Schwa Restaurant
New American restaurant · Wicker Park
1466 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
Highlights
Michelin-starred tasting menu with inventive dishes & hip-hop
Michelin-starred tasting menu with inventive dishes & hip-hop
"Schwa is not only one of the best restaurants in Wicker Park—it also happens to be one of the most unique dining experiences in Chicago. For a long time, they only accepted reservations by phone, but now they’ll let you reserve a table online. Once you’re there, you can expect an incredible 12-course tasting menu set to a soundtrack of independent hip hop, as well as a fun environment. Bonus: It’s BYOB." - sam faye, adrian kane, john ringor
"Schwa is making po’boys and offering curbside delivery." - adrian kane
"This tasting menu spot doesn’t have a team of servers in uniform, wine pairings, or a hushed atmosphere filled with couples who just dusted off their anniversary outfits. It’s a BYOB place in Wicker Park that serves an incredible 14-course dinner for $175 set to the soundtrack of alt hip-hop. The chefs are also the servers, and they’ll casually drop foie gras pancakes in a raisin-miso broth on the table as if they aren’t about to change your life. The restaurant is tiny, the bathroom is in the center of the kitchen, and speaking of the kitchen, yes, the table next to you just gave them a six-pack. The food is phenomenal, with just enough molecular gastronomy to let you know whoever’s cooking can’t be that drunk. Expect to be offered shots of whiskey at the end of your meal." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru
"A low-fi Michelin-starred restaurant where there’s no delineation between the back and front of the houses, Schwa has a habit of sparking vigorous discussion. While Schwa isn’t quite as wild as it was in the early years, the restaurant retains a rebellious streak in the fine dining world." - Ashok Selvam
"A BYOB policy, a hip-hop playlist, a bathroom in the middle of the kitchen, and chefs that take shots with you—Schwa feels like a party in a studio apartment. That said, this Wicker Park spot very much falls into the fine dining category, serving a $165-$215 12-course meal. Its tiny space only seats 26 people, with just enough space for chefs (who are also the servers) to casually drop off delicious things like rich quail egg raviolo or foie gras pancakes like it's nothing. Fine dining dishes mixed with an aggressively casual atmosphere could be unhinged chaos, but, Schwa is one of the best (and most interesting) restaurants in the city." - veda kilaru, adrian kane, john ringor
