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Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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I wish 4.5 stars was an option!
It was a Tuesday night and our four year anniversary, so we decided to choose one of the restaurants we'd been eager to try, (Green Zebra was one from our list of the many "that's probably going to be amazing but then we can't go out the rest of the month" restaurants that we reserve solely for special occasions).
To start, the host was friendly and accommodating both on the phone and in person, when we managed to arrive 45 minutes earlier than we had originally planned. When my boyfriend called to make the reservation, the host asked if it was to celebrate a special occasion, and then followed up this inquiry with two surprise glasses of Cava to toast our anniversary when we arrived. This attention to detail is much appreciated by us and set the tone for what turned into a very lovely evening.
Our server was very knowledgeable of the both the menu and the chef's tasting menu. We were a little concerned when we first were seated only because we could tell (from peeking at our neighbor's food) that we should anticipate smaller dishes, but we weren't sure how much would be too much. He made suggestions without being pushy or too sales-driven and the back-servers were fast and courteous, never leaving a finished glass or dish to sit longer than 30 seconds. I cannot say enough great things about the service, everyone was absolutely fantastic.
The food was almost as incredible. The amuse bouche was tasty and warm, a clear apple soup. My boyfriend decided to choose four items from the menu, whereas I decided to do the chef's tasting menu (I was excited, as a vegetarian, it's not often I can go to a restaurant and let the chef do their thing without the fear that the courses will include meat). We took tastes of everything so it was nice to share.
I started with a brown bread with warm Canterbury cheese (I am forgetting the other ingredients) and my boyfriend tried the Fig and Blue Cheese Tart. Both were phenomenal. The tart just sort of melted in your mouth and the cheese for my starter was the perfect temperature.
Our second course was the one that was both fantastic and a little disappointing for me. My boyfriend had ordered the Thai Spiced Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup, which was absolute heaven. Rich and flavorful. By contrast, my soup was much less exciting and the only dish I did not care for. The aroma was similar to that of Pho, and although there were only a few greens and small bits in my clear broth soup, it seemed like it would have potential. Instead, it was very bland. Made me wish I had ordered some of the sweet potato-coconut soup for myself.
For the third course, I had an amazing cauliflower steak. It was salty, but absolutely delicious. My boyfriend had the Sweet and Sour Eggplant Dumplings and said the dumplings were very good, but the broth again seemed to add very little to the dish.
For our main entrees, we were both pleasantly surprised. My boyfriend had selected the Rye Spatzle with stout foam. It was incredibly innovative and equally delicious. My entree included fat noodles (a kind like the noodles used in Pad See Ew) with fennel and sage seasoning, among other ingredients. Somehow it managed to taste exactly like Italian sausage (or at least, what I remember real Italian sausage to taste like). It was so, so good.
For dessert, I had bread pudding, served a la mode. My boyfriend tried the apple pie, which was served a la mode as well, and with a sharp cheddar. Absolutely tasty.
We left feeling satisfied, but not too full. We will absolutely be back again. I just hope the next time the soup is a little more exciting from the tasting menu because it was the only weak link in another wise completely fantastic experience.
You can tell a good vegetarian restaurant when you take a meat-eater with you and there are no questions such as, "Why isn't there steak on the menu?"
It's so comforting to have an upscale, fancy place for us non meat-eaters. All to often do I get excited about eating someplace nice and there's nothing for me to eat.
Amazing service as well. There is never an overlap in your dishes. Since the menu is set up to offer "smaller, tasting sized portions" (as our waiter said it) since you are going to eat 3-4 dishes while you're there, you never feel rushed.
Visited with my daughter, who always manages to find me interesting veg places. I would liken the menu to Tapas for vegetarians. Everything we ordered was wonderful, and so flavorful. We split each course so we could sample more things.
The Roasted Beet & Brussel Sprout Salad, with green garlic, orange, sherry vinaigrette was wonderful, and would make anyone appreciate brussel sprouts. We followed it with Fig & Blue Cheese Tart, with orange, candied almonds, wildflower honey vinaigrette. I hated having to split this with my daughter. Next up Anson Mills Farm Creamy Grits, with pumpkin seed succotash, clilantro, fennel, Thai chili. Our desert was such a rich chocolate mousse that I only wanted a taste.
The only detractor from the evening was that as it grew later, so did the noise level. Because it is so minimalist in its decoration, sound just magnifies. By the end of our meal we were shouting at each other to be heard over the noise of the room.
Food good, but the seating has been beyond bad. The first time we were seated effectively in the server station, listening to silverware clank in and out of the station during the meal, and the second time effectively in the middle of the walkway -- so egregious that we left.
If you go, request a booth (for more than two people this is less of an issue, as you'll automatically get a better table.)
For a Vegetarian Resturaunt I guess it was ok. It was casual more on the nicer casual and the food was good but I guess I was expecting more from this resturaunt. I had a soba noodle dish and a rosted pepper dish and the roasted pepper as pretty good but I dont think I was completely sold on this place maybe its just me.
