L2O

Ive owed this review for a while now. It’s hard to see that L2O us is no longer as Matt Kirkley and Dan Page have had a team of excellence. After a full day of eating and drinking already it was the pinnacle to end up in the calm spaces of L2O’s large and serene dining room. What the hell let’s do a tasting menu to end the day!
the onslaught went as follows:
–Mussel Tart, Lemon Parsley
–Tuna Marrow, Lime
–Langoustine, Osetra Caviar, Cauliflower, Poppyseed, Meyer Lemon
–Nootka Sound Oyster, Green Apple, Noilly Prat, Celery
–Crab Chip, Old Bay
–Maine Lobsterm Foie Gras Torchon, Turnop, Clementine Vinaigrette
–Ahi Tuna Tartare, Avocado, Caviar
–Crispy Bass, Escargot, Pearl Onion, Chartreuse Butter
–Turbot, Grilled Squid, Guanciale, Scallion
–Stuffed Quail, Sunchoke, Smoked Cherry, 23-​Flavor-​Gastrique
–Meyer Lemon, Champagne
–Lime Parfait, Avocado, Tarragon, Cara Cara Orange
–Chocolate Cremeux, Lemon Curd, Brioche, Olive Oil
Fantastic all around. Now Ive had Laurent Gras’ cooking in it’s previous incarnation too. While that was decidedly Japanese in influence, Chef Kirkley is very worldly in his European and American flavors intermingled. During the Crab Chip dish it was paired with PBR! What’s more whimsical and American than that? It’s cool to see that with the excellent cuisine, the service matches and doesnt always take it totally serious. It will be highly missed
Now that the concept has changed to Intro, I wish the former team that’s stayed on the best and hope they succeed in that realm moving forward

My husband found out L2O was closing and decided we HAD to try it.
I was kind of concerned when we arrived because I was SUPER RIDICULOUSLY EMBARRASSINGLY underdressed, but no one made a big deal out of it and the staff was all great anyway.
But, the important part: the food. I eat seafood very occasionally and this menu was pretty much all seafood (except, thankfully, the desserts). They were very accommodating of my request to leave off any actual meat (only two items were affected– one contained ham and another bone marrow). All of the food was fantastically fresh and delicious. I think my favorite was the lobster with nori butter (ridiculous) and the ocean trout, which was just so fresh and delicious. There was also a flying fish served in a crab butter that I pretty much gobbled up with a spoon. My one complaint is that for the abalone course, my bone marrow was replaced with a (pretty tasty) risotto, but I didn’t get any abalone. This seemed kind of odd to me, but whatever.
The boxes of sweets at the end were adorable and seemingly never-​ending. The service was consistently great except for one thing: the table next to us was offered an optional wine pairing when drink orders were taken, and we were not. I was really happy with the cocktails we drank throughout the meal, but if I’d known about the wine pairing, I would totally have done that instead. I am not at all knowledgeable enough about wine to order a bottle or even several glasses throughout my meal, but I would have really liked the opportunity to sample various wines. Oh well; I guess it saved us some money! It goes without saying that this was a pretty expensive meal, but I’m glad to have had the experience and the food was all really really good.
Bonus: we got a ridiculous amount of Lettuce Entertain You points out of the experience, lol.

