Jaleo by José Andrés

Nice place

Excellent food and ambiance

The food and drinks were amazing! The atmosphere is open and welcoming. I'll be back Dietary restrictions: Quite a few Gluten free options available

I had a great brunch at Jaleo. The food was delicious and the portions were just right. The aperol spritz was refreshing and paired well with the food. The restaurant was a bit empty, which was surprising for a Saturday afternoon. I guess the cold weather in Chicago kept people at home. However, this also meant that the service was fast and attentive. The bartender was very friendly and we had a nice conversation. He gave me some recommendations for other dishes to try next time. Overall, I had a wonderful experience and I would definitely come back. This place is great for tapas lovers.

We wonderful evening out and a couple minor issues dropped this down to a 4 star. We choice to do the special Valentine's tasting menu and a few of the dishes were not quite as described, ordered, or just a little on the salty side. Also a nice surprise was that Wednesday's, Jaleo was offering 1/2 price wine bottles which we could not pass up. Our server was very knowledgeable and steered us to a dry rose which was aerated while poured.

It was okay, I know paella isn't easy and maybe my standards are high. But I've had paella in Spain and this just made me miss it more. There wasn't a soccarat, it was just burnt a little in the bottom. The papas bravas were okay, but just not the same. And the croquetas de pollo were good, but I was super surprised that they didn't have croquetas de jamón as that is a super standard thing in Spanish cuisine.