Argent Restaurant & Raw Bar

What a great experience we had today! My partner, me and out 2 dogs jjust left argent with a satisfied stomach and a smile on our faces. Our waitress marry was so sweet. They bring treats and water for our dogs, there’s great people watching and I had the chicken BLT salad and loved the dressing. We will absolutely come back a lot.

We looked over the menu posted on their website and decided to go here for my birthday because of the $ 2 oysters. When we got there, however, the menu was different and the oysters were $ 5. It was a huge disappointment and kind of ruined our whole night because we thought we were going to slurp down a dozen oysters each for like $ 50 but it actually would cost like $ 120. That’s a HUGE difference to us! {There are other major discrepancies between the online and in-​person menu prices, too — you’ve been warned.} We tried to salvage the night by just ordering half of the amount of oysters, a couple of sides, and sharing a dessert — but our bill was still like $ 95, almost twice what we expected to spend, and we were still hungry! :(Boo. In retrospect, we should have just ordered the #$& oysters or walked out — but we felt weird leaving since we had made a reservation and were the only table in the restaurant when we arrived at 7 pm on a Saturday night.

The food portions are small. The staff and waitress appeared snobbish. Oysters were slightly tasteless. Expensive, save your money and go to a place fun place to eat. Just not my style.

Can’t speak for the food at Argent but the first floor bar area is quite nice. I came in here with a group of colleagues and was impressed by not only the quality of service but also the craftsmanship of the cocktails. The Verv (I think that’s what it’s called) is pretty amazing and is definitely worth a shot. Lastly, the bartender, Tim (I hope that’s your name, redish/​blonde hair, tall), was on point and did an excellent job making sure our drinks were full and we were satisfied, even though he got pretty busy towards the end of the night. Kudos.

Came here for a birthday dinner with my parents and the experience was amazing. Dylan (our server) was incredibly accommodating, helpful, informed and pleasant. He was obviously busy, but never made us feel like he was. All of his recommendations were outstanding and he clearly has a tremendous understanding of the menu. Great service made great food that much better.
We started with oysters (east coast) and they were delicious (sweet, not chewy, fresh). We also had the tuna tartar which was served on light, wafer thing chips. That was really light, with a nice buttery tuna flavor. Very good light starter.
As a «middle course» we had the beet salad, which is great. I love the flavor of the beets and the quinoa which adds a really nice crunch. Not crazy about the gelatinous stuff on the bottom, but it’s worth ordering just for the beets. Presentation is gorgeous.
Finally, for our main, we had the «table prepared bone in rib eye.» They said one order was easily shared between two people but I would say one order is easily shared between 4 people. Especially if you’ve had appetizers and salads already. But gigantic portions aside, it was so tasty. They laid a gigantic round of glass on the table and then the sous chef came out and spooned on layers of tasty heaven. I can’t tell you exactly what everything was but my best recollection is wilted greens in a bitter marinade that had a mustard taste, roasted garlic, potatoes whipped into a crème and a puffy, crunchy rice. The steak was laid over the top and drizzled in a truffle sauce. Personally, I would have been happy with more liberal truffle sauce to steak ratio, but that’s just me (i love sauces) Anyway, the end result was a sort of potpourri of salty, sweet, crunchy, and savory flavors. Excellent. For desert we had 4 bright, little lemon macaroons which were a perfect palette cleanser.
If I have any criticisms at all for this place it’s that the service is not always spectacular. we came here once before and we did not have Dylan. I won’t name names but a different server was not even in the same league. Also the wine list tips really pricey. Would be great if they had a few more mid-​range offerings by the bottle. We had the Malbec (most affordable option) and it was good, not great. Overall though, I sincerely mean my 5 star rating — we had an outstanding experience from the atmosphere, service, food and pricing. Will definitely be coming back!

Smelly scallops, chewy oysters AND mussels, wayyyy too over salted skirt steak —and that steak was recommended by server as best on menu.
Had to ask for new silverware with each course. Waited to order drinks and get check for the first and last 20 min. of dining experience.
So sad bc good reviews, great location, cute ambiance, so ill maybe come for a drink if staying at hotel.