When you bring the world’s most OCD person (myself) to one of the world’s most OCD chef’s, you are bound to elevate the standard both expect.
L2O dazzled in its last weeks and I hope the chef stays on.
I could see that the staff, while trying very hard, had a glimmer in their eye, knowing in 2 weeks they would be out of work, but hurry, go see them before they are done. It is worth trying this place that used to be a 3 star, then was a 1 star, then got a Michelin star back.
The blue tinge to the riedel glasses and the sky blue tones throughout the meal, a seafood exploration were a nice thematic narrative. The fish in the bathroom added to this theme, subtle, but present.
The avocado/​tuna tartare was plated too early so didn’t have the fresh chill I’d tasted before at a food event.
The lobster was nearly perfect.
The wine pairings were very well done and the Sommelier was as good as they get.
The desert bites were wonderful, and the pace of the meal was masterful, full but not stuffed, many surprises.
The staff should pay attention to handedness. Several times, my glass on the left was moved to the right, as if to correct me.
I especially like that they kept bringing us more of the seafood and baguette rolls throughout the meals, so we didn’t lose any of the amazing crab and butter sauces that they presented. The butter sculptures were an especially nice touch, and the concentric circle plate theme and flatware themes added more narrative elements to a meal that told a story and had strong thematic development, like a symphony.
They make a great Sazerac here by the way. They coat the glass in a hint of absinthe first, which gives an anise flavor element to the drink. A real treat!
I wish they’d have given us a few of the desert bites to take with — they did give us a menu. When they first showed us the menu it was in a sort of suede paper holder. I wish they gave us that, that was one of the more awesome menu touches I’d ever seen. It gave «texture» to the experience.
This place is a performance, and you will not be disappointed if you like art and the aesthetic. I hope whatever they become in the rebranding retains these OCD elements.

After finding out the restaurant would be closing/​reconcepting I wanted to check it out before it went. My boyfriend has been several times and agreed to go back. They used to have an ala carte menu but have since switched over to only a tasting menu.
We went on a Monday night, it was pretty quiet and we were the only couple dinning for awhile. It is an experience. The servers we kind and polite. They knew how to describe the dishes. We carried on some small talk. I like to try and lighten the mood. I hate stiff and pretentious.
I liked the idea of an all seafood tasting menu. There were a few dishes that incorporated red meat. My boyfriend does not eat Pork and Beef etc. but did make an exception and enjoyed the little bits he tried. Some of the standouts were the Pomme Soufflé, Ahi Tuna Tartar and Periwinkle. The cold dishes left me a bit unsatisfied. I would have liked more warmth. I was actually disappointed in the Lobster presentation. I would think this would be the highlight. My lobster was grisly, I did not finish it. On the other hand, the Galinette was pretty good with the crab butter. It was probably all the butter that I liked, however. I also did not feel full at the end like normal tasting menus. I am happy I was able to experience L2O but it was a one time experience for me.

My girlfriend and I had our best meal to date last night. With the exception of one miss, all courses were… AWESOME! Aaron’s pairings were excellent as well.
Special shout out to everyone who took care of us from Paula’s warm welcome and kitchen tour, to Alina’s professional and pleasant service, and Aaron’s affable descriptions of his/​our wine. Small shout out to runners for knowing the food, another point that left me more impressed with service. Not much of a writer, but just trying to say that we had a standout/​memorable meal. Seriously.
Thank you.

L2O was a good dining experience. Service was great. They have Valley parking if you need it. Sommelier was fantastic.
We got personalized menus that had all of our food and wine listed out, which we got to take home. The service was outstanding the whole night, and the atmosphere of the whole place was very romantic.
We both got the prix-​fixe menu. The food was interesting but I was expecting more from a 2 star michelin restuarant. The portions were small, but each dish came with a beautiful presentation! Everything was timed perfectly. We had a great time tasting all the different flavors of each dish and enjoying the whole experience. We didn’t leave the restaurant completely full (because the whole dinner takes about 2 hours, if not more), but we were satisfied. Best part of the meal was dessert. They bring small desserts in a little box which was awesome. We also ordered the hazelnut prailine cake which was great.
It is pretty pricey — don’t expect to pay less than $ 500 for two people

For a 12 course tasting menu and $ 195 per person excluding tax, and for a two star michellin restaurant, L2O was way below my expectations.
The service was spot on, attentive but not pretentious. The sommelier was great! When i dont know which wine to choose he actually let me try both so i can pick. He also offered me a free tasting of a 2004 french chardonnay. Amazing sommerlier, stellar service.
The food was so bland and lack creativity. I only remember the crab butter and the tarragon meringue as the highlight component of my entire meal. Other dish such as the lobster is good but not michellin worthy.
Will not be back again.

