Aria at the Fairmont Hotel

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First of all i wanna say that i stayed at the Fairmont few times and always received excellent service, too bad i can;t say the same thing about their restaurant. We had reservations valentines day and we were seated right away which is a good start, but then it took them maybe 10-15 mins to realize they had guests at the table only to show up with the worst attitude and unfriendliness, did not bother saying "good evening" or even welcoming us, instead he went ahead to ask for our drinks as if we are at Chili's. Apart from having snobby waiters the food itself is nothing to brag about, we had the beet salad and hot and sour shrimp which were OK, for our main course my wife had the walleye which she did not like and i had the hong kong lobster and duck which i didn't finish either. The cocktails were maybe the best thing there along with the dessert. When the manger approached us and asked how was the food i said "It was ok" and he said too bad it was not great and walked away. Overall bad service with bad food sums this restaurant. stay away. Pros: none Cons: everything more

What do you get when you combine poor service with average food and high prices. I was astounded by how unattentive the staff was during a recent visit. The food and the associated price did not match up. Chicago is filled with hundreds of excellent restaurants this one is not one of them. more

-So I took a good friend out on a first date after reviewing a good 45+ restaurants over an 11 hour period (I know that sounds excessive but I'm paticular). -The ambience was great; nice seats, decor, linen, etc. Nothing to complain about there...other than the paper menu's, maybe I'm picky. -The service was poor, maybe better put as unproffesional, poorly trained, or unexperienced. We could tell from the beginning that the service would rank with a restaurant like Bennihanas. He was a nice guy but just didn't have what it takes to serve for this type of restaurant. He pushed menu items, didn't know what was in some dishes, and told us "it'd be a big hassle to also order from the sushi bar across the room" are you kidding me? Not only was he a poor waiter but the person that brought the 'praised' flatbread and four dipping sauces rambled them off so fast I only caught 'yogurt'. Ehhh... -Now to the food(since I am a culinary graduate). We started with an order of Unagi, it was great but I can't say I've ever been dissapointed by Unagi before. The entrees were poor, very poor. We eached ordered fish, mine being Barramundi. Each fish was over cooked and incorrectly paired with sauces to my liking. Her fish was served skin side up! Once again I could just be very picky but would you serve a steak with grill marks down? or a pie with crust up? The desserts were decent. I ordered the apple egg rolls and she had the chocolate cake, adding 'will you be mine?' at request to the Maitre D'. Each dish tasted great, had stylish platings and took away some bitterness from a poor meal. Conclusion- weak meal, poor service, and to my suprise not worthy of the price in the end. I would not recommend this to friends or for that matter anyone who asks for a review. Would I return? No, unless I was treated to the meal. *If you like sushi I would recommend the sushi bar just by looks. It's hip, stylish, and based on my purchase of the Unagi alone, tasty. -Cheers Pros: Ambience Cons: Entrees (paticulary the fish) and Service more

Excellent service, wonderful menu and I love the specials. I went here for a holiday and thought I had falled in love. It was quite, romantic and in a great location. The problem arised when I got home! I don't think I have ever gotten so sick and as a result, I don't think I will ever go back. My date and I were both very ill and therefore I do believe it was something to do with the food. I would recommend it, but make sure you get something cooked and keep your fingers crossed! I was sick for the next 24 hours! Pros: Great service, ambiance more

I put on a number of client dinners in Chicago and I was excited to use Aria, it had been some time since we used this location. The room was nice, the food was good, but the management was so bad. There was a woman that was the manager and I found her to be rude to my guest and to her staff. We make note of this to her and she just keep on being inappropriate with my guests. It was a bad situation I do not understand why such a nice hotel and restaurant world employee a person like this, I am sure they have there pick. If she worked in my office it would have been her last day. I hope they make a change so I can continue to bring my business to this nice restaurant. Pros: The food and the space. Cons: The dinning room manger! more

I took my boyfriend here for a beautiful, romantic dinner and was blown away by the kind service I recieved. A friend of mines works at Aria and suggested it as a cozy, romantic spot. Well she was right, what I love is there's always a manager present or walking around ready to answer any of your questions, or get very detailed when it comes to there many wine selection. The staff is excellent! Good Job! the Bar is magnificent, the drinks are very tasty but powerful so you might wanna be cautious not to drink too many. But overrall I think I'll be visiting this spot often as a matter of fact I'm gonna make reservations tonight. Pros: atmosphere, ambience, service food EVERYTHING!! Cons: none more

We dined here on a recent visit and left delighted. The atmophere is hip without the attitude, the music was lounge without the electronica, the lighting subduded and the service wonderful and unobtrusive. Contrary to some of the reviews, we loved the food - it was suprising. It's a really nice change from the many bistro and steak places in Chicago. The roasted beet salad was wonderful (the salt perfect!) and the lobster spring rolls were multi-layered and came with delicious dollops of vanilla foam. I wished we would have had more time to hang out in the cool bar and I would definitely come back to try the sushi bar. This would also be a good place if you're looking for vegetarian fare. All in all, an outstanding and relaxing experience with helpful knowledgeable servers. Try it! Pros: ambiance, service, food, vegetarian choices Cons: centrally located, but not near much else more

