Indienne

Indienne is a Michelin-starred restaurant in River North featuring modern Indian fine dining. The ambitious, peripatetic chef Sujan Sarkar presents a nine-course tasting menu ($125 non-vegetarian, $115 vegetarian) with colorful, exquisitely presented dishes inspired by the cuisine from a variety of Indian states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Bengal, Goa, and Delhi. The restaurant is located in a restored, 19th century printing warehouse and features massive wooden beams, exposed brick, in a room lined with pale rose-colored banquettes and white tablecloths. Large contemporary paintings reflecting the explosion of color during Holi are on the walls. The ambience is warm and friendly. The food is beautifully presented with abundant edible flowers and silky-smooth purées. However, while beautiful to look at, the tastes were surprisingly routine. For example, the final dish was a Chicken Makhani. Elegantly served, but close your eyes and you were eating generic butter chicken with a thick spiced tomato sauce that makes your stomach feel uncomfortably full after you eat it. I recommend dining here, but I hope the chef increases the creativity and originality of the dishes, given that for hundreds of years countries around the world have sought the treasured and abundant spices of the Indian subcontinent. Special call-out to Sommelier Tina Polite. Her knowledge and enthusiasm enhanced our dining experience, and we learned a lot about wines from France, Austria, and Portugal. Note: vegan options are available, and children must be 9 years or older.

Go to Indienne. Now. Sujan Sarkar has created a masterpiece that delivers a truly unique Indian dining experience in Chicago and is going to create waves in the months (and years) to come. Indienne raises the bar on innovation, fusing European techniques with Indian cuisine to create dishes such as the Mushroom Galauti, the Chicken Terrine, and the Rasmalai Anglaise. However, it remains faithful to its roots by serving authentic Dal Makhni (one of the best I've had in the US). The experimentation will always be subject to differing opinions and some criticism - all dishes may not find fancy with everyone. Nonetheless, the experience will still wow you with its meticulous attention to detail and marvellous plating of dishes. The presentation was top class, the ambience was perfect, the service was excellent, the cocktails were fantastic. We did the tasting menu, and i really enjoyed the Passion Fruit Pani Puri, the Yogurt Chat, Chicken Malai Tikka, and the Black Dairy Dal. But it was the Rasmalai Air that totally blew my mind - the foam was so unique but somehow still captured the core experience of having Rasmalai. In my opinion, Indian Accent was always in a league when it came to creating a unique Indian dining experience. With Indienne, i believe we have a real formidable peer (dare i say equal?) that shows potential to be the star of Chicago's Indian dining scene. Highly recommend!

Celebrating my birthday at Indienne in Chicago, particularly during their Diwali dinner special, was an experience I'll cherish. The restaurant's ambiance was both sophisticated and welcoming, setting a delightful stage for the evening. The special event was marked by a six-course non-vegetarian tasting menu, each dish more impressive than the last. The standout for me was the Chicken Tikka Terrine - a dish that masterfully reinvented a classic with its unique flavors and textures, making it my favorite of the night. The service at Indienne was exceptional. The staff's attentiveness and friendliness added a personal touch to my birthday celebration, making me feel truly special. Their knowledge about each dish enhanced our dining experience, allowing us to appreciate the intricacies of the meal. Each course was not just a dish but a work of culinary art, presented with care and finesse. This attention to detail in both food and service made my birthday dinner memorable. In conclusion, dining at Indienne for my birthday was a remarkable experience. The combination of delicious food, particularly the Chicken Tikka Terrine, and the excellent service, made it an ideal choice for celebrating a special occasion. I highly recommend Indienne to anyone looking for an exceptional dining experience in Chicago.

Wow, just wow. I was truly surprised how incredible the tasting menu was. Chef Sarkar found a way to preserve authentic flavors of India and transform them into beautiful French packages. The service was perfect and the cocktails were tasty and unique. A rare gem in Chicago.

I guess you get what you pay for that's what I can say about my experience here. It's a fancy spot so the dinner is very expensive and small. The food is hit or miss for me and for how much you're paying, there shouldn't be misses. Prefer the drinks to the food

First ever Michelin star experience and it was worth every penny! From the bar we waited at beforehand to the service from each worker, I could see why this got a star. We started with a quinoa jhal muri and passion fruit pani puri. The avocado on the quinoa had an ice cream like consistency and the sweet potato added a brittle texture. The passion fruit flavor exploded in the pani pairing with a subtle tartness from the apple. The first main was a strawberry eton mess. This was probably my favorite dish all night. The creamy yogurt and crispy potato contrasted perfectly. The yogurt was also presented in three ways, all adding to the dish. Finally, the strawberry flavor was just sweet enough. The next main was an egg curry. I have never had a mousse that was this creamy. The buckwheat added a crunch and the caviar (first time I’ve ever had it) was so good. On the side was a pao that was accompanied with a butter that had a tomato inside of it. The third main and first meat was the chicken gustaba. The chicken melted in my mouth and the sauce was so tasty I made sure to grab every last drop with the kulcha. The fourth main was a scallop roast. The scallop was perfectly cooked, so tender and flavorful. It laid on top of a curry that was also so so creamy. The fifth and final main was the lamp chop. The samosa was super crispy and the eggplant was tender. The lamb was perfectly cooked sitting on a delicious stew. Finally, the garlic naan was buttery and fluffy that went down instantly. We finished up with a cashew cake that had just the right amount of cashew. The ice cream and mousse added two layers of creaminess that complimented the brittle on top. After this, they gave two bite size treats that were a nice last bite. Everything we had was delicious. I have always focused on taste when it comes to restaurants but seeing how each dish was presented and how the ingredients were paired to create a textural experience was insane. Overall, Indienne did a perfect job of taking Indian food and adding French techniques. The service was spot on, also providing help and describing what was being served. The food tasted and looked amazing. And finally, there was so much food that I could have stopped after the third dish and been satisfied. Highly recommend making a reservation here and trying out the tasting menu. The fact that it changes every couple of months only means that I will have to come back.

