Bistro Campagne
4518 N Lincoln Ave
(between Sunnyside Ave & Wilson Ave)
Chicago, IL 60625 (773) 271-6100
- Nearest Transit:
Western (Brown)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Sun 5:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. - Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
18 reviews
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
"Cafe Bernard never fails to be a place I enjoy. Some places have good nights and bad nights. Cafe Bernard has consistently decent food even…" read more »
78 Reviews for Bistro Campagne
The food here is wonderful. Loved the atmosphere, great service. My fiance had the rabbit and it was cooked perfectly and accompanied by the most amazing sauce, rich and creamy and flavorful. I had the scallops and they were delicious and also perfectly cooked. It was definitely some of the best food I've had in a long time. I would definitely go back to try more of the menu. A must-try for anyone who loves hearty French food and cozy dining experience!
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We have been here a couple of different times for different occasions. We took my parents here for dinner one evening and had an enjoyable time. I have had the steak tartar each time I have been there and it is very good. I wish they would add a little Dijon mustard like La Tache but I would hardly complain. I have had the steak frites each time (I am a creature of habit).
Even though I did not each them, I have tasted the escargot, casoule, and the rabbit. My partner had a special appetizer which included some form of pig feet wrapped in cabbage. I did not try it but he said it was very good.
Great place for an enjoyable dinner. Although not ideal, the earlier you go the quieter and more attention you will get.
The food here was outstanding. And as French restaurants go in this city, this is one of the best values by far. It's also one of the quaintest restaurants in the city - highly recommend for an intimate date.
This is now my favorite Chicago restaurant. I went there for dinner on Friday night. We started out with mussels steamed in Belgian ale. I'm slightly allergic to shellfish and happily ate them anyway. They were the absolute best mussels I have ever had without a doubt. I took a Benadryl as soon as we left to minimize the reaction...
The two entrees that we had for dinner were the Steak Frites and Scallops with pea puree, pork belly and an orange honey glaze. The decisions we made were solid though there were easily 4 or 5 more entrees that we wanted.
Dessert was creme brulee and a chocolate souffle. I'm not much of a chocolate fan, but did enjoy the richness of the souffle. The creme brulee was amazing...it was probably the largest orders of creme brulee that I've ever had...and one of the best. I finished it all.
The wine list was lovely. The ambience was perfect. For a French restaurant, the price wasn't bad.
I just found out they have brunch...I will be there very soon.
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There are some seriously good bistros and brasseries in Chicago, and this is one of them. The service is very friendly and accomodating, and the food is outstanding. I've had a variety of things--salads, soup, fish (which is especially good), and meat--and I've never been disappointed. You can have a great night here inside the restaurant, but if you can get a table outside it makes for a truly special experience. It's quiet and beautiful out there, and they space the tables far enough apart that you feel a little privacy.
This past Saturday night, we called ahead to get an 8PM reservation with only a couple hours notice. They were nice enough to let us wait for an outdoor table when we got there instead of taking the one they'd reserved for us. They told us it would be an hour's wait... we were seated after 35 minutes. They let us sit on a little garden bench outside and served us a glass of wine while we waited. They kept checking in on us to give us updates on the table, and what's more, actually apologized for the wait. That's the kind of service that really makes you feel cared about.
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After reading many of the reviews, I'm inclined to think that we were somehow at a different restaurant - because our experience was, from beginning to end, simply dreadful. I really wanted to like this place - since we had noticed it on several occasions when we were driving by and noted that it looked charming and cozy. Our party ordered a variety of dishes - including steak and chicken (which we were told was their 'specialty).' The steak was so tough, it was inedible - and the chicken was so fatty and rubbery, I just gave up after having been forced to discreetly spit out several mouthfuls. We had no particular expectations - but this was just bad food by anyone's standards. I might have considered that they were just having an 'off night' - but when everyone at your table complains about their food, something's terribly wrong. To make matters worse, our server didn't take the uneaten entrees off of our bill - despite our obvious displeasure. It was a very costly lesson that we definitely won't repeat. It's a shame because it's a lovely place - inside and out. If you're thinking of trying this place, it sounds like brunch might be a safer - and cheaper option.
