Vermilion in Chicago - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Just wow! This beautiful restaurant was a delicate blend of Latin-indian and Indian-Chinese fusion and their food did not disappoint. I personally have not always been a lover of Indian food but I’m definitely changing that. Service was fantastic as well. FYI- have the lobster Portuguese!

The Manager Kai was very welcoming and informative. The food was amazing! If you want to take your taste buds on an adventure, you've got to visit them. Thank you Kai and team.

You enter to what feels like a run down hotel lobby, seats with worn cushion. Mediocre overpriced watery food & drinks. Our $22 entree was suggested best ordered with a side of white rice. A $6 bowl of white rice is comical and should be served as part of the entree if it’s incomplete without it Automatic 20% service charge regardless of the poor service.

Hakka noodles were so sweet, pani puri margarita was not upto the mark. Good wasn’t good at all. Also, it’s not worth the price.

The Tamarind Ribs were great but the Hakka Masterpiece was laden in oil and not very flavorful, definitely not high heat like the menu says. The dish also required rice to soak up sauce and also to make it a normal size meal. They charged $6 for rice! The lychee sparkle and other drinks were great. The staff were also great overall. The only problem is the waiter assumed I wanted my dish with chicken. He never asked when I forgot to specify paneer. Thankfully, I am not a vegetarian, I just love paneer.

It was empty around 6:30-7. First of all it was hot in there like the AC wasn't on. Food is overpriced and everything had too much lemon/lime which made it sour. Service was great but the food was not. We did not finish a single dish. The best thing there were their fries.

Over priced and the food was absolutely awful and not eatable. I wont come here again even for free

Looks like the restaurant is trying to find its identity. In the name of fusion it is neither here nor there. Not quite Indian not quite Chinese. The dish that was good is tamarind prawn. Lobster in lobster Portuguese came out from freezer, not juicey. Cocktails are so so. Mojito too sweet. Expect to pay 20% service charge automatically and the service is not all that good. Not much attention to guests, servers just push for most expensive dishes. Small portions.

This is an absolute crime. I wouldn’t step foot in here again if they paid me. Worst food I’ve ever had

The waiter was so nice, and the food especially the fries were seasoned perfectly.

We were so excited to dine in Chef CHAUHAN’s restaurant. Unfortunately, our excitement became a deep disappointment with very chewy lobster, raw rice, elastic and raw steak, and burnt kale. We live the chef (she was not in the restaurant) but I think this restaurant is a disgrace.

I went to celebrate my birthday and the food was unbelievable good. The spices were very balance and we ordered a lot but everything was fantastic. Presentation is excellent as well and price very reasonable. I suggest to everyone to try. Great service as well.

My recent experience at this restaurant was incredibly disappointing. I made a reservation for my family's Mother's Day brunch well in advance, only to have it abruptly cancelled by the restaurant via OpenTable just days before the event, without any explanation. I was never contacted directly about the cancellation; I only discovered it when checking the app. This was particularly frustrating as my mother had been eager to try this establishment for some time, and finding an available reservation for Mother's Day was already a challenge. To hedge our bets, I also booked a reservation for the day before in case Sunday didn't pan out. Unfortunately, my mother fell ill, prompting me to cancel this reservation more than a day in advance. However, the individual I spoke with was not only unhelpful but also rude, insisting that the reservation couldn't be cancelled and that I would incur a $50 no-show fee. Despite pointing out OpenTable's policy allowing cancellations up to one day before without charge, they remained adamant. Even after contacting OpenTable directly and confirming the restaurant's obligation to cancel, the restaurant still charged the fee. This experience was marked by poor customer service and a lack of familiarity with their own policies. It's clear that there's a need for improved training and communication among the staff regarding OpenTable procedures. Disappointing to say the least.

The staff at this location were extremely rude. Despite my calling to cancel more than a day in advance, in accordance with their OpenTable policy, they still charged me a no-show fee. I attempted to address this issue with them on multiple occasions, but they simply reiterated their inability to cancel it. I find it perplexing that other restaurants on OpenTable are able to accommodate cancellations easily, while this establishment seems unable or unwilling to do so.

