Bar Marta

What a cool looking spot! That’s all this place has going for it.
Every dish seems to have some sort of personality disorder. The Cheese Gnocchi was like super savory but like sweet but like bitter but mostly oddly and disastrous.
Each dish looks good on paper, but in your mouth, it leaves you very confused wanting more.

I can’t get enough of this place! Anything you try there is amazing! We’ve been back there three times in the last three weeks. Last time we ordered the garganzolla pasta, chicken tighs, and we had to order the fries with truffle aioli sauce. Amazing! And the chocolate tart and ice cream is yummy

We were five minutes late for our Friday 7PM reservation. They led us to our table after we waited until 8:15 only to find that they’d given our table to another couple. Said it would be another 15 minutes… 25 minutes later we stepped and got seated immediately at Rootstock. Boo Marta.
UPDATE: Well, a sincere apology goes long with me. I really appreciate Bar Marta reaching out to me personally about our experience. The gesture certainly compels me to give Bar Marta another shot.

We enjoyed Bar Marta last night with a friend. It was quiet on a Tuesday night. The staff was very helpful and friendly. We enjoyed everything we tried! All was creative, delicious and good portion sizes.
Starters
Crab Stuffed Ravioli in a Brown Butter Sauce with Thyme
Homemade Sourdough Bread with Fennel Butter
Salmon Crudo
Dinner
Lamb Tartare with Sourdough Bread
Cacio E Pepe
Meatballs
Dessert
Banana Rum Cake
Chocolate Tart
The meatballs were my favorite part of dinner. They were traditional served with great sauce and parmesan. The Chocolate Tart was heavenly covered with a rich carmel sauce and served with fresh whipped cream. One of the best desserts I’ve had in a while.
Great place, pretty far west, but worth a trip. Plus, easy, free street parking and a pretty outdoor patio once it warms up!

Meh. We walked in expecting to love the place, but were disappointed. Nothing awful, just nothing great.
The non-​food stuff: service was very sub-​par (besides the nice man who greeted us), there was no toilet paper or paper towel in the bathroom for the entire night (we ate over a three hour period of time). We were seated in the basement, which some reviewers are calling the «lower level.» Felt dark and cramped, not intimate or romantic at all. Ask to be seated on the top floor if you can. Waitress was helpful with the wine list, but rushed us a bit. Also — multiple times food was placed in front of us and then we had to wait, staring at the food, until silverware followed. This happened multiple times, and was laughable by the end of the meal.
Food stuff: The best thing we ate was the caesar salad. Seriously, the best caesar salad I’ve ever had — get it. The muscles/​clams were very different, delicious broth. Everything else was mediocre. The pork chop was cooked well, but again nothing outstanding about it. Pickles and olives were all pickles with one olive. That was pretty much the theme of the evening.
Overall: Service, really poor. Food… meh.

1 star bonus off the bat for being the first new restaurant I have been to in a while not to use Edison light bulbs.
Very cool laid back vibe that you would expect from a small spot located in a corner store in Humboldt park.
Food was excellent. Lamb tartar was my favorite. Iceberg and grain salad was amazing with some fresh dill providing extra flavor. The deserts are huge and hard to finish between two people.
Service was friendly.

I write this review hesitantly. This location is cursed by the Ukrainian black market and hasn’t managed to maintain a single place in over twenty years. To see some place pop up that has actually made it over three months is downright baffling! Perhaps they finally just sold the property or something. At any rate, I expected this place to be yet another front for some sort of eastern European laundering endeavor but was pleasantly surprised. The ambiance was nice, the staff was on point and the menu was well designed. Food arrived promptly and was executed well. Must say I’m cautiously impressed with the place. Give it a try before it’s gone!!!