The food is very artful and tasty with plenty of vegan options, but it is very expensive to order enough small plates to be able to leave feeling satisfied. Plan to spend a LOT of money. I don't think it's worth it.
Finally, a place where I don't have to whip out a magnifying glass for that one random veggie dish. Their menu was veggie for the most part! Don't forget to try the Fig and Blue Cheese Tart - heaven on a plate indeed.
The place has a lovely ambience, is cozy, and boasts great service and great food. It is really pricey though given the fact that everything is a taste-size portion. I guess you pay for the fancy plating and the innovative dishes, and the fact that the menu changes every other week(!)..
If you'd like a special place for a special celebration like an anniversary or something, head out here for sure.
So this was the #1 recommendation for me to take my veggie boyfriend for a fancy dinner while in Chicago.
It has an almost cold and detached vibe, paper table clothes, and we never got the same server twice for anything (ordering, drinks, water, food, check)
The portions were meant to be small but it's really spendy for how little you get with your little plate. I appreciate vegetarian food, I don't think you have to compromise on vibrant flavors just to be meat free.
It was good, eh, but definitely not worth the price.
12 hours after finishing dinner at Green Zebra, I am so full that I am almost revolted by the idea of breakfast. This is because I get the kind of out of town guests who demand to take me out for fabulous belated birthday dinners and then insist that we order half the menu...My life is sometimes just unbearably awful.
I've been longing to visit Green Zebra since I moved to Chicago, and it was worth the wait! (Though I hope it won't be another 14 months before I return!) From the start, the service was impeccable-- A gracious host, a friendly food runner who brought water at lightening speed, and a knowledgeable, personable, completely fabulous server named Jeremy. Attn: Green Zebra Management, this guy is really great at his job! (I went out of my way to ask his name so I could relay this message.)
The interior of the restaurant is minimal, dim, and soothing. We began with a cocktail and glass of wine while waiting for our table. The Bees Knees (Gin, Lavender Honey, Lemon) was the embodiment of exactly what I want when I want a nice appertivo-- simultaneously light and complex, not too sweet, a bit refreshing. The gruner by the glass was equally pleasing.
Once the lady K and I sat down, we realized that we'd need to make a list if we were going to not just go hog-wild and order the whole menu. So, as we munched our delicious, nutty whole wheat bread we made a list of 9 dishes on the back of a receipt, to the amusement of our server I'm sure...But, I recommend this strategy if you're having too much hunger and food lust to think straight and order. (This might have been too much food for two people as we're both still really full, but we ate every last bite of everything but the Spatzle which was just too rich at the end of the meal.)
The burrata with blueberries and a little something spicy was creamy and divine, the pear salad textured and delicate...Nicely paired with a little half glass of Reisling by the amazing Jeremy!
I switched to rose (nice, dry, not too much fruit) and we forged on through several more carefully paired and perfectly timed courses (The dishes emerged always two at a time, with a brief downtime between each course...perfect timing is so hard to find, and I was touched by the attention to detail.)-- carrot coconut soup, heirloom tomato salad with tiny accents of fried pickles, pumpkin seed succotash (this was the real winner, I guarantee you that I will spend the rest of the winter trying to recreate this perfect little dish), farro risotto (lemony!), garlic agnolotti (sp?) with morrocan eggplant, smoked spatzle, and an apple and onion tart with camembert which came in a close second to the succotash in terms of identifying the zenith of the meal!
This food was hearty, progressed from light to substantial, and each dish was distinct in flavor and texture. Unlike some small plates experiences where there isn't as much variation, this eating experience really reminded me of all the things I love about being a vegetarian, especially the sheer, bountiful variety of vegetables and grains and the ways they can be endlessly combined into deliciousness. There were no misses here.
By the time we were ready for dessert, we were becoming hesitant. But, we ordered two desserts anyway (and were brought a third in honor of my belated birthday). Dessert was lovely, but not nearly as good as the rest of the meal. The moscato and ice cream would probably have satisfied on their own, but the lemon pralines and olive oil cake with cinnamon beignets were both tasty.
In sum, be prepared to drop some cash not because the recommended 3 dishes per diner won't fill you up, but because you'll want more. If you know anyone who is skeptical about the possibilities of a meat free diet, this is certainly the place to stage a conversion, and if you know how I can make that pumpkin seed succotash, can you please get in touch immediately?! Otherwise I'll be a weekly visitor making a $30 dollar meal out of that delicious little plate and a Bees Knees...And, let's be honest, hedonism like that doesn't fit into a grad school budget.
Came here for my birthday dinner with my dearest. Pretty solid vegetarian for Chicago.
We were greeted warmly, the hostess checked our coats and we were seated. Service was pretty slow at first.. didn't meet our server until maybe ten minutes after being seated. Menu was confusing until our server came to sort it out.. then it all made perfect sense. He was very knowledgeable and shared his favorites on the menu.