Venturing into this restaurant is like venturing into another country. It's much bigger than the outside lets on, and it's very cozy.
My sweet boyfriend made reservations for us here last Saturday night to surprise me, as I always talk about wanting to go to the darling place on Lincoln with the twinkling lights. Unfortunately, they do not let you make reservations for the patio, so we had to wait. However, the lovely hostess offered to seat us as a cozy bench outside and enjoy a cocktail while we waited. It was perfect!
And the food? Wow. That's all I can say. Rich, delectable french food, for sure. We started with the chilled potato soup and a light salad...ended up ordering seconds on the soup because one just wasn't enough! I had the steak frittes: the meat was juicy and tender, prepared perfectly to my desired temperature. My boyfriend had the macaroni and cheese. We were in rich-food heaven. Also, the warm bread wrapped in wax paper is a very nice touch to begin the meal.
The service was delightful. We weren't particularly crazy about our server (he was a little too much "hey, I wanna look like the 'I'm an out of work actor, but I'm gonna be a cool-man server while I audition' and was just a little too casual for my tastes for such a lovely restaurant)...but the bus boys and hosts were truly lovely. Courteous, accommodating, and very efficient.
We opted out of desserts as we had other ideas for our date night, but this place was truly lovely. Perfect for a romantic date (such as ours), a family event, a girls' night (all tables we saw fitting those descriptions)..and the patio area is truly out of this world...or at least out of this continent.
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Brunch is open and it doesn't get much better. Sunday I had the scrambled chive eggs with roasted rabbit, ramps and fingerling potatoes in the most delicious sauce ever! It was all I've ever wanted and more from brunch. The bloody mary was quite delicious too. Unfortunately it rained earlier that morning so we couldn't enjoy the outdoor seating. No worries- I'll be back again....and again...
Typically I try my best to avoid anything and everything French except for French fries from McDonalds, but I cannot deny Bistro Campagne the 5 stars that it is worth. I've never been to France except for a layover at the airport in Paris; however, I would imagine the atmosphere is similar to that of an authentic French bistro: quaint, a little cramped. Our server was actually French (I knew the moment she said "merci" to me) and quite knowledgeable. I asked her to recommend something and her choice, the lamb, was phenomenal. Gracias. I started with the goat cheese salad and ended with the creme brulee. Everything was divine. I will definitely go back. Seems to be a great date place.
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This restaurant was super cute and intimate. The waitstaff was friendly (though slow, as other reviewers can attest to) and the restaurant was buzzing with people, which was surprising for a Wednesday night! Food overall was above average -- easily four stars!
Appetizer: Tried the scampi appetizer. Pretty tasty, but not memorable
Scallops entree: Portion size was pretty small for this dish, but the scallops were absolutely divine. They were cooked to perfection, just lightly crisped and with the right amount of butter. Mm..
Fish (trout) entree: My friend tried this dish and it was pretty good, though not memorable. Maybe I just don't remember it because it was overshadowed by the scallops dish
Mixed vegetables side dish: Pretty random mixed vegetables of pearl onions and other indistinguishable items. It was overly sweet because of the pearls, but I guess that's a personal preference.
Souffle dessert - standard souffle; nothing outstanding
Wine: Tried the cabernet blend, which was pretty good. They didn't have a very wide selection though, and the waitstaff seemed to know very little about the different wines.
Overall verdict: would definitely come again!