Nice ambiance. Service is good. But the music can get a little loud at times if you’re trying to have a conversation.
We had the Oysters, Tuna Tartare, Pork Chops and Striped Bass. Tuna Tartare claims to have avocado we couldn’t taste any but it was still delish.
Pork chops were tender and the Mash potatoes were super creamy and really good.
I was looking for something lighter so I had the Striped Bass. Came with a light sauce and black Walnuts and Romanesco. It was really good.

We couldn’t wait to compare this new place to Aja (Dana’s old restaurant) Much better! This a perfect place for after work dinner with friends or clients as it offers a million tasty starter options so easy to share! We had Oxtail Fritters, Deviled Eggs, Escolar & Salmon crudos and everything (especially Escolar crudo & Oxtail fritters) was VERY well done with a unique twist. While all entrees were delicious See bass stood out with exceptional tenderness of the fish and presentation… of course Shrimp& Grits if you have a soft spot of Southern cuisine. Deserts are fantastic the chocolate Sphere field with soup (YES chocolate soup with chili pepper) was out of this world…
But what made the experience most special was Ray — our waiter! Knowable and super fun Ray made us feel like guests in his home! He suggested dishes and took the time to explain all the ingredients as well as allowed us to taste the wine before ordering it!
Speaking of which, the wine list was decent and although not super long… it had interesting choices Great value! We will most certainly be back!

The food here is usually really good, but can sometimes be hit-​or-​miss. I personally love their breakfast and brunch options. Being a vegetarian, however, they have very few options on the menu anymore. Their breakfast potatoes are now fried in pork fat. For dinner they do have a delicious vegetarian mushroom pasta dish that would definitely suggest. It must be said that their dessert is definitely yummy!
As far as the experience, the service is great! So far I have had Richard and Dylan for servers. They are both fantastic: really helpful, knowledgeable, and personable. Definitely look for these two if you eat here.

Oysters Oysters Oysters!
That’s what you need to have when you come here!
My friends and I had a girls night here recently, and it was simply the best. We started off with raw oysters and were told that they were caught yesterday, yesterday! It tasted more fresh than any oysters I have ever had. Thus, we ordered the baked oysters next. This is a good dish to have if you are still uncertain about the sea-​taste of oysters. The oysters are cooked with a variety of cheeses and it tastes almost like a oyster and cheese (instead of macaroni). Once again, this really hit the spot, so we then ordered the Oyster Shooters ($ 10). Holy cow. These were not only delicious but incredibly strong. They are served in a big shot glass filled with vodka, so be prepared to feel really good after this.
Other items we tried were the following
Crudo — small portion but fresh and delicious
Scallops — pure perfection. they are paired perfectly with blueberries and fgreens
Tuna Tartar — this was my favorite! It was served on a crisp wonton, and it was literally the perfect bite (or 3)
Shrimp n Grits — The grits were cooked perfectly, no complaints at all
Fried Chicken and Biscuits — it’s funny that they have this because it seems out of the seafood element, but this was seriously delicious. I wish I could order this to go next time ;)
Pear/​Pistachio Cake/​Vodka Dessert — HEAVEN. This is a must get! They only have three options for dessert, so if this is one of them, definitely go for it.
Our waiter was so amazing, he changed the music to our liking, which I’ve never had happened before.

My friend and I had such a great time here! Go on a Monday night. Paul will take good care of you. I came in here with a voucher for a flight and app or dessert. While they don’t really do flights Paul set us up with pairings based on what we ordered which worked out best. I also tried their bourbon drink and it was yummy! All of the food that we had was good except for the bread that they give you. It was too hard to even eat and there wasn’t any butter. That’s fine. We launched into a dozen oysters which were good. We got some tuna tartar which was just ok but a nice crispy start. Also the shrimp deviled eggs which were awesome. Then we shared shrimp and grits which we really liked. The shrimp were grilled and the grits were cheesy, creamy goodness. Also a side of brussels sprouts. The topper was the chocolate bomb dessert. So good and fun to look at! It was like something out of Moto.
I would def come back to catch up with a friend, grab a drink and/​or bite after shopping or if I were hanging out in the Dana spa.

