Taverna 1821

I heard about this place through a friend, and from my understanding, they opened a few months ago and have plans to close in December. To start, they were out of the two drinks that I wanted. The chicken was kind of dry and the tuna was extremely oily. They couldn’t even bother to take the produce sticker off the lemon. I did think the octopus and lamb were well made and very tasty. Overall, I think the food was fine but overpriced for what you get. The service was quick and attentive. It was nice to check out a new place, but I’m not sure I’d return.

AMAZING!!! Food was so flavorful, high quality and extremely reasonably priced. Everything is share style so you can try a bunch of things. We got the watermelon salad, the octopus, wagyu short ribs, hummus with pita, blackened chicken, and the gyros. It was all delicious. Portions were perfect sized, service was great, and atmosphere was very fun. I would recommend this place a million times over!

Taverna 1821 is a gem! The food is excellent — flavorful, fresh, and served in generous portions. Prices are very reasonable, especially considering the quality and the location. It feels like such a unique spot in this area, and honestly, it’s some of the best Greek food I’ve had in Chicago. Highly recommend for anyone looking for an authentic and delicious dining experience!

A must check out place! The food was amazing and every drink we ordered was beautiful and expertly crafted. The bartenders and servers were friendly and attentive and the chef even took the time to come over to our table to check in. Perfect for a date night with the cute location and ambiance.

Wow! Can’t say enough great things about this place, Teresita was so welcoming and has a beautiful personality. kiera has great service and super sweet. Melissa and David at the bar were so accommodating and knowledgeable. Food was amazing and the atmosphere is clean serene and authentic

The flavors and vibes are on point. Lots of vegan options—I had hummus, zucchini, green salad, broccolini, and potatoes. I’ll be back to try the eggplant. Hoping this is not just a pop-up and they stick around forever!

I’ve been to Taverna twice with very different experiences. The first time I tried to get takeout but they don’t really do that so I sat on the porch with my dog, had a beer, and waited for my food while they packaged it up. They messed up in the best way possible and the chef thought the food was for a staff member so he gave me like 8 Pitas instead of traditionally 4. Lamb and pita was amazing and was a big fan. Fast forward to last Friday, I went with 2 other people to sit down. Every Friday at 6-9 I believe it is, they have a wonderful artist who sings at the restaurant. Very nice vibe and was a good start to the dinner. Unfortunately the experience went downhill from there. After she was done, they played what sounded like Avicii hype music which just didn’t really fit the vibe. It felt like being at a nice restaurant listening to music that is played at a club. I ordered the meatball soup and while it was being prepared, we smelled something burning in the kitchen. Once my soup was delivered, it was clear that the bread that comes with the soup was what was burnt. We ordered the chicken, the mushroom pasta, the lamb sandwich, and 8 pitas. Our food was delivered but without the pitas and we waited about 10 minutes before our server came back over and asked if we needed anything else. We asked about the pitas and the server clearly didn’t submit it. Took about 10 minutes or so to get them to our table and was not ideal since the person who ordered the chicken was planning on making a wrap with them. Overall, I do think this place has potential. The food is truly good. The music artist was phenomenal and the venue is nice. Being served burnt bread, service being slow / forgetting orders, and the music choice just made it hard for me to make it a priority amongst the other food restaurants in the area. I hope they’re able to make these small changes so they can have more success in the neighborhood moving forward.

This place is a ten out of ten on everything. We had food here that was more creative than some Michelin star restaurants. Service was fantastic, staff was very attentive. The watermelon was salad was a surprise with all the different textures from the nuts and cheese drizzled in balsamic. I've never seen zucchini fried like this before, it came with a nice sauce. The lamb and chicken were cooked to perfection and ordering extra pita for the leftover sauce is so worth it. The hummus is just hummus but the tyrokafteri was a new experience. The rice pudding was the best dessert. There's outdoor seating as well.

Fabulous spot for a drink while the weather is still warm and the sliding glass doors of the restaurant are open to enjoy the buzz from those walking the west Loop. And a delicious marg by the way....

My friends and I went over the summer for dinner, mostly because the patio had been calling my name for weeks. Everything was solid from the food to the service to the ambiance. Will I be back? The thing is, the West Loop has sooooo many food options. Nothing about our experience felt particularly memorable (which, in the case of bad food/service, that's a good thing!!). I wouldn't be opposed to coming back, but I also would not go out of my way to do so.

Went for happy hour. A really nice space with outdoor seating and the indoor seating has a lot of natural light. Staff was incredibly friendly and made the vibe nice and homey. We got the yaya's chips with feta, fried zucchini, greek meatballs, and chicken souvlaki. The chips were plentiful and I loved the pairing with the feta. They also drizzled them with olive oil, so there was an olive oil taste in each bite. The fried zucchini was fabulous. They were crispy and the parsley tahini sauce it came with was sooo good. Kind of tasted like a pesto and I loved it. The greek meatballs were also amazing and I loved the sauce under each meatball. For drinks, I ordered a frappe-tini which was a pretty standard espresso martini. They came around right before happy hour ended to ask if we wanted to put in one more drink/dish and I ordered a wine. I was impressed that they had two reds and two whites on happy hour and our second pour was very impressive. All in all, a very solid happy hour with good food, drinks, and vibe.

