Reviews for Oaken Bar + Bistro in Lake Forest, IL
The Oaken Bar + Bistro is a lovely establishment attached to The Hyatt Hotel in Lake Forest, IL. Its elegant interior is well... designed, providing an upscale atmosphere. The staff is friendly and attentive, giving wonderful customer service. The food isquite delicious and unique, presented with a tasty display. It arrives at the table with reasonable proportions. As our firsttime visiting the Oaken, we ordered Shakshuka, which we’ve never had before, along with the Open-faced waffle-battered chickensandwich. Both dishes were scrumptious and worth the first time experience. Read more
We went out last night for a simple supper. When asked what we would like to drink, I suggested a glass of house red, perhaps a... Cab. The waitstaff said that they had a variety of reds. I tried to grab her attention by asking for a wine list, but the twoglasses of Cab came before I had the chance to ask. It turned out that the two glasses cost more than our meals. The wine was$21/each, the highest price of a wine in the restaurant. I didn’t know if management had taught her to do this or if she justdid this on her own. Either way, it was unprofessional since I had asked for something equivalent to a house red. I expected topay $12 to $16/glass, not $21 for the top wine per glass. Second, the pianist/singer was entertaining but far too loud in themain dining area. There is a way to soften or direct the sounds. We had to repeat ourselves as we talked over dinner. Managementshould be aware of this. We probably won’t go back even though it’s in my hometown and 10 minutes from my house. This wasunfortunate and the evening was not the best. Read more
I started following their IG page and the drinks looked great. The setting looked like it had great vibes as well. We went to... try it out and it was a good spot for a drink. We got dinner as well. The food was great and the drinks were great. Pricing forfood and drinks was a bit higher than what I was expecting for a hotel baristro but what disappointed was the set up. I wasunder the impression that it was a bit more than a typical hotel baristro but it is not. Nothing too brag about unless you arestaying at the hotel and you don't want to go anywhere else. Read more
We chose this based on the photos and almost didn’t go because it’s in a hotel. Glad we went - pretty and wide open space,... good looking food as well. Service was good and food came out in a reasonable time. Only improvement needed really is that thefood wasn’t seasoned and there was no salt on the table. Brunch on the weekend is a good time to go as the menu features itemsfrom both the breakfast and lunch menus. Read more
Visited Oaken on New Years Eve, and it was a night to remember! They had a special menu, and I had the Surf N Turf - it was so... delicious! The manager did an outstanding job making sure everything ran smoothly, he was even making drinks! His staff wasfriendly and attentive the entire night! They had live music, which was perfect! The pianist was very talented and was takingsong requests. Many people were dancing and having a great time! Major kudos to the manager for putting together an amazing NYEparty! We even got up and had brunch the following morning and the food was great! Thank you, Oaken, for great service,delicious food, and an unforgettable experience l Read more
If you want a beautiful atmosphere and a terrible meal you found the right place. The chef trained with chef boyardee, because... he thinks risotto is soup with rice. The bar takes 30+ minutes to make each drink so you can not even get slightly buzzed toeven enjoy the food. On top of that, when the entree did finally make it out, my meatball was raw and the portion sizes wereenough to feed a three year old. If some how you are reading this review and the restaurant has some how not gone out ofbusiness yet, please for the love of god don’t go! Read more
Not a lot of places that can get me sitting in a car for an hour for food. Oaken Bistro at The Forester Hotel in Lake Forest is... a dreamy space. It’s relaxing atmosphere but food and drinks are above par. They even have non alcoholic liquors. Theirseafood bouillabase is incredible and chocolate budino to die for! Read more
Small, but creative menu. Beautifully plated dishes. Competent wine and cocktail list