Matilda Restaurant

This is now one of my favorite spots in the city! From the moment we walked in, the energy was warm and inviting. Both the restaurant and underground speakeasy were buzzing with lively, effortlessly cool energy. Upstairs is bright, airy, and elegant, while the speakeasy downstairs is dark, sleek, and intimate. Both spaces are stunning and feel like a little escape - a place where people are connecting and genuinely enjoying themselves. The food was unexpected, beautifully presented, and absolutely delicious! We had the tuna tartare, sweet plantain & chorizo tacos, lomo saltado, and the elote dessert - each dish blew us away. I wish my photos did them justice. I let our wonderful server, Fernando, know I don’t drink, and he brought me a passion fruit mojito mocktail that was hands down the best mocktail I’ve ever had - light, refreshing, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. The staff worked seamlessly together to make our experience exceptional. The general manager and other team members checked in throughout the night, and we felt genuinely welcomed and cared for at every step. I highly recommend sharing several plates and exploring as much as you can. This is a place for connection, adventurous food, and an incredible atmosphere crafted by a team that clearly loves what they do. Can’t wait to go back!

Incredible addition to the River North neighborhood. The service, atmosphere and food were all top-tier. You have to get the steak and plantain/chorizo tacos — absolutely incredible and my favorite bites of the night. Their take on an espresso martini was so so good as well. The guacamole was also a beautiful and tasty dish. It didn’t blow me away, but it was a solid guacamole. If you like corn, get the corn dessert! You won’t be disappointed.

What can I say... Amazing vibe, amazing service, amazing food. The stars of the show were definitely the paella and the plantain+chorizo tacos. Both are worth every penny. And the elote quemado for desert was just a unique and tasty experience. The ceviche de pescado with the fried calamari is also worth mentioning.

The food was amazing and I loved the Al pastor drink. Highly recommend the tuna tartare and lomo. Also our waiter David was so great and attentive to us. Definitely will come again.

I would recommend. Popped in to the speakeasy & decided to grab a quick bite at the bar before going downstairs. I enjoyed the overall experience. What I had: - Pescado Entree - Matilda (Mocktail) Food was delicious. The waitstaff were very friendly. Speakeasy is a nice, chill vibe. Gives Euro or Miami. Nice for date night, coupled friends, or girls night

Nice atmosphere. Very attentive waiters. We tried the 5 course tasting menu and loved the ceviche, the plantain taco, birria, and the lucuma ice-cream. Great spot for our NYE dinner.

Matilda and the service of David was 100/10. The flavor, the energy, drinks and service were all I could ask for, for my birthday! Just good night vibes all around! We will be at the next happy hour! Also you have to try the tasting experience.

The food was absolutely delicious, and the ambiance is very cute and thoughtfully designed. Unfortunately, the dining experience was overshadowed by how cold the restaurant was. Nearly half of the guests were eating with their coats on, and every time the door opened, a strong cold draft came through due to poor insulation. It made dinner pretty uncomfortable, especially during a Chicago winter. Until that’s addressed, I’d recommend this spot more as a summer restaurant than a cold-weather one.

Hands down my favorite restaurant this year. The tasting menu was exquisite. All the plates were delicious. I recommend the tasting menu because we wouldn't have ordered half of the things that came and they were absolutely AMAZING. It is kind of intimate and small but beautiful. Service was perfect. Will be back soon!!!

Came in for happy hour -- on a Sunday! I love a weekend happy hour. The staff was super accommodating and even moved chairs around to make room for the three of us at the bar. The restaurant itself is so cool with such a great vibe. We tried the $10 pisco sours and the cocktail of the week, a lychee martini -- both were delicious! Definitely want to come back and try the food next time.

