Visited Valhalla on a layover in Chicago after Christmas and wanted to share my impressions. I saw that someone already posted the current menu but as I was so thoroughly impressed by the well thought out menu and the friendly and attentive service I thought I’d share anyway. This was my first time visiting a fine dining restaurant in the US (and the first time doing so on my own) and my expectations were quite high after reading so many positive comments about Valhalla on this subreddit. Before booking I was torn between this and Oriole and looking back I’m almost sad that I didn’t just do both.
Comparing Valhalla to the fine dining restaurants I’ve been to in Europe and Asia I would without a doubt put Valhalla in the top of the 1 star category, definitely not far off from 2 stars. The menu and presentation were precise and vibrant, the flavors were inventive and unique (bless every chef who’s not afraid of spicyness) and the order of the dishes felt incredibly well thought out.
Highlights for me were the first trio of dishes with muscles, the mushroom kebab, the water aged fish and the beef breast. The desserts were also all fantastic and I thankfully none of them were just some mousse, foam or sorbet. They all had an extra kick or crunch to them.
The only thing that bothered me a bit was that we were SPRINTING through the menu. Maybe it was because I was by myself so the only smalltalk I could have was with the staff, but sometimes I felt like they wanted to get me out as fast as possible to make room for two more guests. But could’ve probably just asked them to take bigger breaks between courses.
by Einzelkind90
2 Comments
Great pictures and good review! Do you have an international restaurant that Valhalla is close to or is it just in its own category based on your experiences?
Looks great. How long were you there?