W Lakeshore Chicago

[Jglefkow]

I'm looking for a restaurant within walking distance of the W Lakeshore Chicago hotel. It's going to be a lot of people (30) and i'm looking for something moderately priced yet still fun and good.

Thanks

[nsxtasy]

You'll definitely want a place with a private room for your group, and you'll want to make all the arrangements in advance.

I recommend Emilio's Sol y Nieve, the tapas restaurant. It's about three blocks from your hotel, and everything you're looking for - good, fun, and moderately priced, and I think they have a private room. www.emiliostapas.com

[jfranci3]

I concur! Tapas is always a group favorite (serves picky, adventerous, and veggys well), it's easy for a kitchen to serve 30 people at once, and is the perfect distance from the hotel. Emilio's isn't the best in chicago but it's not bad either.

[Jglefkow]

I completely agree that Tapas is conducive for a large group. I had a friend mention avec as an alternative to emilio's. Is that any good?

[nsxtasy]

It's impractical to go to Avec with a group of 30 unless you want to book the entire restaurant at a time when they're normally closed, like lunchtime. Avec is a small restaurant which does not accept reservations, and wait times for a table are often lengthy; a group of 30 would need to wait for half the restaurant to clear out! They have communal seating so your group would not necessarily be able to sit together. They don't have a private dining room, either. It's also a mile and a half from the W Lakeshore, on the other side of downtown Chicago. I could go on if you like, but I think you can see that it's totally unsuitable for the needs you have stated.

[Jglefkow]

Thank you very much. I'll make sure my friend knows the error of his ways.

[Jglefkow]

Sorry to enlist your help again. I've narrowed it down to emilio's, quartino, or 1492 tapas. I've been to quartino before and it worked well. What do you guys think?

[nsxtasy]

First, have you actually spoken with the manager or banquet coordinator at each of these places, and discussed a menu, prices, availability of their private room for the date you need, its ability to accommodate a group your size, etc? If you have, great, but if you haven't, it may turn out that one or more of these places does not have the room available that day or their room isn't big enough or the pricing may not meet your needs, etc.

Also, if you haven't spoken to them yet, the first thing they will probably ask you is your date and the size of your group; the second thing is whether you have a specific budget in mind, so you may want to have an answer ready for that question. All three of these restaurants have banquet/private party menus on their websites*, but keep in mind that these are only suggestions. If your budget is smaller than what's shown, feel free to ask them what they can do for a lower amount. Any restaurant can adjust their menu for a different price point. Also consider what to do with wine/alcohol, as this can affect your total cost dramatically. (I arrange an annual dinner this size for a local organization, and we have the restaurant serve a cash bar to keep our costs down.)

Finally, if your group of 30 is all staying at the W, the difference in distance may be a significant logistical concern. Quartino and 1492 Tapas are both about 3/4 mile away (a 15-minute walk, and anyone with physical limitations may need to take a cab), whereas Sol y Nieve is about half that distance (an easy walk for almost anyone).

Let us know where you end up and how it works out!

*Links to private party menus:
Emilio's Sol y Nieve (web page) - www.emiliostapas.com/partypackages.htm
Quartino (.pdf file) - www.quartinochicago.com/menu/QPDR.pdf
1492 Tapas (Word doc) - www.1492tapasbar.com/docs/private_par...