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Chicago (Red)
Mon-Sun. 6:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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Certainly a nice, upscale restaurant with all things French (even the waiters). The food was great (not necessarily stellar) with the very artsy-fancy presentation that is expected of such a place. The service was elegant and adequately attentive. Located within the Sofitel, it's got that chic-modern ambiance with a touch of old-world elegance. A nice place to impress a date (though, quite frankly, there are better, tastier options in the area).
There are no restrooms within the restaurant -- you have to walk across the hotel lobby and take the elevator to the 2nd flr. Nice bathrooms. After all - this is a classy hotel.
Went here for dinner on a rainy Sunday evening with a friend.
Nice interior. Plenty of waitstaff to serve your every need.
I wish I could give 3.5 but given a choice between 3 and 4, I chose 3. I'll say this: food was between okay and good. Waitstaff were wonderful, attentive, sweet--being French and having accents I think helps. There is definitely attention to detail--serving pretty food with grace is how I'd describe it.
I got the prix fixe they do for dinner on Sundays thru Tuesdays. All for about $30 a person, but don't quote me on that. My meal consisted of creamy cauliflower soup, walleye pike (from website, pike includes: manila clams, flageolet beans, basil puree) for entree, and crispy praline something or other for dessert.
The soup was smooth, a bit bland, but improved slightly with the buttery brioche. The pike was perfectly cooked and beautifully presented, but the manila clams tasted like tiny little flavorless mussels. The basil puree didn't have much punch either. If I cooked the entree at home I'd be kind of impressed with myself, but at a restaurant, I want to be wowed.
Dessert was a bit of a disappointment, but as part of the meal package I guess it was what I paid for. It kind of just tasted like your basic piece of Belgian chocolate...on a large plate and presented with a dusting of cocoa. It looked pretty but tasted average.
So looks, presentation and service get all the stars. Taste-wise, the dishes mentioned will not get a repeat performance.
So - after talking with Pascale (owner of the famous Bonjour Cafe in Hyde Park, possible future employer of your servitor and in the know of all the French places in the city) I learned that even though their croissants are wonderful (and they are - believe me) they are not made there but imported from France frozen and baked on the spot..........
Not quite as impressive then but still pretty damn good!
Late, lazy wake up at 10:20.
A quick shower and ready for breakfast 32 floors below.
First glance: the…
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This is a great restaurant with amazing food and great service. It has a very chique atmosphere and its location is perfect. So these are all the attributes that you need on a good restaurant, right? You really get them all here.
I had the prix fixe menu and started with a Cauliflower cream (to die for, super delicate and tasty) and then a Filet Mignon. The best part though was the cheese selection that my husband ordered (enough to share for sure). And to crown the night we had a chocolate soufflé.
This is a must go place for special occasions. And for all you get, it's a good value.
If you want fancy, French, full of White people and overpriced - you've got it right here. 4 stars because what do you expect from a French restaurant? Also the service was nice, especially since I'm dressed in my "relaxe" pants, not fancy and White, and ordered to go.
It's currently thunderstorming so I'm stuck at the Sofitel with nothing but room service or this restaurant. Ordered the veal and am 100% happy with the quality of the meat. Yum, but expect tiny portions.
I came here during restaurant week because lets face it, in this economy....
But I digress, Our waiter was great! He was albanian and had little side stories to tell us that were funny. He also recommended a few of the best things off the menu.
My appetizer was the duck confit... it was delicious and pretty big for an appetizer at a swanky downtown restaurant. This is also coming from a person who doesn't like duck. I kind of want some now.
Entree: I ordered the steak medium. and i will order steak medium for the rest of my life because it was darn good.
Dessert: Now this is where it gets really good. The pistachio dome... it sounds weird but this dessert will get me to commit murder. I would kill for another slice. so so good!
Also, the waiter stated that the chef enjoyed doing the menu so much that they have EXTENDED restaurant week for another week! Until March 7th! If you go, invite me!
It took restaurant week and good company to finally get me to Cafe Des Architectes and I'm glad for it. I liked what I saw on the prix fixe menu and gave it a go.
