I have been loving the side-gig restaurants to high end Michelin-rated establishments lately, and All Well is no exception. Coming from the folks at two-starred Oriole (probably my favorite restaurant in Chicago- check out my ode to their awesomeness here), All Well is the even more chill (and less expensive) outpost where you can enjoy the incredible artistic vision of Noah Sandoval without having to spend a week’s pay. The prix fixe menu in the dining room is $120 per person. We enjoyed our visit here at All Well in late June, 2026.

The vibe of All Well is reserved, yet hip. The decor reminds me of some of my favorite, now closed, restaurants in Chicago – Honeys and Porto. If you were lucky enough to eat at one of these joints and enjoyed your time there, you will also really love the atmosphere here. Service was absolutely perfect and the timing of the dishes was spot on. Note that in the dining room area, the menu is prix fixe only, however if you sit at the bar, you can order off the a la carte menu which looks awesome. I’m definitely going to go back and check it out. Note that you can make a reservation for a handful of tables at the bar, but it’s mostly walk-in only.

Much like most fancy establishments these days with a set menu, you start off with snacks here, and lucky for me (who can never remember what they are exactly) they wrote them down on the menu! This beautiful and delicious rotating display of one-to-two-biters consisted of Serrano ham and melon (a classic combo!), lemongrass crab, and a sweet corn beignet.

The nice thing about the set menu here is that you do get to select two out of your five courses, so you have some control over what you’re eating if you prefer more choices. We also splurged on the wine pairing, which is very customized. Rather than serving the same wine for the chosen appetizer and main course like some lazier establishments, they curate a pairing based on what you actually choose. Nice.

For the first course, Brian chose the Hokkaido Scallop which was spicy and fun. I had an extremely hard time choosing between the candied beets and the brandade, but since I’m growing beets in my garden this summer, I went for the superb salt cod, and I wasn’t disappointed. The whipped cod was served with asparagus and egg which was absolutely brilliant. Honestly this may have been my favorite course of the night. Not only was it beautifully plated, but the flavor combo blew me away as well.

Next up was the shared pasta course: Delice de Bourgogne Luna and Puffed Grain Toast. The delicate half-moon pasta was stuffed with the triple-cream Delice de Bourgogne cheese and simply melted in your mouth with the smoked chicken broth it was served in. Absolutely astonishing. This was served with massive slices of sourdough smothered in puffed, crunchy, multigrain spread on top. It was a bit heavy and, while good, I thought it somewhat unnecessary for this course.

For the main course, you had a choice of four different items – also a difficult choice. Brian went for the Sablefish, and I got the Truffle Stuffed Quail. The sablefish was plated beautifully and looked like a big sushi roll. An Asian-inspired dish, it was served with savoy cabbage, amazake (a creamy sauce or drink made from rice) and genmai (brown rice).

The truffle stuffed quail was exquisite. The meat fell off the bone and was extremely rich and flavorful. The crispy skin really added to the multi-textured mouthfeel for this dish. It was served with a side of purgatory beans which were a perfectly creamy accompaniment to this crunchy and rich dish, and featured tiny edible flowers, which I just adore.

For dessert, we were served a refreshing lemon semifreddo, which was not too lemony, and topped with candied pistachios. This was a really nice, palate-cleansing, light dessert. It was a perfect ending to a relatively rich meal.

Even though All Well is the “cheaper” version of Oriole, it stands on its own as a lovely tasting experience in the West Loop of Chicago, and could even earn its own Michelin star. There is extraordinary thoughtfulness going into each dish, and it’s very clear that Chef Sandoval values your experience here as much as he does at Oriole. I will continue to champion the side-car versions of fancier Chicago restaurants, because they make incredible cooking more accessible to more people. They’re growing not only in popularity amongst executive chefs, but also growing in quality as well. Don’t hesitate to book a reservation here at All Well, or if you’re a last-minute type, check out the bar – I can’t wait to sample the a la carte menu!