Amazing service. Really great atmosphere. The food that hit was amazing - a few fell flat. They have a speakeasy cocktail bar under the restaurant that you enter through the door next to the hostess. The charred avocado/guacamole was a miss. It's super cool that they char it to make it seem like it has the skin still, but that's it. The flavor was just lacking. The lomo saltado was the standout. I rarely eat beef and this was an occasion I'm glad I dabbled. I could have drank the juice. The serving of rice is tiny though. We had to get an extra rice, which was the same size and we had to pay extra for. The rice was really good tho. The tinga tacos were excellent as well. SWEET PLANTAIN & CHORIZO!!! I'd go back for these. 2 per order. You'll want to eat both yourself. Everyone should get their own order. Ceviche was good, but not the best I've ever had. Middle of the road. Servers were super on point and personable. Offered some recommendations and checked in on us. All of the cocktails were phenomenal.

Ambiance - modern, cozy, great for dates and small group hangouts Service - exceptional, our server was super nice and made great recommendations Food - Everything was super flavorful, the scallop & lychee aguachile was sooo unique in flavors (light and sweet), conchas marisqueras was on the more acidic side, would 100% come back for just the elote quemado dessert

Came here with a foodie friend and we were WOWED. Highlights: *the service: David was so knowledgeable and shared his favorites with us (which were 3 item, not 78 that makes it impossible to decide). He also sent us a dessert and shot at the end of our meal because we enjoyed everything so much. *the food: we ordered tuna tartare (showstopper), ceviche (yum), sweet plantain tacos (MY FAVORITE), and braised cheek stew. Idk whose idea it was to put funky cheese with sweet plantains in a taco but they know what they're doing - haven't had anything like that before. The tortillas were also incredible - fresh & flavorful. Shoutout to the chef - definitely want to try their other restaurants. *the drinks: I ordered the pineapple pisco sour which was sweet and refreshing, and my friend ordered their take on a Bloody Mary which was savory and super good. Would absolutely come back, especially for the sweet plantain tacos and tuna tartare. Ambience was incredible and manager checked on us throughout the meal.

I thought the starters (ceviche and tartare) were very fresh and used high quality ingredients, but perhaps were a bit too strong in flavors for my personal palate. For example, the tartare was a bit too salty. The cheek birria however was delightful--super tender and flavorful, and paired well with the warm corn tortillas. Service was super friendly and attentive, regularly had our water filled, and our waiter was quick to give us his recommendations. The interior of this restaurant is dark, moody, and intimate, a great date spot or if you're wanting to impress someone out of town.

Checked out this restaurant while we were in Chicago since this place was one of the few restaurants that had reservations while we were in town for Labor Day. One of my favorite dish was the paella. We tried all the ceviches and I liked all of them except the ceviche cartetillero. I thought it wasn't flavorful enough. Tuna tartare was a hit. My friends enjoyed the pork belly and carne asada tacos. Drinks here were pretty good too. There is a super cute speakeasy downstairs that has great cocktails. I highly recommend checking that out after dinner. I would skip the dessert.

New spot that was up and down. First off they did a great job with the design and ambiance, it is a really beautiful spot with a basement speakeasy. However, it is LOUD, which makes it tough to have a nice intimate dinner. Food wise, it is pricey, and is certainly more of an out of the box presentation of the classics. The carne asada tacos were some of the best things I've tasted from the flavor, to the texture, to the spice from the salsa. Not a place I'll frequent but good nonetheless

Made a reservation in advance. There were still plenty of open tables inside. The outside seating was full when we went around 6PM on a Saturday. The interior is very cozy. Felt like you had good privacy. Service was good. They explain the menu and gave recs and suggested portion sizes for each dish. For a table of 4, we ordered one app, on birria taco (makes 5 tacos), one ceviche, and two mains. The dishes felt a bit small when split but we were full by the end. No plate change between apps and mains though so I had a lot of cerviche juices on my plate while eating my paella. All the dishes have strong distinct flavors from each other which was nice. Each had lots of layers of spices and vegetables (peppers, tomatillos, etc). They also had Peruvian corn in their dishes! The colors were bright and fun. And the hot items came out hot and steamy (paella, rice, tortillas). My fav was the paella. I think it had a cheese which added a cozy, creamy flavor, almost cinnamon/nutmeg like. The tartare had a powder on top that added a nice spicy and tanginess I enjoyed.