Ended up there New Year’s Day for brunch with friends. We ordered the lobster and salmon dish along with the gluten free crepes and french toast. Lobster dish was a bit too salty in my opinion, but nobody else at the table shared my opinion so oh well. Even with the salty taste, this was my favorite dish on the menu. The gluten free crepes could have been good if they didn’t douse them in syrup. Maybe put the syrup on the side and let people decide how much they want? The french toast needed a lot of syrup because they were a bit too dry but still tasty. Salmon dish also got my vote of approval.
Coffee was horrible, we returned our first set because we thought we got a bad batch. Second, fresh set was the same. However I requested soy milk, instead of cream and it was promptly purchased.
Service was good, nothing bad or exceptionally good.

If you’re staying at the Dana and there is a blizzard, this place is your salvation. That said, if you have been to any other high-​end/​high-​priced restaurants around this city, you’ll be quick to realize that the food here is grossly overpriced. Not all of it, but a good 75% of the menu for sure.
We had:
Dozen Oysters — they were fine, but didn’t change my life as one would expect at a «raw bar.»
Oxtail Fritters — I would go back for these and these alone. My southern blood runs hot just thinking about them.
Fried Chicken Entrée — This was some top notch fried chicken. The biscuit it came with though was likely used previously in a pee-​wee hockey tournament which is just unacceptable if you’re attempting to boast southern/​comfort food. The biscuits (and I could go on) have to be perfect.
Seared Sushi Grade Scallops — alright, this dish just pissed me off. $ 25 for four scallops and some «lobster» sauce drizzled over it? No side, no starch, not even substantial veggies (there was some wilted arugula, 4 slices of brussel sprouts and two blueberries)? I was so lost with this plate.
A side note about the entrees — My bf’s chicken came out white hot, couldn’t even eat it at first while my scallops were lukewarm. hmmmm.
Even with food being so ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ they could have won me over with service, but our waitress was just straight up not listening to us. We’d say we were ready to order and she’d reply «Okay!» and then disappear? This happened twice, to both of us. We were bamboozled.
Finally the dessert… I don’t mind when places don’t have physical dessert menus, but a $ 15 «ball» of chocolate? My bf commented that maybe if the waitress had let us break the ball (she had to smack it w/​a spoon to «complete» the dish) it may have been worth it — but I’m going with no.

Man, I wish this place were a bit better. I sincerely wanted it to be. I brought my 4 year old and yes I know this isn’t a place for young
Ones, but my little dude has been around (don’t wanna name drop, but he eats better than most politicians) and we know how to do it. We show up early (5p), we do not expect a kids menu, we do not disturb others, we behave and we have lowered expectations.
To start server comes out and says they do not have children’s menu but chef will be «willing» to make a grill cheese. I say just bring us a regular menu and we will figure it out. She starts telling me about how they are between menus, and a lot of stuff he would like isn’t on there any more. Ok, just give me what you got. Problem is she mentioned not having pasta anymore (twice) and now that’s all he wants.
I order, shrimp grits, ox tail dumplings and some fries with expectations of son eating some grits and the fries, maybe a shrimp. Here is where it gets interesting. Chef comes out, very pleasant and sociable. Asks what we like to eat, what my son likes, etc. Son pipes up and says pasta, he says no problem…10 minutes later our food comes out with no pasta… Aarghh! We eat, sign check and here comes the pasta… Followed by our server saying «oh they found some».
We would have been happy just with what was on the menu, we adapt, we make do.
The meal was a disconnect between reviews I read and the meal I had and the whole experience was just a disappointment.
Menu needs to be expanded (maybe some pork belly or cheek?) as does the lame beer list. Don’t cater to kids, but for goodness sake torture isn’t very nice.
Also, communication between servers and chef needs improvement.
Thank you!