The service was excellent as the waiter was very friendly and outgoing. He also filled in the blanks when we needed some sound advice which worked out well. It's amazing how sometimes you don't get good service at the more pricier places but not so this night. This guy was in top form!
My choices for the evening were: The Swan Creek Farm Pork Belly, Gnocchi and the Floating Island. The pork belly was very nice and a good start. The Gnocchi was excellent and I loved how flavors from the dish combined real well. The dessert was my least favorite as I decided I like dense desserts compared to this very light dish.
I did also love the layout of the restaurant after I got over how small the place was. It was decorated with a very nice, modern and clean look. Coat check and free valet parking was a nice bonus.
If I had a knock, I'd say that the portion size is a little underwhelming considering the prices they charge. For the time being, I'm just going to assume that they may have skimped a little because of the special menu that week. Either way, the food tasted great and the service was top notch.
Their all-at-once lunch special is interesting. Not good, just interesting.
Ah ha, there is a way to try the cooking of hot, hot, hot celebrity chef Martial Noguier (recently of one sixtyblue) without paying their high dinner prices. They call it a "30 minute executive lunch." Four courses are served at once, on four small plates presented together on a large plate. Sounds like a great way to try Cafe des Architectes.
I had a great selection presented to me: a cauliflower soup with parmesan and white truffle oil; their grilled octopus salad with celery root remoulade, Dijon mustard, and lemon vinaigrette; grilled salmon; and a praline crunch hazelnut nougatine dessert.
The highlight was the octopus salad. It was terrific, with awesome flavors and tartness. I'm not a salad person, but I loved it. The rest was ok, but nothing special. And having it all brought at once was NOT enjoyable. By rushing, which was not my objective in coming to Cafe des Architectes, I hoped to get through my soup and salad before my salmon went cold. Not possible! So I had not warm/not cold salmon for my entree (perfectly prepared, by the way). All the while I'm turning and reorienting my plate so that I can avoid dipping my knife in the praline dessert while trying to cut the octopus, while trying to keep each small serving's sauce from dripping onto the other plates.
So the summary on the food - bummer. Nice size portions, excellent presentation, but the all-at-once concept is no good and 3 out of 4 dishes were unremarkable. If you want lunch in 30 minutes, go to a fast food place. Nice restaurants are for conversation, catching your breathe between courses, and enjoying better food than this, especially when it's from a great chef.
The decor - very odd. The space is small with contemporary furnishings. But one row of booths and chairs is red and black, another is purple, another is all black. All with different styles of furniture. Did they furnish this from a restaurant supply house auction? It just doesn't work.
Service is excellent. With plenty of empty tables, the waiter could have relaxed in the back room and still provided adequate service. But he came by constantly, checking on everything, providing perfect service.
Disappointing. With their decor, I doubt I even come back for another try. It's just not special enough to rate four or five stars.
Two words for you: Pork belly. Like Pork Belly? Keep reading.
Like many recent reviewers I was here for restaurant week. Vanessa was kind enough to plan a Monday night dinner for us. I had been here once for an employee holiday party and of course, for drinkies in the bar.
While I realize this is not a review of the hotel lobby it is super sexy and sleek.
Restaurant itself: we were greeted warmly & seated once our entire party arrived. Took our coats and seated us. Service itself was impeccable. Warm rolls brought to the table. Our server? Lovely, just lovely. Attentive and informative without being obtrusive.
I ordered the following:
*Swan Creek Farm Pork Belly- Nichol's Jerusalem artichokes / hedgehog mushrooms / white truffle oil
Now I am well aware people are CONSTANTLY describing things as "melting in my mouth" I am, right here, right now calling BULLSHIT on every one of those persons. Unless of course they are describing the Swan Creek Farm Pork Belly at Cafe Des Architectes. Otherwise, they are bold - faced liars. And you should also let them know they are fibbers. This dish was perfect in every aspect. The flavors melted together perfectly. I was mildly embarrassed that I wanted to lick the plate clean. Just mildly.