Split the tuna tartare and ceviche and it was fresh, light, and flavorful. SWEET PLANTAIN & CHORIZO taco was one of the most surprising but delicious tacos I've had in a while. Only downside is that the portions were small considering how expensive it was.

Super yummy food! 10/10 service and the ambiance is beautiful. Heard there's a speakeasy there too that I'm eager to try the next time I return!

The room was fine, the food service was ok and the food was ok, if unmemorable. The reason for the 1-star rating is down to service charge issues. We were a party of 9 and when the bill was proffered we ask to split into 4. So far, so good. What we had failed to notice was the gratuity automatically added to large groups. When the time came to pay our share we added a further 20%, not knowing this had already been added. This only came to light when notes were compared afterwards. It is sharp practice to effectively scalp a 40%-plus premium without warning. Shame on these guys. Never again.

Unassuming little gem on the outside, but once one walks into the establishment, they feel as they are transported to another world that is bustling with patrons enjoying their food and company. The folks that work here are welcoming and knowledgeable of the menu. The food...delicious! A modern twist on Latin foods with emphasis on Peruvian, a good amount of spice that exudes a diverse array of sensations that dance passionately on the taste buds. I would love to patron this establishment again.

Came into Matilda's for cocktails and appetizers, and everything was absolutely delicious! The drinks were expertly crafted, and the appetizers were a fantastic start to the evening. Beyond the great food and drinks, the service was truly outstanding, attentive, friendly, and made the whole experience even better. The space is so well done and has such an inviting atmosphere. *The only thing I would recommend is getting hooks under the bar for purses. The bar seat backs are short and holding a bag while you eat dinner is not the most ideal.

This was a super fantastic brunch and I highly recommend it. They are items are well marked for anyone who is gluten-free or celiac like me. I got the breakfast tacos and they were the best breakfast tacos. I think I've ever had. Also, there is a secret door in the place That leads downstairs to a secret bar called clandestine. The people were great, and the Bible was nice too I made a reservation through OpenTable and they made me guarantee the reservation at $20 ahead so for the four of us it would've been $80 had I not showed That is kind of crazy. Just saying. However, right now, as I leave the restaurant, the breakfast tacos were so good and the coffee was too. I would come back here in a heartbeat.

Had a wonderful dinner here! The service was warm and friendly, and the space is very family-friendly. The menu isn't huge, but every dish feels thoughtful and creative. We shared the Cheek Birria (10 Hours), Carne Asada, Matilda's Paella, and Elote Quemado between two adults and a toddler, and everyone left happy. Highly recommend everything we tried-- especially the Carne Asada tacos and the Elote Quemado dessert!

INCREDIBLE FOOD, SERVICE, AND VIBE!! Could not recommend this place more and will definitely be returning soon. Some of the nicest staff in impeccable service while dining for dinner. Highly recommend the Bronzino, beef cheek and chicken tinga tacos, and tuna tartare. Shoutout to David, our incredible waiter. He deserves a raise.

Came here last month when it first opened and it did not let me down! Ambiance is so cute and the service is excellent, frequently checked in on and didn't feel rushed. The drinks were tasty, loved the riff on a pisco sour and they have one of the best espresso martinis in town! The table side guac is a piece of art and my mind is still blown, it's a must! Honestly everything we got was a 10/10, the tuna, ceviche, birria tacos, rice (a must!!). I don't normally get dessert but was so impressed by the creativity of the elote dessert I had to try and let me tell you I will be coming back for that!! Definitely one of the more expensive Mexican / Peruvian restaurants in Chicago but definitely worth checking out!

