Bar Esmé opens in Chicago with new menus and design from Chef Jenner Tomaska and Katrina Bravo, the husband-wife team behind acclaimed Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant Esmé, alongside Beverage Director Stevan Miller.
While James Beard Award-nominated Chef Tomaska has become known for his ambitious tasting menu at Esmé, Bar Esmé marks the first time he is offering a 3-course tasting, which features his signature style of thoughtful and creative French-inspired cuisine in a slightly more casual, yet still refined manner.
Bar Esmé’s cocktail program led by Stevan Miller highlights an inventive and highly visual cocktail menu inspired by artwork that has been featured at Esmé.
An intimate 16-seat cocktail lounge nestled in the same building as the restaurant, Bar Esmé’s chic, modern space boasts floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the charming Lincoln Park neighborhood, and is designed in partnership with Scandinavian design brand Muuto.
Team
Chef Jenner Tomaska and Esmé’s Creative Director Katrina Bravo open Bar Esmé alongside Beverage Director Stevan Miller. Chef Tomaska is one of Chicago and the country’s most revered chefs. Most recently before opening Esmé in 2021, he was Executive Chef at The Alinea Group’s Next Restaurant, reporting directly to chef Grant Achatz. Jenner’s tenure included 21 of the 23 menu transitions at Next, 18 four-star Chicago Tribune reviews, and two James Beard Rising Star Chef nominations.
Chef Jenner and Katrina opened Esmé in 2021, as their love letter to their home city of Chicago, in addition to a celebration of art, food and community. The menu changes quarterly, and each is inspired by artwork from a rotating featured artist, whose works are displayed throughout the restaurant.
Stevan Miller has spent time at numerous Chicago cocktail institutions, including Land and Sea Department, Frontera Group and most recently, Claudia, where he honed his passion for innovative cocktail techniques and received a nomination and win for Jean Banchet’s Best Bartender in 2022. Stevan has also been named a national finalist in the JSS Shochu Competition and earned praise from the Chicago Tribune for creating “the best cocktail program in years” at Claudia.
At Esmé and Bar Esmé, Stevan curates both the wine and cocktail programs, offering a wine list that prioritizes environmentally-conscious producers, both old world classics and more contemporary, biodynamic wines, alongside meticulously crafted cocktails that tell a story – directly tying to Esmé’s art partners.
Cocktail Menu
Bar Esmé’s cocktail menu, which is displayed in a beautifully designed and artistic booklet, features 26 highly technical alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails inspired by works of art that can either be found in the Art Institute of Chicago or on the walls of its sister restaurant Esmé (whether currently or as one of the restaurant’s past showcases).
Highlights of the cocktails inspired by the art pieces on Esmé’s walls include The Lion The Witch And The Good Boy (artist: Griffin Goodman) with gin, coconut jelly (an ode to the nostalgic Turkish Delight candy), a pistachio dust-coated ice cube, and edible flowers from Chef Tomaska’s garden; Female Nude #39 (artist: Courtney Shoudis), which is served on a small pink statue, is a layered cocktail with Bayab African gin and pineapple, topped with habanero and green cardamom-infused egg white, and strips of edible rice paper, emulating the strips of color featured throughout the painting; Charro (artist: Salvador Dominguez) pays homage to Stevan’s Caribbean grandmother with a housemade plantain “mole” — muddled ripe plantains, sesame seeds, pepitas, sugar, and chilies — and tequiliana.
Art Institute Of Chicago-inspired cocktails include Starry Night and The Astronaughts (artist: Alma Thomas), a seasonal milk punch with Scotch whisky and market berries; Untitled (artist: Shimamoto Shōzō) with Suntory World whisky, sumac, awamori, and a red ice cube; and Zapata (artist: Jose Clemente Orozco), a mezcal negroni with green chartreuse and sotol, a plant that Stevan harvested while visiting his family in Arizona.
The menu also features riffs on classic cocktails such as Sudachi Paloma with carciofo, chapulines, and grapefruit; G&T with lemon verbena; and Frozen Martini Service, alongside non-alcoholic options like Cherry Chile Jam with cherry, chile, and hibiscus; Lady Bird with cabbage, pomegranate, and citrus; and Rothko Spritz with watermelon, Lapsang Souchong, and bubbles.
Food Menu
At Bar Esmé, Chef Tomaska offers a three-course dinner menu for $68 per person, as well as a la carte options. Dish highlights include his signature Cheeto served ‘flamin hot’ with cheddar cheese, habanero, poblano, and annatto pepper seed; a Charcuterie Board with housemade salted butter, seasonal jam, Bennison’s Bakery sourdough, and Iberico ham; Wagyu Tartare with dijonnaise, egg yolk, capers, Espelette, and toasted sourdough; and Oysters with passion fruit puree and smoked onion gelee.
Main dishes include Salad as served at Esmé, in a mixed green bouquet with pea tendrils, red romaine and nasturtium, dressed with yuzu vinaigrette, crumbled Marcona almonds, and served with three purees including carrot and honey, sweet pea, basil, and mint, and beet and rose; Foie Gras with blackberry gelee, lemon verbena oil, sweet peas, and charred allium; Carrot Soup with house-made oat granola, cherry puree, and apple and kohlrabi slaw; Dover Sole with zucchini, buckthorn sauce, brown butter, and pine nuts; Braised Wagyu Short Rib served crispy with burnt onion jus; and Celery Root Risotto with black truffle and brown-buttered almonds. Desserts such as Popcorn Creme Brulee served in a sweet potato boat; Chocolate Tarte with blood orange puree and toasted meringue; and Citrus Granita with coconut and oat granola, lime and lemongrass creme anglaise, and pomegranate seeds round out the menu.
Design
Katrina Bravo, Esmé’s co-owner and Creative Director, has redesigned Bar Esmé in partnership with Muuto, the Scandinavian design brand renowned for their minimalistic and timeless aesthetic. Muuto’s approach to Scandinavian design resonates perfectly with Esmé’s ethos of blending tradition with contemporary creativity.
Just as Esmé redefines fine dining through artistry, Muuto offers new interpretations of Scandinavian design principles, creating spaces that feel both timeless and refreshingly modern.
Mirroring the minimalist and gallery-like design of Esmé’s interior, Bar Esmé’s serene and subtle decor allows for the art on the walls and the epicurean experience to take center stage.
With floor-to-ceiling windows, Bar Esme’s bright 16-seat space is anchored by a 6-seat marble bar adorned by Muuto’s oak Nerd Bar Stools and art from Esmé’s featured artist partner (currently Meghan Borah) lining the walls.
Bar Esmé is open Wednesday – Sunday from 5PM-11PM with reservations available on OpenTable. For more information, visit EsmeChicago.com and follow along @esmechicago.