*Duo of Beef- Hanger steak and braised short ribs / shallot purée / watercress salad
Here is where things somehow managed to get even better. The steak & short ribs were perfect compliments of each other. Shallots and watercress an lovely contrast to the duo. See above "melt in your mouth" comment.
*Floating Island- Steamed meringue / crème anglaise / caramelized almonds
As I have often said in the past I am hardly a dessert enthusiast. I'm typically over the moon when there is a non-chocolate dessert available. This dessert was the best combo of my favorite dessert: non-chocolate and sweet. Add in the almonds and it was ideal.
The entire meal was ideal.
Shoot. Why do I keep ordering the wrong things lately? And I know they are the wrong things because other folks at my table are "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing. I should know better than to order a pasta for an entree...even if it is a delicious-sounding squash gnocchi...pasta is ALWAYS served in a small portion it seems. - and all I really want is meat.
This was a restaurant week visit. I have never had so many different waiter-men coming to my table. Our drinks didn't come out until after we had finished our appetizers, which I think is pretty awful since the purpose of my wine flight was to drink a glass with each dish. But the drinks were taken off our bill - so that was very generous:) p.s. the rosemary cocktail was outstanding; order it. My pork belly was very good, very fatty, but I like it that way. Gnocchi needed salt, but it was extra pillow-y. I had a taste of the whitefish entree - excellent! and a big chunk to boot. drat.
My dessert was very good.. chocolate pistachio dome. Yes, "dome." It had this delicious cherry-foam. Yum, though bigger than my entree. Oh well, we went to Pippins afterwards to grab a drink and I ate lots of pretzels. I am not sure if I would go back. No, actually I won't... but I just moved here and there are so many places to eat.
I went here with some friends during restaurant week. There is pretty cool atmosphere. If you want to go out for a nice, expensive French meal with a real modern flair and atmosphere that is more trendy than stuffy, then this is a good choice. We all got different stuff and tasted everything and it was all very good. We also got wine flights, which was fun.
I won't be rushing back, but that's because I don't often go to expensive, fancy places. But it was worth seeing and I am glad we went.
I love this place so much. It was delicious. I would take my family there. It's rather quiet even if tres chic and modern. I think it was missing some ambiance, but the service was awesome & the food beautifully presented. I think it would be a romantic place to take someone to. This restaurant is definitely, not a party scene, a bit more serene than that. It is an interesting gastronomic experience though!
Sleek, pricey, elegant but relaxed, excellent gracious service and very good food. Brunch was delightful with a giant basket of croissants, brioche, and other delectables to compliment the wonderful gruyere and spinach omelette I struggled to select from the appealing choices on the menu. My dining companion had the eggs benedict, served with fingerling potatoes and a grilled tomato. My coffee came in a giant press and was excellent as well.
This is a classy and mellow place to have a $$ romantic brunch.
I came to Cafe des Architectes for a NYE dinner with family and friends. I have only eaten a French meal one other time, so I wanted to visit more restaurants.I went to grad school at Loyola down the street, so I would pass this place all the time. It always looked modern and swanky, so I was excited to see what it had to offer.
The hotel is beautiful and the restaurant was impeccably presented with great lighting, a beautiful tablescape and great overall ambiance.
Food:
There was a prix-fix e menu with 5 courses and an a la carte option. The prix-fixe was $85, but my sample wine-flight (5 options of 3 reds, whites, or champagne) with appetizer, entree and dessert off the a la carte menu, were cumulatively cheapter than that .
The food however was pretty succulent, no complaints here ;-) I had the Mushroom veloute soup which was divine! The rack of lamp was delicious, but this chef interpreted medium well more pink than I'm used to. I finished with the Chocolate Pistachio Dome. The meal was very very rich but I love savory food so no disappointments. I sampled food off the prix-fixe menu my sis ate, there were items on that menu that weren't available a la carte, the short ribs with foie gras was exquisite!
