I visited this restaurant for valentines weekend. I had the yucca fries, the pulpo a la plancha, and guava jerk ribs. And while all the dishes were delicious, I did find all the sauces to be a little salty for my liking. I also ordered a cocktail, the “holy water,” which was great but also just a little too sweet. I would definitely return for cocktails but probably ask for maybe a little less sugar in my drinks.

Took my wife out for a birthday dinner here. The food was awesome, the drinks were great, and the restaurant was lively. My wife got the South American Jerk chicken and I got the frita Cubana burger. We really enjoyed the sweet plantains and I really soaked up the coconut rum. I highly recommend going to this restaurant. After dinner, it was an awesome walk around the neighborhood. The homes around there are really cool. A mix of classic old and big new stylish contemporary homes.

I had the pleasure of dining at Amaru tonight night with my spouse, and we were absolutely blown away by the food, service, and atmosphere. The oxtail ravioli was the standout dish for us, but everything we tried was delicious. The beet salad was beautifully presented and packed with flavor, and the soft cheese with ground pepper sauce was simply outstanding. The service was impeccable, from the moment we were seated to the moment we left. Our server, Francisco, was attentive and knowledgeable, and he made sure that we had a wonderful experience. The atmosphere at Amaru is also lovely. The restaurant is intimate and romantic, with soft lighting and warm decor. We would definitely recommend Amaru to anyone looking for a special dining experience in Chicago. Here are some specific details about our experience: Food: The food was absolutely incredible. We tried the oxtail ravioli, the beet salad, the soft cheese with ground pepper sauce, and the chocolate mousse for dessert. Everything was cooked to perfection, and the flavors were all perfectly balanced. Service: The service was impeccable. Our server, Francisco, was attentive and knowledgeable, and he made sure that we had a wonderful experience. He was always available to answer our questions and make recommendations. Atmosphere: The atmosphere at Amaru is lovely. The restaurant is intimate and romantic, with soft lighting and warm decor. We felt very comfortable and relaxed throughout our meal. Value: The value at Amaru is excellent. The food is high-quality and the portions are generous. We left feeling full and satisfied, and we didn't feel like we had overspent. Overall, we had a wonderful dining experience at Amaru. We would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a special dining experience in Chicago.

Came with a group of friends for a New Years' reunion and was not disappointed. Each dish was presented beautifully and tasted even better. Highly recommend getting the chorizo plantains wrapped in bacon. Special shout out to our server, Maritza!

I dined at Amaru on a Friday night and it was a wonderful experience. The food and drinks were amazing. The bacon wrapped plantains, picanha and seafood empanada were AMAZING. The staff were nice and very very attentive! Even got a free dessert out of our visit. Will definitely be back.

This was a trip--the food was art. Flat out. I made a weeknight reservation because I couldn't find a weekend slot, and I'm not surprised. They are slinging the good good. The Old Cuban was fantastic with the luscious Guava Jerk Ribs, and the sourdough with the tamarind soft cheese was velvet drugs. I had the Lomo Asado and was really into the buttery char goodness, but Hub was good enough to bestow a bite of his Pollo Al Carbòn and I'm telling you: that is the move. If you get nothing else. 3 day marinated Amish chicken, skewered and grilled--bent my mind magic. And then Hub had the flan and I had the Floridita Key Lime and I am not kidding: the homemade graham cracker with laminated layers was OUTRAGEOUS. One of the best meals we've had--ever.

Overall: Food is tasty, quick to table time, portions are on the smaller side (sways more towards shareable food), drinks were pretty good, and the place itself felt lively but tables can feel like you're squished together. All our food was delicious definitely would recommend the Piononos and the frita Cubana, and Cuban Oxtail (not pictured here) which a friend let me try out. Like I mentioned, the space felt a little crowded but wasn't terrible. The drinks were normal nothing out of this world but definitely acceptable for their price. I would visit again to try out more plates.

Every single thing we tried was absolutely delicious. Perfect service. Calm and enjoyable atmosphere. Looking forward to coming back again and trying more items from the menu!

This place is a must go ! Infused flavors that get the taste buds going . Holy water drink was out of this world with wait staff that attend your every needs . Love this place will be back .

