Atsumeru

E Elina P. 2 reviews 17 July 2026

We visited Atsumeru about three months ago, and I still find myself thinking about the experience. The food is exceptional—each dish feels like a work of art expressed through flavor. The team in the kitchen are true artists, and it shows in every detail. Every course is beautifully composed, with incredible textures, creative flavor combinations, and a thoughtful concept behind it. You can feel the passion, care, and craftsmanship in every bite. I honestly can’t choose a favorite because each dish stands on its own. This is absolutely a 5-star restaurant. Atsumeru is a remarkable culinary gem in the Chicago area, and I can’t wait to return.

T Taylor Hipskind 63 reviews · Local Guide 17 May 2026

I had the absolute pleasure of dining at Atsumeru in May 2026 to celebrate my wife’s birthday, and we continue to rave about it daily. We checked in for our reservation, and the host politely wished my wife a happy birthday and mentioned our night would start off downstairs. We followed her to the basement. — The basement was dimly lit, intimate, and cozy. The music was an upbeat jazz playing behind the bar, making it feel like a cozy living room with a private chef. The wine list was decent. They don't have cocktails yet as they just received their liquor license, but the Burgundy we chose paired well with our night. We cheersed our glasses, and the event started. Watching the chefs prepare the dishes behind the counter was like watching artists paint a picture, silent and beautiful. Our first course was crab, woodruff and apple. The crunchy texture and burst of flavor was the perfect start. Next was the wagyu, chestnut and katsuobushi. As a big fan of beef tartare, this was my favorite bite downstairs. The final bite downstairs was gjetost, onion, which was my wife’s favorite. It tasted exactly like French onion soup in a single, decadent ball, with the onion and beef front and center. After this, we grabbed our drinks and were escorted upstairs to the main dining area. — The room upstairs was upscale but not stuffy or pretentious, with calming music that set the mood. The chairs were incredibly comfortable, which I noticed right away. We were presented with some complementary champagne to celebrate my wife’s birthday, which was a really appreciated touch. As we clinked our glasses, we started the main meal. The sablefish with corn silk and miso was fantastic, melting in your mouth with a great balance of savory flavor, a touch of heat, and a bit of crunch. Our second course was chawanmushi, trout, prawn and saffron, which was gorgeous to look at and had a welcoming mix of textures. The third dish was scallop, sudachi and fennel. I usually feel like scallops are overplayed at these types of restaurants, but boy, was I proven wrong. This was perfectly tender and probably my favorite dish of the night. The white wine sauce and citrus gave it a light feel, while unique bits of fried chicken added flavor and crunch. It might be the best scallop dish I’ve ever had. We also added the optional course of caviar, banana and beef. It was well worth the add-on, bringing a great harmony of salty caviar pops, sweet banana, and rich umami. The next course was mushroom, rice, yeast and egg yolk. You could really taste the Japanese and Nordic influences here with a full burst of umami. It wasn't my personal favorite, but my wife loved it, showing how subjective tastes can be. Next was the wagyu, koji and jus. They let you choose your own custom steak knife from a selection, which was an awesome, upscale touch. The A5 Wagyu had great flavor and was incredibly tender. The desserts were a phenomenal progression from savory-sweet to fully sweet. The foie gras, krumkake and cloudberry was rich, salty, and sweet, easily a favorite of mine. Next was the milk and pine dish. I usually roll my eyes when foodies say a dish transports them, but my tastebuds have been opened. With one bite, I closed my eyes and felt myself standing in a quiet, snowy pine forest. It was breathtaking. Our next course was sobacha, yuzu and cocoa husk, featuring a smooth ice cream over a nutty financier. The final course was three plates presented together: an explosive sea buckthorn bite with a fully liquid center, a Christmas-inspired ginger and speculoos cookie, and a meringue with hoja santa that my wife loved. Overall, these desserts were the perfect send-off. — I’m excited to see this restaurant grow. I think they’ll truly hit their stride once they have a full time sommelier and some cocktails on their menu. Thank you, Chef Devin, and your entire staff for an amazing experience for my wife’s birthday. You are truly deserving of that coveted Michelin Star, if not two.

K Kristen 39 reviews · Local Guide 27 April 2026

MAKE A RESERVATION ASAP. What a memorable experience we had at Atsumeru! We were intrigued by the Nordic Japanese concept and were not disappointed! Easy street parking. Lovely intimate dining room where you are not on top of other guests and can hold a conversation. Fantastic welcome drink as you sit for the meal. Furthermore, the non-alcoholic pairing is very well thought out and compliments the courses well. The service is wonderful and we loved that we were able to interact with Chef Devin. He is very passionate and knowledgeable about his cuisine. This made our experience even extra special as we enjoyed hearing about the courses from him and our server. The amount of food served is spot on. We left feeling full, but not over stuffed. Some of our favorite courses included... wagyu, gjetost, chawanmushi, mushroom, foie gras, and milk pine. $175 for a tasting menu is a "steal" in my opinion, as I believe they could charge more for this amazing experience. Definitely worth a visit!

D Dani van der Merwe 6 reviews · Local Guide 2 March 2026

Absolutely incredible experience and food. We have raved to friends and are eager to come back again. Every bite was a flavor explosion and a sensory wonder.

L laurence hegarty 46 reviews · Local Guide 13 February 2026

We've been wanting to try Atsumeru since it opened a couple of months ago, so my birthday seemed like the perfect excuse. Service was friendly and low key, with lots of information about the ingredients of each of the many courses. The setting is intimate, with perhaps 8 tables, the noise level was perfect. The decor didn't strike me as particularly Nordic or Japanese as I was expecting but it was pleasant. The first three "bite sized" courses were my favorites of the entire meal, the morsel of wagyu with mushroom was particularly good, The other standouts for me were the sea trout course and the mushroom course. The rest of the meal was very good (my wife enjoyed it more than me, she thought it was excellent) but I felt that many of the courses were too rich for my taste buds and had too many ingredients for any to stand out. I think I'm getting a bit jaded over multi-course chefs tasting menus, so take that in mind when reading the review. The only major disappointments of the meal were what should have been the stars; the wagyu and sun choke dish, the beef had amazing flavor from the Japanese seasoning but it was very chewy and the supplemental caviar course, the flavor of the roe was totally overpowered by the other ingredients. The krumkake with foie was a bit too much for me to handle (the richness) and the krumkake wasn't authentic (my wife's family is Norwegian, we eat krumkake often) but it still tasted good. Currently the restaurant is BYOB but they did email us ahead of time to remind us, so that wasn't a problem. My wife had informed them that it was my birthday and I received a lovely card with a keepsake origami crane. I certainly recommend giving Atsumeru a try, I'm certain my wife will go back.