Service:
The service is what downgrades my 5 star review to 4 stars because it was problematic. We spent over 3 hours here, with a 2:1 ratio of waiting for our food vs. eating. We ran through two bread baskets (had to refuse the 3rd, we wanted our food!) and the chef sent out a beet salad with goat cheese to apologize for the wait. For spending this kind of money, I expect the service to be on par with the food, which it was not here.
Overall: Definitely great food, ambiance and location. The hotel service is top notch, you can valet your car for free if you're eating dinner (unheard of downtown) and the bathrooms are very cute. Definitely worth a trip if you can devote time to savoring your company and meal.
Absolutely gorgeous space. I took my boyfriend here during Restaurant Week. It would have been a perfect romantic night out had the guy who was sat next to us talked loudly into his cellphone about business 90% of the time. The service was perfect. I loved our waiter, the bus boy, and the hostess. Our waiter suggested wine pairings for our meals and they were lovely. I love that there are cards with the descriptions of each wine in the order they are presented to you.
Since it was RW, I wonder if the portions were smaller than usual. My duck confit appetizer was plentiful and the chicken dish was so succulent and large. However, my boo's order [both app & entree] were wee. I went away totally full, but I do believe he snacked after we got home.
The pistachio dome dessert is now on my top desserts of all time list. I never would have picked it on my own, but I trust server's opinions and I took ours and I am so glad I did. I would definitely come back here, if only for the dessert. Even with the deal, I dropped a fair amount of cash. My boo is so worth it though.
I went here on a thursday evening and the place was completely empty.
Yes, it was a thursday but it was still dinner time for goodness sake.
The interior design was chiq and modern, only if the food was such as well.
I went with the prix fixe menu.
I had scallops for appetizer.
The presentation was decent, the scallops were seared perfectly and the sauce wasn't overwhelming.
If only there was more than ONE scallop.
I feel like this was an in-between restaurant's attempt to seem like fine dining, but it just came across as annoying.
Had the beef tenderloin as an entree.
This portion was just fine, too bad it was unbelievably salty.
It tasted like something from a high school dining hall.
Had the ginger souffle for dessert, which was pleasant.
It tasted of authentic, real ginger but wasn't overwhelming.
Being in the price range between casual and fine dining does not give you the right to have your food have an identity crisis between low and high quality.
There are plenty of restaurants in this area that give you a better money's worth.
I finally got a chance to eat here last Saturday when some of my friends took me out for a bday brunch! First off, the menu is great, including everything from egg white omelettes and crepes to sandwiches and salads. While the food is certainly not cheap, the kicker is the FREE bakery basket, fresh fruit juices, tea, and coffee. I had one of the chocolate croissants which was so flaky and delicious.
I decided to splurge a bit and ordered the denny's equivalent to the grand slam... the brunch sampler to be exact! In addition to all the free goodies above, first up was a trio of exotic fruit shooter drinks which were so amazing and sophisticated it's hard for me to describe. Some of the juices included Kiwi, lychee, and cranberry/apple blended w/ other stuff to make creations I could have drank a gallon of! Next up was smoked salmon napoleon, brioche french toast w/ caramelized apples, organic avocado and tomato tian w/ stuergeon caviar, pistachio oil, and spicy scrambled eggs w/ chorizo, each arranged beautifully on a plate w/ 4 quadrants. All had outstanding and fresh ingredients, and it was quite fun just eating the whole thing w/ the range of textures and flavors.
As if I didn't have anough food, out came a trio of mini desserts which had to be my favorite part, tied w/ the trio of juices in the beginning. If I remember correctly, there was a chocolate eclair, mocha cake, and raspberry creme brule type custard. Holy crap, they might have been mini, but they were packed w/ unbelievable goodness.
While everything seems to taste better when the tab is picked up, I would come back here as a paying customer in a heartbeat!
I took the opportunity to try the special four-course lunch tasting menu here, which goes for $20.98. I had been to the bar before for after work drinks and hors d'oeuvres, and the place is on my list for that particular activity. Great spot to take clients. If I had any...