Great value in French dining with an American twist. The French Onion soup is some of the best I've had, skip the steak tartar, mushrom chicken is very unique and also excellent. the Lamb is phenomenal - very lean with unique flavor.
this meal ended with me ordering not one, but two desserts. not for ze sharings, either.
we ate lots here. ze pate, ze goat cheese salad, ze steaky steak, ze trouty trout, ze ducky duck, etc etc etc etc etc.
i drank ze wine and ze baileys. i devoured ze put du chocolate and ze creme brulee.
we did our sits outside and it was le romance.
fantastiQUE.
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The place looked great, with great woodwork throughout. We were lucky to have scored a table by the big window looking out to the courtyard. The Host was very friendly.
The place also gets high marks for using organic and local sustainable produce for their dishes.
I did feel rushed by the waitress. I had the tallgrass steak and frites and my wife ordered the rabbit loin which was highly recommended and suggested by the waitress..... Cept, when the entrees came, my steak and frites smelled and tasted great, but a vegetable ravioli was presented to my wife??? (which sucked cause we paired our wine for red meat and game)
Yes, the waitress messed up our order even though she was the one that recommended the rabbit. Our entrees also came while we were still working on our appetizers. My wife had the onion soup and I had the soft boiled egg with grilled asparagus.
We were also disappointed that they advertised a "souffle" but it wasn't a classical souffle. Instead, it was a basically a molten lava cake. We ended up ordering the bread pudding with the carmel glaze. (which was really good)
Average dinner tab per person was $65, (wine, appetizer, entree and a split dessert)
I would probably give the place another chance hoping that the waitstaff mishaps were an one time occurance.
I love the atmosphere at this place. It's a nice cozy place in the winter. In the summer try and get a table outside. Somehow you don't hear all the hustle and bustle of Lincoln Ave and you feel like you could be dining in a friend's backyard. Granted, none of my friends have a wait staff and Chef, but if they did...
The food isn't out of this world, but it is good and they have a nice beer and wine selection. But don't expect to order a Miller here. I believe all their beers are imports mainly from Belgium. I could be wrong about that though. Maybe I just order the imports from Belgium. Hmmmm.
I've never had a bad service experience, on the contrary they have always been very nice.
DO make reservations, it does get crowded. If you want to go, but can't get in for dinner, I would suggest going late for dessert only and sitting outside.
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My wife and I celebrated our anniversary with a meal at BC.
We made the reservation late, so we got a 6:30 seating. It was interesting that the other early diners were all packed into a small side room with us. I don't know if that was on purpose or not (while it did make the place feel more "full" the baby was a distraction).
I won't deduct points for that because frankly it would be a disservice to the food and our server.
Our meal was off the winter menu, so I won't bother with details. The food we ate won't be available for another 9 months most likely. I will say that the flavors were amazing. Both of us have spent some time in France, and the result of this meal would best be described as culinary nostalgia.
Our server guided us well and was attentive throughout the meal. Which says something, since by the time we left the restaurant was completely packed.
I only wish we could eat meals like that every day. Alas, the prices make that impossible. However if you want to give yourself a nice treat this is a great neighborhood spot. We will definitely be back to sample their spring/summer menu and sit out on the patio.
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We had our second visit to Bistro Campagne this Sunday. First off, the restaurant is extremely cute- I think the building used to be a sweet little arts & crafts house. But, as other reviewers have said, some tables are better than others, and if it's just two of you, you might end up at an awkward spot.
I've always had friendly service there, and although our waiter seemed rushed and a little distracted, he was friendly and made good recommendation. We had the Salt Cod appetizer with some really nice white wine, and my boyfriend had the Roast chicken with Mushroom Ragout (awesome, awesome, awesome) and I had the Pork Chop with onion jelly and green garlic (very good). We split the Pot de Creme for dessert. I'm drooling a little thinking about it.
This is definitely in the Fancy Celebratory Meal price range for us, but I feel like it's a good deal for the deliciousness and organicness.
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My favorite bistron in the city. Love the food, love the pation, love that neighborhood. I never ever order chicken when I go out, but for some reason gave their chicken a try and I was in heaven!
