First time having Peruvian food. We had brunch here and it was delicious! I can't imagine what dinner is like! We had the empanadas sampler and the beef was out favorite out of the three! If you love avocado, you like the avocado with corn! Chicken was good as well but third pick out of the three. The chicken with fried rice and egg was really good. Reminded me of a Korean dish. The Leche De Tigre Clasico was so flavorful. Good combo of everything. Pulpo Criollo which is the octopus dish and it reminded us of Greece! Chicharrón Waffle- a really good sweet and savory dish Huevos Tanta- beef cheeks was really tender and really good with the runny egg yolk I really wanted to the beef nigiri with the egg on top but it's only served during dinner time. Next time :)
(5)
Tricia D.
In 6 words: I wanted to like it more. Service was lackluster. Our waiter seemed to be a newbie. I don't know whether that's true or not, but if someone asks how the menu's brunch bellini is/to describe it, "it's like your standard bellini" isn't very helpful. Maybe I gave him a look because then he was more objectively descriptive of the flavors of the drink. Also, after we finished eating, we asked for boxes, but the waiter took 3 of the 4 plates back to be boxed up. He carried back the 2 half eaten huevos tantas at the same time, but didn't bother differentiating whose leftovers were whose (and put them all in one bag). Again, not very helpful. Seemed rookie to me. Food was ok, but nothing to write home about. Soft poached eggs on the huevos tanta were nice and oozy and yolky, but the beef was salty, and the hash browns were borderline too crispy (read: very dry). Chaufa fried rice was comforting with the bits of bean sprout, mushroom, and peppers in it, but nothing spectacular. I can remove this place from my bookmarks list now!
(3)
Robert K.
Seated promptly, but table was under a vent for the a.c. and was very uncomfortable. After complaining several times and asking to see the manager, she ultimately stopped by and seated us at a booth which was far more comfortable. I started with a El Chingon cocktail that was very good and my wife had the El Piscolero, which was equally good but just a tad too sweet. Next we had the Causita sampler which we enjoyed. Nice presentation with proper balance of flavors. Next cam the Cebiche sampler two of which were good , but the third needed more citrus and salt. They all could have use a bit more rocoto pepper (hot pepper) as this is typical in Peruvian Cebiche. We the had anti hunches of Paiche which were flavorful and cooked to perfection. We finished our meal with the Estofado de Cordero which was well plated, but lacked flavor and seemed to be a bit dry. Our server was pleasant, efficient and friendly. We won't hesitate to go back for another visit in the future to try some of the other plates. We have been to some of Guston Acurio's restaurants in Lima and Cuzco and always enjoy our visits as well as our meals.
(4)
Carolyn I.
I've been to Tanta a couple of times and have never been disappointed. Their food and drinks are consistently delicious! I went with a group of four and we shared 3 appetizers and 2 main dishes. I started with the royalty cocktail that my server suggested. I thought it was good, not too sweet and well-balanced. I tried my friend's pisco sour that she upgraded and it was so smooth. I might have to order that next time. Appetizers: Cebiche: Criollo - chef's selection fish, scallop, shrimp, smoked-creamy aji amarillo The seafood was incredibly fresh. Anticucho: Pulpo - octopus, chimichurri, crispy garlic, olive sauce The octopus was perfectly cooked and seasoned well. Niguiris Nikei: Pobre - skirt steak, quail egg, chalaca, ponzu Criollo - bay scallops, smoky sesame beef, huacatay cream Both were good, but I preferred the criollo over the pobre. Entrees: Lomo Saltado - traditional beef tenderloin stir-fry, red onions, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic & soy sauce, served with rustic potatoes and rice I've always enjoyed lomo saltado at other Peruvian restaurants, but this one was probably the best I've ever had. The beef was so tender! Chaufa Aeropuerto - pork fried rice, shrimp tortilla, spicy garlic This came to our table sizzling hot and after you mix it all together, it is so satisfying. Dessert: Duo de Alfajores - vanilla & chocolate shortbread cookies, dulce de leche center, lucuma ice cream It was a little too sweet for me, but still very delicious. Our server, Carolina was super friendly. We asked her if we go to the rooftop afterwards and she gladly took us up there. I highly recommend Tanta for inventive food and delicious craft cocktails.
(5)
Danielle S.
After recently visiting Peru for two weeks I've been on a Peruvian cocktail and cuisine kick. Tanta did not disappoint. What we had.... Cocktails: Pisco sour, we had the classic and one with a higher end pisco. Both amazing, you can certainly taste the difference when you get the better one. A bit stronger. And beware these drinks taste so good but it is in their nature to be very strong! They also make a beautiful design with the bitters. Then I tried the "La Rusa" pisco, St Germaine, orange, lemon, Campari ice and thyme. Beautiful and amazing. Last the "Inca-nela" with inca cola in it! Yellow of course and with an amazing apple cinnamon tasting garnish on the glass. So fun! So, basically we didn't go wrong on any of our cocktails! The food... Yum! We started with ceviche, the $17 Classico. Just like Lima, Peruvian corn and red onions, and the juice has an amazing flavor. Then we had the "Huevos Tanta" braised beef cheek, fried egg, crispy hash browns and parsley sauce. Unreal, I loved every minute of it. I think it was the parsley sauce but something had a kick and it was perfection! We also ordered the "Tanta burger" The meat was seasoned well, and all the elements on top worked wonderfully. The bun was toasted and flavorful as well. I blinked and this was gone. Lastly, the bacon. It was on the burger but we got a side too. So thick, full of flavor.... So good! I cannot wait to go back for the dinner menu!
(5)
Alex P.
Tanta has become a favorite of mine in Chicago's river north area. The empanadas are hands down some of the best I've ever had. The cebiches are all rather awesome and you must get the beef heart and octopus skewers. Really, the menu is adventurous and fun, yet has things for the more traditional diner as well. Downstairs is all reservations and you have to make one a few days in advance even for weekdays. I am sure weekends are even more packed. However, there is an awesome upstairs area that's first come first serve. Most of it is open air and has an awesome chill vibe. The only thing that subtracted from the chill vibes was our waitress, whose capability and speed of serving tables can only be compared to a Galapagos turtle as it makes its way through 15 meters of open space on a sunny afternoon.
(4)
Emily H.
the presentation is nice, but it does not feel very authentic. The menu has sections of fusion with chinese or japanese. Things we ordered: -- a fried rice from the chifa section, it is just like bimbimbap, but not as flavourful -- beef heart skewer: this the only thing that tastes like things we had when we were in Peru...it is very bland; also I loved the big corn in there! reminds me of the corns we had in Peru --lamb leg: the quinoa is great, but the lamb itself is so so -- fried fish: sweet and sour, more like a panda express dish In general, i would recommend this restaurant to my friend and would love to come back to try different things.
(4)
Robin O.
AH-mazing! We tried to make dinner reservations one night, but they were completely booked. The next day we popped in midday for some drinks. It was mid afternoon, and there were a few people at the rooftop bar - yes rooftop. It's not the tallest building, but when the weather is nice, that's all you need. First, the drink menu. They have a seasonal drink menu, which is a pretty neat concept. All of the specialty drinks were fresh and light, not dark and heavy. Several were made with the Peruvian Pisco liquor - and some are made in large batches daily and are ready to pour. I tried LA GUAPA - (lavender gin, rhubarb,lemon, cremant de bourgogne). It went down nice and smooth and was actually refreshing. The food around us looked and smelled so awesome that we had to order. We tried the cebiche cremosa and it did not disappoint. It was a fresh explosion of flavors in your mouth. I am a big fan of ceviche, so I hope that says a lot. We were yet again tempted, and ordered empanadas. They were kind enough to let us get one chicken and one beef as an order (instead of two of the same kind). We blinked and they were gone - I wish we had one of these closer to home - I'd be their #1 customer! If you are in Chicago this is a must do!!!
(5)
Steve V.
A brunch I want to go back to! Such a great experience. Started with a spicy El Chingon...that easily led to another. Tho there were some breakfast items with a great Peruvian twist ... like a waffle. I had the Huevos Tanta, and was scraping my plate. Everything was amazing. They have a very nice rooftop, and it would serve them well to offer the full menu up there. Service was very friendly and attentive. One person even hunted me down when I accidentally left my wallet on our table. I saw one very bad review listed on the same day we were there. Really hard to believe as the chef was so spot on and people around us were also commenting how good their food was. We will absolutely be back.
(5)
Jonathan S.
Here's the thing. A lot places that serve a modern or "updated" versions of a specific cultural dish miss the mark. First of all, by messing about with the original recipe, you basically change the dish, for better or worse. In Tanta's case, the food looks and tastes like it's trying too hard to be modern when they should have stuck to the awesome traditional flavors of Peru. Tanta's atmosphere is nice, a bit loud but fun, higher end crowd. Servers, seemingly were all Peruvian and seemed to know the food well. The menu selection was varied and everything looked yummy, it was tough to decide. But when the food came out, everything had a sauce on it which completely over powered everything, particularly the seafood. The ceviches we ordered had too many flavors going on, couldn't taste the seafood. Don't get me wrong the food was good but the flavor of all the proteins didn't stand out because it was over sauced, which is a pity. Plus I didn't think the experience was worth the money. Not too bad, but a bit pricey for the experience. It's one of those places where I totally don't regret having gone but wouldn't go back.
(3)
Kavita S.
It was my first time trying Peruvian cuisine and my first time visiting Tanta. I must say that I enjoyed the Peruvian food and drink experience very much! I would have given Tanta five stars, but the preparation of one of the dishes prevented me from doing so. I started with the pisco punch and el chingon. Both cocktails were ridiculously delicious! The meal started with the cebiche tasting, with 3 different cebiches, and I must say the nikei with the ahi tuna and tamarind was hands down my favorite. The tamarind added a tart and sweet syrupy goodness to the juices of the cebiche. I also enjoyed the plantain chips that were served as apps; the thin strips of fried goodness had the perfect crunch. The pollo empanadas were flavorful (reminded me of an Indian samosa filled with spicy potatoes and chicken). ;-) The anticuchera was light and fluffy, but bursting with flavor. The pulpo was delicious and the octopus was cooked and flavored perfectly. The chicharron was hands down my favorite large plate. I might be biased because I love pork belly and tamarind, and this dish married the two so brilliantly. For dessert, the mousse de chocolate fortunato was perfect. The reason for the missing star from my review would be the arroz tanta. This dish was definitely one of the most flavorful with the many different components...chorizo, seafood, and aji amarillo cream. However, the chicken wings were lightly fried on top, if we can call it that. The entire chicken wing itself was raw. It was like purchasing raw chicken wings from a grocery store and dropping the uncooked chicken into a cooked rice dish. That was the only disappointing element. However, this one iffy experience will not keep me from visiting Tanta again and trying some of the other tasty items on the menu!
(4)
Courtney P.
I'm always up for trying new cuisines and this was a great first time experience with Peruvian food. We ended up eating the whole meal tapas style and didn't even bother with the entree portion of the menu. The waitress was SUPER helpful with recommendations and everything we ordered was great!!
(5)
Simeen A.
I know this place is a hot favorite in town but I went yesterday and disliked it a great deal. I don't wanna say hate, but... Went with a group of friends for brunch. Restaurant was not full but service took forever. Took 15 minutes for us to place a drink order, then some drinks took forever (one girl ordered an iced coffee- she had to flag down someone for cream and again for sugar- why don't they offer it? another friend ordered an espresso and her drink took forever, we thought they had forgotten it.). I had ordered a club soda which was fine but I finished it halfway through the meal and I was never offered a refill. The real low point for me was the food. My friend who had picked the restaurant raved about the quiche, so I ordered it along with 2 others at the table. Our food came out, and there were issues with everyone's quiche. Mine was straight up raw- the egg in the quiche was running on the plate and it was cold- clearly not cooked enough (by FAR). Gross. I pointed it out to one friend who said, "well I never send anything back. I bet it still tastes good. I'd just eat it." Um, wtf. No, sorry, and ew. (I said to her, this is raw egg- and she said, "there's no egg in quiche, I think it's just creamy." Uhhhh... quiche is basically an omelette with a crust, so yeah there is egg in quiche, and mine is straight up raw). Other two quiches were just cold- not raw and runny but not warm. Weird. So we sent all three back- server was apologetic and after a while we got our plates again. I think they just heated them up- which is ok for the cold ones, but mine was raw, so, still, kind of ew. At least it came back set up and not oozing raw egg. The quiche was served with what was described as a fried egg. I requested my egg be fried hard- I specifically asked, can you please make sure it's fried hard, I don't like runny eggs. So the egg that came out resembled a poached egg- it was round and sort of wiggly, but compared to the fried eggs with both other quiches, mine looked like it had been fried longer (was more brown). But when I broke into it it was totally raw and again oozed all over. I noticed this with my raw quiche, and then when they brought out my reheated quiche there was a fresh fried egg, and that one was raw too. When my plate was cleared, server didn't notice that I left the raw egg pushed into a corner on the plate and at that point raw eggs had been the theme of the day so what was the point. We all split the pumpkin fried dough thing for dessert. The only nice thing I'll say is that apparently the order comes with 4 pieces, but the server offered to make ours 5 so we could each try one. That's nice. Weirdly this was served with (huge) spoons. Who the f eats a donut with a spoon? Weird. Based on 3 of the 5 of us having to send food back, I would have expected SOMETHING taken off the bill. Maybe the dessert for free, if you're going to make us pay for our meals? Nope. I did not like this place at all. Maybe I went on an off day but I am in no hurry to return.
(2)
Salas M.
Outstanding food, environment, and awesome friendly staff! If you are around Chicago, make it a point to get in this place. The Peruvian-Japanese flare and "chifa" delicious
(5)
Natalia K.
I'm a simple girl with simple tastes so I'm not a huge fan of overpaying for small plates just because it's new and they decide to fuse a couple cuisines together. This was the case here and I would give 3.5 stars if I could, but I'm rounding up. We started with drinks. The waiter told us pisco was basically like vodka. I tried the punch and it was way too sweet. I'll stick with beer, if there is a next time. My friends and I tried the empanadas, I had the pork and beef ones, which were good, but nothing special. For our dishes, we tried the pork fried rice (this is a Peruvian Chinese fusion dish), salmon sashimi (another fusion dish which placed raw salmon in a creamy sauce), duck (well cooked and I liked it), beef tenderloin stir fry (which was essentially beef and wedge potatoes in a brown sauce), and the Peruvian rice dish (with squid and wings). I probably liked the salmon the best, though everything was good, just not amazing, for the price. My favorite part of the meal was the complementary plantain chips and sauce. Yum. I could live on those. My least favorite part was the waiter. I don't know if he had instructions from the kitchen to push certain items but he was extremely opinionated in what we should be ordering. I appreciate a helpful and enthusiastic server, but this guy just came off as condescending and pushy. Otherwise, the general flavor of the restaurant was a trendy, but pleasant one.
(4)
Joann V.
So happy I found this place! The food was amazing. My group of 7 hadn't made a reservation because we wanted to eat on the rooftop. I was expecting to wait at least an hour or so but we were seated right away. At first they didn't have enough room for all of us but they were kind enough to move some things around. Our waitress was great. Staff was super friendly. I loved the octopus and quinoa the best. From the pictures I thought I'd like the pork rice way more but we finished the quinoa way faster lol. The roof isn't too big. Upstairs, they have a section with a roof covering and another without. The view isn't all that great-just the fact that we were outside eating made it a really nice atmosphere. I'm already craving the quinoa.
(4)
Laura S.
My fear of fish has been overcome! I would be a happy girl if I could eat ceviche from Tanta every day of my life. Sadly I live in NYC so won't be able to do that. The drinks were amazing, the fish was ridicuously good, and the fried rice was something I still think about when I get a little hungry. If you're on the fence about eating here go ahead and do.
(5)
Jeff A.
Way overrated and overpriced. And they need to tone down the selling of menu items (I've heard this from friends who had separate experiences). At times, I felt pressured to order recommended items and guilty for not ordering some. Some dishes were good, some great. But overall, the experience was way less than I anticipated and hoped for.
(2)
Nicole F.
Came here for a birthday dinner and had a really good dining experience. The decor is very pretty. Lots of textured walls and colorful artwork. The service was very good. Our server was very knowledgable about all the ingredients and origins of the dishes. We tried the ceviches, corn cakes, beef heart, fish, chicken, empanadas, wagyu beef with a quail egg and everything was very tasty. Highly recommend this place.
(5)
Jeffrey C.
I have admittedly little experience with Peruvian food, but there's this amazing place in Houston called Latin Bites where I very willingly pay double-digits for causitas, which are essentially glorified mashed potatoes. And it's worth it. In any case, I'm a huge proponent of Peruvian cuisine, a mish-mash of Latin, Asian, and African cuisine that makes for absolute perfection in certain dishes. As mentioned, I'm an absolute sucker for causitas. I love the tartness infusion into mashed potatoes, not to mention the sauce and toppings that accompany a bite-sized dollop of smashed, whipped tuber. Tanta's causitas tasting is, unfortunately, extremely pricey, so we settled on trying just one, the limena. I'm all about that potato, whereas Tanta piles on the toppings at the expense of mash (in this case, a tasty chicken salad). But the little bit of potato I did have was excellent. And you can't talk tartness without mentioning the national drink, the pisco sour, which--fun fact--was actually invented by an American dude. For those that haven't had the pleasure, it's like an even tarter margarita without that tequila burn. I don't imbibe mix drinks often, but I love me some pisco sour. Continuing with the tart theme, my other favorite Peruvian dishes are tiraditos and cebiches. Tiraditos tend to be creamier, with an added sauce infusion, while cebiches stay more on the limey, zesty side with more emphasis on the taste of the fish. At Tanta, we picked the nikei tiradito, ahi tuna topped with one too many sauces (passion fruit leche de tigre, honey, and chifa sauce). The sauces played too many tricks in combination; I would rather they have stuck with two and called it a day. The slightly seared ahi was awesome, though. For the cebiche, we went with the criollo, which was mahi mahi, shrimp, and squid in a simple aji amarillo. We ordered a small and after my first bite, I regretted it instantly. A cebiche tasting costs the same price as two and a third smalls, but unfortunately does not feature the criollo, our choice. Still, if you're all about that fish, it's a solid deal. I personally like staying with the appetizers when dining Peruvian. The Asian sensibility in me always feels that Peruvian main dishes are but a few degrees of separation away from Asian stir-fry. Nevertheless, we tried the arroz criollo, essentially a paella, and the seco marino. Both were cooked extremely well. The seco marino, a grilled fish, was tender and succulent, only slightly spiced that paired nicely with a mellow lima bean puree. Likewise, the arroz wasn't an overtly bold flavor, but rather a mellow spice that well complemented the seafood. Of everything we sampled, only the cebiche was on par as my Latin Bites favorite. Add in the River North prices, and I can't give the full-five star rating. But it was a thoroughly enjoyable night and dining experience.
(4)
Yuri H.
This might be my new favorite restaurant. Everything we had was amazing. The food is so unique and exquisite. I HIGHLY recommend the pobre nigiri and the chaufa aeropuerto. It gets a little crowded during dinner time, but the volume level was surprisingly ok. The ambience is lovely and classy. Tip: make reservations!
(5)
Taylor W.
This is one of my new favorite spots. The drinks are awesome, the food is delicious, and I love the ambience both inside and outside. I've been here twice now and have had excellent food and service both times.
(5)
Stef S.
Very delicious food, but incredibly expensive. Overall, the value for money isn't there but the food alone is probably worth 4-5 stars! It was impossible to get a table, even though half the restaurant was empty. I guess they give out reservations for all tables in the restaurants, but it doesn't make sense to keep guests waiting when half the restaurant is completely empty because of "reservations"! The clasico causitas were just fancy mashed potatoes. They were served cold, which was unexpected, and at $6 a pop (the order only has two) it was incredibly expensive for a bite sized snack. I didn't enjoy the mixto ceviche-- it was too "fishy" (tasting and smelling) and flavorless ($18). The entrees are where Tanta really shined though. The lomo saltado ($32) came with peppers, onions, and rice. Very tasty. My friend's arroz tanta was also very delicious ($24). The cocktails were fantastic. Service was friendly, the ambiance was nice. I would definitely come back for the food, but be prepared to spend.
(3)
Erwan C.
This restaurant is great for a weekend evening when you are looking for an ambiance, a solid wine / cocktail list and great food. I went with my girlfriend on a Friday night and it was a great choice for a date night. First time I've had fusion Peruvian / Japanese food and it was excellent - the chefs really did a great job with the 'Peruvian' sashimi and nigiris. The wine was excellent, and the service was brilliant - the waiter knew everything on the menu in detail and did a great job recommending us some fabulous dishes. Overall a great evening at a great venue !
(5)
Jamie B.
I really enjoyed our experience here on the rooftop for drinks. I can't speak to the food because we didn't try any on our recent visit but all of the plates that went by looked good. Definitely want to come back and try the food!
(5)
Taylor P.
The rain in chicago was actually a blessing for us with tanta. I was on the waitlist and was able to score an 8:45 reserve for three on a saturday night. Everyone from chicago said I must go here so I was happy to be able to dine here on my short weekend trip. They started us off with complimentary plaintain chips with a yummy sauce. Pisco sours, peruvian beer, and lama limas (definitely butchering the name Of this drink) were ordered. I loved the lima lama drink best, super tasty. The ceviche taster was very good, I especially liked the tuna ceviche (my sister loves the huge corn pieces they use in the sampler). The octopus was some of the best octopus I have ever had, perfectly done with an amazing sauce and placed on a potatoe stack. The steak niguiri with egg was also phenomenal, and a bite I have never thought to try before in my dining years. We also had the sample of the causitas (pureed potato stacks with various toppings) again the octopus being the standout for me. We finished the meal with the shrimp fried rice which is presented beautifully then mixed at the table. I love the ability to keep ordering small bites and having a variety of flavors. I left full but not weighed down, perfect.
(4)
Allison F.
I am really, really surprised at how much I loved this place. When I saw that Tanta showcased Peruvian food, I began to wonder: "What exactly is Peruvain food?" According to our waiter, it's a gallimaufry of several cuisines, which makes sense when your limena causitas reminds you an American chicken salad, while your nikei cebiche tastes like you're eating Latin food. They do have one thing in common though: they're both flippin' fantastic. My friends and I ordered four small plates on our visit: -quinoa solterito (cold dish) -nikei cebiche (cold dish) -chalana (two of every caustia; cold dish) -criollo (warm dish) If you look at the descriptions of these items or see them presented on a miniature wooden boat (true story), you might wonder how these came to be. Don't ask questions; just take a bite and revel in the gastronomic masterpieces. I'm still trying to decipher how certain flavor combinations worked, especially with the causitas. Each one had various ethnic twists with a cold whipped potato beneath them. As much as I wondered why someone would put these combinations together, my brain was silenced with each mesmerizing bite. Each dish was fresh and delicious, and everyone at my table LOVED everything we ordered, especially the criollo (bay scallops, smoky sesame beef, huacatay cream). Had we not placed another reservation at another restaurant, we would have stayed for a full dinner. We had a phenomenal experience, and I would encourage any foodie to dine at Tanta.
(5)
Elisa G.
I start by saying that I love Peruvian food so my review may be quite biased. But, this place has easily become one of my Chicago favorite... First of all they bring their complimentary plantain chips with an amazing sauce that seems like a spiced mayo. They are crispy and flavorful that you could just keep eating. I tried: - the tiraditos cremoso: really really good selection of Peruvian sashimi; - the octopus appetizer, OMG! It was so tender and crispy outside on amazing potatoes; - crab causitas, probably one of my favorite of the night; - beef heart, also good! To be honest, all the dishes had something special that would make you say, I want more! I will definitely go there again to try the rest of the menu!
(5)
Brandy S.
Amazing service and amazing food. The antecuchos are amazing and the main courses were delicious.
(5)
Oskar M.
Places like these make me want to add more stars to the Yelp rating system - not a sure 5, but definitely more than a 4. Started off with Pobre Nigiri Nikei - probably the best nigiri I've ever had. So many flavors attacking your mouth at the same time, in just the right way. Followed up with a Cebiches tasting, which was delicious overall but could've been a bit bolder. Ended with some pork dish that came with a perfectly creamy rice side. If they perfect the Cebiches, I'll give them a 5.
(4)
Jen J.
I rolled in on a weekend night with a ceviche craving. Unfortunately the ceviche mixto did not deliver. The fish tasted fresh and was the appropriate size but there were not enough citrus/kick in the dish. It was bland bland bland and tiny for the price. I did love my drink and the friendly bartenders. But if you are looking for bold/true Peruvian flavors, you may want to look elsewhere.
(3)
Jackie M.
Highly recommend making reservation if you are coming in with a large group. Great service and nice contemporary decor. We had a party of 6, therefore the waiter made sure the food was sufficient for 6. Based on the photo, I'm not sure how many piece comes in one order. This would be the place to be if you are looking for FRESH FRESH and CHUNKY ceviche!! The menu was overwhelmed with the variety of ceviche Tanta has to offer. The ceviche here reminiscent the restaurants I've had Miami, which it's almost near impossible to find a legit Peruvian restaurant in Chicago. The ceviche sampler platter was presented on a large boat and a great photo-op. It came with ahi poke, crab salad, and chicken salad? Unfortunately, i was not too fond of the crab or the chicken. It wasn't amazing. The fish ceviche - we ordered 2 fish ceviche, which was the chef's selection. It was a white fish and it was fresh, chunky, and flavorful. The scallop and Octopus nikei (nigiri) - it was amazing because the seafood was lightly seared and atop of a ball of rice. Generally speaking, it's a nigiri. It was a mouthful of flavor. Must order! The chafua (pork fried rice) - initially, it just sounds like a ghetto latino/chinese fried rice. It's served in a stone bowl, which slowly heats the rice and makes it more toasty. I really enjoy this fried rice which was not your typical asian fried rice. It was tasty and the flavor was just different. One star taken away because the meat entree and the dessert was just okay, but good. We also ordered a few meat entree (shortrib, beef) - It was good, but didnt stand out as much as the seafood entree. Dessert - We had the chocolate mousse with fried quinoa and the apple dessert (more like a apple pie) which was okay. Will come back and try the Sunday brunch!
(4)
Chris T.
Came for the Pisco Sours, did not leave disappointed. I haven't had a good authentic pisco since I was in Peru, so when I came for brunch it was the first thing I ordered (afterall, booze is the most important part of brunch). As for the food: also yummy! They've added their own twist to several popular brunch dishes, such as the Chicharron Waffle - a play on chicken and waffles. Even the bacon - which I only got a bite of as my dining partner gobbled it all up - wasn't your average bacon. I had the Huevos Tanta, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The egg was cooked perfectly and when I cut into it the yolk oozed all over the plate. Loved the savoriness of the dish. My only complaint would be with the service. Our waitress was super nice but we barely saw her. Took us 15 mins to order, and our coffee took 30 mins to come out (we had finished our food when the coffee came out). They may have been understaffed that day though, so it may have been a fluke. Otherwise, Tanta is a great brunch option!
(4)
Juan T.
The ambience, the service, the speed, all top notch. As far as the food, good portions and a nice mix of flavors that blended well together. I took pictures of all the dinner plates except for the Cebiche Tasting, which was my favorite, by the time I remembered to take a pic it was gone. The plantains, served as chips were delicious and the sauce it came with was dangerous, you couldn't stop eating them. The drinks were also very unique, as the food there were a good mix of flavors, my favorite, El Chingon, spicy and strong. It was a bit pricey, but really worth the visit. I would come back for sure.
(5)
Alex K.
Prior to Tanta I was not even aware that Peruvian Asian fusion was even a thing but it definitely is and it's here at Tanta. My wife and I stopped by around 10pm since it's not easy to get a reservation during peak hours. Once you walk inside though you're greeted by a room that has a lot of energy. But onto the food. This menu can be a little intimidating if your waiter isn't guiding you though it. Luckily our waiter was super helpful and suggested we split one main and try out a bunch of different appetizers. Sharing is my favorite way to eat so this was prefect. I was not disappointed with anything off this menu. We got more traditional things like beef empanadas that were perfect in my opinion they got the dough just right as it was rich and flaky. There was the pulpo, where they give you nice tender segments of the octopus. My wife thought it was the best octopus she's ever had and she's had her share. They also bring out a basket of fried plantain slices. They could've just brought five courses of that to the table and I'd have been a happy guy. There were also the yuquitas. They were like little fried piles of yucca root that were amazing as well. The last app we got was the cebiche. We were debating on that because we're not really fans of raw seafood but I'm so glad we tried it. We got the signature Tanta with scallops and shrimp. Everything went together well and the seafood was really tender and buttery after marinating in the sauce is served in. The entree is where we got ahead of ourselves. We got the half chicken. You're probably thinking we already ordered a bunch of food, well we had no idea the chicken is like a meal by itself. You get fries and beans and rice and salad and four sauces not to mention a breast leg thigh and wing of a chicken. We ended up taking it home and they needed to give us two bags!. I'd recommend this place without reservations to everyone looking for a cool place to eat in the city. Not only was it good but everything we got ended up being under $80 for two without tip.
(5)
Sarah G.
I was so so excited to see this location open up since I have actually eaten at the Tanta in Lima, Peru!! To hear that there was a location they opened up here in the US and so close to me in Chicago, I knew I had to check it out. So if you are ready for some fancy, trendy ambiance, and tons of space with both a huge downstairs and a separate bar/rooftop area in the fun river north area, this place is pretty much that. Really cool decor and the deck area outside is so nice I could sit there for hours. We went for brunch and I got a Tanta Bloody Mary which was pretty great since it came with some bacon in it which is exactly how all Bloody Mary's should be served. I got their classic ceviche and honestly this was one of the best ceviches I've have in the states. Tanta in Peru was known for it and now this location will be too--so fresh and the right amount of spice, it was great. I also had some of the anticuchos which are beef hearts and they were pretty great but that soft fried egg with it was such a novel approach to eggs for brunch. So a bonus there! The huevos tantas with the braised beef cheeks and more of that magical soft fried egg was also a hit and the chicharron waffle with pork belly glazed with honey was a show stopped on the table too. I wish I hadn't shared an order of empanadas also because the bite I got really was so great, that I need to go back just for empanadas and ceviche. So great brunch addition to my circuit and I will be back to try more cocktails, sit on that patio, and hopefully go to empanada and ceviche heaven!
(4)
Marisa A.
3.5. Yum yum. I like Tanta overall. Flavors are bright and strong, trendy River North vibe, pretty rooftop in the summer. This is a good spot to get dinner before heading out because the bar areas are mingle-y and they have easily sippable cocktails. But they miss the mark on some dishes and service is questionable. Best: -cremoso tiraditos: fresh but creamy, so flavorful -pobre niguiri nakei: steak and quail egg bite, decadent -lomo saltado: meat and potatoes! Worst: -pescado frito. I was picturing this as a whole fried fish that you pick at for the flesh, savory and crunchy. It's actually a fish that has been hollowed out and filled with fried morsels tossed in a super sweet orange sauce, making it gummy. This is so bad it's offensive. I've been twice and the service the second time was pretty awful. We had been seated for 30 minutes before we got drinks, had to flag down other staff to find our waiter, forgotten order, etc.
(4)
Kelsey K.
The food was fine, but nothing absolutely outstanding. We tried a little bit of everything. The ceviche was ok but I've had better... My husband really liked the spare ribs, but I sort of felt like food was being thrown at us at an extremely fast pace. Small plate type meals are best when things come out a few bites at a time. At one point, when someone was clearing our table, fish juice was thrown off the plate at me, and it went all over the table on my side, the floor and all over my silverware. This wasn't acknowledged or cleaned up and our server was so absent that I couldn't even ask for it to be dealt with. The whole meal, which cost a lot, was over in 40 minutes.... so much for a romantic outing. There are so many wonderful restaurants in Chicago with good atmospheres, great food, and attentive servers. This was not one of them.
(2)
Ben R.
Neighborhood gem ! This place was so good. Service was amazing. And the food is a game changer ! We had the octopus anticucho (charred) and it was so good. Try any of the ceviches. Surprisingly the quinoa salad was one of the best things we ate all night. Can't leave a Peruvian place without some meat. We had an amazing steak and potatoes dish. I would come back here in a second !
(5)
Sammy S.
Went here with some coworker friends and just got a drink. It's expensive but the view on the rooftop was gorgeous and the overall ambience is classy, modern, and I'd have to say--sexy.
(5)
Shan D.
Very deserving of the hype. Even though we had reservations, my out of town friend and I sat at the bar. We asked the bartender to make a few recommendations. A few turned into a 9 course meal! We probably enjoyed 7 of them, which in my opinion is pretty good. Our favorites: 1) the crispy fried fish - served with bok choy and rice. This was light with a great kick to it. This is a must order! 2) clasico cebiche - one of the best ceviche type dishes I've ever had 3) cremosa tiradito - scallops cut sashimi style in a light cream sauce. I could eat this every day 4) the tapioca dessert - would have never ordered this but for the bartender's recommendation. This had so many flavors and textures and was a great way to end our meal. 5) Pisco sour cocktail - I know this is their specialty cocktail, but it really is a great drink. After our meal, the head chef came over and asked about our meal. That was a nice touch. I'll definitely be back.
(5)
Maria I.
I went to Tanta again after maybe 1 year (I have been in this restaurant about 4 times before) expecting good gourmet Peruvian food but left eating just any type of food with maybe a couple of ingredients that are well known in Peru. It wasn't bad But definitively wasn't impress in compare with other previous visits to Tanta. We ordered plancha marina and a lo pobre... Not great at all. It was MMM whatever I hope the menu option brings back the delicious carapulcra ... Or something that is more appealing ... Definitively feeling sad that the food and experience wasn't so great. I used to recommend this place... In terms of service: it has also gone down even though yesterday the restaurant was almost empty (heavy rain). They didn't treat us bad don't get me wrong but the service was just like whatever. I could get way much better food and service somewhere else for same price or less.
(2)
Nadine L.
Whether you visit for brunch, weekend dinner out or cocktails and sushi after work, you can't go wrong with Tanta! The food and drinks are consistently delicious. Ceviche, paella and empanadas will not disappoint. If can make it to their rooftop before the end of the season I highly recommend.
(5)
Tamir G.
Great tasty food. Ok size portions. Good ambiance. Good cocktail and beers selection. Over all nice flavors of Latin America in chicago.
(4)
Esteban L.
I went here the weekend of the 4th of July. It was a good time with a bunch of people I haven't seen in a long time. The company was good and so was the service. We ordered a round of drinks and they were pretty good. Wine is wine so no need to comment on how that taste. The people I was with wanted to order all the ceviches on the menu and we also shared a quarter chicken. Who shares a quarter chicken? No on I know. I left that place hungry as I don't know what. I think my experience would have been better had I not let the girl I was with place the order. I'm not sure if I'll go back with a large group of people, but I will return so I can taste more of the food.
(4)
Yanja B.
A few girlfriends and I stumbled on this little treasure after searching for a rooftop for drinks after work. The rooftop was very nice, not the best view but it was an intimate setting with plenty of standing room if tables are taken. We ordered pisco punch, great tasting and it came in such cute cups! We also munched on empanadas - agh the crust was so flaky and light and the meat was perfectly seasoned! The tropical ceviche was also very perfect! From what I can tell there are no full menu items just appetizers and drinks, keep this in mind.
(4)
Stephanie H.
I went here for brunch a few weeks back with a Gilt City voucher. My friend and I each ordered an entree and a side, and we split everything. The huevos tanta and pollo a la brasa were both tasty and with very interesting flavors. The bacon was really thick and tasty as well. Service was good, and I'd be interested to come back to try their dinner menu.
(4)
Karen S.
Compared to the other two dinners I had in Chicago, Tanta was just ok. I liked the Peruvian-Japanese dishes, but they were quite expensive for the price. The tuna tiradito (kind of a cross between sashimi and ceviche) was $16 for maybe 8 thin slices, but it had a lovely bright flavor. I'm not actually that big on raw fish, but I could have eaten a lot of this! The skirt steak niguiri ($9) had two small, seared pieces of steak over sushi rice. Again, yummy, but so tiny. I was actually kind of worried at this point about how we were going to get full! Thank goodness for the complimentary plaintain chips. We also tried the crab meat causita ($10), which my sister called basically a fancy potato salad. There were two little piles of yellow, pretty bland mashed potatoes and a little pile of crab on top. Then came a massive dish of our half-chicken pollo a la brasa ($23)-- thank goodness there was so much food that came with it, because we were still really hungry after the first few dishes. You get a pile of potato wedges, rice, mashed beans and a pile of vegetables. However, none of it was that great, considering we were at a pricey restaurant. Could I have eaten the potato wedges all day? Yes. Could I have gotten them at KFC? Probably. The chicken was moist and the sauces were flavorful, but the beans were completely bland and the vegetables seemed completely unseasoned. Our waitress was really friendly and service was very prompt, which was a plus.
Our server Esteban helped us decipher the menu. 4 adults shared 3 entrees and 3 small plates. House "margarita" was great! The menu was a little overwhelming. Go with what your server suggests - it was all very tasty.
(5)
Daniel S.
Went with some of my buddies and we shared more than we typically would as each item was good and we wanted to try the solid tastes. Very enjoyable meal and creative dishes.
(4)
Heather T.
This place is wonderful! Came here last night from out of town. We had an 8:45 reservation and arrived a bit early but were promptly seated. The restaurant was actually quite full. Not too loud but not a super romantic environment. The menu is a bit hard to understand so I just asked our server to explain (her name was Becky or something, sorry can't remember!). She explained what the main categories were and gave us suggestions on her faves. We settled on the nikei causitas and the corazon for apps. The causita was room temp whipped potatoes with aji pepper, raw chopped ahi tuna, some tasty sauce and avocado. The corazon, also known as beef heart, was the highlight of the meal. It was served on skewers with peruvian corn, potatoes and a sauce that would warrant a plate lick. The beef heart was cubed and perfectly cooked. Juicy, flavorful and slightly crisp, it had a bite as a very lean steak would. Forgot to mention.. We ordered a bottle of 2008 Ramon Bilbao Rioja Crianza. It was the perfect pairing to both of the apps. For entrees we got the pork belly and the duck. The pork belly was braised and glazed in an aji bbq sauce, served with sweet potato puree and a tart apple/celery salad. They literally melted in my mouth. The duck leg confit was a special of the night. It was also glazed and then served with a tamale, some red onion and beets. The meat fell off the bone and was so incredibly delicious. For dessert we once again took the server's recommendations and got some type of shortbread cookie with a hot chocolate sauce, kombucha ice cream and fresh raspberry. YUM! We also had this type of key lime pie, was more of a parfait. Perfect balance of acid and sweetness. Finished it off with some espressos. I would definitely recommend!
(5)
Adriana O.
Love love love!! From the piscos, the banana chips, and each and everyone of the main courses I tried! Both the first floor (indoor) and the terrace have great atmosphere. They are busy all the time so it's not easy to get an open reservation, but if you have the chance, it will be totally worth your while!
(5)
Sany N.
Yum yum yum!! Delicious food and cool experience. I love the mural! My protein of choice is chicken and they had this huge chicken entree -- By far my favorite of all the items we ordered. It is ginormous and flavorful. I loved all the dipping sauce options. Also the empanadas were delicious! The ceviche sampler is really pricey and I don't think its worth it. The spacing and seating is very close and cozy. I could hear pretty much both sides conversations. Make reservations in advance! they are quite popular. I made reservations about a week before, although there were available dates, the time was limited.
(4)
Jodi D.
Overpriced and small portions but it's worth it. The drinks are unique and so good! One of them tastes like a Mexican candy!
(4)
Lauren S.
I went here this afternoon with my mom because I had bought a Gilt coupon a few weeks ago that I wanted to use. The space was medium-sized, and most definitely accommodates large groups. They have large booths or long tables for groups to choose from. We got there at 11:15 AM (made our reservations online), but soon realized that a reservation wasn't even necessary -- we were one of only a few tables at the time! The place started to get fuller closer to noon. Once we sat down I promptly told our waitress about the Gilt deal, to which she was very helpful! Super, super nice staff. We ordered our entrees (the Huevos Tanta and the Chicharron Waffle), two sides (a rice pilaf type of deal and glazed bacon), coffee, 2 pisco sours, and 2 steak empanadas. My mom and I split our entrees, and although at first I wanted the huevos tanta, I'm so glad that I chose the chicharron waffle--it was out of this world!! The waffle is broken up into threes, topped with glazed pork belly and a berry compote. Each bite was so flavorful I thought I had reached the gates of heaven and came back. The huevos tanta was also pretty good--however, if you were craving a traditional eggs dish, this may not be the plate for you. The egg is deep fried, and once you open up the little browned encasing it's in, yolk runs slowly onto the potatoes with the parsley mix. While this was so adventurous, I have to say the pork cheek was maybe the best piece of meat on the table! It was so tender we could cut it with a fork! I didn't try the rice, but the bacon was the bomb! I even paired it with my waffle and berry compote and it was absolutely delicious. The pisco sour was also such a great choice--not too tart and not too strong--and so was the coffee! The steak empanadas my mom took home because we were so full from stuffing our faces with so much food--but they looked good and were not too small! Overall, I highly recommend for a non-traditional brunch. Each dish looked incredible, I will definitely be back to try some more!
(5)
Sally Y.
Let me start with saying Tanta really does have great food. However, for the price you pay and the three bite plates you get for $10+ just doesn't seem worthwhile. They menu is extensive and slightly overwhelming if you're a first time diner or not familiar with the menu. This also makes the ordering process a little difficult which makes it seem more disappointing that when the food finally comes out, you get small portions for the careful decisions you made 20 minutes ago. Tanta would be a good place to go for light bites and drinks, but I definitely went and ate a 2nd dinner after my night there. Outside of that, it's a really fun place to go, right in the heart of Chicago which is great, and overall a fun and bustling environment.
(3)
Andy S.
Went for restaurant week and found this place to be a lot of fun. From the get go lots of good flavors with the fried plantains and spicy mayo like sauce. We tried the mahi mahi ceviche which was very flavorful. If I have a criticism of this place it is that some of the portion sizes are not very big. The ceviche isn't a lot. Shared amounts two people it made for a few bites each. Next we got adventurous and had the beef heart appetizer. It was quite delicious and our waiter was proud of us for getting it. The main dish we shared was the planchita tanta. Delicious! The last was the shortbread cookie dessert. Again, delicious. Overall would definitely recommend.
(4)
Angie K.
Tanta had tanto (a lot of) potential. I planned a birthday dinner with 90% Hispanic ladies of varying ages and couldn't mess it up. I figured Peruvian would be the safe bet and a trendy place with a new rooftop would impress my friends so much they'd want my autograph. The opposite happened. We were seated and introduced by one server who took drink orders and kept forgetting what we wanted. Only 3 of 6 of us ordered drinks, btw. After drinks, a totally different dude becomes our waiter. Is this freaky Friday? Did this young dude turn into this older dude magically? Whatever man. Feed us. Took about 20 min and we shared the ceviche tasting which was standard. Nothing mind blowing. We also got the street food feast and I'm told I can't substitute the skewer for octopus but I can for beef. My friends want meat so they get that. They ended up liking the empanadas most, which I couldn't sub for the veggie option. I just had a few bites of cold-ass potatoes. We order jalea, aeropuerto thing, saco de Cuerdo and chicharron. Takes a solid 30 min for food to come our way. I hear the chicharron is mega fatty and the aeropuerto mega greasy. It is the biggest portion of food which is why it may be so popular. The jalea was pretty good (like Hispanic fish and chips) and one of the few things earning this place 3 stars. The others were its cute decor and rooftop. That's it. I secretly brought a cake earlier to the resto and was trying to get the waiter's attention to bring it out. It took another 15 min to call him and 15 min for them to bring it out. They messed up the surprise by placing dessert plates on the cleared table, before the cake came out. FAIL. It took 15 min to get a box and then another 15 to get the check. About another 30 min passed for us to get our receipts and were free to leave. He comped the 3 coffees that were ordered with said cake, even though the espressos were 1/2 the size of a reg espresso. Get it together! A total of 3 freaking hours for a meal! 3 hours! I could've watched The Titanic and still had time left over to daydream about Leo Dicaprio before my bill was ready. The place is cute, trendy and white people are intrigued by Hispanic food other than tacos. I get it. But with all this $ Tanta is generating, it should def hire double the servers and staff. Tanta literally has too much going on for their focus to be on the customer.
(3)
Yoly P.
The service was great, the servers were very attentive and super friendly. We ordered: Criollo Ceviche Causitas Nikei Anticucho pulpo Pescado Frito Arroz Criollo Everything I tasted was great. But my favorite were the Causita Nikei and Anticucho Pulpo. I would recommend eating the criollo ceviche before the Causitas Nikei since it has a stronger flavor. I also loved their Pisco Sour and their el chingon cocktail, which had a kick to it. I enjoyed the plantain chips they served, it added something something to our dinner. :) We had the mousse de chocolate fortunato for dessert. I'm not a fan of mousse but I thought it was decent considering the crispy quinoa added some yummy crunchiness to it.
(4)
Ben W.
An almost empty rooftop on a Friday night? Crazy! Came for catch up drinks when Rock Bottom was too full. We headed right up and were able to find a table immediately and ordered our drinks. My Pisco Pepe was tasty and a perfect summer refreshment, although it wasn't extraordinary. The main highlight was the pisco, a Latin American liquor that's a nice change from vodka and gin. The coolest drink was by far El Chingon, which came with a giant red spherical ice cube. Colored with rocoto chile, as it melted, the ice gave the drink a bigger kick. All-in-all, it was a fun spot with plentiful outdoor seating and decent drinks. The food looked amazing, but we already had dinner plans; otherwise we would've ordered a few plates to share.
(4)
Maria R.
What's not to like about Tanta? Service was great from the moment we stepped in. John, our server, explained the items on the menu thoroughly. Te busboys were quick to clear our table and give us fresh china whenever new entrees were brought in. The manager also stopped by our table to check in on us and tell us about their dessert selections as well as their rooftop. As for the food, we were given plantain chips with a flavorful dip when we sat down. We ordered the St Germain cocktail as well as a watermelon cocktail. Both very good. We started off with the Tanta ceviche. Mmmm. Very refreshing and flavorful. We also had the octopus item from the skewers section (although the food was not on skewers but it was grilled like the rest of the skewer items in the menu). We had the cornbread on the side which was amazing. We also ordered the Peruvian fried rice which the server mixed for us at our table. It is a must try for anyone new to the restaurant. We ordered the pork belly entree which was cooked to perfection. And we capped off the evening with the shortbread cookie dessert which tasted unique and was not too heavy. What a great experience. We will definitely come back.
(4)
Jose V.
I've been a couple of times already and most recently, had the pleasure to come for brunch. My friend and I shared two entrees the Chicharron Waffle (pork belly and waffles) and the Quiche Pastel de Acelga (swiss chard quiche), both of them were simply heavenly. The service was excellent from start to finish, didn't feel rushed even though it was crowded, and entrees came out quickly. For the price, the mimosa pour could have been more generous. Great experience overall. One quick to thing to mention, be sure to make reservations or be ready to wait.
(4)
J M.
Amazing food. Amazing staff. Love the roof deck. You must try one of their amazing drinks - I love the dragon dorado - you must have causitas and the verdura nikei. I am ready to buy a plane ticket to come back just for dinner and to try something new - I spent much of my time there leaning over to other tables and asking them what they ordered. It all looks so AMAZING!
(5)
Noah D.
This place is the tits. Amazing food, amazing drinks. Try to get the table nearest the kitchen for the best service and time.
(5)
Stephanie S.
New favorite brunch spot alert! As hubs said, "This reminded me of (name of our previous favorite brunch place) before it changed" (aka "before we stopped going there"). Interesting flavor combinations, good portions, fair price and attentive service. We made reservations for a Sunday and went with friends. But even when we left, it wasn't super busy. I had the pollo a la brasa, which included baked chicken, fried rice and a flat omelet-type thing, covered in a spicy sauce. Delicious! We shared some tasty donut-like pastries for dessert that I could've finished myself. We're looking forward to going for dinner!
(4)
Mark S.
We went on a Tuesday night and the atmosphere was very lively and energetic. The food was pretty good, as it was unique and interesting cuisine. The octopus was well prepared. The drinks were great! We will go back in the summer as a good location in the neighborhood for drinks.
(5)
C C.
I love Peruvian food! Been here 4 times, always a good time.This place is perfect for a fun night out on a date or w a group. Tommy the manager is amazing and super hospitable. Def check out the cocktails, ceviches, nigiri and lomo saltdado! So glad this place opened and is a new hotspot! Looking forward to checking out brunch soon.
(5)
Kim B.
Returned after a great brunch experience. The dinner was even better. Lots of fun choices! We loved the six dishes we tried. The service was much better this time too.
(5)
Heather S.
The food: a lot of potential here. The flavors are all there. But my husband and I tried several dishes for brunch, and everything was so rich it was difficult to take more than a few bites. The food would have been fantastic if the kitchen had a lighter hand with the sauces. There was a sort of orange aioli-type sauce that our appetizer dish (Causa Cocktail) was basically floating in. After scraping much of this off, the dish was inventive and tasty. I had the Huevos Tanta--beautifully cooked, tender beef cheeks and perfectly executed poached eggs. All topped, unfortunately, with both a parsley sauce (a bit like a parsley pesto) AND gravy. Once I cut into the (again, perfectly cooked) eggs, the combination of yolk, gravy, and sauce was overpowering. My husband had the Plato Anticuchero. After finishing his meal, at least 1.5 tbsp of oil remained in the bottom of his plate. The experience: things don't seem to run smoothly, but I get the sense that they care when things go wrong. First, the hostess was unable to find my reservation. They were very accommodating about seating us "without" a reservation, but I was worried about a no-show on my Open Table account. I pulled up my account to give them my reservation confirmation number, and the manager came by our table to ensure that the problem was resolved. The first words out of our server's mouth, following the standard greeting, was "You're not using a Gilt City, are you?" Look, I'm sensitive to the many reasons a server may hate waiting a table with a voucher, I'm sure there are many terrible tippers out there, but that's a poor start to the meal whether we have a voucher or not. (We didn't, for what it's worth.) She did seem exhausted and admitted this was only her second time on the brunch service. Bring me a libation and forgiveness abounds! Other small things continued to happen--filthy menu, my husband was served a bloody mary with no straw (hello, face full of toppings with each sip!). Finally, our server came by seemingly distressed that our meals had not arrived. We were fine, having a great time, but it did cause us to look around and note that orders for every table had been pushed out ahead of ours, even for tables that arrived after we ordered. Again, it's not like we were at risk for starving to death, and our server seemed genuinely more upset that us at the wait. Overall, what Tanta lacks is polishing. They've been around long enough that I expected a smoother experience. Meaning--I don't get the sense that these are the growing pains of a new arrival to our culinary scene. But everything we saw has the makings of a 4 or 5 star review with a little more attention to detail.
(3)
Vivian R.
Great experience! Even greater food! Went here for a company dinner, we sat at the chef's table and course by course, each dish delivered an abundance of flavor and satisfaction! Staff was very attentive and knowledgeable! If I had one gripe, it would be that our reservation was for 830pm and we weren't sat until about 9, someone would just need to be able to communicate with each party to inform of a party waiting or that the time is a little later than expected, we shouldn't have to inquire about the holdup! Other than that, I would DEFINITELY recommend Tanta! The drink 'El Chingon' was my favorite! Try it, you'll like it!
(5)
Josie F.
Incredible food. This pace is a awesome. I had six items. I stopped ordering out of shear fear of judgment. Go hungry. I sat alone at the bar. G the bartender was super helpful. You need to order ceviche and the octopus. Peruvian heaven.
(5)
Cindy W.
"This place will take you for all that you have." -- My friend who dined with me Yup sounds about right. A very expensive meal for sure ($110) but the flavors were out of this world. We split a ceviche sampler, the beef cheeks, and the octopus pulpo. We also ordered the pisco sour. I loved the ahi tuna ceviche with the japanese flavoring. The proportions of savoriness of the soy sauce and sesame oil balanced well with the acidity of the lime juice. The other two weren't that memorable to be honest. The beef cheeks were SO tender and amazing. I loved the adobo sauce that they poured over it. I also loved scraping the pepian and thinly sliced radishes and eating it with the beef cheeks. So savory with just the right amount of crunch! This dish will fill you up. The octopus pulpo was BEAUTIFUL. A work of art on the plate. The octopus was so tender and the potato base had an immense amount of savory flavor. I loved it. It was $17 though so that was quite pricey ... :( Lastly, the pisco sour was disappointing. I imagined something that I would really enjoy since it was highly regarded but it tasted like any other mixed drink. The egg whites weren't even that spectacular because it was just a foam on the drink. Nonetheless, I think this was a 5 star meal. 5 stars in my book is a "would go again" place. I loved the evening. and bonus for Tanta for the free plantain chips!
(5)
Katey A.
The food experience is wonderful! Everything that we had was cooked perfectly and filled with amazing flavors. The octopus skewers are a MUST HAVE! We enjoyed the Niche ceviche with it's yummy citrus broth and shared the steak entree. The steak was so tender that it almost melted in your mouth. AND THE POTATOES! I had no idea how important potatoes were to Peruvian culture so I was in for quite a treat! I ordered a cocktail that was used jalapeno tequila in a large, orange frozen ice cube. As the ice cube thawed my drink was get spicier. VERY CREATIVE AND DELICIOUS! Something that you should know when going to Tanta, the price point is fairly high and the servers have unique expectations for how much you should order. Or server presented the menu to us saying that typically people order 3 tapas plates and then an entree per person. My sister and I shared everything listed above and were very happy with our meal. Had we listened to the server we would have been overwhelmed with the amount of food and the bill!
(4)
Danny W.
If you can fight the urge to sing the Fanta jingle for the entire time you eat here then you've got way more will power than I do. Tanta's unique blend of South American flavors is about as addicting as those cheesy soda commercials. The cebiche alone is worth a stop in. It's a little different then Mexican style, but ridiculously good and has several levels of acidic intensity depending on where your palate is at. I'd recommended the trio to test your taste buds and decide what you like the best. Entree wise is tough to choose cause there's lots of great options. Whatever you decide though be aware that the portions are pretty hefty so if you're dining alone plan a stop at home to drop off leftovers. You'd hate to throw away anything as delicious as this place if you can have it for lunch the next day. Overall Tanta was totally unique and an all around excellent experience. A little pricey and always packed (reservations recommended), but definitely worth shelling out some extra cash for something different.
(4)
Keith B.
The fla its are amazing. Everything was delicious. It's definitely pricey but worth it. Loved the grilled octopus.
(5)
Jessica N.
It's been way too long since I've been back here. When I came back here a week ago I remembered how much I liked this place and I think fell in love even more. What changed since last time: Without the group dinner menu I got to try more of the sashimi/nigiri inspired dishes which are absolutely perfection. So unique and inventive. It's one of the truly unique restaurants in Chicago with really exciting flavor, texture combinations. Also our server was wonderful - totally on point with all his recommendations What we had: Chalaco - everyone should eat raw scallops. they are amazing and the texture combo was awesome Chifa - great flavor combos. fish of the day was fluke. delicious combo Pobre - never would've chosen this w/o server reco (would've gone w/ a fish one). This is a MUST TRY on this menu!! The thin steak w/ egg was PERFECT. Pulpo - A fav from my last trip. You rarely get octopus this good. Yum Chaufa - You've read all the reviews about this so I don't need to say anything else. Awesome. Estofado - As good as any lamb shank i've had. Nothing overly stand-out here but very solid dish Seasonal Veg - I LOVED this! It was a mix of cauliflower and eggplant done in a way you normally only get at Chinese restaurants. So good with the chaufa :) DESSERT - this deserves it's own line. I remember the dessert being good but don't know how I didn't write about it. The server reco'd the la tapioca de coco. I normally ALWAYS get chocolate, but this sounded familiar and HOLY SHIT. This is how ALL desserts should be! Perfect balance of sweet with slightly tart, amazing texture blend. Seriously one of the best desserts I've ever had (which is saying a lot considering it's not chocolate!!) I need to come back here way more often!! Highly recommend it
(5)
Ryan D.
I haven't Yelped in years, but my visit last night is worth a shout out. I went to celebrate my birthday and the food itself is worth writing home about. But what really made this visit special was the service. Becky was patient and attentive, made us feel like we were the only table in the place. She did a great job explaining the menu, dishes she personally like and answering any questions. The couple of extra dishes were a great touch, as well! Wonderful hospitality that matches the wonderful food. Great job, and thank you!
(5)
Rebecca N.
Absolutely amazing! Expensive but well worth it because the flavors are original and outstanding. The fried rice was out of this world. Loved the orange fish, tuna causita and steak causita
(5)
Anna P.
I was lucky enough to bein Peru a month ago (and lucky enough to go to gastons Lima restaurant) , when my family suggested Tanta to celebrate my birthday I was completely on board. I could have not been more pleased. The pisco sours brought us back to Peru, the ceviche (off menu you special) was better than in Peru. The whipped potato bites (sorry don't remember what they are caked) were such a spectacular surprise. Our main dishes of loma saltaldo, aka beef stir fry, and another seafood special were spectacular. While a bit more expensive than I would usually frequent, it is worth every penny. I will definitlely be back.
(5)
Aliya F.
Absolutely delicious. I had the ceviche and it was incredibly good. Husband had the pork belly. Must go
(5)
Genevieve L.
Don't listen to Anthony Bourdain circa 2011...MAKE A RESERVATION! Tanta is tiny. We didn't get the chance to go on the rooftop but the main dining area we ate in probably had a 70-80 person capacity. There were only 2 of us so we figured we could find a seat at the bar since there was a 2 hour wait without reservations. While we waited a half hour until we found seats, we ordered a couple drinks. I have to give a shout out to the bartenders here! The drinks they serve are not your average liquor and mixer. If you were to make these drinks at home, it would probably take about 10 minutes but they serve it up for you in 60 seconds or less. The drinks have exotic flavors. Some are stronger and manly like the pisco sour but others are more fruity so choose wisely according to your palate. Once we snagged some seats at the bar, we ordered a bit of everything: mixto ceviche, the "sashimi" and the shrimp crusted fish-I can't remember the proper name of this one but it's on the right side of the menu and it's served with fried rice. All were different yet delicious, refreshing, and not at all heavy.
(5)
Leona G.
Fantastic empanadas, drinks, and basically everything we ordered! Wil I'll definitely return!
(5)
Keith C.
Great Peruvian restaurant in River North. Tanta serves a number of classic Peruvian dishes with a little twist to liven up the plate. I've eaten at numerous Peruvian restaurants in South America and Tanta nails it. The restaurant is always packed so make sure to reserve a table ahead of time. The menu has a good selection of ceviche and the fish is really fresh. The sauces that they combine with the ceviche are light and won't bog you down. The nigiris are also very tasty. My favorite is the scallop nigiri. The empanadas are definitely a little heavier but are delicious. The beef empanada is a bit spicy fyi. I usually get the pork fried rice with shrimp for the main course which is cooked and served in a clay pot and comes with an egg on top. The waiter then breaks the egg up and mixes everything in front of you. If I can finish this main course, then I am then way too full to even consider dessert which has happened every time I've been here. Maybe one day I won't stuff my face with the appetizers and main course and actually try their desserts.
(4)
Laura C.
Peruvian cuisine is sneaking up onto the culinary scene, and it's very welcomed. With bright, well balanced flavors in both food and drink, Tanta is tastebud playground. Starting off with el chingon, a spicy tequila based cocktail with an ever so trendy ice sphere and la guapa, a delicate gin drink garnished with a spring of lavender set the tone for a solid meal ahead. The menu is divided into several sections, similar to tapas style dining in addition to "Chefs Having Fun" which are more substantial entrees. With a Japanese influence, many of the dishes incorporate an Asian note. The sashimi is so fresh and nikei tiradito (ahi tuna/passion fruit/honey/chifa sauce) was by far the best dish with just the right amount of sweetness. Also notable was the criollo niguiri with scallops and beef (a mini surf and turf). The clasica causita was worth trying just for the whipped potato bed on which it was served. Atmosphere is bright and lively, just like the menu. There's also a rooftop bar, perfect for enjoying the last of the summer nights.
(5)
Michael B.
I went there about a month ago so the fact that I have not been inspired to write about it, though I thought about it during that time, is what is driving the three star rating. Nothing wrong with the place, maybe it just didn't live up to the hype or I went in with expectations that were too high based on their reputation. We went with a party of 6 so got to try much of the menu, which we shared. The people working there were wonderful. I believe our server was Ralph, who was fabulous. Nice trendy newly opened rooftop deck, good drinks, excellent ceviche. Otherwise, the food was interesting, tasty but not as memorable as I was expecting it to be. i was disappointed with the Peruvian chicken, finding it bland and lacking the juicy succulent spice flavors I've enjoyed at local mom and pop Peruvian joints in Chicago, NY, Miami and elsewhere. Solid place, great people and service, interesting menu and good solid food with some exceptions. Not sure if going on a Sunday night made a difference vs a Friday or Sat, but it shouldn't.
(3)
Gina S.
They have a nice bar to sit and drink or booths and tables to dine at. I went for a lady date. Me and my girlfriend started with the Street Food Feast. It was two of everything, which is perfect for sharing, if you share nicely. Everything was insanely good. After our street feast fest we continued in the spirit of sharing and split a meal. We went with the lamb which was SO tender and flavorful. Absolutely amazing! We drank two, as in "also" and more than one. Both of my drinks were very well made and strong. Highly recommend the Pisco Sour or anything with Pisco in it really...which happens to be in more than half of the drinks on the menu. Easily spend over $100 for dinner here.
(5)
Tada Y.
Tanta is a great way to escape the drugery of the typical routine of italian, asian, mexican, and steak restaurants you find in the city... but Tanta does so in an approachable way. For the popularity of the restaurant, I'd say the dining room is rather small, so be sure to try to get a reservation. I've been here in larger groups and with just a few friends and we've always had a great time. I'd recommend trying to go in a larger group so you can try a few more entrees and the like. Navigating the menu can be a bit difficult, but it allows some flexibility as you can order to your heart's content and makes this a good place to share a few bites with friends. I recommend the Cebiches, namely the nikei. It's a classic, but there's a reason for it... it's absolutely delicious. If you're not into raw fish, the braised short rib was also something I enjoyed. If you're coming in a mixed group of tastes (some people being a bit scared of raw fish) I'd be sure to order the peruvian rice. While it isn't significantly different than fried rice you might get elsewhere, it has some great additions and is something I think almost anyone can enjoy. Don't go without trying the signature pisco sour! While I've had several of the cocktails here, the pisco sour is by far my favorite. It is bright without too much of an edge. If you want something a bit more boozy, the el macho was also quite delicious. Bottom line, Tanta is a great choice to try something new. It can get a bit pricey as you order lots for the table, so make sure your group is on the same page, but I'm glad they decided to locate in Chicago to give us some upscale variety.
(4)
Adam K.
You need to accept the fact you will be dining in the heart of River North, at a trendy spot, in order to truly enjoy Tanta. Everything that River North is, Tanta is. It's trendy. It's a bit pretentious, but not too much. In many respects, Tanta is like Carnivale. Both have loud music, bright colors, authentic cuisine and great drinks. Tanta is smaller, but just as fun and full of energy. The food portions were large and designed to be shared. It's very culturally on point. The flavors were potent, but not overpowering. That's a tough balance to strike with Latin cooking. If you're looking for something different, authentic and fun, this is such a nice alternative to the traditional River North fare. That said, I'd also encourage you to check out Havana. It's only a few blocks away and equally as tasty.
(4)
Georgia W.
I wish there was a Tanta in Seattle! What a terrific menu! And the drinks are a 10 out of 10! And yes- the reviews are right. The Pisco Sours are mouth watering!! 2 of us in the group have been to Peru, so we were searching for creative authentic cuisine and that is what you will find here. Here's my faves: Nikei Causita (ahi tuna) Pulpero Tiraditos ( octopus) Nikei Tiraditos (more tuna) ANY cebiches and yes...the deep fried los picarones for dessert. ( if you like doughnuts you will like it) Not a cheap night out, but if you like expertly plated food and great tastes, you will have fun here.
(5)
Heather M.
This is hands down my favorite restaurant in Chicago. Everything I've had here has been delectable, and the ambience and service are fantastic. My bf is Peruvian, so we have visited all the familiar joints, but the anticuchos de corazon (beef hearts) here are heads and shoulders above most places - except Taste of Peru. Tanta's are still better than theirs, just not head and shoulders. My favorite thing to order is the whole fish. The menu changes every so often, but it's always a fried fish in some sort of tangy sauce. On my last visit, it was basically general tsao's fish. Yes, please. My second favorite thing to order is the shrimp chaufa. Again, menu changes, but they make a mean fried rice at this place. Peru has an insane amount of Chinese restaurants (called chifas), and the food is deeply embedded into Peruvian tradition. This is one shining example. Ceviches are great - they all got the thumbs up from my bf's Peruvian dad. The street food feast is always fun. We normally sub the chicken for beef, but we forgot last time and I highly recommend forgetting it every time. The chicken skewers were amazing. We got the beef on the side. Cocktails are also fantastic - I like the Pisco Sours and the spicy on with the mezcal. The only thing I recommend skipping is the pollo platter. We got it twice and it's fine, but there are much better pio pio chickens out there for super cheap. If you're going to Tanta, go all out and try some of the more creative dishes. Lastly, the rooftop is gorgeous. Haven't eaten up there yet, but I think they do a small bites menu. Can't wait to check it out!
(5)
Romana Y.
One of my favorite new spots for simply-good food, mixed drinks, service, and ambiance. Drinks: Pisco Sour's, and Intelligenstia coffee. Dinner: Plantain chips served with our... Creamy bay scallops, cancha: hearty and delicious. Pulpo: Incredibly delicious! Chef's selection fish w/ avocado, sweet potatoes- very good (although the sweet potatoes possessed subtle taste). Pollo a la Brasa: we got the whole chicken, with rustic potatoes, white rice, beans, and a mixed, raw salad, served alongside 3 different dipping sauces (pesto-type; mustard-type; and semi-spicy chicken sauce). The sleek decor, the perfect lighting, the diverse table options, and the variety of tasteful patrons (younger/older couples, families, and posh young groups), allow this chic spot to drop any sense of pretentiousness. The seating is comfortable: bar seats are my favorite; high-tops across the bar; and square tables set throughout. This is a gem worth becoming a regular at!
(5)
Sofia J.
Presentation was the best part of the meal. Chalana offered a generous amount of each causita to taste, but each one was so salty we couldn't finish the dish. Seco marino a fantastic dish with many complementing colors and flavors, but once again too salty, which gets overwhelming after several bites of everything on the table. The first time we came here, the food wasn't as salty and the drinks are always tasty. Love the vibe.
(4)
Vishal K.
Tanta is definitely 'tanta'lous!! A must visit restaurant in my opinion! I had been waiting to try this place when I heard from a Peruvian friend that the chef is well known even in Peru. Apparently tanta has branches in other countries like Spain, and is a hit even there. I had the classico cebiche to start off with, and then shared an entree of estafado de cordero and chi jsu kay marino. Cebiche was good, the sea bass was very fresh making the sauce, leche de tigre, pretty tasty. The lamb was excellent as well, but you can find similar tasting lamb at another excellent restaurant so it isn't anything unique to tanta. My favourite bit was chi jsu Kay Marino...this is pretty much Chinese fried rice topped with fish. The fried rice was amazing cooked in seafood broth and fish was shrimp coated, and the whole dish tasted great! The restaurant is well decorated and has a great atmosphere. Service is good and we got some complementary plantain chips.
(5)
Heidi L.
This place reminded me a bit of Sushi Samba, which is now closed. It wasn't bad, but it didn't really stand out to me either. I ordered the ceviche tasting and the Peruvian sashimi, and while they were fine it wasn't particularly memorable or amazing. For the price there are other restaurants I'd choose over Tanta.
(3)
Sunny X.
Baby scallop is the best Fried rice is ok.
(4)
Saba A.
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet! Well, this is my favorite restaurant for Peruvian food but at truce, I don't know many Peruvian restaurants in Chicago but I do know at Tanta, they have knowledge about the food and they are known to be authentic. Perfect for a small group date, to a casual/romantic date, or bringing in a family for a taste of culture. The restaurant is modern looking, with the small bar area with plantain chips, and cocktails that are strong and delicious. I wouldn't miss checking out the rooftop. It's not that high, but it is a great place to sit, check out the bar food menu, and have a cocktail. The ceviche's are amazing. If you have a hard time choosing it's best to look up the menu online first to make a better decision. The empanada's are delicious too. What a wonderful presentation. The food portions are 'just right.' I want to go back again and again until I have tried everything. They don't have one thing on the menu that isn't wonderful.
(4)
Joe M.
Very good Peruvian food. Everything our family of five ordered was excellent. We especially loved the anticuchos. Aside from traveling to Peru, I am not sure where else to get those. I think the place is pricy but probably in line with river north.
(5)
Caitlin F.
I cannot say enough great things about this restaurant. It continues to top my list at the #1 place to eat in Chicago. The food speaks for itself. Every bite is extremely flavorful and unique. Some favorites and must try's: Tiraditos Nikei- I literally want to drink the leftover chifa passion fruit sauce every time. Causita Clasica- a flavorful bite of creamy heaven with the mixture of egg, crab and polenta-type base. Del Chifa Chaufa Aeropuerto- I can't even think of words to describe this exceptional dish. The combination of egg and shrimp in steaming hot pork-friedrice that remains hot throughout the meal and changes textures towards the bottom. Unfortunately, the first couple waiters I had there were not the best. Then John salvaged my negative feelings about the service. He is extremely helpful and knowledgeable about every dish - the culture, origins, and ingredients. I will continue to recommend this place to everyone I know, and look forward to going back again and again!
(5)
Amy S.
The Rooftop - small but classy. The decor reminds me a lot of Epic, with the wood panels and some lounge spots but mostly chairs with tables and a big glass panel in the middle. I went during the day, so not sure if lights turn on or something cool happens inside the glass panel at night. We ordered the ahi tuna ceviche - which was super fresh and well seasoned. We ordered an appetizer (forgot the name) which consisted of thinly sliced steak on top of rice, all topped with a quail egg, which is eaten like a sushi bite. SO GOOD! Another app we ordered was a chicken skewer on top of a sweet potato - which was the perfect pairing. For entrees, we tried the lamb - soooo tender and delicious + the grilled tenderloin, which I thought was really good too! And we got the corncake, which was a sweet/savory balance that worked like a dessert. I only tried the Lima Llama drink - which is like a play on a moscow mule but with tequila instead of vodka. Very strong = very nice! wink wink
(5)
Erica L.
Glad we were able to get in early for a Friday dinner reservation a couple of weeks ago. Our server was super enthusiastic about sharing the menu. He was genuinely excited and proud of the food he served - and funny. Since this was our first time here, he highlighted his recommendations as we navigated our way through the menu, giving honest feedback when I inquired about certain items. We pretty much followed his lead and ordered pretty much one of everything he recommended per section until we maxed out ordering for 3 people. The complimentary crispy plantains with dipping sauce was a great dish to munch on before the meal. They came in a cute mini deep fryer basket. We started with the Cebiche Tasting. Nice portions of three different ones so that each person could have 2 bites of each and 1 remaining of each. It worked out that each person had a different favorite. Mine was the nikei since it was sweet. The pieces were large cubes of fish that kept their freshness and shape since the lime and juices aren't added until later to prevent sogginess. The Pulpo (octopus) was an amazing with a smoking taste combined with the crunch of the fried garlic. The Crillo (bay scallops with smoky sesame beef) was my favorite dish. I usually hate scallops primarily because of the texture followed by the taste, but the flavor combination melted in my mouth and left me wanting more. In lieu of the Street Food Feast, which our server did not recommend because it wasn't anything unique to their restaurant, he offered just to serve the beef empanadas, which were good. In terms of sharing the small plates above, I was disappointed that some of the dishes only came with 2 servings (Crillo and empanadas) despite being 3 of us. We ended up ordering a lot of food but it would have been nice to be able to taste everything. Our two main dishes were the Chaufa Aeropuerto (pork fried rice) and the Adobo De Res (slow-cooked beef cheeks). Hubby devoured the pork fried rice. It was very flavorful. The beef cheeks were my favorite - so tender and cut like butter. There was so much left over we were able to take the last two dishes home. The fried rice tasted even better the next day. Dessert was another highlight - at this point we were all stuffed, but I forced myself to try at least one of the desserts, the Alfajor. It's a delightful shortbread cookie filled with dulce de leche with a side of hot chocolate sauce, vanilla bean ice cream, and fresh raspberries. Such a simple dessert that was beautifully presented. I had the guys take a bite then ate it all without shame. Drinks were also delicious. The Pisco Sours were refreshing. After dinner, we had another round up on the rooftop just to check out the scene. It's not too high up but a small place to enjoy the weather during the summer.
(4)
Shaz K.
Great food and service ! We were a little lost with the menu. The waitress was good in explaining the different dishes and recommending her favorites. They served plaintain chips with a yummy spicy sauce as soon as we were seated. We ordered mixito cebiche, octopus chimichurri and pork fried rice. My favorite was the pork fried rice. We were too full to try desserts. Going back to this restaurant soon for sure.
(4)
Amy H.