Went here for Restaurant week, under the pretense that the meals would be per person as indicated on the menu. Come to find out that a group is only allowed to choose one dish from each course and it is served family style. There were some dietary restrictions in our group and their response was “Sorry we are strict about this, you can order a la carte”, which we ended up doing. We ordered masala fries and they came out cold, and also did not include the sauce that was listed on the menu. They did bring out a fresh one, only after we informed the waiter. We ordered the Mary Lamb dish and the lamb was not cooked well at all. Way too much pink, almost raw. They then said “oh it is medium rare usually” but there is no way that was cooked medium rare. Again we informed the waiter and they brought out a new plate. Lastly, as a result of the service, we wanted to be able to choose our tip amount. When we got the bill the waiter threw the check on the table and left, and the check had an automatic 20% service charge on it. In no way was the service deserving of a 20% service change, and this also was not indicated on the menu. This was quite possibly the worst experience I have had at a restaurant in Chicago, and I do not recommend this place at all. Bad service, undercooked food, and to top it off, and automatic charged tip. Also to add - as we were leaving the waitress was at the bar with a drink, I mean come on, drinking on the job? With customers in the restaurant? Unacceptable.

We visited the restaurant yesterday. The food was ok but their dishes wasn’t clean, they were dirty and oily looked like they never washed it.

The best part was the bollywood music. Food was not like indian Chinese. Hakka noodles were spaghetti w a chinese sauce. Paneer dish their signature dish felt not fully cooked. Drinks - pani puri cocktail - was like drinking pani puri water but thats about it. Appetizers were so so. Only thing tasty was shahi tukda. Atmosphere was between an upscale restaurant and a desi diner on devon st. But music was v good. Not going back.

We had a fairly good experience at Vermilion. Very creative menu with nice cocktails. The presentation was very neat and creative. We ordered the Kolkata street chaat, the paneer wok appetizer - both were great. The gobi Manchurian entree was ok. None of the items stood out as extraordinary but were good. The ambiance was a little off putting. The lighting was too bright, floors were weird looking and music was a little too loud. Nice spot to try some creative Indian menu. They have a mandatory service charge for parties more than one.

I came here during restaurant week and the way it was set up between multiple people didn’t really make sense to me. You pay $49 a person for the menu but they say they portion it by party size but I’m unsure how true that is. The food was decent. I don’t think I would come here if it wasn’t discounted. Also, the sangria was disgusting. Some of the worst I have ever had.

We dined here during the Chicago restaurant week. They had a special menu of basically 4 courses and everyone (5 of us) at the table had to opt for the same dish from every course. A bit limiting. I would have been ok with this if the food was any good. Sadly all the dishes were super salty and lacked flavor or subtlety. Also we were charged us a 20% gratuity (no options). The ambience was meh at best.

This place is not a real restaurant. Why are you guys even paying rent in River North - better to become a ghost kitchen because food is somewhat decent and will do well in delivery

Bad experience. They forced us to order same dish for the two of us during restaurant week. Unaccommodating for dinners of opposite dietary restrictions. On top of that they automatically add 20% service fees for any party of 1 and above. Ridiculous when it’s expected, especially for subpar service. Food is pricey for what it offers.

Where to begin we came here looking to try the recent indo Chinese menu. Our rese was for 8pm and admittedly we showed up late at around 820. We were told that we were past our grace period and therefore our reservation was released. We asked if they could make an accommodation given that the place was half Empty. We were told they would check with the manager. They told us they couldn’t accommodate because the kitchen couldn’t take anymore orders. The reservation was made by a friend and he had put down his credit card for deposit. Since they were unwilling to seat us and the story seemed inconsistent, I decided to look on OpenTable and To my surprise they had 845 and 9pm rese available. I told the greeter this and I made the reservation and within seconds he said “I see the reservation. Now I can seat you. “ Very bizarre. Maybe they were short staffed and were trying to close early but it would have been better if they just told us that We did end up eating an entire meal there. Food was average.

