NEAR Restaurant

Didn't know about this place until someone told me about it. I have crossed this place multiple times but didn't notice as it is not visible from the street. They have a great cocktail menu and a simple food menu. Do get the Eggplant as it is a signature dish. Very accommodating staff and awesome food.

Outstanding food and outstanding service. My wife and I ate here last night and we had the olives and fried chickpeas to start (we kept these through the whole meal). We had a spinach mushroom ravioli with a crispy kale one top that was out of this world followed by a fish that we shared. All done to perfection. Our server was Kelly and he paired drinks perfectly with what we were eating and took the time to explain what to look for. Owner and chef Nino came by and made sure everything was quality. Overall amazing experience. I highly recommend this place!

Food was creative, delicious, and artfully presented. The kind of stuff you would expect at a nice modern Italian restaurant in the city, minus the drive and the prices. Portions bigger than expected, too. The staff was attentive and friendly, chef even came out to check on us a couple times during the meal. The decor and exterior belie what's going on in the kitchen, and at the end of the day, that's why I go.

Quite a nice gem downtown Barrington. First off don't be fooled by the simplistic decor as interior design is not their strong suit but the food is! On our first visit we tried the potato leak soup which was excellent, bursting with flavor and leaving you wanting more :) The grilled octopus was on point, tender with just the perfect amount of seasoning. For dessert we opted for the traditional Italian bombolini which would have scored another 10 points if it wasn't for the copious amounts of sugar which killed the desert. Next time I will ask to hold the sugar ;) All in all delicious food and definitely worth a try!

Had a great time here for father's day. Felt like downtown Chicago dining without being rushed out of our table. The pickled eggplant was amazing! Finding it was a bit challenging as you have to into what looks like a private lot.

We loved loved loved this place! We started with the octopus and the fried polenta. My husband adored the polenta. It came with a sauce that we were told was sour cream but it wasn't your typical sour cream. It was light and creamy with just enough of a hint of acidity. The octopus was tasty and tender, just a bit of char on the ends of the tenticles. It was served on a bean and arugula salad that was so perfectly dresses that even my picky husband who hates arugula had seconds. Our mains were derliscious! (Sic) derliscious means it is even better than delicious. My hubby had a pork dish that was perfectly cooked (served with a yummy creamy orzo) while I had the most tender and juicy chicken. I usually avoid chicken while out...I mean I can make that at home! But I was lured in by the sides of califlower and swiss chard which were fantastic. The evening was perfect because we had great drinks (my dirty martini was sufficiently dirty) and when we asked about dessert they totally hooked us up. I have and allergy to sulphur (i.e. no eggs) so the chef Gaitano whipped something up for me which was perfect! (Marscapone with strawberries, caramel and pistachios which we totally devoured!) I would be remiss to not mention our excellent server Joe who took such good care of us. Thank you Near for making our date night special.

Food was great, chef amazing, server was horrendous. I heard the servers were not up to par to the top notch restaurants but wanted to give Near a go. We had a female waitress and boy was she rude to both my husband and I. I can honestly say if it weren't for the food, I would never come back.

Took a friend to NEAR in Barrington for dinner last night. It came highly recommended and rightfully so. We shared 3 starters and the red grouper entree. Best fish I've had. Ever.