Mouthwatering French in Chicago

Le Colonial Chicago

★★★★☆ 3.9 (1631) • $$$

"Absolutely fantastic! Whether sitting at the terrace section or inside. The service is superb. Professional and friendly staff. Prices are good and portions, too. Flavors are amazing.Make a reservation, this place can get busy.Good location, easy paid parking nearby. Food and drinks are phenomenal. Hostesses were extremely helpful too."

Bistro Campagne

★★★★☆ 4.2 (814) • $$$

"Have been wanting to try out Bistro Campagne for a few months now and was able to finally try it during Chicago Restaurant Week 2024. For the menu it was actually a very well priced deal on CRW. Large amount of food with delicious flavors and high quality ingredients. So much to the point that we took half of our main courses home and they kept very well in the fridge for the next day. Lovely restaurant and cute atmosphere. Felt like we were back in France."

Bistronomic

★★★★☆ 4 (793) • $$

"This was a treat for me during restaurant week. I'd never had escargot before and got to try it here. DELECTABLE! I started with a delicious cup of decaf coffee, and then moved on to the French Spritzer which was delicious! I also had the Mussels Marinieres & Frites, both of which were great. And that Chocolate Hazelnut Bar for dessert was FANTASTIC! The service was perfect and the ambiance was very nice. I enjoyed this decadent meal very much. It was overall, a lovely meal and time with friends."

La Crêperie

★★★★☆ 4 (759) • $$

"My son and I came on quiet Tuesday night. There were only few tables being occupied, as expected for a midweek dinner. The place is small and cozy inside with a lot of French decor. Their service was great. Very friendly staff and our food came out quick.We ended up sharing a their Croque Madame and their La Classique crepe. The Croque Madame was really delicious. It came with toasted ham, Swiss cheese and topped with a perfectly fried egg and served with fries. The Classique Crepe was just as delicious. I've had plenty of crepes before but these were different. Some parts of the crepe were crispy which was definitely something new. You can never go wrong with Nutella and bananas. Overall we kept it simple and quick and they delivered. I was surprised on how full I got just by sharing and wouldn't hesitate returning here to try out some of their other offerings."

Tzuco

★★★★☆ 4.2 (683) • $$$

"My 19 year old made reservations for my bday and we were running more than 10 mins late . We showed up 20 mins later only to be informed our table was given away. We were so disappointed and had my mom and aunt in tow .... My 75 year old aunt got so upset and asked if they could accommodate us and finally the manager came out and got us a high top table with 2 additional seats for 6 people. We squeezed In and ordered a whole bunch of food including the red snapper on the menu. The service was good , the menu lacks chicken dishes and the drinks were meh. I have had better old fashioned. . Lauren the manager came up and checked on us a few times which was good. I hope chef Carlos will increase the poultry options and also improve the drinks . The guava pavlova was superb!! I will be back with my girlfriends"

Maison Parisienne

★★★★☆ 4.4 (290) • $$

"Omg! Heaven in my mouth! Their quiche Loraine is the best I ever had! So fluffy light and delicious! Their vanilla chai latte - to die for!! Almond croissant - warm, flaky, scrumptious!! I'll be back for sure! :)"

Taste of Paris

★★★★☆ 4.3 (301)

"Went here for lunch with a friend. Indoor or outdoor seating available. Large additional room for overflow. Bakery with French desserts available as well as breads. Now let's get to food. We both had the French onion soup. Highly recommend. Baked mini crock, all the trimmings. I went with the savory ham and cheese crepes. (2). It came with choose of salad, which I had, fries or veggie. Dressing is the house Dijon oil/vinegar dressing. Delicious. My friend went with the croque missouire. Total with a drink was $30. I purchased some pastries for my dude. They were a little on the expensive side but homemade."

La Grande Boucherie

★★★★☆ 4.4 (283) • $$$

"The restaurant is beautiful, and the service and food were also excellent. Our waiter was even French, which was a nice touch to the ambiance! We chowed down on the warm bread while we waited for our espresso martinis- super tasty and not too heavy. The steak tartare was a delicious appetizer to share. The Niçoise salad was a nice portion with a lot of fresh ingredients and tasty tuna. The duck was deliciously tender and flavorful. The macaroni au grautin was so tasty and rich, we had to get two orders for the table (smaller in portion though). Everything was delicious, and we also had crème brûlée for the birthday boy - not usually my favorite type of dessert though but this wasn't bad."

Les Nomades

★★★★☆ 4.3 (283)

"Timeless, beloved French townhouse dining that remains a jewel to my husband and I. They have mastered the balance of formality and friendliness.We've dined here a few times now, and have had wonderful experiences each time. Mind you, I do not favor French cuisine (prefer light, eastern Mediterranean food above all), but truly did enjoy my meal here. We have done both the 4-course and 5-course menus. Caviar (not Beluga or Ossetra but a good Sevruga)- 4Escargots (mushrooms, leeks, garlic)- 4.5Foi Grois (premier source of it)- 4 (my husband loved it, but I... less so)Lobster salad- 4.5Soups- 5Rosemary Lamb and Veal medallions- 5!Dover sole and potatoes- 5Duck with lentils- 5! RECOMMENDRib-eye with farro- 5Vanilla creme brûlée with berries- 5!Carrot cake with blueberries- 5!Coffee souffle- 5!Lattes- 4Highly recommend for a special dinner or occasion. Leave the little ones at home. Merci."

