V Picasso

The first time we came here the food and service was perfect aside from the fact that our server reeked of cigarette smoke. My sister and I had brunch there again this am and it was less than pleasurable. Alam was very polite and attentive. The first thing that went wrong is my cocktail was not made as described the Paloma was supposed to come with a smoked rim and came with regular salt, it was not a very balanced cocktail as all I tasted was tequila. The next thing that went wrong is my sisters food was completely wrong. She ordered the bacon and sausage inlet and received a steak, onion and zucchini omelet. When her correct omelet came out Eric Moody (who is very moody by the way and was our first server that smell of smoke) presented as the «bacon» omelet so she asked if there was sausage as well because Thats what the menu said and he proceeded to argue with her about what their computer screen said that it is just a bacon omelet so she asked again if it had sausage and he said yes but that’s not what the computer screens says. After cutting into the omelet the inside was nothing but raw egg so she sent it back. No manager ever came to speak with us, however Alam was very apologetic and took the food off of the bill. Needless to say WE WILL NOT BE RETURNING!

You can’t go wrong with this restaurant. Always a delicious meal to be had.

Beautiful interior, terrible food. Brunch order took forever, simple enough eggs came out cold and congealed. Another cold dish was clearly reheated in the microwave, making it soggy. Waitstaff was nice and apologetic, but that doesn’t make up for poor quality for expensive prices. Won’t return.

Totally loved the retro ambience here.
Food is also amazing.

Service is really really slow. We went there twice for dinner and brunch. Both times food came out really slow. It probably took 1.5 hours for brunch just to wait for one plate of food. The food itself is just okay, nothing great and a bit on the salty side. We ordered cheese plate which was pretty good. The restaurant’s décor and ambiance is nice for dinner.

This was an amazing restaurant – definitely the best we’ve had in Champaign/​Urbana. My wife and I went there for our 5^th wedding anniversary and it didn’t disappoint. Our waitress Alexa really made the evening with some amazing suggestions, including my wife getting scallops, which were phenomenal. The oysters were also delicious.
It is an expensive restaurant, so we won’t be heading there on a random Tuesday, but it will definitely be our top pick for future special occasions.

It’s the little things that make places bad or good or even great. Big things matter, but if you don’t have the finishing touches down you are just going to be average. It doesn’t matter how well a wall is painted if there’s little spots of paint on the trim. 99% of a mirror can be clean, but the one thumb print is the thing that you’ll notice.
V Picasso has the nicest bathroom I’ve ever seen! Pushing open the ornate wooden door leads you into a place that I felt guilty urinating in. I saw this piece of art on the wall, that made me feel bad for pissing in. The ceilings looked as though they were covered in ornate copper. The sink made me feel bad for having sullied my hands. I can’t imagine taking a poop in here, because the door that you shut in the stall is a miniature version of the bathroom door. This must be how kings poop! It’s not some fake imitation wood either, or plastic molded to look like wood, this door is heavy and it’s artfully crafted. The room was spotless as well. When you care that much about how the friggin bathroom looks, you will definitely be in for a treat for the other things… you know, like the food.
When I came in, I was offered the food and drink menu. It was my first time here, and I don’t think any of the wait staff knew me. I looked at the draft selection, which didn’t make a difference to me because it’s all wine, and then looked at the bottles in front of me. I decided on a St. Bernadus Abt. 12. An excellent beer. They have others, not too many, probably about a dozen to choose from, ranging from Bud Light, up to the St. B 12. Most of the beers were either 4,5 or 7 bucks. Which isn’t horrible. They had Triptych Can listed on the menu, but Triptych won’t be canning again until the new canning line comes on. Initially I wasn’t sure of what to eat. I thought back to a Smile Politely article from a couple of months ago about how to be a man (or something similar), and it recommended «get the special». I asked what the special was, and it sounded great, even though I have no idea the words that he said. When I found out it was some sort of fish… I went with the steak. (probably pictured below). I asked «who was in the kitchen» and the bartender said «Eric M». So, I ordered the steak rare. «Eric M» was just out of the kitchen moments before surveying the crowd before I got there (the crowd of 1 table), and so when an order for a steak rare printed out, he came out of the kitchen to see who the new person was. He smiled as he came over, and told me «heck, it’s probably done already for you virgil». It was served with a Brussels sprouts and potato cubes in a cream sauce, with some red peppers on top. Cooked excellent, lightly seasoned. It was a big ass T-​bone. As I ate, Mookie and I told stories of everything to the giant bartender. Gabe was also in the kitchen. It’s a radio reunion kitchen. Executive Chef Adam, Mookie, Gabe… the good times are here. For some reason I was still hungry after the big ass steak, (probably because I didn’t pick it up and chew on the bone like I would of were I at the house, (they told me it was ok to do so, as I pretty much had the place to myself) but I didn’t, not because I didn’t want to be «that guy» at the restaurant, so much as I would have needed a shower to get all of the juices and sauces out of my beard) so I asked for a recommendation, Mooke offered a couple of items, until we both settled on the scotch egg. Which is possibly the greatest invention ever. A local egg (not sure which farm), that’s basically turned into a deviled egg, and wrapped in sausage. I could probably go broke eating those.
Basically, if you want to eat like a king, and do your bodily functions in a room thats nicer than anything in your house, go to V Picasso.