I chose to dine inside. Even though the weather was perfect for dining al fresco, I am not fond of their outdoor tables. Without any sort of greenery, it feels like sitting in a parking lot. Besides, the dining room, with its high ceilings and dramatic hanging lamps makes for a much better ambiance. And there was more of a crowd inside.
I found the service overall to be gracious and friendly. Not too much swelling of the attitudinal glands. I was seated promptly, handed a beautiful and tasty bread basket with a variety of bread worthy of the French. From then on, there was a nice "team" approach to service, as one of four or five might bring you a drink, your meal, more water, etc. The servers all seemed very European. One of them when I asked about what appeared to be olive tapenade with the bread basket assured me that yes it was green olives and "leetle feeshes" (or anchovies.)
In fact, all the servers lent a particular feel to the place. They all seemed like extras from "Young Frankenstein" or that "Rocky Horror" movie. And I mean that in most loving and supportive way :-). Great casting of dining room staff! En plus, there was a large group of French business people having lunch near me, and one guy in particular with slicked back hair, a too-small silver PeeWee Herman suit and dress shoes with no socks, who although he was talking business, was really trying to seduce every woman at his table. It seemed so "Paree."
I found the food to be French-worthy, too. For the tasting, you choose one item from each of three categories of appetizer, salad, main course, and the dessert is pre-chosen for you. The choices are excellent. They could just try to pawn off cheap stuff like sausages, charcuteries, plain greens, but they don't. I had a cold carrot soup, which was a bright yellow, but didn't taste too much like carrots- more like squash, but it was a nice starter. Then I had a salad of sliced fresh cooked shrimp with cabbage and fennel. Absolutely delicious in flavor and pleasing in texture. The main event was grilled Mahi-Mahi on a bed of sweetly-cooked and seasoned red cabbage, topped with a tasty and eye-pleasing garnish. The fish was cooked to perfection. Dessert consisted of a tablespoon-size glob of chocolate mousse and a small tart with chocolate filling and berries.
The entire tasting is brought to you at once on a large square plate with four smaller 4" x 4" plates, so you could start with dessert if you wanted too. I thought the portions were very adequate, and again French-worthy. I walked away sated but not too full (I kept myself from eating the entire bread basket, which was difficult, as I have never met a carb I didn't like.)
I would definitely recommend this tasting menu. It's a great value. And eating at Les Architectes is fun and elegant.
A good friend and I ventured to Cafe Des Architectes for brunch, and I'll have to return to try more of the menu.
If you order one of the egg dishes, you get the option of a side of toast or a pastry basket. Get the pastry basket. You will not be disappointed. There are chocolate croissants and other danishes that are full of buttery, flaky goodness. You can munch on these while you wait for your main dish to arrive. I ordered the a votre sante, which was an egg white scramble with mushrooms, spinach, and a tomato jus, topped with thin strands of crispy potatoes. Mine was a little on the bland side, but it's nothing that a little salt and pepper didn't fix. The French press coffee is a really great blend here, and I also liked my glass of grapefruit juice.
Everyone, from the hostess to our server, was really courteous and pleasant. No complaints on service here. I think the total came to just over $20, which isn't cheap, but isn't horrible either. I think the quality of the food and overall experience made it well worth it.
Chic et magnifique.
The vendor who was taking me out shares my love of good food so I suggested going to a restaurant participating in restaurant week for our business lunch. Rather than the 3- course prix fixe standard, Café des Architects had a four small plate offering. While you do not get the luxury of choosing what you want for each course, they served a beautifully plated selection of four sampler courses all at once. The meal included a creamy cauliflower soup, a grilled octopus salad (c'mon be brave it was amazing!), flat iron steak and a silky chocolate mousse with thin crunchy wafers. Perfect portion sizes so that I was full, but not stuffed, nor was I still hungry. In addition to the meal we were brought a selection of four different fresh breads, butter and green olive tapenade. I really enjoyed their strong French press coffee we had with dessert. My only complaint was that the dessert came out with the other plates- but at my request the server quickly removed the other dishes so I could enjoy my dessert.