The amuse bouche was a clear apple soup. It reminded me of the clear soups my aunt would make to have before or after dinner. If you're Chinese, you know what I'm talking about. Brought me home for a sec.
We ordered..
Bubblegum Pear Salad - great fresh, delicate flavors
Sweet and Sour Eggplant Dumplings - there was Chinese pickled cabbage in the dumplings.. the clear ginger broth was perfectly complimentary
Slow Roasted Shitaake Mushrooms and Mustard Greens - yes yes yes yes yes yes. If you love mushrooms, this dish is for you. It's warm and hearty.. though a tad greasy.. the crisp potato on the outside was fantastic.
Cripsy Soba Noodles with Sweet Potato - I do not recommend this dish. The noodles were over-seasoned and a bit cold and pasty. The sweet potato did not help the noodles out at all.. and was burnt.
Kona Kampachi - The only meat on the menu. This fish was absolutely fantastic. All of the elements in the dish worked beautifully together. Wasabi cream could have been a touch more spicy.. and the fish was half a second over cooked.. but I'm just picky.
Dessert..
Mini Apple Tart with Thyme Ice Cream - No one can do thyme ice cream like Bar Tartine in San Francisco, so I suggest everyone to stop trying. Ice cream was too sweet, but the hot cold element worked well. Tart was tasty.
Chef's Choice of Mini Desserts - I had a feeling they'd give me cookies. They did.
La Perla French Press Coffee - The first solid cup of coffee I've had in Chicago. Sorry, Intelligentsia has nothing on a properly made cup of french press. Still does not compare to Four Barrel in SF!!
They brought me a cute little plate of vegetarian gelees.. with a candle for me to blow out. It was a really sweet and kind gesture. The gelees, however, were sooooo sweet.. I choked on my second bite.
Portions are small. They recommend three plates per guest for dinner. I would come again to try the rest of their dishes.
7
12
The wine was good and there was plenty of it so it helped us forget the bland mushroom consomme. We will not be going back.
Green Zebra is Shawn McClain's foray into a pure vegetarian and vegan restaurant, and he hit the mark pretty darn well, as usual. The dishes are small, tend to be fairly light (though not all!), and are fresh, unusual, and innovative flavor profiles, as is his trademark. (Note: I haven't been since Molly Kipp took over as Chef de Cuisine.) It is a true joy and change of pace to go from steakhouses and purveyors of heavy fare to this.
They have a wonderful tasting menu that has another neat feature: an optional non-alcoholic specialty drink pairing! You get all sorts of neat homemade teas, sodas, and other drinks that keep with the lightness and flavor of the tasting menu.
Portions are small, especially for the price: you're definitely paying for the freshness and many other factors besides food quantity. If you are one of those people who has to feel "well fed for the money," you'll want to skip, because there are no bargains here.
Also, as is the case with avant-garde fare, sometimes it just fails - a certain dish may be inedible for you. No worries; just comment on it and they should do something about it. Customer service is, after all, one of the priorities of all of Chef McClain's restaurants.
If you are a vegetarian, you owe it to yourself to go at least once, as a haven of what really upscale vegetarian can be. If you're not, you should consider trying it for a change of pace. If you have the resources, you might just find yourself being hooked. Otherwise, you've found a potential infrequent splurge for yourself!
This place is sooo good! A real treat for a vegetarian, but so creative and mouthwatering that even non-veggies will love it. Great ambiance, service, and unique dishes.
Small portions and multiple courses.
Eating at Green Zebra is an experience and an activity.
Everything from salad to desert and french press coffee was delicious.
Wonderland for vegetarian. Had fun. Great food. lovely place. and great to have vegetarian restaurant which is not Indian. I would defiantly go again. I would also recommend to others.
i hate to do this because it is one of the few places around that a girl can still get a bougie brunch on sundays without having to go at 10am or wait it out. but, i just can't keep it a secret anymore. GREEN ZEBRA DOES BRUNCH ON SUNDAYS AND IT'S AWESOME (REASONABLE TOO)!
like dinner, brunch is small plates so i think it best to start with a sweet dish to split and then get two savories. the smoked mushrooms with grits and poached eggs is creamy heaven and the egg sandwich with avocado and homemade hot sauce is always killer (they do a good job on the accompanying chips too). the bloody mary is made with delicious north shore vodka, but it's not for the faint of heart. there's little garnish (a single olive) to obscure its bold worcestershire-ness.
This is a great place if you want to feel as if you are on Top Chef, eating things you'd normally not and speculating about what flavors were actually in the dish.
Everything is really amazingly tasty and fresh. I actually liked the sweet potato amuse bouche the best of anything we ate, but the pumpkin and corn succotash was also delicious. And the poached egg potato puree lived up to expectations. My girlfriend and I split 5 dishes and that was enough food for both of us.
It is pricey, so it's a good special occasions place and reservations are probably a good idea. I called on a Thursday for Saturday reservations and they had 5-6 or after 9 available.
