Best Mediterranean Restaurants in Jefferson Park

Service was impressive. Constant supply of water, great timing between meals, waiter was excellent. New plates between meals. Food was awesome. Sweet potato latkes had the classic latke texture and flavor with an added creaminess and sweetness from the sweet potato. The falafel was very well seasoned and the sweet creaminess of the beet tzatziki was complemented perfectly by the savory, slightly grittiness of the tahini sauce. The harissa crusted halibut was perfectly cooked flakey fish with a beautifully salty dashi mushroom broth. The harissa crust itself had a cheese-forward flavor not unlike cheez-itz, but in a good way, brightened up by shavings of lemon zest. The frozen yogurt with olive oil and sea salt was a bit surprising in that it was more cheesy than I had expected it to be. The yogurt was great and the drops of olive oil carried a salty punch to them and had hardened ever so slightly from the coldness of the yogurt. The burnt honey cake was great. Tall light multi-layered cake with light burnt honey whipped cream and some other warm spices like cinnamon. The honey cake tasted eerily similar to cinnamon teddy grahams from when I was a kid. The meal was very good, with creative twists on classic dishes that were enhanced by bold flavors. The nostalgic elements of flavors from my childhood were special. The service was excellent. I would definitely recommend Ema, and if you’re ever in Chicago to try Aba as well. Both are great restaurants.

Amazing evening. The restaurant was busy however did not seem loud. Terrific table service and food recommendations. Enjoyed the burrata and halibut - delicious and inventive food. Thank you. Would definitely return!

I booked this reservation for my daughter and her husband to celebrate her 28th birthday. I sent a note ahead of time letting the restaurant staff know and they were very timely in responding back stating they would make her experience special. Well I’m so very pleased to report back that they both had an AMAZING night! They stated the food was fabulous however, even better was how they were treated by your entire servers/team. Thank you Rose Mary staff as I truly believe she had a very memorable birthday this year all because of your attention to detail and for going above and beyond. Absolutely incredible!! And I will be certain to share out their experience with others so they patronize your place as well. Cheers, Pam

Going to a restaurant on Valentine’s Day for the first time is always a risk, as it’s usually their busiest day of the year and service isn’t always the best. But there were no lapses whatsoever during our experience, with the exception that the host didn’t notice our request in the reservation for a booth instead of a table. Thankfully they were very accommodating in making the shift. Our server was fantastic, as was the food. We thoroughly enjoyed the chicken limone and calamari linguine. We split their house salad, which was delicious, as was the sundae for dessert. Giving single stem roses to all of the ladies and playing 80s love songs was also a great touch! We will definitely be returning to this location again! Kudos to all of the managers and staff for making this Valentine’s Day dining experience one of our best!

The food is unique (to us) and delicious. We started with a terrific baba ganoush. We had lamb kabobs and chicken kabobs served with salad and rice. The milk custard at dessert was a great way to finish. The meal was at a relaxed pace and the service was attentive, but not overly so.