Mentioned by Fodor’s Travel
Top Restaurants in Chicago
"A favorite of the late Julia Child and a beloved date spot for a young Barack and Michelle Obama, Le Bouchon has been a sanctuary of sumptuous French fare for a quarter of a century in Chicago. Serving lunch and dinner, the menu is in French and English and includes many of the best traditional dishes: soupe a l'ognion, steak frites, confit de canard and moules frites. Favorites among diners include crisp duck for two, rabbit, escargot, steak frites and bouillabaisse."
"Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Le Bouchon (@bouchonchicago)"
"Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing. Visit Margeaux brasserie and experience classic, French dining at its best. Nestled on the third floor of The Waldorf Astoria Chicago, this restaurant features an exotic menu filled with exquisite food devoted to retaining the classic French vibe while the bar is filled with a dynamic cocktail menu."
"Three floors above the lobby of the swank Waldorf Astoria is restaurateur Michael Mina's ode to 1920s-era Paris. Classic Parisian bistro fare (escargot, steak frites, duck breast) gets a contemporary spin. Foie gras comes as parfait with preserved cherries and cornichons."
"With the look and feel of an authentic Parisian bistro, it’s easy to imagine yourself in the City of Light at Bistrot Zinc. Take a culinary trip overseas with classics like escargot, mussels steamed with white wine, salade Lyonnaise, steak frites, and roasted chicken. On the weekends, start the day off right by cozying up at the zinc-topped bar and ordering sweet or savory crepes for brunch."
"The extra-light macarons served at Pierrot Gourmet can only be described as very moreish. The European-style bakery and cafe found on East Superior Street inside the Peninsula Hotel, which also boasts a terrace eatery, just like theseother great bars and restaurants with rooftops in Chicago. Pierrot Gourmet is home to a range of fabulous baked goods, including macarons, which are said to pair perfectly with a specialty coffee or a glass of wine."
"Fancy and intricate French dishes are always a pleasure but sometimes all you need is a cup of coffee, a croissant, and prime views. This all-day café inside the Peninsula offers a casual setting that’s ripe for people-watching in the heart of downtown. Though the menu includes items like tarte flambée, boeuf bourguignon, and duck cassoulet, the restaurant’s bakery is its biggest standout."
"It’s part of the Chicago Peninsula hotel and offers authentic Parisian vibes. They have both indoor seating as well as an outdoor patio, adorned with flowers, located in a prime people watching spot in the city. It is incredibly charming."
"According to La Boulangerie owner Vincent Colombet, the canelé is in his blood. After all, it's one of the most celebrated traditional sweets of his home region of Bordeaux, where, he says, it's not an everyday staple, but rather a special-occasion treat. Though he believes his background gives his version (which is prepared in his central cooking facility on Elston) an edge over those of his peers, still he finds it challenging to produce an exact replica of the canelé of his youth, largely because the rum commonly used in Bordeaux is difficult to source in his adopted city."
"La Boulangerie found on W Logan Blvd boasts a whole range of baking specialties. There are usually 11 staple macaron flavors on offer, with others coming and going based on the season. Currently, flavors include mint chocolate, dark chocolate hazelnut, lemon poppy seed, raspberry, and lavender chocolate."
"For more than 30 years, Oceanique has presented top-notch French seafood with touches of Asian and Latin flavor. Chef-owner Mark Grosz treats seasonal produce with as much care as ..."
"The Alarmist Brewing taproom, near Albany Park and West Ridge, is different for a reason. The family-owned spot wanted to create a community space where people could come together (which is why you won’t see any TVs in the taproom). It’s also super family-friendly, welcoming kids with snacks and juice boxes."
"Swing buy and shop for some brews, or order online for curbside pickup. Either way you get a top-notch drink!"
"Off Color Brewing has a relatively new tap room called The Mousetrap, located in the trendy Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. The claim to fame here is the madcap offerings that are experimental and inventive. To keep you at the edge of your seat, order the fruity Off Color Apex Predator; the Off Color Barrel Aged Beer for Tacos, a wheat beer with an agave flavor; and the Off Color Tooth and Claw, a lager inspired by the Field Museum’s tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur—Sue."
"Next up is Goose Island's Off Color Brewing, situated at 1460 N. Kingsbury St. With 4.5 stars out of 120 reviews on Yelp, the brewery, beer bar and beer tour spot has proved to be a local favorite."
"A selection of seven cans in the "Beer for" series is seen at Off Color Brewing's Mousetrap taproom. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)"
"Among the 26 different gardens here are the three-island Malott Japanese Garden, the 5-acre Evening Island, and the Grunsfeld Children's…"
"Great service and an excellent environment; Logan square is a nice slice of heaven on earth. The employees and staff are always friendly and attentive, a..."
"The early bird not only gets the worm, it also gets the breakfast deal at Cozy Corner. Stop in between 6 a.m."
"A post shared by elly’s (@ellysbrunchcafe) on Nov 18, 2019 at 5:02pm PST. Do not come here if you don’t plan on ordering the oven-baked pancakes. That’s not to say there’s no other reason to visit—it’s to say you’d have regrets for daaays."