Went here before a holiday party with the boyfriend, after hearing great things and wanting to try Tanta for some time. 7pm on a Friday, hard reservation to find on open table and after we were seated at a two topper, was surprised there were many open tables. Initial thoughts: Very nice modern asian-tinged warm decor. Hip and good for groups to less intimate dates. Definitely feels like a scene, understandable hype and popularity. Two-toppers are awkwardly long and narrow. Certainly no risk of spitting on your date but also no risk of being able to sit next to each other. No entrance way area to wait for cabs/valet out of the cold, so an uncomfortable congestion at the door. Waiter very friendly, spent a long time with us explaining what each dish was and the inspirations, etc. Appreciated, but a menu perhaps should not need that much explanation. We opted for the : 1. octopus which he touted as the #2 octopus dish behind Morimoto (tasty, well-presented but not mind blowing), 2. a beef nigiri with quail egg (pretty mindblowing...sweet-smokey marinated beef slice, seemed like a sear, placed on a heavily seasoned sushi rice with quail egg on top -- really perfect balance of flavors and well presented like classic nigiri), 3. a tuna ceviche, which he told us was the best tuna on the menu. Tasty, but definitely have had better at multiple excellent sushi places in Chicago. Flavors not particularly unique albeit cilantro heavy. 4. another small plate that was so unmemorable I don't recall what it was, although I'm sure boyfriend's AmEx does. 5. Split the mahi. Tasty, but we were pretty full by this time. Nice crunch on the outside. All in all, a good experience and solid dining. Feels best for groups and small parties as I believe their highest selling point is the trendy factor. Food is very good although not sure unique enough to justify the markup when there are so many other truly innovative dishes in Chicago. Then again, if they are appeasing to the crowd (which they seem to be), going too far out of the box would not do them well. Pretty much gentrified Peruvian food. Very good just not mind-blowing.
(4)
Rits M.
The first thing that struck me when I entered was that the place was really loud. You do get used to it after the first 15 mins. Looks upscale enough, and the ambiance is chic, though they have tried to squish in as many tables as they can. The woman next to me knocked my menu every time she got up from the table. That being said, the food was good. We had the beef heart skewers- one reviewer found them salty, but that's how they're made apparently and they tasted great to me. I also had the Classico- but watch out, both these dishes are really filling, you might not need dinner after. We had the Pisco sour, I found mine a little too egg-smelly but the drink was delicious. The wait staff were a little slow and we went there on a Wednesday- not cool. But our waiter was pleasant and friendly and took his time taking us through the menu and describing the dishes so he gets points for that. The rest of the menu seems worth exploring, so I'll be back
(4)
Olga T.
Fantastic restaurant! This place gets super packed so I'd highly recommend making a reservation ahead of time. We didn't make one and ended up sitting at the ceviche bar, which was still fantastic. This is what we ordered: 1) Mixto Cebiche - we ordered the large and to be honest I am not sure how they justify charging $18 for such a small plate. At first I thought they gave us the small, but when I confirmed that this was indeed the large portion I was kind of taken back by how small the portion was. If this is the large, what does the small look like? Overall it was tasty, but I'd never order it again b/c it's bad value for your buck. 2) Chalaco Tiraditos - now this is more like it! Delicious and the portion size was more on par. This was a great dish! 3) Chaufa Aeropuerto - pork fried rice - DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd definitely recommend this dish. Generous portion and great for sharing. 4) Pisco Sour drink was well made! Def will order this again The atmosphere is fun and service is attentive & friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for great food & great fun!
(4)
Whitney R.
Amazing food. They have so much variety on their menus I could come here five more times and have a different meal and experience each time.
(5)
Namaste G.
Check this place out! I went recently for dinner and loved it. Actually, we may have cheated because we technically came for dinner but had so much ceviche, empanadas, and psico sours...we never quite got to a full dinner. (I forgot his name) I waiter was so knowledgable, offering the perfect mixes. The drinks were amazing and the food is fantastic. The only thing we did not enjoy was desert. Again, our waiter quickly took it away and removed it from the bill. I live a hectic life and when I step out to spend my money and relax I want a 5 star experience. Bingo, Tanta delivered. I'll definitely be back!
(5)
Melissa N.
I had a great experience here last night. My friend and I ate in the main dining room (although we did check out the rooftop before we left, which is awesome). Ambiance is okay...nothing special but nothing amiss. Cocktails were amazing...I had (multiple) pisco sours, and my friend also tried the la guapa, which was awesome. For food, we shared a variety of small plates. My favorite was probably the clasica causitas: the crab/avocado/potato combo was amazing. We also tried the nikei cebiches (quite possibly the best tuna I have ever had); the chalaco tiraditos (scallops in a fabulous cream sauce); and the pastel de choclo; which is described as a "corn cake" but literally melts in your mouth...you don't even need to cut it. truly, you could eat it with a spoon. I have never had anything like it, and it was incredible. I also need to mention that we were chatting up the people seated at the table next to us. The gentleman had the seco marino entree, which looked fabulous and which he loved. However, his lady friend ordered the pollo a la bresa, and HOLY CRAP, you do not even understand the amount of food she was presented with. The server brought out all her food on a huge round tray, which literally took up half of their table. You could seriously feed a family of four with that amount of food, and she only got the half-order. Unreal! In a good way! That entree was also a great value at only $23. Service was excellent...dare I say almost TOO attentive? Our waitress was super nice and gave great recommendations, but I felt like she hovered over us at times, just watching us eat, which was a little weird. Overall, it was a great experience. I'll definitely be going back here.
(4)
Leah C.
yum all around... so i'm a recently converted vegetarian turned paleo-lite-pescatarian. (yeah of course i made that up) so tanta is one of my first dining experiences with this new palate and boy was it a great start. i was extremely anxious reading the menu...it's confusing. and no, i really don't think it's just the new fish eater in me. i almost felt like i had to take notes when the server walked us through the menu. that said, i went with what i knew and ordered wine first ;) when my husband was presented with his dark night cocktail, i had to take a sip being a whisky fan; i didn't give the glass back to him! the server quickly picked up on this and asked if i wanted to "return" my wine. i said yes, of course, haha. we finally settled on the salmon ceviche and tuna niguiris nikei to share. the inner vegi in me had the quinoa solterito. the fish melted in my mouth and i wanted more. the ingredients in both weren't that complex - the fish was just that good. quinoa was good nothing special, a good accompaniment for my vegi needs. our server was "new" but fantastic and almost seemed to sense whenever we needed something. like i mentioned, the menu is very complex (ok, maybe for me) and she navigated us through it and was able to give me the cliff notes version, thankfully. need.to .go.back.SOON.
(5)
A B.
Second visit and good as I remembered it. We ordered our usual Pisco Sour and the Tequila/Jalapeno drink with the round ice ball inside, name slips my mind. We went a little crazy with the food this time, we were starving! Ordered a fried rice dish, the beef with Quail egg, Tuna roll, beef stir fry dish and grilled Octopus. Everything was good, full of flavor and delicious. To give you an idea of pricing all of this food with 4 drinks brought our bill to about $150, each drink is about $12-$13. Personally, the pricing is fair to me, it's a good restaurant in the city, we can't expect anything cheaper, we live in a major metropolitan city and with it comes the prices. No issues here and would definitely revisit.
(4)
Laura K.
Loved the space and the food was very good! I was excited at the idea of a Peruvian restaurant to open up downtown. I love ceviche, so the minute I could eat raw fish again, I ran here! it's the perfect post-pregnancy place - raw fish and excellent cocktails! The things you can only dream about when pregnant! Needless to say, I gobbled it all up and thought it was amazing. It's definitely a scene place, however the food is good and the drinks are great! I definitely recommend.
(4)
Danny P.
Excellent food. Excellent service. The entire staff was extremely attentive. Our waitress was very patient and explained the whole menu for us, as it was our first time to this restaurant. Definitely will return. Highly recommend this restaurant. I don't typically write reviews but this was such a great experience that i had to write this review.
(5)
Pedro F.
I went to Chicago on a Business Trip. As a born and raised Peruvian I always brag about how awesome our food is... so I took this opportunity to take one of my friends from work to try some Peruvian food. I think food was really good... by friend was near tears he LOVED IT. He told me he had never tried anything like it before. So, in a nutshell food was really good and Pisco Sours did not disappoint. I'll go back next time I'm in Chi-town
(5)
Eric Y.
Love this place. It's hip, friendly and the food is really good. The menu takes some explaining and the waitstaff is very enthusiastic to help out with it. Our meal started off with fried plantain chips - OMG these were sooo good we kept ordering more. Their specialty cocktail selection looks like it came straight from Lima. I tried the Pisco Sour - very tasty, bracing in its acidity but creamy as well. Delicious. There are several wines by the glass and some bottles too. We had a Syrah-Cabernet blend from Chile. This was $95 on the menu and I was later disappointed to find that the retail price of the wine is $25. There's a selection of cold appetizers that include cebiche which is Peruvian-style ceviche. Unlike Mexican ceviche where the fish is marinated for a long time, the Peruvian cebiche differs in that the raw fish is cut and placed in the marinade and served immediately. It's kind a cross between sashimi and ceviche. Much of the menu is similar: Latin-American food given a Japanese or Chinese twist. Apparently, Peru's culture and food is heavily Asian-influenced due to large number of Asians who immigrated there in years past. Anyhow, we tried some cebiches which were excellent. We also tried the crabmeat causitas which is crab salad served over chilled mashed potato - yum. The warm appetizers were also tasty. The grilled baby octopus over potato cake was off the hook. We also tried the skewered beef heart - this was good but underwhelming. Also on the menu are some negiri-like sushi items and some fried-rice items. Ha. Didn't order any of these. The entrees are listed under the heading of "Chefs Having Fun." We tried the jumbo shrimp, the "chicharron" (pork belly) and the braised lamb shank. All were delicious. A word about the pork belly - this dish made the cover of Chicago Magazine's May 2014 issue. It's a beautiful dish to be sure, but three slabs of amazingly delicious pork belly served with sweet potatoes and green apple? Get out of town! The chefs aren't the only ones having fun! We only tried one dessert - the tapioca pudding with pineapple, toasted coconut and other goodies. Very good. Being a newbie to Peruvian food, I was very impressed and look forward to my next sampling of Chinese-Japanese-Latin fusion, aka Peruvian cuisine!
(4)
Justin G.
Food was pretty good. I believe it was the corn bread that was amazing. Atmosphere is fun. Good for small groups. Can't bring myself to give it a five star though.
(4)
Rebecca H.
We were so happy with our visit - excellent everything, and other reviewers are accurately describing it. I will just add the following: Get the pisco sour cocktail. You know you want it, and it is the best cocktail everrr, so don't worry about getting the predictable option (my mistake). Creamy, tart perfection. You don't need the 3-4 starters and 2 mains they will recommend. We were hungry and could barely finish 2 starters and 2 mains. We will for-sure go back.
(5)
James Z.
Tanta was exquisite. From beginning to end, the meal and experience were fantastic. Last Friday, my boyfriend and I decided to celebrate some good news over a meal at Tanta. It was a wonderful spot to do this. The reservation was for 8:45 and I'll say that it was truly poppin'. The bar was buzzing with young couples and singles sipping cocktails... laughing... donning beautiful dresses, coats, and even hats (One dude was rocking a Pharrell-like ranger hat. True story.). We sat at a corner table that was half booth, half chair. Our server greeted us after a few minutes and asked us for our beverage. I chose the La Guapa ($12) while my boo ordered the La Rusa ($12). La Guapa contained gin (my personal favorite), rhubarb (I was intrigued since it's not yet in season), lavender (always a floral joy!), lemon, and cremant de bourgogne. I highly recommend this drink if you want something a little sweet yet sour. I had a sip of the La Rusa which I also enjoyed. This contained pisco, st. germain, orange, lemon, campari ice (with a beautiful thinly sliced orange infused and frozen into the block), and fresh thyme (which I would suggest rubbing a bit to loosen up the oils). Tanta turned out to be a solid choice for a Friday during Lent. I'm observing the season and cannot eat meat on Fridays. As a result, I was restricted to seafood dishes. Not a problem because (luckily) Tanta does a fine job of preparing fruits de mer! We started with the nikei cebiche (large, $18) and the pulpo ($15). The cebiche was a perfect sharing dish. It whet our appetite and foreshadowed what was ahead. I was hoping, however, for plantain chips or something to eat this with. I was told they give the chips out, but I guess they weren't that evening (that was one unsolved mystery). The pulpo was fantastic as well. The octopus was firm and the fried garlic stood out. We weren't going to order this, but our server suggested it with a lot of enthusiasm (almost to the point of me wondering if he was pushing this for extra points with the management... [I overheard him recommending this to another table as well.]) At any rate, it was delicious -- oh, and did I mention there was a chimichurri sauce involved? Yup. When he said that, I looked at my boyfriend to see if he wanted it and without even waiting for him to say "yes" or "no," I made an executive decision to try it because all I heard was "chimichurri chimichurri chimicurri" in my head. For our entrees, I ordered the jalea ($24) which was this gorgeous platter of fried seafood, yuca, diced avocado, and cebiche sauce (which resembled a spicy mayo emulsion). I have to say this was quite a generous amount and could easily be shared by two people since the seafood is fried and the starches (thanks to the yuca) provided a rather hearty meal. In some ways, this reminded me of tempura mixed with the luscious and spicy flavors of Peruvian cuisine. Since my boyfriend doesn't observe Lent, he ordered the ever-so-popular chaufa aeropuerto ($23). This fried rice consisted of pork, shrimp, and spicy garlic. Finding fried rice on a Peruvian menu isn't uncommon since Chinese immigrants started settling in the Latin American country as early as the 1800s (It even says so on the menu! I love a quick history fact!). Even though I was restricted from meat on Friday, I did taste some of the rice at midnight. (We had leftovers. How devout am I?!) And though it was a couple hours later, yes, I can confirm it was delicious. However, I will say it wasn't something out-of-the-ordinary. It was, frankly, upscale fried rice. Our server was attentive, but not overexposed. I wish he explained the menu a bit earlier however. It wasn't until when he was ready to take our order when he elaborated on the dining style (small plates for sharing or individual entrees?). Nonetheless, the service was solid. Tanta managed to provide a meal that was innovative yet familiar. This "fusion" or "mash-up" of Peruvian with Asian flavors worked -- which isn't easy. In terms of value, I thought the dishes were worth every penny. There wasn't an entree, appetizer, or cocktail I thought wasn't deserving of its price. Ultimately, I would recommend this spot for anyone who enjoys creative and inspired food as well as a scene that is "jumpin' jumpin'" (in the words of Destiny's Child). Tanta is good stuff. Goooood stuff.
(5)
Stephanie R.
This is my new favorite spot and I can't wait to go back. Our waiter was really helpful with recommendations and would add on an extra piece to our orders that came with four pieces because we had five people so that was really appreciated. The octopus is a must!!!! The ceviches were so good as well, so fresh. Pobre nigiri was awesome as well. Highly recommend Tanta.
(5)
Emily Z.
Tanta is not for procrastinators. No reservations available until 10pm on a Friday a week in advance. They said they take walk ins so we arrived at 6pm and were quoted 2hrs, which to their benefit was right on. They do take your number so you can go grab drinks somewhere else as there bar is small and fills up quickly. We had already had appetizers during out 2 hour wait so we ordered mostly small plates, listed below from favorite to least. See picture for a visual From the Earth Coliflor (cauliflower, eggplant, tofu, nikei sauce 8) Good sized portion and good flavor Anticuchos - traditional skewers from the streets of Peru Pollo (chicken, sweet potatoes, chalaca, aji amarilo $9) Definitely the most bang for your buck, could have done with out the accompanying kernels of maize but I realize its traditional to the cuisine Causitas or whipped Peruvian potatoes Clasica (crab, avocado, tomato, egg, huancaina $9) Two little crab topped potato bites, very seafood tasting, enjoyed the sauce. Worth a try Niguris Nikel Anticucho (mahi, avocado, sweet potato $9) Two pieces of crispy sweet potato strings atop mahi, served over a bite over rice. Had a very smokey flavor, nothing too exciting Cebiche Mixto (catch of the day, squid, shrimp, rocoto, $11) Was a bit disappointing. I love ceviche but this portion was miniscule and included only 1 shrimp, come on! For dessert we had the Las trufas de chocolate (warm chocolate bombs covered with quinua pop, orange sauce, tea lime and lemon grass ice cream $8) Very interesting and one was good, but its no chocolate lava cake, haha Great presentation and a fun atmosphere but its a bit pretentious for me due to the wait times and some of the portion sizes. I've been to peru and love a lot of the flavors but nothing at Tanta has my dying to go back.
(3)
Lynne K.
Every time I go here they are busy, it's too bad because I would have loved for this to be my neighborhood spot but sometimes I can't even get in! The big eye tuna app is a must and the half chicken dinner makes my mouth water. It comes with so many sides you won't want to eat for days. Last time I was there they threw away our food when we wanted it wrapped up and they made us a whole new plate, free of charge! 5 starts all around, bravo tanta you are doing things right.
(5)
Chirag P.
Been here twice now, once just with my wife and the other time for a private work event... both times loved it. Had the Pisco Sours and it really did remind me of my trip to Peru. Pisco punch is good but if you want a something with a spicy kick, try the El Chingon. Food wise, try the Pollo a la brasa and chicharron... both were very tasty. The lomo saltado was also very good. Both times I was lucky enough to catch some great weather, so got to enjoy the nice rooftop that they have, not big, but very fun. Definitely put this on your list of restaurants to try soon.
(5)
Dominic T.
Impeccable service, really unique and bold flavors and a fun atmosphere! I cannot say enough nice things about this place! Didn't know there was a restaurant in this small section of Grand and I was pleasantly surprised by how large it was inside. We asked the server to just keep bringing her favorites until we said stop and two hours later and after many Pisco Sours we were smiling, laughing and stuffed. Didn't have a single thing off of the menu we didn't love. The ceviches were outstanding and extremely flavorful. The pork belly ribs were amazing and the maze dished were great. Trust your server and sit back and enjoy!
(5)
Christina A.
It's now been two weeks since my husband and I celebrated our anniversary here. And now that I've had some time to think about it, I can still say it was awesome. Everything we ate was incredibly flavorful. We arrived early for our reservations so they asked us to grab a seat at the bar until they were ready. It allowed us a bit of time to sit and order a drink. I ordered a pisco sour. It was good. citrusy and creamy. Will I order it again? Probably not. For me it was more about the novelty but a tad rich for another go. Our server was wonderful. Warm and attentive without being too intrusive. Her recommendations were spot on perfect. She warned us we were ordering too much food but we didn't listen. We wanted to try a variety of things. We had... Niguiris nikei pobre... skirt steak, quail egg, chalaca, ponzu (Best thing I've eaten!!) Causitas clasica... crab, avocado, tomato, egg, huancaina (Super tasty) Chupe...traditional... peruvian stew with prawns, potatoes, aji panca (beautifully cooked seafood stew) Chaufa Aeropuerto... pork fried rice, shrimp tortilla, spicy garlic (Deliciously rich) Los Picarones... traditional warm pumpkin and sweet potato fritters, spiced syrup (delicious little donuts) Pulpo... Tender, grilled octopus with potato and a variety of sauces (awesome!) Last year, we celebrated our anniversary at Next. I have to admit, even though Next was special, Tanta was a much more enjoyable experience. From start to finish, Tanta was wonderful. We cannot wait to go back and try more of the menu.
(5)
Ben P.
Outstanding food! The flavors that come out in each dish are simply fantastic. Service was so great. Our waiter was so friendly and knowledgable ...really great experience all around.
(5)
Shambavi K.
Took a buddy here for a birthday dinner. It was busy and loud for a Tues evening. The service was friendly but busy and bit rushed. They had some good recommendations. The food is unique for Chicago and the flavors were great. We had 4 drinks: La Rusa, Pisco Sour, El Chingon and i forgot the other. I personally i would get the El Chingon again. It was spicy and had some orange spherical ice cube/ball ...it was very tasty Cebiche Tasting - a hit Chaufa Aeropuerto - a hit. it's a filling fried rice. I would recommend this. though I think had some mild allergy to something in the dish but that was just me. it was still made a tasty leftover lunch the next day. Pulpo - super hit. i would order again. perfectly cooked. Churraso Tanta - not great. This was the only entree we ordered. The steak was over cooked even though we asked for medium. If I were to go again i would just avoid the entrees and just get more tapas to try. Be warned that most of the dishes are small so it's not fit to share with more than 3 people for many of the small plates. It can get a bit pricy fast.
(4)
Christopher S.
The is only one way to describe Tanta. Unique! You really need to try this place if you want a dining experience. We literally ordered 95% of the menu so we could try a sample of everything. The wait staff is excellent and very happy to describe the details and preparation method of everything on the menu. You will need the assist unless you grew up in Peru. Superb appetizers and entrees. The Octopus appetizer rocks. Great restaurant and fun place to go with a small group. Nice wine list with some obscure quality wines. Not the place for the meat and potato crowd.
(4)
Vivi W.
To be honest I was a bit disappointed I just got back from Miami and they had amazing Peruvian dishes Here the ceviche is not as tasteful and portions are small. Drinks are good. Beef is a bit chewy. Seafood dish was deep fried, not done well.
(2)
Stephanie L.
Ahhhhh, I really want to love it, but I just can't....maybe like a 3.5. Space-totally nice, clean, going with the Asian Peruvian style. Beware, it's slightly loud in the restaurant but not overtly so. Service-I absolutely loved our server. He was nice, attentive, explained everything, and made appropriate suggestions when asked. I really liked the explanations of the food, culture, etc. Food-this is kind of where I was disappointed. We decided we wanted to try a bunch of smaller things to really taste a lot. Street Food Fest-pork sliders were good. The bread was ridiculously tough and hard. The meat and sauce was flavorful, but the bread ruined it. The potato balls were meh. It almost tasted like they weren't cooked enough. Barely any flavor and slathered in a sauce. Chicken skewers were flavorful and tender. Empanadas were amazing! Yum! Overall, the platter was disappointing. Corazon-beef heart skewers-tough, fatty, weird texture. I was not a fan. I have had heart before and liked it, but not this Crab Causitas-delicious!!!! Creamy mashed potatoes with a fresh kick and topped with crab! Amazballs! Next time-yes to empanadas and crab causitas and no to everything else. Banana dessert-good, not great. Very small for the price. I like the online reservations. The price point is standard for the area. Maybe I would try it again, but more than likely...nothing knocked my socks off. I was expecting more because of the chef...but overall didnt deliver.
(3)
Sergey S.
Ahhhhmazing! That's all. Everything we tried was fantastic. I travel to Chicago on a regular basis and this is definitely my favorite restaurant at this point.
(5)
Ashley M.
Absolutely best Peruvian place in Chicago. Their modern twist on cheviche, street food, and dishes, stand above all. It's actually one of my favorite restaurants in our city! The decor and design are great, with a crazy friendly staff. My favorite is the Lomo and Whole fish. Plus their cocktails are fantastic.
(5)
Tiffany L.
I've heard about Tanta for a while now so I was excited to try it. Apparently there's a large Chinese population in Peru and therefore a lot of fun Peruvian-Chinese fusion dishes. The plantain chips to start are a great idea, thin and crispy and well fried. We then tried a few things off the raw menu, none were very memorable. It's just my own preference though, I prefer raw fish to shine on its own and have never been a huge fan of ceviches. The pulpo (octopus), which is one of their popular dishes, was probably my favorite dish of the night -- nicely prepared, good flavors. I was looking forward to trying the Peruvian fusion fried rice -- the Chaufa Aeropuerto. Even though the presentation is nice and it smelled nice and wok-y, it was so overly salty and wet. Wet fried rice is gross. We took the leftovers home and re-wok'ed it, and it made it better, but it was still overly salty. The one thing I will rave about is the Chicha Morada made in house. If you don't already know, it's a drink made from purple corn, pineaple, clove, cinnamon, sugar, and crack. I imagine that Peruvian food is one of those types of food that's best had at a mom-and-pop joint, and when they try to fancy it up, it loses its charm.
(3)
Jai B.
Delicious Cerviche. Drinks where nice. Overall the meal was good but not great. Service was very friendly. Glad I went likely would go back for small plates and drinks with friends
(3)
Alex M.
We didn't have reservations on Saturday night , so we sat at the bar. 4 beers on tap, about 5-6 each, white and red, wines by the glass, extensive menu of mixed drinks. We ordered a little bit of everything, most of them small plates. It is Peruvian food with Asian (Japanese and Chinese) twist. The highlights of the night were:Casita Clasica (crab salad on the bed of Peruvian potatoes); Pulpo Anticucho (grilled octopus) and Arroz Criolla - a wonderfully flavorful Peruvian take on seafood paella. Great flavors,great atmosphere. Enjoy !
(5)
Benjamin R.
3.5 Stars. We went here for our anniversary and really liked the food, by and large. We got ceviche (really good), empanadas (good), lamb (excellent), and beef tenderloin (good). They had a decent beer list. People talk about their Pisco sour, which I got and thought was pretty so-so. I like the one at La Sirena Clandestina significantly better. All around though, a really good meal. My only complaints would be that a) it is perhaps the loudest restaurant I have ever eaten in. We had to shout pretty much the entire time, and this was at 6:45 on a thursday. And b) we went for our anniversary and mentioned that in the reservation notes and once on the phone. We didn't expect the royal treatment, but its nice when the restaurant gives some little nod to the occasion. They didn't mention it at all, and seated us at one of the loudest, busiest, may-as-well-be-communal type tables, which I never appreciate when there are more private tables available.
(3)
Lauren H.
DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY TYPE OF FOOD ALLERGY!! I wish I could give this place 0 stars, as their behavior throughout has been unbelievably terrible. My husband called before we made our reservation here to see if they could accommodate my food allergy. My newborn daughter has a cow's milk intolerance meaning if I consume any dairy or soy, my daughter gets very sick. We were told that the restaurant absolutely could accommodate my food allergy. We showed up for our reservation and my husband again asked the hostess if it was noted in our reservation that I had a food allergy. They said it was in our reservation and the waiter knew. I personally asked our waiter what on the menu the chef could make dairy and soy free, to which he pointed out a number of items and said all were fine. I was a little nervous since it seemed like a lot of choices and went through with him again that no dairy meant no butter, milk, cream or yogurt and no soy meant no soy sauce or soybean oil among other things. He again said no problem. As the dinner items were coming out I asked again if my food was dairy and soy free. OF COURSE he said.... Well it wasn't. The next day my newborn daughter was sick from my meal at Tanta. Beyond feeling like a terrible mother for picking this restaurant, I was mad at Tanta. So I called to speak with the manager. I lefty two separate messages, but the manager refuses to call me back. Real classy Tanta. I would hate for you to even have to apologize for your terrible mistake! Needless to say, I will NEVER go here again.
(1)
Dharanidharan S.
First experience of Peruvian food was wonderful. The cocktails were really nice. Pisco Sour is definitely worth the try. A real friendly place and our waitress was really kind to introduce us to the food and go to great lengths to explain the ingredients. I had the lamb dish "estofado de cordero" and loved it.
(4)
Ali A.
What an incredibly unique and delicious experience! Visiting Chicago for the first time and had never eaten Peruvian food- it was awesome. Very different and the food had flavors influenced from all over the world. To start, everyone that walks through the doors of this place MUST get the pisco sour. What a fantastic drink- the egg white really balanced out the lime and was frothy and delicious. I ordered the steak nigiri with my friend to start- was delicious and complex, but expensive. Had to try it so it's all good. For my entree, I got the pork fried rice and my oh my was this thing good. Comes in a clay pot served piping hot- assume it's a Peruvian tradition to cook like this. Pork was melt in your mouth perfect and the shrimp, eggs, garlic, peppers, etc all mixed together perfectly- this dish has so much character and a wonderfully unique influence of Chinese and Latin American cuisine. Was very happy with this place- a little pricey, but if you're looking for a one of a kind dining experience, Tanta is the place to go. Well done!
(4)
Jean M.
Excellent food and great service! I stopped here for dinner a few nights ago and the experience was outstanding. Being 6 months pregnant, alcoholic drinks and raw seafood are off limits. The server was took the time to steer me towards appropriate food items and offer a tasty beverage that met my restrictions. Nice to have an option aside from my typical water! I ordered the pulpo option from the anticuchos portion of the menu, the causita clasica and the pastel de choclo - all were great! I also really enjoy the sauce that came with the plantain chips. Aside from that, I'm out of town a lot on business and often eat alone. I sat at the ceviche bar and chatted with one of the chefs - it's always nice to feel completely welcome when you're wandering around the city alone!
(4)
Brent B.
This place was pretty good. My wife and I met when I was a peace corps volunteer in Peru so we try as many Peruvian place as we can. The ceviche was okay but mostly just spicy instead of flavorful. The arroz criollo was Gaston's version of arroz con mariscos and it was delicious. The causa was incredible. This place is very expensive and the portion sizes are quite small so prepare to spend a decent amount. Service was fantastic and the ambience was nice although it was kind of loud.
(4)
Ritika K.
Wow! Excellent fusion of Peruvian and Japanese food. Nice ambience and great service. We tried all the appetizers and everything was really good. I was not very impressed with their dessert menu but I will definitely come back.
(5)
M H.
Such a fantastic restaurant. The lighting could be better but I actually don't notice it too much because the food is that good which really, really says something. Waiters are great too! Love. LOVE this place. P.S. to the people who think it's not enough food: If you think you are not getting enough cebiche for your money you can't be serious. You do know that its fresh raw fish right? I mean you want them to get cheaper fish from the fox river? Pretty sure we Americans have plenty of food going around. In fact I prefer smaller portions everywhere I go because I kinda don't want to be fat like the herd of cows that line up in front of every chain restaurant come summertime.
(5)
Daniel C.
HORRIBLE. My second time eating here, i thought i would give it a second chance.... The lunch options (in the rooftop) are limited and tasteless. The quinoa burger is an abomination. The butifarra was decent but wasnt made as well as it could have been. The ceviche was the most unimpressive concoction of ingredients i have ever tasted for a ceviche. Im a little sad that peruvian food is represented so poorly here, given that it should be world reknowned. Plenty of other peruvian places to try other than this. Dining is better but still left me wanting more. Other Gaston Acurio restaurants like La Mar in Miami are WAY better, don't even bother trying this one
(1)
Jenn H.
Sometimes it's hard to choose a spot in the lively River North neighborhood. It's always a nice surprise when you find a good one. The menu is slightly intimidating when you first see it but our server was helpful and explained that the top half consisted of the appetizers while the lower half made up the entree section. My boyfriend and I started with the Corazón (beef heart, potatoes, corn, huacatay) and Limeña chicken (celery, avocado, cherry tomato, aji cream). The Corazon was delicious but we were slightly surprised that the limena chicken was a cold appetizer. It had a good flavor but wasn't what we were expecting. For main course, we shared the beef cheek and corn cake. Both were amazing! By the time we finished the entree, we were both full. Also we had two of their "made to order" cocktails - pisco sour and pisco Pepe. We enjoyed their unique drink selection and were happy with our choices. My only complaint was that they sat us in the bar area near the door (even though we had a reservation), and it was quite cold at our table. If making a reservation, I would request a different table (not in the bar area) next time. Overall great experience...Will definitely be back to try more of their unique cocktails and cebiche next time!
(4)
Jessica D.
Best Peruvian food in Chicago! Just excellent everything and authentic! No complaints - highly satisfied! Ordered pisco sours, the half chicken was amazing as well as the quinoa salad! Delicioso!
(5)
Helena S.
Amazing food!! We were a table of 10 who order several plates to share and each of them was increible!! The were full of flavor but light. The ceviches and tiraditos were delighful, the fish was so fresh that it melted un your mouth. The serving was algo outstanding. The waitress describe each plate of the menu and was very patiente with all of us. I really recomend this place!!
(4)
Monlay H.
Tried this place out for my friend's birthday. Made the reservations the day before for a party of 15 and was offered the private room upstairs because they were booked. Very accommodating! When we arrived, we were shocked at how beautiful our private room was. The service was great! Started off the night with some fresh cocktails based of waitress' recommendations: la guapa, the traditional pisco sour, and el chingon. Super tasty and fresh flavors. We were quite overwhelmed with the menu. So our waitress suggested that we do family style based on her recommendations. Our table ended up with: three ceviches, grilled octopus, steak nigiri, and several small bites on whipped Peruvian potato for appetizers. For the entrees, we tried the Amish chicken, churrasco Tanta (grilled steak tenderloin), fried seafood, fried snapper, and the pork fried rice. Omg, so much food! Although everything was very tasty, there were definitely a few standouts. For appetizers, I loved the fluke and ahi tuna ceviche! So fresh and light, with some sweetness. Also, the grilled octopus and steak nigiri were absolutely delicious! The grilled octopus was so tender with a little bit of a chew. It was loaded with flavor and came with an awesome mash potato! The steak nigiri had a perfectly cooked sunny side quail egg, with the yolk just oozing out onto the steak as you take the bite. Nom! For entrees, my faves were the fried red snapper and the churrasca Tanta. The fish was perfectly crisp and in a sweet and spicy sauce! The steak was cooked medium rare! So tender and the chimichurri sauce was flavorful! We were so stuffed at the end of the night, we could not get ourselves to try the desserts! :( Our waitress was great! Very knowledgeable on the menu. Only one problem was she wasn't very good with knowing how many entrees would feed our party. She kept pushing us to order more food. I had to insist on cutting back on the number of entrees, otherwise we would have way too many leftovers. Other than that, excellent service, excellent food. Will definitely be back to try some of the other things on the menu, and maybe some dessert!
Excellent service, spectacular cebiche. Get the flight of the 3 house special cebiches, they use authentic aji anillo (pepper paste) and it is delicious with a kick, in the authentic Peruvian style. They use top quality ingredients. The street food feast was big and should be shared between 2 people. Empanadas, pork sliders, potatoes and skewered chicken. Yum.
Wow, quite the meal and experience here. I came recently for an anniversary dinner with my girlfriend and Tanta offered everything we could have wanted out of the experience. Needing both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes to fit our different diets, Tanta delivered in a big way. Each dish was packed with flavor, and the entire meal we found ourselves comparing tastes and how good they were. Particular favorites include the fried plantain starters, Pollo Anticucho and the Verdura Nikei. The sauce of the Verdura was an unbelievable teriyaki inspired flavor and I wish we could buy an entire jar to use when we cook. The drink menu focuses on exotic cocktails, and the two we got were delicious. We weren't presented with a wine list when we came in, but after seeing the list of specifically drinks they offer it didn't matter. The space is huge, and has lofted ceilings giving you the impression that your table is much more private than it actually is and making the perfect date spot. Judging by the various dishes as we looked around we could come back a few more times and still have more we want to try. I'm particularly intrigued by a few of the family dishes. Thanks for a great anniversary dinner Tanta!
(4)
James K.
I had my gf ' s bday here last month. Email correspondance was prompt and thorough. The gm, agm, bartender, server, chef, and host all provided a wow experience. Chefs table. Open kitchen. Four courses for 60 dollars. Half our group arrived late and a two no showed. I was embarrased but we were still treated professionally w no additional charge. One of the courses was modified on the fly to accomodate pescitarians. The menu was even printed w my gf ' s name and custom header. Every detail exceeded expectations.
(5)
Aisyah S.
My first time coming to Tanta was with a group of friend where one of them was a Peruian so she made all the orders. My second time was with my boyfriend to celebrate our anniversary, we both have no familiarity with Peruvian/Asian fusion culinary so our waiter kindly walked us through their menu. His recommendations were right on point to our taste buds and we had such fantastic dinner! We had a reservation and were seated as soon as we came in. We had the tuna ceviche for appetizer, and 2 entrees of beef steak and seafood (I can't remember the name of the menu). We told our waiter that we were celebrating and he immediately gave us dessert for free! The overall bill was indeed a bit pricy for our student budget but we were very very happy with our experience there and will definitely come back! For a person who grew up in Indonesia archipelago and had seafood as regular meals, I can surely tell when a place serves fresh seafood or not, and Tanta is definitely very careful in serving their seafood fresh!
(5)
Brenda G.
This place is unique and amazing! I've never had Peruvian food so I wasn't sure what I was getting into however I was in for quite the treat! I've been here three times, one of which times I ate at the chef's table. The chef's table is amazing experience where they bring out a variety of food to be eaten family style. I would highly encourage this for a group gathering such as a birthday party. Starting with the drinks I'd recommend anything with the passion juice. I'm not sure exactly what's in the passion juice but it's delicious. The menu was a bit confusing however the waiter did a great job explaining how it worked and making recommendations. Highlights of the meal include the nikei (ahi tuna) cebiche, estofado de cordero (braised lamb) and churrasco tanta (grilled beef). The nikei was simple but delicious, the estofado de cordero was so tender the lamb fell right off the bone and the churrasco tanta was perfectly cooked and delicious. The list could go on and on as everything I had at the restaurant was a crowd pleaser. Don't forget the fried rice!
(5)
Juli E.
LOVE THIS PLACE!! Authentic, delicious food and fine-dining quality service. I have eaten here 4 times, and the food is consistently excellent. You must try one of their signature drinks with Pisco - I have had the Pisco Sour, Pisco Punch, and the Lima Llama - all very strong and very good. If you haven't had pisco before, I would compare it to tequila in terms of it's strength and warmth, but it's actually a brandy of sorts (made from distilling wine). Every food item I have gotten here I have loved. I could eat the anticuchos de corazon every day. I must give a nod to the service - clean silverware and plates are brought for each course (without having to ask); my water glass was never empty and I somehow never noticed anyone filling it; the servers are knowledgeable about the menu items are not pretentious in their explanations. What more could you ask for? Needless to say I'll be back!
(5)
Jennie T.
I first heard about Tanta from my Peruvian Spanish language instructor, but I have long heard about Gaston Acurio from my Japanese Peruvian boyfriend. So I was really excited about the restaurant opening in Chicago. I mean really, I liked their Facebook page and stalked its statuses so I'd know when the grand opening was (August 12th, by the way). Luckily, I was able to snag a reservation to celebrate my boyfriend's belated birthday since I was out of town for work on his actual birthday. We're not normally ones to have lengthy conversations with our servers because we understand that they have to work and we don't want to get them in trouble with other diners, but we just found our server, Carolina so fun and pleasant to talk to. We gushed about Gaston Acurio, almost as though we're groupies (we're not; we're just foodies, and it's amazing to have a fellow foodie as our server), and we talked about our plans to visit his other restaurants in San Francisco (Kenny and I eventually went to La Mar in SF) and Lima (hopefully in the future). Did the restaurant live up to its hype? YES!! Kenny and I started off with a Pisco sour (their national drink) and a Lima llama (their take on the Moscow Mule). Both drinks were delicious. I loved the frothiness of the Pisco Sour and the subtle taste of gingerbeer in the Lima Llama. They brought us a small basket of perfectly fried plantains and potato chips to snack on with a small aji dip. I love that the chips weren't drowning in oil, but they weren't too dry either. They were the perfect snack. We ordered the cebiche sampler, which consisted of the classico, mixto, and nikei cebiches. Kenny instructed me to start off with the classico. It was the classic Peruvian cebiche--the catch of the day was mahi mahi--it had pieces of fish, slices of red onion, and a few kernels of Peruvian corn in lime juice. It was delicious. The mixto had pieces of squid and shrimp in addition to what was in the classico (minus the corn). The nikei cebiche was influenced by Japanese cuisine, and it was quite delicious as well. Our favorite was probably the nikei cebiche for its added complexity. Kenny was a bit hesitant about ordering the carapulcra, as he's never had it at a restaurant before. The carapulcra is made mostly with sun-dried potatoes, and based on what Kenny told me about this dish, I was expecting it to look unappealing. Quite the contrary, it looked appetizingly well garnished with slices of pork belly topped with a yellow aji sauce and sliced radishes, red onions, and mint leaves pickled in lime juice on the side. It turned out to be one of my favorite Peruvian dishes. We also ordered what is my absolute favorite Peruvian dish: the seco de cordero. Gaston Acurio's version did not disappoint me in the least. The meat from the lamb shanks fell apart easily when I pulled it from the bones. The cilantro garnishes brought out the flavors of the lamb stew really nicely. The last two dishes were so large that we actually didn't manage to finish our food. We boxed it up to go, and it was still good the next day. Finally because I know of no other Peruvian restaurants in Chicago that serves picarones, we ordered it for dessert. They're these donut-shaped pumpkin flavored pastries dipped in honey. They're so delicious. The first time I had them was at a Peruvian food festival out near Rosemont, but that vendor didn't have a store front. I heard that picarones were incredibly hard to make, so Gaston Acurio had someone especially flown in from Peru to make these at his restaurant. And because it was Kenny's birthday, we requested that the chef at Tanta sign him a happy birthday note on the back of our paper menu. He complied, and we left as happy customers. I cannot wait to go back again.
(5)
Heather H.
I went after hearing how fantastic Tanta was from other foodies, it is NOT. The menu was so confusing, our waiter was training another staff member who was equally confused. The menu explanation took WAY too long. The food was a disappointment. Salty, deep fried empanadas were greasy and bland. The cebiche criollo was okay. The highlight of our meal was 3 pieces of octopus which was not very filling so we ordered the pork fried rice. Again, salty, greasy and nothing to rave about. Finished with shortbread cookies which were nothing spectacular, but good. Other mentionables, one of us had a dirty plate, they do not replace silverware and I was left without a fork for some time, and they forgot the plantain chips. The wine list is priced reasonably and was paired nicely with salty food. I love salt normally, this was overload. Still trying to pry my ring off my finger!
(2)
Ashley L.
Great music, amazing small plates, tasty cocktails. Perfect for a date, a group of friends, or just to kick off the night.
(4)
Daniela S.
Cute place, great service, great drinks.....why is it SO EXPENSIVE?! The most basic ceviche is almost 18 bucks for a child-size portion. I get it's more gourtmet, but we spent 3x as much as we would have spent at one of the Lima Tanta locations, got 1/3 of the food and it was 1/3 as good. Honestly, I can whip up a yummier ceviche than the one we got served with frozen tilapia. That's saying something. My advice, go for drinks and an appetizer. If you want a REAL showcase of Peruvian cuisine, including portion size (my people like to EAT not nibble!), go to Machu Picchu, or my new favorite, Ceviche on Diversey where you can have an all you can eat brunch for 20 bucks, leave more stuffed than ever with incredible ON-POINT Peruvian yum. The locale isn't half bad either.
(3)
Julia W.
Went for restaurant week- so good! The ceviche and corn cake were amazing. Definitely going back soon. Really fun vibe. Who knew Peruvian food was so delicious?! Get the El Macha if you like Old fashioneds.
(5)
Vivian Y.
Fun food, great lively atmostphere. By lively, I mean LOUD. I could barely hear myself. The big booths are comfy but makes it hard to have a conversation with your friends. But I guess the tables are designed for people watching? Lots of good drinks to be had here. Our server was wonderful because she just brought out her favorites and we loved that. she was mindful of allergies and worked around different requests. there were 8 of us and we were all craving different things! Nothing blew me away but it was all very good. Not for a romantic date night but food for dinner with friends.
(4)
Jacko J.
Pros: - Interior space and rooftop are great - All the appetizers are amazing (especially love the octopus, cebiche, and niguiris) - Drinks are also excellent (highlights being pisco sour, el chingon, and lima llama) Cons: - Mains are okay. In some cases bland and or excessively heavy - A bit pricey Overall, definitely a great place to visit and a favorite in the River North area. Make reservations ahead of time!
(4)
Kristine K.
First, the food was AMAZING. If I was rating just on food and cocktails, I would give it a 4 or 5 stars. But I had to factor in service, which wasn't the best. Our waiter (David) was very friendly and did a great job explaining the menu. We started with 2 ceviches - clasico and nikei (tuna). They arrived about 20 minutes after we placed the order. Everyone else who ordered ceviche seemed to get chips (banana plaintains?) with their order, but we did not. However, the chips magically arrived about 15 mins after the ceviche. At the same time we ordered the ceviche we also ordered the beef heart and chicken skewers. They came about 30 minutes after the ceviche. At this point tables around us who arrived at same time were finishing their meals and we still had not been asked for our entree order or seen our waiter again. We ordered 2 seafood entrees - the tacu-chupe and seco marino for our entrees. Both were excellent (fish was very fresh, flavorful) but we didn't get them until we had been at the restaurant for more than 90 minutes. The manager then came over to apologize for our wait (we appreciated it) and offered to buy us dessert. All the desserts sounded amazing. After flagging down our waiter we ordered the queso helado - four milk ice cream. It was delicious! For drinks we had two rounds of the pisco sour and la guapa. Both were fantastic. Now, the bill came and our dessert was on the bill even though manager had offered to cover it. It really wasn't a huge deal (it was only $8) but we were surprised. Our waiter never once apologized for our wait. Tables around us were rotated multiple times in the 3 hours we were there. We had a great meal and truly do not complain when we go out to eat - it's always a treat and the food was really delicious. But, when you are paying $200 for dinner I expect service to match up to the price and I just felt it didn't at Tanta compared to other nicer restaurants in the area. I'm sure it was a busy night in the kitchen - every table was filled - I just felt like we could have at least been given updates on our food or the wait staff could have apologized for the delay as he was seeing every other table get served multiple times around us.
(3)
Maggie L.
Their cocktails are amazing. The appetizers that we ordered were delicious and quite unique, if you have a chance, try: pobre, corazon, and pulpo. I wasn't in love with the mixto cebiches but it could just be the fact that I don't eat much cebiches in general. I had the estofado de cordero (braised lamb) for entree, highly recommended. The only problem was that the kale was too salty, but very crisp. My coworkers had the jalea (fried seafood platter), and they said it was excellent. Also, according to my coworker, cebiches and jalea are the representative of peruvian food. We ordered alfajor and el quseo helado for dessert. I didn't like the short bread cookies too much, but the four milk ice cream is worth a try since I've only ever had 3 milk. The touch of cinnamon and coconut is good too if you like these flavors. The restaurant was a bit too loud, but the service was great.
(4)
Coleman B.
I really wanted to like Tanta much more than I truly experienced. There is definitely a good starting base to work off of here, but I do think there needs to be some adjusting. The food is so severely salty. We ordered many recommendations from the waiter, and the Ideas were good, innovative and appetizing in concept, but the execution was just off the mark. What dishes lacked in clean, fresh, bright Peruvian/Japanese flavors, they made up with sodium. Take the crab-potato dish (supposedly the restaurants most popular). It was like salty crab salad on top of a salty salty mashed potato log. We didn't get it. Others I was fine with eating (octopus and beef heart skewers, lamb shank) but left my fellow diners unimpressed to turned off. All of it extremely salty. The service was friendly, but I literally had to tell three separate wait staff that I was still eating. The first time was fine, the second slightly humorous, and the third time I almost* got angry. I'm clearly trying to still eat with two sepearte dishes on my plate. Back off. The 4th time I cradled my plate like an animal protecting my kill. One of our dishes was cleared earlier in the meal before we were allowed to finish it at our own pace. This is frustrating, and even more so at the price point of the dishes. Overall though, it was a positive experience (because we were out to have a good time too). The drinks are fantastic, and I do dig the decor even though the chandeliers look like the framework of turds. B-
(3)
Diana P.
This place definitely surprised me in being an excellent meal. Everything from the raw fish to the tapas was fresh and had a unique flavor. We ordered the red snapper and shared it which prob could be shared with 3ppl after tapas. Delicious! Octopus-fabulous but our favorite was the scallops tapas. Melts in your mouth. This place is pricey but you enjoy every bite. Staff is so friendly and waiters truly know what they're talking about. Excellent drinks (both alcoholic and non) made from fresh ingredients that you can taste the difference.
(5)
K B.
Great drinks, great food. And even though no reservations were available 3 of us were able to walk in a get a table. The piscolero and the chingon were both awesome cocktails. For food we ordered and shared clasico ceviche (the only disappointing thing we ate - just not a strong enough fish flavor and the meat seemed a little chewy), the beef heart anticucho, a lo pobre (steak), estofado de cordero (lamb), alfahores and picarones for desert. The lamb was especially incredible, but it was all delicious outside the ceviche..
(4)
Lea R.
Yum, Yum, Yum The staff at Tanta could not be nicer. They were great with first timers and all of our questions. We never once felt like "we should know" when we asked someone a question. We tried many of their Cebiche's, YUM! We will definitely be back.
(5)
Erick N.
I had heard wonderful things about Tanta from a couple of acquaintances and was excited to dine here. Walking in it immediately became apparent there is a very club like, highly energetic ambiance and the venue is loud with tables nearly on top of one another (the ambiance it comes closest to of venues I have been would be Carnivale - though a much smaller space). The top half of the menu contains various categories of appetizers (which lean heavy on seafood) and the bottom half of the menu has entrees (wide range of meats and seafoods, not much vegetarian); our server recommended we order a variety of appetziers and afterwards decide if we wanted to share an entree or were still hungry enough to each do our own. Once the order is placed, the server brings out the plates one at a time in a thoughtful order rather. I liked that you are encouraged to have a leisurely dining experience rather than being rushed to make room for the next seating (as Tanta does tend to be full most nights). We had been intending on having a full dinner, but were not in the mood for such an energetic vibe that we opted for appetizers and a cocktail only. The food we sampled was excellent quality and very tasty (a ceviche, a couple sushi items and the octopus). Not the best cuisine I have consumed, but nicely executed and well above average. While the prices of the entrees seemed reasonable, I do have to say that the small plates and cocktails seemed to be about 15% too high, even when factoring in the location and quality (Topolobampo's ceviche for example is priced a few dollars less for a similar portion). The items resembling Nigiri sushi were $9 for two pieces. If you come here starving your bill will be rather steep. Our server was friendly and spent some time carefully explaining the menu (which I appreciated as I am not very knowledgeable of Peruvian food and the menu is somewhat complex). Because Tanta is so busy staff is spread a bit thin. It will be interesting to see if Tanta can sustain their early popularity; while the food is certainly good enough that I want to experience more of the menu, I am not so sure the club like atmosphere will appeal to people serious about enjoying high quality cuisine outside of a limited subgroup.
(4)
Brisa T.
One of my favorite restaurants in the city! I always order the fried fish, so yummy!
(5)
Charles K.
Food, Service, Ambiance... FABULOUS! Better than I expected and my expectation were very high. Didn't get to experience the rooftop but I snuck up there for a peek and was shocked so I'm excited to come back in the summer and check it out. Please don't miss this restaurant if you have a chance to go. It's really special.
(5)
Phillip A.
Does not live up to the hype. We went to have dinner and check it out for a possible wedding rehearsal dinner. We were told that if we would like to see the space, we could just go up, it was open on the roof. LOL. really? Go up? waited longer than needed for a drink at the bar. got checked on too much at our table. Lomo was on point. so was causita we had. Overall, overpriced. Trying way too hard. Waiter should sell cars.
(2)
Eva H.
My second time at Tanta and it did not disappoint! And this time, the waiter promptly brought our free basket of plaintain chips. (Last time, we saw every single table had this little metal basket of chips except us. When I asked the server what they all had ordered that was so popular, he said, "Oh, that's something a vendor is testing out. I'll ask if you can have a sample.' PSH...yes I know you forgot to bring it to us - you should have just owned up and apologized.) Had the regular-flavored pisco sour - it was delicious and the bartender did some little design (like you get at specialty coffeeshops with the latte foam designs). I was told that they have a passionfruit pisco sour, which I will definitely have to try next time! My 2 girlfriends and I ordered the Causitas platter (bite-sized whipped potatoes with different toppings). Each one was delicious and different, but my favorite would have to be the nikei (with the ahi tuna - being a sushi lover). I think the tuna really enhanced the potato flavor. We then got the half order of the Pollo a la brasa - which was just as good this second time. The chicken is tender and flavorful and the 3 sauces are yummy! The side of fries, salad, rice, and beans just give it a little extra something, although I could do with a different type of salad dressing than the ranch-like thing they serve. While it's just half a chicken, there's plenty of other sides to get you full. We also ordered the pork fried rice - which seems unassuming but was DELICIOUS! Every bit had a little something - pork, seafood, veggies! I would definitely get this again. So far, every dish has not disappointed at Tanta. It's going to be hard to choose what to get next time!
(5)
Allison H.
Tanta. What an awesome, delicious and fun dining experience - not to mention the perfect place to celebrate my birthday. I can't wait to go to a brunch here, which I hear are not to be missed. This is the only place I've ever had octopus that was perfectly tender and savory. And the drinks..
(5)
Ricardo d.
Brunch options are strange. We tried the Lomoito Saltado, it was tasty buy the meat was too raw. The Pollo a la brasa came with a egg tortilla, weird combination. The worse: my wife fell down right in the front door, nobody, and mean, no one from the restaurant neither the valet parking guy, even approach to her, even after she was laying down for almost a minute, I would not come back.
(2)
Daniella A.
This place is amazing!!!! Best pisco sour I've ever had! And unbelievable different food options that are all delicious! I have to go back to try the rest of the menu!
(5)
Skir S.
I love the Vegan dish they have with quinoa with veggies, as being vegan that option is perfect just one minus that dish and all my friends have complained that everything is very salty.
I took my family here for dinner with high expectations back in December after trying Tanta and other Acurio's restaurants in Lima and we left right after the appetizers totally disappointed both for the bad server we had and the bland taste of the food. They also brought us a 'pisco sour' made with tequila. Hello? Are you serious? Despicable!
(2)
Stacey K.
Totally delicious, but totally pricey. Be prepared to pay a lot of money for a little bit of (albeit lovely) food. Cocktail standouts are the Lima Llama and La Rusa. For food, be sure to try the Pollo Skewers and the Ahi ceviche.
(4)
Karen T.
I had my birthday dinner here at Tanta with friends, and I'm so glad I made that choice. The evening got off to a bumpy start because there was confusion with our seating time. Initially I made the res for 4 ladies at 8 a few weeks in advance. Then the week prior, I switched it to 5 ladies at 8:30 pm. When we got there, they told us they only saw the original reservation, so we had no table. It was pretty awkward. but thankfully they got us seated into a small booth quickly. We had a round of pisco sours while we waited, which were pretty fab. To start: we shared an order of the street food feast, with anticuchos, empanadas, potato huancaina, and pan con chicharron. ($28 normal) The order was expanded for us and our table of 5. That was really wonderful & started the meal off on a high note. Next we had a ceviche tasting ($28) - again, a simple way to try multiple iterations of a dish and get a broader impression of Tanta's style. We also had the jalea ($22), which was peruvian style fried seafood, yuca, avocado salsa, cebiche sauce - this one sold us at yuca and kept us for everything. The lomo saltado ($29) was also excellent - a beef stir-fry with red onions, tomatoes, rustic potatoes, cilantro, we devoured this one in record time considering the fact we had so much food on the table. Finally, a beautiful chinese-influenced "chaufa aeropuerto" rounded out the meal very well. I normally have huge biases against ordering fried rice in restaurants, but this pork based one ($18) with a shrimp tortilla and spicy garlic was as elevated a fried rice as it gets. Totally worth it. To cap it all off, for dessert they gave me la tapioca de coco ($8): pineapple compote, pineapple sorbet, vanilla crunch & coconut foam. It was so good. Perfect balance of sweet & tart, and not too heavy. So when we got to our table, I was in a little bit of a grumpy mood because of the confusion, but by the time we left we were all in high spirits. I'd absolutely try to come back.
(4)
Elina S.
We came to Tanta for the finale of my husband's birthday week long celebration and absolutely fell in love. I do have to say that we were just in South America earlier this year, didn't hit up Peru, however we saw all of Chile and Argentina and really got an authentic feel of South American food, and I was worried that Tanta wouldn't live up to our expectations, but oh chico (boy), Tanta really impressed! First of all, we had a later reservation on a Saturday night around 9pm which is a little late for me, but the place was packed so we had to make due and we really wanted to get in, so if you want a 7pm, I suggest you call like now. My friend and I got here first and we waited a few minutes for our hubbies, and the hostess actually let us sit down which was super nice of her. I mean, how many restaurants have open tables and no one lets you sit down!? Loved all the pictures on the walls, very authentic to the artistic nature of Peru, definitely appreciated the Adriana Lima as well. Okay, so we started with their famous Pisco Sours which we also had in Chile and I hate to admit it, but these were better! Definitely not cheap, but enough to get you tipsy and loved the flavor so don't skip out on those. The complimentary plantain chips were freaking amazing, possibly my favorite thing with this spicy alioli sauce, totally wanted a second basket but had to save up room for all the stuff we got..... 1. Street Food Feast for $28- anticuchos, empanadas, potato huancaina, pan con chicharron, which is basically a bunch of appetizers, empanadas were my absolute favorite, had a kick to them! The pork belly sandwiches were all delicious. The potatoes and the chicken on sticks I could have done without. It's a lot of food for that amount, definitely a must get! 2. Chupe for $22- Traditional peruvian stew with prawns, potatoes, aji panca, was simmering hot when it was brought out, with this warm toast, very delicious and lots of shrimp also floating around, definitely a must get as well! 3. Pollo a la brasa full for $32 half for $19- a huge amish chicken, and seriously half portion is big enough to share, the meat just falls off the bone, served with beans, this white rice with corn, rustic potatoes and like three different aji sauces. Literally I thought the best chicken was at Girl & the goat, but this gave it a run for it's money! Absolutely divine and something you should try. Overall, and I rarely give 5 stars unless I was truly impressed but Tanta blew us away, from the quality of the food, to the super friendly service, to the cool atmosphere that wasn't overly loud despite being packed. I cannot wait to come back again and try some of their ceviche and duck, all the dishes looked amazing and even get some dessert next time because we were just stuffed! My only suggestion is to not bring out all the hot dishes at once! But wow, Tanta you're on my top 10 Chicago right now!!
(5)
Rosa C.
Great Peruvian food, great environment, nice chill out place. Ask for the chef Jesus Delgado. Great service! My favorite dish: ceviche.
(5)
Greg G.
I'm updating my review since I came here to the "brand new cool rooftop" last Friday night. It was awful. So the following is strictly for their rooftop: I showed up around 7:00PM Friday night expecting a massive crowd on the rooftop, I mean that's what everyone does in Chicago in the summer right? Drink and eat on rooftops. I opened the door to the rooftop and to my surprise it was half empty, whoa! Got a table right away for 6 and I thought we hit jackpot. I soon found out why it was empty... Fast forward 15 minutes later we hear 2 waitresses arguing about who should take our table. One says "I don't want it, you take it" the other just says "nah" and they both walk away. What?! You don't want a table with 6 people all dressed in nice business clothes so you know you're going to get a good tip? My mind was blown. Finally about 20 minutes later we got some water and a 3rd waitress came to take our order. She seemed stressed out as hell. We got some drinks, which took about 15 minutes to get, and we ordered 2 small plates which took another 20 minutes to come out. The entire time everyone else on the rooftop was complaining about the service as well. I saw about 15-20 people walk around hopelessly trying to get a drink and then just leave the restaurant. I'm pretty sure this restaurant doesn't share tips with their wait staff because there's just absolutely no way waiters would ignore that many people if they knew they would get a tip. This rooftop has so much potential, new wait staff, faster bartenders, a hostess that helps you as soon as you get to the top, are all musts for this place. Until they fix it, I'll never bring anyone back here, which sucks because I have been recommending this place to all my coworkers and friends, not anymore I guess. The downstairs part of the restaurant is a different experience, I've been there for dinner and it was much better.
(2)
Vipin K.
Went to Tanta for my wife's birthday earlier this month and we had an absolutely lovely time. We ordered 2 appetizers and 2 entrees and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. The ceviche and chicken skewers we had were incredibly flavorful and well prepared. The ceviche was quite unique with a sweeter taste than what I'm accustomed to along with peanuts (I really enjoyed the difference in texture and flavor). The entrees were on point. My wife had the pork fried rice which might be on the list of dishes that have pleasantly surprised me. Not only was the portion generous but the flavor and spices were amazing. I had the leg of lamb, which while paired with crispy kale and a quinoa polenta with mushrooms, was a bit under-seasoned for my taste. I could have just eaten a dish of the quinoa polenta though, it was delicious. Service was very pleasant. Our server was knowledgeable about the menu and gave good recommendations when asked. Price is definitely on the higher side but not outrageous. We'll definitely be back.
(5)
rick s.
Roof top is a great way to wait for your table, awesome team they have recruited kudos to hiring manager ! Drinks are on point and well balanced. Food makes me want to work here! Pork fried rice with no left overs. Desert "Alfajor " mi amor! Our server from nawlins was rock solid and owe that guy a drink ...excellent
(5)
Brian O.
I never had Peruvian food before and I must say it was delicious! Definitely bring lots of money here, because the portions are small and you need to order a lot of small plates to fill your belly. Drinks were fun and fancy! Love the ambiance!
(4)
Meredith B.
Two months after my birthday, I went for the world's most belated birthday dinner with my boyfriend to check out Tanta! Glad we had reservations because this place was buzzing on a Saturday night, with lots of well-dressed people holding cocktails and eyeing our table with greed and jealousy. In a celebratory mood, I started with the Pisco Punch, which is allegedly a "cocktail on tap." Cocktails on tap!? Is this heaven? I'm not really accustomed to pisco and I liked it but wasn't over the moon about the drink. Their food menu has lots of unique options, plates to share and mains, many with an Asian twist. Apparently there is a large Chinese population in Peru, so that explains that! We started with the chifa cebiche, stunningly fresh fish with a very delicate ginger-sesame flavor. You definitely have to get a cebiche while you're here, it's a great, light way to start a meal. Moving on, we tried an anticucho (skewer), street food style, and sweet baby jesus you should get the Corazon. Yes that means "heart," and no they are not being metaphorical - it's beef heart. But if you don't think you like weird animal parts, you are probably wrong, because it honestly tasted just like regular beef...the heart is a muscle after all, so the texture was actually quite similar. And it was DELICIOUS! I think it was the highlight of our meal. Absolutely delectable. For my main, I got the Chaufa Aeropuerto, which was pork fried rice with a shrimp tortilla. It was delicious, easily the best fried rice I've ever had, but as I was eating it I think part of me wondered why I had just gotten fried rice at a place like this?? I mean, it is the most gourmet, savory, indulgent version of it that you could imagine. It was wonderful with the fluffy shrimp-egg tortilla mixed in. But still, it is fried rice. There is a ceiling of greatness. I wasn't disappointed, but I'd split it with friends as a (huge) side and maybe get something else for your main? It's a heavy dish, served extremely hot in a stone bowl, and all that rice gets filling quickly. We were way too full for dessert, unfortunately. Too bad since I think our server was going to give us a free one for my birthday, but feels weird accepting something for my birthday two months after the fact! Service was pretty fast and the waiter was knowledgeable and helpful when explaining the menu. I'm really glad I checked the place out. WIth a menu this interesting, you are bound to get some hit-or-miss, but even the "miss" was only a miss compared to the out-of-this-world hits! It's a fun place with unique food and a great atmosphere, and worth a try if you want a trendy night out.
(4)
Tamara F.
I recently had a wonderful dinner at Tanta. It was a lively and fun place, smaller than expected based on how many people have been here. I loved our clear view from the high top into the chef's area. We had the Pisco Sour drink to start off with (I generally have eggs for breakfast and not in my drink, but it was very light tasting and good!), They suggest you select one or two things from each portion of the menu (I loved the selections from the Causitas section and everything I tried on those perivuan whipped potatoes was nirvana!). My server was great with suggesting items that did not have scallops in them or even items that have been touched by a scallop which is nice and I cringe at admitting to any food allergies as they just highlights another layer of being a pain in the ass. But, its always better that than the epi-pen.
(4)
Samantha H.
I was really excited to go to Tanta after spending quite a bit of time in Peru this year. So I should say that while it is touted as Peruvian, it is not traditional Peruvian. You will not find Alpaca or Guinea Pig on the menu and the flavors are more Asian that Peruvian. However when you get there they do tell you this. The Pisco Sours were not the greatest. I thought they were too sweet compared to what you really get in Peru. The food was very tasty though and the service was great. We started with the tasting of ceviches. Again, not a standard flavor profile but extremely well done. All three of them were different flavor profiles and all three of them awesome. We then got the octopus, which I think was my favorite dish of the night. Unbelievably succulent octopus on top of chimichurri potatoes, yes please! This was down right perfect. We also tried the pork fried rice, which was probably my least favorite dish. Definitely not Peruvian but also just too much sweet flavor. It was nicely prepared rice but I did not feel the flavor profile fit along with the rest of the meal. We got the pork belly and the beef cheeks. The pork belly was good, but it is pork belly so that was no surprise. It was tasty though. The beef cheeks were fork tender and extremely well prepared. Overall I would say the ceviches, beef cheeks, and octopus are A+ dishes. If you like pork belly, this will not disappoint but take a pass on the fried rice. Also get the jalepeno cocktail as opposed to the Pisco Sour.
(4)
sushi t.
I thought everything we ordered was delicious and we had 6 different dishes. 4 tasting and 2 entree types. They kept filling our waters and asking if everything was ok as well. Even the chef came by & the manager, also our server of course. Excellent service!
(5)
Eric G.
LOUD! but tasty ;)
(4)
Giana C.
One of the best meals I've have in the city recently! Come with a big group so you can try a ton of dishes-- share everything. Our server Ralph was excellent! He shared some great recs and couldn't have been more helpful.
(5)
lisa n.
Unforgettable Christmas Eve dinner this year at Tanta! The service was above and beyond, tentitive, and fast. You know when a restaurant has great service when the chefs are making an effort to interact and checkup on your meal. That was my case. Chef came out to recommend selections, of course I listened and was beyond pleased with what we had chosen! The food here just resemble passion, fun, and good food. Fresh. Colorful. Vibrate. Great restaurant for families and groups! Thank you Tanta for the amazing eating experience.
(5)
steve b.
We had a good meal here, but not great; service was spotty (we never got our plantain chips!) and the server wasn't around much. The Ceviche flight was good, but the portions too small to justify the $28 cost. Drinks were the highlight of the meal, for sure. Won't be in a rush to go back, though.
(3)
Gris M.
I came to try this restaurant from Toronto. I was very disappointed by my experience. First, we made a reservation for six, but when we got there they thought it was for two so we had to wait for over twenty minutes for a table. Then my cousin was allergic and asked for no shrimp in her jalea but then she found two shrimps. Last, the food wasn't that great. A disappointment!!
(2)
Carol K.
Loved everything about this place except for the noise level which had me yelling across the table at my dining companion! I think I had a better conversation with the guy who was sitting at the table next to me cuz at least I could hear him! But that aside- the food and the service at Tanta rocked! We went on a weeknight and the place was packed so I can't imagine what a weekend might look like here. We were seated promptly for our reservation and Nicholas, our server, was over in a flash to make sure we had his suggestions on drinks, etc. I went with his suggestions for the entire night and boy does Nicholas know his stuff! First- the drink. They have a interesting cocktail menu so I ordered the "lima llama" with barsol quebranta pisco, lime, and ginger beer. Yum! Seriously- my friend put it best that this thing could get you in trouble as it goes down like lemonade! For dinner- we went with a range of items from the menu. The top half of the menu is small, tapas type foods with the entrees being at the bottom. We started with the ceviche sampler which should have been an indicator of how the rest of the night was going to go as these three ceviches were great. One was shrimp, one was ahi tuna and one was fluke but all tasted fantastic! Next up? We went with a couple of the causitas. Not sure what that translates to but picture little mounds of whipped yellow potatoes topped with things like ahi tuna or crab and avocado (of those two I preferred the ahi tuna as the crab felt a little "tuna salad" like) For our entree, we split the whole Peruvian chicken. I loved the way this was served, on a huge platter with rice, beans, greens and an array of sauces to spice it up. And that chicken fell right off of the bone. Know that there were plenty of entrees to choose from, fish, beef and even something called "Street food feast" which sounded more traditional. And we liked the Asian influence on the menu as well with the various spices and fried rice offerings. And finally- for dessert, (like we needed more food) there is an interesting range of items. Nicholas once again came to our rescue by steering us to something that looked like donut holes filled with warm chocolate and served with lemon grass ice cream. Sweet and decadent- these chocolate bombs simply explode in your mouth! If you drive- there is valet parking which will run you about $12. All in all- if you love Peruvian food served in a contemporary environment by people who really know their stuff- stop into Tanta. But bring your ear plugs cuz trust me . . .you're going to need them!
(4)
Gustavo D.
Lights out Peruvian food. There's not much that I can say aside from this being one of the best meals I have ever had the pleasure of eating.
(5)
Dave S.
Started with the Nikei Ceviche, which had an excellent citrus zing to it. The combination of flavors in the pobre make it a must order: sweet sushi style bed of rice topped with wagyu skirt steak and a tiny sunny side up quail egg. Unbelievable. Beef heart skewer is topped with the same tasty cream sauce they give with the comp chips and was nice and tender. Lastly had the salmon, which had it's own tasty cream sauce. The best part of this was actually the grilled calamari that came on the side. The waiter said the grilled octopus is to die for. After trying that 1 piece of calamari, I'll have to try the octopus next time!
(4)
Kate M.
Tanta, I'm smitten with you. I had a very good dinner at Tanta. The cebiche tasting was delicious. Personally, I'm not a fan of spicy food (I'm a delicate flower) but none of the three I tried were too spicy to mask the delicious flavors. My favorite was the nikei cebiche (yes, they spell it with a "b") which was tuna, avocado, cucumber, and tamarind. It was delicious. Everything on the street food feast was good too. The pan con chicarron was wonderful. For dessert the tapioca and pineapple dish was very good. It wasn't too big or too small, just the right portion of sweetness to complete a great meal. Of course, I didn't just have food. What's a good meal without a drink, or three? Since I love trying specialty cocktails I had to taste a few of them at Tanta. I think of the few I sipped the Lima Llama was my favorite, although too much ice. The service was great. I was totally overwhelmed with all the tasty sounding dishes and drinks and asked our server to help, which he did a great job of. He was friendly and attentive but didn't pester us. We were early for our reservation but they were able to seat us right away which was great, as I was starving and I get fairly whiny when I'm hungry. The decor in the dining room and the music are a perfect complement to the food and drinks. It all flows together very well to create a great experience. The semi creepy painting of a woman's face in the bathroom I could do without, but I'll just wear a blindfold next time. I look forward to my next trip to Tanta to try more of their Peruvian delicacies. Hopefully I'll be back soon...
(5)
Juli G.
As a Peruvian I can tell you this restaurant does not really represent Peruvian food. Tanta is a gourmet restaurant (small size for $$$) and with some terrible variation in the typical dishes. 1. The Pollo a la brasa: the typical pollo a la brasa does not come with white rice as a size dish. The fried potatoes were good, but it was not the typical taste. The salad was plain and tasteless. The chicken was just OK (too small and little cold inside). My rate is 4/10. 2. The ceviche was not good. Small, a lot of onions, $$$, and with fruits??? My rate is 0/10. 3. Picarones: this was the best. They were sweet and soft as expected, although they were kind of small. My rate: 8/10 In general, I will not come back or recommend it. If you want to taste a great pollo a la brasa, go to De Candela restaurant. The pollo a la brasa is amazing, ironically the cook is not from Peru.
(2)
Saurabh P.
I had a great dining experience here, had no idea that Peruvian food was so delicious. The waiter explained that Peruvian food was the original fusion cuisine, being influenced by various cultures. Everything from the traditional Peruvian drinks to the fresh ingredients and flavors made this an exceptional dining experience. The menu could have been intimidating, but our waiter did a good job of explaining it which allowed us to make great choices. I didn't regret any of the items that we ordered, there were a few others that I am anxious to try during my next visit. Its a great place to go with friends and share. You'll miss out if you order something for yourself and don't get to experience many of the wonderful choices on this menu.
(5)
Elle M.
I've been trying to get to Tanta for months. Luckily my coworkers have excellent taste and we all decided this was where we should go for our department Xmas dinner. It was absolutely fantastic. I cannot think of one dish I wouldn't want more of. We got the ahi potato roll "sushi", the grilled octopus (amazing), the corn cake, the mahi ceviche, the ahi passion fruit crudo, the pork fried rice, one of the fish, the beef tenderloin, and the beef cheeks. I think my favorites were the beef cheeks and the octopus, but I'm forcing myself to choose. I seriously doubt you can possibly go wrong with anything you order from the entire menu. The food is so unique and completely packed with flavor. It's truly unlike anything else I've had in Chicago. And the drinks are awesome too. It may have taken me months to get here, but I certainly hope it doesn't take me that long to get back (so I don't have to share with five other people). Yay, Tanta!
(5)
Martha Z.
Delicious food, good wine, fun vibe! We will definitely be back and will recommend to friends for some food a little off the beaten track!
Husband and I came here on Valentine's Day and it was delicious! The food was unique, tasty and very flavorful. The ambiance is nice for a date, but it can get a little loud. We had reservations but had to wait 20 minutes, understandable because it was Valentine's Day.
(4)
Yira M.
The food is amazing the drinks the best try the Pulpo and the tasting of the ceviches
(5)
Emily J.
Tanta was very delicious. Our waitress was helpful in deciding what to order. I will defiantly be going back. Prices are reasonable in the River North area. Only complaint is the noise level. You have to shout to have a conversation, so that's the only downfall. Overall, I highly recommend this place.
(5)
Scott C.
Yahtzee!! Are you craving a diverse Peruvian cuisine experience with some fab twists?? Tanta is the place that does not disappoint! This review is a bit tardy in coming but I can say the multiple times that I have been here with friends, we have tasted everything on the menu and so, so much flavor and awesome presentation! Word to the wise, order the beef cheek! Cocktails are in tune with the theme, lima llama & el chingon baabeah! Staff is very knowledgeable, trust me they know the details! During the summer, the 2nd floor rooftop space has a great vibe and is always hoppn'! Menu is limited up there but a great place to start the night or grab a drink while waiting for your seating! Dress to impress with a casual cool flair...scene to be seen!
(5)
Lily Z.