Venteux Brasserie, Cafe & Oyster Bar

★★★★☆ 3.7 (363) • $$$

"Happy Hour experience.Escargot, mussels, bread, oysters, and a espresso martini.Friendly service.Good portion size.Food was tasty and reasonably priced for happy hour.Comfy spot off the main strip."

Oceanique

★★★★☆ 3.8 (303) • $$$$

"Haven't been here in MANY years, used to be one of my favorites. It still has the superb quality food as it did before. But the veteran waitstaff that once gave this place its excellence and charm is no longer. At least in our case, as we'd gotten a very young waiter. Though he was professional and adequate, he made no suggestions or offered no feedback as I overheard a waiter at a neighboring table doing. After hearing his descriptions, I wished I had ordered something else, though it was too late. Still, I was quite pleased with my selection.We don't make the kind of money to come to these kind of places as often as I'd like, so it is a rare treat to do so. And when such a visit is within our budget, I don't mind, for example, paying $30 for a silver dollar sized piece of foie gras (because I love it so much). But what I don't appreciate are the surprises at the end, such as a "Restaurant Surcharge" added to the bill. I would rather they build these fees into the price of their food than sticking it to us at the end of our meal so we can make our decisions upfront. For example, if the foie gras was priced at $32, maybe I would have ordered the oysters instead. And although I "had the last laugh" by simply deducting that amount from the tip, it still had a negative effect and took away some charm. Me cheating our waiter by what the restaurant cheated me doesn't make me feel any better or proud.The chef stopped by and chatted with us a bit, and that was really nice. But the whole experience seemed more forced and mechanical than relaxed and delightful as it once was."

Froggy's French Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (258) • $$$

"So disappointed with the food here. First I'll say I made a reservation for a table for 6 to celebrate my husbands birthday. The ambience was nice and we were seated right away but there were so many flies. It was annoying constantly trying to keep them from our food and table. The service was 5 star, our servers were lovely and made my husbands birthday special with a candle in his creme brûlée... now the food...Sadly everyone in our party was disappointed and we ordered a huge mix of menu items. We spent over $650 not including tip. The French onion soup was atrocious, we ordered 2, my friend was disgusted, tasted like sour lemon soup. Both of us didn't finish them and it's our absolute favorite soup to order but definitely NOT here. Awful. I regret not asking the waiter to it off the bill.My husband ordered veal and it was the strangest dish, literally looked like a goulash, couldn't tell what the meat was, awful again.The cheese plate was literally a pear cut into small slices with 5 tiny slices of cheese on it, more pear then cheese. Sadly all our guests were disappointed with the cuisine. Made me feel bad because I made the reservation. Would not come back here. It's a pity because the location and ambiance is great just the food isn't worth it."

Brindille

★★★★☆ 4 (205) • $$$$

"Brindille pronounced "Braun-DEE", translates to "new growth" in French with a woman chef at the helm! We like a woman chef! This spot is exquisite and elegant but also inviting. It's perfect for a romantic dinner or special celebration. It's adorned with black and white art, dark with intimate lighting. The attentive staff ensures a top notch dining experience. We ordered the iced oysters to start things off. The feuillete is an elegant light biscuit stuffed with mushrooms and spinach. It was delightful. The gem salad was fresh and a perfect addition. We finished with the scallops and fries. This is a huge helping of shoe strong fries served with mayonnaise which is superior! Love the story. Loved the restaurant. Loved the food."

Francois Frankie

★★★★☆ 4.2 (133)

"Stopped into Francois Frankie pre theater. Glad to have found a couple seats at the lovely Carousel Bar. The bartenders were hospitable and the drinks were very good. The carousel moves ever so slowly but yes it does move. Really great place to stop for a drink. Can't wait to go back for dinner."

Jilly's Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.6 (163)

"Ida the owner is a very nice lady, who's hands on receiving and going around greeting her customers. She's a fantastic owner and host.Their crème Brûlée is delicious and the wine selection extremely good !!The food is good. Ida is constantly checking for quality control which is outstanding from an owner. This Bistro has a huge potential the menu is very impressive. Perhaps they need to refine a little more the French taste on the bouillabaisse and thé moule but as I always say less is more. The real French cuisine is made of good and fresh ingredients and a simple but exquisite taste that's all."

Convito Cafe & Market

★★★★☆ 3.5 (172) • $$

"Better food than I rembered. Good menu. The pasta with peas and mushrooms in wonderful."

Taureaux Tavern

★★★★☆ 4 (101)

"Taureaux Tavern is a decent restaurant to have a lunch in the south loop. It's located directly behind the Chicago Board of Trade Building. The location is pretty good - around a bunch of office buildings and the CTA. I went here for a business lunch with some coworkers, the service was good and all the workers were friendly and the food was tasty, but I could not believe the prices.For example, it was $30 for a small piece of salmon with spinach and a sauce for a meal, I understand it's the city but that's totally unreal - i could have went to Marianos and got a bigger piece of salmon for $5 and have them cook it for me there! I wouldn't return personally due to the prices, but if you got the money and want a tasty meal, try it out."