Nice dining option in MI Ave, the dining areas are throughout the bottom floor of the old Railroad Exchange. Bar into restaurant room, lobby dining and formal dining room - at this time it was mentioned they are short staffed and only using Bar & Restaurant seating. I was there in a first date meeting and the host tried to seat us in a dark corner then near a speaker in the corner, which was a bit uncomfortable so ended up at the Bar. There at 5:00 and glad to have a few Happy Hour drinks, dined on the Farm Chicken Thighs and Chocolate Torte, both good choices. Staff personable, rest area accessible through the formal dining space.

An excellent place for drinks, listening to music, dinner and brunch. We recently went for brunch. It was an amazing experience. The service was exceptional from start to finish. The expansive menu is available as unlimited. That choice is highly recommended. Every item was perfectly prepared and was delicious. Compliment your breakfast with unlimited Mimosas or sparkling rose. Take your time and try everything. You will be happier for it.

Visited for a date night, and had dinner in the Listening Room. We expected a nice, fun venue with good food. Happy to say expectations were vastly exceeded. The ambiance and audio in the Listening Room were fantastic, but the food and drinks...they blew us away. This was a rare experience where we ended the night wishing we could come back every day. Highly recommend the Black Pepper Tofu (especially if you've never liked tofu before), as well as the Demi Country Loaf, and the incredibly prepared cauliflower. For drinks, the greatest hits of the night were the One Two Punch and F 75. Service was also spectacular. Rachel gave amazing recommendations, and thoroughly answered every question we had about food and drinks. If you're thinking about visiting, either for cocktails or dining, you're likely to be impressed.

This is a very nice restaurant/bar. It has three sections, each one is distinguished than others. We sat in Atrium, which is the main hall area. It has live piano music and relatively quiet ambiance. Very chill Sunday brunch. And it provides a lot of small dishes as a buffet for $50 per person. I think it definitely worth it. The dishes taste great. This is a historical building such the decoration is very classical.

This restaurant located on Michigan avenue opened up a month ago. While you might think a restaurant facing a busy street could be distracting, it was cozy as soon as we stepped in. We reserved a table for two on a Thursday just a few hours prior. I suspect that as more people hear about this restaurant, they will be more and more busy. We ordered: 10 oz Filet (9/10 - was a decent filet, but not life-changing.) Delux Mac & Cheese (7/10 - they could definitely add more seasoning or salt to this to make it taste better. Overall it was too bland) Crispy Potatoes (11/10 - Really good. You can definitely taste the ingredients listed for this dish) Black Pepper Tofu (8/10 - was a great dish. A little on the saltier side for the zucchini, but everything else was delicious. I would also like to note that the pepper taste has a slight kick to it) We will come back for more, and cannot wait to see the additional spaces as they open up... and honestly, the bakery too.

Delicious! We got drinks: manhattan, corpse revival, also: fish&chips, chicken thighs with coriander chutney (moist and crispy), roasted cauliflower, and olives starter… the ambiance of looking into the atrium while listening to fun music… delightful and relaxing!

We went for the dim sum brunch buffet and the food was unexpectedly mediocre! Definitely, not worth the money. We tried almost all of the dishes and most of them were not good at all. The French toast was a bit better than the others. We never got the chance to try the steak and their famously advertised bread because they never brought it to us. However, if we assume that the bagel was also made in their house Bakery, we are glad that we didn't try the bread! It was the worst bagel in my life. The food styling is deceiving. The vibe of the atrium was really nice and most of the service was friendly and good. Coming from Europe it's disappointing to see that restaurants like this in Chicago can not offer an at least descent tasty food.

The Exchange was such a fun experience! We went to celebrate our friends birthday and our waiter Javier did an amazing job taking care of us. He truly went above and beyond! Not only was he patient with our gluten free and dairy free questions and requests, but he was also very personable and helped us create a fun birthday experience for our friend. The food was delicious and their crème brûlée was scrumptious. I would highly recommend you check this place out.

Me and friends had the "bottomless" brunch for $39pp. Was it worth that, yes and no. They do provide enough food, but some of the dishes may or may not be of interest so just keep that in mind. The drinks were delish and the ambiance was of course fantastic. *parking: it is what it is to be expected being DT Chicago and all. They do validate for $13 but you have to park in the underground Millennium/Grant garage which is confusing to most people. Therefore if you have reservations allot yourself about 15-20min alone to figure out if your not familiar because Exchange will ONLY give 10-15 grace.