Boy and I came for date night last week. We ordered -Power ceviche: Not impressed whatsoever. Overpriced and wished there wasn't such a huge mound of red onions underneath -Steak and Ahi tuna nigiri: We both thought there was too much rice in each bite. I don't know if I preferred one over the other. -Jalea? (Fried seafood with corn): I loved the sauce that came with the fish. The corn tasted almost like corn nuts! -Veal cheek: absolutely delicious. I loved the green puree underneath and it melted in my mouth. Boy thought it was too fatty. Along with a bottle of wine, our meal came to about $175? Not a cheap place at all, but it's something different if you're looking for a new place for date night! I would come back to try their fried snapper. Our waiter was very helpful with the menu. A little bit too helpful because he wouldn't stop talking about every single item on the menu.
(4)
Candice N.
I went here last night for my birthday dinner with my two girlfriends. It was AMAZING. I know it was only Thursday but we were sat right at the time of our reservation. The food was delicious. The cherry on top though was our server, Becky. She was great! She knew the menu and had great recommendations. She was super friendly. She noticed that my friends had brought me a present and wished me a happy birthday and gave us champagne. She didn't even have to be told it was my birthday. Becky was just tuned in, and present with us throughout our meal. Afterwards we didn't feel rushed and felt comfortable to sit and talk. Best birthday dinner in a LONG time.
(5)
Jordan E.
Unfortunately, I have to update my review to 2 stars. This used to be my favorite restaurant in the city until my last experience. I went in for brunch and explained to my waiter that I have a shellfish allergy before ordering. The waiter assured me that I didn't need to worry and that he would let the kitchen know. After eating my food it became very clear that there was shellfish in my food and I was having an allergic reaction. Luckily, my allergy is not life-threatening but I was very sick the rest of the day. I no longer trust Tanta's kitchen and will not be returning.
(2)
Brian K.
Great restaurant. My wife and I just ate here. I have dined at a number of other Peruvian restaurants in the country and I can say the staff made this one of the best. Our server was amazing, the busser was on point, and the manager did a great job. Everything about the meal was perfect. I have been a server for over 10 years and for me to say that a meal was perfect is saying a lot. I highly recommend this wonderful restaurant for unique favors prepared perfectly with amazing service. Thank you Tanta.
(5)
Lisa P.
I kept walking by this restaurant since it opened and it always looks packed with people so I decided to make a reservation here for my friend's 30th birthday last Friday. Wow, were we impressed! Innovative and interesting dishes, all were flavorful and reasonably priced. Most of us hadn't tried a great deal of Peruvian dishes; thankfully our waiter was happy to point out favorites and knowledgable about the menu. Our entire table of 6 all enjoyed every dish we ordered. I will definitely be coming back & look forward to sampling more Peruvian cuisine at this hip joint!
(5)
Annie N.
Food was outstanding - fresh cebiches (we had the tasting), smokey savory octopus skewers, luscious corn cake were the highlight of our meal. The fried rice left a little to desire but it had some very good burned/crunchy pieces at the bottom. I have do admit the corn was a little over-used as we found it in many of our dishes but I loved that corn so I didn't mind. It has been a while since I left so satisfied with a meal and wanting to come back to try more. The service was alright - the male host was rather rude in the beginning. He was going for an Oliver-Rousteing-look-a-like vibe and walked through the restaurant with his ipad as if it was his catwalk and he was modeling tablets. Unfortunately he forgot to do the one thing he was supposed to do: greet and seat customers. When I entered and said I had 2 people, his immediate response was "Oh, no reservation?" with a sour face. Rude! Well in fact I did have one, and he seemed like he didn't even want us there. We did not receive service for a good 10-12 minutes, not even water. Our server was nice, but he had a big party so he seemed a little short with us. When we asked for suggestion he went through a well rehearsed speech about the menu which was both comprehensive and lengthy. It was a little painful though as he had bad breath and we had to endure it for a little bit, which shouldn't be the case at any restaurant (servers with bad breath that is). All and all we picked out some good options but I wish I had gone with the seafood stew or the jaela - also skip the Amish chicken - very average and basically just a variety of dipping sauce, grilled chicken and some sad looking fries. The ambiance was nice but a little cold. They have a medium size dinning room but it was packed so reservation is recommended. Lots of choices so I'd suggest going with a group so you can try more. They have a well selected, fairly priced wine list too.
(4)
Alex H.
This was my second time going to Tanta. A friend and I went without a reservation and were put on the list for a table. While we waited, we sat at an empty table on the roof and had cocktails and some small bites. I love very light and fresh drinks, so I had the Pisco Pepe and the Pisco Sour. Both very delicious, however, Pepe is a little more light than the Sour. I suggest that. My date had the El Chingon. It had an incredible ice ball that is supposed to melt and give off a spicy flavor. While it was my preference, he liked it and it was very cool aesthetically. We ate some small plates while we waited. The empanada sampler and the shrimp ceviche. Both were very good (and very filling!). So much so that we didn't even end up going to dinner. Mostly because a huge rain cloud set in and we couldn't wait any longer, but also because we were stuffed!
(4)
Andrew P.
Went here on a date with my wife. This is my first experience in Peruvian food and Tanta. Service was impeccable, ambiance hip, and food spectacular. 3 things that made it the best food I have ordered in Chicago: - Pisco Sour like a complex, sipping version of margarita party in your mouth. - Nikei Cebiche - I would consider giving up drinking to eat this for the rest of my life if it weren't for the pisco sour. - Lomo Saltado - BOOM! Stop reading this post, get an Uber, get to Tanta!
(5)
Jeremia F.
All I have to say is what an experience! I wasn't sure what to expect, before coming here to dine and was looking over the menu that looked like a strong asian influence. I can't lie there we basically had just about one of everything so I'm not going to elaborate on each menu item. First off,the drink menu is extensive and can satisfy everyone from a martini, beer drinker to a wine enthusiast. The cebiches are outstanding and I think that they are a must to start off your experience. We went with the tasting which is a delicious option. The classico was a standout in the tasting.This was also my first experience eating corazon (beef heart). I wish places I ate could prepare most everything in the fashion of Tanta's beef heart. It was served with very flavorful chimichurri. If you aren't sure what to get I would say go big or go home, Go with Pollo A La Brasa! This whole chicken is so tender and juicy and can easily feed 2-3 people. The sides that accompany this dish are also delicious and the serving sizes are large so you better be hungry if you are ordering this with only 2 people. The Street Food feast while it sounds appealing it was probably the least exciting thing we had. While it was good I just didn't feel that anything was as in your face flavorful or delicious as the other items we had tried. It too was a large amount of food. We also tried some items off of the Niguiris Nikei menu and I can't remember which because atthis point there was so much food on the table it was hard to keep track of what everything was but it too was a very tasty morsel of goodness but remember that it is essentially nigiri sushi so the serving size is small but delicious. This was easily the best meal I have had on my brief visit to Chicago and wouldn't hesitate that it was one of the best meals I have had in months. Just the experience of this establishment is worth the visit. Come with friends so you can try everything!
(5)
Sam A.
Excellent food, a bit pricey but expected in river north. Started on the rooftop, they have a bar menu which looked very appealing but had dinner reservations for the restaurant. Waitress was very helpful and even understand dietary restrictions I had and had the kitchen accommodate us. I would definitely come back as the menu has a variety of items that we couldn't even try this time around. Ask for the fried rice with chicken instead of pork, it was amazing!
(4)
Stella W.
The service was good, our server was so knowledgeable about the menu and gave us good recommendation. We had this pork belly dish that was the night's specials. Easily the best dish of the night. So tender (but it's pork belly, how could it NOT be tender?!) and falling off the bone (why is there bone with pork belly? not too sure, but we still love those slabs of meat). The ceviche with the juice/cold soup was my other favourite of the night. But I love simple fish dish, so it's hard not to be my faves unless they really mess it up with tons of seasoning and bad fish... The rest were just so-so. The pork fried rice...it's just greasy bacon fried rice, covered with shrimp omelette and this thai tangy sweet and sour sauce, drenched in oil (did i already mention GREASY?!). There was puddle of oil left at the bottom of the bowl after we finished it... The beef nigiri with quail egg. i could get that at any japanese place...nothing special there that worth the price tag... The drinks were good... All in all, i agreed with a couple other reviewers...no compelling reasons to go back...
(2)
Fernando T.
Tanta did not disappoint. And it did not disappoint again, and again... We've been to Tanta a copule of times now, so this review somewhat summarizes our visits. Reservations are a must, unless you want to be seated at the bar. And I've taken a peek at the bar, and it's been packed. So play it safe. On all occasions we were seated soon after arriving. Food and drinks: Chips with "chifles" (or plantain chips) along with a savory sauce, slightly spicy (aji amarillo base) were brought to our table. The menu offered a variety of Pisco-based drinks. In order to be a good Peruvian restaurant, you have to get the Pisco Sour right. And they did. Very well balanced. Recipe is on the wall behind the bar. But you have to use fresh lemon juice. Nicely done! Pisco punch - very nice, loved the pineapple. Lima Llama - very nice too, can easily down a couple, with possible dangerous consequences. Cebiche- Foodgasm alert!! Excellent! Very fresh! An explosion of goodness in your mouth. Had the cebiche clasico, wish there was more. I would keep going back just for this! Street Fest- Chicken anticuchos, very tasteful (I prefer the beef heart), papitas with huancaina sauce (I like them a tad spicier), empanadas - very yummy! and pan con chicharron (pork belly), even yummier! This one is for sharing. Chalana - a causita sampler. "Causita" means, "little causa". Causa is mashed potato, filled with different things. Here in Tanta, with crab, ahi tuna or fish escabeche. All of them, delicious! Lomo saltado - delicious! One of the best I've had, ever. They did use a different cut for the potatoes, which was a bit awkward. But I'll get back to that. Carapulcra - You have to know your Peruvian cooking to put this dish on the menu. Very bold, and very nicely done! This one comes in at a solid third place, after my grandmother and my mom's carapulcra. I like mine just a bit spicier. Arroz con pato - duck was so good, cooked just right. Very hearty. Another bold decision, but well done. Chaufa aeropuerto - in other words, a "combinado", or combination of arroz chaufa (Peruvian fried rice) and tallarin saltado (stir fried noodles). Ask that your server crack the egg tableside. Just do it. Foodgasm alert again. Chicha morada - purple corn drink, which I guess some folks would find too sweet, hence the ice-filled glass. I prefer mine without the ice. Yum! Picarones - Foodgasm alert number three! Pumpkin and sweet potato yumminess! And chancaca! You will know what that is after eating this! Trust me! Tanta is Peruvian food, with street cred. Peruvian flavors with a sassy, street vibe. It is not a typical, Peruvian food restaurant. Even for someone who's eaten Peruvian food all his life, Tanta is a burst of exciting and delicious surprises. Our servers have been great. Only the last time, was our server a bit crabby and off her mark. She's served us before, but the last time was not her night. It did not alter the course of the evening, but I will take away 1/2 star. 4.5 stars for Tanta. I will be back again.
(4)
Jahna L.
We enjoyed the food at Tanta but I will most likely not come back. Our waiter was extremely rude and inattentive. I was meeting a friend from out of town and we were spending a bit of time catching up. The waiter came over and asked if we would ever stop talking so that he could do his job. Yikes! The rest of the evening played out on a similar tone with the waiter. We asked for his recommendations and he suggested the octopus...ok, that is it? Overall, the food was very delicious. We enjoyed the cerviche, the octopus and a few other 'street food' items. The price was absurd given how rude our waiter was though.
(3)
Shardool P.
I went to Tanta in the first weeks of their opening. The space is great. It has modern lightining, finishes, and a darkness to it complemented by bright artwork and sleek decoration. As was highly recommended, I ordered the pisco sour and it was perfectly balanced, a little creamy, and just a really delicious drink -- I'm going to have to jump on the Pisco wagon now myself! No need to over order, as they give you these delicious plantain chips with an amazing garlic sauce to munch on in between courses, and it gets quite filling. We ordered a few dishes, the ones I recall now that stood out were the pulpo (octopus) which was great texture and taste, and the lomo saltado (beef stir-fry). The lomo saltado was amazing, it was very tender, juicy, and had an intense balanced smokey flavor that makes you just want to keep eating! I even had it for leftovers later and it was phenomenal. We both really enjoyed Tanta and didn't really have many complaints. The only things I would say could have used improvement was if the tables were slightly more spaced, as we had an older couple next to us intruding on our conversation throughout our meal. For a high end restaurant of this price point, I expect some room to breathe and have a reasonably private experience. Other than that, all smiles here and we look forward to returning!
(4)
Al P.
Very solid and interesting option in a city that has it all. I've been in several restaurants with the Gaston Acurio brand, especially his Lima locations, and this is a much better version of the original Peruvian locations. This one has a complete different menu, different options, different kind of service. The only thing I didn't like is that the huancaina sauce is really spicy (I had dinner with 2 Peruvian cooks and we all agreed on that), the ceviche is good and the place is too noisy. Anyway, it's a place to come back definitely.
Amazing Peruvian food! We started with cocktails (the Lima Llama was great, an interesting take on the Moscow Mule), the cebiche clásico, and causita tasting plate. The nikei was so good that we ended up ordering another round! I got the chicharrón for dinner - the super tender and juicy pork belly went really well with the sweet potato. Truly delicious cuisine in a really fun and vibrant setting.. I can't wait to come back!
(5)
Chris M.
Great atmosphere and excellent food. Service was a little slow. I've only been there once so I cannot make a judgment on whether this is a regular issue. You will probably need to plan to valet park as well. We reccomend the pulpo antichucos and the quinoa causitas.
(4)
Kim B.
I love Peruvian food and was excited to try Tanta as soon as I found out about the grand opening. The boyfriend and I made the 1-hour drive into the city for a special date night and were expecting to be wowwed (chef Gaston Acurio is a very famous Peruvian chef). Unfortunately, the food (and our waiter) fell very short of our expectations. First off, our waiter was terrible! He was still in-training so each time he came to our table, someone would stand behind and supervise him. It would have been nice to be informed of this from the start. We found the menu difficult to navigate and our waiter only added to our confusion. He gave us a long and very awkward 5-minute speech about the menu and Peruvian cuisine that was not helpful at all. His explanation was filled with uncomfortable pauses as he tried to figure out what to say next. He couldn't even offer us recommendations on what to order and instead read us the descriptions that were printed on the menus. We had to flag down other staff and a manager to help us. Each interaction with our waiter got more and more uncomfortable and at one point we considered asking for another server. The food was a disappointment as well. We ordered the ceviche sampler, street food feast, and adobo de ternera (slow-cooked veal cheek). The ceviche was nothing extraordinary and consisted of only a few small pieces of fish. Definitely not worth $28. The street food feast contained several different items that either had no flavor (pork sandwich) or flavors that we didn't enjoy (roasted potatoes, chicken skewers, and empanadas). These first two dishes, combined with our awkward waiter, were so disappointing that we cancelled our main entree and decided to have dinner elsewhere. Once the waiter heard of our decision to leave, both the restaurant manager and one of the restaurant owners stopped at our table. Each of them was concerned that our experience wasn't enjoyable and asked for feedback on the meal and service. We were very honest and informed them that the food did not live up to our expectations, especially considering the price and reputation. Everyone was very nice and we were not charged for our meal. Overall, I wasn't impressed by the food at Tanta but will definitely consider returning because of the excellent service we received.
(2)
Shradha A.
I was thoroughly impressed by the service, food and ambiance here. First things first, amazing service! It's so rare nowadays to visit a restaurant or bar where the staff really cares - they assume they'll get their tip anyway. Every staff member here was so positive and engaged, it was a pleasant surprise and truly added to the dining out experience. Of course, the main part is food -- I cannot think of words to describe how good the asparagus was! We also tried a couple of the quinoa dishes (I'm vegetarian) as well as the potatoes. The spices and sauces were done really well and added a lot to the taste of the food. Presentation was great - cute earthen bowls. Ambiance was fun and lively but not crazy! All in all, as good as it gets in my humble opinion and I've told at least 8 people in 24hrs that they must visit.
(5)
Jen D.
Tanta was a great change of pace and is a welcome new addition in Chicago! A trip to Tanta made me realize how much I love the flavors of Peru. The ceviche trio was fantastic and was a bit different from some of the other ceviches I've had at other places. We tried most of the skewers. The octopus and chicken were my favorite. Skip the asparagus. I know it sounds silly, but the pork fried rice was our favorite thing of the night. The whole or half chicken is a great option if you have picky eaters, but if folks are more adventurous you can skip it. The entree size meats we tried were all terrific - the veal cheek (awesome - tender and flavorful), lamb shank and the duck leg. Excellent cocktails. Good service. Great atmosphere. I'll be back!
most authentic peruvian food in Chicago as well as best pisco sour in chicago!!! worth trying!! Im peruvian and I take all my friends there :)
(5)
Jack B.
My party of four was WOW'd by the cocktails, food and service at Tanta last evening. The Pisco Sour is the best. - so flavorful and refreshing. The cocktails with the house made, flavored ice cubes are as delicious. The mixologists are talented, friendly and funny. The food was equally fabulous! Octopus, beef heart, scallops and skirt steak with quail egg were all outrageous. The pescado frito is as impressive looking as it is delicious. Desserts were also incredible. Our food server was most pleasant and very knowledgeable. We enjoyed her a lot. I can't wait to return for more.
(5)
Deborah P.
Great restaurant! I only give 4*'s though cause I am from Peru so I can tell some of the dishes were changed a little (totally understandable). It was a great surprise to find out they carry Inca Kola and peruvian corn. We order a lot of dishes to share. My favorite was the heart anticuchos and picarones for desert. Definitely would go back!
(4)
Aliya J.
Um, this place is everything my food dreams are made of! Complimentary crispy yucca chips with a slap-my-face-off fantastic spicy dipping sauce? Check. Ridiculously tasty and perfectly tart pisco sours? Check. Tastebud smashing food with beautifully rustic presentation? Check. Dude, this place knocked my socks off (well, that's to assume I wore/wear socks. I don't. But if I was a sock-wearing individual, they would have been gone. Knocked off. Far away). I had a fantastic meal at Tanta this past weekend. The place was bustling with zest and energy... and there were shiny, happy, smiling people in every direction I looked. We ordered, like, one of everything on the menu, and our party of 6 devoured every dish that touched our table in much the same manner that my cat maniacally devours his food (he's a fat, and is one of those crazy cats that eats every meal as if he's been starving for days... you get the picture). While every single thing was delicious, the standouts for me were the plancha anticuchera. I have never, ever seen or tasted corn so imbued with flavor! We also had this "hangover cure" drink that was so good that I woke up the next morning (with a blazing hangover, mind you) and wanted one of these. Badly. I highly recommend trying this savory drink. It was like a gazpacho, but like 100 times better. Perhaps it was the lime. I do love my lime :) I would also get the causitas - whipped potatoes. They are like little mashed potato pillows topped with different types of fish. WHAT?! I could have eaten at least 35 of these things all by myself... but alas, I had to share. What a shame When the meal was done, I was so stuffed that I had some challenges getting up and walking out. I ate SO much. But it was SO good. If you want a really fantastic food experience, please just go to Tanta. I am surprised that this place was already so on-point after recently opening. Usually, restaurants go through a rocky escapade before finally settling in... not the case here. However, I did see that this might have been the case in some of the other reviews, but that is to be expected. We had nothing but amazing service and amazing food. I can't wait to come back next time I am in Chicago!
(5)
Vanessa K.
From stiff, delicious drinks to perfectly done food, this place is a can't-miss restaurant. You'll need a reservation for almost any night of the week, and I've heard brunch requires resos too if you don't want to wait an eternity. The ambiance is lovely & romantic, and lively enough for a fun group (especially a group that likes cocktails). I was going to list all the cocktails we tried, but turns out it's basically all of them. So get any one. They are all delicious. We tried the special ceviche with mango--it was amazing. If your server lists it as a special, you really should order it. We tried all the seafood dishes as well, and were pleased. Just thinking about our meal makes me want to go back.
(5)
Emily S.
We went here with a group for a friend's birthday dinner. Definitely a great place for a group celebration, as the cocktail list is fun and creative and the menu lends itself to sharing. Normally when we go out with a larger group, I don't like to share because I always feel like I don't really eat all that much, especially when compared to cocktail consumption. After our meal at Tanta, I was full without being stuffed. Everything was really good - the ceviches were really fresh and tasty, and the beef cheek entree that I shared with a friend was fantastic. The plantain chips and spicy dip they bring to the table is highly addictive! Will definitely go back.
(4)
Jeremy F.
Tanta is a fantastic restaurant with informative, friendly service, a trendy yet casual atmosphere with a bit of flair, and, most importantly, delicious food. Visited around 10:40 pm on a Wednesday, and were greeted warmly and given a table. Even though we came in only a little before the restaurant was supposed to close, at no point did we feel rushed or like they were anything but happy to have us there. The waiter took time to go over the menu with us, describing individual dishes and helping us decide how much to order. We started with the ceviche tasting, The classico was a very good version of a traditional Peruvian ceviche, full of piquant flavors from the acid and onions. The mixto had a bit of a kick, which complemented the wide variety of seafood nicely. The nikei had strong Japanese influences, making it an unusual and pleasantly surprising twist on the dish. This also came with plantain and potato chips, which were simple but perfectly so. We followed with three of the anticuchos, or skewered and grilled meats. The beef heart was was served on a bed of Peruvian corn and a chimichurri. The combination of flavors highlighted the texture and flavor of the meat without overpowering it. The chicken had a delicious, spicy marinade that matched well with the sweetness of the mashed sweet potatoes underneath. The octopus was amazingly tender and flavorful, paired with a sauce made from purple olives. All three anticuchos were beautifully presented with an impresive attention to detail. Next we did the chalana, a tasting of different whipped potato presentations. This was probably the weakest point of the meal. They looked stunning, presented atop a banana leaf on a boat similar to those I associate with omakase. However, while they were good they didn't rise to same level as the rest of the meal. There was a bit too much sauce and some of the flavors seemed to fight each other rather than marry and enhance. The flavors in the chaufa aeropuerto, however, married expertly. This dish was simply divine. Seriously. It was fucking awesome. It comes in a stone bowl where the pork fried rice is mixed at the table. The aroma is intoxicating. The rice along the edge and bottom of the bowl gets crispy and caramelized. It's just so good. I'm kind of angry I'm not eating it right now. I don't know if I can emphasize enough how much I liked this. Tanta's lows are still better than many places highs and their high is one of my favorite things I've ever eaten. TL:DR Get the pork fried rice. Get it. Just do it.
(5)
Traci T.
Oh how I miss Chicago and its great restaurant scene. On a recent visit to catch up with a friend, Tanta fell on my radar and knew that we had to try it and it did not disappoint. We called to make a reservation but was told that they were fully booked, but suggested bar seating if we were amenable to it. Great service is a series of memorable first impressions. When we arrived, we were greeted warmly and were seated at the ceviche bar. It was awesome because we got to see the behind the scenes in action. Our server was attentive and made some great recommendations. We had the pulpo, the anticucho negiri, the criollo, and the roasted chicken. Everything was fresh and delicious. We had a slight issue with our roasted chicken that was remedied immediately. Tanta has a great staff and excellent food and will certainly be back whenever I'm in Chicago next.
(5)
Linda B.
I'm always excited to try new restaurants and am not that familiar with Peruvian food so I was really looking forward to my meal. Things started off well: I had the rooster cocktail which had some really interesting flavors. I don't typically like green plantains but the chips here (with a nice mayo-based sauce on the side) were delicious. I also loved the criolla causita. So why the 3-star review? My paiche -- which I was especially excited about -- was undercooked in the center. I took most of the meal home, so I didn't realize that it wasn't cooked until I reheated and tried cutting through it and couldn't. That was pretty disappointing and it took away from what was otherwise a nice dinner.
(3)
Mili E.
I'm a Peruvian living in Chicago, so I was excited to try Tanta but I was extremely disappointed to get the staples items such as Tiradito, Ceviche, Empanadas, Pollo a la Brasa and this is why: 1. Ceviche: fish was soaking in a very deluded lime juice, almost no taste 2. Empanadas: supposedly filled with flavors like tamales, didnt even get close to the flavors indicated in the menu 3. Pollo a la brasa: fried chicken on top of a bed of an omelet with some seasoning on top...that's not even close to the traditional thing at all The only thing I enjoyed was the picarones, they were great as well as the service. Not the quality of food I was expecting from Chef Gaston Acurio
(2)
Rachel R.
Having been to Peru and dined at many of Gastón Acurio's restaurants, I was very excited when one opened here in Chicago! The first time we visited we started with the el piscolero to drink. They were the awesome! A nice spin on the pisco sour while still maintaining the classic flavor. We decided that we wanted to try a few things, especially since the menu was different from the Tanta in Lima. 1) Cebiche sampler: Delicious. The fish was very fresh and had a good blend of acid and spice. 2) Street food feast: A typical appetizer sampler. Everything on it was great, but the standout for me was the pan con chicharron. The perfect one bite dish. Good portion for sharing. 3) Chaufa Aeropuerto: Compared to some pretty amazing Asian restaurants in the US and international, this is probably one of my top three rice dishes ever. Each time we've been, the only downfall as been a bit of a wait for drinks. No biggie though. That issue doesn't outweigh the awesome food and great service.
(4)
Robert K.
Food and service were great. I won't go into each dish we had but everything we had up and down the menu from the ceviche, sushi and pulpo to the lamb shank were perfect. Oops I almost forgot to mention drinks...el chignon is highly recommended!
(5)
Oliver P.
An amazing discovery of food and flavours. Fantastic fusion between South American and Japanese. The Pisco Sours are out of this world.
(5)
Norah S.
I've never had Peruvian food before but if Tanta is Peruvian I would like to visit the country! Interestingly the taste of rice bowl is really asian so that fits me well.
(5)
Kadee D.
It's kinda hard to find a bad meal in Chicago but it's easy to find bad service. I was very impressed with the service and food/drinks. My husband, being from Peru, and I, Chicagoan, had high expectations and Tanta definitely met those - even exceeded them. We were nervous at first hearing from other Peruvians that it wasn't the best place they've been but I'm not sure how they could think that. Maybe they went on a bad night. Maybe they really don't know good food.... We started with the Pisco punch and Lima llama ... Great choice for those Pisco lovers, not too sweet not too sour- just perfect. For appetizers we had ceviche mixto and papa a la huancaina ... Ceviche was fabulous - huancaina could have been a littler spicer but it was still great flavor. For dinner we shared pollo a la brasa ... Again great taste. And of course for desert piccarones ... It's the only way to go since they are the only Peruvian restaurant to have them. Que rico doesn't even begin to explain this place. It was so good to have a friendly knowledgable server from Peru- thank you again to Mario. Everyone was so friendly, asking us how food was, taking empty plates quickly and chit chatting on the side about things they liked to eat from the restaurant. At the end of the meal we received alfajores.... Ha these were to die for - I really mean it ( we have a friend that makes them and they are crap compared to these) they melt in your mouth - it's a mouth orgasm after you've been through foreplay with your appetizer and meal. Lol I can see why Gastón is raved about. I also see why this place gets great reviews. I've been to Peru and ate real Peruvian food with my new family and got a real good taste of culture. I cook Peruvian food as well which is not very easy. I've been to many Peruvian restaurants in Chicago and Miami (hole in the wall, cheap and fine dining) . Hands down Tanta takes in all in the fine dining department and epic atmosphere. Some cool things to check out: upstairs outside bar lounge area (fantastic view/very modern), turrón wall down by the bathrooms (like Peruvian willy wonka) and crazy posters/painting on the walls above the toilets. If you love ceviche check out the ceviche bar you can sit and watch them make it for you. Big party, no problem - they have a chefs table package for that! Weekday nights are probably the best time to go since it is smaller and new - I could see it being packed on weekends and it being hard to get a table. We chose a Monday and it was not too crowded! Loved it :)
(5)
erica f.
The acoustics are terrible but the food is great and the drinks are STRONG. The ahi tuna was better than most I've tried in the city and the lamb literally melted off the bone. So delicious. Awesome spring/summer place. PISCO SOUR
(4)
Susan S.
The Peru cuisine they offered is actually fusion, influenced by Japanese, Korean and Spanish cuisine. All the dishes we ordered are pretty good!
(5)
Cynthia D.
Fun atmosphere. Delicious drinks and food. I can recommend the La Rusa drink and the octopus appetizer. I thought the ceviche was just so-so.
(5)
Sarah G.
First of all, I should say that I was extremely tired the night I went and so I did not enjoy my meal nearly as much as I normally would have. The restaurant reminds me of something you would find in Miami Beach, which IMHO is not a good thing. The restaurant is not particularly interesting in design or layout- there is a long bar on one side and restaurant seating on the other. The room is dimly lit and there is an ugly mural on one wall. It's louder than loud. The food is okay. My husband ordered the ceviche classico and we shared the octopus anticucho, the street food feast and the fried rice (chaufa aeropuerto.) The octopus and the fried rice were quite good as were the empanadas from the street food feast appetizer (everything else on that platter, I could have done without.) We definitely over ordered but there were so many things on that menu that we wanted to try. This place is probably better suited for larger parties, looking for a fun, lively environment. I'm just not a fan of having to yell to be heard and in all honesty, the food just did not live up to my expectations.
(3)
Suzanne B.
absolutely fantastic. celebrated my boyfriends 30th bday dinner and was so happy with everything from service, to cocktails, to each and every bite of food. chicharron and fried rice were amazing entrees but really loved the cebiche sampler as well as the steak and scallop niguiris nikei and the octopus anticuchos was probably my favorite of all! yum yum yum. becomes a little pricey since you want so many options of the menu, but well worth it and cannot wait to return!
(5)
Christopher V.
Excellenct service, especially considering they've been open 5-6 months. I tried a variety of menu offerings and each was flavorful and well prepared. I'll definitely be back.
(4)
Ela G.
Holy crap! After a very nice message and several calls from Tanta's management, they invited our entire group back for a do-over to apologize for our bad experience. This doesn't happen often, and usually if offered, I don't dare come back...but Tanta's management really cared about turning our experience into a positive one. Well, they certainly outdid themselves. We were so nicely treated the moment we arrived, seated at a table near the kitchen, and taken care of personally by one of the sous chefs who explained every dish coming to our table. The service was amazing and the food was delicious and executed perfectly. Our first experience was soon forgotten - I would definitely come back to Tanta. The way they handled the situation was really classy and commendable and we had a great time! When you go, definitely try their ceviches - they are all excellent, and the chicken salad with pureed potato, although it sounds simple, is pretty amazing.
(5)
Rachel K.
I love this place! Food was excellent, service on par, and a fun, lively vibe. We ordered the cebiche tasting which provided a nice assortment and great flavors. Next, we got the pobre niguiris. The quail egg was a bit much for me but once I got myself to eat it it was well worth it. The estofado de cordero was next on our list (braised lamb with polenta, mushrooms, and crispy kale). My oh my, I don't even have the vocabulary to describe how succelent and delicious this dish was!! Take my word for it and please order it. We also liked the chaufa aeropeurto (pork fried rice with spicy garlic). Overall I would highly recommend this place!
(5)
Katy K.
My husband and I had a reservation at 5:45 PM and were seated right away. We tried a pisco sour and La Guapa cocktails; the pisco sour was normal, perhaps a little less sweet than the typical version which is fine by me, but the star was La Guapa. It was a creative, tasty blend. Of all the Peruvian restaurants in Chicago, Tanta is unique in its commitment to a fusion theme, mixing Asian and Peruvian flavors. So, for someone wanting classic dishes this may not be the best option. We had crab causa, leche de tigre, lobster parihuela, and adobo de res. The causa was great, but the leche de tigre had soy sauce mixed in and the taste was a little odd. As for the entrees, the parihuela was excellent and the adobo was fine, but the meat was a little bland. The puree beneath the meat was much more flavorful. We liked Tanta and we will go back, but when we're in the mood for good Peruvian we will be more likely to go to 4Suyos as the prices are more economical and the plates are in-line with traditional Peruvian cuisine.
(5)
Kevin T.
Having been to Cuzco and Lima, my wife and I were excited when Chef Gaston opened this restaurant in Chicago and we were disappointed. Service was great, very friendly and knowledgeable. Their pisco sours were excellent, well balanced. They even make their own chicha morado in house which was delicious. The food brought back a lot of great memories we had of our trip to Peru. It exemplified the great culinary scene they have in Peru, from the Cebiche to the Chifa, it was all excellent. The variety of Cebiche was fantastic. We'll definitely be back.
(5)
Connie M.
I always get a little nervous when restaurants try to reintepret great ethnic food for a more upscale audience, but I was pleasantly amazed at how this attempt works out. The cocktails were imaginative and refreshing. The food menu is a bit overwhelming, actually, as it tries to draw from many Peruvian subcuisines--Japanese, creole, Chinese (chifa), rotisserie, cerviche... Some of the stuff was on point (pollo a la brasa), some a little overdone (my anticulchos (sp?) were soggy and kinda lame, the empanada bleh), but it was all pretty fun to try. Service was efficient but pretty minimalist. Atmosphere modern--kinda what you'd expect for the area. And I would go back again. And again. Because the menu is so exhaustive I could go many times and never order the same thing twice!
(4)
D W.
DELICIOUS Food - Beautiful Restaurant. Everything was perfect and extremely well done. Though I don't remember the names of the dishes, the ceviche and other appetizers were very unique and tasty, the whole fish was the best I have had, and the drinks were unique and refreshing. Service was professional and excellent. I will definitely return!
(5)
Ricardo R.
Really good drinks! You need to try the "Chingon" it is something different. Desserts are really good, try the Tapioca or the cheese ice cream. Service from Karla was terrific! She answered all our questions and was always asking if we were OK. The rooftop is very nice during summer but it gets really crowded over the weekends but that is no surprise in Chicago during that time of the year.
(5)
Mike P.
Gastón Acurio is an amazing chef. Chicago is quite privileged that he decided to open up a restaurant in our city. If you haven't heard of him, look him up. The guy is a global player on the culinary scene. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed everything that I ate and drank at Tanta. The atmosphere is very cool. The room is really good looking and colorful, has lively energy, and the service is prompt and helpful. Our waitress was quick to thoroughly explain everything and answer any questions, as I'm no expert in Peruvian cuisine. The meal began with the Classic Causitas and the mixto Ceviche as appetizers. The causitas are REALLY unique, as I never imagined I would enjoy cold mashed potatoes in a state of sobriety, but it was great! The fish in the ceviche is very fresh and it's a generous portion in a salty and citrusy base. Also very good. For the main dish we split the Street Food Feast, which was plenty of food for 2 people. The mini chicharron sandwiches were really delicious and I was surprised by the spiciness of the potato huancaina. It's a subtle spice that sneaks up on you, but really yummy. The empanadas were as good as I've had in South America and the chicken anticuchos were cooked perfectly and seasoned with a smoky flavorful rub. The drinks were excellent too. They offer a Peruvian pilsner beer and, of course, Pisco Sours. Peruvian cuisine is arguably the best and most creative in Latin America. Eating at Tanta makes me wanna go to Lima in 2014 for the food alone. For more info about Peruvian cuisine, check this out expat-chronicles.com/201…
(5)
Liz L.
Tanta is surprisingly and delightfully TANTAlizing. From start to finish, my entire experience there was filled with flawless service, lively ambiance, and innovative food. First, the host took my coat without my asking then proceeded to tell me that the birthday surprise was already set up for me. Then, the waiter was attentive throughout the night providing excellent recommendations and thorough descriptions of every dish. Stand-out dishes are the fried rice (I know, I know, but trust me on this one), the nikei pobre (thinly sliced and expertly seasoned steak topped with a quail egg served nigiri style), and the causitas are delicious as well. In the mood to captivate your palate? Then stop by Tanta. It's an experience that still has me mesmerized.
(4)
Eryn G.
Went on a date night with my special fella. We went up to the rooftop, it was gorgeous. I would rate this one of the greatest roofscapes in the city, the ambiance was; magical, romantic and quintessentially Chicago. We couldn't order food because the kitchen was closed but have heard positive things. The drink I had was absolutely divine, it was smokey and smooth. The only reason I docked a star is because the bar staff wasn't particularly friendly, kind of was a little put off from it. Otherwise we shall definitely return!
(4)
Dawn B.
Pisco sour - very decent. Papa a la huancaina - YUM!!! Quinoa salad, also tasty. Decent size for small plates. I'm surprised our waiter, who was fantastic, was monolingual English - bothered some people I was with. Pricey - will save for special occasions.
(3)
Jamie S.
Everything about my experience here was wonderful. It started with the wall mural. The art is beautiful. It looks like a mash up of Dali with South American graffiti art; colorful, captivating, surreal, and real. We waited at the bar since arriving early for our reservation and the bartenders were phenomenal at what they do. The drinks were good, they were cool people to talk to, and it didn't take long to get someone's attention despite the place being full at 9pm on a Wednesday. Once seated by the adorable, friendly host, our waiter was everything a waiter should be. He was energetic but not annoying, explained the menu, checked on us when appropriate but not overbearing, and simple but not to be over looked, got our order right. The cebiche trio was so good we ordered more of the mixto. When our entrees came, they were well timed with the sequence of the meal. My boyfriend got beef cheeks while I had the special, arroz criollo. I also ordered pastel de choclo which is arguably one of the best things I've tasted in my life. The other dishes were also spectacular. The amount of flavor in each dish is incomparable to most any other place I've eaten. We didn't have dessert since by that time we were both full and drunk (pisco sour yes!). The ambiance only heightened our stat of euphoria and the wall outside the bathroom made me think there was more in the drinks than just alcohol (in the best way possible). Upon departure, the man running their valet was even kind enough to stand in the street and hail a taxi for us. Everyone working at this place is courteous and does their job. Well done Tanta! Please keep up the exceptional work. I'll be back for more.
(5)
Daisy B.
We went here on a whim the other night as a spot opened up on open table. Neither of us knew what to expect, and there is a lot to take in on the menu (not at all a bad thing). Our server, Ralph, was awesome and walked us through the menu while giving us tips and the background of the food style and why it has an Asian influence. His passion for the food shone though, and we soon found out why (when we tasted the food)! the Pulpo octopus plate was amazing, the Nikei (ahi tuna with honey and passion fruit) was sooo good. I would eat 6 plates if I didn't want to try everything else! We also had the Pobre (which is just 2 bites, but beautiful and flavorful) and the Churrasco Tanta. Everything was perfect and I only wish I could have had room for more :)
(5)
Haley L.
This is my favorite new restaurant in Chicago. I love it so much I'm going back next week. The service is great, and almost as good as the phenomenal food. The CAUSITAS (whipped peruvian potatos and aji) are unreal, as is the arroz criollo (kind of like bibimbop). Plaintain chips instead of bread for an appetizer is also a great call. YUM
(5)
S C.
This is a fun food experience. Lots of different tasty bites to try. We shared Empanadas, Chicharron sliders, and Ahi in passion fruit for appetizers. All delicious and not overpriced. We had the beef stir fry and specialty fried rice for an entree. The beef was so good, but a skimpy portion of it for the price. The service was excellent, and we got a birthday dessert on the house for my Mom. This place is a treat, and the fried plantains to snack on are great! Skip the big dishes and order the small plates.
(3)
Jessica A.
I visited Tanta after a weekend getaway was unexpectedly cancelled and my husband and I wanted to save the weekend with a nice evening out. Tanta had been on my "list" for a while and, I'm glad to say, didn't disappoint. The food, wine list, cocktails--all fantastic. The menu can be a bit confusing as to portion size, but the wonderful thing about tapas style food is being able to order additional rounds for the table depending on how hungry you are and what strikes your fancy, and it definitely works here. We split the street food feast (a decent portion, for sure, but maybe a little pricey for the size), a cebiche (wonderful), and two entrees (steak for me, shrimp for him), as well as a bottle of wine and round of cocktails, and this was perfect. An expensive night, to be sure, but a meal we're still talking about. I do have to remove one star for the service. There was brief confusion at the beginning as to who was our server--something I normally don't fault for as those things happen, but to be honest I wish the first server who stopped by had been ours. He did a much better job explaining the menu (he served the table next to us). In addition, our server asked if our table had any allergies, and I mentioned my shellfish sensitivity (I don't need an epi pen if I accidentally ingest some, but enough of it and I will spend the rest of the evening revisiting my dinner...it's not cute.). I explained what I just did here--that my food could certainly be prepared on the same surface, but I would appreciate being warned if anything we ordered contained it. Her response: "So you're not allergic, you just don't like it?" Well...no. I just explained to you that it will make me sick the rest of the night. It was a disappointing start to the night--I've waitressed before and I get that people claim food allergies when they are picky eaters in actuality, but you don't know which you're dealing with, so to have something that could have completed derailed our night treated so casually was disappointing, to say the least. It wouldn't stop me from coming back, but I will be asking for a different server on our return.
(4)
Alex S.
Did not live up to the hype. Maybe it was an off night but places like these shouldn't have "off-nights."
(2)
Jenny I.
I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. We went there on a recommendation of a friend and I am so happy we listened. We sat at the bar and the bar staff was phenomenal, especially Jesus H. Jesus took really good care of us! We started with the original ceviche, which was so full of flavor and some heat. We then moved on to the pork fried rice hot stone bowl; I don't eat pork, so Jesus suggested substituting chicken. I can't even tell you how good this dish was. Both my fiancee and I decided it rivaled for one of our favorite dishes in Chicago. We were unfortunately full after this and I say unfortunately because I wanted to try so much more! We will be back to Tanta to try more food, the staff was amazing, and the atmosphere was great! If you need a new restaurant to check out, Tanta is the place to go!
(5)
Sonny P.
Definitely add this to your list of new Restaurants to go this year. We had 9:15 reservations and got here early and so grabbed a drink at the bar. The drink menu is heavily Peruvian-themed. We got the Lima Llama (which is basically a Moscow Mule) and La Guapa (which they say is their best selling drink on menu). For dinner, some of the dishes are tapas-style and some aren't. We ordered Criollo, Chicken Empanada, Quinoa Chaufa, Huancaina Potatoes, and the Pobre Nikei. Some of the food items are Japanese Fusion and went really well with the Peruvian flavors. In between the dishes, they brought out Plantain chips and this mind-blowing Chile sauce. It is a must try and you can't stop eating them! Great ambienece, very clean looking, service was very attientive and I would definitely visit this place again and make sure I recommend this place to my friends. However, not very Vegetarian friendly...
(4)
Mary C.
I came here for the first time with a few girlfriends and loved it. Carolina was our waitress and was great. She gave us the best recommendations! We had the Cebiche Tasting, Pulpo, Arroz Criollo and Pastel de Choclo to eat and enjoyed a couple El Chingon cocktails! We'll be back!
(5)
Jennifer W.
Food and drinks were great. I felt the fried rice was a bit over priced. Fish was super fresh
(4)
pablo e.
I'm a huge fan as Tanta has become one of our go to restaurants in Chicago. It is not traditional Peruvian, and we (as in my wife and I) were a little confused by the menu, with its strong Japanese influence, on our first trip. I highly recommend the Niguiri (who knew?) and Tiraditos over the ceviche. Not that the ceviche isn't solid, but the other two sections of the menu included some of the best raw fish dishes I have had.
(5)
Kim C.
Fantastic! Ok, full disclosure...I am not an adventurous eater. Hubs, on the other hand , is game for everything. We went for brunch. I like different tastes, just not seafood, or out of the box flavors. And I am a wine drinker. So, we started out with the signature Pisco Sours. Delish! Just enough sour and bitters taste to wake up the taste buds. Oh, our waiter, Ralph, helped us thru the menu, without judgment ! He was awesome! Attentive, patient and forced me to try things out of my wheelhouse, but not out of my taste. I had the Tamal empanadas, which were rich, crunchy and creamy. Hubs had ceviche Classico ...we spend a lot of time by the sea..he said it was best ever! Next up, I had the pork belly waffles with giant raspberries, out of this world good. Perfect savory and sweet. Hubs had the beef heart dish, which he loved. To end the day, we had a birthday dessert of crunchy light dough with strawberries grapes and pineapple with a squash ice cream drizzled on top! Score! If you want to wake up your taste buds...go!!
(5)
Jeoly M.
The food is spectacular! I came here for my Birthday and they had a mini cake for me! My friends really love the food also!
(5)
Lisa K.
My girlfriends and I had reservations at 730...we didn't get seated for 45 minutes, but while we waiting we were served a little bubbly...and when we sat down, we were served a little more for the wait..so very kind!!! The food was awesome! Our server was very knowledgeable and went through the whole menu with us...we ordered a little bit of everything. The ceviches were great... as were the hot stone dishes (del chifa), but beware, they take about 15 minutes to cool down and eat..or you will burn the roof of your mouth! Totally check this place out but make reservations!
(4)
Patricia L.
Just before I moved away from Chicago, Tanta opened. I managed to visit twice, with friends. The ambiance is modern, nice decor, on the loud side. The food: top notch for Peruvian food outside Lima, particularly in its presentation. What do I mean? The ceviche was the best I've tried abroad -- but you can find better ceviche in Lima. The dishes that are meant to be shared should be offered in more generous portions. For example, causa is comfort food in Peru, and not served like caviar, in portions so tiny that if you can get 3 bites, you'd be stretching it. They offered valet parking, which, in the Chicago winter, is a great feature!
(4)
Simon B.
I have been here a handful of times and I am impressed with the food and drinks. The food is Peruvian with a twist. There is a Japanese and Brazilian influence in a lot of the food. I recommend the ceviche, which is seafood that is "cooked" in lime juice. They have a bunch of different ceviche dishes. I usually order tapas and share. The prices are a bit high but in this area it is expected and I think it is worth it. If you like cocktails then definitely try the drinks and there is usually a special every day so ask about it.
(5)
Kristen B.
Excellently diverse menu with such authentic and yet unique flavors. Order the Jalea entree if you like fried seafood. The best dish ordered by our table: tangy sauce and cherry tomatoes tempered by creamy avocado all mixed with perfectly seasoned fried seafood.
(5)
Tuefel H.
Perfect in every way.the food was excellent as well as the service. We ordered from the Tapas, entrees, and dessert. We also had drinks. We have now are at the Tanta in Bolivia and in Chicago. Both are excellent.
(5)
Samantha G.
Tanta was fantastic although I had to wait awhile to get a seat at the bar with my friend. The ceviche is fresh and I really enjoyed the chicken and octopus skewers. I would stay away from the Jaelle if you're not into deep fried seafood covered in dressing because that is what it is. I would have chosen any of the other entree options. The people next to us ordered the snapper entree and the grilled beef tenderloin and they both looked great so I can't wait to come back here and try them!
(5)
JD O.
Great, unique experience. My first attempt at Peruvian food but really enjoyed with helpful staff. Good ambience. After a bite head upstairs to the rooftop bar to enjoy a drink and the view!
(4)
Karen W.
Fantastic! Food was divine, drinks were creative and potent, and service was attentive and very helpful. Will definitely be back to enjoy the rooftop patio as well.
(5)
Arthur M.
Chef Rick, in a less than 120 character tweet, reviewed Tanta: "REALLY DELISHmeal at Peruvian Tanta lstnght! B'tiful ceviches,tiraditos(1 w uni!), causas, anticuchos & picarones.Go!" My review is going to be slightly longer and no less enthusiastic: my girlfriend and I really enjoyed the Peruvian cuisine and stellar service at Tanta. She started with a cocktail and I had the chicha, a sweet and funky (nonalcoholic somehow) drink of what I understand to be fermented purple corn. Had never heard of many of the dishes and ingredients, so we opted for the three shareable plates. The cebiche trio was outstanding, the lime pickled carrot and pozole corn giving heft to the delicate and briny seafood, eaten with perfectly fried plantain. Rocoto chile is a bright fire. Then we were served something unusual: a trio of raw and fried fish on cold whipped potatoes called causitas that came to the table on a boat. I loved it, and the Japanese and Indian influences really shine in the sauces. At this point I asked the server if they have bigger boats for large parties and he said no. I was imagining an Amazonian river taxi for a party of 12. I got another chicha (out of Inka Kola) and my girlfriend got El Chingon (which she mispronounced several times in practice and then again to the server) a cocktail with tequila, mezcal and a sphere of ice containing more of that fiery red chile rocoto. The last savory course was the trio of street food, but by this point we were getting full. We ate the succulent skewers of chicken, amazingly juicy and smoky, and took home the empanadas and pork belly sliders. Those made for a great midnight snack. I have a separate intestine for sweets, and so we shared a purple corn and quince crumble with vanilla ice cream. It was called mazamorrita morada. There are many things about Peruvian cuisine that I don't know and one thing I do know: Really delish. Go!
(5)
Alice K.
Ambiance and service were great, food was underwhelming. Had the small mixto ceviche, pulpo, and beef cheek. The ceviche was so small that it was laughable - only one shrimp, two very small pieces of fish, a couple of calamari rings, and a ton of shaved red onions. Seriously, there was only two bites worth of ceviche. The pulpo was very good, would get this again if I ever came back. Couldn't eat more than 2 bites of the beef cheek even tho I was hungry. although very tender, it was lacking some heat or a bit of freshness to cut through the richness of the dish.
(2)
Unknown K.
Oh sooooo good. I could eat the seafood here a lot, lot more if I had more money. Everything was delicious. And so much of it was new to me that it was really a great experience. The menu is kind of confusing, so having the waitstaff explain things and walk us through it was a big help. Also, the food isn't served in courses like a European place but more like "as it's ready" in a Chinese restaurant. I found it fun to keep getting things come out and be surprised, but if you aren't used to it, it might seem odd. The drinks were also really well made and delicious. We left with a ton of food because we wanted to try so much, but it was worth it. Can't wait to visit again when I am back in town.
(5)
Partha A.
Location is the key. Loved the cocktails. The el chingon is exceptional. So was la rusa. Lima llama was a bit too sweet. But in all very nice indeed. On to food. The Pork fried rice was overseasoned and greasy. The lomo saltado was good but once again way overseasoned. The beef was perfectly cooked though. The criollo was unidirectional - just lime and ginger with a kick. Expected some parallel flavors, but the fish was good. Also the limena (potatoes) tasted like whipped chicken in mayo. It was not very pleasant. The chicken empanadas were delightful though. Among dessert - the pumpkin fritters may be a bit too much after the meal -they have 4 big donut sized fritters. At any other time I would have had all of it, but not that night. The mazamorita crust was mealy and not very well done, so ended up throwing away half of it. In all, great location, good for a quick bite. But I daresay it justifies the price. Prices are similar to Frontera Grill, and so is the hype, but the food is nowhere close to that standard yet. Would love for that to change. Till next time.
(2)
Rob J.
Great atmosphere- restaurant isn't too big either so you don't feel lost. Great food, a little rich but worth it. Get the platter so you get a little of several appetizers. Try not to over order- you'll get full quickly.
(4)
Alicia M.
I came in with no expectations, but really enjoyed my meal. The cocktails are great here. I got the Crowd pleaser and enjoyed it. The food really stood out here. Especially the cevciche (mix to) and Chaufa Aeropuerto (pork fried rice). The service was a little impersonal, but not bad by any means. I've recommended to a few friends and they've enjoyed the food as well.
(4)
Christine H.
Tanta was a last minute decision on marathon Sunday. After walking by several restaurants (closed, closed, closed) we decided Peruvian would be a new fun experience. I am glad those restaurants were closed, because this. was. delicious. We sat at the bar, and both bartenders were incredibly friendly and helpful. They had great recommendations, and were just generally outgoing and knowledgable about Peruvian food and the Chicago food scene. I had two small plates, the Ahi Tuna "sashimi" and the chicken skewer. Both were flavorful, delicious, and surprisingly filling for "small plates". Some restaurants in Chicago you end up spending more on tapas than you would on an entree, but not at tanta. My two dining companions had the roasted chicken (it was HUGE, and the bites I tasted were wonderful) and the beef stir fry (the aroma was heavenly). Dessert was a banana pudding inside a tasty rolled up shell and complimented with ginger ice cream. Refreshing, and I theoretically could have shared with the whole table, as there were three of the rolls. I also had two different Pisco drinks (the Pisco Punch and the Pisco Sour) and was treated to an explanation of how Pisco was made and the history around it. I would recommend Tanta to anyone, and I will definitely be back.
(5)
Alberto G.
This place is amazing. I lived in Miami for 5 years and this is the closes I can get to Peruvian food. The menu isn't huge but everything we ordered had a party in my mouth. The drinks were delicious too. I will be back for sure.
(5)
Peace Y.
Would give 3.5 stars if I could. Good meal, but have no compelling reason to go back. The Chaufa Aeropuerto (pork fried rice) wasn't anything special. Was basically fried rice with a fancy name. Veal cheeks and lamb were tender and had good texture and flavor, but again - nothing special. Found the raw fish portion of the menu tasty, but small portions and sort of just drenched in sauce. I guess that's good for folks whose idea of sushi is double rainbow dragon mega tempura rolls with super crunch tobiko eel spicy crazy sauce. For me, straight flavorful fatty sashimi is the way I roll. I did however enjoy the wagyu beef over sushi rice - but the rice was a bit too sweet and took away from the great beef flavor. Overall, not a bad meal. But for its price and expectations with the heavyweight chef behind it, I'd expect much more.
(3)
Charlene B.
The positives: this was our first proper introduction to Peruvian food and we were amazed and impressed. Such great flavors, equally deft with seafood as meats. Favorites were the ceviches, lamb shank, grilled beef tenderloin and amish chicken. Enjoyed the cocktails, especially the Pacha Mama and the El Chingon. The service wasn't great - felt indifferent + brusque. And the modern hard-edged interior -- when combined with overly bright lighting -- was a bit of a miss for me. That, of course, is totally subjective. I was expecting a warmer, hipper vibe in the evening. Felt like we were there during daytime lunch.
(4)
Angelica M.
Went to a private event here and have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I guess, I didn't know what to expect. First time having a pisco sour - delish. Their staff was courteous, helpful and very knowledgeable about their menu and drinks- Great Job! Their food was flavorful, but a little on the pricey side for some items that don't warrant the price-tag (-1 star). Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend and come again.
(4)
Katherine G.
From the appetizers to the entrees, I can't say enough good things about this place. We basically tried most of the menu, and I couldn't find fault with one thing. Their giant snapper dish was perfection and I've been back twice since my first time.
(5)
Christine D.
Three of us shared the ceviche appetizer, chaufa aeropuerto(spicy as we like,) and chi jau kay marino . Delicious! We walked in without reservations, no tables, but we had the full dinner at the bar. Went to the rooftop for after dinner drinks. We really enjoyed it!
(4)
Lauren K.
My husband and I dined here last night for our anniversary dinner. I LOVED it! The food was absolutely delicious. The menu was innovative, the ambiance was warm yet chic and the service was great! We ordered the cebiche sampler, roasted chicken, skirt steak nigiri and a few other dishes that I can't remember the names but were divine. Tanta is a refreshing new restaurant on the River North scene.
(5)
Sunil D.
Not what I was expecting when I think of a new restaurant opening in the area. They have all been over the top, overwhelming establishments with massive floor plans and huge bars. This was a nice change of pace, it was a smaller footprint and felt like it should be tucked away in Wicker Park/Bucktown, not smack dab in the heart of River North. It had a cozy feel to it, but still had a great buzz and scene on a Thursday night. Despite being packed, reservations were not impossible to get and they were very accommodating when I had to make a last minute time change. The food was top notch and although I am not familiar with Peruvian food, the waiter was very helpful in explaining everything. When I mentioned Peruvian cuisine to a few friends, they raised their eyebrows as if unsure of what to expect. Although the food is not as familiar as a traditional restaurant, it is not overly exotic/foreign and should fit very well into most palates that are used to dining at restaurants of this caliber. As for the food. They start you out with a complimentary basket of plantain chips that come with a robust dipping sauce that had a nice touch of heat. The ceviche we ordered was some of the freshest and most vibrantly flavored that I have had. The right amount of citrus really took this dish to a level higher than what I am used to. The octopus skewer was probably my favorite thing of the day, a lot of big, unexpected flavors that worked well together all atop a dollop of mashed potatoes. As for the entrees, we split the duck leg and the braised lamb. Both were large portions (almost too big) and came with plenty of rice and root vegetables. My only complaint is that both could have benefited from a touch of salt (which is rare for me to say), but I would definitely order both again as both dishes were fall off the bone tender. Overall Tanta has the right combination of a great drink/wine list, food that was fantastic, wrapped in a cozy, yet lively scene. This place, with hearty entrees and atmosphere comes just in time for us to endure the next six months of tundra that Chicago likes to call winter.
(4)
Jennifer G.
This is my fourth time at Tanta in the last six months and I keep introducing more people to to the place because the food is fabulous! Let me start with the drinks - the pisco punch is very fruity and you could easily drink two of them before you start to realize there is alcohol in them. They are that good. The restaurant is known for all sorts of different drinks with pisco in it. Be adventurous and try a bunch of them. The food is the outstanding feature. Pretty much everything we've had is good. But the best is the Chaufa aeropuerto - which is a pork fried rice. Sounds very simple - but it's delicious. We've had the beef cheeks - which were better the first time. The octopus is really good, too as our the ceviches. You really can't go wrong here in terms of the food. The only drawback is the noise here. It's impossible to here your companion unless you're yelling. The place gets very busy and reservations are a must. I wish they could do something about the noise, but I'm not sure what. It's a trendy place and people are coming in and out all the time. They also have music on in the background that is distracting and could be turned down. As long as the food continues to be this good, we will definitely be back!
(4)
Chad T.
Wow! This place was awesome. We ate here for brunch this morning around 11:30. We opted for the rooftop given the nice weather. Fortunately they have a covered area which is really more "open air" than rooftop as the sun was blazing on the rooftop seats. I had a pisco sour, which was well made and the obvious choice here. My wife had a pisco/cucumber drink which was tasty and refreshing. I had the Tanta huevos which are served over beef tongue. The dish was awesome and probably the best "outside the box" breakfast item I've ever had.....until I tried my wife's pork belly and waffles, which was out of this world. I'd love to come back here for dinner or drinks on the rooftop (once the din goes down)
(5)
Ryan M.
Slow drink service nice rooftop
(3)
Zorica Z.
The food was delicious! Got some ceviche appetizers the mahi tuna and the calamari. The plantanes are sooo yummy with that spicy sauce they bring with it. Drinks were great I highly recommend the fruit punch one not sure the exact name but it comes in a cool Hawaiian glass. Overall an awesome place with really good seafood selection.
(5)
Laura A.
My sister and I came here on a random friday night right when it opened. It filled up quickly, so make sure you make reservations. The food itself was bomb. In particular, the carne asada with chimichurri and roasted potatoes was amazing - it could have used more chimichurri, but the meat itself was extremely tender and flavorful. However I will say that I wasn't a fan on the citrus tuna ceviche. It had a weird texture and a weird taste. I wouldnt order that again They sell themselves as a small plates restaurant. Our server suggested a few tapas plus an entree each. My sister and I ordered two tapas and one entree total - it was plenty of food. My advise is to order as you go, because nothing took very long. Extremely expensive, so I'd say its more so for special occasions.
(4)
Jessica W.
My family and I had a nice dinner at Tanta. When we arrived at 6pm it was already packed, so I was really happy I had made reservations. I am a huge Pisco sour fan and Tanta did the drink justice; my brother ordered El Chingon that was a really interesting cocktail that he thought was awesome. Overall the food was pretty good-my grandma ordered Pollo a la brasa that was absolutely delicious, super tender and well seasoned chicken. I am a huge dessert fan and unfortunately the tapioca de coco that I ordered was disappointing and just did not end the dinner on a high note. Our server gave us excellent service, refilling our drinks and bringing us more plantain chips. I did find it to be pricey for what it was, but definitely a really cool modern atmosphere.
(4)
Katie H.
My coworkers and I really enjoyed our trip to Tanta this week. Everyone spoke highly of their food and drinks, and the ambiance was great. Personally, I found the pollo a la brasa (roasted chicken) to be wonderful and far superior to the lomo saltado (beef stir fry). Appetizer-wise, we enjoyed the "street food feast", especially the pan con chicharron. Make sure to order chips. I didn't see them on the menu and so didn't know to ask for them until I checked yelp as we were ordering our entrees, and I'm so glad we ordered them - fantastic, especially with the dipping sauce they come with.
(5)
Chitterne B.
I was really pumped to check this place out - I love Peruvian food and Tanta has been getting a lot media of attention lately - but I was really underwhelmed. First, this place is LOUD. I get the vibe they're going for with the clubby music and naked women on the walls, but because of the price point and location most of the clientele are older/from the suburbs, and it's not really working in my opinion. The service was just okay; our waitress didn't speak the greatest English and messed up our drink order, but it was so damn loud that I can't really blame her. The food, luckily, has potential. While the power ceviche was overpriced, heavy, and just not that great, everything else was lovely. The pulpo anticuchos (octopus skewers) were a favorite, and all of the ceviches in the tasting were thankfully much better than the power ceviche. If this place weren't quite so expensive, I feel like I could do 4 stars, but in this price range they're really going to have to step up their game. And since they're so new, I am definitely not ruling out the possibility that they will - plus I definitely have to come back to try one of the whole fish dishes, which look amazing!
(3)
Fred R.
Starting with our waiter, Ralph , who was very knowledgeable on all aspects of Tanta. Recommended a great cocktail. There were four of us and I just told Ralph to surprise me with my entree. I couldn't not of been happier. It was lamb shank. Go to enjoy and I am sure you will. Somewhat pricey.
(5)
Symone W.
Visited last night with a few friends after work. They ordered and I got the pleasure of enjoying! I had the tiraditos. Let me start by saying the scallops are AMAZING. A delicious creamy sauce. Also the plantain chips were to die for with the garlic sauce.
(4)
Kathryn R.
The best part of this place is the roof-top. Drinking a glass of champagne and sitting on the roof deck was absolutely amazing. As for the food, I am not the biggest fan but really the atmosphere made me want to come back.
(3)
Chris G.
Over the past few months I've contacted them many times and many ways to find out if they can accommodate a food allergy. No one answers the phone, returns voicemails, returns messages sent via the website, or returns FB messages. I think this counts as bad service, even though I haven't actually eaten there.
(1)
So D.
Pretty restaurant, trendy and lively, expensive, but it is River North so that is to be expected. Food is overall ok, really nothing special, but the cocktails were excellent. Go for drinks, sit at the bar, enjoy the scene, have a nosh, but don't bother ordering too much food.
(2)
Megan P.
Awesome food, accommodating chef. First off, I'm gluten free. Typically a dinner ensues with me being immediately qualified as high maintenance. At Tanta our server sent out the manager to make sure everything was safe & adequately detailed. The ceviches were just as delicious as I remember in Lima, Peru. The pollo antichucos were tender and well flavored. My husband loved the balanced spice of his chicamorada, & I had an equally delicious Lima llama. A+ service, food and drinks. We can't wait to return.
(5)
Michelle N.
I wish I could give Tanta more stars, but the service really left much to be desired. While we were seated promptly at our reservation time, we sat at our table for 20 minutes without a waiter -- and repeatedly flagging down other employees to tell them we didn't have a waiter. We finally did have a waitress come over and say she would take our order, but it was already off to a bad start. The food itself was very tasty. We ordered a variety of starters and main courses and shared with our table of four "family style". But unfortunately, again, the service just fell short throughout the meal. Items we ordered never made it to our table!? Simple requests like a spoon or a glass of ice had to be requested several times. I also want to mention that the restaurant was really, well, not clean. There was a thick layer of dust on the ledge on the wall right next to our table. If they can't even keep the restaurant properly dusted, what else is not being cleaned properly? Tanta better get it's act together or else there will no longer be the hype and long waits to get a reservation.
(3)
Michelle B.
I've heard great things about Tanta and decided to give it a try with a friend visiting from Atlanta. I was the first to arrive and was asked to wait at the bar and return to the host stand when my entire party had arrived. No one offered to take my coat which is always a bit of a bummer but oh well, I was still a little cold anyway. The bar was crowded but I was able to see a menu and order a drink rather quickly. I ordered the "La Guapa," their gin cocktail. While it was slightly sweeter than I normally like, it was still very good. When my friend arrived we headed back to the host stand to be seated. We were seated right away but still, no offer to take our coats... Our waiter was great and gave really good recommendations on the food. We decided to share some small plates and an entree in order to try a few things from the menu. We ended up getting the "Cebiche Tasting," the skirt steak niguiri topped with a quail egg, and the grilled octopus from the small plate menus. All were great and the skirt steak niguiri (I think called "Pobre") was probably the best thing we had all night. We also split the pork friend rice as an entree. The flavors were great but the rice was very greasy. I liked it but would probably go for a different entree next time. Overall a great experience. One major plus was how perfectly timed the dishes were. We didn't feel rushed or bombarded with food. They brought things out in a progressive order and it was all very well timed. Aside from no one offering to check my coat, I was very impressed with the quality of service. I will definitely be back again soon.
(4)
Jim V.
Nailed it! Food/atmosphere/service were incredible. I rode my bike and forgot the lock and the manager came out and put my bike in his locked office! Very hospitable, and authentic tasting Peruvian food!
(5)
Casey F.
I'm torn between 2 and 3 stars. I dined here with two girlfriends this past Friday night. We were all excited to check it out since it had only been open about a week. We had a 9pm reservation, and considering that was the earliest we could get we were expecting it to be packed, but there were several open tables while we were dining and the bar area was pretty dead which was surprising given it just opened. The space was really well done and provided a great atmosphere. We got a bottle of wine to start and they also give you a basket of chips, some of which were plantains and amazingly salty and delicious. In fact we asked for a basket of just those. The menu is a little confusing as to what everything is and how large it is. Our server did a good job explaining the menu and providing recommendations. Unfortunately once we ordered we didn't see much of him again. We opted to start with the ceviche sampler and a quinoa bowl that was designed to be a fried rice of sorts. The ceviche was a big disappointment. I love ceviche and this did not stand up to others you can get in the city. There are 3 ceviches in the sampler- one had shrimp, squid and the catch of the day (mahi mahi) but was completely non-memorable. The classico had fluke, and it had maybe 6 small pieces of fish actually in it. The ahi tuna ceviche had the best flavor overall but had so much liquid it was like soup. The other thing that I didn't like was that the ceviche wasn't served with anything to put it on. It's very difficult to share when they expect you to eat it only with a spoon. After serving myself some of each, my plate had pools of lime juice on it and I never got offered a fresh plate. We ended up using the plantain chips with the ceviche but they are so narrow it wasn't the ideal vessel to eat it with. The saving grace was the quinoa bowl. It was amazing. And huge for the $14 price tag. We all raved about it. We debated whether or not to order more food but nothing stood out that sounded great and our server wasn't really around to help us decide so we ended up just trying the ceviche and quinoa. With those 2 dishes plus a bottle of wine, our bill was $90 which felt high considering the amount of food we got. I'd say prices aren't outrageous for the area but I am not convinced Tanta is quite there yet. I'd be curious to go back in a few months to see if I feel differently but I also don't think it inspired me to rush back.
(2)
Neamen L.
My girlfriend and I tried to go here on a snowy Thursday evening. We did not have a reservation but figured we would be able to get a table in a reasonable time knowing it was snowing outside and not a ton of folks were out and about. We walked in to a relatively empty establishment around 6pm. We asked if we could get a table for two seeing that there was no wait and the restaurant was almost more than half empty. The host informed us it would be an hour and a half wait. I asked why that is as the place was empty! He told me they had reservations. So I asked what time the reservations were coming in and were they ALL coming in at the same exact time. He informed me 7pm were the reservations. Now I understand how the restaurant business works and I understand reservations. But it seems pretty ridiculous to not sit a party of 2 in an over half empty restaurant knowing there is at least an hour before your reservations are "supposed" to come in.
(1)
Mari Y.
Yum! So happy to have a Peruvian restaurant now added to the repertoire! I've been to a few others in the city - Between and 4 Suyos but I wasn't too blown away by them. Peruvian food is an interesting mix of cultures with some Japanese influence. The restaurant is very new and it looks upscale without the pretension and ambiance. As mentioned, the restaurant is gorgeous. The bar is my favorite. The drinks are great and the entire set up is good for the patrons. There's a separation between the bar and the restaurant (read my Hubbard Inn review!) and the art in the bar matches the restaurant. I've been there with friends twice. We've ordered a bunch of things to try. The half chicken comes with a bunch of sides and sauces that enhance what you might find middle of the road with chicken. Portion size of the half chicken is enough for two people. The bf and I really liked the slow cooked veal cheek. We also ordered the lamb and both the lamb and veal just fell off the bone. The pulpo skewers, which I've had twice is also tops for me. I love octopus and I think local restaurants need to incorporate it more into their menu. The drinks at Tanta are outstanding. If I didn't have reservations for dinner I would definitely come back to meet friends for drinks before going out. 5 Stars!
(5)
Anne S.
Really wonderful food and service from the moment we sat down. I had some of the nigiri, chicken skewers, lamb shank and the duck breast. Oh, and dessert. Everything was really well seasoned, hot and very unique. I think the price point is about right compared to other restaurants in the neighborhood. The portions could be a tad big bigger on the proteins, but overall it's a very fun new addition to the neighborhood, without any pretentiousness. One suggestion: turn on the heat in your vestibule so that the cold air doesn't draft into the dinning room. I had a table by the door and it was VERY cold.
(4)
Karen D.
My boyfriend's company did the low voltage electrical work here so when my birthday rolled around, he wanted to take me here for dinner. Although you can stop by after a day of shopping in casual attire, you definitely won't look out of place a little more dressed up for a romantic evening. I was VERY impressed. The service alone is 5 stars. Our waitress was so adorable. She gave us plenty of suggestions since my boyfriend and I have never had Peruvian food before. We ended up going with all 4 of her suggestions. The owner, JP, stopped by just to check in with us and the manager stopped by our table a few times to see how our dinner was going. I also saw the manager stopping by a few other tables as well so it definitely wasn't special treatment. The food is also 5 stars. Everything was so full of flavor. My taste buds were going crazy! The presentation was beautiful as well. I can't remember the names of the dishes but our main dish was a whole bass fish. It was amazing. We also got an ahi tuna nigiri style appetizer, another appetizer with octopus(my favorite) and a crab meat causita. Drinks were also yummy and strong! I loved the food here. The boyfriend promised we'd come back again.
(5)
Anna G.
I would recommend Tanta to everyone, but I would also recommend that you make a reservation. Good luck otherwise. We got a reservation and the best we could get was Saturday at 5pm. By 5:15 more than half of the tables were filled, including the bar seating. I really appreciated how knowledgable and friendly our server was, not something you always get in River North (lookin' at you, Naha...). For our dinner, the two of us split: the pollo anticucho, nikei causita, arroz con pato and chaufa aeropuerto. More than enough food for two people and we had enough leftovers from the two entrees to make a second meal the next day. While everything was great, I think next time I'll stick to ordering more small plates (the top half of the menu) vs entrees because you get to try more of the dishes in a tapas-like manner. For drinks we got the pisco punch and the crowd pleaser, both very good but I preferred the latter. Overall a great experience! I think Tanta is trendy enough to serve as a date or night out spot for groups, but also isn't super stuffy or lounge-like making it possible for all types to dine here. (There were a few older people as well as a family while we were there, but, again, it was 5pm on a Saturday!)
(4)
Liz D.
I went to Tanta without a lot of knowledge about the place; I had looked up the menu but for some reason was expecting it to be larger and more formal than it was. No white tablecloths here; the waitstaff wears t-shirts and jeans; the inside is sleek, modern:wood and grey; clean lines; casual table settings; we went during daylight hours and the view from the uncovered floor-to-ceiling windows is of the uglier, touristy river north buildings. (I wish I would have seen the rooftop!) And while informative and friendly; the service was a little casual as well: we had plates sit on our table for a bit too long. We had cocktails and small plates, so I can't comment on entrees or desert. The cocktails are delicious and boozy; we sampled various of both made-to-order and on-tap; a spicy one called the chignon and a lavender-gin-based one stand out. Could definitely go here just for a cocktail; drinks are that good and that unique. We ordered as we went along, and plates were beautifully presented. We tried the cebiche sampler: delicious, inventive, fresh; but less than 10 bites of cebiche for $28 felt overpriced. Nearly every other small plate we tried was heavy on various mayo-based sauces (bummer for me, as I am not a mayo or aoli fan and not big on sauces in general). We tried the street food fest (very good, but nothing really stood out for me); the causitas sampler (interesting; glad we tried it; the quinoa one was my favorite); the criollo niguris nikei - although the scallops were fresh and very tasty; the dish contained no smoky sesame beef as per the description. The overall star of the evening was the pulpo - so good we ordered it twice; and our waiter was saavy enough to ensure we got 4 pieces for our party of 4 instead of the 3 that consists of the menu item. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And though I do plan on coming back to try entrees; the price point at Tanta feels inflated and will keep this place for special occasions only - the crux being that at that price point, I'd probably want a bit more from the atmosphere and service than we received from Tanta.
(3)
Victor R.
The ceviche was pretty good, but most of the appetizers were pretty underwhelming. Everything came out covered in spicy mayo sauce, whether it needed it or not. The empanadas were ok, but for some reason had bitter olives in them. The food disappointing enough to stop my group from ordering any main entrees. I would give Tanta 2.5 stars.
(3)
Jeffrey W.
Maybe I'm missing something, this place was ok. I really don't understand how everyone is giving it 5 stars, I feel like people want to believe its amazing because others say it is, a la Girl and the Goat. The meal was fine, nothing that really stood out and impressed me. Looking forward to the summer when their patio opens up, that should be cool. We had ceviche sampler, it tasted like ceviche everywhere else, as a mater of fact I have had better tuna at lower scale places. Had a ginger sashimi with fluke, might as well have been a ceviche, lots of broth. Beef heart street food that the staff and reviews raved about where ok, honestly not mind blowing. We had the Octopus street food, that one was good. Pork fried rice with shrimp egg, you know what it tasted like? Pork fried rice. We also had the lamb shank, I have to say that was the best item we tried. Tender, nice sauce, very good. I'm not saying don't go here, I'm just saying my mind was not blown and I don't understand these 5 star reviews.