Y'all the food almost cured my seasonal depression, it was that good! We chose to do the tasting menu because it showcased all of their best: conchas marisqueras - loved the salsa negra broth with smoked salt ceviche de pescado - good flavor and texture sweet plantain and chorizo taco - this was what sent me to the moon, it was so delicious and the highlight of our meal. loved the layers of flavor and it felt like a hug. cheek birria - delicious and well portioned, came with tortillas and various toppings dessert was the tejuino ice cream and chocolate, the ice cream was lightly sweet and earthy, loved it. The drinks weren't unique or impressive but not terrible. Service was perfect and our waiter was super attentive. Our biggest complaint was how loud it was in a relatively small space, we were seated in a corner thankfully but it was still hard to hear each other over everyone. The ambiance otherwise was beautiful. Looking forward to trying their other menu items next but for a first visit the tasting menu is a good option.

The ambiance and the vibe were dark and sexy and gosh have we been waiting for this place to open up for awhile now. The service was ok, they were attentive. The food was good, the chicken tinga was delicious and the corn dessert was also superb, I'd say the rest of the stufff we ordered wasn't really all that memorable. We found the food and the drinks to be priced exorbitantly ($500 for 4) and not really worth the hype. I don't think we'll put this on our list of, "must visit again".

Excellent food and experience. They've been open less than a week (truthfully I don't know how I even found it, but glad I did!) The chips for the guacamole don't work (they were hard; not crispy) and they only bring you 3 chips at a time. Otherwise two-thumbs-up for everything else! Highly recommend the dessert with corn - unexpected hit with the table! It's pricy so not sure how often we'll go back, but we really enjoyed it.

We were here on a Tuesday night and the restaurant was relatively busy for a Tuesday. Great interiors and everything we ordered was delicious! The guacamole tatemado was served with a whole avocado which was mashed on the table by the server! Great presentation however, it was an extremely small portion. We were three of us and we barely got a couple of bites to eat. The tuna tartare was packed with flavor! The cocktails were delicious and well balanced in flavor! We loved the paella! It tasted like a risotto, so one may argue that it was not authentic but the flavors were incredible! I did think the portion on this one was small too considering the price but it was still a great dish! My friend ordered the tinga de pollo guisos and he seemed to enjoy it a lot! The service was kind of slow. Our server was nice but we had to flag her down a few times because our drinks took a long time and she was missing a few times when we wanted to order more for the table. All in all a good experience!

The food and service were great! We started with Guacamole Tatemado which was delicious (only complaint was that there weren't enough tostadas/chips to eat all of it so we ordered more and they charged us $5). We each had a cocktail and pro tip - ask for minimal ice as there was a lot and it would give more room for alcohol considering the drinks are expensive. Our next courses were shared and included the carne asada and sweet plantain & chorizo tacos, ceviche carretillero, cheek birria, and Matilda's paella. We finished with the elote quemado which was very tasty! It was a little noisy but overall it was a good meal with great service (David had amazing recommendations)! We need to go back when the speakeasy is open!

I was very excited to try this place because I've been to Kayao and really enjoyed! My favorite dish was definitely the plantains & chorizo tacos! While I understand that this place is still fairly new, I think it is grossly overpriced even considering the area. I personally think the portions are too small to be charging those prices. For example, 2 tacos is equivalent to $18-$19, the endive salad in my attached picture was $18, or the guacamole was $19 for one avocado. The caveat for the guacamole is that they do prepare it for you table side which is very cool to watch.

Lovely ambiance and delicious tacos! I love the decor and the service was awesome! I like that they use quality tequila for their tequila based cocktails. We went downstairs to the speakeasy & it was really a nice & the Dj was good!

Yes the hype is real, literally everything you could want out of a nice dinner in the city. Great vibes, intimate, noisy in a good way, music, strong and thoughtful cocktails and a very very well balanced menu that's not even remotely overwhelming. Easy 5 stars

Ahh! This used to be Marchesa, remember that! This is part of the Exodo group, which is behind Ayayay, Kayao and Clandestino. I had the Be Mine Tangerine cocktail. The staff and service are matildariffic.

Food was great, but service was slow and the waiter did not come to refill our water or check on our order until we were ready for the check. We went on a slower weeknight, so perhaps they were understaffed.