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I will preface this review with that I was a tad intoxicated when I was there and I definitely need to go back sober. The BF and I had some good friends visiting us and we had a few too many pre-game glasses of wine at home. I will say the service was spectacular and my food really good. As for the ambience that is all a little blurry, but I do want to go back and eat in their outdoor garden...that looks tre magnifique!
Nice looking place, dependable food although nothing out of this world. I will say that the escargot appetizer was very tasty.
I have to agree with a previous reviewer that the critical issue was the rude service. When we arrived, the hostess was incredibly friendly. However, our waitress was extremely rude and inattentive. We felt rushed and as if she was doing us a favor by speaking to us. We ordered Champagne which she did a lousy job of opening (Loud pop when she opened the cork) and a lousy job of pouring (tilting the glass and ruining the mousse). Sorry, I'm a bit of a champagne aficionado so I'm being a bit a of a snob here, but I would have expected better from a French restaurant.
I may give it another chance this summer since the outdoor patio did look inviting...
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It's a very charming bistro with a very cute outdoor seating area.
My scallops were done perfect. They were really delicious. The waitress told us the chicken was the best she had ever tasted. It was a bit too salty. Another friend ordered lamb and it was tender. Overall the food portions were generous. The staffs were friendly. We all had a good time.
This lovely bistro is in the heart of Lincoln Square. Its outdoor patio looks like a wonderful spot for a meal, but thanks to the very windy conditions one Friday evening we were more than happy with our dinner served within one of the cozy and colorful interiors. The only swirling involved was in the colorful murals and mosaics that are more reminiscent of Barcelona than Chicago, or France for that matter. We started off with the flavorful French onion soup. The menu looked loaded with good entree choices, and the tallgrass steak frites and the lapin (rabbit!) did not disappoint at all. Served with potato gnocchi and pearl onions in savory gravy, I'd say that was the most delicious rabbit dish I have ever enjoyed. Hopefully this was not one of the many rabbits I have seen run wild along the side streets of Lincoln Square! The entire staff was very pleasant and demonstrated efficient service throughout our delicious dinner.
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I'll admit right off that I'm a huge Francophile. The art, language, FOOD...I love it all. As such, I've been to my fair share of French restaurants and I must say I LOVE Bistro Campagne.
First, the location is excellent, close to the Brown Line and in a vice nice neighborhood. The building BC is in is very unique, lots of medium brown wood, big windows, with a nice "cottage" addition and garden terrace off to the side. The overall effect is as if you've been transported from a busy urban area to a cozy bistro in a good-sized French town. As has been mentioned by others, seating can sometimes be a squeeze but, if you make a reservation and request a certain table (my wife and I always get the 2-top in the bay window of the "cottage" for our anniversary dinners here), you are almost guaranteed to get it.
The staff are wonderful, always very pleasant and willing to describe dishes for you and make recommendations that (I've found) are spot-on perfect. I've found the staff in other French restaurants to sometimes be very pretentious and patronizing if you sometimes screw up the french pronounciation of a dish - not here.
The food is simply delicious. The nicest part is that most of the ingredients are organic and (if possible) locally-sourced. The steak frites are always good and available, even though the menu changes with the seasons. The wines are (overall) very good (we've only ordered one bottle we didn't like) and their selection of beers is perfect compliment to the cuisine.
I will say though that the price is a bit high and, as such, I don't go as often as I'd like. But, if you want to splurge or if you have a romantic date, you can't go wrong with BC.
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Food is ok. Nothing mind blowing. I've been to France and visited several places there and have eaten many wonderful dishes there. Granted the food at Bistro Campagne is good, it's just not that extraordinary. The reason I give this place only two stars is that the service is spotty. The staff were incredibly rude and pretentious from the first moment I've made contact with them: starting from making the reservation to the actual dining experience. Maybe it's just not my day, but my party felt ignored and hurried. What the heck? We spent a lot of money to dine there, so we expected quality to be met. Not returning at all.