Its hard to find a restaurant where everything you order is top notch. From the appetizers, main course to the organic cocktails!! I highly recommend eating at the Green Zebra. It is mostly vegetarian, but not vegan, so meat eaters should know this ahead of time. Enjoy!!
Before you read this review, keep in mind that I am a meat-eater writing this review. However, also keep in mind that I am an open-minded eater who has thoroughly and repeatedly enjoyed many a vegetarian restaurant.
Eating at the Green Zebra was an underwhelming experience. The menu on paper sounds amazing but the actual dishes are lackluster. I found the textures to be confusing and the tastes out of balance. Dishes that called for grapes still had the seeds in them that made for an unpleasant textural experience. The risotto was actually "risotto" in that it was made of barley instead of what most people consider risotto. The beans were not soft enough and the sorbet was a melted gelatinous disaster. The food was overpriced and the dining experience was way more formal than the food dictated. The drinks were nice, which helped soften the sorrow of the food itself.
Next time I'll skip the Green Zebra and instead dine at Mana food bar.
I booked a private room surprise 30th birthday party for my wife here and it was amazing! Super attentive service, great personalized menu that was modified to meet my wife's every desire (I helped them build it beforehand), great wine and the taste of the food was just amazing.
We live in the San Francisco area and have both been vegetarian for almost 10 years. There is probably only one other veggie place we have found that we like better than this and it is Millenium in SF.
I finally ate here after numerous attempts; I will say was disappointed and the prices are VERY high for what you get, so make sure you're well aware of that before going. The waitress said you should order at least 3 plates (per person) in order to feel full (those plates range from $8-15). My friend and I ordered a few things, but felt the amount and quality of food wasn't worth the price at all. We're willing to spend more money on great Vegan food, but this place didn't cut it. I may go back again, but this would be a special occasion...like very special. On a side note, the décor of the place is of the nicest (Vegan places) in Chicago.
This is a great restaurant, and like many have said. You will not miss the meat here. However, for a fine dining restaurant I am knocking off a star for the following reasons:
1. Lack of explanation/consistency. Being at a restaurant where just about every dish is extremely creative, and far from ordinary, I had no idea what I was eating. The first two courses went by, then magically at course #3, the waiter stopped by to "review" what I was eating. That just made me even more annoyed because I didn't know what I had ingested for the two previous courses. Then course 4 came by without an explanation either, which leads to
1a. Food runner. He could have been the one to explain dishes, or at least name them as he dropped them off in front of us. Rather, he nervously placed our dishes in front of us, and left without a single word.
2. Horrible dessert. I know this isn't always true, but the dessert I got with my 5-course tasting menu was horrendous. What I remember was a mountain of canned peaches, topped with a bland scone, and some creme fresche ice cream on the side. In size, it was bigger than all the other four courses; it taste it was the biggest disappointment of the night. We also got the ice cream tasting, which lacked horribly in presentation. Not good for those who don't like their flavors melting together.
3. Lack of ambience. In a fine dining restaurant, it is the little things that make the experience worth it. For my birthday dinner, I was seated at a table facing -- of all things -- the bathroom. Sexy... I am assuming that the rest of the dining room is ok, but I wouldn't be able to tell you. Also, my table was so oddly positioned, that neither me nor my boyfriend had enough leg room. And back to 1a. we also had a clear view of the the location the foodrunner chose to place his tray, and were able to see how confused he seemed. Again, not something I want to see in a fine dining restaurant.
Again, these are all minor things, but at these prices, these are things I expect.
P.S. Whoever my back-waiter/busser was at the table, however, was amazing.
I ate at Green Zebra on a Friday night with two girlfriends. Overall it was a very pleasant experience. We each ordered three plates (one soup and two small plates), and it was more than enough food. Here are the highlights and a couple things I think could be improved:
Highlights:
* The menu: It's pretty rare where I could seriously be happy with every single thing on the menu. I can't remember the last time I had so many delicious-sounding options to choose from. Thank goodness for small plates and sharing -- I never could have just picked one or two.
* The food: Delicious! I am not a vegetarian, but I did not miss meat at this dinner. Everything was really, really tasty.
* The service: Both of our waiters were very friendly and informative. The timing of the food was a little off, but, dining in good company and with good wine, I did not mind.
* The ambiance: The decor of this restaurant is really cool. I loved the style -- it was very relaxing.
Things that could be improved:
* The price: I felt the small plates were a little overpriced for what they were.
* The parking: This place could really use valet parking! It took us a long time to find a spot, and every restaurant on the block besides Green Zebra offered valet.
The options at your disposal are fantastic. You can order either a poo poo platter, or the Poooo Poo platter, or try your taste buds on the POO POO platter. Seriously, there are barely any choices. I went with some friends so I got a chance to try several dishes. First off, the service is beyond epic failure. I find it hard to believe that such a tiny place and the servers cannot notice my glass of water empty? Every dish I tried from the biscuits and gravy to the french toast were all either bland or pure mush. Another fansy shmancy wanna-be restaurant who tries to cater to the yuppies and some how tricks people into thinking that their food is actually good.