(3)
Steve B.
Outstanding!!! Real Peruvian flare.... All the ceviches that we tried were excellent and the octopus was great too...Great energy, and you have to try the Pisco sour...Service was great as well, the Chef even came by the table to see how our experience was... Can't wait to go back...
(5)
Kerry L.
Just alright. The food was tasty but the portions are small for their price. The menu is arranged in an unnecessarily confusing manner, the space is unremarkable, and the service (bored waiters in matching "Tanta" t-shirts) reminded me of a chain. The rooftop bar was unexpected, and knocked this up from a 2-star review.
(3)
Elizabeth R.
Great place. The ceviche was the best I've had in a while and definitely the best I've had in Chicago. Service was okay, nothing spectacular. Drinks were great too; a lot of variety.
(4)
David H.
This is a wonderful addition to Chicago's amazing and evolving food scene. I have been many times and it just gets better and better. The cocktails are wonderful and the food is fresh, delicious and not like any place else in town. I have dined at Astrid y Gaston in Lima and I enjoy Tanta just as much. The service is always just right and the atmosphere is more lively than loud. Don't miss the causita tasting, it could easily be dinner for two. The chaufa aeropuerto (pork fired rice) is becoming a signature dish and is enough for a party of six to share.
(5)
Sam C.
so freaking good. waited about 40 minutes for our table, so were a little annoyed. the food and drinks completely blew us away and more than made up for it. pisco sours are strong and well balanced. plantain chips are delicious. ahi tuna ceviche was amazing. pork fried rice is a must - our favorite thing there! potatoes with quinoa amazing as well. octopus skewers were perfect as well can't wait to go back and try more
(5)
Amy C.
Granted, I am not an afficionado of Peruvian food by any means, but I do know that I had a wonderfully tasty dinner last night! Some items were more successful than others. Absolutely loved the chupe, which is thick and salty (in the good sense) and brimming with seafood flavor. I was surprised by how oceany it tasted and by the little nuggets of cheese and potato in there. It was big enough to share between two. Loved love loved the anticucho de corazon (beef heart) - tender and served with delectable chocle (big kernels of corn) and a spicy sauce. The causita (nieki) was surprising, but not the best flavor combination to my taste buds. It was strange to be having potato and fish. The negiri anticucho was my least favorite of the night, simply because the fish itself was tasteless with the rice. Saving touches? My lima llama cocktail was delicious and zesty. And the yucca/plantain chips that come with this delicious spicy garlicky sauce were off the hook -- we requested seconds. Meaning we didn't have room for dessert, but next time for sure. :)
(4)
Janice A.
Food is amazing here. Great servers. Great plate presentation, good list of drinks. Good size plates for group of 2-6 people. I cannot say one bad thing about Tanta. I'm hooked.
(5)
Lena D.
Just fantastic across the board. Beautiful place, we had a wonderful server who helped us navigate the menu (which is a tad confusing if you're unaccustomed to Peruvian cuisine. Great ceviche, and both of our entrees were fabulous but enough for 2 to share. The cocktails were great and strong, try the Guapa or the Rusa, fabulous. The place is quite pricey for 4 cocktails, 2 espressos, 1 ceviche and 2 entrees with tip was just over $160. Lovely for a special night but at those prices I don't know if I could frequent it often.
(4)
Roy P.
I had no idea what Peruvian food consisted of but I'm very glad I know now! Our server was very informative and easy to talk to. The food speaks for itself, the lamb hind was amazing! Definitely want to return in the summer when their rooftop is open!
(5)
J M.
We really loved this place. The food was amazing but the plates came pretty quickly back to back so hard to absorb all that wonderfullness, seems it went by too fast. Loved the artwork and tapas but the tables were a little too close for comfort. The person next to us couldn't fit in between really well and walked into our table and my arm. It was also pretty loud with people sitting that close. The only thing I would recommend is for them to get a bigger place so there could be better spacing. Loved multiple tuna dishes (yes it is raw like sushi) and every sauce was amazing. The empanadas were super good and save some room for desert you won't be disappointed. Also loved the plantain chips and they tasted good with any and all sauces and tapas . The chicken skewer was a tad too salty but still very good. Crab causitas were also very good. Come here if you want to amaze your taste buds with excellent flavors.
(4)
Alfonso D.
The best Peruvian Food! The best recommendation from the NRA 2014 by Jesus Delgado "Chef de Cusine"
(5)
Vincent W.
When Tanta first opened, its Yelp rating wasn't top-notch, and as a result, I was a little apprehensive to go here. However, some neighbors recently recommended it to us, and I'm glad we heeded their advice and went. My better half and I were seated for our reservation immediately upon arrival by a very friendly bald man. It took a few minutes for our waitress to show, but that gave us time to formulate a plan of attack for Tanta's tapas-style menu. We ordered an item from almost every category: TIRADITOS, NIGUIRIS NIKEI, ANTICUCHOS, CAUSITAS, and CHEFS HAVING FUN. Everything was delicious and came out quickly. The absolute stand out was the criollo NIGUIRIS NIKEI - wow - but everything was killer in terms of presentation and flavors. Our waitress - Karla - was upbeat, friendly, and not overbearing. For what it's worth, I would not recommend the place for a first date - it is noisy and not extremely well lit - but for us, it was a winner and a do-over. Thanks, Tanta!
(5)
Liz C.
I have been here three times and each time it has been wonderful! First off, the cocktails are amazing. The el chingon is one of my all time favorite cocktails. It's got an awesome spicy kick. The food is absolutely delicious. Everything is wonderfully fresh and flavorful. Everyone should try the chaufa auropuerto, it is life-changing. The fried rice topped with a shrimp omelet is so tasty. All of the cebiches are light and refreshing. The juices are so good you want to soak up whatever is left in the dish. The grilled octopus dish is another great option. The causitas section of the menu is also delicious. All of these dishes include a cloud-like dollop of whipped potato. My favorite one is the dish that includes crab. The desserts are also great, so definitely save room! I love the trufas and the picarones. As you can tell, I'm a huge fan of Tanta.
(5)
JA M.
My husband and I were super excited to try Tanta. Admittedly, we went in with high expectations, because we fell in love with a Peruvian restaurant on a trip to Portland, OR and have been craving one as spectacular in Chicago ever since. And, oh yeah ... it was my birthday ... no pressure! We were seated in a booth that happened to be right under a vent that was blowing cold air (in December), but the hostess and a manager acted quickly to resolve the issue, which was very much appreciated. We added points in the '+' column. Another huge factor in the '+' column was our server! While the food was underwhelming (which I'll get to in a moment), she was phenomenal. She had an excellent command of the menu and thus was able to make helpful recommendations. She was engaging without being intrusive, and attentive without being obnoxious. Moving to the '-' column is the food. We weren't wowed here - especially for the price. Let's just say that when your most memorable dish is fancied up fried rice, "Houston, we have a problem!" We absolutely loved the pork fried rice, but that's probably about where the love affair began and ended. In addition to the fried rice, we ordered the Ceviche Tasting and a couple of other forgettable appetizers, as well as skirt steak and the whole striped bass (Pescado Frito) for our entrees. The striped bass was ginormous--as our server warned it would be--but lacked flavor. I'd go back for the pork fried rice, the La Guapa cocktail and the server, but I'm in no particular hurry to return.
(3)
Jessica E.
If you're even considering eating at Tanta, let me make your decision easy for you: just GO. I just returned from an incredible restaurant week meal here, and when I left the restaurant my friend and I both confessed: "We hope we burp when we get home so we can revisit how amazing this food was." Gross, but I'm keeping it real. I had no idea the cuisine of Peru was so diverse and inspired. Your tongue will not know what hit it, but it will be in heaven. Fresh ceviche, perfectly seared and tender steak, new flavors you won't recognize but will instantly love. Kind, thoughtful, and attentive staff are clearly excited to be there. The space is modern but inviting. The waiter informed me that they plan to open a rooftop deck which will be a perfect place for their delicious range of cocktails. It's one of those places you try and immediately have to tell everyone about.
(5)
Marcy B.
Have been three times. Wait staff extremely knowledgeable, let them guide you. Food is delicious. Have tried a lot of different things. Love the rice dishes. Last time also had the chicken which was moist and came with the most delicious potatoes. Pisco sour great Peruvian cocktail.
(4)
Louie A.
Tanta is Peruvian food with a little touch and freedoms from the chef. It is excellent tasting spinoff from the authentic traditional Peruvian cuisine. It is worth the trip as it truly is amazing. We tried the Causa and Ceviche Samplers. We also tried the Tiradito. For those not familiar, it is a Japanese like style fish picked in lime. This restaurant is ranked on the top four in Chicago and it deserves it.
(5)
Susan E.
Very loud and food was just average. The drinks were amazing, but service was slow. Would go for drinks and appetizers only.
(2)
I L.
Fantastic ambiance and a nice room! Great tasting mixto ceviche, slightly crazy pricing $18 for a large portion thats actually a small. The half chicken reminded me of boston market, seriously it did. The beef cheeks were bland, like something from a slow cooker prepared at home, the grilled fish was a highlight. The lemon mouse desert was to die for though.
(3)
Barri S.
My new favorite restaurant in Chicago. I have been here a handful of times already. The tuna, avocado, tamarind ceviche is addicting. I am obsessed with the beef tenderloin, always done perfectly. Everything I've tried is amazing and the service cannot be beat! If I could eat here daily I would.
(5)
Nandini A.
The best part about this restaurant is it's service. We had a vegetarian with us and the server went out of his way to accommodate us. The food has such interesting flavors - its amazing. We had the cebiche - which was so fresh and delicious. The great big discovery - apart from the entire meal of course - was the dessert - the alfajor. It just melts in your mouth and is a must try.
(4)
Kara C.
The reason I give this three stars is because despite have an 8:30 reservation on a Friday night, we weren't seated until 9:30. I realize it's a new restaurant, but an hour delay is just poor management. So if you are booking a table for a busy weekend, beware (and likely, have a backup plan if you want to eat before 10pm.) The food was good, just wish the service compared.
(3)
Jen S.
Wow! This place is soo good. I went with 3 people on a Friday night without a reservation. There was a 2 hour wait so we had drinks and appetizers at the bar. Drinks are really good by the way - you're in for a treat if you order a specialty one. We sampled many things from the top half of the menu: cebiche tasting, nikei causita, nikei tiraditos, criollo niguiris nikei, and pobre niguiris nikei. SO GOOD. The funny thing is I'm not a huge seafood lover but everything we had was fantastic. The cebiches, octopus, and ahi tuna dishes were delicious. My friends are big seafood people and they were blown away. Since we had so many appetizers we went easy on the dinner part we had pork fried rice and amish chicken. I really liked the fried rice and the chicken was equally tasty. The atmosphere is really cool in here - vibrant and lively. I would definitely go back.
(5)
Karen M.
I have been too Tanta 4 x so far. Food is good, drinks are good, ambiance is great. I am Peruvian and have had the chance to dine in a couple of Gaston's restaurants. Tanta is not one of the best ones but is not horrible either. It is the Only option for Peruvian restaurants in downtown. Its pricey - I think drinks are a tad too much. Food prices are OK. If you do not care much about ambiance and how fancy the place is, then you have other options: Machu Picchu and Ay Ay Picante. I like them both and they are BYOB. But they are completely different from Tanta.
(3)
Gina H.
I absolutely loved Tanta. The server was awesome - extremely knowledgable about the menu and food prep and came back to the table quite frequently. As for the food - ridiculously good is all I can say...get the octopus, the pobre nikei, ceviche (any one), and the pastel de choclo.
(5)
M B.
This place is incredible!!! To drink I got the pisco sour and some other drink with clover, lime and soda which was delicious. The pisco sour has fluffy egg white on the top but unlike other reviews it didn't smell sulfury at all. On to food. We got the skirt steak nigiri, one of the cebiches, the crab avocado causita, the octopus and the pork fried rice. Everything was better than the next! The cebiche was my least favorite, but that's only because everything was so so good. They also brought complimentary plantains with a spicy sauce which I loved and I don't even like plantain chips. So glad I finally tried tanta. Cant wait to go back and get dessert!
(5)
Carolyn H.
Brian was our waiter and he was awesome! He explained every part of the menu to us and even though I wasn't familiar with Peruvian food it was really good! He even brought us things we couldn't decide to order, but he knew our taste. Will definitely recommend coming here again!
(5)
Jane M.
My friend and I came to Tanta to relive some of trip to Peru. We were very pleased. The waiter was not great at explaining the different Pisco on tap but gladly brought us a little taste so we could chose. The drinks were very good. He helped us understand the menu. We did many small plates. We had two delicious cerviches. A potato avocado wonderful dish. A chicken skewer. Then he told us that the corn cakes had just come out of the oven....delicious and creamy. Everything was different and very good. We recommend it
(4)
Stacy K.
I went here for a Friday night dinner with my best friend and absolutely loved the experience. The only reason why this isn't receiving a 5-star review was that we had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated despite having a reservation (the restaurant is on the smaller side) and it took ~10 minutes for the valet to retrieve our car. We were able to order and be served drinks fairly quickly at the bar to tie us over. Drinks: Lima Llama Malbec Food (can't remember the Peruvian names for everything, but here is a description): Ahi tuna sashimi Fluke ceviche Beef nigiri with quail egg Bay scallop nigiri Octopus on top of chimicurri Dessert: Fruit pie with purple corn sauce and house made ice cream I don't even know where to start- everything I put in my mouth was incredible (that's what she said?)! The Lima Llama drink was a refreshing pisco/ginger beer cocktail served in a copper mug (I'm currently in a copper mug obsession-phase so bonus points!) which I think will be my go-to summer drink. We ordered our food and ate kind of like tapas. Everything we had were a couple small bites each except for the ceviche. We heard they are known for their ceviche so we obvi ordered a "large". The fish was super fresh. And that beef and quail egg combo...I've never had anything like it. Also, I will say that octopus is the best octopus dish I think I've ever had. It was so tender it melted in my mouth. Raise your hand if you've ever had chewy octopus? Not at Tanta! The dessert was a recommendation by our waiter and was a perfect (not overly sweet, but enough to satisfy a sweet tooth) end to our meal. I am giving extra kudos for our service. Our waiter was very knowledgable and excited to talk about the food. We were seated at the ceviche chef station so we got to watch him make our food and get some additional insights on Peruvian cuisine. Our octopus course was served to us by the Exec Chef and the GM stopped by to ask about our experience at the end of the meal. Some would say this is overkill, but I loved the attention. I'm definitely going back to try everything we didn't try the first go 'round.
(4)
Erica W.
I visited Tanta on a Sunday evening, and it was good, but I wasn't impressed. Once again, it has been hyped up and I came in with huge expectations. Perhaps I should check my expectations at the door. The decor is nice, but nothing jaw-dropping. I tried the crowd pleaser drink which was tasty, the street food feast, with the empanadas (which were delicious), and the chicken skewers, and I also tried the pollo a la brasa. The flavors were different and interesting, and the food was well-seasoned. Just not overwhelmingly amazing. The service was slower than we would have liked. I would possibly visit again to see if it lives up to the hype. Perhaps I didn't get the right menu items. I'll give it another try.
(3)
RM S.
Solid three stars for food, but if you factor in the cost/dish, then it should lose a half, if not one star. Overpriced grilled food and not any better than any "nameless" izakaya in the west coast. Seriously. Grilled octopus for $17? Yes, it was good, no - it wasn't worth $17. The spirit of Japanese sashimi - Peruvian style...? Yeah, not that impressive. Wouldn't eat here again. Cuisine suffering identity crisis - and the resulting flavor is bland and confused. The worst part? Overpriced. How can you justify "street food" costing $17...
(3)
Roslyn K.
Had a wonderful dinner and the service was excellent. One of the best food experiences we've had in a very long time. We highly recommend this awesome place!
(5)
Grace T.
My Peruvian boyfriend took me out for a surprise dinner. We were really excited to try a new restaurant but we were so disappointed by the food and the sitting. We didn't have a reservation and we arrived at 5:30pm. The restaurant was half full. There were many empty tables but the hostess sat us at the bar. What? I am in my pretty dress and all dolled up and you sat us by the bar when half of your tables are empty at 5:30? It's not even rush hour dinner time, I understand if your restaurant is jam packed and you don't have any tables available, you put me at the bar but the hostess refused to sit us at one of the many empty tables because they are reserved. At the end of our "dinner", the place was not even full and plenty of tables left. We ordered a "large" ceviche and the street food plate with pisco sour and the tunki. The drinks were good but the food was the most uncreative and bland. The large ceviche had a weird orange sauce to it and it was not sour or spicy and came in a small bowl. The chef overdo it with the same sauce and onion. Omg. There was so much onions on everything and the weird orange sauce. I admit it was a good sauce but you shouldn't put it in everything when you claim to be diverse. The street food platter was a disaster. The sliders were weird with an unidentified pink meat and my boyfriend informed me that they would never eat a cold sandwich in Peru. The empanada tasted like it was made with canned chili. The potatoes with a onion mayo salad on top was mushy and overly sour and salty. The only redeeming piece was the pig heart which was suppose to be cow heart in Peru but at least it tasted good with the orange sauce.... Overall, it was not worth spending $100 when we left hungry. Skip this place if u want decent Peruvian food. Never been so disappointed at a restaurant before.
(1)
Jen W.
I dined in on a Thursday evening with a group of five. The atmosphere was lively and the space is clean / modern. The server was helpful and I'm so glad we took his recommendation to order family-style. Everyone was able to taste all of the dishes because there was plenty to go around. We had: Pollo A La Brasa: It's a huge amish roasted chicken platter with wonderful rice&beans, salad, and potatoes. Arroz Con Pato: The crispy duck leg confit was tender and the cilantro rice was delicous. Paiche: The amazon river fish was my favorite. The presentation was impressive and everyone could not wait to taste this one. This place is my new favorite. We are definately going back again!
(5)
Tonya K.
Last night I went to Tanta for the first time and I Loved it! The vibe was amazing and the food was delicious. The experience was wonderful and the service was fantastic. We didn't have to wait long for our food or drinks. The menu was not to busy at all and had great variety. My date and I could hear each other talk and we didn't have to yell across. We both search the restaurant and we decided to go with Tanta and we will definitely be coming back there!
(5)
Julia P.
Not a place that continues to thrill. May be personal preference, but finding it overly sauce laden, pricey, often too loud for conversation, and not a place we feel drawn to eat often.
(3)
J H.
Amazing food, some of the best I've had in Chicago. Interesting combinations! Great drinks selection as well. Definitely highly recommend this place if you want a unique dining experience!!
(5)
Betty H.
Am shocked that this place has a 4 star rating. Decided to come here with family and friends for my bday celebration, ordered lots of apps, entrees and cocktails, but was extremely disappointed with almost everything we ordered. The fried rice for $23 was horrible, the lomo saltado was too salty, the roasted chix was dry and overcooked. Had such high hopes, as we love Peruvian food, at least from LA, CA we do. Oh how, we miss Mario's Peruvian!!!
(2)
Adam K.
Cool new place in the loop, the theme has been done before, but the food / drinks are great. Came here after a meeting which made me feel like my brain tissue was being pulled out of my fingernails. Then I came here, sat at the bar with some friends, had a few of their signature cocktails, and started to feel great. I also got some sliders and other munchies. Wonderful. Ended the night on a Makers neat, and jumped on the bus to go home. VERY cool crunch berry wallpaper in the hall to the downstairs bathrooms. Bathrooms are exquisite also. Bar seating was nice. I will return.
(4)
Kush P.
I love peruvian food. This was one of the best meals I've ever had.
(5)
Shana W.
The food was pretty good! I went for brunch on Sunday and was seated on the outdoor patio. Beautiful view. So good food, nice location, why 3 stars? 1st...I felt the brunch menu was too small. I appreciate a few more options. Although what I received was great, I wanted more of a selection. 2nd....I hate cilantro! Before choosing 2 ceviche apps for the table of 4, I asked our waitress if either of them included cilantro. She said no! 1 came out with cilantro so I could not even taste it. The table ate it. When I informed the waitress of her mistake, she told me that she could bring me another. Fair trade right? But something in me told me to ask her if it was no charge. She told me "no". Um....really?? She was not knowledgeable about the menu. The app was small enough that by the time I realized it included cilantro, the table are it in 2 bites. So not cool and a lack of service. We also had to flag her down for condiments, water, and the check. She was too busy chatting with the bartender. Will I go back?? Not sure. Customer service is super important to me. It is as important as the food. Delicious food but subpar service this past Sunday.
(3)
Rich M.
Tanta is such a welcome addition to the Chicago dining scene. The atmosphere is fun and lively with a great sleek vibe most places would kill for. The service was perfect from start to finish with our waiter describing the roots of Peruvian food. Seafood is the way to go here with some of the best cebiches I ever had. Drinks are fantastic and especially enjoyed the El loco Choclo which I have subsequently named. - See more at: chicago.foodmafia.com/no…
(5)
Fuudcritic C.
By far one of the best meals we've had lately in Chicago! Small and shared plates are the way to go. Everything we had was amazing!!! Very creative plates with bold flavors. Every bite was an explosion in your mouth. The POBRE was doing the happy dance in our mouths. We were stuffed but couldn't resist dessert(s). Also fabulous! Service was outstanding. Our server Eduardo was awesome and so was Christian behind the "sushi?" bar. Thank goodness a Peruvian restaurant in downtown Chicago!
(5)
William M.
In my opinion, best restaurant in Chicago. If you haven't eaten here you are missing out. The ceviche, tiradito and causas are amazing and order a Pisco Sour if you like cocktails. You won't be disappointed X Peruvian cuisine is amazing!!
(5)
Marla R.
This is my current favorite restaurant in Chicago. The atmosphere is really fun, the servers are great, and the food is something really special and different. We have don't have a single miss dish in the two times we have dined here, but our favorites are the pobre, chaufa aeropuerto and the pollo a la brasa.
(5)
Donald W.
Absolutely amazing food. Our waiter Eduardo was very knowledgeable and nice. The ambiance was very good. I will definitely return. The pisco sour is great!
(5)
Gina R.
Been hearing a lot of good reviews about this place, and it definitely lived up to the hype. Had the octopus, duck breast, and ceviche last night. First two were outstanding, but ceviche a little pricey for what you get. They were really busy but despite that kept up with our table just fine. I don't remember the names of the cocktails, but they were really good - especially the pisco one. I think this place would be perfect for out of town guests or just a fun night out on the town.
(4)
Alex C.
I enjoyed my experience here. The food was quite good and the wait staff were very accommodating. We had the Pobre, Street food feast, and cebiche tasting. The pobre was amazing. Something about this fusion i really understand and loved. The street food feast was overly salty and subpar at best. The cebiche was very good. They were very generous with the portions of fish, which is never a bad thing. i had the Allagash Black here for the first time and i ended up having 3 more. It is a delicious beer and they offer it on tap. Definitely try it if you like a fuller beer. Overall a good experience but wouldn't rush to return.
(3)
Bob W.
Yelp ate my longer review and this place really wasn't really worth all the words I wrote the first time. Anyway, two visits later, I can say that Tanta is just far too timid on the flavors. The chupe is a prawn stew with almost no flavor. The fried rice is greasy and slightly smoky, but otherwise a bland serving of rice. Their beef nigiri revealed that they had a tough time cooking rice and steak resulting in a bite that was mushy pretty much all the way through. We had a few other things, but the only thing we ordered of any memorable quality was the corn pepian in the the veal cheek adobo. It's made with meat drippings so it's like a meat flavored mashed potato infused with cilantro. Sadly it sits under a forgettable piece of meat. Not worth paying $33 for some corn puree. The best thing by far is the free appetizer of thin crispy tostones with a dipping sauce. It joins India House and Lao Szechuan in the category of restaurants that give away their best thing for free. I only wish the offerings were better so I could eat these again, but I doubt I ever will. Tanta fails to capitalize on the promise of its flavorful, homey Peruvian menu and joins the ranks of overpriced River North restaurants that you can easily skip for cheaper, better fare elsewhere.
(2)
Kristine C.
A very fun and interesting place. I had never had Peruvian food before and was hoping for an authentic experience (as authentic as one can get in Chicago). Our server was fun and very nice. He had a sense of humor that helped the banter while ordering. Essentially the menu is set up as tapas style with a few larger plates. The completely plantain chips with a special dipping sauce was a nice starter. We started with the Tiraditos nieki. It came with Ahi Tuna, passion fruit and a very tasty sauce in a big bowl. It was the right amount of fish, citrus and spice and very beautiful colors. Next we moved to the Cebiches. We also requested the nieki (this is supposed to be the best! and we were not disappointed). We also wanted something a little more filling other than small cuts of fish. So we tried the clasica Caustias. It's a smooth whipped orange potato with some crab and a small egg on top. It was very similar to a deviled egg texture and taste. We enjoyed this plate so much we requested the tasting of the corolla and nikei. Of these dishes the two of us were very full. But not after we tried dessert of course! We had the chocolate bombs (pieces of chocolate rolled in a quinoa base then deep fried). They burst when you try to cut them or pop them in your mouth. Be careful they are hot! We also tried the donuts. Which were OK and standard as a doughnut, no surprises. Over all, it was very busy fun and welcoming atmosphere. I enjoyed our server for understand and explaining the Peruvian fair to us. As such I give 4 stars!
(4)
Urban D.
LOVED this place! Their rooftop was a very relaxing space to hang out with friends over their many delicious plates of food and drinks. Their service was a little slow but we used our time waiting for the server to catch up and reconnect with friends!
(5)
Katrin T.
What a place! Everything was great! Le chignon cocktail was amazing, every dish was fantastic, full of flavor and spices. We cleared every plate. I would say that Tanta will be on my restaurant top list in Chicago.
(5)
Michelle D.
Food is YUMMY!! Lots of flavor, and really great textures with different dishes. I love the ability to order lots of small plates and share, or the option for a full meal. The service is great at recommendations and is helpful without being over bearing. The atmosphere is trendy but casual and comfortable. I am still dreaming of the Ceviche Tasting dish..... The bartenders are a little inexperienced - the cocktail menu sounded great on paper, but was made with bad proportions and did not blend as well as is should have. I was told that one drink was "alcohol forward" but the mixers overwhelmed the drink and it came out sloppy. A good wine list overcomes that small issue. The cocktails were the only reason I gave this four stars instead of five.
(4)
Stacey L.
Cocktails were a huge hit. Try all the cebiches and the smaller raw fish plates. The bigger dishes seemed heavier and less flavorful. I did see a lot of tables with the whole fried fish which is large enough for 4 to share. I will return for the bar and small plates, and I would take an adventurous first date here for a boozey couple of hours.
(3)
ProjectChitown I.
This place is definitely different than the other Peruvian restaurants in Chicago. The inside decor is really fun and trendy, but it also very loud and hard to have conversations. For the most part, the wait staff is pretty good and attentive. I think our waitress could have been a little more helpful as we were often waiving down the bus boys to help refill our water pitchers or bring silverware. The complimentary "chifles" (or plantain chips) along with a savory sauce (a little stingy on the portion), slightly spicy (aji amarillo base) were both a nice touch and very tasty. As for the rest of the food, the Cebiche tasting was ok - nothing very memorable. The adobo de ternera (veal cheek) was very tender and flavorful, despite it's presentation. Skip the beef heart anticucho and pisco sours - better at Ay Ay Picante! Also, you won't pay a heaping $12 for each pisco sour. The Pollo A La Brasa "Peruvian chicken" is good but having been to Peru, it doesn't hit the mark. Though super tender it was also super salty because of the brine. It's still worth trying and is a huge portion if you order the full chicken, which comes with beans, salad and an array of sauces to spice it up. The suspiro loco is small but a nice twist on the original suspiro. Finally, I would have given this place 3 stars but we couldn't get drip coffee to finish off our meal (apparently they were completely out - really??). The waitress tried to push espresso instead of offering to make a fresh pot - let it be noted the restaurant closes at 11pm and it was 8:50pm when we received our check.
(2)
Samantha N.
My family and I went to Tanta last Saturday night. We were lucky enough to get a reservation so last minute, the manager that I spoke with on the phone was so accommodating to get us in. I wasn't really sure what to expect at Tanta. I have never had Peruvian Food and I had no idea if I would like it or not. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised as the rest of my family was. The food at Tanta is so unique and different. I highly recommend starting out with the El Chingon - this drink is made with tequila and has a huge orange ice cube that is infused with jalapeno. It is delicious. We enjoyed everything that we ordered with the exception of the octopus anticuchos. We ordered the Ahi Tuna Cebiche, Chicken anticuchos, Pollo a la brasa, Lomo Saltado - an amazing beef stir with tenderloin beef and red onions, and the pork fried rice. The chicken was incredible - it came with 3 different sauces, potato wedges, beans, and a small salad. We had so much food and I can definitely say we left very full and satisfied. Amazing service, with an amazing atmosphere.
(5)
Diane M.
I was so excited for my first visit to Tanta. I couldn't wait to try their menu. Unfortunately, the first problem was that they didn't serve the menu upstairs on their beautiful rooftop deck. I know that is a business decision, however, our Chicago summers are so short, the last thing I want to do is sit in a very dark restaurant eating very over-priced food. So we remained upstairs and found a few items on their bar menu. The food we had was really good. The empanadas were very yummy -- hot and crispy with lots of good stuff inside. The quinoa burgers were just okay, not a lot of flavor. The tuna tartar was good, just way too small of an order -- maybe four bites? We had a pisco drink that was fabulous. But the biggest disappointment was not being able to eat the main items on the real menu. And the server seemed very bored with life and didn't really want to beat work. I thought the service would be stellar. I still will try it once again, but will wait until it's cold outside to sit inside that dark restaurant.
(3)
Aaron M.
Loved the experience! Daniel H our server was wonderful! Try the ceviches, pollo brasa, aeropuerto, and paiche! Drink pisco sour! You must try Tanta!
(5)
Brittany C.
I ate here my first time in chicago and if I ever go back I plan to go here again! The manager was very accommodating despite how busy they were and our server was very friendly and knowledgeable. The food really speaks for itself though, it's delicious and had a flare that I haven't seen anywhere. Just don't be afraid to try new things and you'll love it here!
(5)
Chicago F.
Horrible service and V V V V Bad food .. went with colleagues (all foodies) ordered various things off the menu and nothing was appetizing .. oily, tasteless and bad quality .. i dont understand the hype ... the best thing acc to me was the corn cake mushy side .. we also sent the wine back .. surprised that so many people are having good meals here
(1)
Lucia S.
The restaurant is very cool decorated, good ambiance and the service is great. We ordered what our server recommended and everything was very good. Some of my favorites were the Pulpo Anticucho, the Criollo Tiradito and the Mixto Cebiche. The Octupus was amazing and cooked to perfection. We also ordered the Chupe soup and the Adobo Ternera. The Ternera was very tender and tasty. Overall is was very good.
(4)
M C.
We have eaten hear four times. My wife is Peruvian and we have eaten in Gaston Acurio's La Mar in lima Peru. Of the four times we have eaten hear, three time the food and service were outstanding. This last time we noticed the hostess indifferent, the waitress quick to snatch unfinished drinks and food off the table. The waitstaff needs to be trained better. On this occasion the food was also extremely sub pare. The Jalea was so salty I could only eat about 1/4 of my plate. The Arroz con Pollo had mushy rice, the Lomo Saltado was just O.K. In the end the server didn't ask why food was going uneaten, she disappeared for the entire meal and nobody asked us how the meal was. They need older, more experienced staff here. Apparently, if you catch them on a good night with the right staff, you will have a fine Peruvian dining experience. Personally, we have decided that for less than half the price we can get comparable cuisine at AY AY PICANTE on Elston Ave. I have eaten there dozens of times and only once had a mediocre meal. In conclusion, I think the absence of Garcon himself is leading to the decline of this restaurant at the hands of his dubious stand-in. Food and service is sub-par for the price.
(2)
Sahar M.
Great food and amazing drinks. Very creative plates. Try plantine chips with spicy meyo type sauce. Amazzzzzzing.
(4)
Adrianne K.
Amazing food, amazing cocktails! I love this place and will definitely come here again.
(5)
Nate A.
Brought my girlfriend here for her bday dinner. Service was fine (server was very knowledgeable about the menu) but food was disappointing. The octopus was only dish that I would order again. Ceviche was just ok (have definitely had better) and chicharon (pork belly entree) was overly rich with no outstanding flavors. Also ordered Chinese style noodles, thought it would be a fusion dish but just tasted like a good stir fry, however really greasy. $150 with tip for 2 ppl for 2 small plates, 2 entrees and three cocktails total. Cocktails were all pretty good (especially pisco sour) but underwhelmed by the food considering all the hype they get.
(3)
Nancy B.
We had another wonderful meal at Tanta Saturday night. Brought our daughter and son-in-law who are New Yorker foodies, and we wanted to impress them. Tanta did not disappoint. Had several of the seviche, including the special with shrimp and mango. Servings a little small but delightful, especially with their fusion flavors. Had other small plates including a tasty crab and avocado potato dish. The three entrees we ordered were more than enough food and fabulous - roast chicken, churrasco, and whole fish. The latter was recommended and was to die for: flesh removed and battered, sweet-sour sauce. Great experience, service etc. one caveat, it can get noisy as the evening wears on.
(5)
Holly D.
Highly recommend pork & shrimp fried rice, caprese quinoa and tuna ceviche. Pisco Sours are awesome!! The restaurant is truly unique for Chicago and a nice reminder of the beauty of Peru if you've ever been. I nice change of pace from the steakhouses that crowd the downtown scene.
(5)
Adele G.
There is nothing like it in Chicago. It's a breath I fresh air in this ever-expanding foodie city. Flavones from the sea, the Andes, and the Amazon are evident in he menu. Out knowledgeable waiter helped us select our dinners that we shared amongst three. The ceviche sampler was perfect if you can't make up your mind. The menu is closely authentic to Peruvian cuisine and didn't disappoint. Definitely plan to return. If the manager is reading this, take note. The busboys should be seen and not heard. We were interrupted continually in the middle of conversation asking if they could clear plates that still had food on them. Approaching the table once or twice to clear it is fine, but over a half dozen times becomes obnoxious. Ask them to tone it down. Hovering staff gives the impression of rushing and claustrophobia. I'll return for sure, but if that keeps up I'll ask them to take a step back.
(4)
Smitha K.
Nice Peruvian restaurant with pretty good food. We tried the street food feast, and arroz con pato. Both were really good, esp the arroz con pato! The duck was fabulously tender. For desert, we tried las trufas (truffles), which was just okay. I think I'll try the doughnuts next time, that looked better. The plantain chips which were on the house were really good too. Everyone must try the drink, pisco sour made from a Peruvian brandy called pisco!
(4)
Joshua T.
Terribly disappointing - proof that Gastón is very overextended and the quality is suffering across the empire. (Admittedly this is based on recent visits to other Acurio locales in Peru, the US, and elsewhere, in addition to this one: several of them are showing a marked decline, in my opinion.) Where to begin? With the most important thing, of course: the utterly mediocre ceviche. Criminal. The only-OK blend of flavors would have been bad enough, but the mealy, unpleasant mouth feel of the fish made Peru's remarkable flagship dish into a gustatory chore to be choked down with a lot of water. I feel sorry for anyone who gets their first exposure to ceviche, a culinary wonder in its natural state, in this insipid form. I can't understand why it was prepared so badly: Gastón's people have easy access to all the ingredients that make ceviche work (the Peruvian limes, the sweeter onions, etc.), so the frustrations that face home chefs are no excuse. And not only does ceviche come off perfectly at the San Francisco La Mar location, it's well prepared at any number of Peruvian restaurants across the US. Why oh why is it so terrible here? On a less important note, the chilcano that I ordered arrived disguised as an orange concoction of some sort. And that ain't a chilcano. Now I understand that Gastón and others often promote chilcano variants from time to time, but I didn't order that. What I wanted was a nice traditional chilcano, not to have this overly sweet and underly sharp beverage thrust upon me in its name. Then there was the chicharrón. Again: any chef is well within his rights to experiment with traditional cuisine, get creative, whatever. But give some indications on the menu, man! If I order something called "chicharrón," at a Peruvian restaurant, and the description offers no real hint that it's going to be radically different than traditional chicharrón, then of course I'm going to be disappointed. Especially if the experiment that arrives isn't even terribly good. Nicely tender pork, I'll admit - a piece literally fell off the bone as I picked it up - but entirely lacking the crispy exterior that defines Peruvian chicharrón, and also bathed in a kind of sweet sauce that, despite the menu's description, had next to no hint of the promised rocoto. Kind of like we're going for an American southern barbecue-type sauce here, and not exactly getting it right, but not getting somewhere else either. Finally, and perhaps unimportantly, why is this place even called Tanta? The menu doesn't remotely resemble the menu at the Tanta franchises in Peru and Spain, which are pretty consistent from location to location. It's a totally different place: why surprise loyal customers from those places with this ill-considered, under-varied menu?
(2)
Kate R.
Tanta was definitely a mixed experience. Based on the food alone, this is easily a 4.5 star restaurant. It was delicious, and I would love to return just for the food. We started with the Criollo cebiche. It was very tasty, but a smaller portion than we were expecting. One thing that confused me was that there was nothing to eat it with. I'm used to Mexican style ceviches, so maybe it's just a different culture, but we had to request more plantain chips to eat it. For main dishes, we had the chaufa aeropuerto, the Chicharron, and the seco de cordero. All were wonderful, but the seco de cordero was fabulous; the meat melted off the bone. However, the service we received was terrible. I'm not sure we even got the waiter's name. He took a long time to reach our table, and when he did come, he was rude and inattentive. I understand that the restaurant was busy on a Friday night, but this was not acceptable. Once the waiter finally arrived, we asked him to explain the cocktail menu, and he responded that he "didn't have time to discuss the entire menu," so he'd just tell us about three. He followed that by telling us that we needed to get 2-3 small plates each and one or two main dishes per person before disappearing again. We ended up ordering 2 small plates total and one entre each and brought most of our food home. When he finally returned to get our appetizer order, it had been long enough that we'd had time to decide what we wanted to eat. He took the cebiche order, and as I started to let him know we were ready to order, he turned around and walked away. It is a very loud place and it's possible he didn't hear me right next to him, but it came across as rude. I don't want to apply this to everyone because the hostess was very polite and the bus boys were fabulous and much more attentive to us than our actual waiter. I have never under tipped a server, but on this occasion I was extremely tempted. If it hadn't been for the busboys coming over to check on us, make suggestions, and actually attend to our needs, (ie. more plantain chips and sauce because the waiter hadn't come back to take our order) I probably would have tipped low.
(3)
Glen W.
This is the best Peruvian I have had in the US and probably the best of the Astrid y Gastón restaurants I've been to anywhere in the world. That chain has at four different restaurants each with many locations and is considered by many the best Peruvian food, so that is saying quite something. It is very exciting to have great Peruvian food in Chicago! Don't miss the Arroz con Pato (duck rice), Anticucho de Pulpo (grilled octopus) or the ceviche. For dessert Picarrones (fried pumpkin fritters with honey) are unique.
(4)
Marisa S.
I was excited when I found out that Gaston Acurio was going to add Tanta to the Chicago restaurant scene. We finally had the opportunity to try it out this weekend and it did not disappoint. Our favorite dishes included the: cebiche mixto, cebiche nikei, criollo, and the pulpo. The pulpo was cooked perfectly. All of the dishes were delicious! The staff was very friendly and gave great recommendations too!
(4)
Mace W.
Sexy place with great variety. The pulpo was our fav. Service was also solid, the manager stopped by to chat about the restaurant and menu for some time.
(5)
Loncy M.
Talk about amazing Peruvian cuisine.... 5 stars for food. Needs to improve on service, it was a bit slow and at times difficult to get our waiter's attention. I have heard so much about Gaston Acurio's cuisine so I was very excited when I heard he was coming to Chicago. And sure enough it didn't disappoint! We started with Pisco Sours which were delicious. Then we proceeded to order everything on the menu cause it all sounded good. Cebiche mixto, skirt steak niguiri (don't let the quail egg scare you off, it is DELICIOUS) and an ahi tuna causita (must have). For our main dishes we had the carapulcra (pork belly), lomo salteado and the special which also involved pork. My personal favorite was the carapulcra cause the pork was juicy and it felt right off the bone. The rice that comes with the lomo was simple greatness. We closed out with trufas for dessert which had dark chocolate inside and complemented with team lime ice cream. One of the best meals I've had in the city!
(4)
neal s.
What a great addition to River North! Three of us went a few days ago and I just made a reservation to go back in a few days. Like most River North places, Tanta is a little bit on the loud side but not as loud as most. The food is very interesting with a lot of interesting tastes. We all shared three appetizers and three entrees. The stand outs to me where the braised lamb shank which is an ample portion and the pork fried rice which I would rate as a don't miss it dish. Definitely one of new favorite places
(5)
Rebecca L.
My boyfriend is Peruvian so when we traveled to Chicago last month for vacation he insisted we try this restaurant because he'd heard great reviews. They lived up to the hype. We started at the bar with a couple of Pisco Sours (of course) and a few apps while we waited for our table. The place had a great vibe and I loved the decor - it was not like any of the other Peruvian restaurants we had visited. Once at our table we shared a bunch of dishes and ended up even getting dessert because the food was so good. What I liked about this restaurant was that they took foods that I have become familiar with and reinvented it. The dishes were unique, creative, and beautifully presented while still holding true to their Peruvian roots. My boyfriend is back in Chicago next month for business and planning on going back...so jealous!
(5)
K P.
Ate here a few months ago. The food and drinks we had were good. However, the waiter pushed us to order wayyyy too much food for appetizers (there were only two of us dining). As a result we couldnt really order much more. Also the waiter's attitude was very annoying. He was disinterested and very arrogant.
(3)
Tracy F.
This a 3.5 star review. I had really high expectations for this restaurant. It lived up to my expectations on all fronts except for the main entree and dessert. The main entree is what killed the star rating. The service was wonderful. No compliants. The ambiance is exactly like Sunda - trendy, loud, modern The food was excellent (with the exception of the items mentioned above). Street Food Feast: We swapped the chicken anticuchos out for the octopus (pulpo). Highly recommended! This was the best part of the appetizer. It also came with crispy empanadas, pork belly sliders and a potato salad. All delicous. Beef stir fry: I should have trusted the other reviews and skipped it. It wasn't, just very average. You can probably get better in chine town. I will go with the Pollo A La Brassa next time. Pork fried rice (chaufa aeropuerto): This was the best dish of the night!! It had such a rich, unique taste. I could probably eat this as an entire meal. Highly recommended! Dessert - El Suspiro Loco: This was described as thinly sliced banana cake rolled into cigars with a dulce de leche cream filling. The cake is baked to a crisp, so it has the consistency of a cannoli. I couldn't taste the banana at all. The dulce de leche flavor was so toned down with cream that it was barely recognizable. And the ginger ice cream, while great, overpowered the dish. I'd try something different. I would definitely return but make a few different menu choices.
(4)
Andrew O.
Had am amazing meal here the other night. Great service, drinks, and the food was impressive. The chef did a wonderful job with the flavor combinations and everyone in my party really loved the meal.
(5)
Eli N.
I've been wanting to come here for a while but somehow kept missing out on it. Then, I read some of the mixed reviews on yelp so I was a little apprehensive. That said, my experience here was fantastic! It was a phenomenal meal with gorgeously structured dishes that were just as pleasing to the eye as to the stomach. The Chicha morada brought back memories of Peru as did the Lomo Saltado. The aeropuerto fried rice was porky, crispy and just generally awesome. The steak sushi thing was a major (positive) surprise and the octopus was a delight. The ceviche was solid though nothing particularly special, not that there is anything wrong with that but just in comparison to everything else that was notably and surprisingly great, it was just typical and exactly what you'd expect (again, not a bad thing exactly). Finally, for dessert we had the pumpkin and sweet potato fritters which were again, surprisingly awesome. Great place to eat with a group and share everything. Go now! P.S. Cocktails: the pisco sour is good (pretty traditional), the pistolero is FANTASTIC. It somehow tasted like an alcoholic passionfruit. Not fake passionfruit but literally like the actual fruit with an alcoholic aftertaste. No idea how that happened given that I didn't see passionfruit in the ingredients but get it if you like that kind of thing.
(5)
Sam S.
Place is small and unpretentious (yea - in river north)... Staff is friendly and so well trained - willing to explain everything even when it is busy. Food is exceptional (been there 4 times - yet to have anything disappointing). Highly recommend it!
(5)
Madelene T.
They messed up our dinner reservation and reserved a table the night before our anniversary. It was a Friday night at 9:30 and the place was pretty packed so we had to wait for about 15 mins. We grabbed a drink at the bar, which was good. I thought they should've at least comped us a drink while we waited. After being seated we ordered our food and it came out right away. It was exceptionally fast. We ordered the Classico ceviche. It was very good and had a bit of a kick. My husband ordered the street platter and I ordered the chalana (causitas tasting). I thought the food was ok. The presentation was well done, but I wasn't very impressed with the taste. But that's just due to personal preferences. The chicken causita I thought was the best causita but I didn't care for the quinoa, tuna, or crab. The items on the street platter were also so-so, but my husband liked it. At the end, they sent over two glasses of champagne for our anniversary, which was a nice gesture. I give it only three stars because for the price, I expected more wow.
(3)
Rachel N.
We went to Tanta last night after hearing about it from a friend. We are familiar with cuisine from Peru (we love Ay Ay Picante and Machu Picchu) so we wanted to check this out. It did not disappoint! We sat at the bar and tried a few of their smaller plates and topped it off with a flight of the infused pisco (warning: the pisco is VERY strong. We split one flight between 2 of us and struggled to finish. Loved the cinnamon infused pisco). The service was excellent - thank you to both the sushi chef and our bartender. Both were very friendly and answered our questions about the menu. Our meal: - Power ceviche - this was my first time trying sea urchin...not my cup of tea but loved the rest of the ceviche. The "leche" was great and the mariscos were excellent. - Beef cheek sliders - we tried this and loved it. It was a special of the evening, but if you see it on the menu, give it a try. It was not greasy which we feared it might be and had very balanced flavors. It was served on very soft, sweet buns that were amazing. - Pobre niguiri - after seeing this on the website, I was most excited to try this dish but it ended up being my least favorite. The texture was a little odd, it was hard to eat, and the flavors were the least impressive of all of the dishes. Nothing really popped in the dish. - Corazon anticuchos - this was my favorite dish. Previously anticuchos at Ay Ay Picante were my go to but these blew them out of the water. They were very tender, cooked to perfection, and the sauce served with the anticuchos was the perfect blend of spicy, sweet, savory and went well with the dish. I could have eaten 2 servings of the anticuchos and been set!. Drinks: Pisco Sour - excellent! You can't go wrong. La guapa - even better than the pisco sour. A wonderful sweet (not too sweet) drink with my favorite ingredients for a cocktail, gin and bubbly. The atmosphere was fun and young. I was surprised at how full it was considering it's fairly new. The bartender also mentioned that they will be opening their rooftop next spring/summer, and I can't wait. The artwork on the main wall is vibrant and goes well with the venue. Overall, great experience. We're already planning to go back this weekend. This place is a hit, and I am so glad to have this addition to the Chicago food scene.
(4)
Peggy G.
We were excited to check Tanta since we had really enjoyed out meals while in Peru a couple years ago. We have to say we really enjoyed it. The space is small, but doesn't feel too cramped. The pisco sour was excellent. We tried several dishes however I would have to say the highlights were the ceviche clasico and the chupe. The ceviche which was refreshing and perfectly balanced. The chupe was AMAZING! If I could have licked that bowl clean I would have. My husband and I fell in love with this stew. I would go back to just have the chupe. Gave 4 stars versus 5 because dessert was unimpressive and one of our other dishes was just "ok." Overall, I highly recommend people check Tanta out and I will definitely be returning.
(4)
Ro L.
The food was imaginative, delicious, beautifully presented. Exemplary On all levels. Our server was well-informed, pleasant and attentive. The So. African rose started off our dinner on the right foot. The tuna ceviche and beef hearts were creative and tasty. Followed up by a lovely Embruix 2009 accompanied main courses of pork belly special, cauliflower and eggplant side, whitefish, and veggie entrees were all perfect.. With so many other restaurants to choose from in the city, this one is a shining star. Ro and Curt
(5)
Daniel B.
Disappointed! I had high expectations and booked a special date night with my wife weeks in advance. The place is noisy as a bar and over-crowded with small tables, and unfortunately too close to each other, specially the tables for two. Definitely not the place for a cozy special night, my mistake. Anyways, I adjusted my expectations and waited, waited more, and kept waiting... About 30 mins after my reservation time we finally got a table, unfortunately the worse table in the place (next to the door and bar with traffic competing a super market aisle). Getting other table would take another 30 minutes. We just left to enjoy the night in another restaurant. I bet the food is good because I have been in a few of Gaston's restaurants in Lima. I might give it another try later. I would definitely suggest the management to improve the ambience and take some tables out if they want to pass the novelty period.
(2)
Sunita T.
An excellent restaurant. The cocktails are unique and very tasty. We tried all the cebiches and they were fabulous. Such a great blend of flavors and textures. The main courses were also very interesting with lots of different spices. Definitely recommend and would go back.
(5)
Izzi W.
enjoyed our meal very much. the waiter guided us through the menu and helped us order appropriately-we were a party of 6-so that everyone could taste whatever they wanted. the ceviche was excellent. the surprise of the meal was the beef heart, none of us had ever eaten it and we all loved it. my favorite was the whole fried fish. it had a delicious Chinese sweet and tangy sauce and was served as boneless chunks using the fish body as the bowl, very clever. loved the desserts too.
(4)
m d.
Beware of the SUPER hot soup! Went to Tanta on this Sunday, party of 6 people. Almost everyone liked the food; mine (the lamb) was just ok. The problem was with the soup. We ordered one soup and everyone tried it. Every person as the table burned their tongue. It is 3 days later, and my tongue will hurts so much, that it actually hurts to eat. They bring it out still boiling, which is fine, but even after a few minutes and blowing on the soup, we all still ended up burning out tongues. When I called to let them know, specifically stating that I was calling to complain, just to let them know for the future to let people know that the soup if not eatable for the first 10 minutes, the guy who picked up the phone was so ridiculously rude, that even he realized that he was out of line and went to call the manager. The manager never came to the phone and the phone was hung up. I called back, nobody picked up. Bottom line, the food was fine, although after visiting Peru, it only slightly resembled real Peruvian dished, but please be careful when you order the soup. Hey Tanta, rudeness, especially for no reason, is not appreciated!
(2)
Katherine J.
We just kind of pointed at a bunch of things on the menu. We really had no clue what we were ordering but everything was amazingly delicious! The flavors are so unique and work well together. This restaurant is hopping even at 9p on a Tuesday night so, definitely make a reservation. The atmosphere is nice-casual but classy. A little pricey so this is going to be one of our special occasion restaurants. Can't wait to go back!
(5)
Shannon R.
Such an amazing spot! The ambiance is great and the libations are even better. Not to be overshadowed is the food. I wasn't sure what to expect as this experience was my first with Peruvian food, but I was pleasantly surprised. I went outside of my comfort zone and had a very enjoyable dining experience.
(5)
Liza A.
Been to Tanta twice, will be coming back often because it is just so delicious. Finally a Peruvian place downtown and the food is delicious! So far some of my favorite dishes have been the Ceviche mixto, the tiradito nikkei, the chalana (sampling of all the causitas) the street food feast, and the chaufa. So good, I haven't had it all but so far amazing. The picarones are a must if you go!! The prices are comparable to places in the area but completely worth it. Service was really good, one of the servers that gave awesome recommendations was John, very nice! The chicha morada is delicious if you don't want any cocktails and the table chips that you get are delicious with the aji sauce. I wish I could have that all the time!! I can't wait for their rooftop to open next year, until then I'll happily take a seat inside! Check it out and enjoy!!
(5)
Laura S.
This review is for the Tanta roof deck, rather than the regular dining area. Our group of six ordered empanadas, tropical cebiche, and shrimp, as well as cocktails from the "on tap" menu. The food was fine, but nothing spectacular. The cocktails were inconsistent (I ordered two la rusas, and one was bright orange, the other was pale pink) and watered down. Our server, Stacy M, was unfriendly, slow and inattentive. In over two hours, we only had about two drinks each, because she never came around to take new drink orders. All would have been mostly forgivable, but the cherry on top of this two-star experience (reducing it to a one-star experience) was that, in ringing up our bill, the server authorized my card for $185, when it was supposed to be $38. I have called the restaurant twice to get an explanation (it's been three days), and still have not received even an apology, let alone an explanation. Tanta really needs to clean up its act before it gets my business again.
(1)
Livery H.
Went here based on the yelp reviews. The waiter was super enthusiastic and explained the entire menu to us ( A little difficult to navigate if you don't know peruvian I am assuming). We started with cocktails, la rusa and el macho. La rusa is probably one of the best cocktails that I have ever had. It has a thickness of mango juice and it is strong. There is an ice cube in the drink that is made of campari, which melts while you drink it. However, it doesn't really melt that much and I moved onto my next cocktail before waiting for it to melt, it was a little sad. El macho was a good cocktail too. We order a criollo ceviche and criollo niguiri. The niguiri ( spelling?) is actually the best bite of food I have had this year ( just like the waiter said). It is like a fresh, heavily flavored slab of sushi grade fish, minus the rice. FANTASTIC. The ceviche was good, but growing up on Hawaiian poke, I wasn't that impressed with the caliber of the fish. For entrees, we mixed up a lot of things. We got the pulpo skewers, which were cooked to perfection. Also, got the crab and ahi causitas. My boyfriend got the seco marino which was swordfish over a bed of polenta and avocado. This was way too much food. We had trouble eating it all. The entree was probably the least impressive. Next time we would probably stick to the causitas and skewers menu, because those were the most impressive ( besides the niguiri, which was my favorite). We moved on to more cocktails, la guapa ( not that great, a guava-like after taste that was oddly medicine-like) . My boyfriend got the pisco sour which was great and I tried another, el piscolero ( fantastic). The ambience was very loud, very busy on a Tuesday ( only seats at 7:00 were at the bar) and the waiter seemed very busy. However, he managed to maintain a very personal style of help during the whole meal. Overall, extremely enjoyable and would come back again.
(5)
Stephanie P.
Tanta is incredible! I went for my fiance's firm's holiday party, so we were in the private room on the second floor. We are both picky eaters and we both loved every single dish they brought out. The cocktail 'el chingon' is fantastic if you like a smoky, spicy drink (which I do). The service was great too, the servers were friendly, attentive and funny. We are actually considering Tanta for our rehearsal dinner because it was such a great experience, and we'd love to use the rooftop patio attached to the private room!
(5)
Julie F.
the ceviche was delicious! we had the palea as well as the pulpo (octopus pieces), the special of the day corn pudding dish, and several of the ceviches. everything was incredibly fresh and tasted wonderful. the only downside is that i went with a group of 5, and we were put in a large side booth that basically made it impossible to talk with each other. we all enjoyed the food, but were bummed that conversation wasn't able to happen between the weird layout of the booth and the loud noise level, so i'd probably recommend only coming with groups of 4 or smaller so that you can sit at a table and talk while also enjoying the incredible food. oh, the el chigon was delicious as was the crowd pleaser as far as drinks are concerned.
(4)
David L.
Service was attentive. Server was very knowledgeable Food was very good. Unfortunately they were out of the pollo a la brasa which was one of the dishes we were anticipating. Overpriced as well.
(4)
K B.
2 of us went to celebrate a big birthday year when no one was there and they would not give us a booth. The food was great and our server was great, but when it is a special occasion and no one is there, you should give your customers the booth - that is what puts a place over the top.
(3)
Jo A.
I ate at Tanta on Oct. 14 with my boyfriend for his birthday. We were both very pleased with this place. We did the pobre (soooo good), nikei cebiche, pulpo, and seco de cordero. My boyfriend said it was the best octopus he's had. The lamb shank was also very tender and fall off the bone. I loved everything we ordered and would order it again. We shared everything and were full that we couldn't order dessert. Also, of the drinks, I really liked the lima llama.
(5)
Jonathan M.
obscenely fresh, fantastic flavors, great room... easily one of the best meals I've had in chicago in awhile...
(5)
FoodLover Z.
Spectacular. Had a couple of different types of sashimi, a couple of cebiches, and chupe for the main course. all of the dishes were fantastic. the pisco sours, particularly the passion fruit flavor, might be the best i've ever had. had the chocolate bombs with lemongrass ice cream and sweet potato fritters for dessert, both of which were great. Highly recommend this place.
(5)
James M.
Sandra had her heart set on trying Tanta. We waited a good half hour to be seated, despite arriving on time for our reservation. Once seated, we waited a half hour for the plantain chips which were overly salty. Sandra got the Loma Saltado, which was good but is overpriced. I got the Peruvian fish which was also good but overpriced. The drinks were good but I think in the future Sandra will stick to her Indochino.
Tanta is one of the more unique food options in Chicago. The ceviche and Causitas samplers are perfect for dinner. So light and fresh! Drinks are great; It's nice to find a place in the city that makes a proper pisco sour. When I have visited similar restaurants in the area such as Girl and the Goat, I feel like I need to be rolled out of the restaurant because the food is so rich and heavy. Tanta gives you the option to go out to a cool place with you friends and not have to don elastic pants to do so. The ambiance is clean, colorful and modern. Service was helpful with understanding Peruvian food, and our waitress was also really pleasant and nice, like she really enjoyed her work. I appreciate when a restaurant makes sure you do not feel rushed, while being mindful of when you are ready to leave. There was no waiting around for drinks or a check. The bus boys were careful to remove plates when BOTH of us were finished, something so many restaurants fail to do. I also love when an establishment notices when a diner is wearing black and offers a black napkin, such a small but nice attention to detail.
(5)
Jessica G.
Tanta in Chicago is fabulous! I've been to Gaston's other restaurants (in Madrid, San Francisco..) - all great but Tanta in Chicago blew me away! The location is perfect, the ambiance is so fun and lively, the music great, staff friendly and the food is delicious!! My favorites were the lomo soltado, pollo a la brasa and empanadas - all washed down with the tastiest pisco sours I have ever had! And for dessert- las trufas de chocolate - OMG! I was in heaven with these chocolate bombs! I can't wait to go back!!!
(5)
Ric T.
Was able to learn about Peruvian food and am so happy I have! The Classico Cibiche was excellent. The Lomo Saltodo was a very nice portion and prepared perfectly, will order again. The Pescado Frito had a nice presentation and was was delicious as well! The Chalona sampler made me want to come back and order each one individually. The ambiance is very nice and you have to get a Pisco Sour, top notch! I will be back sooner than later.
(5)
Sofiya C.
Brunchin in this trendy little Chicago hot spot, why not! The menu was quite diverse and there is something for everyone. The Bloody Mary mix is very savory and has that South American taste to it. The seafood here is fantastic, the octopus though... The ceviche was amazing as well. One of the dishes that really stood out was this corn bread thing with egg... It was orgasmic. The service is great and the servers know their shit! The atmosphere is calm and trendy! If you are a open minded foodie you will love this place! I'm looking forward to coming for dinner! Only gripe... Be ready to drop some cash $$$
(4)
Lindsey A.
We had way too good of a time at Tanta. From the pisco sours to the Chilean cab we ordered... we had way.too.good.of.a.time. Pull your whip up to the curb and let valet take care of you (for $14 it's easier and saner than trying to park on Grand yourself.) Then walk in and be seated with some plantains and sauce - a spicy variety. Our server was pleasant, the meal so very flavorful. The empanadas (chicken) had a sweet bbq sauce and the mixto cebiche (white fish) was out of this world. So very tender and lovely. Plus, I can't get enough of large-kernel Peruvian corn. I love it! I ordered the pastel de choclo because my Chilean grandmother-in-law makes it and I haven't had it in a few years. Tanta's version was sweet to the tongue, peppered with those large corns and mushrooms and raisins. My wife ordered the lomo saltado and said it was delish. But blowing my mind were the duo de alfajores - vanilla and chocolate shortbread cookies with dulce de leche center and lucuma ice cream. WHOA. They crumbled and melted and merged and... I want more. This was a special occasion meal and if you're a lover of South American food, definitely check it out.
(4)
Jami S.
Absolutely Fantastic!! My husband and I have been wanting to try Tanta for awhile but because it's hard to get a reso it took awhile. But I can truly say it was worth the wait. We had dinner at Tanta on a Friday night with another couple. The place is small but cute and has a warm vibe. We were seated pretty much immediately and from there our server took us away, we got lost in Peruvian smells and tastes. We actually had him place our order from what he felt was his favorites and the most popular items. Everything was delicious! The Pisco Punch was my absolute favorite drink! Hands down best service in a River North restaurant I have come by in a long time. We told the Manager we will be traveling to Peru in a few weeks and he even took the time to write us a list of his favorite spots and offered to reach out to them before our arrival to get us reservations. Could not have been nicer! We will def be back Tanta!!!
(5)
Giselle G.
Love this place! My step-mother being Peruvian, I have enjoyed Peruvian food my whole life. It's so delicious, you must try! The decor is very pretty both downstairs and at the rooftop. The rooftop is small but still spacious. The view isn't anything to write home about but the vibe, food and drinks make up for it 100%. Great place to grab food and drinks.
(5)
Joseph L.
I've dined in Chicago many, many times and right now this is my favorite spot. The patio dining was amazing, service was great and food was fantastic. Great spot, I'll be back for sure.
(5)
Dan P.
Walked in the other day and luckily was able to get a table for 2 around 7. Started things off with my first Pisco Sour - never realized egg white could make a drink taste so much better. It was very legit. Try the chaufa aeroporto - it's not even comparable to even the best Chinese fried rice I've had. The cebiches are all great, and the chicken empanadas were solid. I think my favorite dish was probably the chicken skewers we got - sounds pretty basic, but they put a great twist on them. The atmosphere is great - the place is pretty small but lively - and the service was on point. Spent about $110 for the two of us and had some food left over. I'll be back.
(5)
Tina L.
Loved every single dish that we had here. Here we go in order of most to least favorite (I need to reiterate that I loved every dish here, though): Chaufa Aeropuerto: "In the 1800's, the people from Canton immigrated to Peru and brought with them their amazing culinary culture." Thank you so much, my beautiful Cantonese immigrants! Pork fried rice, shrimp tortilla, spicy garlic. Oh my gahhhh, this dish was delicious. What a beautiful and thoughtful balance of flavors and textures. It comes out in a hot stone pot, which I absolutely adore. I asked the manfriend to push it down so that we could get some of the crispy crunchy rice that you get at the bottom, but when I took a small bite, I realized that they already had some kind of crunchy goodness in there. What a pleasant surprise! The flavors are fantastic, and just the right amount of spiciness. The manfriend said that he will order this dish for himself next time, nothing else. I concur -- I'm ordering one for myself next time as well LOL. Pollo a la Brasa: Amish [whole] roasted chicken Peruvian style, cannellini beans, arroz con choclo, criolla salad, rustic potatoes, aji sauces. Wow, the chicken was made to perfection, with just the right amount of seasoning and very juicy. Loved trying all the different sauces and pairing it with the beans and rice. Can't wait to eat our leftovers for lunch today. Cebiche Tasting: Peruvian cebiche is freshly made to order, combining the freshest catch with lime and aji. (1) clasico - fluke, red onions, cilantro + (2) mixto - mahi, squid, shrimp, rocoto + (3) nikei - ahi tuna, avocado, cucumber, tamarind. The clasico was probably the table favorite out of the three. We loved the citrus-y tang of the sauce. Anticuchos: traditional skewers from the streets of Peru! pulpo - octopus, chimichurri, fried garlic, olive sauce. The octopus was grilled until very tender, and the flavors were amazing. Honestly, we could have probably done without this dish, since everything else would have been more than enough for the three of us at the table. But our server suggested it, and I'm happy that we were able to try it. Overall, this was a beautiful experience and I can't wait to go back for some of that pork fried rice again. I had to remove half a star, though, because they forgot to include those leftovers in our take-out bag. I mean, come on...I was totally looking forward to eating that the next day!
(4)
Cheri S.
We started with the mixto ceviche and octopus. The octopus was very tender and served on little pillows of mashed potatoes. Sounds weird but it works. After that the pescado frito was more than enough to share. The pacing of the service was great. Good cocktails. Lively atmosphere but a little loud so not the place for an intimate date.
(4)
Gregg F.
I ventured into ultra hip Tanta last night. From the start we knew that it was going to be a good night. The waiter in his best Peruvian voice was very knowledgeable and helpful with explaining the meals. The Pisco Sour was very good as well as potent just the way I like my drinks. Would like to start off saying its virtually impossible to leave Tanta hungry Wow they give you a lot of food for the money. The grilled duck was juicy succulent very tasteful it was so good that I saved some for late night snack. I highly recommend Tanta if you are looking for some good Peruvian food without a lot of pretense..
(4)
Justin B.
Dropped by Tanta today to use up a brunch voucher we bought on Gilt City a few months ago. Interesting experience: 1. Let's just call a spade a spade: the bacon (EIGHT dollars) is essentially weak, supermarket Oscar Meyer-style slices served in an incredible sauce. It's the strangest high-end restaurant bacon I have ever had...and, full disclosure, I used to host monthly bacon parties, am a former member of the Grateful Palate's Bacon of the Month Club and my Xbox Live handle is Bacon Party, so it's obvious that I know a little bit about bacon. My wife and I were both shocked at the very low quality of the pork served to us for this dish. (This was actually served cold originally, but we asked our server for a fresh plate and the next plate came out warmer, but definitely not hot. Ask for it hot!) 2. The lemon-and-thyme mimosa was the best thing about my meal today. Very fresh and summer cocktail-ish, this was tasty, even if I don't like how small it was for $10. 3. Of our two entrees, the Huevos Tanta beat out the Chicharron Waffle. The huevos was an interesting mix of flavors, the hash underneath was nice and crispy, and the meat was tender as all get out. The waffle was fine, just not special, but the pork belly on top of the waffle was one hell of a lot better than the bacon, making me openly question who on the Tanta staff is responsible for buying both products. But the menu price for the waffle was $16. What? 4. The tables (and the space in general, but the tables)...I can't put it into words exactly, but I love the four-top tables in the main dining area. The right height, great chairs, smooth surface, just wide enough to have space but not so wide that I felt like my wife or daughter were too far away from me. Seriously, these are some of my favorite tables in Chicago (and the booths looked great too). 5. I went for a brunch today at 12 PM, and the place was kind of dead. But I am very sure that this place is wild (like Mercadito on a weekend) in the evenings, say from Wednesday thru Saturday. Definitely make a reservation if you want to slide in here without any problems. I think I would come back to Tanta to meet friends for a drink, but the value proposition for the meal is tough to stomach. If we had paid for the entrees, sides and drinks straight up and left a 20% tip, we would have spent $84...and I was still hungry when I left. That's hefty when I can name 25 better brunches within three miles of this location; hell, if you are okay dropping $80 for brunch, I would go to Zed 451 in a flash...you'll at least guarantee that you leave full and have better meats on the way, even if the dishes aren't as unique as some of the ones at Tanta.
(3)
Andrea R.
I'd be happy eating here every single night...it's that good! I'd likely have to spend the other 22 hours of my day on the treadmill and invest in a pair of good ear plugs (it's crazy loud here!), but totally worth it. While my party of 4 decided what to order I enjoyed a lovely pisco sour. The menu is a bit daunting, but fortunately we had a very knowledgable waiter to help. We took him up on his suggestions: cebiche, sashimi (peruvian style!), empanadas, a ridiculously delish rice dish and more. Everything was unbelievable. We devoured every single last bite. I really don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu. I'm not the only fan because it's tough to get a reservation here. I guess there goes my plan of eating here every single night, but I'll be back to get my peruvian fix ASAP.
Pretty much anything on the menu is good! Pricey, but full of flavor. Every bite was amazing. Honestly haven't been to a place like this in the city in a while.
An authentic gateway into Peruvian fare. The ambiance is fun and inviting with a warmth that characterizes Latin American culture. The foods are almost meant to be shared and on my date night I purposely ordered a potpourri of varying dishes - some meat, some seafood, others vegetarian. The "appetizers" we ordered and loved: the Nekei Cebiches (tastes really fresh, ahi tuna based), pollo anticuchos, pobre niguiris nikei. The entrees: lomo saltado (anything beef or short rib is prepared well). Dessert included duo de alfajores which are delicious cookies accompanied by a soothing and mild ice cream, The multi-cultural infusions were evident as well given Peru's historic exposure to Japanese cuisine, traditional South American, and Spaniard flavor profiles.
Man oh man did I want to love this place! We were salivating over the menu for weeks before we came here! The drinks were great, and our waiter was exceptional. He was one of the more charismatic and sociable waiters we've had anywhere! ... but, we were disappointed in the food. We had a group of 6, ordered from every section of the menu, and took to heart the suggestions of our waiter who did a great job of talking things up to build up the excitement for them. But, sadly, we found many of the items to be flavorless/bland. Maybe there are a few kinks to iron out in the recipes? The menu *sounds* great... there's so much potential here, but it didn't hit on all fronts like we hoped it would.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Valet Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Loud Music : Background Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : No Best Nights : Mon, Fri, Sat Coat Check : Yes Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Oanh N.
First time having Peruvian food. We had brunch here and it was delicious! I can't imagine what dinner is like! We had the empanadas sampler and the beef was out favorite out of the three! If you love avocado, you like the avocado with corn! Chicken was good as well but third pick out of the three. The chicken with fried rice and egg was really good. Reminded me of a Korean dish. The Leche De Tigre Clasico was so flavorful. Good combo of everything. Pulpo Criollo which is the octopus dish and it reminded us of Greece! Chicharrón Waffle- a really good sweet and savory dish Huevos Tanta- beef cheeks was really tender and really good with the runny egg yolk I really wanted to the beef nigiri with the egg on top but it's only served during dinner time. Next time :)
(5)Tricia D.
In 6 words: I wanted to like it more. Service was lackluster. Our waiter seemed to be a newbie. I don't know whether that's true or not, but if someone asks how the menu's brunch bellini is/to describe it, "it's like your standard bellini" isn't very helpful. Maybe I gave him a look because then he was more objectively descriptive of the flavors of the drink. Also, after we finished eating, we asked for boxes, but the waiter took 3 of the 4 plates back to be boxed up. He carried back the 2 half eaten huevos tantas at the same time, but didn't bother differentiating whose leftovers were whose (and put them all in one bag). Again, not very helpful. Seemed rookie to me. Food was ok, but nothing to write home about. Soft poached eggs on the huevos tanta were nice and oozy and yolky, but the beef was salty, and the hash browns were borderline too crispy (read: very dry). Chaufa fried rice was comforting with the bits of bean sprout, mushroom, and peppers in it, but nothing spectacular. I can remove this place from my bookmarks list now!
(3)Robert K.
Seated promptly, but table was under a vent for the a.c. and was very uncomfortable. After complaining several times and asking to see the manager, she ultimately stopped by and seated us at a booth which was far more comfortable. I started with a El Chingon cocktail that was very good and my wife had the El Piscolero, which was equally good but just a tad too sweet. Next we had the Causita sampler which we enjoyed. Nice presentation with proper balance of flavors. Next cam the Cebiche sampler two of which were good , but the third needed more citrus and salt. They all could have use a bit more rocoto pepper (hot pepper) as this is typical in Peruvian Cebiche. We the had anti hunches of Paiche which were flavorful and cooked to perfection. We finished our meal with the Estofado de Cordero which was well plated, but lacked flavor and seemed to be a bit dry. Our server was pleasant, efficient and friendly. We won't hesitate to go back for another visit in the future to try some of the other plates. We have been to some of Guston Acurio's restaurants in Lima and Cuzco and always enjoy our visits as well as our meals.
(4)Carolyn I.
I've been to Tanta a couple of times and have never been disappointed. Their food and drinks are consistently delicious! I went with a group of four and we shared 3 appetizers and 2 main dishes. I started with the royalty cocktail that my server suggested. I thought it was good, not too sweet and well-balanced. I tried my friend's pisco sour that she upgraded and it was so smooth. I might have to order that next time. Appetizers: Cebiche: Criollo - chef's selection fish, scallop, shrimp, smoked-creamy aji amarillo The seafood was incredibly fresh. Anticucho: Pulpo - octopus, chimichurri, crispy garlic, olive sauce The octopus was perfectly cooked and seasoned well. Niguiris Nikei: Pobre - skirt steak, quail egg, chalaca, ponzu Criollo - bay scallops, smoky sesame beef, huacatay cream Both were good, but I preferred the criollo over the pobre. Entrees: Lomo Saltado - traditional beef tenderloin stir-fry, red onions, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic & soy sauce, served with rustic potatoes and rice I've always enjoyed lomo saltado at other Peruvian restaurants, but this one was probably the best I've ever had. The beef was so tender! Chaufa Aeropuerto - pork fried rice, shrimp tortilla, spicy garlic This came to our table sizzling hot and after you mix it all together, it is so satisfying. Dessert: Duo de Alfajores - vanilla & chocolate shortbread cookies, dulce de leche center, lucuma ice cream It was a little too sweet for me, but still very delicious. Our server, Carolina was super friendly. We asked her if we go to the rooftop afterwards and she gladly took us up there. I highly recommend Tanta for inventive food and delicious craft cocktails.
(5)Danielle S.
