Apolonia is chef Stephen Gillanders's second restaurant, opened in 2020 in the South Loop. The kitchen centers on a wood-fired oven, turning out seasonally focused contemporary Mediterranean dishes alongside a beverage program built to complement them.
The name and logo carry personal weight: Apolonia was Gillanders's grandmother, whose traditional Filipino cooking shaped his early love of food, even though the menu here doesn't draw directly from that cuisine. The logo — a small spoon pouring into a larger one — nods to that inheritance and to Gillanders's own collection of antique spoons.
Regulars point to the seafood and pasta dishes as particular strengths, alongside a sleek, contemporary dining room and attentive service, though execution can vary by dish. Michelin awarded Apolonia a Bib Gourmand in 2022, and The Infatuation has scored it 7.8/10.
The name and logo carry personal weight: Apolonia was Gillanders's grandmother, whose traditional Filipino cooking shaped his early love of food, even though the menu here doesn't draw directly from that cuisine. The logo — a small spoon pouring into a larger one — nods to that inheritance and to Gillanders's own collection of antique spoons.
Regulars point to the seafood and pasta dishes as particular strengths, alongside a sleek, contemporary dining room and attentive service, though execution can vary by dish. Michelin awarded Apolonia a Bib Gourmand in 2022, and The Infatuation has scored it 7.8/10.