The entire restaurant has a vibrant Greek theme that feels authentic and inviting -- seen on the menu. The vibe of Taverna 1821 is classy but comfortable, with service that's truly top tier across the board. Attentive staff, warm hospitality, and a menu that delivers from drinks to dishes. But if you're lucky enough to sit at the bar while David is working, you're in for something special. The food is just as impressive as the drinks, and one dish you cannot skip is the fried zucchini. Perfectly crisp, light, and addictive -- we'd go back for that alone. Highly recommend for a date night, a celebration, or just a drink that'll blow your mind. Can't wait to come back!

Checked this place out for dinner about a month ago. We made reservations to sit inside prior and we were still seated outside. It was fine because the weather was mostly good except for some drizzle. Our waiter was a bit rude - we asked him recommendations on food and drinks and he told us it really just depends on what we like to eat which didn't really help. He also told us we didn't order enough food but we ended up with so much leftovers because the food is heavy. The food was pretty good, nothing that stands out.

I have nothing but amazing things to say about Taverna 1821. Go and support this restaurant!!! We came here for a wine dinner and were blown away by the food and incredible hospitality of the entire staff. David was so incredibly welcoming and kind. The wine dinner was organized very well and you got to try so many different things. I truly enjoyed each of the wines selected. The taziki, spanakopita, fried halloumi, and lamb skaras were my favorite dishes and were all a 5/5. Will be back again to try more bites!!!

Came here as a group of 5 for HH. We mostly tried stuff off the HH menu and unfortunately weren't too impressed with the food. We had 2 orders each of the hot olives, chips with feta, fried zucchini, chicken souvlaki and many orders of the meatballs. The meatballs were solid, the chicken was not great - most of us were confused and thought we were eating tofu, and everything else was fine. The group ordered drinks on and off the HH menu and everyone was pleased with their choices. Service was friendly and very accommodating and since prices were good, I'd still say it's worth checking out - but maybe consider the non-HH menu.

We came and sat on the patio and enjoyed some happy hour deals (even on the weekend!). I enjoyed the Hades cocktail, and the Athenian spritz was also tasty and refreshing. It was interesting that we were given a complimentary block of feta with tiny watermelon cubes to start. We got the fried zucchini, which was interestingly very light, thin and crispy. The meatballs were also tasty. Finally we also got the chips which were the biggest portion and only $4. What a steal! Lovely place and would like to try their dinner menu!

We stopped into Taverna 1821 for their happy hour and it did not disappoint. All of the staff members were very kind from when we first walked in until we left. Our server was very knowledgeable about the restaraunts offerings which was very helpful. He spoke about the shrimp ceviche on homemade pita chips that was not on the HH menu. We ordered it and it was delicious! Probably my most favorite bite! The sauce was very flavorful and decedent. We ordered an array of items, mostly from the HH menu which consisted of the YaYa's Chips, Fried Zucchini (amazing sauce), Hot Olives which came with bread, Chicken Souvlaki, Greek Meatballs. From the dinner menu we ordered the Lemon Potatoes and the Flanken Waygu Shortrib. All the HH items are extremely reasonably priced and are very tasty. The olives were alright as I found them a tad bit salty but better paired with the bread. I really enjoyed the fried zucchini as it was sliced and fried thinly and went great with the sauce. The meatballs had a great sauce to them as well. For drinks we ordered the Peach Smash Mocktail, Mastiha 75, Hades and the Athenian Spritz. All good drinks, no bad notes. All in all, I'm very pleased with this spot and I'd definitely come back. The staff and service were great, they were all kind and the person picking up our table was very efficient. All of our food was served beautifully and tasted delish. 10/10 happy hour. Be sure to check them out.

Very friendly and cute stop on Fulton! Worth a visit for something casual! All the dishes were easy to eat and tasty - unique enough to be different than usual Greek dishes but nothing mind blowing. The exec chef stopped by our table and provided some lamb cooked especially for visiting pups - so she loved it! The drinks were good and I'd be interested to come back to try one or two more dishes. Service was a little slow but we didn't necessarily mind it for our dinner since we were busy chatting.

The food was good, authentic Greek food, but the portions were small for the price. It's a cute spot with extensive vegetarian options, which is always a plus. The service was good, but the restaurant was very hot and I felt like I wasn't able to enjoy the meal as much because of the lack of temperature regulation. Overall, it was a pretty good experience.

Ahh! This used to be Marvin's Food and Fuel. Remember that! I had their Lemon Potatoes and Wood Fired Village Bread. The staff and service are wonderful.

This place has great greek dishes that are a step above what you would find at a traditional Greek restaurant for both Happy Hour and dinner. The Tuna Krystallos appetizer is definitely a must try. It melts in your mouth! The roasted Haloumi appetizer is great too! They both go perfectly with a Hades cocktail (Mezcal based) or the Lavendar Nectar mocktail. The dinner menu has a tasty selection of shareables. There are plenty of dairy free, gluten free, and vegetarian options that are well worth a trip to Fulton Market for Taverna 1821.

Great food, drinks, and outdoor patio! Service was fantastic. It is a pop up and I am reviewing in the hopes that it becomes permanent!