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We had the nicest dinner here - it was still warm enough to sit outside in the garden. I love almost any place where I can eat outdoors.
The food was very good but they need help in the dessert department.
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Food is amazing - although fairly rich with butter as most French food can be. Everything from apps to dessert were done well.
Wine menu was the right amount and a great selection. The glasses they serve are limited to only a few varieties but the couple reds we tried were both very good.
Service was wonderful but I want to go back and see if there is problem as some people mentioned.
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Food was mediocre. Staff was too busy to give good service. I felt claustraphobic dining in what seemed like a hallway near the bathroom. We had seen this place on Check Please, but it wasn't anything like we had hoped. Could have been an off day for the place.
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I can't say enough good things about this place! I love the fact that it's organic and I love the fact that it's beautiful inside and I love love love the food. My boyfriend and I have been there a quite few times and received excellent service every single time. We had it reserved as our "special occasion celebration place", but we ended up finding reasons to celebrate even the most minute things (i.e. yay, the dog didn't chew up the couch pillows this time, etc.) just to go to Bistro Campagne that we just decided to stop the charade and have it as one of our favorite restaurants to frequently go to.
It's really nice to go to a place that takes you out of the urban feel of things. There's so much dark wood inside the restaurant that creates the feels warm and cozy environment. I haven't been in the summer, but there's an adjacent garden that looks like it's going to be beautiful.
The food here is so fresh and it makes me feel a whole lot better knowing it's organic. The prices are really reasonable, for being organic, too. I had the bistro burger with aged cheddar (YUM!) and realized that I had totally forgotten what an actual burger is supposed to taste like--it was so flavorful and actually tasted like beef. Everything is a win-win here. On previous visits, I have had most of the appetizers--the snails in garlic butter, the steamed mussels and their cauliflower soup. All of the above are to die for--especially the califlower soup. I'm so happy someone in Chicago makes it and makes it so well! The entrees I have gotten before have been the calves liver with bacon and the cassoulet, which is perfect for any cold night. Every single item on the dessert menu is decadent and utterly perfect. I have a hard time picking one when I'm there, so I usually have to convince the boyfriend that he needs to get one so that I can secretly plot to eat his, too.
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Oh, Lordy Lordy!!! If you like authentic, delicious french food in a cozy locale, look no further. My husband and I had a wonderful meal here last week. I had the roast chicken with a wild mushroom ragout and THINLY fried onions piled on top (they were like eating candy!). My husband had the rabbit, and he said he never had rabbit that delicious. We have tried (since Rudi's closed on Ashland) to find a neighborhood cozy french place with outstanding food, and the places other people have recommended just never measured up. This place blew our old favorite, Rudi's, out of the water. And my husband LOVED the escargot. My only complaint is that it got pretty loud in there at one point, but otherwise, a really great place to go. It looks like there is a courtyard garden where they serve dinner in the summer which we will definitely go back and do. It looks like it would be very romantic out there.
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Against my better judgment, I am doling out a 5 star review here. Despite the less than stellar service...(abrupt, no eye contact, no recommendatioins, very curt).
However, it was my birthday. I was happy. We had a bottle of white wine, a delish heirloom tomatoe appetizer...the world made sense. My man was lookin' good...the air had a warm life to it. We were dining in the my beautiful city. So, they get 5 stars.
Our meals were lovely. Absolutely. I had the roasted sea bass, he had the lamb...well presented and prepared, perfectly portioned.
Oh, and the dessert! If I choose to cheat, it best be worth it...and this WAS. Pot de Creme and Chocolate souffle, I could've bathed in the stuff. It was practically heaven in small, chocolate form. MMM. so good. The souffle is a MUST. Divine.