After recently visiting Peru for two weeks I've been on a Peruvian cocktail and cuisine kick. Tanta did not disappoint. What we had.... Cocktails: Pisco sour, we had the classic and one with a higher end pisco. Both amazing, you can certainly taste the difference when you get the better one. A bit stronger. And beware these drinks taste so good but it is in their nature to be very strong! They also make a beautiful design with the bitters. Then I tried the "La Rusa" pisco, St Germaine, orange, lemon, Campari ice and thyme. Beautiful and amazing. Last the "Inca-nela" with inca cola in it! Yellow of course and with an amazing apple cinnamon tasting garnish on the glass. So fun! So, basically we didn't go wrong on any of our cocktails! The food... Yum! We started with ceviche, the $17 Classico. Just like Lima, Peruvian corn and red onions, and the juice has an amazing flavor. Then we had the "Huevos Tanta" braised beef cheek, fried egg, crispy hash browns and parsley sauce. Unreal, I loved every minute of it. I think it was the parsley sauce but something had a kick and it was perfection! We also ordered the "Tanta burger" The meat was seasoned well, and all the elements on top worked wonderfully. The bun was toasted and flavorful as well. I blinked and this was gone. Lastly, the bacon. It was on the burger but we got a side too. So thick, full of flavor.... So good! I cannot wait to go back for the dinner menu!
(5)Alex P.
Tanta has become a favorite of mine in Chicago's river north area. The empanadas are hands down some of the best I've ever had. The cebiches are all rather awesome and you must get the beef heart and octopus skewers. Really, the menu is adventurous and fun, yet has things for the more traditional diner as well. Downstairs is all reservations and you have to make one a few days in advance even for weekdays. I am sure weekends are even more packed. However, there is an awesome upstairs area that's first come first serve. Most of it is open air and has an awesome chill vibe. The only thing that subtracted from the chill vibes was our waitress, whose capability and speed of serving tables can only be compared to a Galapagos turtle as it makes its way through 15 meters of open space on a sunny afternoon.
(4)Emily H.
the presentation is nice, but it does not feel very authentic. The menu has sections of fusion with chinese or japanese. Things we ordered: -- a fried rice from the chifa section, it is just like bimbimbap, but not as flavourful -- beef heart skewer: this the only thing that tastes like things we had when we were in Peru...it is very bland; also I loved the big corn in there! reminds me of the corns we had in Peru --lamb leg: the quinoa is great, but the lamb itself is so so -- fried fish: sweet and sour, more like a panda express dish In general, i would recommend this restaurant to my friend and would love to come back to try different things.
(4)Robin O.
AH-mazing! We tried to make dinner reservations one night, but they were completely booked. The next day we popped in midday for some drinks. It was mid afternoon, and there were a few people at the rooftop bar - yes rooftop. It's not the tallest building, but when the weather is nice, that's all you need. First, the drink menu. They have a seasonal drink menu, which is a pretty neat concept. All of the specialty drinks were fresh and light, not dark and heavy. Several were made with the Peruvian Pisco liquor - and some are made in large batches daily and are ready to pour. I tried LA GUAPA - (lavender gin, rhubarb,lemon, cremant de bourgogne). It went down nice and smooth and was actually refreshing. The food around us looked and smelled so awesome that we had to order. We tried the cebiche cremosa and it did not disappoint. It was a fresh explosion of flavors in your mouth. I am a big fan of ceviche, so I hope that says a lot. We were yet again tempted, and ordered empanadas. They were kind enough to let us get one chicken and one beef as an order (instead of two of the same kind). We blinked and they were gone - I wish we had one of these closer to home - I'd be their #1 customer! If you are in Chicago this is a must do!!!
(5)Steve V.
A brunch I want to go back to! Such a great experience. Started with a spicy El Chingon...that easily led to another. Tho there were some breakfast items with a great Peruvian twist ... like a waffle. I had the Huevos Tanta, and was scraping my plate. Everything was amazing. They have a very nice rooftop, and it would serve them well to offer the full menu up there. Service was very friendly and attentive. One person even hunted me down when I accidentally left my wallet on our table. I saw one very bad review listed on the same day we were there. Really hard to believe as the chef was so spot on and people around us were also commenting how good their food was. We will absolutely be back.
(5)Jonathan S.
Here's the thing. A lot places that serve a modern or "updated" versions of a specific cultural dish miss the mark. First of all, by messing about with the original recipe, you basically change the dish, for better or worse. In Tanta's case, the food looks and tastes like it's trying too hard to be modern when they should have stuck to the awesome traditional flavors of Peru. Tanta's atmosphere is nice, a bit loud but fun, higher end crowd. Servers, seemingly were all Peruvian and seemed to know the food well. The menu selection was varied and everything looked yummy, it was tough to decide. But when the food came out, everything had a sauce on it which completely over powered everything, particularly the seafood. The ceviches we ordered had too many flavors going on, couldn't taste the seafood. Don't get me wrong the food was good but the flavor of all the proteins didn't stand out because it was over sauced, which is a pity. Plus I didn't think the experience was worth the money. Not too bad, but a bit pricey for the experience. It's one of those places where I totally don't regret having gone but wouldn't go back.
(3)Kavita S.
It was my first time trying Peruvian cuisine and my first time visiting Tanta. I must say that I enjoyed the Peruvian food and drink experience very much! I would have given Tanta five stars, but the preparation of one of the dishes prevented me from doing so. I started with the pisco punch and el chingon. Both cocktails were ridiculously delicious! The meal started with the cebiche tasting, with 3 different cebiches, and I must say the nikei with the ahi tuna and tamarind was hands down my favorite. The tamarind added a tart and sweet syrupy goodness to the juices of the cebiche. I also enjoyed the plantain chips that were served as apps; the thin strips of fried goodness had the perfect crunch. The pollo empanadas were flavorful (reminded me of an Indian samosa filled with spicy potatoes and chicken). ;-) The anticuchera was light and fluffy, but bursting with flavor. The pulpo was delicious and the octopus was cooked and flavored perfectly. The chicharron was hands down my favorite large plate. I might be biased because I love pork belly and tamarind, and this dish married the two so brilliantly. For dessert, the mousse de chocolate fortunato was perfect. The reason for the missing star from my review would be the arroz tanta. This dish was definitely one of the most flavorful with the many different components...chorizo, seafood, and aji amarillo cream. However, the chicken wings were lightly fried on top, if we can call it that. The entire chicken wing itself was raw. It was like purchasing raw chicken wings from a grocery store and dropping the uncooked chicken into a cooked rice dish. That was the only disappointing element. However, this one iffy experience will not keep me from visiting Tanta again and trying some of the other tasty items on the menu!
(4)Courtney P.
I'm always up for trying new cuisines and this was a great first time experience with Peruvian food. We ended up eating the whole meal tapas style and didn't even bother with the entree portion of the menu. The waitress was SUPER helpful with recommendations and everything we ordered was great!!
(5)Simeen A.
I know this place is a hot favorite in town but I went yesterday and disliked it a great deal. I don't wanna say hate, but... Went with a group of friends for brunch. Restaurant was not full but service took forever. Took 15 minutes for us to place a drink order, then some drinks took forever (one girl ordered an iced coffee- she had to flag down someone for cream and again for sugar- why don't they offer it? another friend ordered an espresso and her drink took forever, we thought they had forgotten it.). I had ordered a club soda which was fine but I finished it halfway through the meal and I was never offered a refill. The real low point for me was the food. My friend who had picked the restaurant raved about the quiche, so I ordered it along with 2 others at the table. Our food came out, and there were issues with everyone's quiche. Mine was straight up raw- the egg in the quiche was running on the plate and it was cold- clearly not cooked enough (by FAR). Gross. I pointed it out to one friend who said, "well I never send anything back. I bet it still tastes good. I'd just eat it." Um, wtf. No, sorry, and ew. (I said to her, this is raw egg- and she said, "there's no egg in quiche, I think it's just creamy." Uhhhh... quiche is basically an omelette with a crust, so yeah there is egg in quiche, and mine is straight up raw). Other two quiches were just cold- not raw and runny but not warm. Weird. So we sent all three back- server was apologetic and after a while we got our plates again. I think they just heated them up- which is ok for the cold ones, but mine was raw, so, still, kind of ew. At least it came back set up and not oozing raw egg. The quiche was served with what was described as a fried egg. I requested my egg be fried hard- I specifically asked, can you please make sure it's fried hard, I don't like runny eggs. So the egg that came out resembled a poached egg- it was round and sort of wiggly, but compared to the fried eggs with both other quiches, mine looked like it had been fried longer (was more brown). But when I broke into it it was totally raw and again oozed all over. I noticed this with my raw quiche, and then when they brought out my reheated quiche there was a fresh fried egg, and that one was raw too. When my plate was cleared, server didn't notice that I left the raw egg pushed into a corner on the plate and at that point raw eggs had been the theme of the day so what was the point. We all split the pumpkin fried dough thing for dessert. The only nice thing I'll say is that apparently the order comes with 4 pieces, but the server offered to make ours 5 so we could each try one. That's nice. Weirdly this was served with (huge) spoons. Who the f eats a donut with a spoon? Weird. Based on 3 of the 5 of us having to send food back, I would have expected SOMETHING taken off the bill. Maybe the dessert for free, if you're going to make us pay for our meals? Nope. I did not like this place at all. Maybe I went on an off day but I am in no hurry to return.
(2)Salas M.
Outstanding food, environment, and awesome friendly staff! If you are around Chicago, make it a point to get in this place. The Peruvian-Japanese flare and "chifa" delicious
(5)Natalia K.
I'm a simple girl with simple tastes so I'm not a huge fan of overpaying for small plates just because it's new and they decide to fuse a couple cuisines together. This was the case here and I would give 3.5 stars if I could, but I'm rounding up. We started with drinks. The waiter told us pisco was basically like vodka. I tried the punch and it was way too sweet. I'll stick with beer, if there is a next time. My friends and I tried the empanadas, I had the pork and beef ones, which were good, but nothing special. For our dishes, we tried the pork fried rice (this is a Peruvian Chinese fusion dish), salmon sashimi (another fusion dish which placed raw salmon in a creamy sauce), duck (well cooked and I liked it), beef tenderloin stir fry (which was essentially beef and wedge potatoes in a brown sauce), and the Peruvian rice dish (with squid and wings). I probably liked the salmon the best, though everything was good, just not amazing, for the price. My favorite part of the meal was the complementary plantain chips and sauce. Yum. I could live on those. My least favorite part was the waiter. I don't know if he had instructions from the kitchen to push certain items but he was extremely opinionated in what we should be ordering. I appreciate a helpful and enthusiastic server, but this guy just came off as condescending and pushy. Otherwise, the general flavor of the restaurant was a trendy, but pleasant one.
(4)Joann V.
So happy I found this place! The food was amazing. My group of 7 hadn't made a reservation because we wanted to eat on the rooftop. I was expecting to wait at least an hour or so but we were seated right away. At first they didn't have enough room for all of us but they were kind enough to move some things around. Our waitress was great. Staff was super friendly. I loved the octopus and quinoa the best. From the pictures I thought I'd like the pork rice way more but we finished the quinoa way faster lol. The roof isn't too big. Upstairs, they have a section with a roof covering and another without. The view isn't all that great-just the fact that we were outside eating made it a really nice atmosphere. I'm already craving the quinoa.
(4)Laura S.
My fear of fish has been overcome! I would be a happy girl if I could eat ceviche from Tanta every day of my life. Sadly I live in NYC so won't be able to do that. The drinks were amazing, the fish was ridicuously good, and the fried rice was something I still think about when I get a little hungry. If you're on the fence about eating here go ahead and do.
(5)Jeff A.
Way overrated and overpriced. And they need to tone down the selling of menu items (I've heard this from friends who had separate experiences). At times, I felt pressured to order recommended items and guilty for not ordering some. Some dishes were good, some great. But overall, the experience was way less than I anticipated and hoped for.
(2)Nicole F.
Came here for a birthday dinner and had a really good dining experience. The decor is very pretty. Lots of textured walls and colorful artwork. The service was very good. Our server was very knowledgable about all the ingredients and origins of the dishes. We tried the ceviches, corn cakes, beef heart, fish, chicken, empanadas, wagyu beef with a quail egg and everything was very tasty. Highly recommend this place.
(5)Jeffrey C.
I have admittedly little experience with Peruvian food, but there's this amazing place in Houston called Latin Bites where I very willingly pay double-digits for causitas, which are essentially glorified mashed potatoes. And it's worth it. In any case, I'm a huge proponent of Peruvian cuisine, a mish-mash of Latin, Asian, and African cuisine that makes for absolute perfection in certain dishes. As mentioned, I'm an absolute sucker for causitas. I love the tartness infusion into mashed potatoes, not to mention the sauce and toppings that accompany a bite-sized dollop of smashed, whipped tuber. Tanta's causitas tasting is, unfortunately, extremely pricey, so we settled on trying just one, the limena. I'm all about that potato, whereas Tanta piles on the toppings at the expense of mash (in this case, a tasty chicken salad). But the little bit of potato I did have was excellent. And you can't talk tartness without mentioning the national drink, the pisco sour, which--fun fact--was actually invented by an American dude. For those that haven't had the pleasure, it's like an even tarter margarita without that tequila burn. I don't imbibe mix drinks often, but I love me some pisco sour. Continuing with the tart theme, my other favorite Peruvian dishes are tiraditos and cebiches. Tiraditos tend to be creamier, with an added sauce infusion, while cebiches stay more on the limey, zesty side with more emphasis on the taste of the fish. At Tanta, we picked the nikei tiradito, ahi tuna topped with one too many sauces (passion fruit leche de tigre, honey, and chifa sauce). The sauces played too many tricks in combination; I would rather they have stuck with two and called it a day. The slightly seared ahi was awesome, though. For the cebiche, we went with the criollo, which was mahi mahi, shrimp, and squid in a simple aji amarillo. We ordered a small and after my first bite, I regretted it instantly. A cebiche tasting costs the same price as two and a third smalls, but unfortunately does not feature the criollo, our choice. Still, if you're all about that fish, it's a solid deal. I personally like staying with the appetizers when dining Peruvian. The Asian sensibility in me always feels that Peruvian main dishes are but a few degrees of separation away from Asian stir-fry. Nevertheless, we tried the arroz criollo, essentially a paella, and the seco marino. Both were cooked extremely well. The seco marino, a grilled fish, was tender and succulent, only slightly spiced that paired nicely with a mellow lima bean puree. Likewise, the arroz wasn't an overtly bold flavor, but rather a mellow spice that well complemented the seafood. Of everything we sampled, only the cebiche was on par as my Latin Bites favorite. Add in the River North prices, and I can't give the full-five star rating. But it was a thoroughly enjoyable night and dining experience.
(4)Yuri H.
This might be my new favorite restaurant. Everything we had was amazing. The food is so unique and exquisite. I HIGHLY recommend the pobre nigiri and the chaufa aeropuerto. It gets a little crowded during dinner time, but the volume level was surprisingly ok. The ambience is lovely and classy. Tip: make reservations!
(5)Taylor W.
This is one of my new favorite spots. The drinks are awesome, the food is delicious, and I love the ambience both inside and outside. I've been here twice now and have had excellent food and service both times.
(5)Stef S.
Very delicious food, but incredibly expensive. Overall, the value for money isn't there but the food alone is probably worth 4-5 stars! It was impossible to get a table, even though half the restaurant was empty. I guess they give out reservations for all tables in the restaurants, but it doesn't make sense to keep guests waiting when half the restaurant is completely empty because of "reservations"! The clasico causitas were just fancy mashed potatoes. They were served cold, which was unexpected, and at $6 a pop (the order only has two) it was incredibly expensive for a bite sized snack. I didn't enjoy the mixto ceviche-- it was too "fishy" (tasting and smelling) and flavorless ($18). The entrees are where Tanta really shined though. The lomo saltado ($32) came with peppers, onions, and rice. Very tasty. My friend's arroz tanta was also very delicious ($24). The cocktails were fantastic. Service was friendly, the ambiance was nice. I would definitely come back for the food, but be prepared to spend.
(3)Erwan C.
This restaurant is great for a weekend evening when you are looking for an ambiance, a solid wine / cocktail list and great food. I went with my girlfriend on a Friday night and it was a great choice for a date night. First time I've had fusion Peruvian / Japanese food and it was excellent - the chefs really did a great job with the 'Peruvian' sashimi and nigiris. The wine was excellent, and the service was brilliant - the waiter knew everything on the menu in detail and did a great job recommending us some fabulous dishes. Overall a great evening at a great venue !
(5)Jamie B.
I really enjoyed our experience here on the rooftop for drinks. I can't speak to the food because we didn't try any on our recent visit but all of the plates that went by looked good. Definitely want to come back and try the food!
(5)Taylor P.
The rain in chicago was actually a blessing for us with tanta. I was on the waitlist and was able to score an 8:45 reserve for three on a saturday night. Everyone from chicago said I must go here so I was happy to be able to dine here on my short weekend trip. They started us off with complimentary plaintain chips with a yummy sauce. Pisco sours, peruvian beer, and lama limas (definitely butchering the name Of this drink) were ordered. I loved the lima lama drink best, super tasty. The ceviche taster was very good, I especially liked the tuna ceviche (my sister loves the huge corn pieces they use in the sampler). The octopus was some of the best octopus I have ever had, perfectly done with an amazing sauce and placed on a potatoe stack. The steak niguiri with egg was also phenomenal, and a bite I have never thought to try before in my dining years. We also had the sample of the causitas (pureed potato stacks with various toppings) again the octopus being the standout for me. We finished the meal with the shrimp fried rice which is presented beautifully then mixed at the table. I love the ability to keep ordering small bites and having a variety of flavors. I left full but not weighed down, perfect.
(4)Allison F.
I am really, really surprised at how much I loved this place. When I saw that Tanta showcased Peruvian food, I began to wonder: "What exactly is Peruvain food?" According to our waiter, it's a gallimaufry of several cuisines, which makes sense when your limena causitas reminds you an American chicken salad, while your nikei cebiche tastes like you're eating Latin food. They do have one thing in common though: they're both flippin' fantastic. My friends and I ordered four small plates on our visit: -quinoa solterito (cold dish) -nikei cebiche (cold dish) -chalana (two of every caustia; cold dish) -criollo (warm dish) If you look at the descriptions of these items or see them presented on a miniature wooden boat (true story), you might wonder how these came to be. Don't ask questions; just take a bite and revel in the gastronomic masterpieces. I'm still trying to decipher how certain flavor combinations worked, especially with the causitas. Each one had various ethnic twists with a cold whipped potato beneath them. As much as I wondered why someone would put these combinations together, my brain was silenced with each mesmerizing bite. Each dish was fresh and delicious, and everyone at my table LOVED everything we ordered, especially the criollo (bay scallops, smoky sesame beef, huacatay cream). Had we not placed another reservation at another restaurant, we would have stayed for a full dinner. We had a phenomenal experience, and I would encourage any foodie to dine at Tanta.
(5)Elisa G.
I start by saying that I love Peruvian food so my review may be quite biased. But, this place has easily become one of my Chicago favorite... First of all they bring their complimentary plantain chips with an amazing sauce that seems like a spiced mayo. They are crispy and flavorful that you could just keep eating. I tried: - the tiraditos cremoso: really really good selection of Peruvian sashimi; - the octopus appetizer, OMG! It was so tender and crispy outside on amazing potatoes; - crab causitas, probably one of my favorite of the night; - beef heart, also good! To be honest, all the dishes had something special that would make you say, I want more! I will definitely go there again to try the rest of the menu!
(5)Brandy S.
Amazing service and amazing food. The antecuchos are amazing and the main courses were delicious.
(5)Oskar M.
Places like these make me want to add more stars to the Yelp rating system - not a sure 5, but definitely more than a 4. Started off with Pobre Nigiri Nikei - probably the best nigiri I've ever had. So many flavors attacking your mouth at the same time, in just the right way. Followed up with a Cebiches tasting, which was delicious overall but could've been a bit bolder. Ended with some pork dish that came with a perfectly creamy rice side. If they perfect the Cebiches, I'll give them a 5.
(4)Jen J.
I rolled in on a weekend night with a ceviche craving. Unfortunately the ceviche mixto did not deliver. The fish tasted fresh and was the appropriate size but there were not enough citrus/kick in the dish. It was bland bland bland and tiny for the price. I did love my drink and the friendly bartenders. But if you are looking for bold/true Peruvian flavors, you may want to look elsewhere.
(3)Jackie M.
Highly recommend making reservation if you are coming in with a large group. Great service and nice contemporary decor. We had a party of 6, therefore the waiter made sure the food was sufficient for 6. Based on the photo, I'm not sure how many piece comes in one order. This would be the place to be if you are looking for FRESH FRESH and CHUNKY ceviche!! The menu was overwhelmed with the variety of ceviche Tanta has to offer. The ceviche here reminiscent the restaurants I've had Miami, which it's almost near impossible to find a legit Peruvian restaurant in Chicago. The ceviche sampler platter was presented on a large boat and a great photo-op. It came with ahi poke, crab salad, and chicken salad? Unfortunately, i was not too fond of the crab or the chicken. It wasn't amazing. The fish ceviche - we ordered 2 fish ceviche, which was the chef's selection. It was a white fish and it was fresh, chunky, and flavorful. The scallop and Octopus nikei (nigiri) - it was amazing because the seafood was lightly seared and atop of a ball of rice. Generally speaking, it's a nigiri. It was a mouthful of flavor. Must order! The chafua (pork fried rice) - initially, it just sounds like a ghetto latino/chinese fried rice. It's served in a stone bowl, which slowly heats the rice and makes it more toasty. I really enjoy this fried rice which was not your typical asian fried rice. It was tasty and the flavor was just different. One star taken away because the meat entree and the dessert was just okay, but good. We also ordered a few meat entree (shortrib, beef) - It was good, but didnt stand out as much as the seafood entree. Dessert - We had the chocolate mousse with fried quinoa and the apple dessert (more like a apple pie) which was okay. Will come back and try the Sunday brunch!
(4)Chris T.
Came for the Pisco Sours, did not leave disappointed. I haven't had a good authentic pisco since I was in Peru, so when I came for brunch it was the first thing I ordered (afterall, booze is the most important part of brunch). As for the food: also yummy! They've added their own twist to several popular brunch dishes, such as the Chicharron Waffle - a play on chicken and waffles. Even the bacon - which I only got a bite of as my dining partner gobbled it all up - wasn't your average bacon. I had the Huevos Tanta, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The egg was cooked perfectly and when I cut into it the yolk oozed all over the plate. Loved the savoriness of the dish. My only complaint would be with the service. Our waitress was super nice but we barely saw her. Took us 15 mins to order, and our coffee took 30 mins to come out (we had finished our food when the coffee came out). They may have been understaffed that day though, so it may have been a fluke. Otherwise, Tanta is a great brunch option!
(4)Juan T.
The ambience, the service, the speed, all top notch. As far as the food, good portions and a nice mix of flavors that blended well together. I took pictures of all the dinner plates except for the Cebiche Tasting, which was my favorite, by the time I remembered to take a pic it was gone. The plantains, served as chips were delicious and the sauce it came with was dangerous, you couldn't stop eating them. The drinks were also very unique, as the food there were a good mix of flavors, my favorite, El Chingon, spicy and strong. It was a bit pricey, but really worth the visit. I would come back for sure.
(5)Alex K.
Prior to Tanta I was not even aware that Peruvian Asian fusion was even a thing but it definitely is and it's here at Tanta. My wife and I stopped by around 10pm since it's not easy to get a reservation during peak hours. Once you walk inside though you're greeted by a room that has a lot of energy. But onto the food. This menu can be a little intimidating if your waiter isn't guiding you though it. Luckily our waiter was super helpful and suggested we split one main and try out a bunch of different appetizers. Sharing is my favorite way to eat so this was prefect. I was not disappointed with anything off this menu. We got more traditional things like beef empanadas that were perfect in my opinion they got the dough just right as it was rich and flaky. There was the pulpo, where they give you nice tender segments of the octopus. My wife thought it was the best octopus she's ever had and she's had her share. They also bring out a basket of fried plantain slices. They could've just brought five courses of that to the table and I'd have been a happy guy. There were also the yuquitas. They were like little fried piles of yucca root that were amazing as well. The last app we got was the cebiche. We were debating on that because we're not really fans of raw seafood but I'm so glad we tried it. We got the signature Tanta with scallops and shrimp. Everything went together well and the seafood was really tender and buttery after marinating in the sauce is served in. The entree is where we got ahead of ourselves. We got the half chicken. You're probably thinking we already ordered a bunch of food, well we had no idea the chicken is like a meal by itself. You get fries and beans and rice and salad and four sauces not to mention a breast leg thigh and wing of a chicken. We ended up taking it home and they needed to give us two bags!. I'd recommend this place without reservations to everyone looking for a cool place to eat in the city. Not only was it good but everything we got ended up being under $80 for two without tip.
(5)Sarah G.
I was so so excited to see this location open up since I have actually eaten at the Tanta in Lima, Peru!! To hear that there was a location they opened up here in the US and so close to me in Chicago, I knew I had to check it out. So if you are ready for some fancy, trendy ambiance, and tons of space with both a huge downstairs and a separate bar/rooftop area in the fun river north area, this place is pretty much that. Really cool decor and the deck area outside is so nice I could sit there for hours. We went for brunch and I got a Tanta Bloody Mary which was pretty great since it came with some bacon in it which is exactly how all Bloody Mary's should be served. I got their classic ceviche and honestly this was one of the best ceviches I've have in the states. Tanta in Peru was known for it and now this location will be too--so fresh and the right amount of spice, it was great. I also had some of the anticuchos which are beef hearts and they were pretty great but that soft fried egg with it was such a novel approach to eggs for brunch. So a bonus there! The huevos tantas with the braised beef cheeks and more of that magical soft fried egg was also a hit and the chicharron waffle with pork belly glazed with honey was a show stopped on the table too. I wish I hadn't shared an order of empanadas also because the bite I got really was so great, that I need to go back just for empanadas and ceviche. So great brunch addition to my circuit and I will be back to try more cocktails, sit on that patio, and hopefully go to empanada and ceviche heaven!
(4)Marisa A.
3.5. Yum yum. I like Tanta overall. Flavors are bright and strong, trendy River North vibe, pretty rooftop in the summer. This is a good spot to get dinner before heading out because the bar areas are mingle-y and they have easily sippable cocktails. But they miss the mark on some dishes and service is questionable. Best: -cremoso tiraditos: fresh but creamy, so flavorful -pobre niguiri nakei: steak and quail egg bite, decadent -lomo saltado: meat and potatoes! Worst: -pescado frito. I was picturing this as a whole fried fish that you pick at for the flesh, savory and crunchy. It's actually a fish that has been hollowed out and filled with fried morsels tossed in a super sweet orange sauce, making it gummy. This is so bad it's offensive. I've been twice and the service the second time was pretty awful. We had been seated for 30 minutes before we got drinks, had to flag down other staff to find our waiter, forgotten order, etc.
(4)Kelsey K.
The food was fine, but nothing absolutely outstanding. We tried a little bit of everything. The ceviche was ok but I've had better... My husband really liked the spare ribs, but I sort of felt like food was being thrown at us at an extremely fast pace. Small plate type meals are best when things come out a few bites at a time. At one point, when someone was clearing our table, fish juice was thrown off the plate at me, and it went all over the table on my side, the floor and all over my silverware. This wasn't acknowledged or cleaned up and our server was so absent that I couldn't even ask for it to be dealt with. The whole meal, which cost a lot, was over in 40 minutes.... so much for a romantic outing. There are so many wonderful restaurants in Chicago with good atmospheres, great food, and attentive servers. This was not one of them.
(2)Ben R.
Neighborhood gem ! This place was so good. Service was amazing. And the food is a game changer ! We had the octopus anticucho (charred) and it was so good. Try any of the ceviches. Surprisingly the quinoa salad was one of the best things we ate all night. Can't leave a Peruvian place without some meat. We had an amazing steak and potatoes dish. I would come back here in a second !
(5)Sammy S.
Went here with some coworker friends and just got a drink. It's expensive but the view on the rooftop was gorgeous and the overall ambience is classy, modern, and I'd have to say--sexy.
(5)Shan D.
Very deserving of the hype. Even though we had reservations, my out of town friend and I sat at the bar. We asked the bartender to make a few recommendations. A few turned into a 9 course meal! We probably enjoyed 7 of them, which in my opinion is pretty good. Our favorites: 1) the crispy fried fish - served with bok choy and rice. This was light with a great kick to it. This is a must order! 2) clasico cebiche - one of the best ceviche type dishes I've ever had 3) cremosa tiradito - scallops cut sashimi style in a light cream sauce. I could eat this every day 4) the tapioca dessert - would have never ordered this but for the bartender's recommendation. This had so many flavors and textures and was a great way to end our meal. 5) Pisco sour cocktail - I know this is their specialty cocktail, but it really is a great drink. After our meal, the head chef came over and asked about our meal. That was a nice touch. I'll definitely be back.
(5)Maria I.
I went to Tanta again after maybe 1 year (I have been in this restaurant about 4 times before) expecting good gourmet Peruvian food but left eating just any type of food with maybe a couple of ingredients that are well known in Peru. It wasn't bad But definitively wasn't impress in compare with other previous visits to Tanta. We ordered plancha marina and a lo pobre... Not great at all. It was MMM whatever I hope the menu option brings back the delicious carapulcra ... Or something that is more appealing ... Definitively feeling sad that the food and experience wasn't so great. I used to recommend this place... In terms of service: it has also gone down even though yesterday the restaurant was almost empty (heavy rain). They didn't treat us bad don't get me wrong but the service was just like whatever. I could get way much better food and service somewhere else for same price or less.
(2)Nadine L.
Whether you visit for brunch, weekend dinner out or cocktails and sushi after work, you can't go wrong with Tanta! The food and drinks are consistently delicious. Ceviche, paella and empanadas will not disappoint. If can make it to their rooftop before the end of the season I highly recommend.
(5)Tamir G.
Great tasty food. Ok size portions. Good ambiance. Good cocktail and beers selection. Over all nice flavors of Latin America in chicago.
(4)Esteban L.
I went here the weekend of the 4th of July. It was a good time with a bunch of people I haven't seen in a long time. The company was good and so was the service. We ordered a round of drinks and they were pretty good. Wine is wine so no need to comment on how that taste. The people I was with wanted to order all the ceviches on the menu and we also shared a quarter chicken. Who shares a quarter chicken? No on I know. I left that place hungry as I don't know what. I think my experience would have been better had I not let the girl I was with place the order. I'm not sure if I'll go back with a large group of people, but I will return so I can taste more of the food.
(4)Yanja B.
A few girlfriends and I stumbled on this little treasure after searching for a rooftop for drinks after work. The rooftop was very nice, not the best view but it was an intimate setting with plenty of standing room if tables are taken. We ordered pisco punch, great tasting and it came in such cute cups! We also munched on empanadas - agh the crust was so flaky and light and the meat was perfectly seasoned! The tropical ceviche was also very perfect! From what I can tell there are no full menu items just appetizers and drinks, keep this in mind.
(4)Stephanie H.
I went here for brunch a few weeks back with a Gilt City voucher. My friend and I each ordered an entree and a side, and we split everything. The huevos tanta and pollo a la brasa were both tasty and with very interesting flavors. The bacon was really thick and tasty as well. Service was good, and I'd be interested to come back to try their dinner menu.
(4)Karen S.
Compared to the other two dinners I had in Chicago, Tanta was just ok. I liked the Peruvian-Japanese dishes, but they were quite expensive for the price. The tuna tiradito (kind of a cross between sashimi and ceviche) was $16 for maybe 8 thin slices, but it had a lovely bright flavor. I'm not actually that big on raw fish, but I could have eaten a lot of this! The skirt steak niguiri ($9) had two small, seared pieces of steak over sushi rice. Again, yummy, but so tiny. I was actually kind of worried at this point about how we were going to get full! Thank goodness for the complimentary plaintain chips. We also tried the crab meat causita ($10), which my sister called basically a fancy potato salad. There were two little piles of yellow, pretty bland mashed potatoes and a little pile of crab on top. Then came a massive dish of our half-chicken pollo a la brasa ($23)-- thank goodness there was so much food that came with it, because we were still really hungry after the first few dishes. You get a pile of potato wedges, rice, mashed beans and a pile of vegetables. However, none of it was that great, considering we were at a pricey restaurant. Could I have eaten the potato wedges all day? Yes. Could I have gotten them at KFC? Probably. The chicken was moist and the sauces were flavorful, but the beans were completely bland and the vegetables seemed completely unseasoned. Our waitress was really friendly and service was very prompt, which was a plus.
(3)Kino A.
A really chic hangout spot and apparently the Peruvian hot spot in Chicago. The dine-in is reservations only and we were at the bar for a couple of hours catching up and talking. The drink to get here is the PISCO SOUR and yes it is definitely sour and tastes good. Although they don't shelf Jack Daniels which was a bummer. The ambience is chatty but it wasn't too loud that you couldn't hold a convo. Just as an FYI, that night the women there were beautiful. The food is very tasty! The chef even came out to greet and talk to us. He cooked his recommendation for us, the empanadas and causa (really tasty potato dish). They were both damn good. For my entreé I ordered the Lomo Saltado. The potatoes were cooked perfectly crispy on the outside and the sauce was an amazing meaty beef flavor. The beef was also cooked to a medium, I can still see pink meat in this saucy dish. It is definitely a restaurant to stop by if you want Peruvian food. Delicioso!
(4)Carrie H.
Our server Esteban helped us decipher the menu. 4 adults shared 3 entrees and 3 small plates. House "margarita" was great! The menu was a little overwhelming. Go with what your server suggests - it was all very tasty.
(5)Daniel S.
Went with some of my buddies and we shared more than we typically would as each item was good and we wanted to try the solid tastes. Very enjoyable meal and creative dishes.
(4)Heather T.
This place is wonderful! Came here last night from out of town. We had an 8:45 reservation and arrived a bit early but were promptly seated. The restaurant was actually quite full. Not too loud but not a super romantic environment. The menu is a bit hard to understand so I just asked our server to explain (her name was Becky or something, sorry can't remember!). She explained what the main categories were and gave us suggestions on her faves. We settled on the nikei causitas and the corazon for apps. The causita was room temp whipped potatoes with aji pepper, raw chopped ahi tuna, some tasty sauce and avocado. The corazon, also known as beef heart, was the highlight of the meal. It was served on skewers with peruvian corn, potatoes and a sauce that would warrant a plate lick. The beef heart was cubed and perfectly cooked. Juicy, flavorful and slightly crisp, it had a bite as a very lean steak would. Forgot to mention.. We ordered a bottle of 2008 Ramon Bilbao Rioja Crianza. It was the perfect pairing to both of the apps. For entrees we got the pork belly and the duck. The pork belly was braised and glazed in an aji bbq sauce, served with sweet potato puree and a tart apple/celery salad. They literally melted in my mouth. The duck leg confit was a special of the night. It was also glazed and then served with a tamale, some red onion and beets. The meat fell off the bone and was so incredibly delicious. For dessert we once again took the server's recommendations and got some type of shortbread cookie with a hot chocolate sauce, kombucha ice cream and fresh raspberry. YUM! We also had this type of key lime pie, was more of a parfait. Perfect balance of acid and sweetness. Finished it off with some espressos. I would definitely recommend!
(5)Adriana O.
Love love love!! From the piscos, the banana chips, and each and everyone of the main courses I tried! Both the first floor (indoor) and the terrace have great atmosphere. They are busy all the time so it's not easy to get an open reservation, but if you have the chance, it will be totally worth your while!
(5)Sany N.
Yum yum yum!! Delicious food and cool experience. I love the mural! My protein of choice is chicken and they had this huge chicken entree -- By far my favorite of all the items we ordered. It is ginormous and flavorful. I loved all the dipping sauce options. Also the empanadas were delicious! The ceviche sampler is really pricey and I don't think its worth it. The spacing and seating is very close and cozy. I could hear pretty much both sides conversations. Make reservations in advance! they are quite popular. I made reservations about a week before, although there were available dates, the time was limited.
(4)Jodi D.
Overpriced and small portions but it's worth it. The drinks are unique and so good! One of them tastes like a Mexican candy!
(4)Lauren S.
I went here this afternoon with my mom because I had bought a Gilt coupon a few weeks ago that I wanted to use. The space was medium-sized, and most definitely accommodates large groups. They have large booths or long tables for groups to choose from. We got there at 11:15 AM (made our reservations online), but soon realized that a reservation wasn't even necessary -- we were one of only a few tables at the time! The place started to get fuller closer to noon. Once we sat down I promptly told our waitress about the Gilt deal, to which she was very helpful! Super, super nice staff. We ordered our entrees (the Huevos Tanta and the Chicharron Waffle), two sides (a rice pilaf type of deal and glazed bacon), coffee, 2 pisco sours, and 2 steak empanadas. My mom and I split our entrees, and although at first I wanted the huevos tanta, I'm so glad that I chose the chicharron waffle--it was out of this world!! The waffle is broken up into threes, topped with glazed pork belly and a berry compote. Each bite was so flavorful I thought I had reached the gates of heaven and came back. The huevos tanta was also pretty good--however, if you were craving a traditional eggs dish, this may not be the plate for you. The egg is deep fried, and once you open up the little browned encasing it's in, yolk runs slowly onto the potatoes with the parsley mix. While this was so adventurous, I have to say the pork cheek was maybe the best piece of meat on the table! It was so tender we could cut it with a fork! I didn't try the rice, but the bacon was the bomb! I even paired it with my waffle and berry compote and it was absolutely delicious. The pisco sour was also such a great choice--not too tart and not too strong--and so was the coffee! The steak empanadas my mom took home because we were so full from stuffing our faces with so much food--but they looked good and were not too small! Overall, I highly recommend for a non-traditional brunch. Each dish looked incredible, I will definitely be back to try some more!
(5)Sally Y.
Let me start with saying Tanta really does have great food. However, for the price you pay and the three bite plates you get for $10+ just doesn't seem worthwhile. They menu is extensive and slightly overwhelming if you're a first time diner or not familiar with the menu. This also makes the ordering process a little difficult which makes it seem more disappointing that when the food finally comes out, you get small portions for the careful decisions you made 20 minutes ago. Tanta would be a good place to go for light bites and drinks, but I definitely went and ate a 2nd dinner after my night there. Outside of that, it's a really fun place to go, right in the heart of Chicago which is great, and overall a fun and bustling environment.
(3)Andy S.
Went for restaurant week and found this place to be a lot of fun. From the get go lots of good flavors with the fried plantains and spicy mayo like sauce. We tried the mahi mahi ceviche which was very flavorful. If I have a criticism of this place it is that some of the portion sizes are not very big. The ceviche isn't a lot. Shared amounts two people it made for a few bites each. Next we got adventurous and had the beef heart appetizer. It was quite delicious and our waiter was proud of us for getting it. The main dish we shared was the planchita tanta. Delicious! The last was the shortbread cookie dessert. Again, delicious. Overall would definitely recommend.
(4)Angie K.
Tanta had tanto (a lot of) potential. I planned a birthday dinner with 90% Hispanic ladies of varying ages and couldn't mess it up. I figured Peruvian would be the safe bet and a trendy place with a new rooftop would impress my friends so much they'd want my autograph. The opposite happened. We were seated and introduced by one server who took drink orders and kept forgetting what we wanted. Only 3 of 6 of us ordered drinks, btw. After drinks, a totally different dude becomes our waiter. Is this freaky Friday? Did this young dude turn into this older dude magically? Whatever man. Feed us. Took about 20 min and we shared the ceviche tasting which was standard. Nothing mind blowing. We also got the street food feast and I'm told I can't substitute the skewer for octopus but I can for beef. My friends want meat so they get that. They ended up liking the empanadas most, which I couldn't sub for the veggie option. I just had a few bites of cold-ass potatoes. We order jalea, aeropuerto thing, saco de Cuerdo and chicharron. Takes a solid 30 min for food to come our way. I hear the chicharron is mega fatty and the aeropuerto mega greasy. It is the biggest portion of food which is why it may be so popular. The jalea was pretty good (like Hispanic fish and chips) and one of the few things earning this place 3 stars. The others were its cute decor and rooftop. That's it. I secretly brought a cake earlier to the resto and was trying to get the waiter's attention to bring it out. It took another 15 min to call him and 15 min for them to bring it out. They messed up the surprise by placing dessert plates on the cleared table, before the cake came out. FAIL. It took 15 min to get a box and then another 15 to get the check. About another 30 min passed for us to get our receipts and were free to leave. He comped the 3 coffees that were ordered with said cake, even though the espressos were 1/2 the size of a reg espresso. Get it together! A total of 3 freaking hours for a meal! 3 hours! I could've watched The Titanic and still had time left over to daydream about Leo Dicaprio before my bill was ready. The place is cute, trendy and white people are intrigued by Hispanic food other than tacos. I get it. But with all this $ Tanta is generating, it should def hire double the servers and staff. Tanta literally has too much going on for their focus to be on the customer.
(3)Yoly P.
The service was great, the servers were very attentive and super friendly. We ordered: Criollo Ceviche Causitas Nikei Anticucho pulpo Pescado Frito Arroz Criollo Everything I tasted was great. But my favorite were the Causita Nikei and Anticucho Pulpo. I would recommend eating the criollo ceviche before the Causitas Nikei since it has a stronger flavor. I also loved their Pisco Sour and their el chingon cocktail, which had a kick to it. I enjoyed the plantain chips they served, it added something something to our dinner. :) We had the mousse de chocolate fortunato for dessert. I'm not a fan of mousse but I thought it was decent considering the crispy quinoa added some yummy crunchiness to it.
(4)Ben W.
An almost empty rooftop on a Friday night? Crazy! Came for catch up drinks when Rock Bottom was too full. We headed right up and were able to find a table immediately and ordered our drinks. My Pisco Pepe was tasty and a perfect summer refreshment, although it wasn't extraordinary. The main highlight was the pisco, a Latin American liquor that's a nice change from vodka and gin. The coolest drink was by far El Chingon, which came with a giant red spherical ice cube. Colored with rocoto chile, as it melted, the ice gave the drink a bigger kick. All-in-all, it was a fun spot with plentiful outdoor seating and decent drinks. The food looked amazing, but we already had dinner plans; otherwise we would've ordered a few plates to share.
(4)Maria R.
What's not to like about Tanta? Service was great from the moment we stepped in. John, our server, explained the items on the menu thoroughly. Te busboys were quick to clear our table and give us fresh china whenever new entrees were brought in. The manager also stopped by our table to check in on us and tell us about their dessert selections as well as their rooftop. As for the food, we were given plantain chips with a flavorful dip when we sat down. We ordered the St Germain cocktail as well as a watermelon cocktail. Both very good. We started off with the Tanta ceviche. Mmmm. Very refreshing and flavorful. We also had the octopus item from the skewers section (although the food was not on skewers but it was grilled like the rest of the skewer items in the menu). We had the cornbread on the side which was amazing. We also ordered the Peruvian fried rice which the server mixed for us at our table. It is a must try for anyone new to the restaurant. We ordered the pork belly entree which was cooked to perfection. And we capped off the evening with the shortbread cookie dessert which tasted unique and was not too heavy. What a great experience. We will definitely come back.
(4)Jose V.
I've been a couple of times already and most recently, had the pleasure to come for brunch. My friend and I shared two entrees the Chicharron Waffle (pork belly and waffles) and the Quiche Pastel de Acelga (swiss chard quiche), both of them were simply heavenly. The service was excellent from start to finish, didn't feel rushed even though it was crowded, and entrees came out quickly. For the price, the mimosa pour could have been more generous. Great experience overall. One quick to thing to mention, be sure to make reservations or be ready to wait.
(4)J M.
Amazing food. Amazing staff. Love the roof deck. You must try one of their amazing drinks - I love the dragon dorado - you must have causitas and the verdura nikei. I am ready to buy a plane ticket to come back just for dinner and to try something new - I spent much of my time there leaning over to other tables and asking them what they ordered. It all looks so AMAZING!
(5)Noah D.
This place is the tits. Amazing food, amazing drinks. Try to get the table nearest the kitchen for the best service and time.
(5)Stephanie S.
New favorite brunch spot alert! As hubs said, "This reminded me of (name of our previous favorite brunch place) before it changed" (aka "before we stopped going there"). Interesting flavor combinations, good portions, fair price and attentive service. We made reservations for a Sunday and went with friends. But even when we left, it wasn't super busy. I had the pollo a la brasa, which included baked chicken, fried rice and a flat omelet-type thing, covered in a spicy sauce. Delicious! We shared some tasty donut-like pastries for dessert that I could've finished myself. We're looking forward to going for dinner!
(4)Mark S.
We went on a Tuesday night and the atmosphere was very lively and energetic. The food was pretty good, as it was unique and interesting cuisine. The octopus was well prepared. The drinks were great! We will go back in the summer as a good location in the neighborhood for drinks.
(5)C C.
I love Peruvian food! Been here 4 times, always a good time.This place is perfect for a fun night out on a date or w a group. Tommy the manager is amazing and super hospitable. Def check out the cocktails, ceviches, nigiri and lomo saltdado! So glad this place opened and is a new hotspot! Looking forward to checking out brunch soon.
(5)Kim B.
Returned after a great brunch experience. The dinner was even better. Lots of fun choices! We loved the six dishes we tried. The service was much better this time too.
(5)Heather S.
The food: a lot of potential here. The flavors are all there. But my husband and I tried several dishes for brunch, and everything was so rich it was difficult to take more than a few bites. The food would have been fantastic if the kitchen had a lighter hand with the sauces. There was a sort of orange aioli-type sauce that our appetizer dish (Causa Cocktail) was basically floating in. After scraping much of this off, the dish was inventive and tasty. I had the Huevos Tanta--beautifully cooked, tender beef cheeks and perfectly executed poached eggs. All topped, unfortunately, with both a parsley sauce (a bit like a parsley pesto) AND gravy. Once I cut into the (again, perfectly cooked) eggs, the combination of yolk, gravy, and sauce was overpowering. My husband had the Plato Anticuchero. After finishing his meal, at least 1.5 tbsp of oil remained in the bottom of his plate. The experience: things don't seem to run smoothly, but I get the sense that they care when things go wrong. First, the hostess was unable to find my reservation. They were very accommodating about seating us "without" a reservation, but I was worried about a no-show on my Open Table account. I pulled up my account to give them my reservation confirmation number, and the manager came by our table to ensure that the problem was resolved. The first words out of our server's mouth, following the standard greeting, was "You're not using a Gilt City, are you?" Look, I'm sensitive to the many reasons a server may hate waiting a table with a voucher, I'm sure there are many terrible tippers out there, but that's a poor start to the meal whether we have a voucher or not. (We didn't, for what it's worth.) She did seem exhausted and admitted this was only her second time on the brunch service. Bring me a libation and forgiveness abounds! Other small things continued to happen--filthy menu, my husband was served a bloody mary with no straw (hello, face full of toppings with each sip!). Finally, our server came by seemingly distressed that our meals had not arrived. We were fine, having a great time, but it did cause us to look around and note that orders for every table had been pushed out ahead of ours, even for tables that arrived after we ordered. Again, it's not like we were at risk for starving to death, and our server seemed genuinely more upset that us at the wait. Overall, what Tanta lacks is polishing. They've been around long enough that I expected a smoother experience. Meaning--I don't get the sense that these are the growing pains of a new arrival to our culinary scene. But everything we saw has the makings of a 4 or 5 star review with a little more attention to detail.
(3)Vivian R.
Great experience! Even greater food! Went here for a company dinner, we sat at the chef's table and course by course, each dish delivered an abundance of flavor and satisfaction! Staff was very attentive and knowledgeable! If I had one gripe, it would be that our reservation was for 830pm and we weren't sat until about 9, someone would just need to be able to communicate with each party to inform of a party waiting or that the time is a little later than expected, we shouldn't have to inquire about the holdup! Other than that, I would DEFINITELY recommend Tanta! The drink 'El Chingon' was my favorite! Try it, you'll like it!
(5)Josie F.
Incredible food. This pace is a awesome. I had six items. I stopped ordering out of shear fear of judgment. Go hungry. I sat alone at the bar. G the bartender was super helpful. You need to order ceviche and the octopus. Peruvian heaven.
(5)Cindy W.
"This place will take you for all that you have." -- My friend who dined with me Yup sounds about right. A very expensive meal for sure ($110) but the flavors were out of this world. We split a ceviche sampler, the beef cheeks, and the octopus pulpo. We also ordered the pisco sour. I loved the ahi tuna ceviche with the japanese flavoring. The proportions of savoriness of the soy sauce and sesame oil balanced well with the acidity of the lime juice. The other two weren't that memorable to be honest. The beef cheeks were SO tender and amazing. I loved the adobo sauce that they poured over it. I also loved scraping the pepian and thinly sliced radishes and eating it with the beef cheeks. So savory with just the right amount of crunch! This dish will fill you up. The octopus pulpo was BEAUTIFUL. A work of art on the plate. The octopus was so tender and the potato base had an immense amount of savory flavor. I loved it. It was $17 though so that was quite pricey ... :( Lastly, the pisco sour was disappointing. I imagined something that I would really enjoy since it was highly regarded but it tasted like any other mixed drink. The egg whites weren't even that spectacular because it was just a foam on the drink. Nonetheless, I think this was a 5 star meal. 5 stars in my book is a "would go again" place. I loved the evening. and bonus for Tanta for the free plantain chips!
(5)Katey A.
The food experience is wonderful! Everything that we had was cooked perfectly and filled with amazing flavors. The octopus skewers are a MUST HAVE! We enjoyed the Niche ceviche with it's yummy citrus broth and shared the steak entree. The steak was so tender that it almost melted in your mouth. AND THE POTATOES! I had no idea how important potatoes were to Peruvian culture so I was in for quite a treat! I ordered a cocktail that was used jalapeno tequila in a large, orange frozen ice cube. As the ice cube thawed my drink was get spicier. VERY CREATIVE AND DELICIOUS! Something that you should know when going to Tanta, the price point is fairly high and the servers have unique expectations for how much you should order. Or server presented the menu to us saying that typically people order 3 tapas plates and then an entree per person. My sister and I shared everything listed above and were very happy with our meal. Had we listened to the server we would have been overwhelmed with the amount of food and the bill!
(4)Danny W.
If you can fight the urge to sing the Fanta jingle for the entire time you eat here then you've got way more will power than I do. Tanta's unique blend of South American flavors is about as addicting as those cheesy soda commercials. The cebiche alone is worth a stop in. It's a little different then Mexican style, but ridiculously good and has several levels of acidic intensity depending on where your palate is at. I'd recommended the trio to test your taste buds and decide what you like the best. Entree wise is tough to choose cause there's lots of great options. Whatever you decide though be aware that the portions are pretty hefty so if you're dining alone plan a stop at home to drop off leftovers. You'd hate to throw away anything as delicious as this place if you can have it for lunch the next day. Overall Tanta was totally unique and an all around excellent experience. A little pricey and always packed (reservations recommended), but definitely worth shelling out some extra cash for something different.
(4)Keith B.
The fla its are amazing. Everything was delicious. It's definitely pricey but worth it. Loved the grilled octopus.
(5)Jessica N.
It's been way too long since I've been back here. When I came back here a week ago I remembered how much I liked this place and I think fell in love even more. What changed since last time: Without the group dinner menu I got to try more of the sashimi/nigiri inspired dishes which are absolutely perfection. So unique and inventive. It's one of the truly unique restaurants in Chicago with really exciting flavor, texture combinations. Also our server was wonderful - totally on point with all his recommendations What we had: Chalaco - everyone should eat raw scallops. they are amazing and the texture combo was awesome Chifa - great flavor combos. fish of the day was fluke. delicious combo Pobre - never would've chosen this w/o server reco (would've gone w/ a fish one). This is a MUST TRY on this menu!! The thin steak w/ egg was PERFECT. Pulpo - A fav from my last trip. You rarely get octopus this good. Yum Chaufa - You've read all the reviews about this so I don't need to say anything else. Awesome. Estofado - As good as any lamb shank i've had. Nothing overly stand-out here but very solid dish Seasonal Veg - I LOVED this! It was a mix of cauliflower and eggplant done in a way you normally only get at Chinese restaurants. So good with the chaufa :) DESSERT - this deserves it's own line. I remember the dessert being good but don't know how I didn't write about it. The server reco'd the la tapioca de coco. I normally ALWAYS get chocolate, but this sounded familiar and HOLY SHIT. This is how ALL desserts should be! Perfect balance of sweet with slightly tart, amazing texture blend. Seriously one of the best desserts I've ever had (which is saying a lot considering it's not chocolate!!) I need to come back here way more often!! Highly recommend it
(5)Ryan D.
I haven't Yelped in years, but my visit last night is worth a shout out. I went to celebrate my birthday and the food itself is worth writing home about. But what really made this visit special was the service. Becky was patient and attentive, made us feel like we were the only table in the place. She did a great job explaining the menu, dishes she personally like and answering any questions. The couple of extra dishes were a great touch, as well! Wonderful hospitality that matches the wonderful food. Great job, and thank you!
(5)Rebecca N.
Absolutely amazing! Expensive but well worth it because the flavors are original and outstanding. The fried rice was out of this world. Loved the orange fish, tuna causita and steak causita
(5)Anna P.
I was lucky enough to bein Peru a month ago (and lucky enough to go to gastons Lima restaurant) , when my family suggested Tanta to celebrate my birthday I was completely on board. I could have not been more pleased. The pisco sours brought us back to Peru, the ceviche (off menu you special) was better than in Peru. The whipped potato bites (sorry don't remember what they are caked) were such a spectacular surprise. Our main dishes of loma saltaldo, aka beef stir fry, and another seafood special were spectacular. While a bit more expensive than I would usually frequent, it is worth every penny. I will definitlely be back.
(5)Aliya F.
Absolutely delicious. I had the ceviche and it was incredibly good. Husband had the pork belly. Must go
(5)Genevieve L.
Don't listen to Anthony Bourdain circa 2011...MAKE A RESERVATION! Tanta is tiny. We didn't get the chance to go on the rooftop but the main dining area we ate in probably had a 70-80 person capacity. There were only 2 of us so we figured we could find a seat at the bar since there was a 2 hour wait without reservations. While we waited a half hour until we found seats, we ordered a couple drinks. I have to give a shout out to the bartenders here! The drinks they serve are not your average liquor and mixer. If you were to make these drinks at home, it would probably take about 10 minutes but they serve it up for you in 60 seconds or less. The drinks have exotic flavors. Some are stronger and manly like the pisco sour but others are more fruity so choose wisely according to your palate. Once we snagged some seats at the bar, we ordered a bit of everything: mixto ceviche, the "sashimi" and the shrimp crusted fish-I can't remember the proper name of this one but it's on the right side of the menu and it's served with fried rice. All were different yet delicious, refreshing, and not at all heavy.
(5)Leona G.
Fantastic empanadas, drinks, and basically everything we ordered! Wil I'll definitely return!
(5)Keith C.
Great Peruvian restaurant in River North. Tanta serves a number of classic Peruvian dishes with a little twist to liven up the plate. I've eaten at numerous Peruvian restaurants in South America and Tanta nails it. The restaurant is always packed so make sure to reserve a table ahead of time. The menu has a good selection of ceviche and the fish is really fresh. The sauces that they combine with the ceviche are light and won't bog you down. The nigiris are also very tasty. My favorite is the scallop nigiri. The empanadas are definitely a little heavier but are delicious. The beef empanada is a bit spicy fyi. I usually get the pork fried rice with shrimp for the main course which is cooked and served in a clay pot and comes with an egg on top. The waiter then breaks the egg up and mixes everything in front of you. If I can finish this main course, then I am then way too full to even consider dessert which has happened every time I've been here. Maybe one day I won't stuff my face with the appetizers and main course and actually try their desserts.
(4)Laura C.
Peruvian cuisine is sneaking up onto the culinary scene, and it's very welcomed. With bright, well balanced flavors in both food and drink, Tanta is tastebud playground. Starting off with el chingon, a spicy tequila based cocktail with an ever so trendy ice sphere and la guapa, a delicate gin drink garnished with a spring of lavender set the tone for a solid meal ahead. The menu is divided into several sections, similar to tapas style dining in addition to "Chefs Having Fun" which are more substantial entrees. With a Japanese influence, many of the dishes incorporate an Asian note. The sashimi is so fresh and nikei tiradito (ahi tuna/passion fruit/honey/chifa sauce) was by far the best dish with just the right amount of sweetness. Also notable was the criollo niguiri with scallops and beef (a mini surf and turf). The clasica causita was worth trying just for the whipped potato bed on which it was served. Atmosphere is bright and lively, just like the menu. There's also a rooftop bar, perfect for enjoying the last of the summer nights.
(5)Michael B.
I went there about a month ago so the fact that I have not been inspired to write about it, though I thought about it during that time, is what is driving the three star rating. Nothing wrong with the place, maybe it just didn't live up to the hype or I went in with expectations that were too high based on their reputation. We went with a party of 6 so got to try much of the menu, which we shared. The people working there were wonderful. I believe our server was Ralph, who was fabulous. Nice trendy newly opened rooftop deck, good drinks, excellent ceviche. Otherwise, the food was interesting, tasty but not as memorable as I was expecting it to be. i was disappointed with the Peruvian chicken, finding it bland and lacking the juicy succulent spice flavors I've enjoyed at local mom and pop Peruvian joints in Chicago, NY, Miami and elsewhere. Solid place, great people and service, interesting menu and good solid food with some exceptions. Not sure if going on a Sunday night made a difference vs a Friday or Sat, but it shouldn't.
(3)Gina S.
They have a nice bar to sit and drink or booths and tables to dine at. I went for a lady date. Me and my girlfriend started with the Street Food Feast. It was two of everything, which is perfect for sharing, if you share nicely. Everything was insanely good. After our street feast fest we continued in the spirit of sharing and split a meal. We went with the lamb which was SO tender and flavorful. Absolutely amazing! We drank two, as in "also" and more than one. Both of my drinks were very well made and strong. Highly recommend the Pisco Sour or anything with Pisco in it really...which happens to be in more than half of the drinks on the menu. Easily spend over $100 for dinner here.
(5)Tada Y.
Tanta is a great way to escape the drugery of the typical routine of italian, asian, mexican, and steak restaurants you find in the city... but Tanta does so in an approachable way. For the popularity of the restaurant, I'd say the dining room is rather small, so be sure to try to get a reservation. I've been here in larger groups and with just a few friends and we've always had a great time. I'd recommend trying to go in a larger group so you can try a few more entrees and the like. Navigating the menu can be a bit difficult, but it allows some flexibility as you can order to your heart's content and makes this a good place to share a few bites with friends. I recommend the Cebiches, namely the nikei. It's a classic, but there's a reason for it... it's absolutely delicious. If you're not into raw fish, the braised short rib was also something I enjoyed. If you're coming in a mixed group of tastes (some people being a bit scared of raw fish) I'd be sure to order the peruvian rice. While it isn't significantly different than fried rice you might get elsewhere, it has some great additions and is something I think almost anyone can enjoy. Don't go without trying the signature pisco sour! While I've had several of the cocktails here, the pisco sour is by far my favorite. It is bright without too much of an edge. If you want something a bit more boozy, the el macho was also quite delicious. Bottom line, Tanta is a great choice to try something new. It can get a bit pricey as you order lots for the table, so make sure your group is on the same page, but I'm glad they decided to locate in Chicago to give us some upscale variety.
(4)Adam K.
You need to accept the fact you will be dining in the heart of River North, at a trendy spot, in order to truly enjoy Tanta. Everything that River North is, Tanta is. It's trendy. It's a bit pretentious, but not too much. In many respects, Tanta is like Carnivale. Both have loud music, bright colors, authentic cuisine and great drinks. Tanta is smaller, but just as fun and full of energy. The food portions were large and designed to be shared. It's very culturally on point. The flavors were potent, but not overpowering. That's a tough balance to strike with Latin cooking. If you're looking for something different, authentic and fun, this is such a nice alternative to the traditional River North fare. That said, I'd also encourage you to check out Havana. It's only a few blocks away and equally as tasty.
(4)Georgia W.
I wish there was a Tanta in Seattle! What a terrific menu! And the drinks are a 10 out of 10! And yes- the reviews are right. The Pisco Sours are mouth watering!! 2 of us in the group have been to Peru, so we were searching for creative authentic cuisine and that is what you will find here. Here's my faves: Nikei Causita (ahi tuna) Pulpero Tiraditos ( octopus) Nikei Tiraditos (more tuna) ANY cebiches and yes...the deep fried los picarones for dessert. ( if you like doughnuts you will like it) Not a cheap night out, but if you like expertly plated food and great tastes, you will have fun here.
(5)Heather M.
This is hands down my favorite restaurant in Chicago. Everything I've had here has been delectable, and the ambience and service are fantastic. My bf is Peruvian, so we have visited all the familiar joints, but the anticuchos de corazon (beef hearts) here are heads and shoulders above most places - except Taste of Peru. Tanta's are still better than theirs, just not head and shoulders. My favorite thing to order is the whole fish. The menu changes every so often, but it's always a fried fish in some sort of tangy sauce. On my last visit, it was basically general tsao's fish. Yes, please. My second favorite thing to order is the shrimp chaufa. Again, menu changes, but they make a mean fried rice at this place. Peru has an insane amount of Chinese restaurants (called chifas), and the food is deeply embedded into Peruvian tradition. This is one shining example. Ceviches are great - they all got the thumbs up from my bf's Peruvian dad. The street food feast is always fun. We normally sub the chicken for beef, but we forgot last time and I highly recommend forgetting it every time. The chicken skewers were amazing. We got the beef on the side. Cocktails are also fantastic - I like the Pisco Sours and the spicy on with the mezcal. The only thing I recommend skipping is the pollo platter. We got it twice and it's fine, but there are much better pio pio chickens out there for super cheap. If you're going to Tanta, go all out and try some of the more creative dishes. Lastly, the rooftop is gorgeous. Haven't eaten up there yet, but I think they do a small bites menu. Can't wait to check it out!
(5)Romana Y.
One of my favorite new spots for simply-good food, mixed drinks, service, and ambiance. Drinks: Pisco Sour's, and Intelligenstia coffee. Dinner: Plantain chips served with our... Creamy bay scallops, cancha: hearty and delicious. Pulpo: Incredibly delicious! Chef's selection fish w/ avocado, sweet potatoes- very good (although the sweet potatoes possessed subtle taste). Pollo a la Brasa: we got the whole chicken, with rustic potatoes, white rice, beans, and a mixed, raw salad, served alongside 3 different dipping sauces (pesto-type; mustard-type; and semi-spicy chicken sauce). The sleek decor, the perfect lighting, the diverse table options, and the variety of tasteful patrons (younger/older couples, families, and posh young groups), allow this chic spot to drop any sense of pretentiousness. The seating is comfortable: bar seats are my favorite; high-tops across the bar; and square tables set throughout. This is a gem worth becoming a regular at!
(5)Sofia J.
Presentation was the best part of the meal. Chalana offered a generous amount of each causita to taste, but each one was so salty we couldn't finish the dish. Seco marino a fantastic dish with many complementing colors and flavors, but once again too salty, which gets overwhelming after several bites of everything on the table. The first time we came here, the food wasn't as salty and the drinks are always tasty. Love the vibe.
(4)Vishal K.
Tanta is definitely 'tanta'lous!! A must visit restaurant in my opinion! I had been waiting to try this place when I heard from a Peruvian friend that the chef is well known even in Peru. Apparently tanta has branches in other countries like Spain, and is a hit even there. I had the classico cebiche to start off with, and then shared an entree of estafado de cordero and chi jsu kay marino. Cebiche was good, the sea bass was very fresh making the sauce, leche de tigre, pretty tasty. The lamb was excellent as well, but you can find similar tasting lamb at another excellent restaurant so it isn't anything unique to tanta. My favourite bit was chi jsu Kay Marino...this is pretty much Chinese fried rice topped with fish. The fried rice was amazing cooked in seafood broth and fish was shrimp coated, and the whole dish tasted great! The restaurant is well decorated and has a great atmosphere. Service is good and we got some complementary plantain chips.
(5)Heidi L.
This place reminded me a bit of Sushi Samba, which is now closed. It wasn't bad, but it didn't really stand out to me either. I ordered the ceviche tasting and the Peruvian sashimi, and while they were fine it wasn't particularly memorable or amazing. For the price there are other restaurants I'd choose over Tanta.
(3)Sunny X.
Baby scallop is the best Fried rice is ok.
(4)Saba A.
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet! Well, this is my favorite restaurant for Peruvian food but at truce, I don't know many Peruvian restaurants in Chicago but I do know at Tanta, they have knowledge about the food and they are known to be authentic. Perfect for a small group date, to a casual/romantic date, or bringing in a family for a taste of culture. The restaurant is modern looking, with the small bar area with plantain chips, and cocktails that are strong and delicious. I wouldn't miss checking out the rooftop. It's not that high, but it is a great place to sit, check out the bar food menu, and have a cocktail. The ceviche's are amazing. If you have a hard time choosing it's best to look up the menu online first to make a better decision. The empanada's are delicious too. What a wonderful presentation. The food portions are 'just right.' I want to go back again and again until I have tried everything. They don't have one thing on the menu that isn't wonderful.
(4)Joe M.
Very good Peruvian food. Everything our family of five ordered was excellent. We especially loved the anticuchos. Aside from traveling to Peru, I am not sure where else to get those. I think the place is pricy but probably in line with river north.
(5)Caitlin F.
I cannot say enough great things about this restaurant. It continues to top my list at the #1 place to eat in Chicago. The food speaks for itself. Every bite is extremely flavorful and unique. Some favorites and must try's: Tiraditos Nikei- I literally want to drink the leftover chifa passion fruit sauce every time. Causita Clasica- a flavorful bite of creamy heaven with the mixture of egg, crab and polenta-type base. Del Chifa Chaufa Aeropuerto- I can't even think of words to describe this exceptional dish. The combination of egg and shrimp in steaming hot pork-friedrice that remains hot throughout the meal and changes textures towards the bottom. Unfortunately, the first couple waiters I had there were not the best. Then John salvaged my negative feelings about the service. He is extremely helpful and knowledgeable about every dish - the culture, origins, and ingredients. I will continue to recommend this place to everyone I know, and look forward to going back again and again!
(5)Amy S.
The Rooftop - small but classy. The decor reminds me a lot of Epic, with the wood panels and some lounge spots but mostly chairs with tables and a big glass panel in the middle. I went during the day, so not sure if lights turn on or something cool happens inside the glass panel at night. We ordered the ahi tuna ceviche - which was super fresh and well seasoned. We ordered an appetizer (forgot the name) which consisted of thinly sliced steak on top of rice, all topped with a quail egg, which is eaten like a sushi bite. SO GOOD! Another app we ordered was a chicken skewer on top of a sweet potato - which was the perfect pairing. For entrees, we tried the lamb - soooo tender and delicious + the grilled tenderloin, which I thought was really good too! And we got the corncake, which was a sweet/savory balance that worked like a dessert. I only tried the Lima Llama drink - which is like a play on a moscow mule but with tequila instead of vodka. Very strong = very nice! wink wink
(5)Erica L.
Glad we were able to get in early for a Friday dinner reservation a couple of weeks ago. Our server was super enthusiastic about sharing the menu. He was genuinely excited and proud of the food he served - and funny. Since this was our first time here, he highlighted his recommendations as we navigated our way through the menu, giving honest feedback when I inquired about certain items. We pretty much followed his lead and ordered pretty much one of everything he recommended per section until we maxed out ordering for 3 people. The complimentary crispy plantains with dipping sauce was a great dish to munch on before the meal. They came in a cute mini deep fryer basket. We started with the Cebiche Tasting. Nice portions of three different ones so that each person could have 2 bites of each and 1 remaining of each. It worked out that each person had a different favorite. Mine was the nikei since it was sweet. The pieces were large cubes of fish that kept their freshness and shape since the lime and juices aren't added until later to prevent sogginess. The Pulpo (octopus) was an amazing with a smoking taste combined with the crunch of the fried garlic. The Crillo (bay scallops with smoky sesame beef) was my favorite dish. I usually hate scallops primarily because of the texture followed by the taste, but the flavor combination melted in my mouth and left me wanting more. In lieu of the Street Food Feast, which our server did not recommend because it wasn't anything unique to their restaurant, he offered just to serve the beef empanadas, which were good. In terms of sharing the small plates above, I was disappointed that some of the dishes only came with 2 servings (Crillo and empanadas) despite being 3 of us. We ended up ordering a lot of food but it would have been nice to be able to taste everything. Our two main dishes were the Chaufa Aeropuerto (pork fried rice) and the Adobo De Res (slow-cooked beef cheeks). Hubby devoured the pork fried rice. It was very flavorful. The beef cheeks were my favorite - so tender and cut like butter. There was so much left over we were able to take the last two dishes home. The fried rice tasted even better the next day. Dessert was another highlight - at this point we were all stuffed, but I forced myself to try at least one of the desserts, the Alfajor. It's a delightful shortbread cookie filled with dulce de leche with a side of hot chocolate sauce, vanilla bean ice cream, and fresh raspberries. Such a simple dessert that was beautifully presented. I had the guys take a bite then ate it all without shame. Drinks were also delicious. The Pisco Sours were refreshing. After dinner, we had another round up on the rooftop just to check out the scene. It's not too high up but a small place to enjoy the weather during the summer.
(4)Shaz K.
Great food and service ! We were a little lost with the menu. The waitress was good in explaining the different dishes and recommending her favorites. They served plaintain chips with a yummy spicy sauce as soon as we were seated. We ordered mixito cebiche, octopus chimichurri and pork fried rice. My favorite was the pork fried rice. We were too full to try desserts. Going back to this restaurant soon for sure.
(4)Amy H.
Went here before a holiday party with the boyfriend, after hearing great things and wanting to try Tanta for some time. 7pm on a Friday, hard reservation to find on open table and after we were seated at a two topper, was surprised there were many open tables. Initial thoughts: Very nice modern asian-tinged warm decor. Hip and good for groups to less intimate dates. Definitely feels like a scene, understandable hype and popularity. Two-toppers are awkwardly long and narrow. Certainly no risk of spitting on your date but also no risk of being able to sit next to each other. No entrance way area to wait for cabs/valet out of the cold, so an uncomfortable congestion at the door. Waiter very friendly, spent a long time with us explaining what each dish was and the inspirations, etc. Appreciated, but a menu perhaps should not need that much explanation. We opted for the : 1. octopus which he touted as the #2 octopus dish behind Morimoto (tasty, well-presented but not mind blowing), 2. a beef nigiri with quail egg (pretty mindblowing...sweet-smokey marinated beef slice, seemed like a sear, placed on a heavily seasoned sushi rice with quail egg on top -- really perfect balance of flavors and well presented like classic nigiri), 3. a tuna ceviche, which he told us was the best tuna on the menu. Tasty, but definitely have had better at multiple excellent sushi places in Chicago. Flavors not particularly unique albeit cilantro heavy. 4. another small plate that was so unmemorable I don't recall what it was, although I'm sure boyfriend's AmEx does. 5. Split the mahi. Tasty, but we were pretty full by this time. Nice crunch on the outside. All in all, a good experience and solid dining. Feels best for groups and small parties as I believe their highest selling point is the trendy factor. Food is very good although not sure unique enough to justify the markup when there are so many other truly innovative dishes in Chicago. Then again, if they are appeasing to the crowd (which they seem to be), going too far out of the box would not do them well. Pretty much gentrified Peruvian food. Very good just not mind-blowing.
(4)Rits M.
The first thing that struck me when I entered was that the place was really loud. You do get used to it after the first 15 mins. Looks upscale enough, and the ambiance is chic, though they have tried to squish in as many tables as they can. The woman next to me knocked my menu every time she got up from the table. That being said, the food was good. We had the beef heart skewers- one reviewer found them salty, but that's how they're made apparently and they tasted great to me. I also had the Classico- but watch out, both these dishes are really filling, you might not need dinner after. We had the Pisco sour, I found mine a little too egg-smelly but the drink was delicious. The wait staff were a little slow and we went there on a Wednesday- not cool. But our waiter was pleasant and friendly and took his time taking us through the menu and describing the dishes so he gets points for that. The rest of the menu seems worth exploring, so I'll be back
(4)Olga T.
Fantastic restaurant! This place gets super packed so I'd highly recommend making a reservation ahead of time. We didn't make one and ended up sitting at the ceviche bar, which was still fantastic. This is what we ordered: 1) Mixto Cebiche - we ordered the large and to be honest I am not sure how they justify charging $18 for such a small plate. At first I thought they gave us the small, but when I confirmed that this was indeed the large portion I was kind of taken back by how small the portion was. If this is the large, what does the small look like? Overall it was tasty, but I'd never order it again b/c it's bad value for your buck. 2) Chalaco Tiraditos - now this is more like it! Delicious and the portion size was more on par. This was a great dish! 3) Chaufa Aeropuerto - pork fried rice - DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd definitely recommend this dish. Generous portion and great for sharing. 4) Pisco Sour drink was well made! Def will order this again The atmosphere is fun and service is attentive & friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for great food & great fun!
(4)Whitney R.
Amazing food. They have so much variety on their menus I could come here five more times and have a different meal and experience each time.
(5)Namaste G.
Check this place out! I went recently for dinner and loved it. Actually, we may have cheated because we technically came for dinner but had so much ceviche, empanadas, and psico sours...we never quite got to a full dinner. (I forgot his name) I waiter was so knowledgable, offering the perfect mixes. The drinks were amazing and the food is fantastic. The only thing we did not enjoy was desert. Again, our waiter quickly took it away and removed it from the bill. I live a hectic life and when I step out to spend my money and relax I want a 5 star experience. Bingo, Tanta delivered. I'll definitely be back!
(5)Melissa N.