The interior of The Exchange is beautiful. Stunning really, yet I forgot to capture it with photos *face palm*. There's a small room in the front that has the bar, the dining space is in the middle (photo) then there's a large atrium with tables and couches where you can dine as well. The music selection is great, they play vinyl albums in their entirety. We were their to celebrate my friend's milestone birthday. When I whispered this to the host, she came back with a menu that said "Happy Birthday" printed on the menu (similar to Maple & Ash). That was a nice touch. While our server was kind, she didn't offer any suggestions about the menu. I picked this restaurant because I saw the royale burger on Instagram (see screenshot) and it looked amazing - I was more than willing to clog my arteries. For drinks we ordered a Mexican mule and my friend had the Whistling Honey (both drinks can be seen in the burger picture). The bartender hand delivered our order and explained how my friend should nibble on the sugar garnish then take a drink. He walked away after the first taste, she had questions but he was gone. Both drinks were deceptively strong, just like we like it. The restaurant week menu was offered, we declined and stuck to the house menu. My friend ordered the Short Rib with a side of Broccolini. I ordered the Royale with Cheese Burger. I'm sad to say we were both disappointed with the meal. Our main dishes lacked flavour. Now, the broccolini was delicious, we tore that up. The short rib wasn't as tender as expected. I ordered the burger medium rare and I wonder if it would have been better well done? If so, that's something that the server should have told me. If I needed to ask for extra cheese, I would have liked to have been told that too - because the burger that came out looked nothing like the screenshot from Instagram. I was instantly disappointed, the first bite didn't make me table shimmy. I was now eating a $25 cheeseburger that I didn't like or want. Sadly, I didn't finish the burger - I asked for a box but left the unfinished portion at the restaurant. My friend was gifted a slice of the chocolate bauloise cake, it looked like a brownie but it wasn't. The staff was very friendly, we unintentionally shut the restaurant down. It closes at 9p, which we were unaware of until we ordered a second round of drinks at 8:50p. They were kind enough to place the order and let us enjoy our drinks. My friend switched to the Smokin Old Fashioned. I missed the smoky presentation and the server tried to recreate it for me (see video) Our reservations were at 7p, and our food came out at 7:33p. We left around 9:45p, we only felt comfortable staying that late because there were about 2 other tables and some people at the bar. Again, the staff was kind - they weren't rushing us. The bill for two was $154, after tip my total was $195.26. A little pricey for a first date option, but expected for a celebratory occasion. There's no valet and street parking is tough to come by. We lucked out and found a metered spot on the corner of Van Buren & Michigan Ave. It was $17 for 3 hours. Highly recommend taking a cab or rideshare. The ambiance and friendly staff make this a great pre-dinner or just drinks spot for me. (I am still pretty bummed about the royale with cheese.)

My friend and I visited the Exchange for Restaurant Week. I had high hopes for excellent ambiance, food, and service. Unfortunately the experience was subpar. Upon arrival, we were seated at the window near the bar, at a small table. Immediately I was alarmed, as this seemed like a cocktail and appetizer dining section and not a dinner area. In addition, there was a light flickering like a strobe light just next to the window. I could not imagine sitting there for my entire meal with a strobing little in my field of vision (our dining experience lasted 2.5 hours). I requested we be moved and our waitress went to the hostess to ask. I was hopeful to be seated in the atrium, since that dining area seems to be the show stopper for the restaurant. Unfortunately the hostess recommended we sit in the middle section between the bar and atrium. I had no issue with this, as the strobing light and cramped space problem was solved. My friend and I placed our order for the restaurant week menu and wine pairing. We were quite excited for the 3 course meal, but our excitement quickly changed into more of an anticipation. It took quite some time for our 1st and 2nd course meals to arrive. Luckily we had a champagne toast to start the evening. We waited longer than we would have liked for our 1st and 2nd courses, additionally the wine pairing for the 2nd course was delayed even longer. In a last ditch effort, our dessert (3rd course) arrived rather early (we were still enjoying our 2nd course entrees). By the time I was ready for dessert, I had a cold crème brûlée and a delayed wine pairing. To make matters worse, it appears my friend and I were sat in this middle section due to our younger age. The atrium had more than enough seating and was not drowned out by rock and pop music, such as the middle section. I was hoping for a much better experience at this restaurant, especially given the delicious menu. Unfortunately having to play musical chairs for seating, experiencing slow service, and yelling over loud music definitely made my visit less enjoyable. I had high hopes for this restaurant, especially with its close proximity to the Symphony Center…but I think I’ll spend my money elsewhere in the future.

