Taxim, which is located in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood, features regionally-inspired Greek dishes paired with an all-Greek wine list. The stunning dining room is fitted with soaring 16-foot ceilings, travertine marble floors and dramatic Byzantine-style lamps and artwork.
The restaurant was chosen as one of the Best New Restaurants in May 2010 by Chicago magazine and was chosen as one of Chicago's Best New Restaurants in 2009 by the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Reader. Additionally, Taxim's housemade yogurt with young favas and lamb confit was selected as one of the Best Bites of 2009 by the Chicago Reader, the house-cured sardines were mentioned in Time Out Chicago's 2009 "100 Best Things We Ate (and drank) This Year" feature, and the wood-grilled octopus was selected as 2010's "Best New Dish" by Chicago magazine. Additionally, chef-owner David Schneider appeared on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America" in April 2011 going head-to-head with Iron Chef Cat Cora.
"Delicious as usual. My spouse & I usually share 2 - 3 starters and we always get the chicken for the main. This time we had the hummus, pork loin and the grilled shrimp as starters. The shrimp were incredible and were our favourite."
Dined on 5/04/2013
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"This isn't your mama's moussaka - this is classic Greek flavors done with innovative platings and superb execution. The wood-grilled octopus with fennel paired with a shot of ouzo is inspired. Lamb shoulder, roasted beets with walnut skordalia, baby okra -- all top notch, as is what would otherwise be a safe choice: chicken, yet served tender and lemony with perfect fingerlings, I'd be back every week except that I live 9,000 miles away, sadly. Chicagoans are lucky to have this find -- Bib Gourmand raters, you seriously need to hit Wicker Park!"
Dined on 5/04/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, romantic, neighborhood gem, hot spot
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". back of the house good greek inspired food Front of the house I.e. service clueless Ultra-hip young indifferent staff poorly trained To a pounding deafening bass beat. A rather unpleasant evening overall."
Dined on 5/03/2013
Special Features: vibrant bar scene
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"Blows any greek town restaurant away! The server was really knowledgeable about the menu and didn't get annoyed when I asked for gluten free and dairy free. Was very helpful on helping me find great dishes that fit my diet. And steered me away from those that need the dairy to make the dish. Greek wine is amazing as well!
Even though its in a hip neighborhood and hires young hip service, There is not even a little bit of a hipster attitude, every time we dine there. Aside from great food, its the service that we really keep coming back for. Have loved food at other restaurants, but when the servers were mean, aloof or had a really snooty attitude, we stop dining there. We always go back to Taxim!"
Dined on 04/27/2013
2005
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, hot spot
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"We went on a Saturday evening, party of 2. The restaurant was full it was very noisy to the point that it was difficult to have a conversation. The food was very good and I would recomnend to try it just for the food with a group of friend, not as a 'ronantic diner' ( on a saturday evening anyway)"
Dined on 04/27/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups
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"Try everything! Get small plates and large plates and just share. The food is great. Oh and make sure to get the donuts with the honey cream sauce...they are to die for! I have never had a dessert like that and I will never forget it. And will be back often to indulge in it!"
Dined on 04/12/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies
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"Good and quiet dinner on a Thursday . Great Prassopita (leeks in Phillo) appetizer. Eggplant puree a bit underseasoned. Very flavorful Duck Gyro. Good fries, But disappointing dry lamb shank, obviously reheated a bit too long. Very good dessert: Valrhona chocolate Halva. Interesting all-Greek wine list. Pleasant staff."
Dined on 04/11/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies
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"We started with grilled octopus, excellent. Main dishes were the duck gyros and the Amish chicken, both excellent. Dessert was their version of traditional nut and honey thing, also excellent. The duck dish had wonderful fries and a small red pepper salad that was outstanding. Only item I might consider changing is the falafel because by the end I was stuffed, maybe experiment with a pancake more like a taco to lighten it up."
Dined on 04/06/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies
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"Service and food are great! The food and wine is very authentic. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great dinner. I brought friends from out of town here, and they loved it, as well."