I had a great experience here last night. My friend and I ate in the main dining room (although we did check out the rooftop before we left, which is awesome). Ambiance is okay...nothing special but nothing amiss. Cocktails were amazing...I had (multiple) pisco sours, and my friend also tried the la guapa, which was awesome. For food, we shared a variety of small plates. My favorite was probably the clasica causitas: the crab/avocado/potato combo was amazing. We also tried the nikei cebiches (quite possibly the best tuna I have ever had); the chalaco tiraditos (scallops in a fabulous cream sauce); and the pastel de choclo; which is described as a "corn cake" but literally melts in your mouth...you don't even need to cut it. truly, you could eat it with a spoon. I have never had anything like it, and it was incredible. I also need to mention that we were chatting up the people seated at the table next to us. The gentleman had the seco marino entree, which looked fabulous and which he loved. However, his lady friend ordered the pollo a la bresa, and HOLY CRAP, you do not even understand the amount of food she was presented with. The server brought out all her food on a huge round tray, which literally took up half of their table. You could seriously feed a family of four with that amount of food, and she only got the half-order. Unreal! In a good way! That entree was also a great value at only $23. Service was excellent...dare I say almost TOO attentive? Our waitress was super nice and gave great recommendations, but I felt like she hovered over us at times, just watching us eat, which was a little weird. Overall, it was a great experience. I'll definitely be going back here.
(4)Leah C.
yum all around... so i'm a recently converted vegetarian turned paleo-lite-pescatarian. (yeah of course i made that up) so tanta is one of my first dining experiences with this new palate and boy was it a great start. i was extremely anxious reading the menu...it's confusing. and no, i really don't think it's just the new fish eater in me. i almost felt like i had to take notes when the server walked us through the menu. that said, i went with what i knew and ordered wine first ;) when my husband was presented with his dark night cocktail, i had to take a sip being a whisky fan; i didn't give the glass back to him! the server quickly picked up on this and asked if i wanted to "return" my wine. i said yes, of course, haha. we finally settled on the salmon ceviche and tuna niguiris nikei to share. the inner vegi in me had the quinoa solterito. the fish melted in my mouth and i wanted more. the ingredients in both weren't that complex - the fish was just that good. quinoa was good nothing special, a good accompaniment for my vegi needs. our server was "new" but fantastic and almost seemed to sense whenever we needed something. like i mentioned, the menu is very complex (ok, maybe for me) and she navigated us through it and was able to give me the cliff notes version, thankfully. need.to .go.back.SOON.
(5)A B.
Second visit and good as I remembered it. We ordered our usual Pisco Sour and the Tequila/Jalapeno drink with the round ice ball inside, name slips my mind. We went a little crazy with the food this time, we were starving! Ordered a fried rice dish, the beef with Quail egg, Tuna roll, beef stir fry dish and grilled Octopus. Everything was good, full of flavor and delicious. To give you an idea of pricing all of this food with 4 drinks brought our bill to about $150, each drink is about $12-$13. Personally, the pricing is fair to me, it's a good restaurant in the city, we can't expect anything cheaper, we live in a major metropolitan city and with it comes the prices. No issues here and would definitely revisit.
(4)Laura K.
Loved the space and the food was very good! I was excited at the idea of a Peruvian restaurant to open up downtown. I love ceviche, so the minute I could eat raw fish again, I ran here! it's the perfect post-pregnancy place - raw fish and excellent cocktails! The things you can only dream about when pregnant! Needless to say, I gobbled it all up and thought it was amazing. It's definitely a scene place, however the food is good and the drinks are great! I definitely recommend.
(4)Danny P.
Excellent food. Excellent service. The entire staff was extremely attentive. Our waitress was very patient and explained the whole menu for us, as it was our first time to this restaurant. Definitely will return. Highly recommend this restaurant. I don't typically write reviews but this was such a great experience that i had to write this review.
(5)Pedro F.
I went to Chicago on a Business Trip. As a born and raised Peruvian I always brag about how awesome our food is... so I took this opportunity to take one of my friends from work to try some Peruvian food. I think food was really good... by friend was near tears he LOVED IT. He told me he had never tried anything like it before. So, in a nutshell food was really good and Pisco Sours did not disappoint. I'll go back next time I'm in Chi-town
(5)Eric Y.
Love this place. It's hip, friendly and the food is really good. The menu takes some explaining and the waitstaff is very enthusiastic to help out with it. Our meal started off with fried plantain chips - OMG these were sooo good we kept ordering more. Their specialty cocktail selection looks like it came straight from Lima. I tried the Pisco Sour - very tasty, bracing in its acidity but creamy as well. Delicious. There are several wines by the glass and some bottles too. We had a Syrah-Cabernet blend from Chile. This was $95 on the menu and I was later disappointed to find that the retail price of the wine is $25. There's a selection of cold appetizers that include cebiche which is Peruvian-style ceviche. Unlike Mexican ceviche where the fish is marinated for a long time, the Peruvian cebiche differs in that the raw fish is cut and placed in the marinade and served immediately. It's kind a cross between sashimi and ceviche. Much of the menu is similar: Latin-American food given a Japanese or Chinese twist. Apparently, Peru's culture and food is heavily Asian-influenced due to large number of Asians who immigrated there in years past. Anyhow, we tried some cebiches which were excellent. We also tried the crabmeat causitas which is crab salad served over chilled mashed potato - yum. The warm appetizers were also tasty. The grilled baby octopus over potato cake was off the hook. We also tried the skewered beef heart - this was good but underwhelming. Also on the menu are some negiri-like sushi items and some fried-rice items. Ha. Didn't order any of these. The entrees are listed under the heading of "Chefs Having Fun." We tried the jumbo shrimp, the "chicharron" (pork belly) and the braised lamb shank. All were delicious. A word about the pork belly - this dish made the cover of Chicago Magazine's May 2014 issue. It's a beautiful dish to be sure, but three slabs of amazingly delicious pork belly served with sweet potatoes and green apple? Get out of town! The chefs aren't the only ones having fun! We only tried one dessert - the tapioca pudding with pineapple, toasted coconut and other goodies. Very good. Being a newbie to Peruvian food, I was very impressed and look forward to my next sampling of Chinese-Japanese-Latin fusion, aka Peruvian cuisine!
(4)Justin G.
Food was pretty good. I believe it was the corn bread that was amazing. Atmosphere is fun. Good for small groups. Can't bring myself to give it a five star though.
(4)Rebecca H.
We were so happy with our visit - excellent everything, and other reviewers are accurately describing it. I will just add the following: Get the pisco sour cocktail. You know you want it, and it is the best cocktail everrr, so don't worry about getting the predictable option (my mistake). Creamy, tart perfection. You don't need the 3-4 starters and 2 mains they will recommend. We were hungry and could barely finish 2 starters and 2 mains. We will for-sure go back.
(5)James Z.
Tanta was exquisite. From beginning to end, the meal and experience were fantastic. Last Friday, my boyfriend and I decided to celebrate some good news over a meal at Tanta. It was a wonderful spot to do this. The reservation was for 8:45 and I'll say that it was truly poppin'. The bar was buzzing with young couples and singles sipping cocktails... laughing... donning beautiful dresses, coats, and even hats (One dude was rocking a Pharrell-like ranger hat. True story.). We sat at a corner table that was half booth, half chair. Our server greeted us after a few minutes and asked us for our beverage. I chose the La Guapa ($12) while my boo ordered the La Rusa ($12). La Guapa contained gin (my personal favorite), rhubarb (I was intrigued since it's not yet in season), lavender (always a floral joy!), lemon, and cremant de bourgogne. I highly recommend this drink if you want something a little sweet yet sour. I had a sip of the La Rusa which I also enjoyed. This contained pisco, st. germain, orange, lemon, campari ice (with a beautiful thinly sliced orange infused and frozen into the block), and fresh thyme (which I would suggest rubbing a bit to loosen up the oils). Tanta turned out to be a solid choice for a Friday during Lent. I'm observing the season and cannot eat meat on Fridays. As a result, I was restricted to seafood dishes. Not a problem because (luckily) Tanta does a fine job of preparing fruits de mer! We started with the nikei cebiche (large, $18) and the pulpo ($15). The cebiche was a perfect sharing dish. It whet our appetite and foreshadowed what was ahead. I was hoping, however, for plantain chips or something to eat this with. I was told they give the chips out, but I guess they weren't that evening (that was one unsolved mystery). The pulpo was fantastic as well. The octopus was firm and the fried garlic stood out. We weren't going to order this, but our server suggested it with a lot of enthusiasm (almost to the point of me wondering if he was pushing this for extra points with the management... [I overheard him recommending this to another table as well.]) At any rate, it was delicious -- oh, and did I mention there was a chimichurri sauce involved? Yup. When he said that, I looked at my boyfriend to see if he wanted it and without even waiting for him to say "yes" or "no," I made an executive decision to try it because all I heard was "chimichurri chimichurri chimicurri" in my head. For our entrees, I ordered the jalea ($24) which was this gorgeous platter of fried seafood, yuca, diced avocado, and cebiche sauce (which resembled a spicy mayo emulsion). I have to say this was quite a generous amount and could easily be shared by two people since the seafood is fried and the starches (thanks to the yuca) provided a rather hearty meal. In some ways, this reminded me of tempura mixed with the luscious and spicy flavors of Peruvian cuisine. Since my boyfriend doesn't observe Lent, he ordered the ever-so-popular chaufa aeropuerto ($23). This fried rice consisted of pork, shrimp, and spicy garlic. Finding fried rice on a Peruvian menu isn't uncommon since Chinese immigrants started settling in the Latin American country as early as the 1800s (It even says so on the menu! I love a quick history fact!). Even though I was restricted from meat on Friday, I did taste some of the rice at midnight. (We had leftovers. How devout am I?!) And though it was a couple hours later, yes, I can confirm it was delicious. However, I will say it wasn't something out-of-the-ordinary. It was, frankly, upscale fried rice. Our server was attentive, but not overexposed. I wish he explained the menu a bit earlier however. It wasn't until when he was ready to take our order when he elaborated on the dining style (small plates for sharing or individual entrees?). Nonetheless, the service was solid. Tanta managed to provide a meal that was innovative yet familiar. This "fusion" or "mash-up" of Peruvian with Asian flavors worked -- which isn't easy. In terms of value, I thought the dishes were worth every penny. There wasn't an entree, appetizer, or cocktail I thought wasn't deserving of its price. Ultimately, I would recommend this spot for anyone who enjoys creative and inspired food as well as a scene that is "jumpin' jumpin'" (in the words of Destiny's Child). Tanta is good stuff. Goooood stuff.
(5)Stephanie R.
This is my new favorite spot and I can't wait to go back. Our waiter was really helpful with recommendations and would add on an extra piece to our orders that came with four pieces because we had five people so that was really appreciated. The octopus is a must!!!! The ceviches were so good as well, so fresh. Pobre nigiri was awesome as well. Highly recommend Tanta.
(5)Emily Z.
Tanta is not for procrastinators. No reservations available until 10pm on a Friday a week in advance. They said they take walk ins so we arrived at 6pm and were quoted 2hrs, which to their benefit was right on. They do take your number so you can go grab drinks somewhere else as there bar is small and fills up quickly. We had already had appetizers during out 2 hour wait so we ordered mostly small plates, listed below from favorite to least. See picture for a visual From the Earth Coliflor (cauliflower, eggplant, tofu, nikei sauce 8) Good sized portion and good flavor Anticuchos - traditional skewers from the streets of Peru Pollo (chicken, sweet potatoes, chalaca, aji amarilo $9) Definitely the most bang for your buck, could have done with out the accompanying kernels of maize but I realize its traditional to the cuisine Causitas or whipped Peruvian potatoes Clasica (crab, avocado, tomato, egg, huancaina $9) Two little crab topped potato bites, very seafood tasting, enjoyed the sauce. Worth a try Niguris Nikel Anticucho (mahi, avocado, sweet potato $9) Two pieces of crispy sweet potato strings atop mahi, served over a bite over rice. Had a very smokey flavor, nothing too exciting Cebiche Mixto (catch of the day, squid, shrimp, rocoto, $11) Was a bit disappointing. I love ceviche but this portion was miniscule and included only 1 shrimp, come on! For dessert we had the Las trufas de chocolate (warm chocolate bombs covered with quinua pop, orange sauce, tea lime and lemon grass ice cream $8) Very interesting and one was good, but its no chocolate lava cake, haha Great presentation and a fun atmosphere but its a bit pretentious for me due to the wait times and some of the portion sizes. I've been to peru and love a lot of the flavors but nothing at Tanta has my dying to go back.
(3)Lynne K.
Every time I go here they are busy, it's too bad because I would have loved for this to be my neighborhood spot but sometimes I can't even get in! The big eye tuna app is a must and the half chicken dinner makes my mouth water. It comes with so many sides you won't want to eat for days. Last time I was there they threw away our food when we wanted it wrapped up and they made us a whole new plate, free of charge! 5 starts all around, bravo tanta you are doing things right.
(5)Chirag P.
Been here twice now, once just with my wife and the other time for a private work event... both times loved it. Had the Pisco Sours and it really did remind me of my trip to Peru. Pisco punch is good but if you want a something with a spicy kick, try the El Chingon. Food wise, try the Pollo a la brasa and chicharron... both were very tasty. The lomo saltado was also very good. Both times I was lucky enough to catch some great weather, so got to enjoy the nice rooftop that they have, not big, but very fun. Definitely put this on your list of restaurants to try soon.
(5)Dominic T.
Impeccable service, really unique and bold flavors and a fun atmosphere! I cannot say enough nice things about this place! Didn't know there was a restaurant in this small section of Grand and I was pleasantly surprised by how large it was inside. We asked the server to just keep bringing her favorites until we said stop and two hours later and after many Pisco Sours we were smiling, laughing and stuffed. Didn't have a single thing off of the menu we didn't love. The ceviches were outstanding and extremely flavorful. The pork belly ribs were amazing and the maze dished were great. Trust your server and sit back and enjoy!
(5)Christina A.
It's now been two weeks since my husband and I celebrated our anniversary here. And now that I've had some time to think about it, I can still say it was awesome. Everything we ate was incredibly flavorful. We arrived early for our reservations so they asked us to grab a seat at the bar until they were ready. It allowed us a bit of time to sit and order a drink. I ordered a pisco sour. It was good. citrusy and creamy. Will I order it again? Probably not. For me it was more about the novelty but a tad rich for another go. Our server was wonderful. Warm and attentive without being too intrusive. Her recommendations were spot on perfect. She warned us we were ordering too much food but we didn't listen. We wanted to try a variety of things. We had... Niguiris nikei pobre... skirt steak, quail egg, chalaca, ponzu (Best thing I've eaten!!) Causitas clasica... crab, avocado, tomato, egg, huancaina (Super tasty) Chupe...traditional... peruvian stew with prawns, potatoes, aji panca (beautifully cooked seafood stew) Chaufa Aeropuerto... pork fried rice, shrimp tortilla, spicy garlic (Deliciously rich) Los Picarones... traditional warm pumpkin and sweet potato fritters, spiced syrup (delicious little donuts) Pulpo... Tender, grilled octopus with potato and a variety of sauces (awesome!) Last year, we celebrated our anniversary at Next. I have to admit, even though Next was special, Tanta was a much more enjoyable experience. From start to finish, Tanta was wonderful. We cannot wait to go back and try more of the menu.
(5)Ben P.
Outstanding food! The flavors that come out in each dish are simply fantastic. Service was so great. Our waiter was so friendly and knowledgable ...really great experience all around.
(5)Shambavi K.
Took a buddy here for a birthday dinner. It was busy and loud for a Tues evening. The service was friendly but busy and bit rushed. They had some good recommendations. The food is unique for Chicago and the flavors were great. We had 4 drinks: La Rusa, Pisco Sour, El Chingon and i forgot the other. I personally i would get the El Chingon again. It was spicy and had some orange spherical ice cube/ball ...it was very tasty Cebiche Tasting - a hit Chaufa Aeropuerto - a hit. it's a filling fried rice. I would recommend this. though I think had some mild allergy to something in the dish but that was just me. it was still made a tasty leftover lunch the next day. Pulpo - super hit. i would order again. perfectly cooked. Churraso Tanta - not great. This was the only entree we ordered. The steak was over cooked even though we asked for medium. If I were to go again i would just avoid the entrees and just get more tapas to try. Be warned that most of the dishes are small so it's not fit to share with more than 3 people for many of the small plates. It can get a bit pricy fast.
(4)Christopher S.
The is only one way to describe Tanta. Unique! You really need to try this place if you want a dining experience. We literally ordered 95% of the menu so we could try a sample of everything. The wait staff is excellent and very happy to describe the details and preparation method of everything on the menu. You will need the assist unless you grew up in Peru. Superb appetizers and entrees. The Octopus appetizer rocks. Great restaurant and fun place to go with a small group. Nice wine list with some obscure quality wines. Not the place for the meat and potato crowd.
(4)Vivi W.
To be honest I was a bit disappointed I just got back from Miami and they had amazing Peruvian dishes Here the ceviche is not as tasteful and portions are small. Drinks are good. Beef is a bit chewy. Seafood dish was deep fried, not done well.
(2)Stephanie L.
Ahhhhh, I really want to love it, but I just can't....maybe like a 3.5. Space-totally nice, clean, going with the Asian Peruvian style. Beware, it's slightly loud in the restaurant but not overtly so. Service-I absolutely loved our server. He was nice, attentive, explained everything, and made appropriate suggestions when asked. I really liked the explanations of the food, culture, etc. Food-this is kind of where I was disappointed. We decided we wanted to try a bunch of smaller things to really taste a lot. Street Food Fest-pork sliders were good. The bread was ridiculously tough and hard. The meat and sauce was flavorful, but the bread ruined it. The potato balls were meh. It almost tasted like they weren't cooked enough. Barely any flavor and slathered in a sauce. Chicken skewers were flavorful and tender. Empanadas were amazing! Yum! Overall, the platter was disappointing. Corazon-beef heart skewers-tough, fatty, weird texture. I was not a fan. I have had heart before and liked it, but not this Crab Causitas-delicious!!!! Creamy mashed potatoes with a fresh kick and topped with crab! Amazballs! Next time-yes to empanadas and crab causitas and no to everything else. Banana dessert-good, not great. Very small for the price. I like the online reservations. The price point is standard for the area. Maybe I would try it again, but more than likely...nothing knocked my socks off. I was expecting more because of the chef...but overall didnt deliver.
(3)Sergey S.
Ahhhhmazing! That's all. Everything we tried was fantastic. I travel to Chicago on a regular basis and this is definitely my favorite restaurant at this point.
(5)Ashley M.
Absolutely best Peruvian place in Chicago. Their modern twist on cheviche, street food, and dishes, stand above all. It's actually one of my favorite restaurants in our city! The decor and design are great, with a crazy friendly staff. My favorite is the Lomo and Whole fish. Plus their cocktails are fantastic.
(5)Tiffany L.
I've heard about Tanta for a while now so I was excited to try it. Apparently there's a large Chinese population in Peru and therefore a lot of fun Peruvian-Chinese fusion dishes. The plantain chips to start are a great idea, thin and crispy and well fried. We then tried a few things off the raw menu, none were very memorable. It's just my own preference though, I prefer raw fish to shine on its own and have never been a huge fan of ceviches. The pulpo (octopus), which is one of their popular dishes, was probably my favorite dish of the night -- nicely prepared, good flavors. I was looking forward to trying the Peruvian fusion fried rice -- the Chaufa Aeropuerto. Even though the presentation is nice and it smelled nice and wok-y, it was so overly salty and wet. Wet fried rice is gross. We took the leftovers home and re-wok'ed it, and it made it better, but it was still overly salty. The one thing I will rave about is the Chicha Morada made in house. If you don't already know, it's a drink made from purple corn, pineaple, clove, cinnamon, sugar, and crack. I imagine that Peruvian food is one of those types of food that's best had at a mom-and-pop joint, and when they try to fancy it up, it loses its charm.
(3)Jai B.
Delicious Cerviche. Drinks where nice. Overall the meal was good but not great. Service was very friendly. Glad I went likely would go back for small plates and drinks with friends
(3)Alex M.
We didn't have reservations on Saturday night , so we sat at the bar. 4 beers on tap, about 5-6 each, white and red, wines by the glass, extensive menu of mixed drinks. We ordered a little bit of everything, most of them small plates. It is Peruvian food with Asian (Japanese and Chinese) twist. The highlights of the night were:Casita Clasica (crab salad on the bed of Peruvian potatoes); Pulpo Anticucho (grilled octopus) and Arroz Criolla - a wonderfully flavorful Peruvian take on seafood paella. Great flavors,great atmosphere. Enjoy !
(5)Benjamin R.
3.5 Stars. We went here for our anniversary and really liked the food, by and large. We got ceviche (really good), empanadas (good), lamb (excellent), and beef tenderloin (good). They had a decent beer list. People talk about their Pisco sour, which I got and thought was pretty so-so. I like the one at La Sirena Clandestina significantly better. All around though, a really good meal. My only complaints would be that a) it is perhaps the loudest restaurant I have ever eaten in. We had to shout pretty much the entire time, and this was at 6:45 on a thursday. And b) we went for our anniversary and mentioned that in the reservation notes and once on the phone. We didn't expect the royal treatment, but its nice when the restaurant gives some little nod to the occasion. They didn't mention it at all, and seated us at one of the loudest, busiest, may-as-well-be-communal type tables, which I never appreciate when there are more private tables available.
(3)Lauren H.
DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY TYPE OF FOOD ALLERGY!! I wish I could give this place 0 stars, as their behavior throughout has been unbelievably terrible. My husband called before we made our reservation here to see if they could accommodate my food allergy. My newborn daughter has a cow's milk intolerance meaning if I consume any dairy or soy, my daughter gets very sick. We were told that the restaurant absolutely could accommodate my food allergy. We showed up for our reservation and my husband again asked the hostess if it was noted in our reservation that I had a food allergy. They said it was in our reservation and the waiter knew. I personally asked our waiter what on the menu the chef could make dairy and soy free, to which he pointed out a number of items and said all were fine. I was a little nervous since it seemed like a lot of choices and went through with him again that no dairy meant no butter, milk, cream or yogurt and no soy meant no soy sauce or soybean oil among other things. He again said no problem. As the dinner items were coming out I asked again if my food was dairy and soy free. OF COURSE he said.... Well it wasn't. The next day my newborn daughter was sick from my meal at Tanta. Beyond feeling like a terrible mother for picking this restaurant, I was mad at Tanta. So I called to speak with the manager. I lefty two separate messages, but the manager refuses to call me back. Real classy Tanta. I would hate for you to even have to apologize for your terrible mistake! Needless to say, I will NEVER go here again.
(1)Dharanidharan S.
First experience of Peruvian food was wonderful. The cocktails were really nice. Pisco Sour is definitely worth the try. A real friendly place and our waitress was really kind to introduce us to the food and go to great lengths to explain the ingredients. I had the lamb dish "estofado de cordero" and loved it.
(4)Ali A.
What an incredibly unique and delicious experience! Visiting Chicago for the first time and had never eaten Peruvian food- it was awesome. Very different and the food had flavors influenced from all over the world. To start, everyone that walks through the doors of this place MUST get the pisco sour. What a fantastic drink- the egg white really balanced out the lime and was frothy and delicious. I ordered the steak nigiri with my friend to start- was delicious and complex, but expensive. Had to try it so it's all good. For my entree, I got the pork fried rice and my oh my was this thing good. Comes in a clay pot served piping hot- assume it's a Peruvian tradition to cook like this. Pork was melt in your mouth perfect and the shrimp, eggs, garlic, peppers, etc all mixed together perfectly- this dish has so much character and a wonderfully unique influence of Chinese and Latin American cuisine. Was very happy with this place- a little pricey, but if you're looking for a one of a kind dining experience, Tanta is the place to go. Well done!
(4)Jean M.
Excellent food and great service! I stopped here for dinner a few nights ago and the experience was outstanding. Being 6 months pregnant, alcoholic drinks and raw seafood are off limits. The server was took the time to steer me towards appropriate food items and offer a tasty beverage that met my restrictions. Nice to have an option aside from my typical water! I ordered the pulpo option from the anticuchos portion of the menu, the causita clasica and the pastel de choclo - all were great! I also really enjoy the sauce that came with the plantain chips. Aside from that, I'm out of town a lot on business and often eat alone. I sat at the ceviche bar and chatted with one of the chefs - it's always nice to feel completely welcome when you're wandering around the city alone!
(4)Brent B.
This place was pretty good. My wife and I met when I was a peace corps volunteer in Peru so we try as many Peruvian place as we can. The ceviche was okay but mostly just spicy instead of flavorful. The arroz criollo was Gaston's version of arroz con mariscos and it was delicious. The causa was incredible. This place is very expensive and the portion sizes are quite small so prepare to spend a decent amount. Service was fantastic and the ambience was nice although it was kind of loud.
(4)Ritika K.
Wow! Excellent fusion of Peruvian and Japanese food. Nice ambience and great service. We tried all the appetizers and everything was really good. I was not very impressed with their dessert menu but I will definitely come back.
(5)M H.
Such a fantastic restaurant. The lighting could be better but I actually don't notice it too much because the food is that good which really, really says something. Waiters are great too! Love. LOVE this place. P.S. to the people who think it's not enough food: If you think you are not getting enough cebiche for your money you can't be serious. You do know that its fresh raw fish right? I mean you want them to get cheaper fish from the fox river? Pretty sure we Americans have plenty of food going around. In fact I prefer smaller portions everywhere I go because I kinda don't want to be fat like the herd of cows that line up in front of every chain restaurant come summertime.
(5)Daniel C.
HORRIBLE. My second time eating here, i thought i would give it a second chance.... The lunch options (in the rooftop) are limited and tasteless. The quinoa burger is an abomination. The butifarra was decent but wasnt made as well as it could have been. The ceviche was the most unimpressive concoction of ingredients i have ever tasted for a ceviche. Im a little sad that peruvian food is represented so poorly here, given that it should be world reknowned. Plenty of other peruvian places to try other than this. Dining is better but still left me wanting more. Other Gaston Acurio restaurants like La Mar in Miami are WAY better, don't even bother trying this one
(1)Jenn H.
Sometimes it's hard to choose a spot in the lively River North neighborhood. It's always a nice surprise when you find a good one. The menu is slightly intimidating when you first see it but our server was helpful and explained that the top half consisted of the appetizers while the lower half made up the entree section. My boyfriend and I started with the Corazón (beef heart, potatoes, corn, huacatay) and Limeña chicken (celery, avocado, cherry tomato, aji cream). The Corazon was delicious but we were slightly surprised that the limena chicken was a cold appetizer. It had a good flavor but wasn't what we were expecting. For main course, we shared the beef cheek and corn cake. Both were amazing! By the time we finished the entree, we were both full. Also we had two of their "made to order" cocktails - pisco sour and pisco Pepe. We enjoyed their unique drink selection and were happy with our choices. My only complaint was that they sat us in the bar area near the door (even though we had a reservation), and it was quite cold at our table. If making a reservation, I would request a different table (not in the bar area) next time. Overall great experience...Will definitely be back to try more of their unique cocktails and cebiche next time!
(4)Jessica D.
Best Peruvian food in Chicago! Just excellent everything and authentic! No complaints - highly satisfied! Ordered pisco sours, the half chicken was amazing as well as the quinoa salad! Delicioso!
(5)Helena S.
Amazing food!! We were a table of 10 who order several plates to share and each of them was increible!! The were full of flavor but light. The ceviches and tiraditos were delighful, the fish was so fresh that it melted un your mouth. The serving was algo outstanding. The waitress describe each plate of the menu and was very patiente with all of us. I really recomend this place!!
(4)Monlay H.
Tried this place out for my friend's birthday. Made the reservations the day before for a party of 15 and was offered the private room upstairs because they were booked. Very accommodating! When we arrived, we were shocked at how beautiful our private room was. The service was great! Started off the night with some fresh cocktails based of waitress' recommendations: la guapa, the traditional pisco sour, and el chingon. Super tasty and fresh flavors. We were quite overwhelmed with the menu. So our waitress suggested that we do family style based on her recommendations. Our table ended up with: three ceviches, grilled octopus, steak nigiri, and several small bites on whipped Peruvian potato for appetizers. For the entrees, we tried the Amish chicken, churrasco Tanta (grilled steak tenderloin), fried seafood, fried snapper, and the pork fried rice. Omg, so much food! Although everything was very tasty, there were definitely a few standouts. For appetizers, I loved the fluke and ahi tuna ceviche! So fresh and light, with some sweetness. Also, the grilled octopus and steak nigiri were absolutely delicious! The grilled octopus was so tender with a little bit of a chew. It was loaded with flavor and came with an awesome mash potato! The steak nigiri had a perfectly cooked sunny side quail egg, with the yolk just oozing out onto the steak as you take the bite. Nom! For entrees, my faves were the fried red snapper and the churrasca Tanta. The fish was perfectly crisp and in a sweet and spicy sauce! The steak was cooked medium rare! So tender and the chimichurri sauce was flavorful! We were so stuffed at the end of the night, we could not get ourselves to try the desserts! :( Our waitress was great! Very knowledgeable on the menu. Only one problem was she wasn't very good with knowing how many entrees would feed our party. She kept pushing us to order more food. I had to insist on cutting back on the number of entrees, otherwise we would have way too many leftovers. Other than that, excellent service, excellent food. Will definitely be back to try some of the other things on the menu, and maybe some dessert!
(4)Angelica V.
I'm not sure why I took this long to write a review, seeing as how I was there about 5 months ago. Anywho, here goes... I'm Peruvian so when I heard that this place was opening up, I was very excited. My family had told me about this famous chef and how he was taking Peruvian local/street food and making it into elegant dishes throughout the world. Well... The pisco sour was by far my favorite version than any other place...EVER! I would definitely go back for that alone. The rest of the meal (appetizer, entrée, and dessert) were just 'ok/meh.' Didn't think it had all the flavors Peruvian dishes typically should have in them. My b/f took me there and since he had never had Peruvian food, he thought it was pretty tasty. I mentioned to him that it wasn't the best. I took him to Machu Picchu (on Ashland and BYOB) about a month later and he saw that I was right. It just didn't come close to what other restaurants can provide with respect to taste. Guess I'm just used to anything that will come close to what I grew up eating at home. Please do yourself a favor and try other Peruvian restaurants in the Chicagoland area. You will be surprised how much better it can get. On another plus side, the ambiance is great!! So happy we our cuisine has come out so much more for people to experience.
(2)Stef M.
Excellent service, spectacular cebiche. Get the flight of the 3 house special cebiches, they use authentic aji anillo (pepper paste) and it is delicious with a kick, in the authentic Peruvian style. They use top quality ingredients. The street food feast was big and should be shared between 2 people. Empanadas, pork sliders, potatoes and skewered chicken. Yum.
(5)Angela L.
I had a really fun time at Tanta! I am looking forward to returning. The service was great. Our waiter took the time to explain everything on the menu to us, and we never had to wait long for anything we ordered. Cebiche takes a spotlight on their menu. My date hates seafood, so we did not order any. There are plenty of other delights on this menu! Two dishes in particular stood out for us: I absolutely LOVED their Pastel De Choclo, Peruvian Corn Cakes. I could eat that every day for every meal. It was that delicious. We LOVED the Chicarrón! Wow. Pork belly confit, aji panca BBQ glaze, squash purée topped with chifa salad. Everything in this dish complimented each other so well. I could not believe how great it tasted. I highly recommend you order this. We also has the pollo antichuchos. These were good, but not great. We both felt they needed more seasoning. Good cocktails too. Price is high, but it's a nice place to go for special occasions. I didn't feel the price was unreasonable because the food was so good. I went on Valentine's Day, and we were given a box of little cookies on our way out. That was a nice surprise. I really enjoyed myself, and I hope I have an opportunity to return soon.
(4)Andrew S.
Wow, quite the meal and experience here. I came recently for an anniversary dinner with my girlfriend and Tanta offered everything we could have wanted out of the experience. Needing both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes to fit our different diets, Tanta delivered in a big way. Each dish was packed with flavor, and the entire meal we found ourselves comparing tastes and how good they were. Particular favorites include the fried plantain starters, Pollo Anticucho and the Verdura Nikei. The sauce of the Verdura was an unbelievable teriyaki inspired flavor and I wish we could buy an entire jar to use when we cook. The drink menu focuses on exotic cocktails, and the two we got were delicious. We weren't presented with a wine list when we came in, but after seeing the list of specifically drinks they offer it didn't matter. The space is huge, and has lofted ceilings giving you the impression that your table is much more private than it actually is and making the perfect date spot. Judging by the various dishes as we looked around we could come back a few more times and still have more we want to try. I'm particularly intrigued by a few of the family dishes. Thanks for a great anniversary dinner Tanta!
(4)James K.
I had my gf ' s bday here last month. Email correspondance was prompt and thorough. The gm, agm, bartender, server, chef, and host all provided a wow experience. Chefs table. Open kitchen. Four courses for 60 dollars. Half our group arrived late and a two no showed. I was embarrased but we were still treated professionally w no additional charge. One of the courses was modified on the fly to accomodate pescitarians. The menu was even printed w my gf ' s name and custom header. Every detail exceeded expectations.
(5)Aisyah S.
My first time coming to Tanta was with a group of friend where one of them was a Peruian so she made all the orders. My second time was with my boyfriend to celebrate our anniversary, we both have no familiarity with Peruvian/Asian fusion culinary so our waiter kindly walked us through their menu. His recommendations were right on point to our taste buds and we had such fantastic dinner! We had a reservation and were seated as soon as we came in. We had the tuna ceviche for appetizer, and 2 entrees of beef steak and seafood (I can't remember the name of the menu). We told our waiter that we were celebrating and he immediately gave us dessert for free! The overall bill was indeed a bit pricy for our student budget but we were very very happy with our experience there and will definitely come back! For a person who grew up in Indonesia archipelago and had seafood as regular meals, I can surely tell when a place serves fresh seafood or not, and Tanta is definitely very careful in serving their seafood fresh!
(5)Brenda G.
This place is unique and amazing! I've never had Peruvian food so I wasn't sure what I was getting into however I was in for quite the treat! I've been here three times, one of which times I ate at the chef's table. The chef's table is amazing experience where they bring out a variety of food to be eaten family style. I would highly encourage this for a group gathering such as a birthday party. Starting with the drinks I'd recommend anything with the passion juice. I'm not sure exactly what's in the passion juice but it's delicious. The menu was a bit confusing however the waiter did a great job explaining how it worked and making recommendations. Highlights of the meal include the nikei (ahi tuna) cebiche, estofado de cordero (braised lamb) and churrasco tanta (grilled beef). The nikei was simple but delicious, the estofado de cordero was so tender the lamb fell right off the bone and the churrasco tanta was perfectly cooked and delicious. The list could go on and on as everything I had at the restaurant was a crowd pleaser. Don't forget the fried rice!
(5)Juli E.
LOVE THIS PLACE!! Authentic, delicious food and fine-dining quality service. I have eaten here 4 times, and the food is consistently excellent. You must try one of their signature drinks with Pisco - I have had the Pisco Sour, Pisco Punch, and the Lima Llama - all very strong and very good. If you haven't had pisco before, I would compare it to tequila in terms of it's strength and warmth, but it's actually a brandy of sorts (made from distilling wine). Every food item I have gotten here I have loved. I could eat the anticuchos de corazon every day. I must give a nod to the service - clean silverware and plates are brought for each course (without having to ask); my water glass was never empty and I somehow never noticed anyone filling it; the servers are knowledgeable about the menu items are not pretentious in their explanations. What more could you ask for? Needless to say I'll be back!
(5)Jennie T.
I first heard about Tanta from my Peruvian Spanish language instructor, but I have long heard about Gaston Acurio from my Japanese Peruvian boyfriend. So I was really excited about the restaurant opening in Chicago. I mean really, I liked their Facebook page and stalked its statuses so I'd know when the grand opening was (August 12th, by the way). Luckily, I was able to snag a reservation to celebrate my boyfriend's belated birthday since I was out of town for work on his actual birthday. We're not normally ones to have lengthy conversations with our servers because we understand that they have to work and we don't want to get them in trouble with other diners, but we just found our server, Carolina so fun and pleasant to talk to. We gushed about Gaston Acurio, almost as though we're groupies (we're not; we're just foodies, and it's amazing to have a fellow foodie as our server), and we talked about our plans to visit his other restaurants in San Francisco (Kenny and I eventually went to La Mar in SF) and Lima (hopefully in the future). Did the restaurant live up to its hype? YES!! Kenny and I started off with a Pisco sour (their national drink) and a Lima llama (their take on the Moscow Mule). Both drinks were delicious. I loved the frothiness of the Pisco Sour and the subtle taste of gingerbeer in the Lima Llama. They brought us a small basket of perfectly fried plantains and potato chips to snack on with a small aji dip. I love that the chips weren't drowning in oil, but they weren't too dry either. They were the perfect snack. We ordered the cebiche sampler, which consisted of the classico, mixto, and nikei cebiches. Kenny instructed me to start off with the classico. It was the classic Peruvian cebiche--the catch of the day was mahi mahi--it had pieces of fish, slices of red onion, and a few kernels of Peruvian corn in lime juice. It was delicious. The mixto had pieces of squid and shrimp in addition to what was in the classico (minus the corn). The nikei cebiche was influenced by Japanese cuisine, and it was quite delicious as well. Our favorite was probably the nikei cebiche for its added complexity. Kenny was a bit hesitant about ordering the carapulcra, as he's never had it at a restaurant before. The carapulcra is made mostly with sun-dried potatoes, and based on what Kenny told me about this dish, I was expecting it to look unappealing. Quite the contrary, it looked appetizingly well garnished with slices of pork belly topped with a yellow aji sauce and sliced radishes, red onions, and mint leaves pickled in lime juice on the side. It turned out to be one of my favorite Peruvian dishes. We also ordered what is my absolute favorite Peruvian dish: the seco de cordero. Gaston Acurio's version did not disappoint me in the least. The meat from the lamb shanks fell apart easily when I pulled it from the bones. The cilantro garnishes brought out the flavors of the lamb stew really nicely. The last two dishes were so large that we actually didn't manage to finish our food. We boxed it up to go, and it was still good the next day. Finally because I know of no other Peruvian restaurants in Chicago that serves picarones, we ordered it for dessert. They're these donut-shaped pumpkin flavored pastries dipped in honey. They're so delicious. The first time I had them was at a Peruvian food festival out near Rosemont, but that vendor didn't have a store front. I heard that picarones were incredibly hard to make, so Gaston Acurio had someone especially flown in from Peru to make these at his restaurant. And because it was Kenny's birthday, we requested that the chef at Tanta sign him a happy birthday note on the back of our paper menu. He complied, and we left as happy customers. I cannot wait to go back again.
(5)Heather H.
I went after hearing how fantastic Tanta was from other foodies, it is NOT. The menu was so confusing, our waiter was training another staff member who was equally confused. The menu explanation took WAY too long. The food was a disappointment. Salty, deep fried empanadas were greasy and bland. The cebiche criollo was okay. The highlight of our meal was 3 pieces of octopus which was not very filling so we ordered the pork fried rice. Again, salty, greasy and nothing to rave about. Finished with shortbread cookies which were nothing spectacular, but good. Other mentionables, one of us had a dirty plate, they do not replace silverware and I was left without a fork for some time, and they forgot the plantain chips. The wine list is priced reasonably and was paired nicely with salty food. I love salt normally, this was overload. Still trying to pry my ring off my finger!
(2)Ashley L.
Great music, amazing small plates, tasty cocktails. Perfect for a date, a group of friends, or just to kick off the night.
(4)Daniela S.
Cute place, great service, great drinks.....why is it SO EXPENSIVE?! The most basic ceviche is almost 18 bucks for a child-size portion. I get it's more gourtmet, but we spent 3x as much as we would have spent at one of the Lima Tanta locations, got 1/3 of the food and it was 1/3 as good. Honestly, I can whip up a yummier ceviche than the one we got served with frozen tilapia. That's saying something. My advice, go for drinks and an appetizer. If you want a REAL showcase of Peruvian cuisine, including portion size (my people like to EAT not nibble!), go to Machu Picchu, or my new favorite, Ceviche on Diversey where you can have an all you can eat brunch for 20 bucks, leave more stuffed than ever with incredible ON-POINT Peruvian yum. The locale isn't half bad either.
(3)Julia W.
Went for restaurant week- so good! The ceviche and corn cake were amazing. Definitely going back soon. Really fun vibe. Who knew Peruvian food was so delicious?! Get the El Macha if you like Old fashioneds.
(5)Vivian Y.
Fun food, great lively atmostphere. By lively, I mean LOUD. I could barely hear myself. The big booths are comfy but makes it hard to have a conversation with your friends. But I guess the tables are designed for people watching? Lots of good drinks to be had here. Our server was wonderful because she just brought out her favorites and we loved that. she was mindful of allergies and worked around different requests. there were 8 of us and we were all craving different things! Nothing blew me away but it was all very good. Not for a romantic date night but food for dinner with friends.
(4)Jacko J.
Pros: - Interior space and rooftop are great - All the appetizers are amazing (especially love the octopus, cebiche, and niguiris) - Drinks are also excellent (highlights being pisco sour, el chingon, and lima llama) Cons: - Mains are okay. In some cases bland and or excessively heavy - A bit pricey Overall, definitely a great place to visit and a favorite in the River North area. Make reservations ahead of time!
(4)Kristine K.
First, the food was AMAZING. If I was rating just on food and cocktails, I would give it a 4 or 5 stars. But I had to factor in service, which wasn't the best. Our waiter (David) was very friendly and did a great job explaining the menu. We started with 2 ceviches - clasico and nikei (tuna). They arrived about 20 minutes after we placed the order. Everyone else who ordered ceviche seemed to get chips (banana plaintains?) with their order, but we did not. However, the chips magically arrived about 15 mins after the ceviche. At the same time we ordered the ceviche we also ordered the beef heart and chicken skewers. They came about 30 minutes after the ceviche. At this point tables around us who arrived at same time were finishing their meals and we still had not been asked for our entree order or seen our waiter again. We ordered 2 seafood entrees - the tacu-chupe and seco marino for our entrees. Both were excellent (fish was very fresh, flavorful) but we didn't get them until we had been at the restaurant for more than 90 minutes. The manager then came over to apologize for our wait (we appreciated it) and offered to buy us dessert. All the desserts sounded amazing. After flagging down our waiter we ordered the queso helado - four milk ice cream. It was delicious! For drinks we had two rounds of the pisco sour and la guapa. Both were fantastic. Now, the bill came and our dessert was on the bill even though manager had offered to cover it. It really wasn't a huge deal (it was only $8) but we were surprised. Our waiter never once apologized for our wait. Tables around us were rotated multiple times in the 3 hours we were there. We had a great meal and truly do not complain when we go out to eat - it's always a treat and the food was really delicious. But, when you are paying $200 for dinner I expect service to match up to the price and I just felt it didn't at Tanta compared to other nicer restaurants in the area. I'm sure it was a busy night in the kitchen - every table was filled - I just felt like we could have at least been given updates on our food or the wait staff could have apologized for the delay as he was seeing every other table get served multiple times around us.
(3)Maggie L.
Their cocktails are amazing. The appetizers that we ordered were delicious and quite unique, if you have a chance, try: pobre, corazon, and pulpo. I wasn't in love with the mixto cebiches but it could just be the fact that I don't eat much cebiches in general. I had the estofado de cordero (braised lamb) for entree, highly recommended. The only problem was that the kale was too salty, but very crisp. My coworkers had the jalea (fried seafood platter), and they said it was excellent. Also, according to my coworker, cebiches and jalea are the representative of peruvian food. We ordered alfajor and el quseo helado for dessert. I didn't like the short bread cookies too much, but the four milk ice cream is worth a try since I've only ever had 3 milk. The touch of cinnamon and coconut is good too if you like these flavors. The restaurant was a bit too loud, but the service was great.
(4)Coleman B.
I really wanted to like Tanta much more than I truly experienced. There is definitely a good starting base to work off of here, but I do think there needs to be some adjusting. The food is so severely salty. We ordered many recommendations from the waiter, and the Ideas were good, innovative and appetizing in concept, but the execution was just off the mark. What dishes lacked in clean, fresh, bright Peruvian/Japanese flavors, they made up with sodium. Take the crab-potato dish (supposedly the restaurants most popular). It was like salty crab salad on top of a salty salty mashed potato log. We didn't get it. Others I was fine with eating (octopus and beef heart skewers, lamb shank) but left my fellow diners unimpressed to turned off. All of it extremely salty. The service was friendly, but I literally had to tell three separate wait staff that I was still eating. The first time was fine, the second slightly humorous, and the third time I almost* got angry. I'm clearly trying to still eat with two sepearte dishes on my plate. Back off. The 4th time I cradled my plate like an animal protecting my kill. One of our dishes was cleared earlier in the meal before we were allowed to finish it at our own pace. This is frustrating, and even more so at the price point of the dishes. Overall though, it was a positive experience (because we were out to have a good time too). The drinks are fantastic, and I do dig the decor even though the chandeliers look like the framework of turds. B-
(3)Diana P.
This place definitely surprised me in being an excellent meal. Everything from the raw fish to the tapas was fresh and had a unique flavor. We ordered the red snapper and shared it which prob could be shared with 3ppl after tapas. Delicious! Octopus-fabulous but our favorite was the scallops tapas. Melts in your mouth. This place is pricey but you enjoy every bite. Staff is so friendly and waiters truly know what they're talking about. Excellent drinks (both alcoholic and non) made from fresh ingredients that you can taste the difference.
(5)K B.
Great drinks, great food. And even though no reservations were available 3 of us were able to walk in a get a table. The piscolero and the chingon were both awesome cocktails. For food we ordered and shared clasico ceviche (the only disappointing thing we ate - just not a strong enough fish flavor and the meat seemed a little chewy), the beef heart anticucho, a lo pobre (steak), estofado de cordero (lamb), alfahores and picarones for desert. The lamb was especially incredible, but it was all delicious outside the ceviche..
(4)Lea R.
Yum, Yum, Yum The staff at Tanta could not be nicer. They were great with first timers and all of our questions. We never once felt like "we should know" when we asked someone a question. We tried many of their Cebiche's, YUM! We will definitely be back.
(5)Erick N.
I had heard wonderful things about Tanta from a couple of acquaintances and was excited to dine here. Walking in it immediately became apparent there is a very club like, highly energetic ambiance and the venue is loud with tables nearly on top of one another (the ambiance it comes closest to of venues I have been would be Carnivale - though a much smaller space). The top half of the menu contains various categories of appetizers (which lean heavy on seafood) and the bottom half of the menu has entrees (wide range of meats and seafoods, not much vegetarian); our server recommended we order a variety of appetziers and afterwards decide if we wanted to share an entree or were still hungry enough to each do our own. Once the order is placed, the server brings out the plates one at a time in a thoughtful order rather. I liked that you are encouraged to have a leisurely dining experience rather than being rushed to make room for the next seating (as Tanta does tend to be full most nights). We had been intending on having a full dinner, but were not in the mood for such an energetic vibe that we opted for appetizers and a cocktail only. The food we sampled was excellent quality and very tasty (a ceviche, a couple sushi items and the octopus). Not the best cuisine I have consumed, but nicely executed and well above average. While the prices of the entrees seemed reasonable, I do have to say that the small plates and cocktails seemed to be about 15% too high, even when factoring in the location and quality (Topolobampo's ceviche for example is priced a few dollars less for a similar portion). The items resembling Nigiri sushi were $9 for two pieces. If you come here starving your bill will be rather steep. Our server was friendly and spent some time carefully explaining the menu (which I appreciated as I am not very knowledgeable of Peruvian food and the menu is somewhat complex). Because Tanta is so busy staff is spread a bit thin. It will be interesting to see if Tanta can sustain their early popularity; while the food is certainly good enough that I want to experience more of the menu, I am not so sure the club like atmosphere will appeal to people serious about enjoying high quality cuisine outside of a limited subgroup.
(4)Brisa T.
One of my favorite restaurants in the city! I always order the fried fish, so yummy!
(5)Charles K.
Food, Service, Ambiance... FABULOUS! Better than I expected and my expectation were very high. Didn't get to experience the rooftop but I snuck up there for a peek and was shocked so I'm excited to come back in the summer and check it out. Please don't miss this restaurant if you have a chance to go. It's really special.
(5)Phillip A.
Does not live up to the hype. We went to have dinner and check it out for a possible wedding rehearsal dinner. We were told that if we would like to see the space, we could just go up, it was open on the roof. LOL. really? Go up? waited longer than needed for a drink at the bar. got checked on too much at our table. Lomo was on point. so was causita we had. Overall, overpriced. Trying way too hard. Waiter should sell cars.
(2)Eva H.
My second time at Tanta and it did not disappoint! And this time, the waiter promptly brought our free basket of plaintain chips. (Last time, we saw every single table had this little metal basket of chips except us. When I asked the server what they all had ordered that was so popular, he said, "Oh, that's something a vendor is testing out. I'll ask if you can have a sample.' PSH...yes I know you forgot to bring it to us - you should have just owned up and apologized.) Had the regular-flavored pisco sour - it was delicious and the bartender did some little design (like you get at specialty coffeeshops with the latte foam designs). I was told that they have a passionfruit pisco sour, which I will definitely have to try next time! My 2 girlfriends and I ordered the Causitas platter (bite-sized whipped potatoes with different toppings). Each one was delicious and different, but my favorite would have to be the nikei (with the ahi tuna - being a sushi lover). I think the tuna really enhanced the potato flavor. We then got the half order of the Pollo a la brasa - which was just as good this second time. The chicken is tender and flavorful and the 3 sauces are yummy! The side of fries, salad, rice, and beans just give it a little extra something, although I could do with a different type of salad dressing than the ranch-like thing they serve. While it's just half a chicken, there's plenty of other sides to get you full. We also ordered the pork fried rice - which seems unassuming but was DELICIOUS! Every bit had a little something - pork, seafood, veggies! I would definitely get this again. So far, every dish has not disappointed at Tanta. It's going to be hard to choose what to get next time!
(5)Allison H.
Tanta. What an awesome, delicious and fun dining experience - not to mention the perfect place to celebrate my birthday. I can't wait to go to a brunch here, which I hear are not to be missed. This is the only place I've ever had octopus that was perfectly tender and savory. And the drinks..
(5)Ricardo d.
Brunch options are strange. We tried the Lomoito Saltado, it was tasty buy the meat was too raw. The Pollo a la brasa came with a egg tortilla, weird combination. The worse: my wife fell down right in the front door, nobody, and mean, no one from the restaurant neither the valet parking guy, even approach to her, even after she was laying down for almost a minute, I would not come back.
(2)Daniella A.
This place is amazing!!!! Best pisco sour I've ever had! And unbelievable different food options that are all delicious! I have to go back to try the rest of the menu!
(5)Skir S.
I love the Vegan dish they have with quinoa with veggies, as being vegan that option is perfect just one minus that dish and all my friends have complained that everything is very salty.
(4)Sarah S.
My girlfriends and I tried this restaurant based on the Chicago magazine article, Best new restaurants Chicago 2014". We were especially excited since we hadn't tried Peruvian food before. We were not disappointed! Everything was delish! They start you off with plantain chips and a sirachi ish dipping sauce. We got the ahi tuna ceviche it was very light. We ordered two fish items "top two on menu, under fish" can't remember names but soooo wonderful. Puréed Lima beans, cilantro sauce. Also we ordered beef stir fry who two if us shared, it was tender, yucas were unique and interesting, vegis, and rice. The staff was very knowledgable! The waitress is in love with their food, me knew the menu front and back everything she told us was spot on! If ur passionate about food try Tanta!
(5)Lyng-Hou R.
I took my family here for dinner with high expectations back in December after trying Tanta and other Acurio's restaurants in Lima and we left right after the appetizers totally disappointed both for the bad server we had and the bland taste of the food. They also brought us a 'pisco sour' made with tequila. Hello? Are you serious? Despicable!
(2)Stacey K.
Totally delicious, but totally pricey. Be prepared to pay a lot of money for a little bit of (albeit lovely) food. Cocktail standouts are the Lima Llama and La Rusa. For food, be sure to try the Pollo Skewers and the Ahi ceviche.
(4)Karen T.
I had my birthday dinner here at Tanta with friends, and I'm so glad I made that choice. The evening got off to a bumpy start because there was confusion with our seating time. Initially I made the res for 4 ladies at 8 a few weeks in advance. Then the week prior, I switched it to 5 ladies at 8:30 pm. When we got there, they told us they only saw the original reservation, so we had no table. It was pretty awkward. but thankfully they got us seated into a small booth quickly. We had a round of pisco sours while we waited, which were pretty fab. To start: we shared an order of the street food feast, with anticuchos, empanadas, potato huancaina, and pan con chicharron. ($28 normal) The order was expanded for us and our table of 5. That was really wonderful & started the meal off on a high note. Next we had a ceviche tasting ($28) - again, a simple way to try multiple iterations of a dish and get a broader impression of Tanta's style. We also had the jalea ($22), which was peruvian style fried seafood, yuca, avocado salsa, cebiche sauce - this one sold us at yuca and kept us for everything. The lomo saltado ($29) was also excellent - a beef stir-fry with red onions, tomatoes, rustic potatoes, cilantro, we devoured this one in record time considering the fact we had so much food on the table. Finally, a beautiful chinese-influenced "chaufa aeropuerto" rounded out the meal very well. I normally have huge biases against ordering fried rice in restaurants, but this pork based one ($18) with a shrimp tortilla and spicy garlic was as elevated a fried rice as it gets. Totally worth it. To cap it all off, for dessert they gave me la tapioca de coco ($8): pineapple compote, pineapple sorbet, vanilla crunch & coconut foam. It was so good. Perfect balance of sweet & tart, and not too heavy. So when we got to our table, I was in a little bit of a grumpy mood because of the confusion, but by the time we left we were all in high spirits. I'd absolutely try to come back.
(4)Elina S.
We came to Tanta for the finale of my husband's birthday week long celebration and absolutely fell in love. I do have to say that we were just in South America earlier this year, didn't hit up Peru, however we saw all of Chile and Argentina and really got an authentic feel of South American food, and I was worried that Tanta wouldn't live up to our expectations, but oh chico (boy), Tanta really impressed! First of all, we had a later reservation on a Saturday night around 9pm which is a little late for me, but the place was packed so we had to make due and we really wanted to get in, so if you want a 7pm, I suggest you call like now. My friend and I got here first and we waited a few minutes for our hubbies, and the hostess actually let us sit down which was super nice of her. I mean, how many restaurants have open tables and no one lets you sit down!? Loved all the pictures on the walls, very authentic to the artistic nature of Peru, definitely appreciated the Adriana Lima as well. Okay, so we started with their famous Pisco Sours which we also had in Chile and I hate to admit it, but these were better! Definitely not cheap, but enough to get you tipsy and loved the flavor so don't skip out on those. The complimentary plantain chips were freaking amazing, possibly my favorite thing with this spicy alioli sauce, totally wanted a second basket but had to save up room for all the stuff we got..... 1. Street Food Feast for $28- anticuchos, empanadas, potato huancaina, pan con chicharron, which is basically a bunch of appetizers, empanadas were my absolute favorite, had a kick to them! The pork belly sandwiches were all delicious. The potatoes and the chicken on sticks I could have done without. It's a lot of food for that amount, definitely a must get! 2. Chupe for $22- Traditional peruvian stew with prawns, potatoes, aji panca, was simmering hot when it was brought out, with this warm toast, very delicious and lots of shrimp also floating around, definitely a must get as well! 3. Pollo a la brasa full for $32 half for $19- a huge amish chicken, and seriously half portion is big enough to share, the meat just falls off the bone, served with beans, this white rice with corn, rustic potatoes and like three different aji sauces. Literally I thought the best chicken was at Girl & the goat, but this gave it a run for it's money! Absolutely divine and something you should try. Overall, and I rarely give 5 stars unless I was truly impressed but Tanta blew us away, from the quality of the food, to the super friendly service, to the cool atmosphere that wasn't overly loud despite being packed. I cannot wait to come back again and try some of their ceviche and duck, all the dishes looked amazing and even get some dessert next time because we were just stuffed! My only suggestion is to not bring out all the hot dishes at once! But wow, Tanta you're on my top 10 Chicago right now!!
(5)Rosa C.
Great Peruvian food, great environment, nice chill out place. Ask for the chef Jesus Delgado. Great service! My favorite dish: ceviche.
(5)Greg G.
I'm updating my review since I came here to the "brand new cool rooftop" last Friday night. It was awful. So the following is strictly for their rooftop: I showed up around 7:00PM Friday night expecting a massive crowd on the rooftop, I mean that's what everyone does in Chicago in the summer right? Drink and eat on rooftops. I opened the door to the rooftop and to my surprise it was half empty, whoa! Got a table right away for 6 and I thought we hit jackpot. I soon found out why it was empty... Fast forward 15 minutes later we hear 2 waitresses arguing about who should take our table. One says "I don't want it, you take it" the other just says "nah" and they both walk away. What?! You don't want a table with 6 people all dressed in nice business clothes so you know you're going to get a good tip? My mind was blown. Finally about 20 minutes later we got some water and a 3rd waitress came to take our order. She seemed stressed out as hell. We got some drinks, which took about 15 minutes to get, and we ordered 2 small plates which took another 20 minutes to come out. The entire time everyone else on the rooftop was complaining about the service as well. I saw about 15-20 people walk around hopelessly trying to get a drink and then just leave the restaurant. I'm pretty sure this restaurant doesn't share tips with their wait staff because there's just absolutely no way waiters would ignore that many people if they knew they would get a tip. This rooftop has so much potential, new wait staff, faster bartenders, a hostess that helps you as soon as you get to the top, are all musts for this place. Until they fix it, I'll never bring anyone back here, which sucks because I have been recommending this place to all my coworkers and friends, not anymore I guess. The downstairs part of the restaurant is a different experience, I've been there for dinner and it was much better.
(2)Vipin K.
Went to Tanta for my wife's birthday earlier this month and we had an absolutely lovely time. We ordered 2 appetizers and 2 entrees and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. The ceviche and chicken skewers we had were incredibly flavorful and well prepared. The ceviche was quite unique with a sweeter taste than what I'm accustomed to along with peanuts (I really enjoyed the difference in texture and flavor). The entrees were on point. My wife had the pork fried rice which might be on the list of dishes that have pleasantly surprised me. Not only was the portion generous but the flavor and spices were amazing. I had the leg of lamb, which while paired with crispy kale and a quinoa polenta with mushrooms, was a bit under-seasoned for my taste. I could have just eaten a dish of the quinoa polenta though, it was delicious. Service was very pleasant. Our server was knowledgeable about the menu and gave good recommendations when asked. Price is definitely on the higher side but not outrageous. We'll definitely be back.
(5)rick s.
Roof top is a great way to wait for your table, awesome team they have recruited kudos to hiring manager ! Drinks are on point and well balanced. Food makes me want to work here! Pork fried rice with no left overs. Desert "Alfajor " mi amor! Our server from nawlins was rock solid and owe that guy a drink ...excellent
(5)Brian O.
I never had Peruvian food before and I must say it was delicious! Definitely bring lots of money here, because the portions are small and you need to order a lot of small plates to fill your belly. Drinks were fun and fancy! Love the ambiance!
(4)Meredith B.
Two months after my birthday, I went for the world's most belated birthday dinner with my boyfriend to check out Tanta! Glad we had reservations because this place was buzzing on a Saturday night, with lots of well-dressed people holding cocktails and eyeing our table with greed and jealousy. In a celebratory mood, I started with the Pisco Punch, which is allegedly a "cocktail on tap." Cocktails on tap!? Is this heaven? I'm not really accustomed to pisco and I liked it but wasn't over the moon about the drink. Their food menu has lots of unique options, plates to share and mains, many with an Asian twist. Apparently there is a large Chinese population in Peru, so that explains that! We started with the chifa cebiche, stunningly fresh fish with a very delicate ginger-sesame flavor. You definitely have to get a cebiche while you're here, it's a great, light way to start a meal. Moving on, we tried an anticucho (skewer), street food style, and sweet baby jesus you should get the Corazon. Yes that means "heart," and no they are not being metaphorical - it's beef heart. But if you don't think you like weird animal parts, you are probably wrong, because it honestly tasted just like regular beef...the heart is a muscle after all, so the texture was actually quite similar. And it was DELICIOUS! I think it was the highlight of our meal. Absolutely delectable. For my main, I got the Chaufa Aeropuerto, which was pork fried rice with a shrimp tortilla. It was delicious, easily the best fried rice I've ever had, but as I was eating it I think part of me wondered why I had just gotten fried rice at a place like this?? I mean, it is the most gourmet, savory, indulgent version of it that you could imagine. It was wonderful with the fluffy shrimp-egg tortilla mixed in. But still, it is fried rice. There is a ceiling of greatness. I wasn't disappointed, but I'd split it with friends as a (huge) side and maybe get something else for your main? It's a heavy dish, served extremely hot in a stone bowl, and all that rice gets filling quickly. We were way too full for dessert, unfortunately. Too bad since I think our server was going to give us a free one for my birthday, but feels weird accepting something for my birthday two months after the fact! Service was pretty fast and the waiter was knowledgeable and helpful when explaining the menu. I'm really glad I checked the place out. WIth a menu this interesting, you are bound to get some hit-or-miss, but even the "miss" was only a miss compared to the out-of-this-world hits! It's a fun place with unique food and a great atmosphere, and worth a try if you want a trendy night out.
(4)Tamara F.
I recently had a wonderful dinner at Tanta. It was a lively and fun place, smaller than expected based on how many people have been here. I loved our clear view from the high top into the chef's area. We had the Pisco Sour drink to start off with (I generally have eggs for breakfast and not in my drink, but it was very light tasting and good!), They suggest you select one or two things from each portion of the menu (I loved the selections from the Causitas section and everything I tried on those perivuan whipped potatoes was nirvana!). My server was great with suggesting items that did not have scallops in them or even items that have been touched by a scallop which is nice and I cringe at admitting to any food allergies as they just highlights another layer of being a pain in the ass. But, its always better that than the epi-pen.
(4)Samantha H.
I was really excited to go to Tanta after spending quite a bit of time in Peru this year. So I should say that while it is touted as Peruvian, it is not traditional Peruvian. You will not find Alpaca or Guinea Pig on the menu and the flavors are more Asian that Peruvian. However when you get there they do tell you this. The Pisco Sours were not the greatest. I thought they were too sweet compared to what you really get in Peru. The food was very tasty though and the service was great. We started with the tasting of ceviches. Again, not a standard flavor profile but extremely well done. All three of them were different flavor profiles and all three of them awesome. We then got the octopus, which I think was my favorite dish of the night. Unbelievably succulent octopus on top of chimichurri potatoes, yes please! This was down right perfect. We also tried the pork fried rice, which was probably my least favorite dish. Definitely not Peruvian but also just too much sweet flavor. It was nicely prepared rice but I did not feel the flavor profile fit along with the rest of the meal. We got the pork belly and the beef cheeks. The pork belly was good, but it is pork belly so that was no surprise. It was tasty though. The beef cheeks were fork tender and extremely well prepared. Overall I would say the ceviches, beef cheeks, and octopus are A+ dishes. If you like pork belly, this will not disappoint but take a pass on the fried rice. Also get the jalepeno cocktail as opposed to the Pisco Sour.
(4)sushi t.
I thought everything we ordered was delicious and we had 6 different dishes. 4 tasting and 2 entree types. They kept filling our waters and asking if everything was ok as well. Even the chef came by & the manager, also our server of course. Excellent service!
(5)Eric G.
LOUD! but tasty ;)
(4)Giana C.
One of the best meals I've have in the city recently! Come with a big group so you can try a ton of dishes-- share everything. Our server Ralph was excellent! He shared some great recs and couldn't have been more helpful.
(5)lisa n.
Unforgettable Christmas Eve dinner this year at Tanta! The service was above and beyond, tentitive, and fast. You know when a restaurant has great service when the chefs are making an effort to interact and checkup on your meal. That was my case. Chef came out to recommend selections, of course I listened and was beyond pleased with what we had chosen! The food here just resemble passion, fun, and good food. Fresh. Colorful. Vibrate. Great restaurant for families and groups! Thank you Tanta for the amazing eating experience.
(5)steve b.
We had a good meal here, but not great; service was spotty (we never got our plantain chips!) and the server wasn't around much. The Ceviche flight was good, but the portions too small to justify the $28 cost. Drinks were the highlight of the meal, for sure. Won't be in a rush to go back, though.
(3)Gris M.
I came to try this restaurant from Toronto. I was very disappointed by my experience. First, we made a reservation for six, but when we got there they thought it was for two so we had to wait for over twenty minutes for a table. Then my cousin was allergic and asked for no shrimp in her jalea but then she found two shrimps. Last, the food wasn't that great. A disappointment!!
(2)Carol K.
Loved everything about this place except for the noise level which had me yelling across the table at my dining companion! I think I had a better conversation with the guy who was sitting at the table next to me cuz at least I could hear him! But that aside- the food and the service at Tanta rocked! We went on a weeknight and the place was packed so I can't imagine what a weekend might look like here. We were seated promptly for our reservation and Nicholas, our server, was over in a flash to make sure we had his suggestions on drinks, etc. I went with his suggestions for the entire night and boy does Nicholas know his stuff! First- the drink. They have a interesting cocktail menu so I ordered the "lima llama" with barsol quebranta pisco, lime, and ginger beer. Yum! Seriously- my friend put it best that this thing could get you in trouble as it goes down like lemonade! For dinner- we went with a range of items from the menu. The top half of the menu is small, tapas type foods with the entrees being at the bottom. We started with the ceviche sampler which should have been an indicator of how the rest of the night was going to go as these three ceviches were great. One was shrimp, one was ahi tuna and one was fluke but all tasted fantastic! Next up? We went with a couple of the causitas. Not sure what that translates to but picture little mounds of whipped yellow potatoes topped with things like ahi tuna or crab and avocado (of those two I preferred the ahi tuna as the crab felt a little "tuna salad" like) For our entree, we split the whole Peruvian chicken. I loved the way this was served, on a huge platter with rice, beans, greens and an array of sauces to spice it up. And that chicken fell right off of the bone. Know that there were plenty of entrees to choose from, fish, beef and even something called "Street food feast" which sounded more traditional. And we liked the Asian influence on the menu as well with the various spices and fried rice offerings. And finally- for dessert, (like we needed more food) there is an interesting range of items. Nicholas once again came to our rescue by steering us to something that looked like donut holes filled with warm chocolate and served with lemon grass ice cream. Sweet and decadent- these chocolate bombs simply explode in your mouth! If you drive- there is valet parking which will run you about $12. All in all- if you love Peruvian food served in a contemporary environment by people who really know their stuff- stop into Tanta. But bring your ear plugs cuz trust me . . .you're going to need them!
(4)Gustavo D.
Lights out Peruvian food. There's not much that I can say aside from this being one of the best meals I have ever had the pleasure of eating.
(5)Dave S.
Started with the Nikei Ceviche, which had an excellent citrus zing to it. The combination of flavors in the pobre make it a must order: sweet sushi style bed of rice topped with wagyu skirt steak and a tiny sunny side up quail egg. Unbelievable. Beef heart skewer is topped with the same tasty cream sauce they give with the comp chips and was nice and tender. Lastly had the salmon, which had it's own tasty cream sauce. The best part of this was actually the grilled calamari that came on the side. The waiter said the grilled octopus is to die for. After trying that 1 piece of calamari, I'll have to try the octopus next time!
(4)Kate M.
Tanta, I'm smitten with you. I had a very good dinner at Tanta. The cebiche tasting was delicious. Personally, I'm not a fan of spicy food (I'm a delicate flower) but none of the three I tried were too spicy to mask the delicious flavors. My favorite was the nikei cebiche (yes, they spell it with a "b") which was tuna, avocado, cucumber, and tamarind. It was delicious. Everything on the street food feast was good too. The pan con chicarron was wonderful. For dessert the tapioca and pineapple dish was very good. It wasn't too big or too small, just the right portion of sweetness to complete a great meal. Of course, I didn't just have food. What's a good meal without a drink, or three? Since I love trying specialty cocktails I had to taste a few of them at Tanta. I think of the few I sipped the Lima Llama was my favorite, although too much ice. The service was great. I was totally overwhelmed with all the tasty sounding dishes and drinks and asked our server to help, which he did a great job of. He was friendly and attentive but didn't pester us. We were early for our reservation but they were able to seat us right away which was great, as I was starving and I get fairly whiny when I'm hungry. The decor in the dining room and the music are a perfect complement to the food and drinks. It all flows together very well to create a great experience. The semi creepy painting of a woman's face in the bathroom I could do without, but I'll just wear a blindfold next time. I look forward to my next trip to Tanta to try more of their Peruvian delicacies. Hopefully I'll be back soon...
(5)Juli G.
As a Peruvian I can tell you this restaurant does not really represent Peruvian food. Tanta is a gourmet restaurant (small size for $$$) and with some terrible variation in the typical dishes. 1. The Pollo a la brasa: the typical pollo a la brasa does not come with white rice as a size dish. The fried potatoes were good, but it was not the typical taste. The salad was plain and tasteless. The chicken was just OK (too small and little cold inside). My rate is 4/10. 2. The ceviche was not good. Small, a lot of onions, $$$, and with fruits??? My rate is 0/10. 3. Picarones: this was the best. They were sweet and soft as expected, although they were kind of small. My rate: 8/10 In general, I will not come back or recommend it. If you want to taste a great pollo a la brasa, go to De Candela restaurant. The pollo a la brasa is amazing, ironically the cook is not from Peru.
(2)Saurabh P.
I had a great dining experience here, had no idea that Peruvian food was so delicious. The waiter explained that Peruvian food was the original fusion cuisine, being influenced by various cultures. Everything from the traditional Peruvian drinks to the fresh ingredients and flavors made this an exceptional dining experience. The menu could have been intimidating, but our waiter did a good job of explaining it which allowed us to make great choices. I didn't regret any of the items that we ordered, there were a few others that I am anxious to try during my next visit. Its a great place to go with friends and share. You'll miss out if you order something for yourself and don't get to experience many of the wonderful choices on this menu.
(5)Elle M.
I've been trying to get to Tanta for months. Luckily my coworkers have excellent taste and we all decided this was where we should go for our department Xmas dinner. It was absolutely fantastic. I cannot think of one dish I wouldn't want more of. We got the ahi potato roll "sushi", the grilled octopus (amazing), the corn cake, the mahi ceviche, the ahi passion fruit crudo, the pork fried rice, one of the fish, the beef tenderloin, and the beef cheeks. I think my favorites were the beef cheeks and the octopus, but I'm forcing myself to choose. I seriously doubt you can possibly go wrong with anything you order from the entire menu. The food is so unique and completely packed with flavor. It's truly unlike anything else I've had in Chicago. And the drinks are awesome too. It may have taken me months to get here, but I certainly hope it doesn't take me that long to get back (so I don't have to share with five other people). Yay, Tanta!
(5)Martha Z.
Delicious food, good wine, fun vibe! We will definitely be back and will recommend to friends for some food a little off the beaten track!
(4)Paul M.
It's too loud and the waiter service is too inattentive. The food is meh. The dish I had was interesting but not great. The Pisco Sour is a new drink to me, but it could use to ditch the cinnamon on top. We had some ceviche (or cebiche) as an appetizer but the fish was cut too unevenly so the larger chunks were not tender enough. My expensive entrée was served incorrectly without the bok choi on the menu. When I asked the waiter about it, later some flunky just dumped a bowl of steamed bok choi near my plate. I'm sure everyone regrets that the huge bank of windows at the front of the restaurant overlooks a Bank of America drive-thru. I'm not a fan.
(2)Poloprincez Z.
Husband and I came here on Valentine's Day and it was delicious! The food was unique, tasty and very flavorful. The ambiance is nice for a date, but it can get a little loud. We had reservations but had to wait 20 minutes, understandable because it was Valentine's Day.
(4)Yira M.
The food is amazing the drinks the best try the Pulpo and the tasting of the ceviches
(5)Emily J.
Tanta was very delicious. Our waitress was helpful in deciding what to order. I will defiantly be going back. Prices are reasonable in the River North area. Only complaint is the noise level. You have to shout to have a conversation, so that's the only downfall. Overall, I highly recommend this place.
(5)Scott C.
Yahtzee!! Are you craving a diverse Peruvian cuisine experience with some fab twists?? Tanta is the place that does not disappoint! This review is a bit tardy in coming but I can say the multiple times that I have been here with friends, we have tasted everything on the menu and so, so much flavor and awesome presentation! Word to the wise, order the beef cheek! Cocktails are in tune with the theme, lima llama & el chingon baabeah! Staff is very knowledgeable, trust me they know the details! During the summer, the 2nd floor rooftop space has a great vibe and is always hoppn'! Menu is limited up there but a great place to start the night or grab a drink while waiting for your seating! Dress to impress with a casual cool flair...scene to be seen!
(5)Lily Z.
Boy and I came for date night last week. We ordered -Power ceviche: Not impressed whatsoever. Overpriced and wished there wasn't such a huge mound of red onions underneath -Steak and Ahi tuna nigiri: We both thought there was too much rice in each bite. I don't know if I preferred one over the other. -Jalea? (Fried seafood with corn): I loved the sauce that came with the fish. The corn tasted almost like corn nuts! -Veal cheek: absolutely delicious. I loved the green puree underneath and it melted in my mouth. Boy thought it was too fatty. Along with a bottle of wine, our meal came to about $175? Not a cheap place at all, but it's something different if you're looking for a new place for date night! I would come back to try their fried snapper. Our waiter was very helpful with the menu. A little bit too helpful because he wouldn't stop talking about every single item on the menu.
(4)Candice N.
