Esmé rebuilds its tasting menu every 12 weeks, each cycle developed around a partnership with a different local artist or creative. Chef Jenner Tomaska and his wife, Katrina Bravo, use those collaborations to shape not just the dishes but the music and service pieces around them, so the restaurant looks and feels different several times a year while operating from the same Lincoln Park address.
Next door, Bar Esmé offers a more relaxed cocktail-and-wine setting for guests who want the space without committing to the full tasting menu.
The restaurant also ties its work to philanthropic giving back to the Chicago community. Michelin has awarded Esmé one star every year from 2022 through 2025, and Jenner Tomaska was a James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2024.
Next door, Bar Esmé offers a more relaxed cocktail-and-wine setting for guests who want the space without committing to the full tasting menu.
The restaurant also ties its work to philanthropic giving back to the Chicago community. Michelin has awarded Esmé one star every year from 2022 through 2025, and Jenner Tomaska was a James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2024.