This review is way overdue, but I really wanted to give L2O the rating it deserved. Definitely a dining experience.
My now husband and I went to L2O for our 5yr dating anniversary last May. The restaurant definitely made us feel special. We got personalized menus that said «Happy 5^th anniversary» on the bottom, which we got to take home. The service was outstanding the whole night, and the atmosphere of the whole place was very romantic. I got up to use the restroom during some point of the night and when I came back the staff sat me back down, making sure my chair was the perfect distance from the table.
We both got the prix-​fixe menu. The food was interesting and very tasty. The portions were small, but each dish came with a beautiful presentation! Everything was timed perfectly. We had a great time tasting all the different flavors of each dish and enjoying the whole experience. We didn’t leave the restaurant completely full (because the whole dinner takes about 2 hours, if not more), but we were satisfied.
I would definitely recommend coming here for a special occasion! It is pretty pricey — don’t expect to pay less than $ 500 for two people — but everyone should try this place at least once!

Great service as expected for a restaurant at this caliber. Romantic setting, but due to the high ceiling and airy space, volume can travel quite a bit so it can get annoyingly loud if there’s a big party sitting nearby. We were celebrating my birthday so they made the extra touch of printing the menu with my name on it, that was a nice, but not unique touch. We opted for the tasting menu which was $ 225 per person. The food was okay, but not Michelin star worthy by any means. The presentation was beautiful. They have very fancy ribbon shaved butter that was very nice, but unfortunately the bread they served was too hard and cold. The tasting menu was unremarkable, and left us feeling a sense of lacking. There were too few hot dishes in the menu. Maybe it’s the carnivores in us missing the meat. We didn’t leave hungry, just unsatisfied. For this price range, there’s just better options in Chicago.

I used to love going here when they had the $ 90 prix fixe with lots of choices. Now it’s only a 4-​course at $ 140 with only 2 choices for 3 of the courses and no choice for one (as if pigeon vs lobster is really a choice), and a tasting menu for $ 225 that offers mostly one-​bite portions, several of which all of us found to be over salted. Even the bread has been pared down to two choices from a half dozen. Most of the courses were delicious, esp the abalone, but too small to remember. Service was good as expected.
I still remember the tasting I had at Le Bernardin in NY 2 years ago. We won’t be back to L20. It just isn’t worth the $$$ anymore.

L2o,
What to say about this 2 Michelin star restaurant.
Service from the entry is spot on, although the waiting area was odd and uncomfortable, which maybe do to the fact no one probably comes there for a pre drink as I did explains the décor and furniture.
The courses were well planned out and done as French preparation with world influence would allow.
The menu is seasonal and the lobster was very good.
The dessert was excellent and the wine list was not over assuming.
The ambiance is simple yet elegant, maybe a paint or two would color up the place.
Nice fish tank in the bathroom, that captures ones amagination after you’ve spent $ 800 on dinner, overall good experience.

Having dined at nearly all the top places in Chicago, this one stands out. Just on the basis of the exceptional wine list, L2O (which stands for Lakes to Oceans) deserves its Michelin stars. Each offering is so well considered for its ability to match the food or offer something special, and there are a few real gems at reasonable prices.
The food is, of course, superb, and each dish is a true work of art. But perhaps the thing that most sets L2O apart is the service, which perfectly strikes that balance between professionalism and sincere friendliness. Truly an experience not to be missed.

L2O is one of those super upscale restaurants that is more about the experience than it is about the actual dining, much like Tru or Alinea. You will get impeccable service and beautifully crafted dishes that seem almost a shame to eat, as well as a memorable experience that you’ll want to document through photos. It’s a great place for a fancy date, or for a celebration with a few of your closest, insanely-​rich friends.
While everything you eat on their tasting menu is definitely good, I find that with restaurants like this you never walk away craving any particular dish; you’re not going to think «omg I could eat that Geoduck clam everyday.» Instead, you end up craving McDonald’s french fries or Popeye’s chicken.
So definitely go and make memories here, I know I did.