I went here last night for my birthday dinner with my two girlfriends. It was AMAZING. I know it was only Thursday but we were sat right at the time of our reservation. The food was delicious. The cherry on top though was our server, Becky. She was great! She knew the menu and had great recommendations. She was super friendly. She noticed that my friends had brought me a present and wished me a happy birthday and gave us champagne. She didn't even have to be told it was my birthday. Becky was just tuned in, and present with us throughout our meal. Afterwards we didn't feel rushed and felt comfortable to sit and talk. Best birthday dinner in a LONG time.
(5)Jordan E.
Unfortunately, I have to update my review to 2 stars. This used to be my favorite restaurant in the city until my last experience. I went in for brunch and explained to my waiter that I have a shellfish allergy before ordering. The waiter assured me that I didn't need to worry and that he would let the kitchen know. After eating my food it became very clear that there was shellfish in my food and I was having an allergic reaction. Luckily, my allergy is not life-threatening but I was very sick the rest of the day. I no longer trust Tanta's kitchen and will not be returning.
(2)Brian K.
Great restaurant. My wife and I just ate here. I have dined at a number of other Peruvian restaurants in the country and I can say the staff made this one of the best. Our server was amazing, the busser was on point, and the manager did a great job. Everything about the meal was perfect. I have been a server for over 10 years and for me to say that a meal was perfect is saying a lot. I highly recommend this wonderful restaurant for unique favors prepared perfectly with amazing service. Thank you Tanta.
(5)Lisa P.
I kept walking by this restaurant since it opened and it always looks packed with people so I decided to make a reservation here for my friend's 30th birthday last Friday. Wow, were we impressed! Innovative and interesting dishes, all were flavorful and reasonably priced. Most of us hadn't tried a great deal of Peruvian dishes; thankfully our waiter was happy to point out favorites and knowledgable about the menu. Our entire table of 6 all enjoyed every dish we ordered. I will definitely be coming back & look forward to sampling more Peruvian cuisine at this hip joint!
(5)Annie N.
Food was outstanding - fresh cebiches (we had the tasting), smokey savory octopus skewers, luscious corn cake were the highlight of our meal. The fried rice left a little to desire but it had some very good burned/crunchy pieces at the bottom. I have do admit the corn was a little over-used as we found it in many of our dishes but I loved that corn so I didn't mind. It has been a while since I left so satisfied with a meal and wanting to come back to try more. The service was alright - the male host was rather rude in the beginning. He was going for an Oliver-Rousteing-look-a-like vibe and walked through the restaurant with his ipad as if it was his catwalk and he was modeling tablets. Unfortunately he forgot to do the one thing he was supposed to do: greet and seat customers. When I entered and said I had 2 people, his immediate response was "Oh, no reservation?" with a sour face. Rude! Well in fact I did have one, and he seemed like he didn't even want us there. We did not receive service for a good 10-12 minutes, not even water. Our server was nice, but he had a big party so he seemed a little short with us. When we asked for suggestion he went through a well rehearsed speech about the menu which was both comprehensive and lengthy. It was a little painful though as he had bad breath and we had to endure it for a little bit, which shouldn't be the case at any restaurant (servers with bad breath that is). All and all we picked out some good options but I wish I had gone with the seafood stew or the jaela - also skip the Amish chicken - very average and basically just a variety of dipping sauce, grilled chicken and some sad looking fries. The ambiance was nice but a little cold. They have a medium size dinning room but it was packed so reservation is recommended. Lots of choices so I'd suggest going with a group so you can try more. They have a well selected, fairly priced wine list too.
(4)Alex H.
This was my second time going to Tanta. A friend and I went without a reservation and were put on the list for a table. While we waited, we sat at an empty table on the roof and had cocktails and some small bites. I love very light and fresh drinks, so I had the Pisco Pepe and the Pisco Sour. Both very delicious, however, Pepe is a little more light than the Sour. I suggest that. My date had the El Chingon. It had an incredible ice ball that is supposed to melt and give off a spicy flavor. While it was my preference, he liked it and it was very cool aesthetically. We ate some small plates while we waited. The empanada sampler and the shrimp ceviche. Both were very good (and very filling!). So much so that we didn't even end up going to dinner. Mostly because a huge rain cloud set in and we couldn't wait any longer, but also because we were stuffed!
(4)Andrew P.
Went here on a date with my wife. This is my first experience in Peruvian food and Tanta. Service was impeccable, ambiance hip, and food spectacular. 3 things that made it the best food I have ordered in Chicago: - Pisco Sour like a complex, sipping version of margarita party in your mouth. - Nikei Cebiche - I would consider giving up drinking to eat this for the rest of my life if it weren't for the pisco sour. - Lomo Saltado - BOOM! Stop reading this post, get an Uber, get to Tanta!
(5)Jeremia F.
All I have to say is what an experience! I wasn't sure what to expect, before coming here to dine and was looking over the menu that looked like a strong asian influence. I can't lie there we basically had just about one of everything so I'm not going to elaborate on each menu item. First off,the drink menu is extensive and can satisfy everyone from a martini, beer drinker to a wine enthusiast. The cebiches are outstanding and I think that they are a must to start off your experience. We went with the tasting which is a delicious option. The classico was a standout in the tasting.This was also my first experience eating corazon (beef heart). I wish places I ate could prepare most everything in the fashion of Tanta's beef heart. It was served with very flavorful chimichurri. If you aren't sure what to get I would say go big or go home, Go with Pollo A La Brasa! This whole chicken is so tender and juicy and can easily feed 2-3 people. The sides that accompany this dish are also delicious and the serving sizes are large so you better be hungry if you are ordering this with only 2 people. The Street Food feast while it sounds appealing it was probably the least exciting thing we had. While it was good I just didn't feel that anything was as in your face flavorful or delicious as the other items we had tried. It too was a large amount of food. We also tried some items off of the Niguiris Nikei menu and I can't remember which because atthis point there was so much food on the table it was hard to keep track of what everything was but it too was a very tasty morsel of goodness but remember that it is essentially nigiri sushi so the serving size is small but delicious. This was easily the best meal I have had on my brief visit to Chicago and wouldn't hesitate that it was one of the best meals I have had in months. Just the experience of this establishment is worth the visit. Come with friends so you can try everything!
(5)Sam A.
Excellent food, a bit pricey but expected in river north. Started on the rooftop, they have a bar menu which looked very appealing but had dinner reservations for the restaurant. Waitress was very helpful and even understand dietary restrictions I had and had the kitchen accommodate us. I would definitely come back as the menu has a variety of items that we couldn't even try this time around. Ask for the fried rice with chicken instead of pork, it was amazing!
(4)Stella W.
The service was good, our server was so knowledgeable about the menu and gave us good recommendation. We had this pork belly dish that was the night's specials. Easily the best dish of the night. So tender (but it's pork belly, how could it NOT be tender?!) and falling off the bone (why is there bone with pork belly? not too sure, but we still love those slabs of meat). The ceviche with the juice/cold soup was my other favourite of the night. But I love simple fish dish, so it's hard not to be my faves unless they really mess it up with tons of seasoning and bad fish... The rest were just so-so. The pork fried rice...it's just greasy bacon fried rice, covered with shrimp omelette and this thai tangy sweet and sour sauce, drenched in oil (did i already mention GREASY?!). There was puddle of oil left at the bottom of the bowl after we finished it... The beef nigiri with quail egg. i could get that at any japanese place...nothing special there that worth the price tag... The drinks were good... All in all, i agreed with a couple other reviewers...no compelling reasons to go back...
(2)Fernando T.
Tanta did not disappoint. And it did not disappoint again, and again... We've been to Tanta a copule of times now, so this review somewhat summarizes our visits. Reservations are a must, unless you want to be seated at the bar. And I've taken a peek at the bar, and it's been packed. So play it safe. On all occasions we were seated soon after arriving. Food and drinks: Chips with "chifles" (or plantain chips) along with a savory sauce, slightly spicy (aji amarillo base) were brought to our table. The menu offered a variety of Pisco-based drinks. In order to be a good Peruvian restaurant, you have to get the Pisco Sour right. And they did. Very well balanced. Recipe is on the wall behind the bar. But you have to use fresh lemon juice. Nicely done! Pisco punch - very nice, loved the pineapple. Lima Llama - very nice too, can easily down a couple, with possible dangerous consequences. Cebiche- Foodgasm alert!! Excellent! Very fresh! An explosion of goodness in your mouth. Had the cebiche clasico, wish there was more. I would keep going back just for this! Street Fest- Chicken anticuchos, very tasteful (I prefer the beef heart), papitas with huancaina sauce (I like them a tad spicier), empanadas - very yummy! and pan con chicharron (pork belly), even yummier! This one is for sharing. Chalana - a causita sampler. "Causita" means, "little causa". Causa is mashed potato, filled with different things. Here in Tanta, with crab, ahi tuna or fish escabeche. All of them, delicious! Lomo saltado - delicious! One of the best I've had, ever. They did use a different cut for the potatoes, which was a bit awkward. But I'll get back to that. Carapulcra - You have to know your Peruvian cooking to put this dish on the menu. Very bold, and very nicely done! This one comes in at a solid third place, after my grandmother and my mom's carapulcra. I like mine just a bit spicier. Arroz con pato - duck was so good, cooked just right. Very hearty. Another bold decision, but well done. Chaufa aeropuerto - in other words, a "combinado", or combination of arroz chaufa (Peruvian fried rice) and tallarin saltado (stir fried noodles). Ask that your server crack the egg tableside. Just do it. Foodgasm alert again. Chicha morada - purple corn drink, which I guess some folks would find too sweet, hence the ice-filled glass. I prefer mine without the ice. Yum! Picarones - Foodgasm alert number three! Pumpkin and sweet potato yumminess! And chancaca! You will know what that is after eating this! Trust me! Tanta is Peruvian food, with street cred. Peruvian flavors with a sassy, street vibe. It is not a typical, Peruvian food restaurant. Even for someone who's eaten Peruvian food all his life, Tanta is a burst of exciting and delicious surprises. Our servers have been great. Only the last time, was our server a bit crabby and off her mark. She's served us before, but the last time was not her night. It did not alter the course of the evening, but I will take away 1/2 star. 4.5 stars for Tanta. I will be back again.
(4)Jahna L.
We enjoyed the food at Tanta but I will most likely not come back. Our waiter was extremely rude and inattentive. I was meeting a friend from out of town and we were spending a bit of time catching up. The waiter came over and asked if we would ever stop talking so that he could do his job. Yikes! The rest of the evening played out on a similar tone with the waiter. We asked for his recommendations and he suggested the octopus...ok, that is it? Overall, the food was very delicious. We enjoyed the cerviche, the octopus and a few other 'street food' items. The price was absurd given how rude our waiter was though.
(3)Shardool P.
I went to Tanta in the first weeks of their opening. The space is great. It has modern lightining, finishes, and a darkness to it complemented by bright artwork and sleek decoration. As was highly recommended, I ordered the pisco sour and it was perfectly balanced, a little creamy, and just a really delicious drink -- I'm going to have to jump on the Pisco wagon now myself! No need to over order, as they give you these delicious plantain chips with an amazing garlic sauce to munch on in between courses, and it gets quite filling. We ordered a few dishes, the ones I recall now that stood out were the pulpo (octopus) which was great texture and taste, and the lomo saltado (beef stir-fry). The lomo saltado was amazing, it was very tender, juicy, and had an intense balanced smokey flavor that makes you just want to keep eating! I even had it for leftovers later and it was phenomenal. We both really enjoyed Tanta and didn't really have many complaints. The only things I would say could have used improvement was if the tables were slightly more spaced, as we had an older couple next to us intruding on our conversation throughout our meal. For a high end restaurant of this price point, I expect some room to breathe and have a reasonably private experience. Other than that, all smiles here and we look forward to returning!
(4)Al P.
Very solid and interesting option in a city that has it all. I've been in several restaurants with the Gaston Acurio brand, especially his Lima locations, and this is a much better version of the original Peruvian locations. This one has a complete different menu, different options, different kind of service. The only thing I didn't like is that the huancaina sauce is really spicy (I had dinner with 2 Peruvian cooks and we all agreed on that), the ceviche is good and the place is too noisy. Anyway, it's a place to come back definitely.
(4)Michael A.
Great choice for trying something new. Our waiter was great explaining the menu of an unfamiliar cuisine. We had the Pulpo (octopus) very good, the Ahi tuna very good also and the scallop which was the best of the three apps. And split the pork fried rice dish for the entrée again very good. Will try it again next time in Chicago.
(4)Tanmaye B.
Amazing Peruvian food! We started with cocktails (the Lima Llama was great, an interesting take on the Moscow Mule), the cebiche clásico, and causita tasting plate. The nikei was so good that we ended up ordering another round! I got the chicharrón for dinner - the super tender and juicy pork belly went really well with the sweet potato. Truly delicious cuisine in a really fun and vibrant setting.. I can't wait to come back!
(5)Chris M.
Great atmosphere and excellent food. Service was a little slow. I've only been there once so I cannot make a judgment on whether this is a regular issue. You will probably need to plan to valet park as well. We reccomend the pulpo antichucos and the quinoa causitas.
(4)Kim B.
I love Peruvian food and was excited to try Tanta as soon as I found out about the grand opening. The boyfriend and I made the 1-hour drive into the city for a special date night and were expecting to be wowwed (chef Gaston Acurio is a very famous Peruvian chef). Unfortunately, the food (and our waiter) fell very short of our expectations. First off, our waiter was terrible! He was still in-training so each time he came to our table, someone would stand behind and supervise him. It would have been nice to be informed of this from the start. We found the menu difficult to navigate and our waiter only added to our confusion. He gave us a long and very awkward 5-minute speech about the menu and Peruvian cuisine that was not helpful at all. His explanation was filled with uncomfortable pauses as he tried to figure out what to say next. He couldn't even offer us recommendations on what to order and instead read us the descriptions that were printed on the menus. We had to flag down other staff and a manager to help us. Each interaction with our waiter got more and more uncomfortable and at one point we considered asking for another server. The food was a disappointment as well. We ordered the ceviche sampler, street food feast, and adobo de ternera (slow-cooked veal cheek). The ceviche was nothing extraordinary and consisted of only a few small pieces of fish. Definitely not worth $28. The street food feast contained several different items that either had no flavor (pork sandwich) or flavors that we didn't enjoy (roasted potatoes, chicken skewers, and empanadas). These first two dishes, combined with our awkward waiter, were so disappointing that we cancelled our main entree and decided to have dinner elsewhere. Once the waiter heard of our decision to leave, both the restaurant manager and one of the restaurant owners stopped at our table. Each of them was concerned that our experience wasn't enjoyable and asked for feedback on the meal and service. We were very honest and informed them that the food did not live up to our expectations, especially considering the price and reputation. Everyone was very nice and we were not charged for our meal. Overall, I wasn't impressed by the food at Tanta but will definitely consider returning because of the excellent service we received.
(2)Shradha A.
I was thoroughly impressed by the service, food and ambiance here. First things first, amazing service! It's so rare nowadays to visit a restaurant or bar where the staff really cares - they assume they'll get their tip anyway. Every staff member here was so positive and engaged, it was a pleasant surprise and truly added to the dining out experience. Of course, the main part is food -- I cannot think of words to describe how good the asparagus was! We also tried a couple of the quinoa dishes (I'm vegetarian) as well as the potatoes. The spices and sauces were done really well and added a lot to the taste of the food. Presentation was great - cute earthen bowls. Ambiance was fun and lively but not crazy! All in all, as good as it gets in my humble opinion and I've told at least 8 people in 24hrs that they must visit.
(5)Jen D.
Tanta was a great change of pace and is a welcome new addition in Chicago! A trip to Tanta made me realize how much I love the flavors of Peru. The ceviche trio was fantastic and was a bit different from some of the other ceviches I've had at other places. We tried most of the skewers. The octopus and chicken were my favorite. Skip the asparagus. I know it sounds silly, but the pork fried rice was our favorite thing of the night. The whole or half chicken is a great option if you have picky eaters, but if folks are more adventurous you can skip it. The entree size meats we tried were all terrific - the veal cheek (awesome - tender and flavorful), lamb shank and the duck leg. Excellent cocktails. Good service. Great atmosphere. I'll be back!
(4)Lois M.
Tanta deserves a solid 4 stars. Atmosphere- 2 1/2 stars. The only reason I can't give a 5 is that it was so loud and we were so close to the two-tops on either side of us. It seemed like we either had to shout or not talk, and I didn't want the people next to us to be forced to hear us. It was packed on a Saturday night at 8 PM and we were glad to have a reservation. It is probably better to go with a group of friends and sit at a booth or long table than to go for a romantic date night. Service/food- 5 stars. The waiter was extremely enthusiastic about the menu. I mentioned I had only had a bad experience with octopus before, and he said their pulpo preparation would change my mind. He was right! He said the anticuchos pulpo appetizer was one of their most popular dishes and deservedly so. It was not chewy or overcooked and really different than anything I've had before. The clasico cebiche had decent sized chunks of fresh fish and a truly classic Latin flavor with cilantro and lime. Also my husbands entrée the Seco Marino repeated these flavors nicely. Imagine a perfect bite of avocado and shrimp with a lime flavor. Lastly I was pleased to learn that Peru has been influenced by Asian food. My favorite part of the meal was the Cantonese style Chaufa Aeropuerto- pork fried rice, shrimp tortilla, and spicy garlic. It had a great smoky flavor and I could barely eat a third of it . The leftovers were still delicious for brunch the next day. The flavors were reminiscent of the signature dish at Fat Rice in Logan Square, serving the flavors of Macau. We would definitely go back!
(4)Sheyla V.
most authentic peruvian food in Chicago as well as best pisco sour in chicago!!! worth trying!! Im peruvian and I take all my friends there :)
(5)Jack B.
My party of four was WOW'd by the cocktails, food and service at Tanta last evening. The Pisco Sour is the best. - so flavorful and refreshing. The cocktails with the house made, flavored ice cubes are as delicious. The mixologists are talented, friendly and funny. The food was equally fabulous! Octopus, beef heart, scallops and skirt steak with quail egg were all outrageous. The pescado frito is as impressive looking as it is delicious. Desserts were also incredible. Our food server was most pleasant and very knowledgeable. We enjoyed her a lot. I can't wait to return for more.
(5)Deborah P.
Great restaurant! I only give 4*'s though cause I am from Peru so I can tell some of the dishes were changed a little (totally understandable). It was a great surprise to find out they carry Inca Kola and peruvian corn. We order a lot of dishes to share. My favorite was the heart anticuchos and picarones for desert. Definitely would go back!
(4)Aliya J.
Um, this place is everything my food dreams are made of! Complimentary crispy yucca chips with a slap-my-face-off fantastic spicy dipping sauce? Check. Ridiculously tasty and perfectly tart pisco sours? Check. Tastebud smashing food with beautifully rustic presentation? Check. Dude, this place knocked my socks off (well, that's to assume I wore/wear socks. I don't. But if I was a sock-wearing individual, they would have been gone. Knocked off. Far away). I had a fantastic meal at Tanta this past weekend. The place was bustling with zest and energy... and there were shiny, happy, smiling people in every direction I looked. We ordered, like, one of everything on the menu, and our party of 6 devoured every dish that touched our table in much the same manner that my cat maniacally devours his food (he's a fat, and is one of those crazy cats that eats every meal as if he's been starving for days... you get the picture). While every single thing was delicious, the standouts for me were the plancha anticuchera. I have never, ever seen or tasted corn so imbued with flavor! We also had this "hangover cure" drink that was so good that I woke up the next morning (with a blazing hangover, mind you) and wanted one of these. Badly. I highly recommend trying this savory drink. It was like a gazpacho, but like 100 times better. Perhaps it was the lime. I do love my lime :) I would also get the causitas - whipped potatoes. They are like little mashed potato pillows topped with different types of fish. WHAT?! I could have eaten at least 35 of these things all by myself... but alas, I had to share. What a shame When the meal was done, I was so stuffed that I had some challenges getting up and walking out. I ate SO much. But it was SO good. If you want a really fantastic food experience, please just go to Tanta. I am surprised that this place was already so on-point after recently opening. Usually, restaurants go through a rocky escapade before finally settling in... not the case here. However, I did see that this might have been the case in some of the other reviews, but that is to be expected. We had nothing but amazing service and amazing food. I can't wait to come back next time I am in Chicago!
(5)Vanessa K.
From stiff, delicious drinks to perfectly done food, this place is a can't-miss restaurant. You'll need a reservation for almost any night of the week, and I've heard brunch requires resos too if you don't want to wait an eternity. The ambiance is lovely & romantic, and lively enough for a fun group (especially a group that likes cocktails). I was going to list all the cocktails we tried, but turns out it's basically all of them. So get any one. They are all delicious. We tried the special ceviche with mango--it was amazing. If your server lists it as a special, you really should order it. We tried all the seafood dishes as well, and were pleased. Just thinking about our meal makes me want to go back.
(5)Emily S.
We went here with a group for a friend's birthday dinner. Definitely a great place for a group celebration, as the cocktail list is fun and creative and the menu lends itself to sharing. Normally when we go out with a larger group, I don't like to share because I always feel like I don't really eat all that much, especially when compared to cocktail consumption. After our meal at Tanta, I was full without being stuffed. Everything was really good - the ceviches were really fresh and tasty, and the beef cheek entree that I shared with a friend was fantastic. The plantain chips and spicy dip they bring to the table is highly addictive! Will definitely go back.
(4)Jeremy F.
Tanta is a fantastic restaurant with informative, friendly service, a trendy yet casual atmosphere with a bit of flair, and, most importantly, delicious food. Visited around 10:40 pm on a Wednesday, and were greeted warmly and given a table. Even though we came in only a little before the restaurant was supposed to close, at no point did we feel rushed or like they were anything but happy to have us there. The waiter took time to go over the menu with us, describing individual dishes and helping us decide how much to order. We started with the ceviche tasting, The classico was a very good version of a traditional Peruvian ceviche, full of piquant flavors from the acid and onions. The mixto had a bit of a kick, which complemented the wide variety of seafood nicely. The nikei had strong Japanese influences, making it an unusual and pleasantly surprising twist on the dish. This also came with plantain and potato chips, which were simple but perfectly so. We followed with three of the anticuchos, or skewered and grilled meats. The beef heart was was served on a bed of Peruvian corn and a chimichurri. The combination of flavors highlighted the texture and flavor of the meat without overpowering it. The chicken had a delicious, spicy marinade that matched well with the sweetness of the mashed sweet potatoes underneath. The octopus was amazingly tender and flavorful, paired with a sauce made from purple olives. All three anticuchos were beautifully presented with an impresive attention to detail. Next we did the chalana, a tasting of different whipped potato presentations. This was probably the weakest point of the meal. They looked stunning, presented atop a banana leaf on a boat similar to those I associate with omakase. However, while they were good they didn't rise to same level as the rest of the meal. There was a bit too much sauce and some of the flavors seemed to fight each other rather than marry and enhance. The flavors in the chaufa aeropuerto, however, married expertly. This dish was simply divine. Seriously. It was fucking awesome. It comes in a stone bowl where the pork fried rice is mixed at the table. The aroma is intoxicating. The rice along the edge and bottom of the bowl gets crispy and caramelized. It's just so good. I'm kind of angry I'm not eating it right now. I don't know if I can emphasize enough how much I liked this. Tanta's lows are still better than many places highs and their high is one of my favorite things I've ever eaten. TL:DR Get the pork fried rice. Get it. Just do it.
(5)Traci T.
Oh how I miss Chicago and its great restaurant scene. On a recent visit to catch up with a friend, Tanta fell on my radar and knew that we had to try it and it did not disappoint. We called to make a reservation but was told that they were fully booked, but suggested bar seating if we were amenable to it. Great service is a series of memorable first impressions. When we arrived, we were greeted warmly and were seated at the ceviche bar. It was awesome because we got to see the behind the scenes in action. Our server was attentive and made some great recommendations. We had the pulpo, the anticucho negiri, the criollo, and the roasted chicken. Everything was fresh and delicious. We had a slight issue with our roasted chicken that was remedied immediately. Tanta has a great staff and excellent food and will certainly be back whenever I'm in Chicago next.
(5)Linda B.
I'm always excited to try new restaurants and am not that familiar with Peruvian food so I was really looking forward to my meal. Things started off well: I had the rooster cocktail which had some really interesting flavors. I don't typically like green plantains but the chips here (with a nice mayo-based sauce on the side) were delicious. I also loved the criolla causita. So why the 3-star review? My paiche -- which I was especially excited about -- was undercooked in the center. I took most of the meal home, so I didn't realize that it wasn't cooked until I reheated and tried cutting through it and couldn't. That was pretty disappointing and it took away from what was otherwise a nice dinner.
(3)Mili E.
I'm a Peruvian living in Chicago, so I was excited to try Tanta but I was extremely disappointed to get the staples items such as Tiradito, Ceviche, Empanadas, Pollo a la Brasa and this is why: 1. Ceviche: fish was soaking in a very deluded lime juice, almost no taste 2. Empanadas: supposedly filled with flavors like tamales, didnt even get close to the flavors indicated in the menu 3. Pollo a la brasa: fried chicken on top of a bed of an omelet with some seasoning on top...that's not even close to the traditional thing at all The only thing I enjoyed was the picarones, they were great as well as the service. Not the quality of food I was expecting from Chef Gaston Acurio
(2)Rachel R.
Having been to Peru and dined at many of Gastón Acurio's restaurants, I was very excited when one opened here in Chicago! The first time we visited we started with the el piscolero to drink. They were the awesome! A nice spin on the pisco sour while still maintaining the classic flavor. We decided that we wanted to try a few things, especially since the menu was different from the Tanta in Lima. 1) Cebiche sampler: Delicious. The fish was very fresh and had a good blend of acid and spice. 2) Street food feast: A typical appetizer sampler. Everything on it was great, but the standout for me was the pan con chicharron. The perfect one bite dish. Good portion for sharing. 3) Chaufa Aeropuerto: Compared to some pretty amazing Asian restaurants in the US and international, this is probably one of my top three rice dishes ever. Each time we've been, the only downfall as been a bit of a wait for drinks. No biggie though. That issue doesn't outweigh the awesome food and great service.
(4)Robert K.
Food and service were great. I won't go into each dish we had but everything we had up and down the menu from the ceviche, sushi and pulpo to the lamb shank were perfect. Oops I almost forgot to mention drinks...el chignon is highly recommended!
(5)Oliver P.
An amazing discovery of food and flavours. Fantastic fusion between South American and Japanese. The Pisco Sours are out of this world.
(5)Norah S.
I've never had Peruvian food before but if Tanta is Peruvian I would like to visit the country! Interestingly the taste of rice bowl is really asian so that fits me well.
(5)Kadee D.
It's kinda hard to find a bad meal in Chicago but it's easy to find bad service. I was very impressed with the service and food/drinks. My husband, being from Peru, and I, Chicagoan, had high expectations and Tanta definitely met those - even exceeded them. We were nervous at first hearing from other Peruvians that it wasn't the best place they've been but I'm not sure how they could think that. Maybe they went on a bad night. Maybe they really don't know good food.... We started with the Pisco punch and Lima llama ... Great choice for those Pisco lovers, not too sweet not too sour- just perfect. For appetizers we had ceviche mixto and papa a la huancaina ... Ceviche was fabulous - huancaina could have been a littler spicer but it was still great flavor. For dinner we shared pollo a la brasa ... Again great taste. And of course for desert piccarones ... It's the only way to go since they are the only Peruvian restaurant to have them. Que rico doesn't even begin to explain this place. It was so good to have a friendly knowledgable server from Peru- thank you again to Mario. Everyone was so friendly, asking us how food was, taking empty plates quickly and chit chatting on the side about things they liked to eat from the restaurant. At the end of the meal we received alfajores.... Ha these were to die for - I really mean it ( we have a friend that makes them and they are crap compared to these) they melt in your mouth - it's a mouth orgasm after you've been through foreplay with your appetizer and meal. Lol I can see why Gastón is raved about. I also see why this place gets great reviews. I've been to Peru and ate real Peruvian food with my new family and got a real good taste of culture. I cook Peruvian food as well which is not very easy. I've been to many Peruvian restaurants in Chicago and Miami (hole in the wall, cheap and fine dining) . Hands down Tanta takes in all in the fine dining department and epic atmosphere. Some cool things to check out: upstairs outside bar lounge area (fantastic view/very modern), turrón wall down by the bathrooms (like Peruvian willy wonka) and crazy posters/painting on the walls above the toilets. If you love ceviche check out the ceviche bar you can sit and watch them make it for you. Big party, no problem - they have a chefs table package for that! Weekday nights are probably the best time to go since it is smaller and new - I could see it being packed on weekends and it being hard to get a table. We chose a Monday and it was not too crowded! Loved it :)
(5)erica f.
The acoustics are terrible but the food is great and the drinks are STRONG. The ahi tuna was better than most I've tried in the city and the lamb literally melted off the bone. So delicious. Awesome spring/summer place. PISCO SOUR
(4)Susan S.
The Peru cuisine they offered is actually fusion, influenced by Japanese, Korean and Spanish cuisine. All the dishes we ordered are pretty good!
(5)Cynthia D.
Fun atmosphere. Delicious drinks and food. I can recommend the La Rusa drink and the octopus appetizer. I thought the ceviche was just so-so.
(5)Sarah G.
First of all, I should say that I was extremely tired the night I went and so I did not enjoy my meal nearly as much as I normally would have. The restaurant reminds me of something you would find in Miami Beach, which IMHO is not a good thing. The restaurant is not particularly interesting in design or layout- there is a long bar on one side and restaurant seating on the other. The room is dimly lit and there is an ugly mural on one wall. It's louder than loud. The food is okay. My husband ordered the ceviche classico and we shared the octopus anticucho, the street food feast and the fried rice (chaufa aeropuerto.) The octopus and the fried rice were quite good as were the empanadas from the street food feast appetizer (everything else on that platter, I could have done without.) We definitely over ordered but there were so many things on that menu that we wanted to try. This place is probably better suited for larger parties, looking for a fun, lively environment. I'm just not a fan of having to yell to be heard and in all honesty, the food just did not live up to my expectations.
(3)Suzanne B.
absolutely fantastic. celebrated my boyfriends 30th bday dinner and was so happy with everything from service, to cocktails, to each and every bite of food. chicharron and fried rice were amazing entrees but really loved the cebiche sampler as well as the steak and scallop niguiris nikei and the octopus anticuchos was probably my favorite of all! yum yum yum. becomes a little pricey since you want so many options of the menu, but well worth it and cannot wait to return!
(5)Christopher V.
Excellenct service, especially considering they've been open 5-6 months. I tried a variety of menu offerings and each was flavorful and well prepared. I'll definitely be back.
(4)Ela G.
Holy crap! After a very nice message and several calls from Tanta's management, they invited our entire group back for a do-over to apologize for our bad experience. This doesn't happen often, and usually if offered, I don't dare come back...but Tanta's management really cared about turning our experience into a positive one. Well, they certainly outdid themselves. We were so nicely treated the moment we arrived, seated at a table near the kitchen, and taken care of personally by one of the sous chefs who explained every dish coming to our table. The service was amazing and the food was delicious and executed perfectly. Our first experience was soon forgotten - I would definitely come back to Tanta. The way they handled the situation was really classy and commendable and we had a great time! When you go, definitely try their ceviches - they are all excellent, and the chicken salad with pureed potato, although it sounds simple, is pretty amazing.
(5)Rachel K.
I love this place! Food was excellent, service on par, and a fun, lively vibe. We ordered the cebiche tasting which provided a nice assortment and great flavors. Next, we got the pobre niguiris. The quail egg was a bit much for me but once I got myself to eat it it was well worth it. The estofado de cordero was next on our list (braised lamb with polenta, mushrooms, and crispy kale). My oh my, I don't even have the vocabulary to describe how succelent and delicious this dish was!! Take my word for it and please order it. We also liked the chaufa aeropeurto (pork fried rice with spicy garlic). Overall I would highly recommend this place!
(5)Katy K.
My husband and I had a reservation at 5:45 PM and were seated right away. We tried a pisco sour and La Guapa cocktails; the pisco sour was normal, perhaps a little less sweet than the typical version which is fine by me, but the star was La Guapa. It was a creative, tasty blend. Of all the Peruvian restaurants in Chicago, Tanta is unique in its commitment to a fusion theme, mixing Asian and Peruvian flavors. So, for someone wanting classic dishes this may not be the best option. We had crab causa, leche de tigre, lobster parihuela, and adobo de res. The causa was great, but the leche de tigre had soy sauce mixed in and the taste was a little odd. As for the entrees, the parihuela was excellent and the adobo was fine, but the meat was a little bland. The puree beneath the meat was much more flavorful. We liked Tanta and we will go back, but when we're in the mood for good Peruvian we will be more likely to go to 4Suyos as the prices are more economical and the plates are in-line with traditional Peruvian cuisine.
(5)Kevin T.
Having been to Cuzco and Lima, my wife and I were excited when Chef Gaston opened this restaurant in Chicago and we were disappointed. Service was great, very friendly and knowledgeable. Their pisco sours were excellent, well balanced. They even make their own chicha morado in house which was delicious. The food brought back a lot of great memories we had of our trip to Peru. It exemplified the great culinary scene they have in Peru, from the Cebiche to the Chifa, it was all excellent. The variety of Cebiche was fantastic. We'll definitely be back.
(5)Connie M.
I always get a little nervous when restaurants try to reintepret great ethnic food for a more upscale audience, but I was pleasantly amazed at how this attempt works out. The cocktails were imaginative and refreshing. The food menu is a bit overwhelming, actually, as it tries to draw from many Peruvian subcuisines--Japanese, creole, Chinese (chifa), rotisserie, cerviche... Some of the stuff was on point (pollo a la brasa), some a little overdone (my anticulchos (sp?) were soggy and kinda lame, the empanada bleh), but it was all pretty fun to try. Service was efficient but pretty minimalist. Atmosphere modern--kinda what you'd expect for the area. And I would go back again. And again. Because the menu is so exhaustive I could go many times and never order the same thing twice!
(4)D W.
DELICIOUS Food - Beautiful Restaurant. Everything was perfect and extremely well done. Though I don't remember the names of the dishes, the ceviche and other appetizers were very unique and tasty, the whole fish was the best I have had, and the drinks were unique and refreshing. Service was professional and excellent. I will definitely return!
(5)Ricardo R.
Really good drinks! You need to try the "Chingon" it is something different. Desserts are really good, try the Tapioca or the cheese ice cream. Service from Karla was terrific! She answered all our questions and was always asking if we were OK. The rooftop is very nice during summer but it gets really crowded over the weekends but that is no surprise in Chicago during that time of the year.
(5)Mike P.
Gastón Acurio is an amazing chef. Chicago is quite privileged that he decided to open up a restaurant in our city. If you haven't heard of him, look him up. The guy is a global player on the culinary scene. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed everything that I ate and drank at Tanta. The atmosphere is very cool. The room is really good looking and colorful, has lively energy, and the service is prompt and helpful. Our waitress was quick to thoroughly explain everything and answer any questions, as I'm no expert in Peruvian cuisine. The meal began with the Classic Causitas and the mixto Ceviche as appetizers. The causitas are REALLY unique, as I never imagined I would enjoy cold mashed potatoes in a state of sobriety, but it was great! The fish in the ceviche is very fresh and it's a generous portion in a salty and citrusy base. Also very good. For the main dish we split the Street Food Feast, which was plenty of food for 2 people. The mini chicharron sandwiches were really delicious and I was surprised by the spiciness of the potato huancaina. It's a subtle spice that sneaks up on you, but really yummy. The empanadas were as good as I've had in South America and the chicken anticuchos were cooked perfectly and seasoned with a smoky flavorful rub. The drinks were excellent too. They offer a Peruvian pilsner beer and, of course, Pisco Sours. Peruvian cuisine is arguably the best and most creative in Latin America. Eating at Tanta makes me wanna go to Lima in 2014 for the food alone. For more info about Peruvian cuisine, check this out expat-chronicles.com/201…
(5)Liz L.
Tanta is surprisingly and delightfully TANTAlizing. From start to finish, my entire experience there was filled with flawless service, lively ambiance, and innovative food. First, the host took my coat without my asking then proceeded to tell me that the birthday surprise was already set up for me. Then, the waiter was attentive throughout the night providing excellent recommendations and thorough descriptions of every dish. Stand-out dishes are the fried rice (I know, I know, but trust me on this one), the nikei pobre (thinly sliced and expertly seasoned steak topped with a quail egg served nigiri style), and the causitas are delicious as well. In the mood to captivate your palate? Then stop by Tanta. It's an experience that still has me mesmerized.
(4)Eryn G.
Went on a date night with my special fella. We went up to the rooftop, it was gorgeous. I would rate this one of the greatest roofscapes in the city, the ambiance was; magical, romantic and quintessentially Chicago. We couldn't order food because the kitchen was closed but have heard positive things. The drink I had was absolutely divine, it was smokey and smooth. The only reason I docked a star is because the bar staff wasn't particularly friendly, kind of was a little put off from it. Otherwise we shall definitely return!
(4)Dawn B.
Pisco sour - very decent. Papa a la huancaina - YUM!!! Quinoa salad, also tasty. Decent size for small plates. I'm surprised our waiter, who was fantastic, was monolingual English - bothered some people I was with. Pricey - will save for special occasions.
(3)Jamie S.
Everything about my experience here was wonderful. It started with the wall mural. The art is beautiful. It looks like a mash up of Dali with South American graffiti art; colorful, captivating, surreal, and real. We waited at the bar since arriving early for our reservation and the bartenders were phenomenal at what they do. The drinks were good, they were cool people to talk to, and it didn't take long to get someone's attention despite the place being full at 9pm on a Wednesday. Once seated by the adorable, friendly host, our waiter was everything a waiter should be. He was energetic but not annoying, explained the menu, checked on us when appropriate but not overbearing, and simple but not to be over looked, got our order right. The cebiche trio was so good we ordered more of the mixto. When our entrees came, they were well timed with the sequence of the meal. My boyfriend got beef cheeks while I had the special, arroz criollo. I also ordered pastel de choclo which is arguably one of the best things I've tasted in my life. The other dishes were also spectacular. The amount of flavor in each dish is incomparable to most any other place I've eaten. We didn't have dessert since by that time we were both full and drunk (pisco sour yes!). The ambiance only heightened our stat of euphoria and the wall outside the bathroom made me think there was more in the drinks than just alcohol (in the best way possible). Upon departure, the man running their valet was even kind enough to stand in the street and hail a taxi for us. Everyone working at this place is courteous and does their job. Well done Tanta! Please keep up the exceptional work. I'll be back for more.
(5)Daisy B.
We went here on a whim the other night as a spot opened up on open table. Neither of us knew what to expect, and there is a lot to take in on the menu (not at all a bad thing). Our server, Ralph, was awesome and walked us through the menu while giving us tips and the background of the food style and why it has an Asian influence. His passion for the food shone though, and we soon found out why (when we tasted the food)! the Pulpo octopus plate was amazing, the Nikei (ahi tuna with honey and passion fruit) was sooo good. I would eat 6 plates if I didn't want to try everything else! We also had the Pobre (which is just 2 bites, but beautiful and flavorful) and the Churrasco Tanta. Everything was perfect and I only wish I could have had room for more :)
(5)Haley L.
This is my favorite new restaurant in Chicago. I love it so much I'm going back next week. The service is great, and almost as good as the phenomenal food. The CAUSITAS (whipped peruvian potatos and aji) are unreal, as is the arroz criollo (kind of like bibimbop). Plaintain chips instead of bread for an appetizer is also a great call. YUM
(5)S C.
This is a fun food experience. Lots of different tasty bites to try. We shared Empanadas, Chicharron sliders, and Ahi in passion fruit for appetizers. All delicious and not overpriced. We had the beef stir fry and specialty fried rice for an entree. The beef was so good, but a skimpy portion of it for the price. The service was excellent, and we got a birthday dessert on the house for my Mom. This place is a treat, and the fried plantains to snack on are great! Skip the big dishes and order the small plates.
(3)Jessica A.
I visited Tanta after a weekend getaway was unexpectedly cancelled and my husband and I wanted to save the weekend with a nice evening out. Tanta had been on my "list" for a while and, I'm glad to say, didn't disappoint. The food, wine list, cocktails--all fantastic. The menu can be a bit confusing as to portion size, but the wonderful thing about tapas style food is being able to order additional rounds for the table depending on how hungry you are and what strikes your fancy, and it definitely works here. We split the street food feast (a decent portion, for sure, but maybe a little pricey for the size), a cebiche (wonderful), and two entrees (steak for me, shrimp for him), as well as a bottle of wine and round of cocktails, and this was perfect. An expensive night, to be sure, but a meal we're still talking about. I do have to remove one star for the service. There was brief confusion at the beginning as to who was our server--something I normally don't fault for as those things happen, but to be honest I wish the first server who stopped by had been ours. He did a much better job explaining the menu (he served the table next to us). In addition, our server asked if our table had any allergies, and I mentioned my shellfish sensitivity (I don't need an epi pen if I accidentally ingest some, but enough of it and I will spend the rest of the evening revisiting my dinner...it's not cute.). I explained what I just did here--that my food could certainly be prepared on the same surface, but I would appreciate being warned if anything we ordered contained it. Her response: "So you're not allergic, you just don't like it?" Well...no. I just explained to you that it will make me sick the rest of the night. It was a disappointing start to the night--I've waitressed before and I get that people claim food allergies when they are picky eaters in actuality, but you don't know which you're dealing with, so to have something that could have completed derailed our night treated so casually was disappointing, to say the least. It wouldn't stop me from coming back, but I will be asking for a different server on our return.
(4)Alex S.
Did not live up to the hype. Maybe it was an off night but places like these shouldn't have "off-nights."
(2)Jenny I.
I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. We went there on a recommendation of a friend and I am so happy we listened. We sat at the bar and the bar staff was phenomenal, especially Jesus H. Jesus took really good care of us! We started with the original ceviche, which was so full of flavor and some heat. We then moved on to the pork fried rice hot stone bowl; I don't eat pork, so Jesus suggested substituting chicken. I can't even tell you how good this dish was. Both my fiancee and I decided it rivaled for one of our favorite dishes in Chicago. We were unfortunately full after this and I say unfortunately because I wanted to try so much more! We will be back to Tanta to try more food, the staff was amazing, and the atmosphere was great! If you need a new restaurant to check out, Tanta is the place to go!
(5)Sonny P.
Definitely add this to your list of new Restaurants to go this year. We had 9:15 reservations and got here early and so grabbed a drink at the bar. The drink menu is heavily Peruvian-themed. We got the Lima Llama (which is basically a Moscow Mule) and La Guapa (which they say is their best selling drink on menu). For dinner, some of the dishes are tapas-style and some aren't. We ordered Criollo, Chicken Empanada, Quinoa Chaufa, Huancaina Potatoes, and the Pobre Nikei. Some of the food items are Japanese Fusion and went really well with the Peruvian flavors. In between the dishes, they brought out Plantain chips and this mind-blowing Chile sauce. It is a must try and you can't stop eating them! Great ambienece, very clean looking, service was very attientive and I would definitely visit this place again and make sure I recommend this place to my friends. However, not very Vegetarian friendly...
(4)Mary C.
I came here for the first time with a few girlfriends and loved it. Carolina was our waitress and was great. She gave us the best recommendations! We had the Cebiche Tasting, Pulpo, Arroz Criollo and Pastel de Choclo to eat and enjoyed a couple El Chingon cocktails! We'll be back!
(5)Jennifer W.
Food and drinks were great. I felt the fried rice was a bit over priced. Fish was super fresh
(4)pablo e.
I'm a huge fan as Tanta has become one of our go to restaurants in Chicago. It is not traditional Peruvian, and we (as in my wife and I) were a little confused by the menu, with its strong Japanese influence, on our first trip. I highly recommend the Niguiri (who knew?) and Tiraditos over the ceviche. Not that the ceviche isn't solid, but the other two sections of the menu included some of the best raw fish dishes I have had.
(5)Kim C.
Fantastic! Ok, full disclosure...I am not an adventurous eater. Hubs, on the other hand , is game for everything. We went for brunch. I like different tastes, just not seafood, or out of the box flavors. And I am a wine drinker. So, we started out with the signature Pisco Sours. Delish! Just enough sour and bitters taste to wake up the taste buds. Oh, our waiter, Ralph, helped us thru the menu, without judgment ! He was awesome! Attentive, patient and forced me to try things out of my wheelhouse, but not out of my taste. I had the Tamal empanadas, which were rich, crunchy and creamy. Hubs had ceviche Classico ...we spend a lot of time by the sea..he said it was best ever! Next up, I had the pork belly waffles with giant raspberries, out of this world good. Perfect savory and sweet. Hubs had the beef heart dish, which he loved. To end the day, we had a birthday dessert of crunchy light dough with strawberries grapes and pineapple with a squash ice cream drizzled on top! Score! If you want to wake up your taste buds...go!!
(5)Jeoly M.
The food is spectacular! I came here for my Birthday and they had a mini cake for me! My friends really love the food also!
(5)Lisa K.
My girlfriends and I had reservations at 730...we didn't get seated for 45 minutes, but while we waiting we were served a little bubbly...and when we sat down, we were served a little more for the wait..so very kind!!! The food was awesome! Our server was very knowledgeable and went through the whole menu with us...we ordered a little bit of everything. The ceviches were great... as were the hot stone dishes (del chifa), but beware, they take about 15 minutes to cool down and eat..or you will burn the roof of your mouth! Totally check this place out but make reservations!
(4)Patricia L.
Just before I moved away from Chicago, Tanta opened. I managed to visit twice, with friends. The ambiance is modern, nice decor, on the loud side. The food: top notch for Peruvian food outside Lima, particularly in its presentation. What do I mean? The ceviche was the best I've tried abroad -- but you can find better ceviche in Lima. The dishes that are meant to be shared should be offered in more generous portions. For example, causa is comfort food in Peru, and not served like caviar, in portions so tiny that if you can get 3 bites, you'd be stretching it. They offered valet parking, which, in the Chicago winter, is a great feature!
(4)Simon B.
I have been here a handful of times and I am impressed with the food and drinks. The food is Peruvian with a twist. There is a Japanese and Brazilian influence in a lot of the food. I recommend the ceviche, which is seafood that is "cooked" in lime juice. They have a bunch of different ceviche dishes. I usually order tapas and share. The prices are a bit high but in this area it is expected and I think it is worth it. If you like cocktails then definitely try the drinks and there is usually a special every day so ask about it.
(5)Kristen B.
Excellently diverse menu with such authentic and yet unique flavors. Order the Jalea entree if you like fried seafood. The best dish ordered by our table: tangy sauce and cherry tomatoes tempered by creamy avocado all mixed with perfectly seasoned fried seafood.
(5)Tuefel H.
Perfect in every way.the food was excellent as well as the service. We ordered from the Tapas, entrees, and dessert. We also had drinks. We have now are at the Tanta in Bolivia and in Chicago. Both are excellent.
(5)Samantha G.
Tanta was fantastic although I had to wait awhile to get a seat at the bar with my friend. The ceviche is fresh and I really enjoyed the chicken and octopus skewers. I would stay away from the Jaelle if you're not into deep fried seafood covered in dressing because that is what it is. I would have chosen any of the other entree options. The people next to us ordered the snapper entree and the grilled beef tenderloin and they both looked great so I can't wait to come back here and try them!
(5)JD O.
Great, unique experience. My first attempt at Peruvian food but really enjoyed with helpful staff. Good ambience. After a bite head upstairs to the rooftop bar to enjoy a drink and the view!
(4)Karen W.
Fantastic! Food was divine, drinks were creative and potent, and service was attentive and very helpful. Will definitely be back to enjoy the rooftop patio as well.
(5)Arthur M.
Chef Rick, in a less than 120 character tweet, reviewed Tanta: "REALLY DELISHmeal at Peruvian Tanta lstnght! B'tiful ceviches,tiraditos(1 w uni!), causas, anticuchos & picarones.Go!" My review is going to be slightly longer and no less enthusiastic: my girlfriend and I really enjoyed the Peruvian cuisine and stellar service at Tanta. She started with a cocktail and I had the chicha, a sweet and funky (nonalcoholic somehow) drink of what I understand to be fermented purple corn. Had never heard of many of the dishes and ingredients, so we opted for the three shareable plates. The cebiche trio was outstanding, the lime pickled carrot and pozole corn giving heft to the delicate and briny seafood, eaten with perfectly fried plantain. Rocoto chile is a bright fire. Then we were served something unusual: a trio of raw and fried fish on cold whipped potatoes called causitas that came to the table on a boat. I loved it, and the Japanese and Indian influences really shine in the sauces. At this point I asked the server if they have bigger boats for large parties and he said no. I was imagining an Amazonian river taxi for a party of 12. I got another chicha (out of Inka Kola) and my girlfriend got El Chingon (which she mispronounced several times in practice and then again to the server) a cocktail with tequila, mezcal and a sphere of ice containing more of that fiery red chile rocoto. The last savory course was the trio of street food, but by this point we were getting full. We ate the succulent skewers of chicken, amazingly juicy and smoky, and took home the empanadas and pork belly sliders. Those made for a great midnight snack. I have a separate intestine for sweets, and so we shared a purple corn and quince crumble with vanilla ice cream. It was called mazamorrita morada. There are many things about Peruvian cuisine that I don't know and one thing I do know: Really delish. Go!
(5)Alice K.
Ambiance and service were great, food was underwhelming. Had the small mixto ceviche, pulpo, and beef cheek. The ceviche was so small that it was laughable - only one shrimp, two very small pieces of fish, a couple of calamari rings, and a ton of shaved red onions. Seriously, there was only two bites worth of ceviche. The pulpo was very good, would get this again if I ever came back. Couldn't eat more than 2 bites of the beef cheek even tho I was hungry. although very tender, it was lacking some heat or a bit of freshness to cut through the richness of the dish.
(2)Unknown K.
Oh sooooo good. I could eat the seafood here a lot, lot more if I had more money. Everything was delicious. And so much of it was new to me that it was really a great experience. The menu is kind of confusing, so having the waitstaff explain things and walk us through it was a big help. Also, the food isn't served in courses like a European place but more like "as it's ready" in a Chinese restaurant. I found it fun to keep getting things come out and be surprised, but if you aren't used to it, it might seem odd. The drinks were also really well made and delicious. We left with a ton of food because we wanted to try so much, but it was worth it. Can't wait to visit again when I am back in town.
(5)Partha A.
Location is the key. Loved the cocktails. The el chingon is exceptional. So was la rusa. Lima llama was a bit too sweet. But in all very nice indeed. On to food. The Pork fried rice was overseasoned and greasy. The lomo saltado was good but once again way overseasoned. The beef was perfectly cooked though. The criollo was unidirectional - just lime and ginger with a kick. Expected some parallel flavors, but the fish was good. Also the limena (potatoes) tasted like whipped chicken in mayo. It was not very pleasant. The chicken empanadas were delightful though. Among dessert - the pumpkin fritters may be a bit too much after the meal -they have 4 big donut sized fritters. At any other time I would have had all of it, but not that night. The mazamorita crust was mealy and not very well done, so ended up throwing away half of it. In all, great location, good for a quick bite. But I daresay it justifies the price. Prices are similar to Frontera Grill, and so is the hype, but the food is nowhere close to that standard yet. Would love for that to change. Till next time.
(2)Rob J.
Great atmosphere- restaurant isn't too big either so you don't feel lost. Great food, a little rich but worth it. Get the platter so you get a little of several appetizers. Try not to over order- you'll get full quickly.
(4)Alicia M.
I came in with no expectations, but really enjoyed my meal. The cocktails are great here. I got the Crowd pleaser and enjoyed it. The food really stood out here. Especially the cevciche (mix to) and Chaufa Aeropuerto (pork fried rice). The service was a little impersonal, but not bad by any means. I've recommended to a few friends and they've enjoyed the food as well.
(4)Christine H.
Tanta was a last minute decision on marathon Sunday. After walking by several restaurants (closed, closed, closed) we decided Peruvian would be a new fun experience. I am glad those restaurants were closed, because this. was. delicious. We sat at the bar, and both bartenders were incredibly friendly and helpful. They had great recommendations, and were just generally outgoing and knowledgable about Peruvian food and the Chicago food scene. I had two small plates, the Ahi Tuna "sashimi" and the chicken skewer. Both were flavorful, delicious, and surprisingly filling for "small plates". Some restaurants in Chicago you end up spending more on tapas than you would on an entree, but not at tanta. My two dining companions had the roasted chicken (it was HUGE, and the bites I tasted were wonderful) and the beef stir fry (the aroma was heavenly). Dessert was a banana pudding inside a tasty rolled up shell and complimented with ginger ice cream. Refreshing, and I theoretically could have shared with the whole table, as there were three of the rolls. I also had two different Pisco drinks (the Pisco Punch and the Pisco Sour) and was treated to an explanation of how Pisco was made and the history around it. I would recommend Tanta to anyone, and I will definitely be back.
(5)Alberto G.
This place is amazing. I lived in Miami for 5 years and this is the closes I can get to Peruvian food. The menu isn't huge but everything we ordered had a party in my mouth. The drinks were delicious too. I will be back for sure.
(5)Peace Y.
Would give 3.5 stars if I could. Good meal, but have no compelling reason to go back. The Chaufa Aeropuerto (pork fried rice) wasn't anything special. Was basically fried rice with a fancy name. Veal cheeks and lamb were tender and had good texture and flavor, but again - nothing special. Found the raw fish portion of the menu tasty, but small portions and sort of just drenched in sauce. I guess that's good for folks whose idea of sushi is double rainbow dragon mega tempura rolls with super crunch tobiko eel spicy crazy sauce. For me, straight flavorful fatty sashimi is the way I roll. I did however enjoy the wagyu beef over sushi rice - but the rice was a bit too sweet and took away from the great beef flavor. Overall, not a bad meal. But for its price and expectations with the heavyweight chef behind it, I'd expect much more.
(3)Charlene B.
The positives: this was our first proper introduction to Peruvian food and we were amazed and impressed. Such great flavors, equally deft with seafood as meats. Favorites were the ceviches, lamb shank, grilled beef tenderloin and amish chicken. Enjoyed the cocktails, especially the Pacha Mama and the El Chingon. The service wasn't great - felt indifferent + brusque. And the modern hard-edged interior -- when combined with overly bright lighting -- was a bit of a miss for me. That, of course, is totally subjective. I was expecting a warmer, hipper vibe in the evening. Felt like we were there during daytime lunch.
(4)Angelica M.
Went to a private event here and have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I guess, I didn't know what to expect. First time having a pisco sour - delish. Their staff was courteous, helpful and very knowledgeable about their menu and drinks- Great Job! Their food was flavorful, but a little on the pricey side for some items that don't warrant the price-tag (-1 star). Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend and come again.
(4)Katherine G.
From the appetizers to the entrees, I can't say enough good things about this place. We basically tried most of the menu, and I couldn't find fault with one thing. Their giant snapper dish was perfection and I've been back twice since my first time.
(5)Christine D.
Three of us shared the ceviche appetizer, chaufa aeropuerto(spicy as we like,) and chi jau kay marino . Delicious! We walked in without reservations, no tables, but we had the full dinner at the bar. Went to the rooftop for after dinner drinks. We really enjoyed it!
(4)Lauren K.
My husband and I dined here last night for our anniversary dinner. I LOVED it! The food was absolutely delicious. The menu was innovative, the ambiance was warm yet chic and the service was great! We ordered the cebiche sampler, roasted chicken, skirt steak nigiri and a few other dishes that I can't remember the names but were divine. Tanta is a refreshing new restaurant on the River North scene.
(5)Sunil D.
Not what I was expecting when I think of a new restaurant opening in the area. They have all been over the top, overwhelming establishments with massive floor plans and huge bars. This was a nice change of pace, it was a smaller footprint and felt like it should be tucked away in Wicker Park/Bucktown, not smack dab in the heart of River North. It had a cozy feel to it, but still had a great buzz and scene on a Thursday night. Despite being packed, reservations were not impossible to get and they were very accommodating when I had to make a last minute time change. The food was top notch and although I am not familiar with Peruvian food, the waiter was very helpful in explaining everything. When I mentioned Peruvian cuisine to a few friends, they raised their eyebrows as if unsure of what to expect. Although the food is not as familiar as a traditional restaurant, it is not overly exotic/foreign and should fit very well into most palates that are used to dining at restaurants of this caliber. As for the food. They start you out with a complimentary basket of plantain chips that come with a robust dipping sauce that had a nice touch of heat. The ceviche we ordered was some of the freshest and most vibrantly flavored that I have had. The right amount of citrus really took this dish to a level higher than what I am used to. The octopus skewer was probably my favorite thing of the day, a lot of big, unexpected flavors that worked well together all atop a dollop of mashed potatoes. As for the entrees, we split the duck leg and the braised lamb. Both were large portions (almost too big) and came with plenty of rice and root vegetables. My only complaint is that both could have benefited from a touch of salt (which is rare for me to say), but I would definitely order both again as both dishes were fall off the bone tender. Overall Tanta has the right combination of a great drink/wine list, food that was fantastic, wrapped in a cozy, yet lively scene. This place, with hearty entrees and atmosphere comes just in time for us to endure the next six months of tundra that Chicago likes to call winter.
(4)Jennifer G.
This is my fourth time at Tanta in the last six months and I keep introducing more people to to the place because the food is fabulous! Let me start with the drinks - the pisco punch is very fruity and you could easily drink two of them before you start to realize there is alcohol in them. They are that good. The restaurant is known for all sorts of different drinks with pisco in it. Be adventurous and try a bunch of them. The food is the outstanding feature. Pretty much everything we've had is good. But the best is the Chaufa aeropuerto - which is a pork fried rice. Sounds very simple - but it's delicious. We've had the beef cheeks - which were better the first time. The octopus is really good, too as our the ceviches. You really can't go wrong here in terms of the food. The only drawback is the noise here. It's impossible to here your companion unless you're yelling. The place gets very busy and reservations are a must. I wish they could do something about the noise, but I'm not sure what. It's a trendy place and people are coming in and out all the time. They also have music on in the background that is distracting and could be turned down. As long as the food continues to be this good, we will definitely be back!
(4)Chad T.
Wow! This place was awesome. We ate here for brunch this morning around 11:30. We opted for the rooftop given the nice weather. Fortunately they have a covered area which is really more "open air" than rooftop as the sun was blazing on the rooftop seats. I had a pisco sour, which was well made and the obvious choice here. My wife had a pisco/cucumber drink which was tasty and refreshing. I had the Tanta huevos which are served over beef tongue. The dish was awesome and probably the best "outside the box" breakfast item I've ever had.....until I tried my wife's pork belly and waffles, which was out of this world. I'd love to come back here for dinner or drinks on the rooftop (once the din goes down)
(5)Ryan M.
Slow drink service nice rooftop
(3)Zorica Z.
The food was delicious! Got some ceviche appetizers the mahi tuna and the calamari. The plantanes are sooo yummy with that spicy sauce they bring with it. Drinks were great I highly recommend the fruit punch one not sure the exact name but it comes in a cool Hawaiian glass. Overall an awesome place with really good seafood selection.
(5)Laura A.
My sister and I came here on a random friday night right when it opened. It filled up quickly, so make sure you make reservations. The food itself was bomb. In particular, the carne asada with chimichurri and roasted potatoes was amazing - it could have used more chimichurri, but the meat itself was extremely tender and flavorful. However I will say that I wasn't a fan on the citrus tuna ceviche. It had a weird texture and a weird taste. I wouldnt order that again They sell themselves as a small plates restaurant. Our server suggested a few tapas plus an entree each. My sister and I ordered two tapas and one entree total - it was plenty of food. My advise is to order as you go, because nothing took very long. Extremely expensive, so I'd say its more so for special occasions.
(4)Jessica W.
My family and I had a nice dinner at Tanta. When we arrived at 6pm it was already packed, so I was really happy I had made reservations. I am a huge Pisco sour fan and Tanta did the drink justice; my brother ordered El Chingon that was a really interesting cocktail that he thought was awesome. Overall the food was pretty good-my grandma ordered Pollo a la brasa that was absolutely delicious, super tender and well seasoned chicken. I am a huge dessert fan and unfortunately the tapioca de coco that I ordered was disappointing and just did not end the dinner on a high note. Our server gave us excellent service, refilling our drinks and bringing us more plantain chips. I did find it to be pricey for what it was, but definitely a really cool modern atmosphere.
(4)Katie H.
My coworkers and I really enjoyed our trip to Tanta this week. Everyone spoke highly of their food and drinks, and the ambiance was great. Personally, I found the pollo a la brasa (roasted chicken) to be wonderful and far superior to the lomo saltado (beef stir fry). Appetizer-wise, we enjoyed the "street food feast", especially the pan con chicharron. Make sure to order chips. I didn't see them on the menu and so didn't know to ask for them until I checked yelp as we were ordering our entrees, and I'm so glad we ordered them - fantastic, especially with the dipping sauce they come with.
(5)Chitterne B.
I was really pumped to check this place out - I love Peruvian food and Tanta has been getting a lot media of attention lately - but I was really underwhelmed. First, this place is LOUD. I get the vibe they're going for with the clubby music and naked women on the walls, but because of the price point and location most of the clientele are older/from the suburbs, and it's not really working in my opinion. The service was just okay; our waitress didn't speak the greatest English and messed up our drink order, but it was so damn loud that I can't really blame her. The food, luckily, has potential. While the power ceviche was overpriced, heavy, and just not that great, everything else was lovely. The pulpo anticuchos (octopus skewers) were a favorite, and all of the ceviches in the tasting were thankfully much better than the power ceviche. If this place weren't quite so expensive, I feel like I could do 4 stars, but in this price range they're really going to have to step up their game. And since they're so new, I am definitely not ruling out the possibility that they will - plus I definitely have to come back to try one of the whole fish dishes, which look amazing!
(3)Fred R.
Starting with our waiter, Ralph , who was very knowledgeable on all aspects of Tanta. Recommended a great cocktail. There were four of us and I just told Ralph to surprise me with my entree. I couldn't not of been happier. It was lamb shank. Go to enjoy and I am sure you will. Somewhat pricey.
(5)Symone W.
Visited last night with a few friends after work. They ordered and I got the pleasure of enjoying! I had the tiraditos. Let me start by saying the scallops are AMAZING. A delicious creamy sauce. Also the plantain chips were to die for with the garlic sauce.
(4)Kathryn R.
The best part of this place is the roof-top. Drinking a glass of champagne and sitting on the roof deck was absolutely amazing. As for the food, I am not the biggest fan but really the atmosphere made me want to come back.
(3)Chris G.
Over the past few months I've contacted them many times and many ways to find out if they can accommodate a food allergy. No one answers the phone, returns voicemails, returns messages sent via the website, or returns FB messages. I think this counts as bad service, even though I haven't actually eaten there.
(1)So D.
Pretty restaurant, trendy and lively, expensive, but it is River North so that is to be expected. Food is overall ok, really nothing special, but the cocktails were excellent. Go for drinks, sit at the bar, enjoy the scene, have a nosh, but don't bother ordering too much food.
(2)Megan P.
Awesome food, accommodating chef. First off, I'm gluten free. Typically a dinner ensues with me being immediately qualified as high maintenance. At Tanta our server sent out the manager to make sure everything was safe & adequately detailed. The ceviches were just as delicious as I remember in Lima, Peru. The pollo antichucos were tender and well flavored. My husband loved the balanced spice of his chicamorada, & I had an equally delicious Lima llama. A+ service, food and drinks. We can't wait to return.
(5)Michelle N.
I wish I could give Tanta more stars, but the service really left much to be desired. While we were seated promptly at our reservation time, we sat at our table for 20 minutes without a waiter -- and repeatedly flagging down other employees to tell them we didn't have a waiter. We finally did have a waitress come over and say she would take our order, but it was already off to a bad start. The food itself was very tasty. We ordered a variety of starters and main courses and shared with our table of four "family style". But unfortunately, again, the service just fell short throughout the meal. Items we ordered never made it to our table!? Simple requests like a spoon or a glass of ice had to be requested several times. I also want to mention that the restaurant was really, well, not clean. There was a thick layer of dust on the ledge on the wall right next to our table. If they can't even keep the restaurant properly dusted, what else is not being cleaned properly? Tanta better get it's act together or else there will no longer be the hype and long waits to get a reservation.
(3)Michelle B.
I've heard great things about Tanta and decided to give it a try with a friend visiting from Atlanta. I was the first to arrive and was asked to wait at the bar and return to the host stand when my entire party had arrived. No one offered to take my coat which is always a bit of a bummer but oh well, I was still a little cold anyway. The bar was crowded but I was able to see a menu and order a drink rather quickly. I ordered the "La Guapa," their gin cocktail. While it was slightly sweeter than I normally like, it was still very good. When my friend arrived we headed back to the host stand to be seated. We were seated right away but still, no offer to take our coats... Our waiter was great and gave really good recommendations on the food. We decided to share some small plates and an entree in order to try a few things from the menu. We ended up getting the "Cebiche Tasting," the skirt steak niguiri topped with a quail egg, and the grilled octopus from the small plate menus. All were great and the skirt steak niguiri (I think called "Pobre") was probably the best thing we had all night. We also split the pork friend rice as an entree. The flavors were great but the rice was very greasy. I liked it but would probably go for a different entree next time. Overall a great experience. One major plus was how perfectly timed the dishes were. We didn't feel rushed or bombarded with food. They brought things out in a progressive order and it was all very well timed. Aside from no one offering to check my coat, I was very impressed with the quality of service. I will definitely be back again soon.
(4)Jim V.
Nailed it! Food/atmosphere/service were incredible. I rode my bike and forgot the lock and the manager came out and put my bike in his locked office! Very hospitable, and authentic tasting Peruvian food!
(5)Casey F.
I'm torn between 2 and 3 stars. I dined here with two girlfriends this past Friday night. We were all excited to check it out since it had only been open about a week. We had a 9pm reservation, and considering that was the earliest we could get we were expecting it to be packed, but there were several open tables while we were dining and the bar area was pretty dead which was surprising given it just opened. The space was really well done and provided a great atmosphere. We got a bottle of wine to start and they also give you a basket of chips, some of which were plantains and amazingly salty and delicious. In fact we asked for a basket of just those. The menu is a little confusing as to what everything is and how large it is. Our server did a good job explaining the menu and providing recommendations. Unfortunately once we ordered we didn't see much of him again. We opted to start with the ceviche sampler and a quinoa bowl that was designed to be a fried rice of sorts. The ceviche was a big disappointment. I love ceviche and this did not stand up to others you can get in the city. There are 3 ceviches in the sampler- one had shrimp, squid and the catch of the day (mahi mahi) but was completely non-memorable. The classico had fluke, and it had maybe 6 small pieces of fish actually in it. The ahi tuna ceviche had the best flavor overall but had so much liquid it was like soup. The other thing that I didn't like was that the ceviche wasn't served with anything to put it on. It's very difficult to share when they expect you to eat it only with a spoon. After serving myself some of each, my plate had pools of lime juice on it and I never got offered a fresh plate. We ended up using the plantain chips with the ceviche but they are so narrow it wasn't the ideal vessel to eat it with. The saving grace was the quinoa bowl. It was amazing. And huge for the $14 price tag. We all raved about it. We debated whether or not to order more food but nothing stood out that sounded great and our server wasn't really around to help us decide so we ended up just trying the ceviche and quinoa. With those 2 dishes plus a bottle of wine, our bill was $90 which felt high considering the amount of food we got. I'd say prices aren't outrageous for the area but I am not convinced Tanta is quite there yet. I'd be curious to go back in a few months to see if I feel differently but I also don't think it inspired me to rush back.
(2)Neamen L.
My girlfriend and I tried to go here on a snowy Thursday evening. We did not have a reservation but figured we would be able to get a table in a reasonable time knowing it was snowing outside and not a ton of folks were out and about. We walked in to a relatively empty establishment around 6pm. We asked if we could get a table for two seeing that there was no wait and the restaurant was almost more than half empty. The host informed us it would be an hour and a half wait. I asked why that is as the place was empty! He told me they had reservations. So I asked what time the reservations were coming in and were they ALL coming in at the same exact time. He informed me 7pm were the reservations. Now I understand how the restaurant business works and I understand reservations. But it seems pretty ridiculous to not sit a party of 2 in an over half empty restaurant knowing there is at least an hour before your reservations are "supposed" to come in.
(1)Mari Y.
Yum! So happy to have a Peruvian restaurant now added to the repertoire! I've been to a few others in the city - Between and 4 Suyos but I wasn't too blown away by them. Peruvian food is an interesting mix of cultures with some Japanese influence. The restaurant is very new and it looks upscale without the pretension and ambiance. As mentioned, the restaurant is gorgeous. The bar is my favorite. The drinks are great and the entire set up is good for the patrons. There's a separation between the bar and the restaurant (read my Hubbard Inn review!) and the art in the bar matches the restaurant. I've been there with friends twice. We've ordered a bunch of things to try. The half chicken comes with a bunch of sides and sauces that enhance what you might find middle of the road with chicken. Portion size of the half chicken is enough for two people. The bf and I really liked the slow cooked veal cheek. We also ordered the lamb and both the lamb and veal just fell off the bone. The pulpo skewers, which I've had twice is also tops for me. I love octopus and I think local restaurants need to incorporate it more into their menu. The drinks at Tanta are outstanding. If I didn't have reservations for dinner I would definitely come back to meet friends for drinks before going out. 5 Stars!
(5)Anne S.
Really wonderful food and service from the moment we sat down. I had some of the nigiri, chicken skewers, lamb shank and the duck breast. Oh, and dessert. Everything was really well seasoned, hot and very unique. I think the price point is about right compared to other restaurants in the neighborhood. The portions could be a tad big bigger on the proteins, but overall it's a very fun new addition to the neighborhood, without any pretentiousness. One suggestion: turn on the heat in your vestibule so that the cold air doesn't draft into the dinning room. I had a table by the door and it was VERY cold.
(4)Karen D.
My boyfriend's company did the low voltage electrical work here so when my birthday rolled around, he wanted to take me here for dinner. Although you can stop by after a day of shopping in casual attire, you definitely won't look out of place a little more dressed up for a romantic evening. I was VERY impressed. The service alone is 5 stars. Our waitress was so adorable. She gave us plenty of suggestions since my boyfriend and I have never had Peruvian food before. We ended up going with all 4 of her suggestions. The owner, JP, stopped by just to check in with us and the manager stopped by our table a few times to see how our dinner was going. I also saw the manager stopping by a few other tables as well so it definitely wasn't special treatment. The food is also 5 stars. Everything was so full of flavor. My taste buds were going crazy! The presentation was beautiful as well. I can't remember the names of the dishes but our main dish was a whole bass fish. It was amazing. We also got an ahi tuna nigiri style appetizer, another appetizer with octopus(my favorite) and a crab meat causita. Drinks were also yummy and strong! I loved the food here. The boyfriend promised we'd come back again.
(5)Anna G.
I would recommend Tanta to everyone, but I would also recommend that you make a reservation. Good luck otherwise. We got a reservation and the best we could get was Saturday at 5pm. By 5:15 more than half of the tables were filled, including the bar seating. I really appreciated how knowledgable and friendly our server was, not something you always get in River North (lookin' at you, Naha...). For our dinner, the two of us split: the pollo anticucho, nikei causita, arroz con pato and chaufa aeropuerto. More than enough food for two people and we had enough leftovers from the two entrees to make a second meal the next day. While everything was great, I think next time I'll stick to ordering more small plates (the top half of the menu) vs entrees because you get to try more of the dishes in a tapas-like manner. For drinks we got the pisco punch and the crowd pleaser, both very good but I preferred the latter. Overall a great experience! I think Tanta is trendy enough to serve as a date or night out spot for groups, but also isn't super stuffy or lounge-like making it possible for all types to dine here. (There were a few older people as well as a family while we were there, but, again, it was 5pm on a Saturday!)
(4)Liz D.
I went to Tanta without a lot of knowledge about the place; I had looked up the menu but for some reason was expecting it to be larger and more formal than it was. No white tablecloths here; the waitstaff wears t-shirts and jeans; the inside is sleek, modern:wood and grey; clean lines; casual table settings; we went during daylight hours and the view from the uncovered floor-to-ceiling windows is of the uglier, touristy river north buildings. (I wish I would have seen the rooftop!) And while informative and friendly; the service was a little casual as well: we had plates sit on our table for a bit too long. We had cocktails and small plates, so I can't comment on entrees or desert. The cocktails are delicious and boozy; we sampled various of both made-to-order and on-tap; a spicy one called the chignon and a lavender-gin-based one stand out. Could definitely go here just for a cocktail; drinks are that good and that unique. We ordered as we went along, and plates were beautifully presented. We tried the cebiche sampler: delicious, inventive, fresh; but less than 10 bites of cebiche for $28 felt overpriced. Nearly every other small plate we tried was heavy on various mayo-based sauces (bummer for me, as I am not a mayo or aoli fan and not big on sauces in general). We tried the street food fest (very good, but nothing really stood out for me); the causitas sampler (interesting; glad we tried it; the quinoa one was my favorite); the criollo niguris nikei - although the scallops were fresh and very tasty; the dish contained no smoky sesame beef as per the description. The overall star of the evening was the pulpo - so good we ordered it twice; and our waiter was saavy enough to ensure we got 4 pieces for our party of 4 instead of the 3 that consists of the menu item. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And though I do plan on coming back to try entrees; the price point at Tanta feels inflated and will keep this place for special occasions only - the crux being that at that price point, I'd probably want a bit more from the atmosphere and service than we received from Tanta.
(3)Victor R.
