| Restaurants |
| Guide - Restaurants - French |
|
Bistro Campagne
4518 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625 773-271-6100
Description: LINCOLN SQUARE. Capturing the feel of a French neighborhood bistro, this charming restaurant features a pleasant patio, intriguing wine list, and a menu of hearty, comforting favorites.
More Details
|
Bistrot Margot
1437 N Wells Ave, Chicago, IL 60610 312-587-3660
Description: OLD TOWN. Bistrot Margot is a charming French bistro with decor that resembles a turn of the century Parisian hotel, replete with gilded mirrors, starched linens, and velvet upholstry. The menu is classic and superbly executed with notable entree items such as pan-roasted N.Y. strip, creamy linguini tossed with jumbo shrimp, clams, and spinach, and basil-roasted chicken served with pommes frites. Large wine list, some available by the glass. Live jazz entertains weekend diners.
More Details
|
Café Absinthe
1954 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 773-278-4488
Description: WEST SIDE. This Bucktown New American favorite consistently produces quality cuisine and serves it with panache. Chicken with roasted fennel, seared scallops with prickly-pear coulis, grilled ostrich, and glazed rack of lamb are just a few of the delectable options to be had at this elegant restaurant. Candlelight provides a warm, romantic feel to the dining room, and servers make each guest feel welcome.
More Details
|
Café des Architectes
20 E Chestnut St, Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, Chicago, IL 60611 312-324-4000
Description: MAGNIFICENT MILE. Enjoy contemporary French cuisine rooted in fresh and local ingredients at Cafe des Architectes. Executive Chef Greg Biggers utilizes sustainable and organic products whenever possible to create a menu that changes seasonally. Executive Pastry Chef Meg Galus shares this vision, carefully selecting the best ingredients for her elegant and refined desserts. This stylish restaurant offers dramatic interiors by Pierre-Yves Rochon, featuring vibrant colors, sprawling banquettes and dynamic lighting fixtures. This bright and sophisticated room serves as the perfect backdrop for the inventive cuisine, top-notch service and the savoir faire that makes Café des Architectes a top dining destination in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood. Chicago magazine, 3 stars, 2011, Crain's Chicago Business, "Best Restaurants for Business, 2010"
More Details
|
Chez Joël
1119 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607 312-226-6479
Description: LITTLE ITALY. Chez Joel offers diners a comfortable interior dining room as well as a lovely garden area for dining during warm weather. The restaurant's decor features warm yellow walls and colorful artwork. The menu offers daily specials as well as traditional French fare that excels in quality, taste, and presentation. Try the bouillabaisse, the duck confit, one of the many salads, or the traditional steak frites.
More Details
|
Chez Moi
2100 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614 773-871-2100
Description: LINCOLN PARK. Stepping into this easygoing bistro is like visiting a friend's comfortable home in the French countryside. The ambiance is casual, and a laid-back, welcoming nature prevails. Well-prepared food includes soups, salads, poultry, beef, and vegetables. Try succulent roast duck, coq au vin, or steak au poivre for a sampling of the chef's skills.
More Details
|
Cyrano's Farm Kitchen
546 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610 312-467-0546
Description: RIVER NORTH. This restaurant and wine bar is owned and operated by a husband and wife duo, chef Didier Durand and wine authority Jamie Pellar. The bistro is welcoming and comfortable and features live music on weekend nights. The menu is traditional French cuisine with a few innovations for luck. The lunch menu offers speedy service and a fixed price three course meal. House specialties include the rotisserie chicken and several select regional French wines.
More Details
|
Everest
440 S LaSalle St, Chicago Stock Exchange, 40th fl, Chicago, IL 60605 312-663-8920
Description: THE LOOP. Aptly named, this superior French Country restaurant sits 40 stories above Chicago. Reputed chef Jean Joho brings a taste of Alsace to the cuisine, providing it a simple sensuality. A representative entree sandwiches a disc of wild hare between fried potato and a soft quail egg. Other options include roasted chestnut soup, wild mushroom consommé, potato-crusted halibut, and venison filet. The wine list holds its own next to the menu's world-class selections. EL: Brown Line to LaSalle/Van Buren
More Details
|
Hai Yen
1055 W Argyle St, Chicago, IL 60640 773-561-4077
Description: UPTOWN. This restaurant serves Vietnamese cuisine with a few Chinese dishes thrown in for good measure. Choose from a wide selection of poultry, beef, fish, and noodle and rice dishes. Order the crab claws dipped in shrimp paste and served with a zesty sauce, or try the shrimp-topped crepes. A seven-course beef meal is the signature item. The staff is very friendly and eager to please, and the interior is quite pleasant with ochre-colored walls and soft lighting.
More Details
|
Kiki's Bistro
900 N Franklin St, Chicago, IL 60610 312-335-5454
Description: RIVER NORTH. Imagine French countryside combined with state of the art culinary skills. The menu and wine list are contemporary versions of wonderful French classics, including grilled rabbit sausage flavored with garlic and rosemary, escargots, and the soft, buttery, and award-winning brûlées and lemon tarts.
