Kinmont

If you want great fish this is one of the best restaurants in Chicago for it. Particularly since they feature fresh water fish and not only seafood. Unfortunately if you do not like fish there is not a lot here for you. Also, the menu is sadly small. What they do they do *very* well and you will not be disappointed but you have to be ok with the minimal selection. Partly that minimal selection is guaranteeing only the best and in-season fresh fish but still...very limited choices. They also feature top notch bar tenders who know their stuff and mix interesting and inventive cocktails. Better, they seem to enjoy their job and are happy to speak with you and whip-up something you will like (if they aren't overly busy). Sadly the price point at Kinmont is pretty expensive. It is difficult to come in, get a drink and a small meal or appetizer that doesn't break the bank making this only an occasional treat for me. A couple drinks, salad and main course will set two people back $100+ easy.

I went here for my birthday because of my love for seafood and I was extremely impressed. It's very hard to get GOOD seafood in Chicago and Kinmont is definitely one of the top seafood restaurants in the City. The decor is nice, the outdoor seating isn't on a busy street, and the cocktail selection is on par with most places. Highly Recommended!

There's a secret kitchen located inside of the Kinmont and it's called Ampersand. Celebrity chefs cook to an intimate room of only 30 people. Check the Ampersand website for upcoming dinners. The room has a secret door that separates it from the rest of the restaurant. There's a private bathroom, bar, dinning room & kitchen for the chefs. If attending an event just ask the Kinmont hostess and she will take you to the entrance. We had an amazing dinner here with Chef Carlos Dalisay. Chef's food was not only beautiful to look at but it was amazing to eat. My favorite dish was his Surfer Duck which was a modern take on Surf & Turf but included Duck & Lobster. It was so delicious. I also loved his Rhode Island Oysters served with a fresh tomato salsa. So if you're looking for something different then check out the hidden kitchen located here. And if your dinner is anything like my experience you are going to be glad I told you about it.

Two words to know: Trout Reuben. I still am dreaming about this Reuben. It was more than generous for two people to split, you could easily leave the restaurant feeling more than full after splitting the sandwich and a small appetizer. The french fries that accompany the reuben were fresh, crispy, and delicious, reminding me of my favorite fries from Owen & Engine. We were celebrating, so we also ordered other items off of the menu to try. The warm crab dip was good, but nothing extremely memorable. We tried a sort of "deconstructed" lox everything bagel which was also good, but the fish lacked a smoky flavor. We also ordered the buns, which were tasty, having a nice buttery flavor and sprinkled with sea salt. Lastly, their fresh fish of the day was prepared simply for us in butter and basic spices, it too was good but not incredibly memorable. The drinks in my opinion were mediocre, I'd stick to the beer list here and get your cocktails elsewhere.

I didn't try the food, but if the food is anything as good as the drinks I had were amazing. This is not just your average bar. This is a first class Cocktail Experience. Their methods are amazing and it is a bit of a show to watch these exemplary drinks get crafted before your eyes. No rookie mistakes here. Cocktails made with bitters and liquor are stirred in a classic crystal pitcher as to not dull down the aromatics of the drink. Cocktails made with juices are vigorously shaken to provide a light effervescence that compliments the tartness of the fruit. This will be among the places that I incorporate into my casual drinking as it is hands down amazing. Did I mention that you can park pretty much everywhere pretty easily around this place?

Great atmosphere, food is lacking! We came here to celebrate our weeding anniversary and we really wanted to like this place. Service was ok, the attendant would forget certain things we ordered. But the worst was that the roll we ordered as appetizer had the bun burnt and then the my wife's entree had the salmon unser cooked on the center. I love sushi but we didn't order sushi! They tried to compensate with a couple of free sides but that tactic never erases a previous bad experience. Overall the place is really nice, fast service. I could had got a lemon experience, but that is what I experienced.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this restaurant, however, it can be very expensive. I strongly recommend going during the week to take advantage of their specials (my favorite is $1 oysters on Wednesdays). The high ceilings and exposed brick could make the space very loud, but there are also rugs that are displayed in the ceiling that seem to reduce the overall noise of the indoor eating area. There is also bar, and sidewalk patio seating available. One bothersome practice is that they always produce two receipts for you. The first receipt reflects the full price of the menu items, and the second shows the reduced bill that reflects any food/drink specials. I felt like the staff was encouraging people to tip on the full price, but for me, it simply reinforced that I won't be visiting when there are not specials available unless I'm prepared for a $100+/person meal.

Located pretty far from the hub-bub of River North, but on a plesant day, it was a good stroll to dinner. But probably because of that, when we dined on a Sunday night, we were one of a very small handful of patrons in the establishment. And because of that, the service was impeccable! And also very classy. Since the name Kinmont refers to a fisherman's lure, the entire place was decorated like a fishing boat. I do love that nautical theme. The food was, of course, seafood. They had a great selection of family-syle items. We started out with oysters- both east and west coasts. They were remarkably fresh. The crab dish we had was quite savory. The fish was gigantic and delicious. All the sides were stellar. Overall, a very enjoyable meal. Also, stop by the bar. The bartender made us very strong drinks!