The atmosphere and attention to detail is superb. The food was exactly was it claims. Unexpected. The service was also excellent. No notes. This was one of the best, most original meals I've had in a while. The corn dessert was the highlight for me.

Overall Matilda is good food and a cool space , service was great ! My complaint is portion size vs price. The 52$ paella is probably the smallest pallea I have ever seen you get one clam split open , 3 shrimp , couple scraps of octopus and a chicken nugget size piece of mahi mahi (no exaggerating it was one bite) paella is meant to be a large robust dish , this was more of an appetizer. Foods good but you leave here hungry.

Modern minimal interior that makes you feel like you are at a luxury resort restaurant. staff and service was quick and prompt The food was amazing. To start we ordered the tuna tartare which came with tostada chips. The sauce that it came in added a very nice flavor and the fish felt fresh. For our main we shared the paella. Beautifully plated and cooked to perfected. the rice grains were moist and full of flavor. It was topped with mahi mahi, octopus, scallops, shrimp, and clam shells filled with a delicious salsa. since having it i think about it at least once a week

10/10 food!! So delicious. The carne asada tacos were divine. Will definitely be coming back

Top class food and service. Everything is delicious, our favorite was the carne asada tacos. Don't skip the corn cake dessert either. Fernando and Pablo excellent service. Will be back, very soon. Cheers

I was in town visiting friends from NYC and decided to go there for the first time. Really enjoyed the whole ambiance there and the food was superb! Perfect-sized portions--and really delish. The guacamole was unique and we all loved our dishes. Carne Asada tacos were excellent too! Beautiful presentation and very nice service. If I lived there, I'd be back often.

I went back to Matilda following my first review because their director of hospitality wanted personally reached out to offer me a better experience. David served my party of two and he was very kind and attentive, ensuring we had a better experience than the first time.

Excellent! This place just opened a few weeks ago and they're already firing on all cylinders. Everything we ordered was fantastic. The carne asada tacos were especially good - so much so that we ordered a second plate after finishing our initial round of food. Wonderful flavors. Our server, Juan, was knowledgeable about the menu and very friendly. The ambiance in the restaurant is also really nice and it wasn't loud, which is a plus. I'll definitely be back.

Absolutely YES! Drinks, food, service, atmosphere all five stars! Food comes out quick and it's tasty

The food here is amazing! 5 stars. I ordered the guacamole and the carne tacos and they were delicious - the tortillas were so fresh as well. The service was phenomenal and the ambiance was great. There's also a speak easy downstairs.

Everything we hoped it would be! Loved the ambiance, and the food and service were excellent. The guacamole and paella are not to be missed, and the cocktails are exceptional.

Excellent food, service and cocktails. We were visiting the city and wanted to try it. I would come back every time I'm in Chicago! The ambiance was chic, the food amazing and the cocktails perfect!

The food was way overpriced but the wi e was excellent. The noise level in the restaurant was annoying also. I would not go back.

Great service, delicious food. Amazing speakeasy. Will definitely return, sooner rather than later!

My colleagues and I had an amazing dinner at Matilda when recently in Chicago! The service was fantastic from start to finish. We had a fairly large party and got to sit in a private room where we were able to watch the chefs which was super fun. The drinks and food were all delicious-- and we appreciated the servers guidance. We ate family style so got to try lots of things and loved the paella, tacos, and especially the dessert, which was truly unique! Definitely recommend checking out this new restaurant!

Everything was incredible --food, service, atmosphere, and drinks. There's a little speakeasy downstairs to grab a cocktail before your reservation that was a vibe. Our server, Fernando, was great!!! 10/10 will be back.

Someone's heart and soul and sofisticación and great taste combination for the senses rolled into one! A great addition to Town. Service and ambiance unique!

Delicious food-- the carne asada tacos are a must try. Beautifully decorated space too.

incredible new spot with a creative menu, expansive cocktail list, great atmosphere- and BEST STAFF! try everything