu, and everything rocked.  I had the calamari (very nice except I hated the strong balsamic drizzled over it), the ricotta gnochhi (big & plump but too mildy flavoured) and the buttermilk panna cotta (not sweet enough and too rubbery).  But the sangria we ordered was awesome.  Until the bill came for it that is.  Listed as a "pitcher" it actually was one of those glass wine servers that poured slightly more than 2 glasses.  And it was $25. Now maybe it was noted on the menu and maybe I just missed it but I did see each glass was $8.  So how does it work out that this "pitcher" is so much more per glass?  Isnt it supposed to be a better deal to order more?  Well, anyway that was my only gripe with the place. Â
Service was top-notch and of course the interior & vibe couldnt be beat. Â Like Andy wrote in his review, he would go back for the chicken and I have to agree. Â I would go back to order that as well. Â Just get a drink other than the sangria!
I usually avoid hotel restos because they sound the tourist alarm for me, but in this case, I was visiting Chicago, so I gave myself the nod. Â Was so pleasantly surprised!
The two little (and I do mean little) plates I had were delicioso. Â I started with Beet salad with rocket leaves and roasted pistachios and goat cheese and this gorgeous pesto dressing. Â You never think beet and pesto will get along together, but they do, and they do so famously.
My second dish (also tiny) was three seared scallops next to chocolate curry. I know, chocolate curry sounds weird, but it tastes exactly like that --- curried chocolate. Â Yumzo.
Wanted something light tonight and I read that Wave does tapas plates, so wanted to eat here tonight-
Upon entering the W it's very modern eclectic...sexy-Interesting seats, more like a mini couch which had pillows-I used the pillows behind my back, felt very relaxed-
I got the Beet Salad, Beef Tenderloin, Prawns and Gnocchi-All were great, my favorite was the Beet Salad and the Gnocchi-
Actually the pita chips and dip (feta cheese, yogurt, sour cream, thyme) was awesome-
For dessert I did the trio of chocolate peanut butter bar, lemon raspberry cupcake and caramel banana bread-My favorites were the cupcake and the banana bread thing-
My waiter was the best, Bradford-He was down to earth and very helpful-A lot of waiters here in Chicago are very ostentatious, Bradford was sincere and truly acted like he wanted us to have the best experience we could-
I thought about dining outside but who wants to hear Lakeshore Drive in the background...not I-If they had the restaurant on the 2nd floor maybe, but right on ground level it's a little noisy-
I will be coming back here and would love to take friends/family here-
I LOVE the the Wave bar. Â Living in the area, it's one of my favorites to just go and chill. Â The bartenders Danny and Brody are soooo nice! I always have a great time when they are around as they provide attentive service and are quite entertaining to boot. I haven't eaten in the restaurant area, but have had food at the bar while enjoying some mango cocktails. Â I've sat both at the bar with friends and outside -- both are great places to enjoy the company of friends or be on a date. Â I've tried the hummus, calamari, truffle fries, and jeremiah iced tea here. Â I recommend the hummus and calamari - YUM! Â
On weekends, they do have a DJ that spins in the lobby/lounge area. Â It feels like a little getaway relaxing at this hotel bar. Â I highly recommend sitting at the outside tables (or sit in the pretty nifty rocking chairs) and having a drink and/or food out there. Â From that spot, you can look out onto the lake and enjoy a rather tranquil moment. Â Or you can watch the cars and motorcycles speed by on Lake Shore Drive. Â If there's a major event in town, you might see some fancy cars cruising down LSD as well. Â The Wave Bar is a great spot for a relaxed night and good company.
The food was great, but the service was kinda crappy.
We came with a group of 10. Had reservations, had no problem getting seated, but our waitress seemed very timid and scared to even ask us for drinks. There was virtually no support staff.
We had to ask for extra plates and glasses to be cleared off the table and for fresh ground pepper, had to flag people down for drinks, etc.
The food was great though. I'm giving it a 3.5
Frankly, I was disappointed by Wave. Â The ambiance was great, very modern and definitely hip. Â There are a variety of seating options: classic tables, booths with couches and some pretty funky chairs.
As for the food, it was good but not memorable. Â We split 2 "small plates" which are basically tapas and each got a "large plate", entree. Â We had the spring rolls and lamb ribs then my friend got the NY skirt steak which was AWESOME, and I got the Red Snapper which was nothing special. Â For dessert you choose 3, 4 or 5 "bites" of their 10 or so dessert options. Â I had an amazing maple panna cotta with port figs, passion fruit cheesecake, and a forgettable meier lemon tart. Â All in all there was nothing wrong with the food, it just wasn't that great. Â There are so many better places to eat in the city.
A note on the drinks...sooooo good! Â
What is not so good is the rude valet people.
This is a very modern restaurant. Â If you love modern design and a chilled out atmosphere this is an awesome place!! Â It is right inside the W Hotel which is an amazing hotel with a modern feel. Â The food was a little expensive for my taste but it was a very upscale restaurant with a down to earth feel and it didn't feel like you had to dress up a ton to go their. Â
They serve a mediteranian food so you get a bunch of food and share it amongst yourself. Â We had the Strip Steak and 2 small plates and that was a lot of food for us. Â You also get a nice peta bread with spread and a chocolate truffle for free which was a plus.
I would defiantly go back their again but you can easily spend over $100 for two people.