L2O is the real deal. A monument to fine seafood eating. The décor evokes the pinnacle of Los Angeles mid century modern design. It is a quiet, minimalist elegance. You may look around, half expecting to see Don Draper; if you do not, take on the role for the evening, with my blessings.
The cuisine here is impeccable. We selected the four course prix-​fixe and were not disappointed. These dishes were predominantly avant garde in presentation, either deconstructed or elegantly over-​constructed, but always delicious.
We began with foie gras and tuna tartare. The foie gras was in torchon form, and assembled as a brick, with layers of haricot verts, fois gras, and salad, sprinkled with truffle. It was delicious. The tuna tartare was sliced so thin as to be gelatinous, and melted in your mouth. It was the finest tartare we had savored, and one of the highlights of the meal.
I followed that with langoustine; Kelly had the Dover sole. Both of these dishes were also bricked out, and elegantly constructed like architecture. The langoustine had a creamy milky flavor and the sole was rich and buttery.
For the main course, I had the lobster, Kelly had the ribeye. These dishes were more traditionally presented. The ribeye was a juicy red rare, full of concentrated flavor, and the lobster was rich, buttery, and decadently delicious.
For dessert we both went with the chocolate cremeux. The dish was delicious, of the finest chocolate. Like many five star restaurants, desserts are an indulgence of the kitchen. We also received a massive selection of petit fours, elegantly placed on a multi-​tiered platform, as though they had all competed in an Olympian chocolate competition for our pleasure.
What was lovely about eating here was that there was so much food, and yet you left satisfied but not stuffed. This was true even including two amuse bouches prior to our first course.
For drinks, we started with a delicious rose bubbly, and then a bottle of Chateauneuf-​du-​Pape, a late nineties vintage from Clos du Mont Olivet. It was a superb wine, and in fact the sommelier had only received 3 bottles at an auction; we arrived just in time for the last bottle. So we had something you, dear reader, may never have. In the wine’s stead I can only send you my sincere, sincere apologies, for the wine was transcendent.
We finished off the dinner with coffee and some bourbon. Service was excellent throughout, but we noticed that the room did not hold down sound as well as it might. When we arrived the restaurant was quiet and subdued, but when we left, crowds were gathering, and a large party was seated in a «semi-​private» dining space (emphasis on the «semi»). While not obnoxiously loud, we were surprised at the amount of ambient noise they generated.
But in the end, that is a minor quibble. We would definitely consider L2o an excellent option to celebrate a special occasion.

another great dinner… thanks for letting me save face in front of two special ladies.
great service. great timing (one tasting menu, the other fixed menu), and sending some delicious bread home for my gorgeous boy. lovely. brilliant. my highest recommendation.

I had one of my best dining experiences at L2O recently. The restaurant is very elegant and intimate, and when I went back to see the kitchen, it seemed bigger than the entire restaurant! I chose to do the tasting menu and you rarely find a menu that is so perfect; this one was. The amazing sommelier paired many of my dishes with perfect wines and we had lovely conversations about the wines and their regions (i’m an avid wine lover). All of my servers were great, the food was exceptional, and the ambiance was so lovely. Definitely one of my new favorites! The night was perfect.

L2O is definitely worth trying, if you have a few hundred dollars you don’t need/​want. The experience was very enjoyable. The setting of L20 is modern yet understated. The staff is extremely professional, yet friendly and inviting. The service was top notch.
I give L20 4 stars overall. I enjoyed my experience at L20 more than my dining experience at Tru
I give the food 3 stars because of the 14 dishes:
— 5 were amazing
** mussel tart
** geoduck calm
** etrilles, orange, fennel, saffron
** abalone, bone marrow, black truffle
** cream puff, chartreuse
— Thought 3 were really good
** nootka sound oyster, green apple, noilly prat, celery
**cockles, iceberg, parmesan
** cannoli citrus, anise
— Found 4 to be OK
** matsutake, spiny lobster, mango, rosemary
** vive, variegated lemon, cucumber, tarragon
** cusk, turnip, foie gras, chives
** pineapple, coconut, rum, lemon
— Didn’t like 2
** strawberry, foie gras, brioche, lillet
** chocolate, lemon, brioche, olive oil
The other star is for the excellent service and presentation.

