L2O Restaurant Review
The Belden-Stratford
2300 N. Lincoln Park W. (Belden Ave.) 
Send to Phone
Chicago, IL 60614
773-868-0002 | Make Restaurant Reservations | Menu
L2O Restaurant is one of our 2012
| Top 10 Chicago Seafood Restaurants
| Top 10 Chicago Wine List Restaurants
| Top 10 Chicago Special Occasion Restaurants
|
For photos of our dinner at L2O, read GAYOT's blog.
Cuisine
Open
Dinner Wed.-Mon.Features
- Romantic setting
- Private room(s)
- Full bar
- Reservations suggested
- Valet parking
- Jackets suggested
Wine
Great Wine List* Click here for rating key
 Don't miss a memorable dinner in the serene, almost spa-like space filled with Macassar ebony columns, plush couches and white leather chairs (the single onyx two-top has “it table” status written all over it). Matthew Kirkley is now the executive chef (former chef Francis Brennan has left the restaurant). The touted bread service---think bacon-filled rolls---endures, as does the finer-than-fine approach to luxury dining. Choose between a four-course menu for $115 (pick one dish from each of the categories of “cold,” “warm,” “main” and “dessert”) and an elaborate seven-course tasting menu ($148). There’s also a six-course luxury tasting for a hefty $188. Among the starter selections, the sashimi platter is a standout. We cannot encounter a scallop on any menu without remembering the one we had here, in a sauce of vanilla, passion fruit and Sauvignon Blanc; it literally melts in the mouth. Further, it is difficult to choose from the foie gras à la plancha with blood orange and roasted fennel accents and the grilled kampachi with ginger-soy, salsa verde and vegetable tempura. For a “main,” a take on shabu-shabu isn’t out of the question, unless you prefer fish. In that case, opt for the braised striped bass, accompanied by preserved lemon, warm crab salad and pipérade. The remarkable selection of cheeses includes rare finds, as in the Tome Fermiere d'Alsace. For dessert, there are classic soufflés as well as more modern choices (raspberry, golden yuzu and mascarpone, or caramel and Manjari in espresso "snow"). The extensive wine list, under the guidance of Jacob Schwimmer, caters to both high rollers and (surprisingly) those with limited budgets. However you cut it, though, this is a special occasion experience---and you’ll be amply rewarded for taking the plunge.
|
- Subscribe to Receive the 2012 Edition of our Annual Restaurant Issue, and Check Out the Winners from our Current Restaurant Awards!
- Find the Best Restaurants for Celebrating Valentine's Day
- WOW HER THIS VALENTINE'S. Don't Settle for Less. Save up to 30% with 1800Flowers.com. No promotion codes needed!
What's Hot
RESTAURANT AWARDS
Subscribe to receive the 2012 edition of our annual restaurant issue, and check out our current Top 40 U.S. Restaurant selections, and more!
