Fresh

just a typical, average hotel restaurant. I grabbed dinner w/​a coworker. Nothing particularly special nor especially bad either.

This review is only for breakfast, and I believe they have lunch here but no dinner. There aren’t a ton of options right here when staying at the Renaissance, especially without a car. This is ohare and not downtown Chicago obviously. So for that it isn’t bad.
However, the buffet itself is really small for $ 21. They do have an omelette lady who makes the perfect large omelette super fast. The rest of the buffet is just meh, especially when compared to other Renaissance hotels. The service was nice and the Ala carte menu looked decent.

Typically I try not to eat dinner in hotels unless it is a unique well known restaurant. I have eaten here for breakfast a number of times and they do a good job on the buffet. But tonight I did dinner.
The menu was not extensive but covered all the bases and the prices were in line with other similar venues. The service was almost immediate as Melanie came over to say she would be bringing me water and rolls. The restaurant was not busy and she was the only server and handled the spreadout tables very well. I gave her my order and she commented on my entrée selection saying it was her favorite. I ordered the Walnut Spinach Salad and the Pork Tenderloin dinner with roasted sweet potatoes and vegetables.
The rolls were ok but would have been better if they had been warmed. The salad was huge and just as delicious! In addition to the named items it had sliced pears and a variety of cheese squares. And it was topped with a Balsamic vinegar dressing that was outstanding. And they allowed the right amount of time to enjoy the salad and let it settle before the entrée came out. How I wish many other restaurants could learn this.
The main course came out and looked delectable and without being all piled on top of each other in the center of the plate. There were four healthy slices of pork tenderloin with a tasty glaze; the roasted sweet potato was skinned and ready for butter; a lot of Asparagus cooked perfectly; and, a small amount of what was described as restaurant made Applesauuce. And it tasted like it was. The pork was cooked perfectly and almost made this review a 5. But the rolls and the very small amount of applesauce took it down.
Melanie did a great job and I really enjoyed this meal.

Had dinner here last night with a bunch of coworkers and although service took a little longer than we are used to, the food was good. I really enjoyed the beet salad and the mushroom flatbread. Also, the bread basket had pretzel bread… which is always a nice surprise.

I’ve been here probably a dozen times, but only for the lunch buffet. The lunch entrees are roughly the same price, so it just makes sense to get the buffet if you like the options. There are typically a couple prepared cold salads, a hot meat dish, a hot carb side, and a hot veggie side, plus fresh pizza, soup, bread, and made to order salads and pastas. Dessert options are typically either cookies or petit four type options.
Service is hit or miss, and the drink glasses are tiny. It’s still a great lunch option though, and can definitely be healthy if you want it to be.

I actually give this place 3.5 stars. So my gf and I made a weekend trip to Chicago. The first night of our trip we stayed at the Renaissance hotel. Because it was freezing outside we decided to dine in at the hotel restaurant.
Place:
The atmosphere is quiet because there weren’t too many people at around 9 pm. Actually, around this time more people would be hanging out at the bar area.
Service:
The waiter is pretty nice. He came back often just to check up on us. Since there weren’t too many people our food came out pretty quickly.
Food:
Frito appetizers — it’s not bad. A mix of calamari, fried artichoke, and shrimp.
Sea Bass — the fish is a tad bit oily for our liking. They used ginger that was not entirely fresh as well. Somewhat disappointing for a $ 36 entrée.
Pork tenderloin — this isn’t too bad. The meat mixed with the apple sauce had this nice combo taste. They added the sweet potatoes on the side which was tasty as well.

Flight was cancelled so ended up at Fresh as I wanted to not wander from the hotel. Dinner menu was concise and covered your meat, fish, chicken options. I went with the salmon and vegetable hash sans potatoes. Fish was cooked correctly and was very tasty. The vegetables were obviously fresh and cooked perfectly. Service was wonderful as I never had to ask for water and they constantly checked on me for any needs.
I’d recommend the meat and cheese tray as a starter/​small meal. Great variety of cheeses and they actually had Iberian ham! Nice touch and thoroughly unexpected.
I’ll eat here again.