We've been to Vermilion several times. This time we went for the Chicago Restaurant Week special. As always, the food was superb. They've switched from a fusion of Indian-Latino to Indian-Chinese. The new emphasis works perfectly, best exemplified by the ginger-steamed whole fish. Service was excellent (though the timing between first and second courses could have been slower). The space is lovely. We had to ask several times for them to lower the music volume, but once they did, the ambience was very nice.

“Chicago Restaurant Week,” helped us find the wonderful understated and over the top tasty Indian-Chinese spot in the River North neighborhood. Four fabulous courses of innovative, imaginative food at a price-fixe $ 42 made for an early birthday treat. Each course was better than the last beginning with Marsala Fries., followed by Kolkata Streets, a crispy noodle and mango appetizer and Wok of Life, a delicious Cantonese shrimp and Tandoori yogurt on toast. The main course, Hakka Masterpiece , a legendary Indian “chili,” chicken creation was simply supreme! Save room for “Sex, “ afterwards- a perfect fired ice cream dessert to complement this spicy, superior supper. Creative cocktails are available in this contemporary / minimalist designed eatery.

Horrible experience. Horrible service, drinks were so bad we couldn’t even finish them and demanded they be removed from the bill. I would NEVER return for any reason. The food was okay but you can get much better food, for less money, at so many other places in Chicago.

They only had 1 server on a Saturday during restaurant week. We had to wait a long while for both round of drinks. The food was ok not worth $60 prefix menu. We were a party of four on Saturday night at 7pm 😕

We had the restaurant week menu. Meal was excellent, abundant. Servers were very conscientious about food sensitivities.

I visited this restaurant during the restaurant week and was disappointed with the food and service. The menu advertised a price of $59 per person, but it was not clear that the dishes would be served family-style. My party of two ordered fries, wild mushrooms, jackfruit spring rolls, and pompano fish. The food was not great, and the fish was particularly bad. It was drenched in soy sauce and extremely salty. We only took one bite, but we were still charged for the entire dish. The total bill came out to $180, which was unreasonable for the quality of the food and service. After complaining about the taste, the restaurant reduced the bill to $140. Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant to others.

Lamb chops were good but meals were served family style even though portion sizes were not family style size. For instance, the lamb chops were family style but only came with 4 total. 2 lollipop lamb chops per adult?? Come on. And then they have a 20% auto gratuity per person. Decor was a hodge podge of too many ideas. Wouldn’t go back or recommend.

Interesting, delicious flavors - both food and drink. Attentive, personable service. Ambience was great. Overall, a terrific first experience. We’ll be back to explore some more of the menu.

I keep coming back to vermilion and it never disappoints. This time I got to try a lobster with a great name, get out of your shell. Just delicious and a fresh mango mojito, omg just fabulous.

Came here for the restaurant week! Loved the menu. Will definitely be back

We went during Chicago Restaurant Week and they demanded to order the same dish for the couple. I thought it was strange but they said the portions would be well served. They didn't serve the starter and the main course, besides being small, the main dish ( The wedding banquet fish) was tasteless. It was a disappointment, I don't recommend it.

Loving all the new Indian-Chinese dishes. Remarkably different from all restaurants. Will be back often.

Perfect for our family dinner! We enjoy our Spicy Not Your KFC and that Hakka Chili chicken was just astounding

Don't go there for Restaurant Week, it's a scam! They didn't serve two of the four courses and said they did. The fish was tasteless. Really, don't go there. I'm doing you a favor.

Some of the food was a little spicy for me, but it was so good I ate everything. I will be returning soon as there were other items I want to try.

Kudos to all very much friendly staff and delicious dishes we kinda like miss the old menu but you guys nailed this new one

We went during Chicago Restaurant Week and they demanded to order the same dish for the couple. I thought it was strange but they said the portions would be well served. They didn't serve the starter and the main course, besides being small, the main dish ( The wedding banquet fish) was tasteless. It was a disappointment, I don't recommend it.

