Kumiko is a premium restaurant with an underground whiskey bar around the West Loop. The interior design is beautiful, staying very faithful to the Japanese theme. Staff are incredibly friendly and helpful; the bartender is very knowledgable about whiskey and was ready to make recommendations.
Keep in mind that this place is usually very busy with a small physical footprint. You might get lucky with a walk-in, but you should definitely make a reservation ahead of time, or you might have to stand.
The dessert options are delicious. I recommend ordering all of them and splitting them between two people.
LOVED IT. the truffle milk toast is out of this world. quite expensive for just drinks so definitely have some of the food. chicken karaage and potato salad are great as well. we booked the whisky bar for an intimate date night and learned a lot about japanese whisky. the servers were excellent.
3
North America's top 10 bar
the drinks are really good! Every cocktail is very smooth. 'Walk Softly' and 'Sea Flower' are subtle, slightly sweet options that go down easily.
As for the food, you can skip it… 80% of the dishes were way too salty. The wagyu gyoza is disappointing, not crispy, too salty. The karaage tasted like scraps….? Potato salad and beef tartare might be the best two dishes
The service was a bit inexperienced too.
4
Amazing dessert and drinks, nice Japanese ambiance, slightly overpriced. Remember to make a reservation through their waitlist system. My fav is the black truffle milk toast. It came with ice cream, black truffle on the top, honey crust bread. I got the old fashioned. Generous pour. But the quality is average.
5
Kumiko｜Overall ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Atmosphere ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Beautiful Japanese-inspired bar with a calm, refined vibe..
Cocktails ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Cloud Hopper (Rice Shochu) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Very clean and refreshing with a strong rice character. Lightly sweet and easy to drink, but not quite special enough for me to be memorable.
• Moonlight Daiquiri (Flight) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A really interesting progression.
The main cocktail was a gently sweet matcha-forward drink. The flight moved through ginjo → cocktail → tea, creating layered textures and flavors that evolved with each sip. Thoughtful and well executed.
• Sea Flower (Gin-based) ⭐⭐⭐⭐½☆
Strong and spirit-forward, with a salty-sour powder around the rim. Quite acidic and bold, but well balanced and nicely done.
• Hojicha Gimlet ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My favorite of the night. Made with dry gin and roasted green tea—deep tea aroma, clean structure, and incredibly satisfying. The tea flavor really came through.
Overall Thoughts
No surprise this place consistently ranks among the world’s top bars. The cocktails are precise, intentional, and quietly complex rather than flashy.
Also tried the truffle milk toast and potato salad—both were excellent and much better than expected.
