Mariela

We were so excited to finally try Mariela inside the historic Reliance Building at Staypineapple Chicago, and it was even better than we hoped. We went on Friday night of opening weekend. The space is absolutely beautiful, warm, intimate, full of detail, and just has such great energy. From the second we walked in, everyone was so welcoming and the whole experience felt really special. The food was amazing. The seafood platter was a standout, huge prawns, oysters, ceviche, all so fresh and flavorful. The cocktails were gorgeous and really well balanced, and we ended with the Rasmalai Tres Leches, which was the perfect dessert to share. Light, citrusy, not too sweet, and such a good way to end the night. What I loved most is that Mariela feels like more than just a beautiful restaurant. It has a soul to it. The food, the service, the music, the design, and the energy all come together in a way that feels memorable. We absolutely loved it and can’t wait to go back for brunch! They had me at saffron-cardamom custard French toast!

Donyae was a stellar server. Super grateful for her guidance on ordering through this meal. She was extremely friendly and helpful for our large group. The latest project from chefs Rishi Kumar and Zubair Mohajir behind Mirra. We couldn't get a reservation into Mirra, so the head of staff referred us here and we were blown away. This restaurant format is borderline tapas bar, and really thrives when you have a large group of people. Standouts included the Arroz Negro Paella, the Seafood Tacos, and the Tostada. The Paella is enough for 4 people to split with enough other dishes, and the sides are splittable easily at $14 and large. I loved the Mango Tres Leches, it was my favorite Tres Leches I've had yet. Super creamy with nice pops of the mango to cut through the fat. With tax and tip, it worked out to $40/head per person splitting 7 ways, not including drinks or desserts, which seemed reasonable for downtown Chicago. I hope to come back next time I'm in Chicago, and I would love an opportunity to try Mirra.

I went to Mariela with a larger, cross-generational group (8) and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Our waiter Edwin guided us through an epic meal, much of which was on the house simply because Edwin said we absolutely had to try it. Everything was good, but the highlights were the lighter seafood options and "breads" - tostadas, tlayudas, aguachile, ceviche - with the overall highlight being the seafood kebab taco. The seafood arroz negro (a paella, basically) was beautiful and tasty as well, and a great sharing option for the table. Edwin also did a great job weaving in options from the vegetarian menu to keep the one vegetarian at the table happy.

The breakfast sandwich is elite - one of the best in the city. Really good espresso, they get cheeky with the latte art as well. 3 course lunch everyday is also great. Fish sandwich is so tasty, and the soft serve was the perfect lunch dessert!