The ceviche was pretty good, but most of the appetizers were pretty underwhelming. Everything came out covered in spicy mayo sauce, whether it needed it or not. The empanadas were ok, but for some reason had bitter olives in them. The food disappointing enough to stop my group from ordering any main entrees. I would give Tanta 2.5 stars.
(3)Jeffrey W.
Maybe I'm missing something, this place was ok. I really don't understand how everyone is giving it 5 stars, I feel like people want to believe its amazing because others say it is, a la Girl and the Goat. The meal was fine, nothing that really stood out and impressed me. Looking forward to the summer when their patio opens up, that should be cool. We had ceviche sampler, it tasted like ceviche everywhere else, as a mater of fact I have had better tuna at lower scale places. Had a ginger sashimi with fluke, might as well have been a ceviche, lots of broth. Beef heart street food that the staff and reviews raved about where ok, honestly not mind blowing. We had the Octopus street food, that one was good. Pork fried rice with shrimp egg, you know what it tasted like? Pork fried rice. We also had the lamb shank, I have to say that was the best item we tried. Tender, nice sauce, very good. I'm not saying don't go here, I'm just saying my mind was not blown and I don't understand these 5 star reviews.
(3)Steve B.
Outstanding!!! Real Peruvian flare.... All the ceviches that we tried were excellent and the octopus was great too...Great energy, and you have to try the Pisco sour...Service was great as well, the Chef even came by the table to see how our experience was... Can't wait to go back...
(5)Kerry L.
Just alright. The food was tasty but the portions are small for their price. The menu is arranged in an unnecessarily confusing manner, the space is unremarkable, and the service (bored waiters in matching "Tanta" t-shirts) reminded me of a chain. The rooftop bar was unexpected, and knocked this up from a 2-star review.
(3)Elizabeth R.
Great place. The ceviche was the best I've had in a while and definitely the best I've had in Chicago. Service was okay, nothing spectacular. Drinks were great too; a lot of variety.
(4)David H.
This is a wonderful addition to Chicago's amazing and evolving food scene. I have been many times and it just gets better and better. The cocktails are wonderful and the food is fresh, delicious and not like any place else in town. I have dined at Astrid y Gaston in Lima and I enjoy Tanta just as much. The service is always just right and the atmosphere is more lively than loud. Don't miss the causita tasting, it could easily be dinner for two. The chaufa aeropuerto (pork fired rice) is becoming a signature dish and is enough for a party of six to share.
(5)Sam C.
so freaking good. waited about 40 minutes for our table, so were a little annoyed. the food and drinks completely blew us away and more than made up for it. pisco sours are strong and well balanced. plantain chips are delicious. ahi tuna ceviche was amazing. pork fried rice is a must - our favorite thing there! potatoes with quinoa amazing as well. octopus skewers were perfect as well can't wait to go back and try more
(5)Amy C.
Granted, I am not an afficionado of Peruvian food by any means, but I do know that I had a wonderfully tasty dinner last night! Some items were more successful than others. Absolutely loved the chupe, which is thick and salty (in the good sense) and brimming with seafood flavor. I was surprised by how oceany it tasted and by the little nuggets of cheese and potato in there. It was big enough to share between two. Loved love loved the anticucho de corazon (beef heart) - tender and served with delectable chocle (big kernels of corn) and a spicy sauce. The causita (nieki) was surprising, but not the best flavor combination to my taste buds. It was strange to be having potato and fish. The negiri anticucho was my least favorite of the night, simply because the fish itself was tasteless with the rice. Saving touches? My lima llama cocktail was delicious and zesty. And the yucca/plantain chips that come with this delicious spicy garlicky sauce were off the hook -- we requested seconds. Meaning we didn't have room for dessert, but next time for sure. :)
(4)Janice A.
Food is amazing here. Great servers. Great plate presentation, good list of drinks. Good size plates for group of 2-6 people. I cannot say one bad thing about Tanta. I'm hooked.
(5)Lena D.
Just fantastic across the board. Beautiful place, we had a wonderful server who helped us navigate the menu (which is a tad confusing if you're unaccustomed to Peruvian cuisine. Great ceviche, and both of our entrees were fabulous but enough for 2 to share. The cocktails were great and strong, try the Guapa or the Rusa, fabulous. The place is quite pricey for 4 cocktails, 2 espressos, 1 ceviche and 2 entrees with tip was just over $160. Lovely for a special night but at those prices I don't know if I could frequent it often.
(4)Roy P.
I had no idea what Peruvian food consisted of but I'm very glad I know now! Our server was very informative and easy to talk to. The food speaks for itself, the lamb hind was amazing! Definitely want to return in the summer when their rooftop is open!
(5)J M.
We really loved this place. The food was amazing but the plates came pretty quickly back to back so hard to absorb all that wonderfullness, seems it went by too fast. Loved the artwork and tapas but the tables were a little too close for comfort. The person next to us couldn't fit in between really well and walked into our table and my arm. It was also pretty loud with people sitting that close. The only thing I would recommend is for them to get a bigger place so there could be better spacing. Loved multiple tuna dishes (yes it is raw like sushi) and every sauce was amazing. The empanadas were super good and save some room for desert you won't be disappointed. Also loved the plantain chips and they tasted good with any and all sauces and tapas . The chicken skewer was a tad too salty but still very good. Crab causitas were also very good. Come here if you want to amaze your taste buds with excellent flavors.
(4)Alfonso D.
The best Peruvian Food! The best recommendation from the NRA 2014 by Jesus Delgado "Chef de Cusine"
(5)Vincent W.
When Tanta first opened, its Yelp rating wasn't top-notch, and as a result, I was a little apprehensive to go here. However, some neighbors recently recommended it to us, and I'm glad we heeded their advice and went. My better half and I were seated for our reservation immediately upon arrival by a very friendly bald man. It took a few minutes for our waitress to show, but that gave us time to formulate a plan of attack for Tanta's tapas-style menu. We ordered an item from almost every category: TIRADITOS, NIGUIRIS NIKEI, ANTICUCHOS, CAUSITAS, and CHEFS HAVING FUN. Everything was delicious and came out quickly. The absolute stand out was the criollo NIGUIRIS NIKEI - wow - but everything was killer in terms of presentation and flavors. Our waitress - Karla - was upbeat, friendly, and not overbearing. For what it's worth, I would not recommend the place for a first date - it is noisy and not extremely well lit - but for us, it was a winner and a do-over. Thanks, Tanta!
(5)Liz C.
I have been here three times and each time it has been wonderful! First off, the cocktails are amazing. The el chingon is one of my all time favorite cocktails. It's got an awesome spicy kick. The food is absolutely delicious. Everything is wonderfully fresh and flavorful. Everyone should try the chaufa auropuerto, it is life-changing. The fried rice topped with a shrimp omelet is so tasty. All of the cebiches are light and refreshing. The juices are so good you want to soak up whatever is left in the dish. The grilled octopus dish is another great option. The causitas section of the menu is also delicious. All of these dishes include a cloud-like dollop of whipped potato. My favorite one is the dish that includes crab. The desserts are also great, so definitely save room! I love the trufas and the picarones. As you can tell, I'm a huge fan of Tanta.
(5)JA M.
My husband and I were super excited to try Tanta. Admittedly, we went in with high expectations, because we fell in love with a Peruvian restaurant on a trip to Portland, OR and have been craving one as spectacular in Chicago ever since. And, oh yeah ... it was my birthday ... no pressure! We were seated in a booth that happened to be right under a vent that was blowing cold air (in December), but the hostess and a manager acted quickly to resolve the issue, which was very much appreciated. We added points in the '+' column. Another huge factor in the '+' column was our server! While the food was underwhelming (which I'll get to in a moment), she was phenomenal. She had an excellent command of the menu and thus was able to make helpful recommendations. She was engaging without being intrusive, and attentive without being obnoxious. Moving to the '-' column is the food. We weren't wowed here - especially for the price. Let's just say that when your most memorable dish is fancied up fried rice, "Houston, we have a problem!" We absolutely loved the pork fried rice, but that's probably about where the love affair began and ended. In addition to the fried rice, we ordered the Ceviche Tasting and a couple of other forgettable appetizers, as well as skirt steak and the whole striped bass (Pescado Frito) for our entrees. The striped bass was ginormous--as our server warned it would be--but lacked flavor. I'd go back for the pork fried rice, the La Guapa cocktail and the server, but I'm in no particular hurry to return.
(3)Jessica E.
If you're even considering eating at Tanta, let me make your decision easy for you: just GO. I just returned from an incredible restaurant week meal here, and when I left the restaurant my friend and I both confessed: "We hope we burp when we get home so we can revisit how amazing this food was." Gross, but I'm keeping it real. I had no idea the cuisine of Peru was so diverse and inspired. Your tongue will not know what hit it, but it will be in heaven. Fresh ceviche, perfectly seared and tender steak, new flavors you won't recognize but will instantly love. Kind, thoughtful, and attentive staff are clearly excited to be there. The space is modern but inviting. The waiter informed me that they plan to open a rooftop deck which will be a perfect place for their delicious range of cocktails. It's one of those places you try and immediately have to tell everyone about.
(5)Marcy B.
Have been three times. Wait staff extremely knowledgeable, let them guide you. Food is delicious. Have tried a lot of different things. Love the rice dishes. Last time also had the chicken which was moist and came with the most delicious potatoes. Pisco sour great Peruvian cocktail.
(4)Louie A.
Tanta is Peruvian food with a little touch and freedoms from the chef. It is excellent tasting spinoff from the authentic traditional Peruvian cuisine. It is worth the trip as it truly is amazing. We tried the Causa and Ceviche Samplers. We also tried the Tiradito. For those not familiar, it is a Japanese like style fish picked in lime. This restaurant is ranked on the top four in Chicago and it deserves it.
(5)Susan E.
Very loud and food was just average. The drinks were amazing, but service was slow. Would go for drinks and appetizers only.
(2)I L.
Fantastic ambiance and a nice room! Great tasting mixto ceviche, slightly crazy pricing $18 for a large portion thats actually a small. The half chicken reminded me of boston market, seriously it did. The beef cheeks were bland, like something from a slow cooker prepared at home, the grilled fish was a highlight. The lemon mouse desert was to die for though.
(3)Barri S.
My new favorite restaurant in Chicago. I have been here a handful of times already. The tuna, avocado, tamarind ceviche is addicting. I am obsessed with the beef tenderloin, always done perfectly. Everything I've tried is amazing and the service cannot be beat! If I could eat here daily I would.
(5)Nandini A.
The best part about this restaurant is it's service. We had a vegetarian with us and the server went out of his way to accommodate us. The food has such interesting flavors - its amazing. We had the cebiche - which was so fresh and delicious. The great big discovery - apart from the entire meal of course - was the dessert - the alfajor. It just melts in your mouth and is a must try.
(4)Kara C.
The reason I give this three stars is because despite have an 8:30 reservation on a Friday night, we weren't seated until 9:30. I realize it's a new restaurant, but an hour delay is just poor management. So if you are booking a table for a busy weekend, beware (and likely, have a backup plan if you want to eat before 10pm.) The food was good, just wish the service compared.
(3)Jen S.
Wow! This place is soo good. I went with 3 people on a Friday night without a reservation. There was a 2 hour wait so we had drinks and appetizers at the bar. Drinks are really good by the way - you're in for a treat if you order a specialty one. We sampled many things from the top half of the menu: cebiche tasting, nikei causita, nikei tiraditos, criollo niguiris nikei, and pobre niguiris nikei. SO GOOD. The funny thing is I'm not a huge seafood lover but everything we had was fantastic. The cebiches, octopus, and ahi tuna dishes were delicious. My friends are big seafood people and they were blown away. Since we had so many appetizers we went easy on the dinner part we had pork fried rice and amish chicken. I really liked the fried rice and the chicken was equally tasty. The atmosphere is really cool in here - vibrant and lively. I would definitely go back.
(5)Karen M.
I have been too Tanta 4 x so far. Food is good, drinks are good, ambiance is great. I am Peruvian and have had the chance to dine in a couple of Gaston's restaurants. Tanta is not one of the best ones but is not horrible either. It is the Only option for Peruvian restaurants in downtown. Its pricey - I think drinks are a tad too much. Food prices are OK. If you do not care much about ambiance and how fancy the place is, then you have other options: Machu Picchu and Ay Ay Picante. I like them both and they are BYOB. But they are completely different from Tanta.
(3)Gina H.
I absolutely loved Tanta. The server was awesome - extremely knowledgable about the menu and food prep and came back to the table quite frequently. As for the food - ridiculously good is all I can say...get the octopus, the pobre nikei, ceviche (any one), and the pastel de choclo.
(5)M B.
This place is incredible!!! To drink I got the pisco sour and some other drink with clover, lime and soda which was delicious. The pisco sour has fluffy egg white on the top but unlike other reviews it didn't smell sulfury at all. On to food. We got the skirt steak nigiri, one of the cebiches, the crab avocado causita, the octopus and the pork fried rice. Everything was better than the next! The cebiche was my least favorite, but that's only because everything was so so good. They also brought complimentary plantains with a spicy sauce which I loved and I don't even like plantain chips. So glad I finally tried tanta. Cant wait to go back and get dessert!
(5)Carolyn H.
Brian was our waiter and he was awesome! He explained every part of the menu to us and even though I wasn't familiar with Peruvian food it was really good! He even brought us things we couldn't decide to order, but he knew our taste. Will definitely recommend coming here again!
(5)Jane M.
My friend and I came to Tanta to relive some of trip to Peru. We were very pleased. The waiter was not great at explaining the different Pisco on tap but gladly brought us a little taste so we could chose. The drinks were very good. He helped us understand the menu. We did many small plates. We had two delicious cerviches. A potato avocado wonderful dish. A chicken skewer. Then he told us that the corn cakes had just come out of the oven....delicious and creamy. Everything was different and very good. We recommend it
(4)Stacy K.
I went here for a Friday night dinner with my best friend and absolutely loved the experience. The only reason why this isn't receiving a 5-star review was that we had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated despite having a reservation (the restaurant is on the smaller side) and it took ~10 minutes for the valet to retrieve our car. We were able to order and be served drinks fairly quickly at the bar to tie us over. Drinks: Lima Llama Malbec Food (can't remember the Peruvian names for everything, but here is a description): Ahi tuna sashimi Fluke ceviche Beef nigiri with quail egg Bay scallop nigiri Octopus on top of chimicurri Dessert: Fruit pie with purple corn sauce and house made ice cream I don't even know where to start- everything I put in my mouth was incredible (that's what she said?)! The Lima Llama drink was a refreshing pisco/ginger beer cocktail served in a copper mug (I'm currently in a copper mug obsession-phase so bonus points!) which I think will be my go-to summer drink. We ordered our food and ate kind of like tapas. Everything we had were a couple small bites each except for the ceviche. We heard they are known for their ceviche so we obvi ordered a "large". The fish was super fresh. And that beef and quail egg combo...I've never had anything like it. Also, I will say that octopus is the best octopus dish I think I've ever had. It was so tender it melted in my mouth. Raise your hand if you've ever had chewy octopus? Not at Tanta! The dessert was a recommendation by our waiter and was a perfect (not overly sweet, but enough to satisfy a sweet tooth) end to our meal. I am giving extra kudos for our service. Our waiter was very knowledgable and excited to talk about the food. We were seated at the ceviche chef station so we got to watch him make our food and get some additional insights on Peruvian cuisine. Our octopus course was served to us by the Exec Chef and the GM stopped by to ask about our experience at the end of the meal. Some would say this is overkill, but I loved the attention. I'm definitely going back to try everything we didn't try the first go 'round.
(4)Erica W.
I visited Tanta on a Sunday evening, and it was good, but I wasn't impressed. Once again, it has been hyped up and I came in with huge expectations. Perhaps I should check my expectations at the door. The decor is nice, but nothing jaw-dropping. I tried the crowd pleaser drink which was tasty, the street food feast, with the empanadas (which were delicious), and the chicken skewers, and I also tried the pollo a la brasa. The flavors were different and interesting, and the food was well-seasoned. Just not overwhelmingly amazing. The service was slower than we would have liked. I would possibly visit again to see if it lives up to the hype. Perhaps I didn't get the right menu items. I'll give it another try.
(3)RM S.
Solid three stars for food, but if you factor in the cost/dish, then it should lose a half, if not one star. Overpriced grilled food and not any better than any "nameless" izakaya in the west coast. Seriously. Grilled octopus for $17? Yes, it was good, no - it wasn't worth $17. The spirit of Japanese sashimi - Peruvian style...? Yeah, not that impressive. Wouldn't eat here again. Cuisine suffering identity crisis - and the resulting flavor is bland and confused. The worst part? Overpriced. How can you justify "street food" costing $17...
(3)Roslyn K.
Had a wonderful dinner and the service was excellent. One of the best food experiences we've had in a very long time. We highly recommend this awesome place!
(5)Grace T.
My Peruvian boyfriend took me out for a surprise dinner. We were really excited to try a new restaurant but we were so disappointed by the food and the sitting. We didn't have a reservation and we arrived at 5:30pm. The restaurant was half full. There were many empty tables but the hostess sat us at the bar. What? I am in my pretty dress and all dolled up and you sat us by the bar when half of your tables are empty at 5:30? It's not even rush hour dinner time, I understand if your restaurant is jam packed and you don't have any tables available, you put me at the bar but the hostess refused to sit us at one of the many empty tables because they are reserved. At the end of our "dinner", the place was not even full and plenty of tables left. We ordered a "large" ceviche and the street food plate with pisco sour and the tunki. The drinks were good but the food was the most uncreative and bland. The large ceviche had a weird orange sauce to it and it was not sour or spicy and came in a small bowl. The chef overdo it with the same sauce and onion. Omg. There was so much onions on everything and the weird orange sauce. I admit it was a good sauce but you shouldn't put it in everything when you claim to be diverse. The street food platter was a disaster. The sliders were weird with an unidentified pink meat and my boyfriend informed me that they would never eat a cold sandwich in Peru. The empanada tasted like it was made with canned chili. The potatoes with a onion mayo salad on top was mushy and overly sour and salty. The only redeeming piece was the pig heart which was suppose to be cow heart in Peru but at least it tasted good with the orange sauce.... Overall, it was not worth spending $100 when we left hungry. Skip this place if u want decent Peruvian food. Never been so disappointed at a restaurant before.
(1)Jen W.
I dined in on a Thursday evening with a group of five. The atmosphere was lively and the space is clean / modern. The server was helpful and I'm so glad we took his recommendation to order family-style. Everyone was able to taste all of the dishes because there was plenty to go around. We had: Pollo A La Brasa: It's a huge amish roasted chicken platter with wonderful rice&beans, salad, and potatoes. Arroz Con Pato: The crispy duck leg confit was tender and the cilantro rice was delicous. Paiche: The amazon river fish was my favorite. The presentation was impressive and everyone could not wait to taste this one. This place is my new favorite. We are definately going back again!
(5)Tonya K.
Last night I went to Tanta for the first time and I Loved it! The vibe was amazing and the food was delicious. The experience was wonderful and the service was fantastic. We didn't have to wait long for our food or drinks. The menu was not to busy at all and had great variety. My date and I could hear each other talk and we didn't have to yell across. We both search the restaurant and we decided to go with Tanta and we will definitely be coming back there!
(5)Julia P.
Not a place that continues to thrill. May be personal preference, but finding it overly sauce laden, pricey, often too loud for conversation, and not a place we feel drawn to eat often.
(3)J H.
Amazing food, some of the best I've had in Chicago. Interesting combinations! Great drinks selection as well. Definitely highly recommend this place if you want a unique dining experience!!
(5)Betty H.
Am shocked that this place has a 4 star rating. Decided to come here with family and friends for my bday celebration, ordered lots of apps, entrees and cocktails, but was extremely disappointed with almost everything we ordered. The fried rice for $23 was horrible, the lomo saltado was too salty, the roasted chix was dry and overcooked. Had such high hopes, as we love Peruvian food, at least from LA, CA we do. Oh how, we miss Mario's Peruvian!!!
(2)Adam K.
Cool new place in the loop, the theme has been done before, but the food / drinks are great. Came here after a meeting which made me feel like my brain tissue was being pulled out of my fingernails. Then I came here, sat at the bar with some friends, had a few of their signature cocktails, and started to feel great. I also got some sliders and other munchies. Wonderful. Ended the night on a Makers neat, and jumped on the bus to go home. VERY cool crunch berry wallpaper in the hall to the downstairs bathrooms. Bathrooms are exquisite also. Bar seating was nice. I will return.
(4)Kush P.
I love peruvian food. This was one of the best meals I've ever had.
(5)Shana W.
The food was pretty good! I went for brunch on Sunday and was seated on the outdoor patio. Beautiful view. So good food, nice location, why 3 stars? 1st...I felt the brunch menu was too small. I appreciate a few more options. Although what I received was great, I wanted more of a selection. 2nd....I hate cilantro! Before choosing 2 ceviche apps for the table of 4, I asked our waitress if either of them included cilantro. She said no! 1 came out with cilantro so I could not even taste it. The table ate it. When I informed the waitress of her mistake, she told me that she could bring me another. Fair trade right? But something in me told me to ask her if it was no charge. She told me "no". Um....really?? She was not knowledgeable about the menu. The app was small enough that by the time I realized it included cilantro, the table are it in 2 bites. So not cool and a lack of service. We also had to flag her down for condiments, water, and the check. She was too busy chatting with the bartender. Will I go back?? Not sure. Customer service is super important to me. It is as important as the food. Delicious food but subpar service this past Sunday.
(3)Rich M.
Tanta is such a welcome addition to the Chicago dining scene. The atmosphere is fun and lively with a great sleek vibe most places would kill for. The service was perfect from start to finish with our waiter describing the roots of Peruvian food. Seafood is the way to go here with some of the best cebiches I ever had. Drinks are fantastic and especially enjoyed the El loco Choclo which I have subsequently named. - See more at: chicago.foodmafia.com/no…
(5)Fuudcritic C.
By far one of the best meals we've had lately in Chicago! Small and shared plates are the way to go. Everything we had was amazing!!! Very creative plates with bold flavors. Every bite was an explosion in your mouth. The POBRE was doing the happy dance in our mouths. We were stuffed but couldn't resist dessert(s). Also fabulous! Service was outstanding. Our server Eduardo was awesome and so was Christian behind the "sushi?" bar. Thank goodness a Peruvian restaurant in downtown Chicago!
(5)William M.
In my opinion, best restaurant in Chicago. If you haven't eaten here you are missing out. The ceviche, tiradito and causas are amazing and order a Pisco Sour if you like cocktails. You won't be disappointed X Peruvian cuisine is amazing!!
(5)Marla R.
This is my current favorite restaurant in Chicago. The atmosphere is really fun, the servers are great, and the food is something really special and different. We have don't have a single miss dish in the two times we have dined here, but our favorites are the pobre, chaufa aeropuerto and the pollo a la brasa.
(5)Donald W.
Absolutely amazing food. Our waiter Eduardo was very knowledgeable and nice. The ambiance was very good. I will definitely return. The pisco sour is great!
(5)Gina R.
Been hearing a lot of good reviews about this place, and it definitely lived up to the hype. Had the octopus, duck breast, and ceviche last night. First two were outstanding, but ceviche a little pricey for what you get. They were really busy but despite that kept up with our table just fine. I don't remember the names of the cocktails, but they were really good - especially the pisco one. I think this place would be perfect for out of town guests or just a fun night out on the town.
(4)Alex C.
I enjoyed my experience here. The food was quite good and the wait staff were very accommodating. We had the Pobre, Street food feast, and cebiche tasting. The pobre was amazing. Something about this fusion i really understand and loved. The street food feast was overly salty and subpar at best. The cebiche was very good. They were very generous with the portions of fish, which is never a bad thing. i had the Allagash Black here for the first time and i ended up having 3 more. It is a delicious beer and they offer it on tap. Definitely try it if you like a fuller beer. Overall a good experience but wouldn't rush to return.
(3)Bob W.
Yelp ate my longer review and this place really wasn't really worth all the words I wrote the first time. Anyway, two visits later, I can say that Tanta is just far too timid on the flavors. The chupe is a prawn stew with almost no flavor. The fried rice is greasy and slightly smoky, but otherwise a bland serving of rice. Their beef nigiri revealed that they had a tough time cooking rice and steak resulting in a bite that was mushy pretty much all the way through. We had a few other things, but the only thing we ordered of any memorable quality was the corn pepian in the the veal cheek adobo. It's made with meat drippings so it's like a meat flavored mashed potato infused with cilantro. Sadly it sits under a forgettable piece of meat. Not worth paying $33 for some corn puree. The best thing by far is the free appetizer of thin crispy tostones with a dipping sauce. It joins India House and Lao Szechuan in the category of restaurants that give away their best thing for free. I only wish the offerings were better so I could eat these again, but I doubt I ever will. Tanta fails to capitalize on the promise of its flavorful, homey Peruvian menu and joins the ranks of overpriced River North restaurants that you can easily skip for cheaper, better fare elsewhere.
(2)Kristine C.
A very fun and interesting place. I had never had Peruvian food before and was hoping for an authentic experience (as authentic as one can get in Chicago). Our server was fun and very nice. He had a sense of humor that helped the banter while ordering. Essentially the menu is set up as tapas style with a few larger plates. The completely plantain chips with a special dipping sauce was a nice starter. We started with the Tiraditos nieki. It came with Ahi Tuna, passion fruit and a very tasty sauce in a big bowl. It was the right amount of fish, citrus and spice and very beautiful colors. Next we moved to the Cebiches. We also requested the nieki (this is supposed to be the best! and we were not disappointed). We also wanted something a little more filling other than small cuts of fish. So we tried the clasica Caustias. It's a smooth whipped orange potato with some crab and a small egg on top. It was very similar to a deviled egg texture and taste. We enjoyed this plate so much we requested the tasting of the corolla and nikei. Of these dishes the two of us were very full. But not after we tried dessert of course! We had the chocolate bombs (pieces of chocolate rolled in a quinoa base then deep fried). They burst when you try to cut them or pop them in your mouth. Be careful they are hot! We also tried the donuts. Which were OK and standard as a doughnut, no surprises. Over all, it was very busy fun and welcoming atmosphere. I enjoyed our server for understand and explaining the Peruvian fair to us. As such I give 4 stars!
(4)Urban D.
LOVED this place! Their rooftop was a very relaxing space to hang out with friends over their many delicious plates of food and drinks. Their service was a little slow but we used our time waiting for the server to catch up and reconnect with friends!
(5)Katrin T.
What a place! Everything was great! Le chignon cocktail was amazing, every dish was fantastic, full of flavor and spices. We cleared every plate. I would say that Tanta will be on my restaurant top list in Chicago.
(5)Michelle D.
Food is YUMMY!! Lots of flavor, and really great textures with different dishes. I love the ability to order lots of small plates and share, or the option for a full meal. The service is great at recommendations and is helpful without being over bearing. The atmosphere is trendy but casual and comfortable. I am still dreaming of the Ceviche Tasting dish..... The bartenders are a little inexperienced - the cocktail menu sounded great on paper, but was made with bad proportions and did not blend as well as is should have. I was told that one drink was "alcohol forward" but the mixers overwhelmed the drink and it came out sloppy. A good wine list overcomes that small issue. The cocktails were the only reason I gave this four stars instead of five.
(4)Stacey L.
Cocktails were a huge hit. Try all the cebiches and the smaller raw fish plates. The bigger dishes seemed heavier and less flavorful. I did see a lot of tables with the whole fried fish which is large enough for 4 to share. I will return for the bar and small plates, and I would take an adventurous first date here for a boozey couple of hours.
(3)ProjectChitown I.
This place is definitely different than the other Peruvian restaurants in Chicago. The inside decor is really fun and trendy, but it also very loud and hard to have conversations. For the most part, the wait staff is pretty good and attentive. I think our waitress could have been a little more helpful as we were often waiving down the bus boys to help refill our water pitchers or bring silverware. The complimentary "chifles" (or plantain chips) along with a savory sauce (a little stingy on the portion), slightly spicy (aji amarillo base) were both a nice touch and very tasty. As for the rest of the food, the Cebiche tasting was ok - nothing very memorable. The adobo de ternera (veal cheek) was very tender and flavorful, despite it's presentation. Skip the beef heart anticucho and pisco sours - better at Ay Ay Picante! Also, you won't pay a heaping $12 for each pisco sour. The Pollo A La Brasa "Peruvian chicken" is good but having been to Peru, it doesn't hit the mark. Though super tender it was also super salty because of the brine. It's still worth trying and is a huge portion if you order the full chicken, which comes with beans, salad and an array of sauces to spice it up. The suspiro loco is small but a nice twist on the original suspiro. Finally, I would have given this place 3 stars but we couldn't get drip coffee to finish off our meal (apparently they were completely out - really??). The waitress tried to push espresso instead of offering to make a fresh pot - let it be noted the restaurant closes at 11pm and it was 8:50pm when we received our check.
(2)Samantha N.
My family and I went to Tanta last Saturday night. We were lucky enough to get a reservation so last minute, the manager that I spoke with on the phone was so accommodating to get us in. I wasn't really sure what to expect at Tanta. I have never had Peruvian Food and I had no idea if I would like it or not. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised as the rest of my family was. The food at Tanta is so unique and different. I highly recommend starting out with the El Chingon - this drink is made with tequila and has a huge orange ice cube that is infused with jalapeno. It is delicious. We enjoyed everything that we ordered with the exception of the octopus anticuchos. We ordered the Ahi Tuna Cebiche, Chicken anticuchos, Pollo a la brasa, Lomo Saltado - an amazing beef stir with tenderloin beef and red onions, and the pork fried rice. The chicken was incredible - it came with 3 different sauces, potato wedges, beans, and a small salad. We had so much food and I can definitely say we left very full and satisfied. Amazing service, with an amazing atmosphere.
(5)Diane M.
I was so excited for my first visit to Tanta. I couldn't wait to try their menu. Unfortunately, the first problem was that they didn't serve the menu upstairs on their beautiful rooftop deck. I know that is a business decision, however, our Chicago summers are so short, the last thing I want to do is sit in a very dark restaurant eating very over-priced food. So we remained upstairs and found a few items on their bar menu. The food we had was really good. The empanadas were very yummy -- hot and crispy with lots of good stuff inside. The quinoa burgers were just okay, not a lot of flavor. The tuna tartar was good, just way too small of an order -- maybe four bites? We had a pisco drink that was fabulous. But the biggest disappointment was not being able to eat the main items on the real menu. And the server seemed very bored with life and didn't really want to beat work. I thought the service would be stellar. I still will try it once again, but will wait until it's cold outside to sit inside that dark restaurant.
(3)Aaron M.
Loved the experience! Daniel H our server was wonderful! Try the ceviches, pollo brasa, aeropuerto, and paiche! Drink pisco sour! You must try Tanta!
(5)Brittany C.
I ate here my first time in chicago and if I ever go back I plan to go here again! The manager was very accommodating despite how busy they were and our server was very friendly and knowledgeable. The food really speaks for itself though, it's delicious and had a flare that I haven't seen anywhere. Just don't be afraid to try new things and you'll love it here!
(5)Chicago F.
Horrible service and V V V V Bad food .. went with colleagues (all foodies) ordered various things off the menu and nothing was appetizing .. oily, tasteless and bad quality .. i dont understand the hype ... the best thing acc to me was the corn cake mushy side .. we also sent the wine back .. surprised that so many people are having good meals here
(1)Lucia S.
The restaurant is very cool decorated, good ambiance and the service is great. We ordered what our server recommended and everything was very good. Some of my favorites were the Pulpo Anticucho, the Criollo Tiradito and the Mixto Cebiche. The Octupus was amazing and cooked to perfection. We also ordered the Chupe soup and the Adobo Ternera. The Ternera was very tender and tasty. Overall is was very good.
(4)M C.
We have eaten hear four times. My wife is Peruvian and we have eaten in Gaston Acurio's La Mar in lima Peru. Of the four times we have eaten hear, three time the food and service were outstanding. This last time we noticed the hostess indifferent, the waitress quick to snatch unfinished drinks and food off the table. The waitstaff needs to be trained better. On this occasion the food was also extremely sub pare. The Jalea was so salty I could only eat about 1/4 of my plate. The Arroz con Pollo had mushy rice, the Lomo Saltado was just O.K. In the end the server didn't ask why food was going uneaten, she disappeared for the entire meal and nobody asked us how the meal was. They need older, more experienced staff here. Apparently, if you catch them on a good night with the right staff, you will have a fine Peruvian dining experience. Personally, we have decided that for less than half the price we can get comparable cuisine at AY AY PICANTE on Elston Ave. I have eaten there dozens of times and only once had a mediocre meal. In conclusion, I think the absence of Garcon himself is leading to the decline of this restaurant at the hands of his dubious stand-in. Food and service is sub-par for the price.
(2)Sahar M.
Great food and amazing drinks. Very creative plates. Try plantine chips with spicy meyo type sauce. Amazzzzzzing.
(4)Adrianne K.
Amazing food, amazing cocktails! I love this place and will definitely come here again.
(5)Nate A.
Brought my girlfriend here for her bday dinner. Service was fine (server was very knowledgeable about the menu) but food was disappointing. The octopus was only dish that I would order again. Ceviche was just ok (have definitely had better) and chicharon (pork belly entree) was overly rich with no outstanding flavors. Also ordered Chinese style noodles, thought it would be a fusion dish but just tasted like a good stir fry, however really greasy. $150 with tip for 2 ppl for 2 small plates, 2 entrees and three cocktails total. Cocktails were all pretty good (especially pisco sour) but underwhelmed by the food considering all the hype they get.
(3)Nancy B.
We had another wonderful meal at Tanta Saturday night. Brought our daughter and son-in-law who are New Yorker foodies, and we wanted to impress them. Tanta did not disappoint. Had several of the seviche, including the special with shrimp and mango. Servings a little small but delightful, especially with their fusion flavors. Had other small plates including a tasty crab and avocado potato dish. The three entrees we ordered were more than enough food and fabulous - roast chicken, churrasco, and whole fish. The latter was recommended and was to die for: flesh removed and battered, sweet-sour sauce. Great experience, service etc. one caveat, it can get noisy as the evening wears on.
(5)Holly D.
Highly recommend pork & shrimp fried rice, caprese quinoa and tuna ceviche. Pisco Sours are awesome!! The restaurant is truly unique for Chicago and a nice reminder of the beauty of Peru if you've ever been. I nice change of pace from the steakhouses that crowd the downtown scene.
(5)Adele G.
There is nothing like it in Chicago. It's a breath I fresh air in this ever-expanding foodie city. Flavones from the sea, the Andes, and the Amazon are evident in he menu. Out knowledgeable waiter helped us select our dinners that we shared amongst three. The ceviche sampler was perfect if you can't make up your mind. The menu is closely authentic to Peruvian cuisine and didn't disappoint. Definitely plan to return. If the manager is reading this, take note. The busboys should be seen and not heard. We were interrupted continually in the middle of conversation asking if they could clear plates that still had food on them. Approaching the table once or twice to clear it is fine, but over a half dozen times becomes obnoxious. Ask them to tone it down. Hovering staff gives the impression of rushing and claustrophobia. I'll return for sure, but if that keeps up I'll ask them to take a step back.
(4)Smitha K.
Nice Peruvian restaurant with pretty good food. We tried the street food feast, and arroz con pato. Both were really good, esp the arroz con pato! The duck was fabulously tender. For desert, we tried las trufas (truffles), which was just okay. I think I'll try the doughnuts next time, that looked better. The plantain chips which were on the house were really good too. Everyone must try the drink, pisco sour made from a Peruvian brandy called pisco!
(4)Joshua T.
Terribly disappointing - proof that Gastón is very overextended and the quality is suffering across the empire. (Admittedly this is based on recent visits to other Acurio locales in Peru, the US, and elsewhere, in addition to this one: several of them are showing a marked decline, in my opinion.) Where to begin? With the most important thing, of course: the utterly mediocre ceviche. Criminal. The only-OK blend of flavors would have been bad enough, but the mealy, unpleasant mouth feel of the fish made Peru's remarkable flagship dish into a gustatory chore to be choked down with a lot of water. I feel sorry for anyone who gets their first exposure to ceviche, a culinary wonder in its natural state, in this insipid form. I can't understand why it was prepared so badly: Gastón's people have easy access to all the ingredients that make ceviche work (the Peruvian limes, the sweeter onions, etc.), so the frustrations that face home chefs are no excuse. And not only does ceviche come off perfectly at the San Francisco La Mar location, it's well prepared at any number of Peruvian restaurants across the US. Why oh why is it so terrible here? On a less important note, the chilcano that I ordered arrived disguised as an orange concoction of some sort. And that ain't a chilcano. Now I understand that Gastón and others often promote chilcano variants from time to time, but I didn't order that. What I wanted was a nice traditional chilcano, not to have this overly sweet and underly sharp beverage thrust upon me in its name. Then there was the chicharrón. Again: any chef is well within his rights to experiment with traditional cuisine, get creative, whatever. But give some indications on the menu, man! If I order something called "chicharrón," at a Peruvian restaurant, and the description offers no real hint that it's going to be radically different than traditional chicharrón, then of course I'm going to be disappointed. Especially if the experiment that arrives isn't even terribly good. Nicely tender pork, I'll admit - a piece literally fell off the bone as I picked it up - but entirely lacking the crispy exterior that defines Peruvian chicharrón, and also bathed in a kind of sweet sauce that, despite the menu's description, had next to no hint of the promised rocoto. Kind of like we're going for an American southern barbecue-type sauce here, and not exactly getting it right, but not getting somewhere else either. Finally, and perhaps unimportantly, why is this place even called Tanta? The menu doesn't remotely resemble the menu at the Tanta franchises in Peru and Spain, which are pretty consistent from location to location. It's a totally different place: why surprise loyal customers from those places with this ill-considered, under-varied menu?
(2)Kate R.
Tanta was definitely a mixed experience. Based on the food alone, this is easily a 4.5 star restaurant. It was delicious, and I would love to return just for the food. We started with the Criollo cebiche. It was very tasty, but a smaller portion than we were expecting. One thing that confused me was that there was nothing to eat it with. I'm used to Mexican style ceviches, so maybe it's just a different culture, but we had to request more plantain chips to eat it. For main dishes, we had the chaufa aeropuerto, the Chicharron, and the seco de cordero. All were wonderful, but the seco de cordero was fabulous; the meat melted off the bone. However, the service we received was terrible. I'm not sure we even got the waiter's name. He took a long time to reach our table, and when he did come, he was rude and inattentive. I understand that the restaurant was busy on a Friday night, but this was not acceptable. Once the waiter finally arrived, we asked him to explain the cocktail menu, and he responded that he "didn't have time to discuss the entire menu," so he'd just tell us about three. He followed that by telling us that we needed to get 2-3 small plates each and one or two main dishes per person before disappearing again. We ended up ordering 2 small plates total and one entre each and brought most of our food home. When he finally returned to get our appetizer order, it had been long enough that we'd had time to decide what we wanted to eat. He took the cebiche order, and as I started to let him know we were ready to order, he turned around and walked away. It is a very loud place and it's possible he didn't hear me right next to him, but it came across as rude. I don't want to apply this to everyone because the hostess was very polite and the bus boys were fabulous and much more attentive to us than our actual waiter. I have never under tipped a server, but on this occasion I was extremely tempted. If it hadn't been for the busboys coming over to check on us, make suggestions, and actually attend to our needs, (ie. more plantain chips and sauce because the waiter hadn't come back to take our order) I probably would have tipped low.
(3)Glen W.
This is the best Peruvian I have had in the US and probably the best of the Astrid y Gastón restaurants I've been to anywhere in the world. That chain has at four different restaurants each with many locations and is considered by many the best Peruvian food, so that is saying quite something. It is very exciting to have great Peruvian food in Chicago! Don't miss the Arroz con Pato (duck rice), Anticucho de Pulpo (grilled octopus) or the ceviche. For dessert Picarrones (fried pumpkin fritters with honey) are unique.
(4)Marisa S.
I was excited when I found out that Gaston Acurio was going to add Tanta to the Chicago restaurant scene. We finally had the opportunity to try it out this weekend and it did not disappoint. Our favorite dishes included the: cebiche mixto, cebiche nikei, criollo, and the pulpo. The pulpo was cooked perfectly. All of the dishes were delicious! The staff was very friendly and gave great recommendations too!
(4)Mace W.
Sexy place with great variety. The pulpo was our fav. Service was also solid, the manager stopped by to chat about the restaurant and menu for some time.
(5)Loncy M.
Talk about amazing Peruvian cuisine.... 5 stars for food. Needs to improve on service, it was a bit slow and at times difficult to get our waiter's attention. I have heard so much about Gaston Acurio's cuisine so I was very excited when I heard he was coming to Chicago. And sure enough it didn't disappoint! We started with Pisco Sours which were delicious. Then we proceeded to order everything on the menu cause it all sounded good. Cebiche mixto, skirt steak niguiri (don't let the quail egg scare you off, it is DELICIOUS) and an ahi tuna causita (must have). For our main dishes we had the carapulcra (pork belly), lomo salteado and the special which also involved pork. My personal favorite was the carapulcra cause the pork was juicy and it felt right off the bone. The rice that comes with the lomo was simple greatness. We closed out with trufas for dessert which had dark chocolate inside and complemented with team lime ice cream. One of the best meals I've had in the city!
(4)neal s.
What a great addition to River North! Three of us went a few days ago and I just made a reservation to go back in a few days. Like most River North places, Tanta is a little bit on the loud side but not as loud as most. The food is very interesting with a lot of interesting tastes. We all shared three appetizers and three entrees. The stand outs to me where the braised lamb shank which is an ample portion and the pork fried rice which I would rate as a don't miss it dish. Definitely one of new favorite places
(5)Rebecca L.
My boyfriend is Peruvian so when we traveled to Chicago last month for vacation he insisted we try this restaurant because he'd heard great reviews. They lived up to the hype. We started at the bar with a couple of Pisco Sours (of course) and a few apps while we waited for our table. The place had a great vibe and I loved the decor - it was not like any of the other Peruvian restaurants we had visited. Once at our table we shared a bunch of dishes and ended up even getting dessert because the food was so good. What I liked about this restaurant was that they took foods that I have become familiar with and reinvented it. The dishes were unique, creative, and beautifully presented while still holding true to their Peruvian roots. My boyfriend is back in Chicago next month for business and planning on going back...so jealous!
(5)K P.
Ate here a few months ago. The food and drinks we had were good. However, the waiter pushed us to order wayyyy too much food for appetizers (there were only two of us dining). As a result we couldnt really order much more. Also the waiter's attitude was very annoying. He was disinterested and very arrogant.
(3)Tracy F.
This a 3.5 star review. I had really high expectations for this restaurant. It lived up to my expectations on all fronts except for the main entree and dessert. The main entree is what killed the star rating. The service was wonderful. No compliants. The ambiance is exactly like Sunda - trendy, loud, modern The food was excellent (with the exception of the items mentioned above). Street Food Feast: We swapped the chicken anticuchos out for the octopus (pulpo). Highly recommended! This was the best part of the appetizer. It also came with crispy empanadas, pork belly sliders and a potato salad. All delicous. Beef stir fry: I should have trusted the other reviews and skipped it. It wasn't, just very average. You can probably get better in chine town. I will go with the Pollo A La Brassa next time. Pork fried rice (chaufa aeropuerto): This was the best dish of the night!! It had such a rich, unique taste. I could probably eat this as an entire meal. Highly recommended! Dessert - El Suspiro Loco: This was described as thinly sliced banana cake rolled into cigars with a dulce de leche cream filling. The cake is baked to a crisp, so it has the consistency of a cannoli. I couldn't taste the banana at all. The dulce de leche flavor was so toned down with cream that it was barely recognizable. And the ginger ice cream, while great, overpowered the dish. I'd try something different. I would definitely return but make a few different menu choices.
(4)Andrew O.
Had am amazing meal here the other night. Great service, drinks, and the food was impressive. The chef did a wonderful job with the flavor combinations and everyone in my party really loved the meal.
(5)Eli N.
I've been wanting to come here for a while but somehow kept missing out on it. Then, I read some of the mixed reviews on yelp so I was a little apprehensive. That said, my experience here was fantastic! It was a phenomenal meal with gorgeously structured dishes that were just as pleasing to the eye as to the stomach. The Chicha morada brought back memories of Peru as did the Lomo Saltado. The aeropuerto fried rice was porky, crispy and just generally awesome. The steak sushi thing was a major (positive) surprise and the octopus was a delight. The ceviche was solid though nothing particularly special, not that there is anything wrong with that but just in comparison to everything else that was notably and surprisingly great, it was just typical and exactly what you'd expect (again, not a bad thing exactly). Finally, for dessert we had the pumpkin and sweet potato fritters which were again, surprisingly awesome. Great place to eat with a group and share everything. Go now! P.S. Cocktails: the pisco sour is good (pretty traditional), the pistolero is FANTASTIC. It somehow tasted like an alcoholic passionfruit. Not fake passionfruit but literally like the actual fruit with an alcoholic aftertaste. No idea how that happened given that I didn't see passionfruit in the ingredients but get it if you like that kind of thing.
(5)Sam S.
Place is small and unpretentious (yea - in river north)... Staff is friendly and so well trained - willing to explain everything even when it is busy. Food is exceptional (been there 4 times - yet to have anything disappointing). Highly recommend it!
(5)Madelene T.
They messed up our dinner reservation and reserved a table the night before our anniversary. It was a Friday night at 9:30 and the place was pretty packed so we had to wait for about 15 mins. We grabbed a drink at the bar, which was good. I thought they should've at least comped us a drink while we waited. After being seated we ordered our food and it came out right away. It was exceptionally fast. We ordered the Classico ceviche. It was very good and had a bit of a kick. My husband ordered the street platter and I ordered the chalana (causitas tasting). I thought the food was ok. The presentation was well done, but I wasn't very impressed with the taste. But that's just due to personal preferences. The chicken causita I thought was the best causita but I didn't care for the quinoa, tuna, or crab. The items on the street platter were also so-so, but my husband liked it. At the end, they sent over two glasses of champagne for our anniversary, which was a nice gesture. I give it only three stars because for the price, I expected more wow.
(3)Rachel N.
We went to Tanta last night after hearing about it from a friend. We are familiar with cuisine from Peru (we love Ay Ay Picante and Machu Picchu) so we wanted to check this out. It did not disappoint! We sat at the bar and tried a few of their smaller plates and topped it off with a flight of the infused pisco (warning: the pisco is VERY strong. We split one flight between 2 of us and struggled to finish. Loved the cinnamon infused pisco). The service was excellent - thank you to both the sushi chef and our bartender. Both were very friendly and answered our questions about the menu. Our meal: - Power ceviche - this was my first time trying sea urchin...not my cup of tea but loved the rest of the ceviche. The "leche" was great and the mariscos were excellent. - Beef cheek sliders - we tried this and loved it. It was a special of the evening, but if you see it on the menu, give it a try. It was not greasy which we feared it might be and had very balanced flavors. It was served on very soft, sweet buns that were amazing. - Pobre niguiri - after seeing this on the website, I was most excited to try this dish but it ended up being my least favorite. The texture was a little odd, it was hard to eat, and the flavors were the least impressive of all of the dishes. Nothing really popped in the dish. - Corazon anticuchos - this was my favorite dish. Previously anticuchos at Ay Ay Picante were my go to but these blew them out of the water. They were very tender, cooked to perfection, and the sauce served with the anticuchos was the perfect blend of spicy, sweet, savory and went well with the dish. I could have eaten 2 servings of the anticuchos and been set!. Drinks: Pisco Sour - excellent! You can't go wrong. La guapa - even better than the pisco sour. A wonderful sweet (not too sweet) drink with my favorite ingredients for a cocktail, gin and bubbly. The atmosphere was fun and young. I was surprised at how full it was considering it's fairly new. The bartender also mentioned that they will be opening their rooftop next spring/summer, and I can't wait. The artwork on the main wall is vibrant and goes well with the venue. Overall, great experience. We're already planning to go back this weekend. This place is a hit, and I am so glad to have this addition to the Chicago food scene.
(4)Peggy G.
We were excited to check Tanta since we had really enjoyed out meals while in Peru a couple years ago. We have to say we really enjoyed it. The space is small, but doesn't feel too cramped. The pisco sour was excellent. We tried several dishes however I would have to say the highlights were the ceviche clasico and the chupe. The ceviche which was refreshing and perfectly balanced. The chupe was AMAZING! If I could have licked that bowl clean I would have. My husband and I fell in love with this stew. I would go back to just have the chupe. Gave 4 stars versus 5 because dessert was unimpressive and one of our other dishes was just "ok." Overall, I highly recommend people check Tanta out and I will definitely be returning.
(4)Ro L.
The food was imaginative, delicious, beautifully presented. Exemplary On all levels. Our server was well-informed, pleasant and attentive. The So. African rose started off our dinner on the right foot. The tuna ceviche and beef hearts were creative and tasty. Followed up by a lovely Embruix 2009 accompanied main courses of pork belly special, cauliflower and eggplant side, whitefish, and veggie entrees were all perfect.. With so many other restaurants to choose from in the city, this one is a shining star. Ro and Curt
(5)Daniel B.
Disappointed! I had high expectations and booked a special date night with my wife weeks in advance. The place is noisy as a bar and over-crowded with small tables, and unfortunately too close to each other, specially the tables for two. Definitely not the place for a cozy special night, my mistake. Anyways, I adjusted my expectations and waited, waited more, and kept waiting... About 30 mins after my reservation time we finally got a table, unfortunately the worse table in the place (next to the door and bar with traffic competing a super market aisle). Getting other table would take another 30 minutes. We just left to enjoy the night in another restaurant. I bet the food is good because I have been in a few of Gaston's restaurants in Lima. I might give it another try later. I would definitely suggest the management to improve the ambience and take some tables out if they want to pass the novelty period.
(2)Sunita T.
An excellent restaurant. The cocktails are unique and very tasty. We tried all the cebiches and they were fabulous. Such a great blend of flavors and textures. The main courses were also very interesting with lots of different spices. Definitely recommend and would go back.
(5)Izzi W.
enjoyed our meal very much. the waiter guided us through the menu and helped us order appropriately-we were a party of 6-so that everyone could taste whatever they wanted. the ceviche was excellent. the surprise of the meal was the beef heart, none of us had ever eaten it and we all loved it. my favorite was the whole fried fish. it had a delicious Chinese sweet and tangy sauce and was served as boneless chunks using the fish body as the bowl, very clever. loved the desserts too.
(4)m d.
Beware of the SUPER hot soup! Went to Tanta on this Sunday, party of 6 people. Almost everyone liked the food; mine (the lamb) was just ok. The problem was with the soup. We ordered one soup and everyone tried it. Every person as the table burned their tongue. It is 3 days later, and my tongue will hurts so much, that it actually hurts to eat. They bring it out still boiling, which is fine, but even after a few minutes and blowing on the soup, we all still ended up burning out tongues. When I called to let them know, specifically stating that I was calling to complain, just to let them know for the future to let people know that the soup if not eatable for the first 10 minutes, the guy who picked up the phone was so ridiculously rude, that even he realized that he was out of line and went to call the manager. The manager never came to the phone and the phone was hung up. I called back, nobody picked up. Bottom line, the food was fine, although after visiting Peru, it only slightly resembled real Peruvian dished, but please be careful when you order the soup. Hey Tanta, rudeness, especially for no reason, is not appreciated!
(2)Katherine J.
We just kind of pointed at a bunch of things on the menu. We really had no clue what we were ordering but everything was amazingly delicious! The flavors are so unique and work well together. This restaurant is hopping even at 9p on a Tuesday night so, definitely make a reservation. The atmosphere is nice-casual but classy. A little pricey so this is going to be one of our special occasion restaurants. Can't wait to go back!
(5)Shannon R.
Such an amazing spot! The ambiance is great and the libations are even better. Not to be overshadowed is the food. I wasn't sure what to expect as this experience was my first with Peruvian food, but I was pleasantly surprised. I went outside of my comfort zone and had a very enjoyable dining experience.
(5)Liza A.
Been to Tanta twice, will be coming back often because it is just so delicious. Finally a Peruvian place downtown and the food is delicious! So far some of my favorite dishes have been the Ceviche mixto, the tiradito nikkei, the chalana (sampling of all the causitas) the street food feast, and the chaufa. So good, I haven't had it all but so far amazing. The picarones are a must if you go!! The prices are comparable to places in the area but completely worth it. Service was really good, one of the servers that gave awesome recommendations was John, very nice! The chicha morada is delicious if you don't want any cocktails and the table chips that you get are delicious with the aji sauce. I wish I could have that all the time!! I can't wait for their rooftop to open next year, until then I'll happily take a seat inside! Check it out and enjoy!!
(5)Laura S.
This review is for the Tanta roof deck, rather than the regular dining area. Our group of six ordered empanadas, tropical cebiche, and shrimp, as well as cocktails from the "on tap" menu. The food was fine, but nothing spectacular. The cocktails were inconsistent (I ordered two la rusas, and one was bright orange, the other was pale pink) and watered down. Our server, Stacy M, was unfriendly, slow and inattentive. In over two hours, we only had about two drinks each, because she never came around to take new drink orders. All would have been mostly forgivable, but the cherry on top of this two-star experience (reducing it to a one-star experience) was that, in ringing up our bill, the server authorized my card for $185, when it was supposed to be $38. I have called the restaurant twice to get an explanation (it's been three days), and still have not received even an apology, let alone an explanation. Tanta really needs to clean up its act before it gets my business again.
(1)Livery H.
Went here based on the yelp reviews. The waiter was super enthusiastic and explained the entire menu to us ( A little difficult to navigate if you don't know peruvian I am assuming). We started with cocktails, la rusa and el macho. La rusa is probably one of the best cocktails that I have ever had. It has a thickness of mango juice and it is strong. There is an ice cube in the drink that is made of campari, which melts while you drink it. However, it doesn't really melt that much and I moved onto my next cocktail before waiting for it to melt, it was a little sad. El macho was a good cocktail too. We order a criollo ceviche and criollo niguiri. The niguiri ( spelling?) is actually the best bite of food I have had this year ( just like the waiter said). It is like a fresh, heavily flavored slab of sushi grade fish, minus the rice. FANTASTIC. The ceviche was good, but growing up on Hawaiian poke, I wasn't that impressed with the caliber of the fish. For entrees, we mixed up a lot of things. We got the pulpo skewers, which were cooked to perfection. Also, got the crab and ahi causitas. My boyfriend got the seco marino which was swordfish over a bed of polenta and avocado. This was way too much food. We had trouble eating it all. The entree was probably the least impressive. Next time we would probably stick to the causitas and skewers menu, because those were the most impressive ( besides the niguiri, which was my favorite). We moved on to more cocktails, la guapa ( not that great, a guava-like after taste that was oddly medicine-like) . My boyfriend got the pisco sour which was great and I tried another, el piscolero ( fantastic). The ambience was very loud, very busy on a Tuesday ( only seats at 7:00 were at the bar) and the waiter seemed very busy. However, he managed to maintain a very personal style of help during the whole meal. Overall, extremely enjoyable and would come back again.
(5)Stephanie P.
Tanta is incredible! I went for my fiance's firm's holiday party, so we were in the private room on the second floor. We are both picky eaters and we both loved every single dish they brought out. The cocktail 'el chingon' is fantastic if you like a smoky, spicy drink (which I do). The service was great too, the servers were friendly, attentive and funny. We are actually considering Tanta for our rehearsal dinner because it was such a great experience, and we'd love to use the rooftop patio attached to the private room!
(5)Julie F.
the ceviche was delicious! we had the palea as well as the pulpo (octopus pieces), the special of the day corn pudding dish, and several of the ceviches. everything was incredibly fresh and tasted wonderful. the only downside is that i went with a group of 5, and we were put in a large side booth that basically made it impossible to talk with each other. we all enjoyed the food, but were bummed that conversation wasn't able to happen between the weird layout of the booth and the loud noise level, so i'd probably recommend only coming with groups of 4 or smaller so that you can sit at a table and talk while also enjoying the incredible food. oh, the el chigon was delicious as was the crowd pleaser as far as drinks are concerned.
(4)David L.
Service was attentive. Server was very knowledgeable Food was very good. Unfortunately they were out of the pollo a la brasa which was one of the dishes we were anticipating. Overpriced as well.
(4)K B.
2 of us went to celebrate a big birthday year when no one was there and they would not give us a booth. The food was great and our server was great, but when it is a special occasion and no one is there, you should give your customers the booth - that is what puts a place over the top.
(3)Jo A.
I ate at Tanta on Oct. 14 with my boyfriend for his birthday. We were both very pleased with this place. We did the pobre (soooo good), nikei cebiche, pulpo, and seco de cordero. My boyfriend said it was the best octopus he's had. The lamb shank was also very tender and fall off the bone. I loved everything we ordered and would order it again. We shared everything and were full that we couldn't order dessert. Also, of the drinks, I really liked the lima llama.
(5)Jonathan M.
obscenely fresh, fantastic flavors, great room... easily one of the best meals I've had in chicago in awhile...
(5)FoodLover Z.
Spectacular. Had a couple of different types of sashimi, a couple of cebiches, and chupe for the main course. all of the dishes were fantastic. the pisco sours, particularly the passion fruit flavor, might be the best i've ever had. had the chocolate bombs with lemongrass ice cream and sweet potato fritters for dessert, both of which were great. Highly recommend this place.
(5)James M.
Sandra had her heart set on trying Tanta. We waited a good half hour to be seated, despite arriving on time for our reservation. Once seated, we waited a half hour for the plantain chips which were overly salty. Sandra got the Loma Saltado, which was good but is overpriced. I got the Peruvian fish which was also good but overpriced. The drinks were good but I think in the future Sandra will stick to her Indochino.
(3)Jayne W.
This was my second visit here and previously I gave it 5 stars. Tonight I suggested it For restaurant week in Chicago. I had hoped the chef would have designed a menu that really showcased the flavors I experiences the first time. We shared all of our dishes and the pisco sour and tequila drink were great. The ceviche was very good and the featured grilled octopus appetizer was excellent. However both of our entrees were below par. One dish was Arroz Criollo, a peruvian rice dish with seafood, similar to a paella. It's was mushy and limited in any seafood . The other dish was Grilled cod and seafood bouillabaisse over green pelican purée. This dish has flat, flavorless and the grilled fish was also mushy. Compared to my first Chef tasting menu here, I was extremely disappointed. The deserts were ok tho nothing outstanding or memorable. Not a great way to introduce a first time diner to the restaurant. I might come back to try some of the dishes I first had here but do not recommend the dinner menu for Restaurant Week.
(2)Redd B.
Tanta is one of the more unique food options in Chicago. The ceviche and Causitas samplers are perfect for dinner. So light and fresh! Drinks are great; It's nice to find a place in the city that makes a proper pisco sour. When I have visited similar restaurants in the area such as Girl and the Goat, I feel like I need to be rolled out of the restaurant because the food is so rich and heavy. Tanta gives you the option to go out to a cool place with you friends and not have to don elastic pants to do so. The ambiance is clean, colorful and modern. Service was helpful with understanding Peruvian food, and our waitress was also really pleasant and nice, like she really enjoyed her work. I appreciate when a restaurant makes sure you do not feel rushed, while being mindful of when you are ready to leave. There was no waiting around for drinks or a check. The bus boys were careful to remove plates when BOTH of us were finished, something so many restaurants fail to do. I also love when an establishment notices when a diner is wearing black and offers a black napkin, such a small but nice attention to detail.
(5)Jessica G.
Tanta in Chicago is fabulous! I've been to Gaston's other restaurants (in Madrid, San Francisco..) - all great but Tanta in Chicago blew me away! The location is perfect, the ambiance is so fun and lively, the music great, staff friendly and the food is delicious!! My favorites were the lomo soltado, pollo a la brasa and empanadas - all washed down with the tastiest pisco sours I have ever had! And for dessert- las trufas de chocolate - OMG! I was in heaven with these chocolate bombs! I can't wait to go back!!!
(5)Ric T.
Was able to learn about Peruvian food and am so happy I have! The Classico Cibiche was excellent. The Lomo Saltodo was a very nice portion and prepared perfectly, will order again. The Pescado Frito had a nice presentation and was was delicious as well! The Chalona sampler made me want to come back and order each one individually. The ambiance is very nice and you have to get a Pisco Sour, top notch! I will be back sooner than later.
(5)Sofiya C.
Brunchin in this trendy little Chicago hot spot, why not! The menu was quite diverse and there is something for everyone. The Bloody Mary mix is very savory and has that South American taste to it. The seafood here is fantastic, the octopus though... The ceviche was amazing as well. One of the dishes that really stood out was this corn bread thing with egg... It was orgasmic. The service is great and the servers know their shit! The atmosphere is calm and trendy! If you are a open minded foodie you will love this place! I'm looking forward to coming for dinner! Only gripe... Be ready to drop some cash $$$
(4)Lindsey A.
We had way too good of a time at Tanta. From the pisco sours to the Chilean cab we ordered... we had way.too.good.of.a.time. Pull your whip up to the curb and let valet take care of you (for $14 it's easier and saner than trying to park on Grand yourself.) Then walk in and be seated with some plantains and sauce - a spicy variety. Our server was pleasant, the meal so very flavorful. The empanadas (chicken) had a sweet bbq sauce and the mixto cebiche (white fish) was out of this world. So very tender and lovely. Plus, I can't get enough of large-kernel Peruvian corn. I love it! I ordered the pastel de choclo because my Chilean grandmother-in-law makes it and I haven't had it in a few years. Tanta's version was sweet to the tongue, peppered with those large corns and mushrooms and raisins. My wife ordered the lomo saltado and said it was delish. But blowing my mind were the duo de alfajores - vanilla and chocolate shortbread cookies with dulce de leche center and lucuma ice cream. WHOA. They crumbled and melted and merged and... I want more. This was a special occasion meal and if you're a lover of South American food, definitely check it out.
(4)Jami S.
Absolutely Fantastic!! My husband and I have been wanting to try Tanta for awhile but because it's hard to get a reso it took awhile. But I can truly say it was worth the wait. We had dinner at Tanta on a Friday night with another couple. The place is small but cute and has a warm vibe. We were seated pretty much immediately and from there our server took us away, we got lost in Peruvian smells and tastes. We actually had him place our order from what he felt was his favorites and the most popular items. Everything was delicious! The Pisco Punch was my absolute favorite drink! Hands down best service in a River North restaurant I have come by in a long time. We told the Manager we will be traveling to Peru in a few weeks and he even took the time to write us a list of his favorite spots and offered to reach out to them before our arrival to get us reservations. Could not have been nicer! We will def be back Tanta!!!
(5)Giselle G.
Love this place! My step-mother being Peruvian, I have enjoyed Peruvian food my whole life. It's so delicious, you must try! The decor is very pretty both downstairs and at the rooftop. The rooftop is small but still spacious. The view isn't anything to write home about but the vibe, food and drinks make up for it 100%. Great place to grab food and drinks.
(5)Joseph L.
I've dined in Chicago many, many times and right now this is my favorite spot. The patio dining was amazing, service was great and food was fantastic. Great spot, I'll be back for sure.
(5)Dan P.
Walked in the other day and luckily was able to get a table for 2 around 7. Started things off with my first Pisco Sour - never realized egg white could make a drink taste so much better. It was very legit. Try the chaufa aeroporto - it's not even comparable to even the best Chinese fried rice I've had. The cebiches are all great, and the chicken empanadas were solid. I think my favorite dish was probably the chicken skewers we got - sounds pretty basic, but they put a great twist on them. The atmosphere is great - the place is pretty small but lively - and the service was on point. Spent about $110 for the two of us and had some food left over. I'll be back.
(5)Tina L.
Loved every single dish that we had here. Here we go in order of most to least favorite (I need to reiterate that I loved every dish here, though): Chaufa Aeropuerto: "In the 1800's, the people from Canton immigrated to Peru and brought with them their amazing culinary culture." Thank you so much, my beautiful Cantonese immigrants! Pork fried rice, shrimp tortilla, spicy garlic. Oh my gahhhh, this dish was delicious. What a beautiful and thoughtful balance of flavors and textures. It comes out in a hot stone pot, which I absolutely adore. I asked the manfriend to push it down so that we could get some of the crispy crunchy rice that you get at the bottom, but when I took a small bite, I realized that they already had some kind of crunchy goodness in there. What a pleasant surprise! The flavors are fantastic, and just the right amount of spiciness. The manfriend said that he will order this dish for himself next time, nothing else. I concur -- I'm ordering one for myself next time as well LOL. Pollo a la Brasa: Amish [whole] roasted chicken Peruvian style, cannellini beans, arroz con choclo, criolla salad, rustic potatoes, aji sauces. Wow, the chicken was made to perfection, with just the right amount of seasoning and very juicy. Loved trying all the different sauces and pairing it with the beans and rice. Can't wait to eat our leftovers for lunch today. Cebiche Tasting: Peruvian cebiche is freshly made to order, combining the freshest catch with lime and aji. (1) clasico - fluke, red onions, cilantro + (2) mixto - mahi, squid, shrimp, rocoto + (3) nikei - ahi tuna, avocado, cucumber, tamarind. The clasico was probably the table favorite out of the three. We loved the citrus-y tang of the sauce. Anticuchos: traditional skewers from the streets of Peru! pulpo - octopus, chimichurri, fried garlic, olive sauce. The octopus was grilled until very tender, and the flavors were amazing. Honestly, we could have probably done without this dish, since everything else would have been more than enough for the three of us at the table. But our server suggested it, and I'm happy that we were able to try it. Overall, this was a beautiful experience and I can't wait to go back for some of that pork fried rice again. I had to remove half a star, though, because they forgot to include those leftovers in our take-out bag. I mean, come on...I was totally looking forward to eating that the next day!
(4)Cheri S.
We started with the mixto ceviche and octopus. The octopus was very tender and served on little pillows of mashed potatoes. Sounds weird but it works. After that the pescado frito was more than enough to share. The pacing of the service was great. Good cocktails. Lively atmosphere but a little loud so not the place for an intimate date.
(4)Gregg F.
I ventured into ultra hip Tanta last night. From the start we knew that it was going to be a good night. The waiter in his best Peruvian voice was very knowledgeable and helpful with explaining the meals. The Pisco Sour was very good as well as potent just the way I like my drinks. Would like to start off saying its virtually impossible to leave Tanta hungry Wow they give you a lot of food for the money. The grilled duck was juicy succulent very tasteful it was so good that I saved some for late night snack. I highly recommend Tanta if you are looking for some good Peruvian food without a lot of pretense..
(4)Justin B.
Dropped by Tanta today to use up a brunch voucher we bought on Gilt City a few months ago. Interesting experience: 1. Let's just call a spade a spade: the bacon (EIGHT dollars) is essentially weak, supermarket Oscar Meyer-style slices served in an incredible sauce. It's the strangest high-end restaurant bacon I have ever had...and, full disclosure, I used to host monthly bacon parties, am a former member of the Grateful Palate's Bacon of the Month Club and my Xbox Live handle is Bacon Party, so it's obvious that I know a little bit about bacon. My wife and I were both shocked at the very low quality of the pork served to us for this dish. (This was actually served cold originally, but we asked our server for a fresh plate and the next plate came out warmer, but definitely not hot. Ask for it hot!) 2. The lemon-and-thyme mimosa was the best thing about my meal today. Very fresh and summer cocktail-ish, this was tasty, even if I don't like how small it was for $10. 3. Of our two entrees, the Huevos Tanta beat out the Chicharron Waffle. The huevos was an interesting mix of flavors, the hash underneath was nice and crispy, and the meat was tender as all get out. The waffle was fine, just not special, but the pork belly on top of the waffle was one hell of a lot better than the bacon, making me openly question who on the Tanta staff is responsible for buying both products. But the menu price for the waffle was $16. What? 4. The tables (and the space in general, but the tables)...I can't put it into words exactly, but I love the four-top tables in the main dining area. The right height, great chairs, smooth surface, just wide enough to have space but not so wide that I felt like my wife or daughter were too far away from me. Seriously, these are some of my favorite tables in Chicago (and the booths looked great too). 5. I went for a brunch today at 12 PM, and the place was kind of dead. But I am very sure that this place is wild (like Mercadito on a weekend) in the evenings, say from Wednesday thru Saturday. Definitely make a reservation if you want to slide in here without any problems. I think I would come back to Tanta to meet friends for a drink, but the value proposition for the meal is tough to stomach. If we had paid for the entrees, sides and drinks straight up and left a 20% tip, we would have spent $84...and I was still hungry when I left. That's hefty when I can name 25 better brunches within three miles of this location; hell, if you are okay dropping $80 for brunch, I would go to Zed 451 in a flash...you'll at least guarantee that you leave full and have better meats on the way, even if the dishes aren't as unique as some of the ones at Tanta.
(3)Andrea R.
I'd be happy eating here every single night...it's that good! I'd likely have to spend the other 22 hours of my day on the treadmill and invest in a pair of good ear plugs (it's crazy loud here!), but totally worth it. While my party of 4 decided what to order I enjoyed a lovely pisco sour. The menu is a bit daunting, but fortunately we had a very knowledgable waiter to help. We took him up on his suggestions: cebiche, sashimi (peruvian style!), empanadas, a ridiculously delish rice dish and more. Everything was unbelievable. We devoured every single last bite. I really don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu. I'm not the only fan because it's tough to get a reservation here. I guess there goes my plan of eating here every single night, but I'll be back to get my peruvian fix ASAP.
(5)Norm J.
Tanta is a must try (in my opinion) if you are in Chicago (resident or visitor) and like a restaurant that has an electric atmosphere, good drinks and delicious food. Tanta is also a good date place...though sadly I wasn't on a date when I came here (turn my head so tears won't land on my keyboard). My friend and I went here on a Saturday night for dinner and the place was pretty much packed. We were seated as soon as we arrived for our reserved time and was given Plantain chips for free while we reviewed the menu. I'm always a fan of getting something free at a restaurant and these Plantain chips were like Pringles in that you can't just eat one. The dipping sauce had a spicy kick to it that I thoroughly enjoyed. For our meal we shared 4 dishes. 1.Street food feast (anticuchos, empanadas, potato hunancaina, pan con chicharron) is a must try and perfect for two. My friend and I love this dish especially the empanadas. The potato hunancaina was just OK and we both would have been happy if this had been replaced with two more empanadas. 2. Chaufa Aeropuerto (pork fried rice, shrimp tortilla, spicy garlic) was so freaking good I wanted to get up and moonwalk to the kitchen to thank the chef personally for this dish. Also, it's plentiful and taste just as good the next day when heated up. 3. Pulpo (octopus, chimichurri, fried garlic, olive sauce) is a must try in my book. I love octopus and this dish was cooked perfectly and the presentation was camera flash worthy. 4. Pastel De Choclo (peruvian corn cake, mushrooms, choclo sauté) was just OK to me. My friend didn't like this dish that much. She thought it taste like corn bread mix. Of all the dishes we tried, this is the only one I wouldn't get again. I'll definitely be going back to Tanta in the near future....who wants to join me?
(4)H H.
Pretty much anything on the menu is good! Pricey, but full of flavor. Every bite was amazing. Honestly haven't been to a place like this in the city in a while.
(5)Elaine N.
This place was outstanding from beginning to end...great service and epic food. My husband and I eat dinner recently Tanta with our daughter. With some fantastic pisco sours and wine recommended by our server. They made a special nonalcoholic fruity drink in a special glass for my daughter which she loved. Now to the food! We enjoyed the Peruvian sushi in this picture along with the polpo on green mash. Plus the delicious chicken empanadas and the duck entrée which was perfectly prepare took it to the next level. Yucitas had creamy sauce yum also. Dessert was the donut with sauce and the chocolate moussey dessert with Crunchy quinoa. Great server as well. We will be back when in Chicago... For sure!
(5)Umair H.
An authentic gateway into Peruvian fare. The ambiance is fun and inviting with a warmth that characterizes Latin American culture. The foods are almost meant to be shared and on my date night I purposely ordered a potpourri of varying dishes - some meat, some seafood, others vegetarian. The "appetizers" we ordered and loved: the Nekei Cebiches (tastes really fresh, ahi tuna based), pollo anticuchos, pobre niguiris nikei. The entrees: lomo saltado (anything beef or short rib is prepared well). Dessert included duo de alfajores which are delicious cookies accompanied by a soothing and mild ice cream, The multi-cultural infusions were evident as well given Peru's historic exposure to Japanese cuisine, traditional South American, and Spaniard flavor profiles.
(5)Sara H.
We tried three small dishes: Neiki was sushi grade tuna with a passion fruit infused marinade almost like ceviche that was a blend of sweet and tart. Pulpa was grilled octopus sitting on rice with a crispy garlic and olive sauce. Totally delightful. The Pobré featured steak with chimichurri sauce resting atop a mashed potato like bed using a flavorful blend of spices and fresh taste. The Lamb with quinoa/ polenta was amazing including crispy kale. Our dessert was indescribable and delicious! Don't miss the pisco based cocktails. We tried La Rusa and pisco sour. Both amazing and fun. Great atmosphere. Our waiter Favio was wonderful with great recommendations. All around delicious meal. Our only complaint would be the noise level.
(5)Matt H.
Man oh man did I want to love this place! We were salivating over the menu for weeks before we came here! The drinks were great, and our waiter was exceptional. He was one of the more charismatic and sociable waiters we've had anywhere! ... but, we were disappointed in the food. We had a group of 6, ordered from every section of the menu, and took to heart the suggestions of our waiter who did a great job of talking things up to build up the excitement for them. But, sadly, we found many of the items to be flavorless/bland. Maybe there are a few kinks to iron out in the recipes? The menu *sounds* great... there's so much potential here, but it didn't hit on all fronts like we hoped it would.
(3)