Chicago *usually* does a good job of making sure hotel restaurants remain interesting… and that hotel food is progressive or stays true to the classics (but kicked up a notch). I’m happy with Argent replacing the former Dana hotel restaurant Aja. Anyway, I went to Argent for brunch. I liked the open design of the restaurant. Wide booths, large tables, mile-​high windows, and palatial ceilings evoke a comfortable and airy environment. The hotel lobby overlooked the restaurant. (By the way, if you’re looking for the restroom, it’s on the second floor adjacent to the front desk.) Sometimes restaurants, even in broad daylight, can be too dim. I wanna see what I’m eating, and look my friends in the eye thank you very much! :)
I ordered an earl grey tea. It came in a lovely clear pot. The mugs are labeled with Bow Truss Coffee emblems so I’m assuming they serve their coffee. (I didn’t check the menu to see who their main roaster is.) For my entrée, I had the corned beef hash with eggs (I like them scrambled. You can order them any way you like.) and scallion jam. That corned beef was fantastic. It was shaped in a patty and was fantastically crispy on the top. I love that crunch! It also came with light and tart mixed greens with diced up tomatoes and strawberries. My friend ordered the Spanish scramble and apple juice. Our server was pleasant and checked up on us a few times. I liked that they had ketchup *and* Sriracha sauce for condiments (at least she offered those with our meals). Our meal (with tip) came out to $ 45.00. While I also don’t like incredibly loud spots, they should bump up the music a little higher when there aren’t many customers present. It felt a little awkward doing «girl talk» with my friend when nearby tables could potentially hear our salacious Saturday night stories.

Disappointingly underwhelming. Considering food, atmosphere, service, and price, Argent earned its lone two stars for this experience.
The atmosphere is trendy and it looks like they have a nice outdoor seating area which I would have loved to experience, but it was full. The drink menu is presented on an iPad, which is entertaining for two seconds until you realize it’s hard to compare drinks and make a decision.
In terms of the service, the friendliness factor was there but the attentive/​speed factor wasn’t, unfortunately. We watched our waitress socialize with tables outside while we waited to even make our drink order for 15 minutes.
We ordered oysters, Yukon potatoes, chicken fried steak, and scallops with polenta for our meal. I will say that the scallops and oysters were really high quality, but nothing special. The best part of the meal was actually the bread-​like gruyère popover that was gratis.
For the high quality items, I don’t mind the corresponding price tag. But it was both the meal and experience that were underwhelming and I felt that the price didn’t reflect the quality. In my opinion, this fits the bill of another example of overpriced hotel restaurants to avoid.

iPad menus! How futuristic! Errr, I guess how now. Haha.
Came here to grab a final drink for the night. Sat outside on their patio, it was nice.
Their cocktail list is kinda funny. The drinks are named after different neighborhoods in the city. Of course, I went with the Wicker Park… one of the two seemingly sweeter drinks. It smelled like bubble gum! But it didn’t quite taste like bubble gum, more grape flavor I would say.
Our server, Paul was very knowledgable about the different drinks. He was also very attentive.
Overall it was a good experience, I wouldn’t mind going back to try some food.

I really enjoy the space and food. I am in love with French dressing and find it extremely hard to find a restaurant that carries it. Argent not only carries French dressing but has one of the best burgers in the city. Mix that great burger with a great scene, fair price and a beautiful red head manager and I find myself there often.
Excellent.

Everything about Argent is amazing. The staff is super friends, the drinks are fabulous and i love that they are all named after Chicago neighborhood’s.
Be sure to order the Carpet Bag Steak with Oysters Rockefeller, popovers, creamed spinach, salmon and the list could go on. Oh and please do not forget the Chocolate Bag. This amazing combination of white and dark Belgium chocolate with yummy filling is to die for. Can’t wait to eat here again!

Goodbye Aja, Hello Argent Restaurant & Raw Bar!
Argent is in the space Aja occupied just last month but the space is completely renovated and reconcepted. They’ve updated the décor and I love the sleek changes. The space looks much more city chic now with gray booths and some handsome wood flooring. Argent officially opened on May 1^st and their food is described as Comfort Chic — a modern American approach inspired by the past.
I went last weekend for their friends & family soft opening and had a great brunch with friends. I loved the morning mimosas and they had just the right amount of champagne & just enough orange juice. For my dish I had the Shoe of Horse which is such a funny name for such a delicious dish! Pancetta on a croissant served with the most amazing mornay sauce ever! I’ve actually never had a mornay sauce before and I fell in love! This morning sandwich was the most delectable I’ve had in quite some time and sitting here writing this I’m having a STRONG craving for it. The sandwich came with some crispy, tasty tater tots.
I also tried my friend’s burger and it was amazing. Once again the sauce on this burger just completely made it! It was absolutely a way above par burger.
I’m super excited for this new restaurant in the Dana Hotel and will be back soon to try some of their dinner offerings!