I always just sit at the bar, so I can’t speak for the service from the wait staff, but the bartenders are always awesome. It’s a little pricey, but the food is good and if you just want drinks and something small it’s not going to hurt your wallet too much.

Wow. This was a side of Champaign I didn’t know existed. The space is warm without being rustic, artistic and art-​deco is more apt. There is jewelry displayed in windows and on the walls, so the place feels like a foodie art gallery in some ways. The waiter was the most friendly and helpful and conversational waitstaff I have ever encountered.
And the food. Man. What a way to break from my campus habits of Chipotle and Torticas. A friend and I did two started and shared the entrée and dessert. We chose the beef tartare and roasted bone marrow appetizers. It was my first time trying steak tartare and I was really pleased with it, though the potato chips that come with it to eat are a little overpowering for the tartare. The bone marrow is as rich and indulgent as you might expect, and well complemented by the toasts it comes with.
Our entrée was the grilled Berkshire farms pork chop and came with a side of cheesy macaroni and arugula. The pork chop was very substantial and somehow crispy, almost like it was fried. Very nicely done and the apple sauce is delicious made from local apples from Curtis Orchard.
Dessert was a funnel cake drizzled with caramel and topped with whipped cream. So good! Definitely lighter than your average Funnel cake, and also super crispy and crunchy.

I have been to V. Picasso 2 times, once on my birthday and another on my wedding anniversary. My experience on my birthday was nice. We had ordered mussels and crab cakes for appetizers and quail and scallops for mains. All dishes were nice, although mussels were overcooked. After this, we decided to give it another try on our anniversary. Service as usual was very nice. We ordered shrimp toast for appetizer and lamb shank and duck for the mains. Shrimp toast was just ok. My husband did not like it at all. Hence, our all hopes were on mains. Lamb shank was fine but it did not have any freshness of vegetables or salads to cut the richness of dish. On the other hand, duck had some freshness but was overcooked. Overall, it was just an ok experience. My overall ratings are below:
Shrimp toast: ⁵⁄₁₀
Lamb shank: ⁶⁄₁₀
Duck: ⁶⁄₁₀
They have changed their menu since we first went there. I will only try it again if they add more seafood selection and also accompany their dishes with some salad to cleanse the palate.

Been meaning to review this place for sometime now. Came in a few weeks ago with my lady and a few of her friends. This place fills up quick on the weekends we didn’t have a reservation and the wait was longer than host mentioned no biggie. We sat at the bar grabbed a few drinks. My girl asked the guy bartending if something was sweet and he responded kinda shitty «compared to what»? Our server was real cool so informative food was killer.

My husband and I went here for a glass of wine while out on a last minute date night.
We had already eaten, so we just sat in the bar. I had a glass of wine and my husband skipped having anything once we had been treated as lesser customers. Sadly, the bar tender didn’t seem to think we were worth much attention… maybe because we weren’t dressed fancy enough. I don’t know… don’t judge a book by its cover. (I digress)
So the wine was great and the menu looked stunning! We will be back for a real meal at some point. (Don’t worry snobby bar tender… I’ll dress up next time to meet you expectations and judgmental side glare.)
Hopefully next time I’ll find this place is with more stars… based on the look and menu, it should be! Very impressive.

