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The Alcove- Evanston, Evanston, IL

The Alcove- Evanston

4.5
4.5
563 Reviews
$31 to $50
Contemporary American

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 5 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Charming
Chef Elio Romero curates an inventive American-inspired experience at Alcove Evanston, tucked under the Metra’s Davis Street stop. Taking cues from seasonal produce availability, Alcove’s menu is always evolving to guarantee freshness—check back often to stay updated on the restaurant’s culinary offerings.

The Alcove is eager to host your group's event--contact Alcove management to discuss building your prix fixe menu!

****Please view our menu on our website for the most updated items. Menus across other platforms are not always 100% up-to-date, as our dishes change with the seasonality of their ingredients. Please also note that the Alcove has implemented a 3% credit card service charge due to an increase in point-of-sale operating costs. We apologize for this inconvenience. Thank you!****

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, French, French American
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Mon, Wed, Thu, Sun 17:00–21:00 Fri, Sat 17:00–22:00
  • Phone number
    (847) 570-9821
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Elio Romero
  • Catering
    Full on-site catering available. Please give us a call or email us at alcoveevanston@gmail.com for details about private party pricing and menus. The Chef is happy to work with any requests to make your party a success and evening to remember.
  • Private party facilities
    Please give us a call or email us at alcoveevanston@gmail.com for details about private party pricing and menus. The Chef is happy to work with any requests to make your party a success and evening to remember.
  • Area
    Evanston
  • Cross Street
    Maple and Davis (South entrance off Davis. West entrance on Maple)
  • Parking details
    There is street parking available and a number of parking lots / garages nearby. The closest parking lot is located just across the street from our Maple street Entrance. Free street parking on Sunday.
  • Public transit
    Metra Davis Street Stop CTA Purple Line Davis Street Stop
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 563 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • North Suburbs

    Romantic

  • North Suburbs

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Alcove in Evanston is a hidden gem offering "wonderful creative fresh food" and "outstanding" service in a cozy atmosphere. Diners rave about the "perfectly cooked" seafood and seasonal specials like the Alaskan pan-fried halibut. The ever-changing menu and thoughtful touches, like a sorbet intermezzo, elevate the dining experience.

563 Reviews
  1. kathy VIP

    Chicago2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Food is delicious. Service was slow although the restaurant was not busy. Ambiance was a little off. Very bright, empty, no music. It says American but the menu was very French, would be nice for some French music.

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  2. Willy

    Chicago1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We were really looking forward to dining at Alcove - to celebrate a birthday milestone. It was a great experience!!

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  3. Daniel VIP

    Orlando16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It is the definition of hidden gem. Tucked away by the rail station and accessed through the passage way tunnel, this narrow tunnel of a restaurant provides a bunker of civility away from the hustle of beautiful downtown Evanston. Very attentive service and well prepared foods with nice cocktails and a solid albeit scant wine list, makes for a very agreeable evening. Try it! You won't be disappointed

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  4. Mark VIP

    Chicago21 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 3 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of our favorite Evanston spots, up there with Campagnola and Oceanique. Outstanding food - last night we enjoyed the goat cheese tart, a long time favorite, as well as the beet salad, the grouper (nightly special) and the sea bass. All were top notch. During many previous visits we’ve also enjoyed the lamb, short rib, and steak among other good options. The wine options were fine and the service was very good. We look forward to many more enjoyable meals.

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  5. Valerie

    New York City4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 2 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always the food was outstanding. The ambience is super cozy, quiet yet dynamic. Staff is knowledgeable and professional. Keep doing what you do. 💛

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  6. Jack VIP

    Chicago1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 24 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Enjoyed our evening. The service and food was excellent.

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  7. Narayan

    Chicago1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 22 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great restaurant. A true gem. Will be back for sure
    The Alcove- EvanstonResponded on 23 February 2025
    Hi Narayan, Thank you very much for the kind review--we hope to see you again soon!

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  8. ian

    Chicago17 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was mediocre and the restaurant is pretty sparse.

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  9. Susan

    Chicago2 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    I have never given a restaurant a 1-star review until now. We were pleasantly seated, but after ordering drinks it took 45 minutes to receive 2 beers, 1 glass of wine and a hot tea. The salads were good, but when our entrées arrived, they were all overcooked (fish and steak). My husband’s medium-rare steak was served well done. When he apologized for sending it back, they brought out a lightly seared raw steak! So much so that the dining manager even commented on it. However, no apology was given. So we took home the raw steak and cooked it the next day. For $62 I wasn’t going to leave it there! Luckily the friends we were with made the evening a joy and we ended up having a wonderful get-together, but I cannot recommend the restaurant- there are much better places to spend your money!
    The Alcove- EvanstonResponded on 23 February 2025
    Hi Susan, We appreciate you taking the time to leave us your feedback--we review all our guests' experiences carefully to ensure we're always improving. With that said, we are very sorry to hear that your evening did not meet expectations. It sounds like the kitchen's attempt to resolve cook times with the steak did more harm than good--we will be investigating the experience you had with our manager as well. We're currently experiencing staffing challenges that have led to longer-than-usual wait times and unsatisfactory service, which we apologize for. Once again, thank you for your time and willingness to visit the Alcove.

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  10. Howard VIP

    Chicago4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very unassuming looking place with Wonderful food, excellent service, strict attention to allergy concerns, and a quiet environment to just enjoy the food. No ear splitting music or deafening beat. Wonderful preparations. We had pork belly and crab cake as appetizers, roasted duck breast and crispy roasted sea bass with lobster tortellini as entrées, followed by an amazing lemon cream and wild Berry Napoleon. A refreshing sorbet was also served as s palate cleanser between courses. Everything showed a delicate touch of refinement and knowledge or what works.
    The Alcove- EvanstonResponded on 23 February 2025
    Hello Howard, Thank you for your thoughtful review. We're delighted to learn that you enjoyed your meal, the sorbet is one of our special touches! Thanks for coming in to see us--we hope to serve you again soon.

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FAQs

The Alcove- Evanston offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (847) 570-9821.

The Alcove- Evanston is rated 4.5 stars by 563 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 5 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Alcove- Evanston

1625 Maple Ave, Evanston, IL 60201

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Maple and Davis (South entrance off Davis. West entrance on Maple)
  • Area
    Evanston
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Mon, Wed, Thu, Sun 17:00–21:00 Fri, Sat 17:00–22:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, French, French American
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    There is street parking available and a number of parking lots / garages nearby. The closest parking lot is located just across the street from our Maple street Entrance. Free street parking on Sunday.
  • Public transit
    Metra Davis Street Stop CTA Purple Line Davis Street Stop
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Elio Romero
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (847) 570-9821
  • Catering
    Full on-site catering available. Please give us a call or email us at alcoveevanston@gmail.com for details about private party pricing and menus. The Chef is happy to work with any requests to make your party a success and evening to remember.
  • Private party facilities
    Please give us a call or email us at alcoveevanston@gmail.com for details about private party pricing and menus. The Chef is happy to work with any requests to make your party a success and evening to remember.
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