Food. Food. Food. Its all about the food here.
The pickles and olives were incredible. Sweet, spicy, oily, tons of herbs, so good. I thought i detected mama lil peppers in there? Best $ 3 snack, possibly ever.
The Iceberg and grains salad: insanely good. Compared to other wedge style salads ive had this one was very generous (dressing, components). Tons of herbs again. So good. We wanted to order another one.
Crudités were good not great. Fresh, crunchy veggies are always good. But the cottage cheese tasted like it was mixed with ranch powder. Not necessarily a bad thing i suppose. Im not sure what more i would expect out of crudités, its a pretty straight forward concept. I digress.
Cacio e pepe was sublime. Noodles perfectly al dente. Simple, delicious.
French fries were some of the best ive had. Fried in pork fat and served with a calabrian chili mayo that was to die for.
Pork chop was cooked perfectly. Slightly pink, juicy, and the mustard sauce was ridiculous. I smeared the roasted garlic all over the hot pork chop and the aroma alone was intoxicating. I had half a mind to ask for some of that crusty bread to sop up the remaining sauce on the plate. But it was my first time there. So i didnt. And i regret it… next time.
The chicken thighs were pretty good. But if i had to pick my least favorite dish, the chicken thighs would be it. Croutons were a bit hard, the kale was kinda meh, and the chicken itself was tasty, seasoned well, but it just wasnt special.
Bar Marta is a (almost literally) hidden little gem in Humboldt park. Atmosphere dark, slightly bustling, friendly service, but the food is what stole the show. No question. It reminded me of a more refined hogsalt restaurant. I can’t wait to come back and try the rest of the menu. Bravo.

Bar Marta is fantastic. Located in a corner store front in Humboldt Park, this place packs a punch. I came in with my boyfriend for a Friday date night at 7pm. We were greeted by a friendly host and brought to their lower level dining area. The space is dark and intimate with about 12 – 15 tables and a bar area. Contrary to other reviewers, we experienced exceptional service throughout our meal.
Our server greeted us immediately and introduced us to the cocktail menu, asking us first our tastes and then appropriately pairing us with the best drinks. I opted for the Lions tail, a whiskey drink that’s a play on the old fashioned but with more cinnamon. My boyfriend got the old fashioned which never fails to disappoint. It is similar to a Sodikoff old fashioned. No surprises there, as this restaurant is a creation of his prodigies.
We had a lot of difficulty deciding which items to order, as their entire menu sounds delicious. Ultimately, we decided upon four items: the beet salad, mussels and clams with bone marrow, steak frites and the garganelli. The beets were fantastic, served with grapefruit and sunflower seeds for a refreshing starter. Next we enjoyed the clams and mussels. What a stellar dish served in a huge white cast iron pot. The steak frites were served an amazing medium rare, and the truffle aioli fries were the best ever.
We finished our meal with banana rum cake, which was a really nice rich dessert to top off the evening. We loved it here and cannot wait to return. Next time, we’ll order entirely new items since there were many items we’d still like to try!

The restaurant is beautiful and the food was very good, especially the toast with chicken liver. The mussels were a bit bland. The big issue was the service. It took about 2 hours for what should have been an hour long meal – our waitress was also the bar tender, so it felt like we were forgotten many times.
I want to try this restaurant again in hopes that they get their service together.

American Meets French Bar Bistro. Cozy, sexy, cool. Crowd-​pleasing food. Service needs work.
Skipped into Bar Marta with a girlfriend on Saturday night. We split the beet salad (wanted more grapefruit), steak frites (fries «stupid good» as one reviewer put it, aioli could use some punch) and Eaton Mess. The last item was a mix of meringue and berries and cream and was deceivingly easy to take down because it was so delish.
Service was nice, but noticeably slow. We didn’t get our cocktails until after the salad arrived, which annoyed me, a good 15 minutes from sitting down. We would have ordered more drinks, but the server never came back to check on things while we were eating.
We noted how much we liked being able to talk (and actually hear ourselves) at a restaurant so the noise level and ambiance is great. Or we’re getting old. Either way, this place is a win in my book.
Total $ 65 before tip, which felt about right for a split dinner and round of drinks at an upscale neighborhood place.

The only thing that stood out about Bar Marta was their funky-​cool side entrance off Washtenaw street. I mean really, I had 3 different dishes — none of which I can even remember now due to how terribly basic they were in flavor. It wasn’t too expensive and no one of their employees was very nice (except the host).
It was a Saturday night, THEY WERE SLOW, and I was sitting by myself at the bar. The bar tender was literally doing nothing and she didn’t even say hello to me. She was far too cool to even acknowledge my presence with even a head nod. I had to ask my bus boy for drink recommendations. Kinda sad.
Anyways, I won’t be coming back. I don’t even feel like ranting about how underwhelming Bar Marta is. Bleh.

Absolutely amazing food. Everything we ordered was really good.
However, the service was horrible and the server was actually extremely rude to our entire group.