Dined on 03/29/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion, hot spot
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"This restaurant does a great job with food and service, and it is reasonably priced. We tried 6 different "small plates" and each one was inventively prepared and seasoned nicely (one dish was a bit over-garlicked). We are vegetarians, and all the vegetables were nicely done, none overcooked. The waiter was outstanding and was very knowledgeable about each dish preparation and also about the wine list, which was quite interesting. One possible negative: the tables are spaced VERY closely together, so it has a community/family table type set-up. And the bench seating is a bit uncomfortable (as in hard). This may not be desirable if you want to have a private conversation (or romantic evening) with your partner."
Dined on 03/29/2013
2005
Special Features: neighborhood gem
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"Absolutely delicious. My spouse & I shared the hummus. He had the roasted chicken and I had the sea bass. While the fish was good and reminded us of dishes we had in Europe, his chicken was one of the best roasted chickens ever. We loved the wine list; it has a lot of unique Greek wines that are hard to find elsewhere."
Dined on 03/09/2013
2005
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"We have lived in the neighborhood for 2 1/2 years and cannot believe that we never dined here. It was some of the best food in the city, hands down. And the service was personable and accommodating. We will return!! I recommend sitting in the back of the restaurant for better ambiance."
Dined on 03/16/2013
2004
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion, hot spot
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"ExceptionalnGreek cuisine, I knew I wasn't in Greek town. The desserts were even better than the main dishes. Our waiter was extremely helpful in our selections This is a real neighbor gem"
Dined on 03/10/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem
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"We were still talking about our meal the next morning, it was so memorable. Service was attentive and every single bite was delicious. We were blown away by bold flavors and obvious attention to detail that went into every bite of food. We loved everything from the small plates- eggplant, octopus, and lamb- to the main course- duck gyros with insane duck fat fries- to the decadently gooey dessert- fried dumplings. We flagged down the chef and complimented him on a job well done. We will be coming back again and again."
Dined on 03/09/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, hot spot
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"We love Greek food and what a treat to find in Wicker Park an authentic Greek restaurant that serves amazing food. We dined on the roasted beets with greens, butternut and acorn squash fritters, wood grilled octopus fennel and red onions, Polítiki style roasted egg plants and oven roasted whole Aegean Sea Bass.
Everything was cooked to perfection. The stand outs for the evening for us were the octopus and the sea bass.
We can't wait to go back!"
Dined on 03/07/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem
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"Food was interesting and delicious - suitable for vegetarians as well as meat eaters. The service was great. The noise level is a little high with the acoustics, but overall good experience"
Dined on 03/07/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem
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"Went early before a show and there were several tables of people. By 7p the place was packed. Menu is not "traditional" greek but we had 4 different apps recommended by the server and they were all delicious (beets, lamb, chickpeas, sausage). We ordered the lamb chops for dinner and they were good but a little tough. Someone also had the chicken and said it was very yummy. Liked the atmosphere and server was very knowledgeable about the menu."
Dined on 03/02/2013
2005
Special Features: neighborhood gem, hot spot
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"The evening started out well with a lovely grilled octopus dish but went downhill after. Our server was nice, but so difficult to locate, so our ordering was very sporadic and awkward. I noticed many of the servers standing in front at the bar rather than circling the dining area. It is frustrating when a place embraces the small plates trend but doesn't serve accordingly. Interesting dishes but very expensive for the portion size."
Dined on 03/02/2013
2008
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"We have been wanting to hit Taxim for a LONG time and finally got around to it. It just so happened that our visit coincided with both me and my husband having given up meat for lent but we decided to try Taxim anyway as the menu looked to be diverse with lots of non-meat options. Well, suffice it to say that we LOVED it and found all the veggie / bean options to be amazing!! From the fried cauliflower to the giant beans and lentils we were not disappointed and everything had an amazing depth of flavor. We each had a glass of red wine which our server was super helpful in guiding us on as we decided. Generally the service was great and attentive but not annoying which is a good balance to strike. We will be back!!!"
Dined on 03/01/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem
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"We love Taxim! Though it's Greek, it's unlike any Greek you'll find elsewhere--imaginative, thoughtful, creative and delicious! We enjoyed sharing several small plates rather than order entrees, and we loved everything we had. Wine was terrific too. A great night out!"