I think this was the restaurant where it first occurred to me that I might be getting old... Once upon a time, if you spent $100 for dinner you felt like you had gone somewhere special - something nice, a restaurant that you wouldn't eat at everyday. Â But, somewhere along the line, inflation and people's willingness to pay for mediocrity has come to mean that a $100 dinner tab is not at all unusual. I still think that for your $100 you should get something more than what you would expect at a chain restaurant located on the interstate... But I digress.
My wife and I ate at Wave at the end of the summer in 2007. Â We were seated promptly, and our server - a really nice guy from France - was great. Â He made excellent suggestions - guiding us through the menu so that we ordered the right amount of food and the right dishes. Â We ordered two small plates, one larger "entree" plate, and a side. Â Honestly, I can't remember what we ordered for the small plates - which tells you something I guess. Â I recall thinking these dishes were good, but not something I would have to hurry back for. Â The larger plate (the entree) was a dish with Monkfish. Â I wish that I could say that I remember it because of its quality - instead, I remember it because it was the dish that "proved" to my wife that she hates all types of whitefish. Â We each had a drink and a glass of wine, and - boom - $100 (not including tip). Â
The decor and atmosphere is very modern, and it isn't really my style. Â From what I can tell, though, it is very much in line with what people expect from W hotels - so I think most folks will be pleased with the atmosphere of the restaurant. Â
This isn't a bad restaurant, and the location is a lot of fun - I just think it costs too much for what you get.
This restaurant is for "wanna-be" Â hipsters. Â From the shooshy, "trying-so-hard-to-be-hip" decor and clubby/new age music, to the incompetent wait staff and poorly seasoned overpriced food, this restaurant had no sophistication or substance. For genuine foodies, I say, DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!! You'll be more satisfied eating a hot dog at "Mustard's Last Stand", than eating here.
I had the chili prawns, the white truffle fries, and the skirt steak.
The chili prawns tried hard to be exotic but were nothing special - Smoked Paprika - Big deal. The best part of this dish was the toasted baguette - At least they didn't f*** that up.
The white truffle fries had NO  truffle flavor - Even when another batch was brought  from the kitchen, there was, at best, only the faintest essence of truffle.
The skirt steak was OK but again, overpriced and nothing special.
Our waiter was ignorant and inattentive. He had absolutely no interest in our satisfaction.
To the Wave Restaurant - Â You insult us with your high prices, insufficient service, poor quality, artless flavors, and general ineptitude.
Worst dining experience ever.
Starving, tired and a physical wreck from red eyes and conferences had me standing infront of the hostess begging her to feed me. Â Of course this was before the restaurant was even open... which made me give one of my infamous soul draining sighs.
that was enough that she ran back to the kitchen to see if they wouldn't mind making this por girl dinner.
shizzam! I was served 20 minutes later. Â Their small plates are delicious and perfect size for the small part of America that doesn't believe in gorging themselves on a regular basis.
(the mini canolis are soo damn good. Â wow.)
I recently visited Wave, located in the W Hotel on Lake Shore Drive, and was presently surprised. Â Although I will visit the W Hotel bar for drinks, I never thought about giving the restaurant a try. Â
I was actually quite impressed. Â I really liked the atmosphere of the restaurant....it's trendy and hip without trying to hard. Â The service was outstanding...everyone we encountered was polite and helpful. Â
The food is Mediterranean influenced.  I really liked the pita bread with the cream cheese dip as an alternative to regular bread (although I really ate too much of that cream cheese dip!).  The food was good, but not great.  I was disappointed by the truffle french fries.  They seemed overcooked and the sauce they paired with them  (harissa aioli) was a bad match.  The pastistio (greek mac n' cheese) really didn't do it for me either.  However, I liked how the New York Strip I ordered....it was seasoned well with mustard and papriika.
All in all, I won't be dining here on a regular basis, but if I was going out partying after dinner, Wave would be a good place to start the evening.
Okay dinner spot. Â The ambiance is cool and trendy but the food isn't all that great. Â I didn't care for the seared ahi tuna. Â The lamb chops, however, were excellent.
There are better dinner options in the area. Â If you are staying at the W Hotel then add another star for convenience.
If you go, make sure you make it up to the Whiskey Bar. Â Good view of the city and great drinks.
Since when is it cool (forgive my pun) to have lukewarm food? Â Food can be hot, food can be cold, but rarely, if ever, should it be lukewarm. Â The old chef here used to be great but he moved to Florida and this new one has some crazy idea of how dishes should be delivered.
This restaurant deserves a one star if for nothing else than serving chicken that's lukewarm and then telling me that this is how Mediterranean cuisine is.
That being said, it will get 2 stars because the lounge area of Wave is amazing and usually a lot of fun.
I dined here with my boyfriend last night. Â First, we had a drink in the lounge. Â When we saw that the bar menu was the same as the restaurant, we decided to see if we could get a table. Â They were very accomadating despite the fact we did not have a reservation.
We ordered small plates. Â The octopus salad was amazing. Â I love it and for being a small plate, the portion was huge. Â We also ordered beef carpaccio. Â He loved it, I liked it. Â Instead of serving bread, they bring you this pita bread and a cream cheese and feta mix. Â It was delicious!
It was relatively inexpensive, especially considering the location and being a hotel restaurant.
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