The staff was very accommodating helping us curate a nice meal for different dietary preferences. The food itself was DELICIOUS. The Get out of your shell lobster was spicy but so flavorful

This is the perfect place to be if you’re trying to impress friends about your food recommendations. Try the Black Fist and the lamb chops for an impressive meal

When restaurants week and we have dietary restrictions and they won’t even allow it. Food was horrible the main entree was too salty to eat and that was ordered separately the squid ink noodle that my daughter was allergic to shrimp. We told them about it and they took it back to add sugar instead of remaking the dish. Awful! Awful food! The place needs to be shut down!

We visited Vermilion for the restaurant week menu and it didn’t disappoint. At an all great value, outstanding drinks and we even had a chance to say hi to the chef. Just such a great service overall.

Our second visit for the amazing Restaurant Week menu and we did not regret it. The Cantonese Lobster and Not Your KFC fried chicken were outstanding.

Glad we’ve tried your dish My fave was the lamb!! So mouthwatering indeed

Food wasnt done right. None of the dishes tasted as they should. Kolkata jhal-Mudi, rasam, Shahi tukda were not good. Chilli paneer was ok. Hakka noodles was the only saving grace.

Maybe it was a bad day for the restaurant team, but it was definitely a bad experience for us. The food was uninteresting and service was terrible. Dessert was brought to the table when we were in the middle of the main course and the check was brought even before the dessert. No one took the dishes and plates away so we ended up with all empty dishes and plates on the table. Thank goodness there were only two of us. They still tried to charge us 20% for service without even asking us. I had to fight to get it removed.

Restraurant week and its a pre-fix meal of $ 60 each. I thought that three of us for a 4 course meal sounds good. We were told that its a family size meal to share for each course, usually four courses of meal per person, but instead its a small serving of four courses. And its not that fantastic, its more like first three courses are appetizer serving. Its not worth the money and the parking downtown. Will not go back there.

While the service was good, and the presentation excellent, the food & drinks were ok; not the kind of thing I would write home about.

It was fine, but much preferred the Indian/Latin fusion theme better. The wine list was less robust than the last time we visited, and under tables had napkins to keep them from wobbling. Takes a little away from the ambience. Appears the restaurant is a bit tired.

Excellent service. Would definitely go again and recommend.

The Restaurant Week menu is fantastic. Unique and generous. Going back again soon.

One of the best restaurants in downtown Chicago! Staffs are so friendly! Their food was amazing! A must come back for Indian Chinese dish

Stopped by for drinks and appetizers. Loved the cocktails, botanic, unique and phenomenal. Especially Lake Shore drive and Lake Michigan. The fried chicken Indian-Chinese melding and Kolkata streets noodle chaat surpassed my expectations too. Will be back often and spread the word.

One of the best Indian Chinese I’ve ever been!!! Go check their amazing and fabulous drinks and dish! A new fusion indeed!! Kudos!

Warm and fantastic. On all fronts. Going back soon!

Phenomenal drinks, wedding banquet fish is wonderful. Overall good experience

Went here for NYE dinner: food was creative and delicious. We particularly loved the lamb and fried ice cream. Staff is also super friendly! Chef even came out to make sure everything is good!

Excellent food - very tasty meals. Amazing friendly service with a smile. Compliments to Chef Rox! She personally came out and checked on us.

Had a great time at Vermillion! The staff were very pleasant and kind.

This place should be ashamed to call itself an Indian restaurant, it is a disgrace and insult to all other Indian restaurants.

Different vibe and food was just ok. Tasted weird

Great food and beautiful ambiance. The service was great too!

