Cite: User Reviews
In the 20 years that I have known Cite the view has been what you go for and you tolerate poor service and food that is average for the category. Based on a recent visit, nothing has changed. Cite had a function in 1/3 of the restaurant the night we were there. Because these ~ 75 people needed to be served as a group it created a bottle neck in the kitchen that delayed the food for the rest of the restaurant by an hour. Because we were all equally delayed we all took it in stride though it made for a long evening. Some basic scheduling of the reservations or additional staff in the kitchen could have prevented the problem. The waitstaff was attentive though scatter brained - items were forgotten and had to be repeated or reordered. The food was average for the category - frankly we had better food at West Town Tavern the night before. The decor is much improved over a few years ago though a few remanants remain (e.g. teh theater lighting) that remind some of us of the poor decor of years past. Cite has the potential to be one of the top spots in Chicago yet it continues to disappoint.
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This place is absolutely amazing! Gorgeous view in every angle, beautiful interior, amazing service by the waiter (Simon) and the bartender! The food was just wonderful! You have to try the "three island duck"! It simply melts in your mouth!! We had a large group, but the waiter and the servers saw to our needs and we all had a great time! Can't wait to go back!
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I came to Cite with 3 of my girlfriends, and we had an amazing time. Our waiter, Simon, was polite, knowledgable, and attentive. He described everything on the menu in detail and even advised us on what wines would best work with the meal. After our entrees came in, he came back to the table to make sure everything was as we liked. The food was excellent--I had the Filet and my girlfriends had Seabass; both excellent, tasty and well priced. The ambiance was fun, uplifting, and beautiful--we had a gorgeous view of Lakeshore Drive and the lake. Sami (the manager) stopped by our table and asked us about the food and gave us his business card for future visits. I would definately go back and bring more people with me--our whole experience was excellent. Cite is definately a gem of a Chicago restuarant!
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I was disappointed in the service I was provided at this restaurant. Despite the fact that there were only 4 or 5 tables I barely saw my waiter. Isn’t normal for a waiter to approach your table after you received your food to see if you need anything else? Well the busboy/server dropped off our food and we did not see our waiter again until our plates were cleared and he offered us dessert.
I declined dessert and asked for a check and 10 minutes later the waiter returned asking if we wanted dessert!!!
It appeared to me that the waiter was more interested in his friend at the bar than his actual tables.
I have been to the restaurant 3 times now and I will not be returning. The ambiance of a good restaurant should not rest solely on the view and food.
I am disappointed I didn’t take my girlfriend somewhere else for her birthday.
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We went here for a birthday celebration dinner and it was THE worst experience we've had in a long time. Aside from the view, there is nothing that this restaurant offers. The decor is very outdated and the staff looks sloppy. For a place that is supposed to offer "elegant dining" as specified on the menu, you'd think they could tuck their shirts in and have a uniform look. We had 5 different people come to our table, no idea who our actual server was. The appetizers were ok but very over priced for what it was. The main entrees were lukewarm at best and a major disappointment. One of the guys that refilled our water glassed completely reached over me 3 times to get to my husband's water glass. We were looking forward to the bananas foster dessert but decided to just get out of there as soon as possible, which was easier said than done. The check took forever to arrive and no one ever asked us how everything was. We obviously looked very upset and they probably didn't want to ask. There are so many great places in this city to go eat and for the prices at Cite, it's definitely not worth it.
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went 4 of us, were waiting quite long for waitress, food was good, but not best. asked for a birthday candle in advance - hostess never told anyone, I had to tell them again after they brought a bill. They brought two: one chocolate cake by a busboy without any candles or any word and 5 min later waitress brought the right one and all that singing busboys staff with her. We didn't want any desert in the first place but ended up paying for one. the view is good though. I have seen better service, looks like they a short on staff, cause busboys were serving us.
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No questions asked, if you're looking for a place to impress someone, take them to cite! The views are magnificent and the food is very good. Compared to Signiture Room where you need to be lucky enough to get a window seat to enjoy the view - Cite has good views to go around. Moreover the food here is really good - compared to Signiture Room where I say its just mediocre, at best.
The only knock on it is that its a little cramped... while you're seated - its fine, but trying to maneuver around is really challenging, especially by the bar.
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I dined here last week with my wife and daughter; let me tell you this is one of those places you don’t hear about but once you go it feels like you’re in a different world. The views were first class, the food was excellent (I had Filet Oscar, my wife had the sea bass and my Daughter had the seafood tortellini). The service was even better than the views; we had a gentleman serving us, explained the menu and were making sure our every need was attended to. This restaurant is not as expensive as everyone believes unless you get a pricy bottle of wine; my daughter already wants to come back. The most wonderful part of our dining experience other than the food, view, and service was that Tom Cruise, Oprah, Katie Holmes and a few other people walked by our table with their security and that you don’t see everyday…….
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We dined at Cite last...
By Amy R. from Los Angeles, CA, June 26, 2007
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We dined at Cite last night, and it was an out of this world experience. Our evening began with a drink at the bar, which provides romantic, breathtaking views of beautiful Chicago. Although it was our reservation time, we weren't rushed, and were allowed to take our time at the bar, however when we were seated, we were treated to the same fabulous views. The views from here cannot be described! Our server was informed and paced, describing everything to us in detail. Everything was luscious! To the reviewer who criticized the tower, Lake Point is a world class architectural monument which follows a strident school of architectural thought. It is considered a beautiful example of modern architure, for those who know.
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Really great service and amazing...
By Tonia from Chicago, IL, June 12, 2007
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Really great service and amazing food. The waiter took five minutes to go over the menu with us and give details of the dishes. The crab souffle appetizer was wonderful and unique. I enjoyed the seafood linguine; my dining companion ordered the lobster, which was so tender it seemed like it would melt in your mouth. My only quibbles: the a/c was too chilly (they explained they have no control over it) and the windows weren't as clean as I would have expected. Pricey, but I'll go as often as I can afford to.
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Review Summary
The following scores represent the average rating submitted by 33 users:
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