Highly deserving of the Michelin star. Such a gem of a place in Chicago with a BOLD tasting menu. My friend and I both tried the Vegetarian menu. Incredibly inventive flavors paired with a great cocktail and wine menu. The ambiance is charmingly minimalist and the service is second to none. Definitely not the average "fine dining" restaurant.

Just incredible meal and overall experience. Starting with the cocktails - two of the best cocktails I can remember enjoying (the Mumbai and the Delhi). We had the non-veg tasting menu. Everything was excellent. Unique and diverse flavors and textures. Incredible presentation. My favorites were the chicken gustaba and the lamb. Easily one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. Our server was amazing also. Will be going back!

Absolutely exquisite pre fixe indian menu! They stay true to the original flavors, but add a high end twist in just the right way. Every dish was unique in its own way, and presentation was exciting and clean. The service was impeccable, coordinated, and buttoned up. My only notes would be -- Passionfruit pani puri should have a little more salty pani, and the kulcha add on should not be a $6 add on. Just serve it with the course, it's appropriate and the course would have been incomplete without it. My husband and I shared the lobster add on, which I would highly recommend. I definitely see a Michelin star coming their way this year. Bravo!

I made reservations more than a month in advance and asked if they could accommodate me being vegetarian and gluten free. They said they could. Three hours before my dinner with friends who were driving 90 min to join us, the restaurant emailed to say they could not accommodate my diet. We went to the restaurant to see if they could skip certain courses or there could be some compromise. They had us waiting for a long time, we asked for help, and then a manager came by and send we should have known better than to come in and basically ignored us. Wow.

Excellent food, flavors intense and very creative. The progression very well thought.

An awesome dining experience. The menu is curated using all the years of experience, travel of the chef’s culinary journey. The cocktails are amazing as well. The ambience was pleasant and the decor was very good. The staff were very polite and courteous. We did the chef’s tasting menu and each dish he encapsulated the flavor and gave it a modern twist. The passion fruit pani poori is an explosion in your mouth and brings in all the flavors. The yogurt chat leaves you craving for more. The egg curry felt like authentic but was presented with the design of rangoli. The pav was super soft and melts in your mouth. The Malai chicken with Amul cheese and truffle was at another level. The chicken had ton of flavor in it and was super soft. The lobster with alleppey gravy felt like eating curry in the streets of kerala and finally the lamb with black dal and garlic naan. The best garlic naan and dal I have eaten. Finally, Rasmalai felt like eating a sweet fluffy pocket of air. A perfect ending to you meal with treats infused with tea. The portions are adequate and you will not leave hungry. The prices are decent for tasting menu. A great effort to modernize Indian cuisine. I would highly recommend giving this place a try. Kudos to the chef and his team. Thanks Indienne for the amazing experience.

It was definitely a great experience!! Highly recommended! We had the tasting menu with wine paring. Food was extremely delicious. The dishes were so creative and well thought out. Our sommelier Tia was super knowledgeable and gave us all the history and origin of the wines. We had a chat with head Chef Sathish, he is just amazing! Overall it was fantastic! Dal Makhani is my top dish, so definitely a must try!

Been waiting to try Indienne for a few weeks since it opened (on my birthday). Finally got a reservation and went for my wife's birthday. Everything lived up to the hype. I chose the non-veg Chef's tasting menu and my wife had the vegetarian tasting menu. We passed on the wine pairing to try the cocktails (Goa and Kolkata), both of which were good but I really liked the Kolkata (sweet and sour, whiskey but not strong). There was not one course we did not like. We both tried from both tastings and thoroughly enjoyed everything. The chicken and lamb were both cooked perfectly. All the dishes were well balanced and provided a variety of different flavors. Certain courses had some welcomed spice and spiciness but by no means overly spicy (even mildly) in any way. We didn't find any of the courses to be bland or boring. All the unique dishes made using unique techniques and beautiful presentation found at Michelin starred restaurants and we would say Indienne is definitely on that level. The overall atmosphere felt very smart casual. We had a main waitress but various other waiters presented different courses throughout the evening. We found the lighting in the restaurant to be perfect compared to other overly dimly lit fine dining restaurants. Contemporary fine dining but cozy and welcoming, not intimidatingly formal and uptight. Our dinner tasting for 2 people lasted just over 2 hours. We left feeling very full and very satisfied. Overall, we had a great experience. I was a little surprised to not see any seafood on this initial tasting menu but no complaints whatsoever. Everything was delicious, beautiful, and lived up to the hype. We look forward to coming back again in the future.

Run, don't walk. This place is undoubtedly going to get hard to get a table at and much more expensive as people discover it and it eventually gets the multiple Michelin stars that are inevitable here. So many times fusion food feels like a forcefit or existing just for the sake of creativity but this place really delivers on Indian flavors while genuinely elevating them with French techniques and templates. I was initially skeptical of dishes like the passionfruit pani puri but the flavor somehow combined both traditional pani puri and passionfruit flavors and textures! The vegetarian tasting menu is so thoughtfully constructed and in no way is just a substitution of meat items. I can't wait to find occasions to celebrate so I can back. I've had the luck to eat at several Michelin starred fine dining spots around the world and I'm quite confident in saying this is the best meal I've had.