I really enjoyed coming here and will be coming back again! I came with my aunt and sister to celebrate my aunts birthday. She knew the head chef since she is his landlord and always wanted to try it.
When I first walked in it was dark and quiet, which was perfect since she doesn’t care for loud and packed. The hosted was extremely nice, he checked in my coat and offered me a spot at the bar while I waited for my party. The bartender was really nice and knowledgable on her drinks. The waiter was extremely sweet and had plenty of recommendations for us, which were all dead on! I got the house white wine, which was pretty good. We all split the raw salmon (was very good but small portioned), the porkchop (which was juicy, tender, and seasoned perfectly but way too much fat on it), the black pepper pasta (Was the best! They make their own pasta by hand and I can tell. It’s delicious! I just wish it was bigger portioned), and finally we got almost all the desserts they offer.
The banana rum cake was good but they put too much ginger on top so it was a little overwhelming, the chocolate mousse cake was by far the meal of the night (let’s just say my aunt would only let us have one bite), and then we had some kind of dessert that was towered with berries and whip cream ext. it was great presentation and super yummy!!!
I loved this place! Only thing they need to do to get me to change my 4 star to a 5 star is make larger portions. I will definitely be coming back very soon.

My fellow foodie couple suggested Bar Marta for a double date and I immediately got excited. Dark, intimate, inviting. We arrived early for our 6pm reservation and was seated promptly by our very kind waitress. I will say, the wait staff here is top notch! Drinks were in order, so we decided on some old fashioneds. We went with the classic… but they have a couple other funky twists on the old fashioned made with gin or tequila for example. Very innovative! The classic was super bomb… I mean, my hubs went on to have 3 of them;)
The menu is larger than I had imagined… and everything was enticing. We decided on a few small plates to share and then ordered our own entrees… which we also tried. Our waitress even brought extra plates to encourage the entrée sharing. For starters we went with the baked oysters, and chicken liver. YOWSAS! My only regret is not ordering more oysters. The chicken liver was good, it was very rich and came with in a hearty helping. For mains, we ordered a couple of the pastas, the pork chop, and I went with the steak frites. All of it was so yummy! I would say all of the plates are on the small side, even the entrees, so order accordingly. We went on to order the banana rum cake for dessert. It was out of this world. I would have to say one of my fav dishes:)
After dinner drinks, of course, why not. I was so in the mood for a chocolate martini but much to my dismay they did not offer one. I asked the waitress and she said she would see what they could come up with. BAM! Chocolate martini! She said they had a little bottle of chocolate liquor left over for a tasting and the bartender whipped me one right up. I’m not sure where this little magic bottle came from but I’ll take it. Now THAT is service. This simple gesture totally upped my experience and made it that much better. Again, their service is on point.
For a trendy evening with good food and good drinks, Bar Marta is a sure fit. Need more bonus points: free street parking! Holy hell that’s right!

Came here on a Wed evening with my 9 y. o son, the relatively small, intimate space was nearly full but we were seated promptly at a two top. He (and I, tbh) was actually *really* excited about the experience, taking in the atmo, reviewing the menu, he asking copious questions, etc but mostly bc of the Mocktail the bartender created for him, ⁵⁄₅ on all that.
I’ll just say the food was good if not a bit rich, save for the Crudités with buttermilk cottage cheese dip, which was fantastic and declared «the #1 dish» from the boy. The noodles in the Cacio E Pepe were equally great, perfectly cooked and the blend of pecorino and black pepper had a strong resemblance to a VERY rich mac and cheese; not necessarily an indictment on the dish but worth noting. The Mashed Potatoes with whole roasted garlic and rosemary were pretty good as well but also incredibly rich.
Beyond those above critiques my issue with this experience is two-​fold. One is when I asked for a bit of bread to take care of the remainder of the Crudités dip, i was taken aback at the $ 3 charge on the bill… especially when it was *not even listed on the menu* and it was scant 4 half pieces of bread with a ramican of salted butter… it may as well been $ 33 as the resulting feeling it elicited was the same and If there is ever a more poignant way to make a guest feel ‘nickle and dimed’ I know of few to none… the fact our server never mentioned it makes it even more infuriating. 3 or 33 who cares, it’s the principle.
The other is the pretension of a few of the servers. I get it, you’re a new, hip and somewhat innovative Sodikoff venture, esp in a neighborhood that would have seen this place about 10 years ago had it not been for the decline in the market, therefore it’s somewhat expected. But i’ve been to dozens of equally innovative, hip establishments with far more congenial and friendly service and it’s just galling to me when I say «thank you» to each and every refill of water or removing of dishes there’s nothing more than too cool for school crickets. Get over yourself.
I want to really like the place, make it a routine stop since it’s so close to home and I can appreciate what they are doing in terms of food/​ambiance but time will tell.