Lunch is great. They have a hot and cold buffet with usually a great main course, vegetable, and starch plus desserts, fruit, soup, and cold salads. From the kitchen you can get pasta any way you want it or have a salad prepared they way you want.

I am always against eating in a hotel restaurant but recently I ate here with a client who was staying at the hotel.
I must admit that the lunch special was really good. There was a full menu or you could order the lunch buffet for $ 13.99. I looked over the menu and noticed that most of the items were over the $ 14 price point so I figured with the buffet I could make what I want. I was very impressed when I realized there was also a chef standing there who would make you fresh pasta combinations and fresh salads. Score!
I went with a wheat pasta with peas, asparagus, onions, grilled chicken, peppers, olive oil and a small spoon of red sauce. They mixed it up in the frying pan and served it up fresh to me. It was kind of like Italian’s version of Mongolian BBQ!
For my salad… I went with Romaine, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, crumbled blue cheese, some crispy bacon and a small squirt of blue cheese dressing.
Everything was really good plus it gave me control of what i was eating. Salad was not drowning in dressing nor was my pasta covered in a heavy salt laden sauce. This ended up being a great alternative to ordering off of the menu.
I noticed the buffet had various salads and hot food but I did not make my way over there to sample anything. But I did have to try the flat bread pesto pizza. The chef took it out of the oven fresh and placed it out at the buffet.
I was very happy with the quality and with the variety of what Fresh offered and if I find myself in the area with a client near the airport I would stop her again.
I was also very happy that they valeted my parking because I ate in the restaurant. I wish that the other hotels in the area were that cool too but they are not… after all I am spending money inside the hotel.

Fresh is in the lobby of the Renaissance hotel and is the only restaurant in the hotel.
The food is priced fairly for a hotel.
The chicken noodle soup is tasty.
Pork chops were cooked well and were better than I’ve had at pricier restaurants.
The Turkey club was good and had a lot of bacon on it.
Service was very fast and they refilled drinks immediately.
They checked up on me often and didn’t make me wait forever for the bill.

Fresh may be difficult to locate, as it sits in the corner of the Renaissance Chicago O’hare hotel. I wouldn’t necessarily drive out of my way to eat there, but for a nice, healthy lunch outside the office walls, Fresh is always a favorite choice.
The menu is somewhat limited featuring some salads, sandwiches, and a couple of soups. They have the most delicious grilled cheese sandwich with smoked mozzarella, olive tapanede, and fresh tomatoes — all smashed between two slices of sourdough bread. Mmmmm. Most recently I had the egg white omelet with feta, spinach, and tomatoes. ((Ask for it without olive oil, or else your eggs will be swimming in it)). The omelet was incredibly fluffy — the fluffiest I’ve yet to encounter.
Fresh’s biggest selling point is their lunch buffet. For $ 13.95 you have access to an all you can eat «make your own» salad bar and pasta bar. In addition, they have daily specialties — usually a meat dish, potato/​pasta dish, and a vegetable dish. It doesn’t stop there. They also have fresh cold salads made daily, as well as the soup of the day. Is there dessert? Yes. There is! The buffet has a couple kinds of cakes or brownies and fresh fruit. The food is always fresh and delicious. It doesn’t sit out for hours on end getting cold or soggy.
The biggest downfall? The prices. I suppose this goes with the territory of being in a hotel — it’s the convenience factor. A salad will run you about 14 bucks… as will a sandwich. However, the service is great and so is the quality. When my omelet came out drowned in a vat of oil, I asked for it to be remade dry. No questions asked, the waiter had a new and oil-​free omelet out to me in a matter of minutes. Big points for that.
Great, fresh food only walking distance from the office makes my belly happy. It might make my wallet a little light, but it’s worth it each time.