The dining room was smaller than I expected- while we did not need the 2 person reservation we had for lunch, I could see it getting quite crowed for dinner. Our server was great and was very excited to recommend the restaurant week menu. It appears they do a similar type offering regularly for lunch, even if its not restaurant week. Food came out very quickly as if they were conscious about it being a work lunch- but we did not feel rushed either. It looks like the do $30 prix fixe menu on Sunday and Monday nights- I think I will be back to check this out in the near future.
It's not often I'll rave about a restaurant purely based on it service. But that was the case with Cafe Des Architectes, where they pay special attention to detail that truly makes for a fine dining experience.
From the presentation to the dishes to the manager checking in on us twice to make sure that everything was going well to the coffee pressed right before your eyes, the place epitomizes class. The food is terrific -- not quite up there with the likes of Tru and Trotter's but still on the high end scale. I ordered the pan seared dorade, which came on a bed of black rice and tasted a bit like mackerel (good if you like mackerel, which I do). My fiancee ordered the seared ahi tuna, which came cut up in three large chunks and served with a salad. Again, good food but not necessarily anything special.
Given that it is located inside the Sofitel, Cafe Des Architectes caters to a lot of business customers and tourists, which was readily apparent during our meal. Some people don't like places like that; I personally don't mind as long as the food and service is good. If you're looking for a fancy dinner out with top notch service, I would highly recommend giving Cafe Des Architectes a look.
Listen. This is the only time a food-a-holic like me will say it: the food is just decent, but this place is still worth it.
I love the decor - the steel and glass and oversized mod chandeliers. We sat in a table with the huge windows overlooking the hotel entrance and kicked back with the people watching. There was a gaggle of 15 girls strutting like frozen peacocks in their weather-inappropriate sundresses.
A friend and I split the three course brunch special.
1. Trio of Fruit Kebabs - Not sure why they would call these Kebabs. They are JUICE. Albeit served with fruit on a skewer. Luckily they were yum enough that we didn't care.
2. Four overly pretentious small plates - I believe they were something with smoked salmon, brioche french toast, avocado w/ some caviar shizz, and scrambled eggs with chorizo. The best one was actually the down-homey scrambled eggs.
3. Mini desserts
It was definitely worth the price ($25) if you were splitting, and we more than ate our fill given the endless bakery baskets. Hey, a girl's gotta be fab on a budget.
This places seems a little expensive, but when you consider that your brunch includes orange juice, coffee and an amazing basket of pastries (croissants, pan au chocolat, and other fruity pastry things) it doesn't seem quite so bad.
The service was pretty good but not amazing - it was super busy though.
The food was really good, I had the ham and gruyere crepes and my friend had the crab cakes benedict, they were both very good. With a couple of drinks each, tip and food we paid about $40 each but you could definitely go cheaper if you don't drink.
AMAZING food. Great service. The new chef has wowed me twice here. Been here twice for dinner and everything was awesome. Next I want to try the brunch!
Read my full review from thanksgiving!
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I have only ever had brunch here, but I thought it was amazing. This is such a delicious, elegant place to have brunch! It's in a fancy hotel that my parents love, called the Sofitel. The whole experience feels decadent. Someone came around with fresh orange juice before we even ordered. The coffee was served in a French press, with cream. Our bread basket was filled with buttery croissants. My eggs benedict was absolutely delicious, and served with seasoned vegetables like a tomato, asparagus, and potatoes. The poached eggs were perfect, and the Hollandaise sauce didn't overwhelm the dish. I would have brunch here again anytime, and would love to try it for another meal!
I've been here for brunch several times and my favorite part about it is the great and well lit dining space and the tasty pastries that come with brunch.
I mean it, this place is classy in delivery, even the coffee press is chic.
The food however, is only so-so-- as in average. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with it, but for a French hotel, it definitely doesn't live up to the stereotype of fabulous French cuisine.
All that said, it's good and I always come back, because it's such a pretty place to come and meet up with friends over breakfast on the weekends.
