Doesn't Recommend

chicagotourist

Joined 6 years ago

Don't. I ate here with my mom on a Monday night...we were in Chicago on business at the same time, and I was looking forward to eating with her and to trying an interesting fusion concept. We sat outside with two other tables, and there were maybe four tables inside and one large group of about 9. Our evening started out well...our server was charismatic, and we splurged on a highly recommended $100 bottle of wine. It was great. The menu looked wonderful, and I was ready for a nice evening. Then everything went downhill.

We tried two tapas, the lamb and artichokes. The lamb was an interesting mix of flavors, but the artichokes (which our waiter forgot and hence arrived 5 minutes after the lamb) did not deliver. The spicy coconut sauce was not spicy in the least, and I began to wonder if everything might be a little overhyped. My mom ordered a seafood stew (I can't remember the name), and I went with the lone special, a surf and turf that combined the two most popular meals at the restaurant. Two meals were brought out sometime later. However, mine was not what I ordered, and I had to convince the person bringing our food that he was mistaken. He later carried them to a nearby table.

When my meal arrived, my medium steak was well done. I sent it back and told my mom to eat because she was starving. Her stew featured two shrimp and a few mussels. When it arrived, my meal was alright, the lobster was not tender at all, and the beef was nothing to write home about. Both sat atop spicy pastes that basically seemed to be surf and turf with generic Indian overtones.

Our waiter's charisma seemed to turn to shtick as numerous mistakes, none of which would destroy a meal, began to add up for an expensive and unsatisfactory dining experience. My special was $50, something the waiter neglected to mention while the menu tops out at $32. Getting comped a $7 dry desert doesn't do much for a $220 bill.

It's overpriced, the service isn't good, a shame since the idea is interesting.

Doesn't Recommend

styleplus

Joined 9 years ago

Not all that. Going to this restaurant on the weekend is truely a nightmare . Maybe the week days are better but after our night here , we will never try it again .

Doesn't Recommend

anuchicago

Joined 6 years ago

Worst service in Chicago, interesting food and drinks. We've been to Vermillion several times and found the food and drinks to be interesting. The ribs and mussels are great and the Vermillion hedonism is to die for. They also serve some great drinks - the tamarind margharita is worth trying! But we will never go again, our last experience was beyond awful.

Our server was rude and another one dropped hot soup on my husband which left him with a bad burn. The restaurant was apologetic and offered an ice pack but it took forever to come and when it did, was basically ice wrapped in a napkin. There was a 7-11 across the street and it would have been normal courtesy for someone go out and get a real one. We'd been there several times and thought it was just a one-time bad experience. But it got even worse. A friend of ours who was also with us ordered a fillet mignon - the server never asked how done she wanted it. It first came out rare, then when she asked for it to be well done, it took them two more tries and was still medium rare in the end. We were so sick of the server's rudeness that we decided it wasn't worth trying anymore. My own food was over-spiced with red chillies.

Finally, our check came - approx $300, with no discount. We paid it with tip but my husband wanted to let the manager know that we had had a terrible experience. The best the manager could do was offer a nightcap. After the miserable experience, we didn't want to be there anymore. He then sent out a couple of cards with his name on it, and asked us to take him up on his offer on our next visit. After all that we had been through, it would have been common courtesy for him to come in person.

What was ironic was that the food critics were around 2 tables away from us and we could see the staff fawning all over them. It was really disgusting to see the double standards on full display.

We'll definitely never go back - we were disappointed on every level - the food, the service, and the attitude when things were not working well.

Recommends

sugarywitch

Joined 8 years ago

Excellent Fusion. The food here is fantastic. I grew up eating Indian food and the blend of spices and tastes at Vermilion is wonderful, especially the inclusion of coconut milk in some of the spicy dishes. The tapas menu is a refreshing option if you're not in the mood for a heavy meal (though you can certainly leave full if you go that route as well). Be sure to try the mussels which are amongst the best I've had in the city. I'm not usually a fan of specialty drinks, but the cardamom champagne cocktails and the saffron vodka liqueur are not to be missed! The tandoori skirt steak is my favorite dish on the menu. I had heard that the lobster was great, and the flavor was wonderful, but it was overcooked and a bit dry. This might have been because it was the smaller surf and turf portion, so I may have to try the big one next time. I'd recommend getting a few extra appetizers or tapas and skimping on the dessert or ending with one of the drinks recommended above.

Recommends

agrao05

Joined 7 years ago

Wonderful. Came here for a private party and was pleasantly surprised - great drinks, and excellent food. Service was attentive and friendly, and the environment trendy. Would highly recommend to anyone.

Recommends

sbrady

Joined 7 years ago

Great mix of food. The chef/owner of this Restaurant will create a great menu for private functions. The food is outstanding and very affordable. The environment is very hip, private space is only private with curtain, but works for the location. Restaurant is a little dark. Great option for any dinner out.

Recommends

ube40

Joined 7 years ago

amazing. As soon as you walk in the place is amazing, the smells are wonderful. As soon as we sat down the service was perfect and the food and drinks were wonderful. If your sick of the usual tapas go to Vermilion. Try the lecchy martini or the ginger pom martini both a party for your palet

Doesn't Recommend

dbrow

Joined 7 years ago

most disappointing restaurant in years. I would say this is the most disappointing restaurant that I have been to in years. I love Indian. I love Latin. The combo at this restaurant does not work. The flavors were way off - either too bland or overly spicy without any taste. The dishes were not well cooked. The service was very poor. The décor was average - and it is so noisy for no good reason that it is impossible to have a decent conversation. At any price, this restaurant is bad. At this price, it was absolutely terrible. I would absolutely never go... I can't imagine it will be open in a couple of years.

Recommends

satch123

Joined 7 years ago

A place to try once. An interesting mix of Spanish with an Indian touch. I would try this place once, but it's not somewhere I would go regularly. If you don't like seafood-type dishes, I wouldn't go. It is worth a try just for the interesting drinks

Recommends

farazj

Joined 8 years ago

Skip It. Went for an early dinner. The atmosphere is nice, and the service was exceptionally friendly, but unfortunately the food often left leagues to be desired. The appetizers were ok overall, with some, like the tuna tartare actually being good, but the main courses were dramatically over-seasoned (to the point of being bitter in some cases), and the specialty drinks were sludglike and terrible.