I was shocked, my sister in law said this was better than girl and the goat 😳😮 $40 per person , follow @biteswithbessy for more! better food, 10/10 would recommend ⬇️⬇️📍 @amarurestaurant in Wicker Park Growing up in Asia, my family and I always valued eating great food without paying too much. 💲💲 Because in Hong Kong, you can get the best food, the best noodles, the best sushi even just for $20 😂 So we wanted to try a few new restaurants while exploring different neighborhoods of Chicago 👀 Because my brother & sister in law haven't really seen Wicker Park ✈️ they live in NY This was perfect! Low key , super underrated, and hidden 👍 and my brother + sister in law haven't really tried Latin American food so this was perfect! 👯 If you like seafood & grilled meats, good vibes, without the price tag.. then this is for you Got the: - Charred octopus $16 on potatoes bravas🦑 - Bacon wrapped dates $13 - 🥓 - Coconut Fried Rice $8 - cheese, chili honey on sourdough $13 - Ceviche $13 - Cuban burger $13 burnt garlic aioli - tender loin $34, + corn chimichurri & mole - Key Lime $12 - Espresso Tres Leches $12 Share this with someone who's visiting! 📍@amarurestaurant 1904 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 Book on @opentable

One of the best meals I’ve had in Chicago! Amaru has a really cute vibe and absolutely excellent dishes! We made a reservation, it was decently crowded even though it was a Wednesday evening. We started off with the guatemalan ribs which were a delight and some cocktails. I would recommend the holywater 🙏🏽 Moved on to Pulpo a la plancha (octopus) and the jerk pollo, which were both so good! The potatoes and sauce and everything was really done to perfection. For dessert, we got the lima limon tart which was okay and the panela creme brulee which just melted in my mouth! Everything was great about this place and I can’t recommend it enough!

Great ceviche and pisco sours in traditional and experimental options! Excellent service in an upscale casual atmosphere. Friendly and knowledgeable staff makes the dining experience unbeatable!

One of the best dinners I’ve had in Chicago! The grilled octopus was the best and grilled perfectly!! The coconut fried rice, piononos, and chicken were also amazing! Loved our cocktails too. We thought it was very reasonably priced for the quality and portions of the food.

Finally made it back to this place post-pandemic and it did not disappoint! Great spot for share plates and yummy cocktails. Stars of the show were the oxtail, the market fish, & the ceviche of the day. Special of the day was also amazing and pictured. It was a pork shank with rice & beans and a citrus mojo sauce. Service was on point as well! We will definitely be going back.

Amaru is so good we went two nights in a row! Everything was delicious and the service was awesome. Our favorites were the guava jerk ribs, Cuban oxtail, ceviche, pernil, house punch, and coconut tres leches. 10/10 recommend!

My boyfriend took me to Amaru for our early V-day celebration this year, for the first time. The drinks were amazing, I had the one called “the holy water” (2x cause our waiter got our drink order wrong ). The food was tasty: we had the ceviche del dia as an appetizer, then proceeded to have the branzino and the pernil as entrees, finishing off with the Mexican chocolate tart (delicious!). However, the service was truly lacking, our waiter was very distracted, didn’t check on us much, left us unattended for long periods of time when the restaurant wasn’t even busy to begin with. Got one of our drink orders wrong after we ordered once and had to remind him of it, and on top of that the main dish that I wanted and pretty much came here excited to try (picanha) was unavailable on that day, which was extremely disappointing to me. Then I was offered the NY strip as an alternative, which is nearly 3x more expensive than the picanha that I originally wanted (we politely declined). I’d give them another chance, but honestly I had super high expectations and the fact that the main dish I wanted wasn’t available and the service was one of the poorest we’ve ever had was enough to warrant 3 stars instead of 4.

Great food and service, creative and colorful drinks. I love the window plant settings, had a great experience here with my friend, first post COVID dine in experience. (Please keep that Bye, You baijiu recipe, I never knew Chinese baijiu can be combined such way. （some dish is a bit salty, but overall great, and would love to visit again)

Amaru does a lot with the small footprint of the restaurant. The food was flavorful and the staff provided good service. Out of the many dishes we tried, the bacon wrapped chorizo, ribs, pork sholder and guava (dessert) was the best.