Went for brunch on a Sunday at noon with parents. Was almost full but not busy, no wait. (Good- because we had no reservations for brunch.) The decor was elegant, fresh flowers, modern, clean, white leather booths, deep burgundy walls. The wait staff was very professional, and the hostess was a doll. The food came promptly. Bread comes before the meal. The coffee (complimentary with entree) was absolutely delicious!
My friends and I came here for a triple date for restaurant week. Yes, we were the round table centerpiece of the restaurant! This place is located in the Sofitel Hotel, and after the nice and filling meal (and super fancy restrooms), I really wanted to satisfy my huge food coma with a nice and fancy hotel room right upstairs. Unlike 676, this place offered large sized portions (I had to give some away to my bf), and goood food. Each of us ordered different appetizers, entrees, and desserts, and they all came out plated creatively and very tasty. The steak came in two types on one dish and both types were amazing. The place was a small room but the atmosphere was very modern and artsy, and the view was nice as well. I'd definitely go back!
Chicago restaurant week lured us in to this charming space. The maitre d' was charming, coat girl charming, waiter charming....sigh....and we had prix fixe dinner which was really nice.
Duck confit ( I've had better) was better suited size-wise for an entree...huge portion of ok duck sort of ruined my appetite for dinner. So I forced myself to eat the Hanger steak too for the entree. It was tender, clean-tasting and served with onion puree, which they could have been just a tad more generous with. Dessert was ok; mousse with a pistachio center...it was all ok. Weird wine list, not so impressive, but we found a Rioja that was delish. My date had shrimp and mussel soup which was tasty, also the steak, and then the floating island for dessert. Apparently his mom used to make it for him when he was a kid growing up in France...so he was looking forward to it and enjoyed the simple pleasure of that particular sweet dish.
So, umm, this was an ok experience. Ok?
Decent grub. A little too shmancy without quite enough fancy for the buck if you ask me. For starters we had some stuff like chicharron, only undercooked and itty-bitty and 40 times the price at Mekatos, but tasty as hell. The beef was delish. Duck was a good deal, relatively. Very hot mamitas at adjacent table; hard to pay rapt attention to my own dining companions. Dessert was sort of chewy. Cocktails rocked, but at these prices they damn well better rock. In fact, I think they should throw in some kind of shoulder massage or something. Anyway, if you have stacks of dough and like to put on the dog, this is as good a choice as, well, several others. If you're dating a 22-year-old from Chicago Heights, she will definitely be wowed - you are getting in tonight, tiger!
There are days when I just want to relax, have a great brunch, catch up with friends, appreciate the beautiful ambiance, not worry about service issues and also do some people watching - on those days, I opt to go to Cafe Des Architectes! Their brunch is not as expensive if you consider the whole package! Basket of delicious pastries along with your brunch! I usually like to order the hot chocolate, grapefruit juice, scrambled tabbouleh (it is a perfect blend of scrambled eggs, goat cheese, tabbouleh with mint, garlic, tomato & parsley) or berries and apple crêpes! I have noticed that their service is best when it is not super crowded!
My friends and I come here for brunch after working out at Exhale on Saturdays, bc there is a dearth of good brunch/breakfast places in the area. But, thank goodness for the Sofitel, bc their breakfast/brunch option does satisfy.
If you order an entree (vs. say, like the $8 oatmeal), it ranges from $15-$18, and you get fresh fruit juice (OJ or grapefruit), french-pressed coffee, basket of pastries, and your entree. It's a great deal, and I do enjoy the ambiance -- esp. since you do feel like you're in Europe while dining there.
I've had the crepes (ham & gruyere cheese), but don't recommend that b/c the ham comes diced, which akes me think it's canned. The "a votre sante), on the other hand, was really well made, and delicious. It' an egg white dish, with button mushrooms, spinach, with tomato jus (yum!), The jus was sooo yummy (and fresh-tasting), I dipped my egg whites in all of it!
The bakery basket is actually what I look forward to -- although I'm not a sweets person.. It comes with 2 butter croissants, 2 chocolate croissants, apricot pastry, cinnamon roll, etc. etc. This basket reminded me of the hotel breakfasts I had in Italy - the croissants and pastries are so flaky and delicious! You can also wrap up the entire pastry basket to-go.