More Details
|
La Sardine
111 N Carpenter St, Chicago, IL 60607 312-421-2800
Description: WEST SIDE. The sister restaurant to the more formal Le Bouchon, La Sardine is a warmer version of classic French cuisine. Dark wood and brass replace crystal and soft color while the open, bustling kitchen beckons with culinary treasures. Choose from rotisserie meats and game, grilled steak with pommes frites (French fries) and leek with bacon tart. Surprisingly affordable.
More Details
|
Le Bouchon
1958 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647 773-862-6600
Description: WEST SIDE. If the ambience doesn't absolutely win you over, the wonderful French food certainly will. Romantic, intimate, and so French. House specialties include succulent versions of onion tart, roast duck for two swimming in a sauce of oranges and Grand Marnier, and grilled steak with house butter. A 3-course prix fixe menu is available for $28. EL: Blue Line to Damen
More Details
|
Le Colonial
937 N Rush St, Chicago, IL 60611 312-255-0088
Description: GOLD COAST. This restaurant combines French and Vietnamese cuisines to glorious effect. Evoking images of French-occupied Saigon, the interior is full of stylish bamboo accents, photographs, banana trees, and rattan furnishings. An upscale crowd turns out for dishes such as seared whole red snapper with chile peppers and garlic, chicken breast in coconut curry, or grilled purée of shrimp with angel hair. You can't go wrong with anything on the lengthy, well-rounded menu, and the wine list offers plenty of French classics. EL: Red line to Chicago/State
More Details
|
Les Nomades
222 E Ontario St, Chicago, IL 60611 312-649-9010
Description: STREETERVILLE. Les Nomades is quintessentially formal and quintessentially French. Quiet, murmuring table conversation, peppered with "mmms" and "aahs," adds to the refined atmosphere. The downstairs dining area is white, crisp and professional, whereas the cozier upstairs venue features wood paneling and a comforting fireplace. Signature dishes include almond-crusted foie gras and roasted monkfish. Civilized dining at its best.
More Details
|
Mon Ami Gabi
2300 N Lincoln Park W, Belden-Stratford Hotel, Chicago, IL 60614 773-348-8886
Description: LINCOLN PARK. Translated literally as "My Friend Gabi," this bistro à la Paris is a delightful find for wonderfully prepared French cuisine. Enjoy scallops dusted with Parmesan and escargot to swoon for! Mon Ami Gabi also gives a new infusion to what French onion soup should be. Of particular interest is the wine cart, which is wheeled by an expert waitperson, and offers tastes and wines by the glass with an explanation of the virtues of which best goes with what.
More Details
|
NoMi
800 N Michigan Ave, Park Hyatt Chicago, 7th floor, Chicago, IL 60610 312-239-4030
Description: MAGNIFICENT MILE. This restaurant offers an impressive view of the city as well as an upscale, elegant environment. Start off with peeky toe crab salad or a scallop tart. Next, order monkfish brochette, wild striped bass, or even the always-enticing veal strip loin. A full bar offers a vast array of wines and liquors. For added glamour, experience the romance of outdoor terrace dining by candlelight when the weather's pleasant.
More Details
|
Pump Room
1301 N State Pkwy, PUBLIC Chicago Hotel, Chicago, IL 60610 312-229-6740
Description: GOLD COAST. The Pump Room is one of this city's legendary restaurants. Dine on fine Limoges china under the sparkle of crystal chandeliers and enjoy the contemporary American cuisine turned out by the Pump Room's award-winning chef.
More Details
|
Technique
361 W Chestnut St, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Chicago, IL 60610 312-873-2032
Description: RIVER NORTH. Technique is the hands-on classroom/restaurant of students at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts of Chicago. As such, it offers great value since guests allow themselves to be a test audience for students-in-learning. No worries, though meals are uniformly well-received by diners. So, give yourself over to the experience and find out just how well students take to their educations with dishes like sautéed striped bass, roasted red potatoes, Thai pork, an asparagus stir-fry, and chilled pear ginger soup. The menu also features a prix fixe lunch that includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert.
More Details
|
Tru
676 St. Clair St, Chicago, IL 60611 312-202-0001
Description: STREETERVILLE. An evening at Tru presents posh dining in elegant, simple surroundings. The bar serves over a dozen varieties of champagne by the glass, perfect for priming the palate. Expect to spend at least two hours at a dinner that constantly elevates your tastes. Three-course tasting menus may include salmon mousse with chilled tomato soup, tender veal with artichokes in a lush Napoleon, and lobster prepared three ways: lobster bisque, lobster mushrooms, and lobster salad. A sommelier is on hand to assist with wine selections, and service is unparalleled.
More Details
|
Yoshi's Café
3257 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60657 773-248-6160
Description: LAKE VIEW. East meets West at this Lake View institution. The menu deftly combines traditional French and Japanese fare. For example, you'll find spring rolls filled with goat cheese and chicken, and shiitake mushrooms liven up leek and brie tarts. The menu includes a nice selection of vegetarian options such as crispy pizza and handmade pastas. The desserts deserve more than just a glance as well. Try the chocolate crème brûlée.
More Details
|
|