Loved it.
- Creative, delicious food.
- Clean, bright, unpretentious atmosphere.
- Attentive, knowledgeable, and thorough service.
- Thoughtful responses to all of our questions.
I am so happy with our evening.
We each got three courses, and ended up sharing a fourth, which was a LOT of food. We were expecting small plates, but they were actually quite filling.
My favorite dish was a salad with cucumber, dill, blueberries, shallots, and frozen creme fraiche. This was so unique and delicious, and was a combination of flavors I had never had before.
I also got the shallot tart and the barbequed eggplant. The tart was sweet and salty and multitextured and came with half cooked baby zucchini. I would definitely recommend this dish.
The barbequed eggplant was my least favorite part of the meal, and is the reason Green Zebra gets only four stars. I disliked it; it tasted funky, like those premixed spice mixes you get at the Indian grocery store. There was definitely an Indian inspiration behind this dish, and I would not recommend it (even though we're Indian and I love Indian food). The texture of the eggplant was great, so kudos for that, because that's not easy. But the seasoning was so completely off and overly done, and completely lacked restraint. There was no clean finish.
My mother, had she been a yelper, would have given it five stars. And her dishes were all wonderful. She got the Werp salad ( I thought it was average but she loved it), the shittake mushrooms with potato and cabbage, and the thai curry. I would recommend all of them, particularly the shittake mushrooms, which were rolled in a thin slice of potato and pan fried. This is a vegetarian version of a famous dish at Le Cirque in New York - the potato wrapped sea bass - and was pulled off perfectly. Of course, it's easier to pull off because the mushrooms were already roasted and the whole thing is smaller than a sea bass fillet (the hard part is cooking the sea bass without burning the potato, but still making sure the potato is crisp)
After my roasted eggplant, which was my last dish, I was quite full, but unwilling to end the night with that on my palate. I was sort of annoyed because the best part of my meal was at the beginning and the worst was at the end. So we ordered one more course. Upon our fabulous waiter's suggestion, we got the creamy grits with artichokes and tomato. This was absolutely delicious, and a wonderful way to end our meal. But there was so much butter in this dish that it was a little insane. I could feel tiny people marching through my bloodstream to stubbornly hang out in my arteries. If all of our dishes had been like the grits, the meal would have been too rich and too starchy, but combined with the freshness of the salads beforehand, it was perfect.
When each dish was served, our waiter came by and told us about the preparation of the course. He was comfortable and conversational, and didn't sound like he was reciting memorized lines. I can't find a single flaw with him. And he was cute.
And our bill was completely reasonable.
I can't wait to come back and try out their next seasonal menu.
Hallejauh! I found Jesus (more like Green Zebra) I am so surprised I did not come here sooner. Like most converts, I was skeptical about eating here. We had five courses and each course was more exciting than the previous one. Beautifully presented and artfully executed, all the flavors and spices of each entree complemented the following entree. Thai curry soup was rich and flavorful, the fish was flaky and tender, we had some summer corn, eat bite of corn would release little bits of juice-it was that fresh. The apple tart dessert was to die for-i wanted to lick the plate! Service was well executed and friendly!
This is the first vegan friendly restaurant that my girlfriend and I have gone to on a trip that we've liked in a long time. I would say the last place was a restaurant in San Francisco back in January. And of all places, it's in omnivore/carnivore heaven of Chicago.
Although I'm not a big fan of tapas-type portions being a chicago ex-pat, myself and also still an omnivore, the plates we chose which were all the vegan options available, was very good. From presentation to taste, it was tops and we've travelled from Seattle to San Francisco to Austin to Tucson and we've tried vegan-friendly in each city. Only a handful was good with the rest pretty bad even in our town of Los Angeles.
I would say Green Zebra is what Madeliene's Bistro here wants to be. True both restuarants prepare quite different cuisines but in terms of aspiration of environment to delectable plates to pricing, both are alike. Green Zebra, however, actually succeeds.
As with all tapas places, the plates can be a little pricey especially considering how little you're actually getting but the food is very high quality. I wouldn't recommend going often but something different once in a while that you can count on as good. Especially considering they have vegan options.
The service was adequately good. Our waiter was nice but a little off insomuch at times I was wondering if he was actually listening to us during our banter or just merely being nice. For instance, on his recommendation, my girlfriend asked for a blush wine that was beautifully colored with a wonderful bouquet but the taste was rather blah to put it bluntly. I made it known to him and he apologized and went away. Okay, I thought he would make an offer to replace it, say with my choice of the pinot noir but no. Usually that's customary but not necessarily required so no biggy but ten minutes or so later he comes back and apologizes for not realizing that maybe he should offer something else in exchange. There were two other smaller instances too of this kinda not exactly all present up there in the head but nice guy and generally took care of us, just a little off. I found it amusing.
Anyhow our experience is that vegan restaurants, by and far, live up to their bad reputations so when you come across a restaurant that serves good vegan, you sit up and notice. Green Zebra is one to remember especially considering it's not 100% vegan, just considerate of vegans.