I would love to try their non-brunch options.. maybe sit at le bar for a drink!
Overpriced for very ordinary food. Any sidewalk bistro in Paris does it better and at a lower price. Beware hotel restaurants.
I love French food, so when my friend and I went here for Bastile Day, I was expecting great things. How can you not expect great things when it's part of Le Sofitel?
First cue - tables to the right and to the left were complaining. I thought, 'how high maintenance can you get?' (I'm always on the side of the server) but after an hour, I knew EXACTLY why they were complaining.
They sat us, then left us for 30 minutes without checking back one time. I couldn't even get anyone to bring us water. I would flag someone down and they would say "of course" and then nothing would happen.
After 40 minutes, I flagged a waiter down (not ours of course, he was no where to be seen) and I said, "We want to cancel our order. Please tell our waiter."
Miracle of miracles, the soup came bustling out w/in 5 minutes. No apologies, just promises that the rest of the meal would be coming out shortly. My friend didn't want to cause a scene so we stayed, but if I had been there with other people, I definitely would have refused the soup and left (there were 3 courses still coming!! The french fries were cold by the way. I was not impressed by the food).
Go here only if you have time for a 2 hour dinner and want to chat chat chat, and see a lot of beautiful French people (the only benefit!)
Cafe Des Architectes is a great place to have breakfast.
Located in the Sofitel Hotel, the restaurant has a beautiful contemporary design, with a red and black color scheme. In the summer I prefer dining al fresco on the outdoor terrace.
Definitely order the delectable pastries.....the croissants are wonderful. It's hard to find good pastries, but these are very similar to the ones in France. The eggs benedict and the french toast with maple syrup are also great. They also have healthy alternatives such as yogurt with fruit.
However, I would not recommend Cafe Des Architectes for dinner. Although I have only had dinner here once, I was very unimpressed.
I am a connoisseur of French food; I own a bistro myself.
This is one of the best places I've ever eaten at. The service was impeccable; the food superb (not a lot of vegetarian options, but I'll be back for the same romaine lettuce and butter squash dishes).
There were 4 of us on a Friday night and I can't tell you how delightful it was for all of us. Expensive? yes but very worth it. I must add there were about 6 cosmopolitans, a glass of Pinot Noir and three gins, so that adds to the bill.
This is really a French place because the decoration, the portions, the taste were absolutely out of this world. I will be back for sure.
I don't understand how anyone can give this place less than 4 stars at the least... Perhaps they changed managers or owners or chefs, I don't know but October 2007, it was fantastic. My palate will be forever grateful. FREE VALET and a gorgeous Sofitel hotel.
I had dinner here with a couple of friends.
The portions are ultra small.. but I must say.. very well prepared. I had the Lobster and mango salad with organic avocado tian, citrus cream and black caviar. The mango compliments the Lobster and the Citrus cream that was topped on it.
The salad was so so.. nothing extravagant, but try the NY Strip Steak. The meat was succulent. So tender and was made just right. I love spreading steak sauce all over my steaks, but this one didn't need one drop. Just the preparation was excemplary.
I tried the wine trio.. one white, one red, and the last with the desert was a port wine. They complimented each course.
A definite place to drop by if you are looking for a snazzy French Bistro
This place has a very creative feel from the moment you walk in. In the Sofitel - all white, curved glass exterior makes it look very artistic indeed. The service is excellent, or rather top notch. They have architectural drawings on the walls - very nice touch.
Now on to the food: it is just okay. For the price you are paying, and the level of restaurant this is - you would expect some really good food. However, it didnt live up to the expectations. Presented creatively, but lacked in flavor. The salad had way too much olive oil, the fish in the apetizer was definetly not the freshest, and the entree was okay. So thats why I give this restaurant three stars.
Stylish, good portions, attentive service. When I took prospective clients there the other day they had a large and pretty loud group that would have been better placed in a private dining room. It was pretty expensive and we didn't have any alcohol.
I had the salmon salad, which came with a generous portion of avocado!
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