It's difficult to properly compare this restaurant to other places because of it's unique menu selection. While the food was good, there wasn't anything that really stood out. I took my friend here for a nice meal where we could chat in peace. I had spicy beef (a beef stir fry with good fresh vegetables, touches of Thai and Chinese flavors) and she had Escarole. The fish was done properly well, but a tad salty. The 3 types of potato side dishes were done fairly well, but they don't stand out at all. Overall, while a nice place to eat, it really can't stand up to a restaurant that focuses on one type of cuisine. The service people were quite responsive, but that's not the reason why I came here. I guess I expected a little more; I would come again, but I would know the limits of my expectations of the food. Pros: A nice selection of food, nice wine menu, adequate prices Cons: Nothing done to the level of excellence more

This is a great restaurant. I went to it with my mom and enjoyed a very relaxing time. I definetly left feeling full and happy. I had the best steak ever and all the sauces and sides were an tasty extra. Don't go if your in a hurry because they take their time preparing the dishes but it is well worth the wait! I strongly encourage everyont to go here and expierence the nirvana of delicious food in your mouths! Pros: delicious food, nice waiters, beautiful setting Cons: not incredibly fast but worth the wait more

My husband and I had dinner here before going to the theater and, had such a great time we almost didn't make it to the show. The food was great. Being culturely inspired there is something for everyone. They start you with this homemade nann and 4 dipping sauces, My huband had a korean inspired pork tenderloin and, I had an amazing whitefish. Plus, with your dinner you get this increadible potato bar. 3 styles of potatoes that were all to die for. Our server JJ was so cool and relaxed. He made us feel like we were regulars. He really made the experience fun and, not too stuffy. We'll definately be back. Pros: awsome food, great service, beautiful room Cons: none more

We were staying at the Fairmont (highly recommend!) and ate one evening at Aria. We were seated promptly. the restaurant had an interesting design because it's slightly curved. Overall the ambiance is very romantic and elegant. The tables are far enough away from each other to give privacy and you don't get the squished feeling like so many other restaurants have. Wow! The food was amazing. We ordered the "mushroom soup your mother never made" and it was the most incredible soup we have ever eaten. Our entree's were everything we expected and more. Our waiter Hugh was one of the best we've had. He had a great personality and he was there when we needed him, but yet he didn't hover. This is a beautiful place to dine, from the decor to the food. The service is impeccable and the food is delicious. Pros: Beautiful setting, food, service more

Great menu...lots of Indian and Asian influences. They start you with the tastiest Naan. I also really like the ambiance and the decor of the place. Plays along with the Asian motif but is well done. A great option if you're in the mood for something other than the usual Italian, steak, etc... Pros: Interesting menu, nice ambiance, great private rooms for small groups more

Aria is set apart from the rest of the downtown ciaos in the Fairmont Hotel. It has a great bar where we like to take out of town guests to entertain. The sushi is great and the service is great. This bar/restaurant is great for a intimate date night. Pros: Intimate dining experience, bar menu Cons: Location more

This restaurant is in a lovely setting. Meal started off well with fabulous bread, dipping sauces but was very mediocre after that. My husband, father and I all had very different meals--soup to steak to seafood but everything was almost inedible with so much salt. We all have different palates and, considering the outrageous prices (it is in the Fairmont after all) we were all reluctant to admit food was not very good. Eventually none of us could hide it much longer and we had all come to the same reaction. One dish was sent back but came back pretty much the same. Why do chefs these days think that they must rely on salt, rather than flavor? My father called to complain afterwards (he didn't want me to know) and this was handled poorly. I had been so looking forward to it and overall it was a disappointment. Pros: setting, ambiance, food quality Cons: food taste more

Aria was a pleasant experience from beginning to end. You absolutely forget you're in a hotel restaurant. The layout of the restaurant is wonderful -- tables aren't crowded together. The service we received was fantastic, everything done in a timely manner and our water always kept refilled. The food was delicious, and the nan bread and potato dish "extras" were both delicious. I only have one caution: if you're vegetarian, there are very limited choices, and beware the pad thai "vegetarian option" -- it still uses fish sauce. Our waiter seemed to think this only would matter to vegans, which of course is incorrect. Pros: service, food Cons: vegetarian confusion more

I was staying at the hotel and just wanted a light snack and some wine. Their Tuna with Avocado and candied onions is divine - I ordered 1 and then 2 more! The salmon dish has excellent flavor, but a bit too small even for a small plate. The wine list by the glass is good and the other drink lists are even more lengthy. Pros: Nice space, Tasty food, Liquor, wine Cons: , Isolated location more

my boyfriend took me to aria before the grant park music festival. it was so fun, we ended up staying all night and hanging out in the bar! the service is great and the food is really unusual. Pros: great food, nice people, cool ambiance more

people may not know about aria, but they will soon. After reading that Jessica Simpson ate there, I had to check it out. Try the rock shrimp and one of the million martinis. The steak is out of this world and the music is cool. Great bar for after dinner. We got plenty silly. It's definitely a great single 20-30 something crowd. Pros: great crowd, good food, awesome drinks more

This place is amazing! We had a martini before our table was ready. The room is so cool and the bread is amazing. Definitely get one of the noodle dishes. They're awesome nad save room for the dessert! more