Demanded by the visiting friends. We paid this fancy place a visit which was the only Michelin 2 or 3 stars place available that day. I was not too thrilled that I had to put my credit card # down to hold the reservation but I understood that they probably need to prepare the ingredients.
I drove by this place but could not see the sign. Then the second round, I basically stopped on the street to ask the valet parking people (which I thought was for Mon Ami Gabi) for where was L2O. And bingo! They had a notepad with my name on it. They took my car and directed to inside. L2O has the huge and closed door which I wondered if I needed to knock first. I was welcome by last name and sat right way at a corner area in the elegant lobby.
The twelve courses on the tasting menu were petite, fancy and very arty. Every thing was served with the unique dish or incredible containers. The first few dishes were raw and fishy seafood. I love raw seafood and enjoyed them extremely. My personal favorite one is the Oyster with green apple gel. Never thought those two would go together so nicely.
In mini main course dishes, my favorite was a Duarade rose fish slice with crispy fish skin. The stuffed quail was served right before the 4 dessert courses so I was pretty much stuffed to finish the tender quail dish. Those course was very petite size but I was filled up towards the end.
Out of four desert courses, I loved Chocolate Cremeux. Didn’t care much of the puffs and strawberry yogurt one.
The services were truly incredible. One of our guest was not a fan of raw fish so she took very little bites of first few courses so our waiter was asking if she needs anything else. Very nice observation. I had lots of questions on what were those food and how was it made. I didn’t know Duarade rose was a fish instead of a flower or financier was a French mini cake. Then I had to translate those to my Chinese guests. Thank for the staff for their extremely patience. Our diner was about 4 hours.
Oh, one of their restrooms has a fish tank. I wonder if people spend more time in there than necessary. :)
It was a fantastic experience for me. I took away a star just due to huge price per person without even adding any Caviar options or mourning cooking options.

I sent L2o an email about my dietary restrictions and they were really good about replying right away. Molly told me they would not be able to do anything for me and advised I go to Green Zebra (an all vegetarian restaurant in Chicago).
To be honest, it is pretty disappointing since I’m a foodie and has been to 14 out of 19 Michelin star restaurants in Chicago. My goal is to hit up all the restaurants before I leave Chicago end of August, but I guess I will probably go to all BUT one — L2o. Every Michelin star restaurants have been SUPER accommodating regarding my allergies, and would work to make a special dish, so I’m surprised L2o is different and wouldn’t do it. I always tell people, good chefs are those that can work with ingredients outside their comfort zone and be creative — innovate and experiment with new dishes they have never tried before.
With this experience, I would not recommend L2o since it looks like the chef isn’t even accommodating.

I’m not a huge fan of anything fishy but when my friend brought me here for dinner, I was pleasantly surprised to find that once in a while, the taste of the ocean isn’t always a bad thing.
I think I’ve stated this in other reviews but I’ll say it again, I always find it a bit silly when there are more than three servers catering to just the two of us. Heck, I find it odd when there is more than one. But, that’s just me. Despite my odd little quirks, the service went beyond my expectations. Everyone was great, friendly, and my all time favorite-​non pretentious!
The food was creative, beautifully presented, and most plates were absolutely scrumptious. The overall experience was worth the price in that the food was really interesting. Every dish had its own unique touch to it, there was a new experience at every dish.
My only qualm (which has nothing to do with the restaurant) was the table next to us. They wanted pretentious, they even commented on the lack of it in their servers. Ugh, mid-​life married stiffs-​to top it all off, they couldn’t even hold their liquor which meant everyone else had to hear just how amazing they thought they were. Mind your manners people, just because your’e getting old doesn’t mean you have the right to let yourselves go. This is not the suburbs… this is the city so please educate yourself.