They now offer a dim sum style brunch on Saturdays and you simply can’t miss it. The menu is delightful with all dietary preferences accounted for. The best French toast ever! Loved the lox bagel, and Ofcourse they have the bread service in town! Live piano in the background and bottomless mimosas! Go check it out!!

The environment was very well designed and decorated. The listening room provided a pretty special dining experience. Bread was amazing!

If you want beautiful Anthropology-inspired interiors, that make you feel like you’re at the winter room of the Harold Washington Library then this is a fine place to eat…emphasis on fine…it feels like a tourist trap that is aspiring to bring west loop restaurant row aesthetics to the loop for tourists wanting an elevated dining experience. The food and cocktails are not up to par for their price tag…you’re paying for the interiors of the restaurant when you go, clearly. The chicken vesuvio was alright. The chicken tasted old. The dish came with carrots, that were cold when they arrived to our table. And the tequila based cocktail drink I ordered left little to be desired for with the price tag associated, no interesting flavors that “wowed” me.

Great food -- a decent happy hour too! (Ends at 6pm). Our server wasn't the best but that was made up for in the atmosphere and delicious food!

I went for restaurant week and had a reservation on a weekday night. I was immediately seated upon arrival. I recommend a reservation. The food was good. I had the shrimp, fish, and creme brulee. I also got the wine pairing. The timing was not great. We waited quite a while in between the first couple courses, then were served entree and dessert at the same time. The wine did not come out at the same time as the paired courses. The music was too loud to be able to hear my dinner partner clearly. If you are seated in the atrium the music there is softer. It is a very pretty restaurant, probably one of the best indoor spaces in the city. It is too bad they aren't totally together.

I attended a beautiful wedding here. The service was phenomenal and the staff were very helpful and accommodating. Everything on their part ran on time. The bartenders were really nailing the drink orders and the servers stayed on top of it all. Food was good. The ribs were delicious and the spiced crumble was a good light dessert. The venue itself is gorgeous and the location was so easy to get to.

Great place for Sunday brunch! Tasty flavors and great spot! Unfortunately no birthday celebration but you can have an amazing time

Enjoyed the weekend brunch buffet at The Exchange. Excellent service and ambience (Atrium).

The pictures of the ambience online look amazing, but the reality is it was just ok. The building is historic, but the interior has a very corporate feel. The service was average at best, and the food was solid but nothing notably above average. Good variety of menu items for everyone. If you’re at the park and looking for a place to quickly grab a bite - this is your spot. If you’re looking for a cozy date night or foodie destination - this is definitely not it.

I had wanted to check out this place because the inside looked incredible. We went for restaurant week and it did not disappoint! Beautiful interiors and wonderful food. We both really enjoyed everything we ordered. I highly recommend if you are looking for somewhere to dine in the loop that you check this place out!

The ricotta is heavenly and drinks are also polished and tasty. I recommend the BLVD. The portions are small, so plan accordingly. However, you do get a lot for your money. Our check at the end of the night was more than reasonable for all the food we got. Walk around the building if you can. It's historically and architecturally significant.

The experience started off slightly awkward as the first available reservation online for brunch was 10am and upon arrival at 10 the lights were still off and doors locked. We were let in around 10:10 and remained the only ones in the restaurant until almost 11. Once food started to come out, I disregarded the awkwardness. That was the best French toast I've ever had!

We had the most amazing wedding at The Exchange! I cannot thank Alyssa and her team enough! Their bartenders were so quick and efficient. Our cocktail hour went swimmingly and everyone had drinks in hand! Never once was there that long dreaded line to the bar. Our guests RAVED about the food. Seriously, one of the best meals I have ever had! The staff was so friendly & speedy, the food was hot, and the drinks were always flowing! The venue is that perfect Chicago location - if your guests are visiting for the weekend and would like to explore the area. Thank you Alyssa for being amazing and loving what you do! The memories we've made will last a lifetime and we can happily say it's because you all were involved. Hats off to the entire Exchange Team!