Two prices by day
OpenTable lists $265 Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and $295 Friday and Saturday. For two, 2 × $265 = $530, plus 22% service = $646.60; or 2 × $295 = $590, plus 22% = $719.80. Tax, drinks, supplements and extra tips are excluded. The difference is $73.20 for two including service.
Two wine-pairing levels and a non-alcoholic pairing are offered, with prices we could not verify. Corkage is $65 for one 750 ml bottle per two guests, for wine not on the list. Count the bottle cost and confirm service and tax on corkage.
Read the ticket terms before you pay
The Book Now button goes to OpenTable, but the FAQ still says reservations open 60 days ahead "via Tock." Use the button and read the terms it shows. Tickets are non-refundable. If you need to change the date at any point after booking, the FAQ charges "$150.00 ++ per person," and the new date has to fall within six to nine months of the original. For two people, moving a dinner costs $300 plus tax and service.
The FAQ is blunt about chargebacks too. If you dispute the charge for an active reservation with your bank, you "will not be eligible to dine with us or rebook, irrespective of the dispute outcome." Parties of seven or more book by email through kbravo@twobyfive.com. The FAQ doesn't say whether you can transfer a ticket to someone else. Esmé publishes no phone number, so send questions to reservations@esmechicago.com.
FAQ with ticket, rebooking and chargeback terms
The tasting listing accepts 1 to 6 guests and requires prepayment. We did not verify OpenTable's final checkout total.
Leave time for the meal
The FAQ puts dinner at 2.5 to 3 hours on average and warns that "multiple interruptions will add more time." Esmé is open Wednesday to Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m. The kitchen can adapt the menu for pescatarian, vegetarian and gluten-free diners with 72 hours' notice. Vegan isn't on that list. For anything else, email info@esmechicago.com.
For dinner, use the dining room entrance at the corner of Webster and Sedgwick. The Bar Esmé door on Clark Street, across from Francis Parker School, isn't the way in. There's no dress code and no valet. Metered parking is nearby, and Esmé suggests a rideshare, taxi or transit. The site doesn't mention step-free access.
FAQ with timing, dietary, entrance and parking details
OpenTable lists closing at 10 p.m. and smart casual dress; the site says 9 p.m. and no formal code. Confirm your seating and any requirement that matters. Age rules and detailed access remain unverified. Our planning advice is to allow at least three hours for dinner, plus travel, before fixing another activity.
Compare before booking
BOKA's tasting costs $405.60 for two with its removable surcharge, before tax and tip, and it also offers à la carte. Esmé is $646.60 or $719.80 with mandatory service before tax and drinks. Esmé's dining room requires the full prepaid tasting.
Alinea's November Salon estimates two hours for two guests; Esmé estimates two and a half to three. Esmé charges $150 per person plus tax and service to rebook, while Alinea allows changes with at least 72 hours' notice within the same calendar year. Read the exact terms if your dates are uncertain.
Sources and editorial approach
This is a researched planning guide, not a review of a firsthand meal. Prices and policies are those available when checked. Cost examples are our calculations with exclusions stated. Confirm the details for your date with the restaurant.
- FAQ with charges, ticket terms, dietary rules and entrance
- Artists, current and past
- Menu archive with dates
- Elite Essential prepaid package
- Homepage with hours and booking link
- OpenTable: current collaboration and prices, September 30
Checked September 28, 2026. Send a correction with the detail and a supporting source.
Public booking listing checked September 30, 2026. We did not verify live availability or final checkout. Other sources retain the dates stated.