My husband and I went here on a date as a treat since we don't eat out much anymore. It was a really great experience. The food was beautiful and tasty with some unexpected (but delicious) combinations of flavors (like pumpkin seeds in the grits - yum!). We knew in advance that it was tapas-esque, in the sense that each plate is a small portion and you have to order about 3-4 plates per person, so we weren't surprised/appalled the way some reviewers seem to be.
After we ordered they gave us a cucumber and carrot amuse bouche with fresh bread. It was a great start to the meal! Favorites from the evening: sweet and sour eggplant dumpling with bok choy, shiitake mushroom plate, and the bubble gum pear salad. I also really enjoyed the creamy grits.
I'm not sure how I feel about the dessert menu, however; there was only one option that was at least 50% chocolate, and I am a chocolate lover. I had the chocolate bundt cake with caramelized bananas and it was quite tasty but I wish the chocolate had been more pronounced.
All in all, a very delicious and exciting meal. I probably won't be back for a long time because of the price tag, but it was worth it!
Green Zebra is one of the finer vegetarian restaurants in Chicago, and has an absolutely incredible selection of different food options!
Too often do vegetarian restaurants simply turn into temples of substitution. Tofu becomes the currency of dishes covered in sauces that don't celebrate the vegetable, but instead simply catering to the culinary habits of the carnivorous masses.
Not so at Green Zebra. Here, the vegetable takes the main stage, and it is an absolute dream: every dish features fresh, seasonal vegetables. I highly recommend going with one of the myriad beet dishes that are perennially on the menu. That said, you can't really go wrong with such a varied and delicately assembled set of options.
My one complaint about the food is that, at times, dishes can seem over-seasoned and too salty. Nonetheless, this is certainly the place to go for high-quality vegetarian food.
One word of advice: If you are in any type of rush, avoid ordering dessert. Though the servers are friendly and knowledgeable, things slow drastically down between dinner and dessert and it can make a delightful meal drag on for too long (it's hard, of course, to have too much of such a great experience). Green Zebra;s definitely worth a visit.
we came here for my very first client dinner years ago (they have a great space for groups in the back).
the food is wonderful, the service attentive. but i never found an excuse to make it back.
This place makes amazing food. I am a vegetarian, so you don't have to convert me...but even I found myself wondering if they had slipped some meat in somewhere, it was all so flavorful.
My only hesitation is that I feel like some of the dishes were "trying too hard." The food on its own is excellent, so I don't need additional rigmarole to entice me to eat it. Salt foam and watermelon granita are more amusing than necessary. So the "attitude" of the place was a little over the top (both food and waitstaff).
But, overall an enjoyable experience, and we spent over three hours just having fun in the surrounding. Great cocktails, too, AND they played the Jesus and Mary Chain, so how bad could it be?
I have been dying to go to Green Zebra since I first heard about it. My friend got me a very generous gift card for all the restaurants within the Spring Group. I of course chose Green Zebra.
The service was spot on - the server knew everything about the menu and wine list and he didn't just memorize it. He really did know everything and he wanted to share it with us so we could have the best experience. We ended up sharing about 8 different dishes. Everything was delicious and the presentation of all the dishes were really unique and contemporary.
My only complaint is that everything was very rich. It very well could have just been the dishes we ended up choosing but everything had a lot of cream, butter, cheese etc.... it might be vegetarian but it certainly wasn't healthy.
And I am being generous here. It was a very busy restaurant, and all the tables were filled but I am not really sure why.
The food was soooo salty it was overkill. Which is sad- because some of the dishes were actually quite tasty- I just couldn't get over that damn heavy handage of SALT!!!
But IF you can get past that factor, and the fact that service was random and slow and weird- our server was MIA most of the time when we had a question and the people who brought out our dishes NEVER expained them- so we didn't know what was what!!
When the dishes are that gourmet and it is a high end restaurant SOMEbody should take the time to explain at least which tasting is in front of me- we ordered 8 things- which by far was plenty (I think reviews led me astray, because my friend and I had SO many leftovers- 5 instead of 8 things would have been quite enough.)
We would ask them and they either spoke no english or did not know. Ok, then.
Notable mention goes to the pasta dishes- Loved the creamy grits, and the ricotta gnocchi, also liked the slow roasted shitake mushrooms and smoked bbq eggplant. MINUS ALL THE SALT.
Probably won't go back.
Nice creativity.
My brother took us to Green Zebra during his graduation weekend because we are a vegetarian family and we were extremely pleased! The restaurant itself had a trendy and modern decor and we were warmly greeted by the hostess. The food - fantastic. I wished that I could have eaten all night - it was so yummy! I hope to return soon!
I wil never return and neither will my family. The concept is cool. The decor interesting. The service was OK. The food was overpriced for the portion received. We left still hungry after spending almost 45 dollars a person and we are NOT overeaters.