My partner and I had the privilege of dining on a quiet night. I think they may have been a little understaffed, as I only saw one person waiting tables. However, I was impressed by the flavors of everything we had, and the way they helpfully accommodated our travel luggage was a huge help. I made a reservation detailing our needs, and they were well met. My partner is vegan and we often struggle to find places we both enjoy. Not so here, we could easily return as there are other options on the menu we would each consider trying on a return trip. The interior is dark and moody, with excellent date night vibes. We were sat at a booth on the wall where a speaker was mounted, which actually made our corner a little quieter, thanks to the sound playing away from us, much to our satisfaction. They were an excellent pit stop on our long layover in Chicago, and have likely earned a return trip next time we’re in River North. If you’re looking for a fancier Indian fusion place with great vegan options, I highly recommend Vermillion.

Lovely fusion designs of both food and atmosphere. We had Not your KFC chicken appetizer, Squid Game ink noodles and seafood and delicious complimentary Spick Fries w/curry chutney and Indian Bread -sweet and light.

Aside from the complimentary masala fries served in a gimmicky rickshaw, which were decent, the cocktails had minimal liquor, a cheap move and unforgivable - the Haka paneer was drowned in gloopy sauce , the chaat was dismal and less said about it the better - who gets chaat wrong? the shrimp toast was actually a sandwich cut in 3 pieces, flavoring was overly curried, the haka paneer was drowned in a thick gloopy sauce, the tamarind rice has spices that were not cooked properly hence not pleasant and the rice was not fully cooked! The only saving grace were the Lamb chops! Beautifully presented, cooked to perfection and delicious! We ordered a second one of these. Did not dare try any deserts. Paid the bill and left. The bathrooms were filthy with dried vomit on the wall of one stall, the floor in the restaurant was not clean, food debris etc under tables that were set for service but not yet used! Who are all these people leaving such positive reviews… I was fooled by such misleading reviews!!!

This once was one of the best Indian restaurants in Chicago. It was definitely worth the money at that time. What happened ? I do not recommend.

FOOD was SHAME. No originality. You can find same dishes with better taste in cheaper price in other restaurants. I knew the cost before going to the restaurant. I assumed , they have higher price because they created new dishes out of normal indian street food. They called it Fusion. But there wasn’t any fusion, they are just same dishes you can find in other restaurants but in smaller quantities and on nicer plates. DISPOINTED. Yes they have very clean building and very nice staff. But these two things doesnt make a building call a restaurant. Heart breaking, i waited 3 years to go this restaurant

I ordered this indo - Chinese thali that was listed as $35 . It tasted pretty decent but don’t think the quantity was enough for the price you pay. Also, they charge a service fee of 20% on the final bill. Hence , overall I am rating it as average .

Being a women's owned restaurant, I was not inclined to take a hard stance on this restaurant food and service, but after a lot of thinking, here goes. It's a general rule that restaurants from South Asian origin or serving SA ethnic foods do not have much ambiance. Instead, they focus on the quality of the food to win the customers. Vermilion, which is sindoor in English, had bad ambiance written all over. The flooring was chipped in a million places like a woodpecker in a tree. There was not a single lady anywhere to be seen in the front office. The men manning the front office were ok but clearly lacking in knowledge of the cuisine. My colleagues' wine glasses were unclean and had to be swapped. Every time they asked for a refill, the goblets changed shapes. The food was brought out one by one, including the main course. The lamb chops were lightly spiced and rare as the waiter never checked with the customer. The bones on the chops were covered with spices and couldn't be picked up without getting your hands dirty. The bhel starters were too thick and hardly absorbed any flavors of the sauces. The dessert #1 named sex for some weird reason (makes me wonder if the name was suggested by a man) was nothing more than fried dough and ice cream served with a fork. Who in their right mind eats ice cream with a fork! I believe the Shahi tukra was nice, though I didn't eat or taste it. My boss had some noodles dish but he couldn't even get to eat more than a few forks. My intention is that this honest review is for the business to pull up their socks and get better. In fact, it was sad to see that a spacious restaurant in Chicago downtown had only 2 tables occupied, and the rest of the 20+ tables were empty. The restaurant looked desolate and is in serious need for good flooring. I hope the business flourishes and improves it service and food and continues to operate well.

Confused cuisine , poor quality of food, won’t go again. Definitely not worth the money!

Poor quality of food, way over priced, will not be going again and do not recommend.

