Bar Mar by José Andrés: An Upscale Seafood Cocktail Bar Experience

We chose Bar Mar due to its proximity to Lyric Opera. They are accommodating and make sure to get you out in time for the show. Our appetite was small so we unfortunately only had drinks + small bites (portions were large). The standout was Shab’s stellar customer service. We weren’t expecting to come back for dessert after the show but after she stated there was sticky toffee pudding, it didn’t take much convincing. Again, the portion was big enough to share amongst 3 ladies. I hope to return to try the entrees and receive great service from Bar Mar Staff :)

Bar Mar is a magical restaurant sitting in between the Loop and West Loop, it's worth your while in paying them a visit. From their open patio dining space in the summer, to their bedazzling golden aquatic interior in the colder months, you'd surely impress a crowd in here. My experiences have alway been very pleasant. My waitress, Jessica, was especially a sweetheart in helping me celebrate a birthday dinner. I will always remember her kindness and warmth. The stars of my meals have been the seafood dishes such as the octopus, scallops, and even the burger on a soft bun were all delicious! The ambiance of Bar Mar is upbeat and will surely put you in a good mood if you weren't already in one.

I’m always happy to be back at Bar Mar and this Valentine’s Day visit was honestly one of the best yet. The food is always incredible but this meal really stood out. The Neptune Pillows are still my absolute favorite dish on the menu and a total must order. We tried the hibiscus oysters for the holiday which were such a fun addition and the scallops were also beautiful and fresh. The highlight was definitely the lobster with that butter and brown sugar sauce. It was seriously insane and I really wish they would keep it on the permanent menu because it’s easily one of my new favorites now. The caviar cones were so good that we finished them before I could even take a picture and the chocolate cake was ton point to finish the night. Huge shoutout to Ronnie for the amazing service. He was extremely attentive and knew everything about the menu and drinks. Great food and even better vibes! I can't wait to come back!

A friend recommended that I try this place for NYE. Decor was tastefully done. We loved all the dishes. My eye went to the cold tapas style selection. Very good - we had coconut ceviches in a half coconut half shell, nice touch; salmon crisp - great, hamachi cones; seafood platter - good & nice presentation; Cesar was excellent; hot octopus - VERY tasty; deconstructed key lime - great. Then they gave us a spiced caramel square. Definitely would go back. It was tasty! And Amber was great waitress! Highly recommend for fresh seafood in the Midwest!

I have now been to Bar Mar twice. Overall, I give it a solid 4 stars because the food makes up for any issues we did have. Overall, we have enjoyed all the food we have gotten here. We have had oysters, the warm crab cake, hamachi cones, lobster bisque, Jose's Chicken, the grilled shrimp salad and the key lime pie. Also some other forgettable dessert the first time we came that I only remember now because I found a picture of it. The grilled shrimp salad has changed since we last came. It is still one of the tastiest salads I have ever had. They need to bottle the green godess dressing and sell it. But the first time I had the salad, it came with confit tomatoes and blue cheese. And this time there were grapes and no cheese. Like I said it was still an amazing salad and I would order it again, but those confit tomatoes were apart of why the salad was so memorable (reviews from just 4 months ago with pictures of the menu still showed it the way I had it in January 2025). The hamachi cones were a delicious one bite. I thought based on reviews and pictures they would be 2 decent sized bites though. The lobster bisque was really good. Nice tomatoey seafood broth with a surprising amount of lobster in it. The creme fresh never fully incorporated into my soup though. But that was definitely not a deal breaker. I ate/drank every drop. The warm crab cake was good and different from the typical crab cake. But it wasn't good enough to repeat given the other yummy sounding things on the menu. Service both times was good to great. Our server the first time was friendly and very helpful when deciding on food and drinks. The bartenders were very attentive but very busy so no typical banter with them like I would typically expect. Some things Bar Mar needs to work on... From Jan 2025: We were sat by the door that leads out to the patio. Obviously closed for the winter. But they did not have it adequately sealed. We should have been asked to move but we didn't. My ankles were freezing all evening. From Dec 2025: The restaurant was not prepared for a Sunday that had 2 evening shows running. We showed up about 30 minutes early for our reservation. We were told we couldn't be sat till closer to our reservation time (fair). So we went to the bar and got a drink near our reservation time we hadn't gotten a text that our table was ready so we ended up ordering food at the bar. We had also heard the bartenders that food was slow because the kitchen was overwhelmed. Our table ended up being ready at 30 minutes past our reservation time. The hostess did not initially indicate that we would have a wait that far after our reservation time. I'm glad we were able to just stay at the bar. We would have been late to our show! We are highly likely to return. Maybe we will try it in the summer.

After just moving here from Nashville, with plans to go to the opera, we made reservations at Bar Mar as we knew we could trust in Jose Andres to deliver perfection. From the outstanding service by Valentin, to the sommelier Justin, everyone took pride in ownership. They owned their service. Moreover we were visited throughout the night by management - first Jacob then Kristie and finally Mark - each treating us more like family and were made to feel seen. Seen. No one does that excellent anymore but Bar Mar does and did. And as with any restaurant, service must be on point as no matter what the chef makes it’ll never be what makes the establishment. Service can be taught its true, but when it delivers it is because staff believes in the idea, pursues it with passion and shows the value in the ideal. Food can be great but if service is off you won’t return and it will never be the experience it could have been - and this was a full experience. We can’t wait to see what Bazaar Meat has in store if this is any indication! Till then, bravo to all from front and back of house, to the culinary magic guided by the one and only, Jose Andres.

Came for the Valentine’s Menu Specials, but ordered several items off the regular menu as well. The food was excellent. All the seafood was so fresh and high quality. The lobster bisque was possibly the best I’ve ever had, I’m still thinking about it 2 days later. The sticky toffee pudding alone would keep me coming back. The wine selection was impressive as well. The atmosphere was great, nice and lively, but not overcrowded or too loud. Our server was knowledgeable of the menu, professional, and attentive without being at the table too much. I love Bar Mar! Can’t wait to come back!

I’ve been eyeing this spot for a while, so Restaurant Week 2025 felt like the perfect excuse to finally try it and wow, I’m so glad we did. We went for lunch and everything was so good. The decor is stunning, and the location is a perfect downtown Chicago corner. It wasn’t crowded at all, which made the experience even better, and our waiter was excellent and attentive without being overbearing. We enjoyed every bit of it, and it was extra special since we were celebrating my friend’s birthday. Highly recommend this place, and another great restaurant from José Andrés.