Though expensive (and I mean expensive, $145 w/ tip for two people, no alcohol), Green Zebra has to have been the best dining experience I've had in years. Other reviewers have mentioned the inattentive wait staff. I respect their opinions but felt that rather than inattentive, they were largely going for a more European style dining experience. In Europe, servers don't frequently return to a table after an order has been taken as it is considered rude to interrupt diners' conversations. I felt more like that was going on here, especially since the one time our server did come to check on us, she apologized for coming at an inconvenient time (it wasn't, really).
The decor, as opposed to 80's or extremely hip, I felt was a moderately successful attempt at relating back to their theme and name. The restaurant is decked out in greens, browns, and stainless steel. It's supposed to be a melding of contemporary style and natural decor. Up to you how great an idea that is, but I liked it. The seating WAS a little uncomfortable, but that may just have been the fabric of my dress being a little slippery against the fabric of the booth, leading to sliding down the seat repeatedly.
For me, though, Green Zebra is about the food. It's expensive. The service is good, but not what Americans expect. The decor is nice but not to everyone's tastes. These things are true of most fine dining establishments because quality and style are matters of opinion. The food, however, is amazing. Like many other patrons, it was suggested that we each order 3-4 items from the menu. If you're a heavy eater, definitely go that route and order 4 and dessert. This is what we did, but I was honestly feeling a little stuffed after. I think 2-3 and dessert would really suffice for your average person.
For my meal I had the beet salad w/ goat cheese, onion and garlic soup, mushroom risotto, and fig pasta. My partner had the fresh burrata cheese, onion and garlic soup, poached egg, and gnocci. For dessert I had the ice cream tasting (fig and honey, carrot cake, blueberry swirl, and chocolate lavender) and she had the malted chocolate pudding with roasted bananas and sugar beignets. Everything (except the blueberry ice cream, but I hate blueberries so the opinion is highly biased) was fantastic.
Particularly good were the fresh burrata cheese, beet salad, onion and garlic soup, and the chocolate lavender ice cream. In these I thought the flavors played particularly well off of one another and were perfectly balanced. Everything else was still great, it's just that the first two courses set such a high bar that anything as simple as risotto was bound to fail in comparison. I would definitely focus on the top half of the menu in the future simply because those items seem to be fresher, lighter, and more flavorful.
Since it was a birthday celebration for my partner and I had warned them in advance, they also sent out a serving of their sour cherry streudal with a candle with our desserts. This isn't an expensive item, but it was better than some restaurants do for birthdays, and the dish was a lovely complement to our much sweeter traditional desserts.
Also worth noting at the non-alcoholic drinks. I had the bitter lemon soda while my companion had the pink peppercorn-thyme soda. Both were amazing thought the herbal, sweet, peppery flavor of the pink peppercorn really impressed. All in all, a wonderful evening well worth the splurge.
Heard lots of raves for Green Zebra, so maybe the heightened expectations are why I'm left a little disappointed. That or the ridiculous price without the amazing follow through.
The decor reminds me of some spartan 80s living room. Think lots of gray tones, right angles, indoor plants, etc. Not exactly warm and inviting.
Some food items were amazing, other ones just okay. The potato soup was to die for. The polenta dish was bland. The gnocchi were fine, but you'd be better off saving yourself for a real Italian joint. The same can be said for the Thai green curry tofu, which was creatively presented, but oily and lacking in true Thai flavors and aromas. After four courses (eight dishes) for two people, I'd say half of the meal was forgettable.
Even the cheese plate I finished with, which was beautifully arranged, fell flat. The cheeses just seemed average, even if they were high end. It was a little sad that they only had five or six cheeses to choose from.
As for service, our waiter was a little fake. Although I don't blame the waiters here for feeling like the have to be a little aloof considering how pretentious this place really is.
I won't give Green Zebra less than 3 stars because I recognize that the food is way above average and for vegetarians, this is probably as good as it gets in terms of fine dining. I just wish the prices were more reflective of reality and the surrounding neighborhood. With four small-plate courses each, a bottle of wine, and dessert, our total was $220 after about a 19% tip. A steakhouse would be cheaper!! Considering the high price, the whole meal should be no less than excellent.
Contemporary. Chic. Petite.
That pretty much sums up my experience at Green Zebra. The ambience is soft and relaxing. It really is wonderful for families or singles. I made a reservation early for Mother's Day. So, we got the one and only window seat. So far so good.
The menu is not extensive but there are plenty of interesting ones to choose from. The food is served tapas style, so I was suggested to order 3-4 for each person. Since I was on budget, I thought of ordering 2 dishes each person, a dessert, and a drink. Complementing that with 3-4 slices of bread, that should really make it a full meal. See ... you just have to be smarter sometimes. =)
When the food came, my jaw dropped because they were so painfully small. C'mon! I could have easily finished them in two passes. Guess what, that means more bread. The only bad thing is, they serve a slice of bread to each person. If you want more, you'd have to request it.