Amazing food! I would recommend this place to anyone.

Fun cocktail list and a delicious mix of unique and tasty dishes.

A friend was in town from Boston, and we had a great meal. They started us off with some complimentary nibbles and we tried a few entrees and fried rice. It was a Tuesday night, and rainy and cold outside, so it was a bit quiet, but a wonderful meal.

Too pricy for what is on offer. It is ok if you want to try something different (atleast looking at the menu) but there is nothing that will miss if you don’t go.

Celebrated a friend’s birthday here and had an amazing experience! The food and cocktails are creative, interesting, and delicious - so nice to see a restaurant that puts a lot of thought into what they serve and deliver great quality. (I got the “What’s Your Beef? and it was yummy and a huge portion! Additionally, the staff was so helpful, kind, and welcoming. Overall, highly recommend Vermillion for the delicious Indo-Chinese cuisine and excellent service.

Great Indian Chinese food, good service; would come back

Poor food and ambience. Got sick after. Too expensive.

I’m don’t usually go for Indian fusion, but from here on out and when I do, Vermilion will be my spot. I thoroughly enjoyed everything.

The food and the curation of flavors are spot on!! Definitely a Chicago Gem. I came with friends for my birthday and loved it so much, I brought my husband back. The soup is sooo spicy, I want it everyday!!! You absolutely see their passion in the cuisine.

The indo-Chinese flavors are certainly phenomenal! The bartender is creative and every single time I’ve come, I’ve enjoyed the meal.

This is a sort of hidden gem indian restaurant. From outside does not bring much vibes, but interior is seemingly fresh. Food taste good. For an Indian guy the food is completely on milder side though the dishes I tried says medium to high spice. Food presentation is unique and charming. Food is on an expensive end. The music is surprisingly not outdated (another reason to enjoy "Bollywood Item Number"). Please do not try Pani Puri Margarita. It looks good but taste really bad. Not a good cocktail. The day I visited restaurant it was only myself and no one else. Later few guests joined but I wonder why restaurant was so empty. Seemingly they closed on Friday due to kitchen related upgrades they working on. Overall it seems owner and chef are in this business just for their passion to serve good food. Cheers!

Food was tasty but the atmosphere and service were bland.

Service was good but the Food was just okay.. Definitely not worth the money.

Had the lambs and they were delicious

Worst experience.. the food was not great , there were people who came in with reservations saw the restaurant and left. Nothing like pictures . Service was bad , food quality was bad. Overall worst experience. They also add 20%service charge even if you are alone. Thats what it is mentioned on the receipt. Worst experience

Substandard food. Ordered chicken Hakka noodles to remind me of something of home, it came with 5 small chicken pieces no bigger than 2 in. Avoid.

Stumbled upon this gem while searching for asian restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised by it all. The mary had a little was amazing/ cooked to perfection. The not your KFC was amazing with a spicy chili sauce and crispy chicken. Service was above and beyond. You feel very welcomed by the staff. I also felt very taken care of. This restaurant makes for a perfect date night spot prior to hitting the town!

Excellent service with impressive dishes. The lamb and the squid were fantastic.

Server (Talha) was very nice. Recommended great dishes and even brought out complimentary fries that we will have to come back to order again :)

Food was terrible. Fried rice was not properly made and used previously frozen vegetables. The meat was clearly reheated and not cooked fresh. Very disappointed.

Great food, I loved the Asian-Indian fusion.

Terrible food. Good service but terrible food. Fried rice made with frozen veggies. All the food was reheated. Nothing was fresh

It was very good experience! Will be back soon..

Love the Indian-Chinese. Traditional and experimental!

Everything was delicious! The staff was so helpful with recommendations based on what we asked for. Loved the lamb! Cocktails were such a perfect pairing! And save room for dessert!

I definitely recommend it. The taste we experienced was very good, it was an experience that we left completely happy. I will come back again to try new tastes.

It was amazing experience for me. We were happy with the all good that we tried. Also service and atmosphere were good. We’ll go there again!