Great spot. Great service, server knew the drink menu well. The food service was timely and well paced. Slightly under seasoned on the lomo and the octo was a bit under cooked. But enjoyed every dish. The oxtail and goat cheese as well as the ribs were standouts.

Great place, adding more color to the neighborhood with great food, cute decor, and good service. Empanadas and device were the highlights. Pork Shoulder is also flavorful and tender.

Such a good find! Great food, friendly staff and cozy ambient. Perfect for a date night. Make sure to try the Solterito salad and Espresso Tres Leches.

The food was absolutely OUTSTANDING! My only gripe is the general set-up of the space - there is not nearly enough room on the tables for everything which made us feel a bit rushed when eating. The music was also, unfortunately, wayyyy too loud. It's hard to find anywhere anymore that doesn't have obnoxiously loud music though; I just happen to enjoy the company of the people that I go out with and I would love to be able to hear them! That aside, the food was truly out of this world. Our server suggested we order 6-9 plates for our group of 4. We ordered 6, and it was PLENTY of food. Each dish was unique and more delicious than the last. The branzino was maybe the best I've had, and the desserts were to die for! Highly recommend, and definitely would go back again.

Drinks were amazing, nice food , ambience was ok , will definitely go again, service was outstanding

Highly Recommend: this place was solid, everything was on point. Every dish tasted great, had the octopus place, coconut fried rice, mushroom, and for dessert their espresso tres leches. the drink was awesome too - their homestyle rum tiki drink. Service was great as well. I will definitely make sure to return to this place and try other dishes.

It's only Monday, and these guys already made my week. Nothing will top it. I was greeted by 2 lovely managers, Maritza and Melony. I sat at the bar, and Alexis was a pro executing cocktails. Loved the recommendations. I had The Holy Water, Cocktail #12, and Spicy Girl. Each has a genuine flavor profile that can't compare to each other. I grew fond at reviewing restaurants, and moving forward, I will take a notebook to write my experience to everything I taste. Each dish was plated beautifully. Piononos - comforting, savory, and well balanced with subtle bold flavors. Pulpo a la Plancha- the fermented poblano kimchi made the dish. Octopus was tender and not chewy at all. Nicaraguan Churrasco - another comfort dish. Had to get my steak medium rare. Well-done steak lover will argue but can't cuz they still be chewing. Guava Cheesecake- It was an absolute delight. Brownie crust, and subtle sweetness Cheesecake topped with guava marmalade to end the night blissfully. This place is a GEM 💎 and i will definitely be coming back.

Recommendation entree :Entraña - medium rare. Great portion! Actually cooked medium rare! The puree and chimichurri pair perfectly 👌🏼. Recommended Dessert: Keylime Pie! It actually was served deconstructed. Absolutely a great experience eating it in this form, but most importantly the flavor was there! There was tartness and sweetness. The Crust shell had coated sugar that was fantastic. If you're a keylime lover you will love this! Honestly this place is just good and we will definitely be returning. Everything had great flavor. The Entraña was actually cooked medium rare, as i asked, and it was like butter especially when paired with the sweet potato puree.

We loved Amaru. The cocktails were strong and the food was excellent. The coconut tres leches cake was our favorite.

Server was nice. Good music. Drinks were good. Food, honestly, not so much. Too salty! Not terrible, but waaaaaay too salty!

Listen....this is good. Like...really really good. This is not an alarm, but get your butts over here. I'm not even done with my meal and I'm having to rave about it on Google. It is that good. Killer happy hour too.

Service + ambiance was amazing. Our server absolutely went above and beyond for our birthday celebration. The drinks were phenomenal and the bartender even made us a drink off the menu (rum old fashioned). The cerviche was the best I have ever had! Dinner and dessert was phenomenal as well. Would recommend and will be back next time we are in Chicago. *pic is the cerviche*

We were seated immediately upon arrival based on our reservation and once seated I noted a text that they were ready for us, which was nice. The service was so amazing! They were attentive and consistent in clearing the table and bringing our food out over time. The food was amazing! We loved it all especially the empanadas and the ceviche. But there is something for everyone! Highly recommend!