My favorite picks are the gnocchi with porcini and cream, almond tart with creme fraiche ice cream and homemade root beer (yes, homemade). Another drink worth noting is the Il Coltivatore. This has got to be my favorite cocktail of all time. It tastes like icewine at first but there's a subtleness to it with hints of citrus and floral. I actually make them at home now.
It would have been a 3.5 but since I had some takeaways from this place, I'll bump it up to 4. Would I come back? Not if they keep the portion the size the way it is. I left with a barely full stomach but it would be so much more satisfying if they had just a tad bit more food. Just a little more to push it to the acceptable threshold.
I've had my sight on this place for more than 2 years now but never found the right company to check it out with! Yesterday was the perfect day to have brunch with Lai at this place!
We really liked the ambiance, the friendly service and the decor of the place. However, we were disappointed in the food itself. I am a vegetarian and Lai likes to be a lot too, so our problem wasn't with the vegetarian food.
It was the execution of the creativity - the vegetable hash was undercooked with clumps of salt in every other bite. The German pancake was also slightly undercooked and just flavorless besides the dollops of butter on top.
I really appreciate the creative thinking, but the execution, for the dough you pay, was poor. Our bills as expected were high, but stomachs not full and hearts less than satisfied.
I don't think I'm visiting again unless someone gives me a solid reason to do so...
"The best food I have ever eaten in the US" - said my dad, who is a vegetarian for the last 15 years.
I saw reviews on yelp and the tapas style veggie menu sounded fun.
We went to celebrate my dad's birthday at Green Zebra. Everyone else in the family is a meat/ fish lover and we were a bit skeptic about eating all veggie but still wanted to do something special for my dad and wanted him to have options.
I love meat but let me tell the meat lovers out there - I did not miss my meat tonight!!! In fact this was the first time that I thought that I could live on this food forever!
I just got back and given the awesome food I had to write the review immediately. I made reservation today (Saturday) at 5 pm and got a table for 9.30pm. Being Indians we are used to having a late dinner so that worked well for us.
The server was great - very friendly and even though technically the kitchen closes at 10.30 - they let us order till 11.30 pm.
The location of the place is not the best but the gems are always hidden. This gem does not have a name outside it either so we had to get down n make sure that this was really the place. There is no valet service but there is ample street parking so you don't really miss it.
Each dish had a unique flavor and each was equally amazing - there was no distinct winner - all were amazing.
The desserts were great as well. My husband had one of their Columbian coffees with dessert and said that even the coffee was note worthy.
This place may not really work for a big group - I would say it is more suited for families of around 6-8 maximum. We were just 4 and still there did not seem too many table options. But the table we got was a decent location. The overall ambiance is good but can be better.
Like some previous reviewer mentioned the bar is not very big and does not have bar stools but it did not matter to us as we made reservations and did not have to wait long for our table. This is a place you go to, to enjoy food and have a good time.
Overall an amazing restaurant that I would visit again and still love my veggies!!!
If I was to keep this review down to the bare minimum, I'd simply ask, "Is the food good?"
Yes. Painfully so. Delicious in fact. Based on that alone, I would give it a 4 star rating.
However, we all know that dining is not simply about the food - well sometimes it is, but for a fancy place like Green Zebra, where you WILL spend over $100 for a meal for two, it is all but expected that everything else about the dining experience will be on par with its food quality.
That said, they get docked a star for the following:
1. Stiff atmosphere. The over-all pretentiousness doesn't help, but the atmosphere is too LA-ish and trying very hard. I wish they'd keep it simpler, and let the food speak for itself, rather than trying to portray some kind of Beverly Hills restaurant in on Chicago Ave.
2. Loud. Most of the tables are too close together. It was crowded, but it's a fine dining restaurant, not a ... place where people should have to yell at each other to hear each other speak. Disclaimer: I have bad hearing.
3. For as kind as the waiter was, he was extremely inattentive. I had an empty wine glass for like 20 minutes before he even ventured our way, and even so, I had to flag him down. It's hard to tell who is who there, too, and the waiters seemed to constantly walk right by us without so much of a "how are you folks doing?"
As far as the food, I was an overall fan. I did not opt for the Chef's choice, but chose 4 dishes for myself while my date picked 3. Oddly enough, each dish picked we picked either potatoes or asparagus in them, and most of them had mushrooms. No matter, I like all of those things, but it was a strange coincidence.
I wish I had saved room for dessert, but alas, the starchiness and heaviness of my meal (odd, considering the portion sizes and the nature of the restaurant) prevented this. I don't know if it was just what I picked- don't get me wrong it was all good - but I was a bit disappointed in how heavy it sat after I ate.
Anyway, it's good date place, if you go a bit later or don't mind the loudness. I also feel like its a place where a lot of non-vegetarians go as some kind of novelty, and to "prove" to themselves that "SEE, vegetarian food CAN be good!" well of course it can, idiot - you didn't need to spend a day's worth of pay to prove that.
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Greater Grand Crossing
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Noble Square
Category: Latin American
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