Dined on 02/28/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, hot spot
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"We have dined at Taxim before. We had an excellent dinner. When we first arrived there was some confusion about who was supposed to wait on our table so we waited a while to order our drinks. When the waiter noticed we had waited too long he jumped in, took our drink order and bought us an appetizer, a very nice recovery to a questionable start. From that point forward everything was super, especially the waiter's recommendations."
Dined on 02/23/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, hot spot
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"Taxim was featured on "Check please" and it looked like a must do. Staff was very attentive and knowlegeable with good suggestions. This is definitely upscale for Greek. Lots of great smells and tastes. No Opaa here! We were there on Friday nite prior to a show. We had enough time for a comfortable dinner and were accomodated to expedite our check out."
Dined on 02/22/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion, hot spot
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"it's not the rustic Greek food you'd find at other more traditional Greek restaurants. I appreciated the way they tried to modernize and elevate Greek food, but it didn't really stand out, it was really cold in the restaurant, and I don't really feel like I'd go back."
Dined on 02/16/2013
2005
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"We went on Sunday after they were featured on Check Please!. We decided to stick to the small plates, since they sounded more interesting than the entrees. Everything was fresh (including the cheeses)and well executed. The octopus was the best and we ate 2 orders of it. The small plates are quite small (I think we had 6), but our total bill with 2 rounds of drinks was around $100 so still pretty reasonable. The atmosphere is charming with morrocan style lighting. Tables are very close together or communal and we had a nice conversation with our neighbors. Service was a little slow, but they were swamped. Make sure you bring the address with you, since signage is very unnoticeable and it was tricky to find. Would certainly go back."
Dined on 02/17/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic
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"First it looked like it was small, but it opened up in the back with many tables. Greek music and ambiance created a good mood. Every entree we ordered was delicious. They have a custom Greek wine list that I have yet to find. I recommend Tselepos a cab/merlot mix."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"The food was very good. Nice options on the menu. The service was average but it was quite busy. The acoustics are a problem. No one was very loud but the noise overall was making it difficult to have a conversation across the table, which probably caused everyone to speak a litlle louder. I would recommend this place."
Dined on 02/09/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies
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"My husband and I went on Saturday night for a 6:30 reservation. We were seated as soon as we walked in. The staff was very attentive. We had two appetizers picked from previous reviewer's recommendations. They were good but not memorable. I had the roasted chicken. My husband had the lamb shank. Good, but again not memorable. With wine, the check was over $100.00 for the two of us. Because we live in the suburbs, we probably will not be back."
Dined on 02/09/2013
2006
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"Hadn't been to Taxim in 2 years and it was just as awesome! first time didn't get to order a meal because we had so many appetizers.. the food is amazing, wine list very good! I would go back in a heartbeat.. my husband said he can't wait to go back and get the seafood soup!"
Dined on 02/09/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic
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"Food was great, atmosphere was fun.... That was until a camera crew came in. All the ambiance was drained when they decided to have a camera crew in. No notification was given. Bright lights, everything put on hold while they filmed, waited 30 min between small portioned plates, drinks were put on hold, tables were mot cleared during film, food came out cold, and no apology given. Why do this on a Saturday night, I have no idea. So disappointed. Normally you can wave off certain experiences such as these, but it tells you something about how they view their customers based on how they treat them. It was clear to our table and the surrounding ones as well, we were all a second thought that evening."
Dined on 02/09/2013
2005
Special Features: fit for foodies
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"Taxim was fantastic. Every dish was amazing, but the beet salad clearly my favorite. There was so much to choose from on the menu, we didn't know where to start. Our waiter was extremely knowledgeable and helped us through the Greek wine selections to find something that went perfectly with our dinner. If I have only one, very small, complaint: it is a pretty loud restaurant, so sometimes hard to hear my company, but I can't hold it against them and it would never deter me from eating there. I can't wait to go back."
Dined on 02/02/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies
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"Service terrible. One diner's braised lamb was all fat. Entrees very small, restaurant small ..tables crowded next to each other, wine pours short. Would not return."
Dined on 01/26/2013
2002
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