WOW. I love this place!
I’ve been wanting to come here forever, but don’t have a lot of people who are willing to try new places and new things with me. I’m so pleased that I got the opportunity to visit last night. The second we walked in, I loved the ambiance. They had a little live music in the bar area that drifted into the dining room – so it wasn’t too loud to talk and was just the perfect backdrop to a fun evening with a friend. The pressed tin ceilings made the space feel warm and the eclectic art was well lit and positioned to draw interest.
But enough about the building – let’s get down to brass tacks and talk about food and wine.
You want an authentic local farm-​to-​table concept? Go no further. V. Picasso partners locally with Willow Creek Farm in Urbana and features Prairie Fruits Farms cheese on its menu as well. They supplement with wonderful food items from around the world – they know an insane amount of information about where EXACTLY each food item is sourced and can tell you what makes it distinctive. (Case in point: One of their specials last night was a smoked venison osso buco that was described in incredible detail. This place is serious about what they serve.)
VPicasso has an amazing wine list with eclectic selections around the world. They also offer ‘wine on tap’ which sounds interesting. Our awesome waiter, Trent, suggested a wonderful Montepulciano D’Abruzzo that was light and not super acidic. It’s totally a new fave.
Although the specials sounded AMAZING (osso buco? you truly know the way to my heart, chef…) and the entrees looked fabulous (lobster ravioli? black cod? lamb shank? risotto?) we weren’t particularly hungry and wanted to just enjoy some of the wonderful cheese they offered. (Major props to both the Manchego and the tangy Bohemian Blue) The cheese board is served with fabulous honey from the farm, a yummy olive tapenade that was so good I thought we were going to get into a duel with our forks over it, and a jam in addition to lovely bread. We ordered the roasted beet and arugula salad that had a perfect dressing on it that paired perfectly with the cheese we were eating (who knew!) and the shrimp toast. It was fantastic. Even though we were kinda full, it was too hard to resist the interesting desserts. We landed on the chai funnel cake. Seriously good.
And call me crazy, but half of what makes or breaks a restaurant for me is service. The staff was super friendly and easy-​going and tremendously knowledgeable and professional. I’m kind of a service snob – there are servers who do the job for the tips and there are servers who have restaurant in their blood and are actually concerned about the experience their guests have. Chef Adam hires VERY well.
So all in all, I’m more than pleased. Don’t you love Champaign? Where else can you have all of this in the heart of your town?

My girlfriends and I decided to go exploring and we found V Picasso — which we haven’t been to before so we were excited. The place has a very romantic atmosphere. Being on a temp vegetarian diet unfortunately norrowed my option for most of the main dishes. Of the two I was able to taste I can whole heartily say they were awesome. The vegetarian lasangia was amazing and the rizoto was also pretty awesome — but a bit too much for me… So I’m happy my dish was the lasaniga :)
Our server was very attentive and helped us to a great wine selection.
It’s important to mention that the place is a bit pricy especially for the tiny portions you get. Our goat cheese and arugula salad appetizer was super tiny — but super super tasty.
All in all it’s definitely worth a try. Especily since there aren’t many great restaurants in our area that take their food seriously.

I brought my visiting gal pals to V Picasso for a nice dinner on the town. I had never had dinner there before, but I had brunch once and it was absolutely fantastic! From the start we loved the service with quirky, yet charming, 143 (aka «Trent»).
We curated a cheese and meat board with the assistance of Trent. His recommendations were on point (loved the Prairie Fruit Farm Brie) and were paired well with the jams, honey (RIP the bees), and focaccia. Our meals were delicious. The linguine and clams had surprising kick to it and the squid ink pasta was so fresh! The risotto and salmon were also great choices.
While the restaurant was out of all desserts, this place still gets 5 stars and I highly recommend it! Cheers!

First time here and it looked pretty fancy for Champaign (the rest of downtown is pretty much jeans and boots culture). It wasn’t busy at all on a Friday night around 9 and we came for small plates and drinks. I love the décor here, rustic wood meets mosaics and stained glass with these really cool round light fixtures. I always give points to anyplace that takes time to create ambiance in our little bar town. Anyway, we had a super nice server named Ryan who suggested some good drinks. Ever since Boltini (RIP) closed, I’ve been searching for a good cocktail in this town. Hoping for a miracle, I tried two cocktails here. I’m happy to report the standout was the Martinez. It was flavorful without overpowering the palette with that gin tanginess. It does pack quite the wallop so make sure you’re eating too. We also sampled some cheese and meats with the best being The «Spanish» variety: jamon Serrano and the manchego. I also tried the salmon flat bread which was red wine cured salmon with dill cream. It was perfectly light and left you with room for drinks. For a larger dining space, the noise was a low din. I’m pretty sure we were the loudest people there. This place is on the pricey side compared to the other restaurants in the area (my salmon and 2 cocktails was 25 or so) but it is well worth it. I’m looking forward to coming back on a date or just to try more cocktails!