Mid range prices, very cozy. Lovely for a date. I will go back :)
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I don't have to get into details on this one. It's my favorite restaurant in the city. Please, Please, Please tighten up the service. I come here all the time and sometimes there are some gaffes in the service but not enough to overshadow the amazing food. Bartender is great.
Three words: GET THE CHICKEN!
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I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE BISTRO CAMPAGNE this is my favorite restaurant. This is a must for any vast pallet!!!
EXTREMELY disappointing. I had called to make a reservation for a birthday for a Wednesday evening and was told there was no need, just come. When I arrived at the restaurant, I was told that it was full and I would not be able to get a table that evening.
I'm not sure if this restaurant does not need more business, but I will not be sending any their way, as it was extremely disheartening to be told one thing and arrive to find out that it was not the case.
Went here for my graduation dinner and had a great experience. The service was excellent, and everyone was knowledgeable. At one point a cup of espresso was knocked over and wiped up and refilled in under two minutes. Both appetizers we had were amazing (the onion strudel and the Camembert). Entrees and desserts also had wonderful flavor. Want to come back here again in the summer when the patio opens back up.
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All I have to say is this place lived up to all the great reviews on here!
Our waitress was super friendly and nice and gave great wine recommendations. She came to check on us often and made sure everything was just as we ordered. We got steak tartare for an appetizer and it was fabulous! I would even venture to say that the stuff I had in Paris was not even close second to this delicious concoction. The entrees were great too and the creme brulee was amazing!
It was a little chilly when I went there, but in the summer the patio looks so cute. Every time I walk past this place I feel like I'm back in Paris!
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Went on a Saturday night at seemingly the busiest time of the night. Had a reservation with a large group and we arrived a little early -- they sat us right away and from there on everything went swimmingly. As we were lead through multiple small rooms to the former (now enclosed) patio, I felt more and more snug.
Most people had cocktails, but I started from their fine beer list. Then we shared an order of mussels cooked in nearly the same Belgian Beer I was drinking; the mussels and the sauce they were cooked was delicious. Our meals came fairly soon after and there were a variety of meals had. People enjoyed the Steak Frites, the sole, a lobster special and my favorite and my own dish venison. It was divine.
The service was pretty good. It was a busy night, but our waitress was attentive and knowledgeable. I will absolutely return here.
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Love this organic eatery! My husband loves the steak here with the pommes frites and I seem to always get the fish entrees. The ambiance is warm and the staff is friendly and always knowledgeable about the menu. Highly recommend this great little spot in Lincoln Square!
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Went here last night and LOVED it! The atmosphere is very cozy, you feel like you're eating in someone's house with different dinner parties happening in the various nooks and crannies. The onion strudel appetizer is incredible. Do not miss that one! We ordered the Salmon and the Steak Frite and were thrilled with both. This was a great place to come on a date and I highly recommend it to all!
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Went last night fairly late (8:30) after running around trying to get into a different restaurant with a 1.5 hour wait (really, though--can't places consider reservations?). Found that the Bistro place was wonderful and it made up for the bad experience at the other place.
The decor was welcoming and lovely--if it were a house, I might want to move in.
The staff was wonderful and the food was fantastic. All of that hot, crusty french bread that keeps coming to the table was yummy (the butter melts right into it!)
I had a fantastic glass of pinot noir and my friend had a Vouvray that he liked. The seared salmon with lentils was delicious and the beef bourguignon that I had was more buttery and less thick than I would have liked, but it wasn't bad. I plan to come back here again in the Spring to check out the lovely garden.
Meanwhile, perfect date spot--we saw at least four "date" tables that looked happy.
What a great spot! It feels like you are in an old home. It is the perfect place for a quiet night.
Wonderful food with a great Belgian Beer list. Holds up to the big name resteraunts in the city. A must try. Great Ambiance. My favorite place in the city. The roasted chicken was recently voted one of the top 100 dished in the city by Chicago magazine. Has a romantic alfresco dining area in summer time. It doesn't get much better than this.