Really great Sodikoff spot to start off and surprise a date.
First off it’s in Humboldt park so when you drive there, she thinks you’re taking her out for super casual Puerto Rican mofongo or something. Then you get there and the windows are all blacked out so the place even looks closed until you walk into the curtained foyer to find this intimate lounge like supper club that reeks of hipster luxe.
Great, well thought out plates that ooze with richness. Roasted oysters and chicken liver toast were a standout. Very attentive service as well.
End the night at Sodikoff’s California clipper for some live music.

The outside is so dark, they have black out curtains on the windows so you can’t see inside, we almost passed this place up! The entrance is around the corner on Washtenaw rather than Chicago. It almost looks as if it’s a vacant store front from the outside! Once you get inside they have a really big beautiful bar, I had the French 75 with my meal, it was good, but nothing out of the ordinary.
To start, the salmon crudo was the stand out delicious dish. Definitely my personal favorite among the beets and the eggplant appetizers we also ordered. All were well seasoned and presented beautifully.
For an entrée I went with the mussels and clams. The clams were nice and plum, for size the mussels comparably fell short. They were seasoned well in a pork broth with the bone marrow, and came with a decent amount of bread for dipping. I do feel like the portions were small. Our server was attentive and frequently cleared the shells which was great considering the table size is on the small side. The meal was delicious all around.
Bar Marta as a whole is a little tight for space, luckily it wasn’t too crowded when I went. I imagine dining here can get crazy especially since the waiting area is limited. Our server did mention there’s a downstairs so that could accommodate the space issue. Overall I’m glad a new place for cocktails and a great meal opened in Ukrainian Village! They serve food until 11:30 on the weekend which is a definite plus!

Meh. Lesser version of hogsault group and I LOVE all of their restaurants (maudes, Babette’s, gilt bar, au cheval). Seems like this place tried real hard to become one of those places but failed.
The service is not great either. As soon as we walked in, the hostess was full of attitude and not at all accommodating. She set us in a corner right next to the outside door. As it was a chilly night, as the door opened a gush of cold air would swoosh in on us. Not pleasant and I was also recovering from a cold. I asked the hostess if we could sit elsewhere and she immediately said «NO and I will NOT have anything else available for a long time.» Fine, we sat down squished in a corner, cold. 5 min later we see a few bar sits open, she tells us nothing. I get up and ask her if we could move. Begrudgingly, she moved us.
As we finally sat down, it took forever for the waitress to get our order. Once taken, it took awhile for the food to come. And once it did, I was left wishing to be at one of the actual Hogsault restaurants. Similar food and concept, just not as great.
We ordered:
Lamb tartare — really salty but still the best of the night.
Mussels and clams dish — literally 5 mussels and 5 clams all in an overpowering thyme broth served in a gigantic pot. Pretty bland and watered down even with the thyme.
Pork Ragu — it was good but nothing special. Not something to come back to.
Fries — boyfriend loved the fries. As for me, I couldn’t figure out the weird metallic/​iron aftertaste of the fries. I only ate a few, not for me.
Chocolate tart — a chocolate tart you could get anywhere else. Good but nothing special either.
The décor was also left wishing more. Cheap take on the Hogsault group restaurants.
Bottom line, not worth the drive out to Humboldt park. perhaps this place is strictly for the neighborhood. Pass.

Thank you to the Bar Marta team, Jeff, Ben, Austin and Emily-​our wonderful server, for showing us so much love. We were super pumped before our visit and it did not disappoint.
Old fashioned on tap. Whaaa. Seriously. And made with Old Overholt, which is my fav rye whiskey but not a lot of places in Chicago carry that. This like a dream come true for me :)
Those gooseneck barnacles on special… ohmygoodness. Still thinking about this as I write this review. Hamachi crudo, lamb tartare and the chicken liver toast were all excellently executed. I love beef tartare in general, but I can get it in many places in Chicago, so Bar Marta stands out for being unique and offering lamb tartare instead. The mussels and clams were out of this world good because it has bone marrow in it. So the broth was extra cloudy, flavorful, and yet not rich. Admittedly and embarrassingly, I was drinking the broth straight out of my spoon from the cast iron casserole dish. For the latter part of the meal, we had the Cacio E Pepe, meatballs, and broccoli leaves. Really, really good. I enjoyed the desserts (banana rum cake and Eton Mess) very much because it wasn’t overly sweet.
It’s rare to have every single dish stand out when you order several items, maybe 1 – 2 items will stand out and the rest are OK. However, every single item we had last night were stellar. Great work, Bar Marta. Can’t wait to be back.