So I was in the mood for oysters and I had a pretty dude in tow, so I went to Picasso and then returned again. Yeah, oysters were fresh (but I am not a fan of corn on them), the rest of the food was great.
Go to the bartender and have him make you a drink. (You’re welcome).
Service was on point. The two additional times I have gone I wasn’t disappointed. I guess my first review was an anomaly.

I noticed. there is a new bar in downtown Champaign. I visit Shampoo Banana periodically and have learned to always stay downtown… easy to get to restaurants after a long day of whatever you’re doing in the city.
Finally a wine bar! I like that… Blind pig is fun too but there is no wine. And now there is no Boltinis. it’s a good addition.
The wine wasn’t awesome but it was definitely at city prices. which makes me kind of roll my eyes. We are still in Champaign.
It’s broken up into two rooms. Seems more of a restaurant than a bar really. Didn’t try the food. and there was a jazz band singing a tortured version of Beyoncé’s song…

Doing A-​OK for less than a month open, and work to do.
Def not a 5, but not a 4 either, we wouldn’t be back here for entrees based on the price point and meals we had, but potential here.
Our party of six arrived on time at the shockingly early Saturday night dinner hour of 6:30 pm and were seated promptly. Interior is nicely decorated with solid interesting furnishings, and lots of space. Many seating options from tables, couches, to booths to high tables by the windows, and outdoor seating is also available.
NICE not to be elbow to elbow with louder strangers. Sound volume was average, quieter than usual. Outdoor seating is also available.
Menu is compact and interesting choices, including pricey charcuterie that will teach you to have your cheese and wine appetizers B4 you go out. We recommend the flatbreads as a satisfying appetizer for multiple pallets and the $$.
Wine list is small, definitely weighted toward the reds and could probably drop at least one of those reds and add a decent French or Spanish Rose’. There were some decent by the glass choices along with fairly priced bottles as well as a much higher priced expense account category.
Entrees… (NOT very big servings fyi) we liked the Shrimp and Pork Belly polenta, Scallops, and Crackling Chicken. Somehow, they were out of the pan fried quail at 6:30 on a Saturday night. The Braised Rabbit and morel could have been a home run based on it’s description, but was so severely under seasoned and lacking a sauce that salt and pepper could not bring it to life. I have never gotten up faster to get salt and pepper in my life. It was in NO way prepared the way as described by somebody who said they had written the menu, even the pasta couldn’t have had salt in the water. Maybe they just boiled it all together without oil, cause I don’t know how else you get the flavor out of morels. Shockingly small amount of rabbit also, think 3 ounces at the most. I counted 3 tiny little morels, at $ 40 a pound, that might have been 75c. Overpriced in general. We do not wecommend da wabbit.
Deserts were better, particularly the donut holes and panna cotta.
Service was attentive and helpful but SLOW, which we didn’t mind because we were so not in a hurry (we were here 2 ½ hours), but we did get pretty hungry waiting to order and receive our entrees. Part of the slowness was the owners insistence on for example CHANGING our wine glasses for champaign flutes after we started with a bottle of prosseco, vs just LEAVING the wine glasses which we informed them we would be using soon. Then insisting on changing the reappearing wine glasses EVERY time we got a new bottle of wine, so that was three times. Now that might be ok IF they had buspersons, but the poor server has to do all this AND wait on other tables. My feedback to mgmt would be ok, do that if you want, but GET some buspersons. And if you are going to keep changing wine glasses like that make sure they are at least clean, we had to send some back.
I think we would come back for extended appetizers and drinks, maybe desert but not dinner, overpriced based on serving sizes (didn’t their tapas restaurant go DOWN 5 years ago?) and we were hungry in an hour on skimpy portions. The drink selections looked good and we were very comfortable there (the chairs look cool but feel like those stackable chairs in at grade school assemblies and quite a few people are NOT going to fit on those seats these days). So definitely head for a booth if your butt has graduated from chairs.
Definitely a nice upscale add to downtown Champaign. A-​OK.
Try it, or maybe wait a couple months unless they put out some groupons.

A beautiful dining experience in a superb location in downtown Champaign… from the tin ceilings and the wine barrel ring lights to the repurposed barn-​wood walls and cathedral stain glass windows… this all sets the perfect surrounding to compliment with the «which item on the menu do I order!?»
So far you CAN’T go wrong with any thing that lists Pork Belly… crisp and BACONY!
The Salmon is of a generous portion cooked to perfection! No flaws in any of the culinary skills that go on in the kitchen… can’t wait for my next visit again, and again!