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Category: French
Neighborhood: Near North Side
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The wife and I celebrated our anniversary here last weekend and we weren't let down. The food was good here. For appetizers, I ordered the lobster bisque which was okay, and the wife ordered the Caesar salad which was quite good. For the entree, the wife ordered the seafood risotto which was very tasty, with c scallops, lobster, and shrimp! I had the New York strip steak which was good, and cooked to the medium I wanted. And for desert, we ordered the bananas foster...a little cheesy, but an always cool thing to do to watch table side. The service we had was excellent, very attentive and always inquiring as to how things went. And the view was nice, with views over looking the city, lake, Navy Pier, etc.
In summary, good food, great service, par pricing with fine dining.
It was a long Tuesday at work, and with the economy being as bad as it is, business is a bit slow right now. Myself and a coworker decide that Cite is a good place to host some clients to get some new referrals, talk shop, and wine and dine at one of Chicago's finer eating establishments.
Where did we go this balmy Tuesday evening? Cite. For atmosphere, it is a breathtaking sight to see walking the entire length of the restaurant. For those of you that wanna do the engagement thing at a restaurant, and slip the waiter a C-Note to deliver a $20,000 rock under in the center of the escargot dish or on top of a scoop of sorbet to pop the big one, you can't go wrong here. After all, doing such a thing at the Signature Room is so 1990s.
The Wine selection is second to none. We selected a bottle ourselves and had the staff make a recommendation for us (more on this later). I'd consider both bottles to be best in class.
Dishes I sampled on my first visit here:
Escargot Francais
Crab Souffle
Onion Soup
The Berkshire Chop (based on a recommendation from a friend)
Fruit De Mer Risotto
All were good, but not spectacular. Nothing bad at all to say on the food component.
For wines we had an Opus One Cab that hit us for $265 and a Silver Oak Napa for $215. There was mis-communication on one of the bottles, and what we requested, but we were under our price limit so we didn't argue it. Had it been a date or a personal dinner, there would have been a problem. It made it better that each bottle was worth worth its weight in coin and I would love to have them in my personal stash.
I recommend getting there early to enjoy the scenery and patrons as well. If you ever have family members that come in to visit and they don't come that often, I would bring them here as well so they get to see Chicago from the 70th floor. It really brings out the beauty of the city we are so grateful to roam on a day to day basis.
When doing a business dinner, I always ask if I'd come back for personal reasons. Me personally? Maybe once (I like to try different places if I'm paying that much), but I would definitely recommend it to others. If you haven't been, give it a shot sooner rather than later, before the next great restaurant in the sky takes over.
Conventional wisdom is that you come here for the view and not the food. I'm afraid that held true on my latest visit, when the view was nothing less than stunning (blue sky dappled with clouds, a golden sunset) but the food was merely pedestrian. This is a great place to bring a client if you have an astronomical per diem and want to impress. It's a romantic date restaurant if your partner has modest culinary expectations. It's far less crowded than the Signature Room most nights, so this would be a good Plan B.
It's not a terrible restaurant, but it should be so much better. Unlike some recent reviews, I didn't have any problems with the service, although it's definitely not world class.
I took two New Yorker friends here for late night drinks on a Saturday night. We had a 10pm reservation for which the restaurant had a beautifully-set table awaiting us by the lake-side windows.
We each ordered a cocktail and/or sparkling and a few desserts. My choice of sparkling, Marquis de la Tour from France, quite fantastically complemented the rich caramelized vanilla of the creme brulee and the bittersweet dark chocolate of the fondue. During the 1+ hr of fancy boozing and friendly banters, we also really enjoyed the gorgeous views from atop: the twinkles of the Gotham city, long-stretching Lake Shore drive, the Navy Pier fireworks...
Certainly a charming place for a romantic date. Between the three of us, I believe we secretly operated a radar for any marriage proposals at the nearby tables. (But, alas, we witnessed none this particular night.)
Not quite 5 stars b/c our waiter was a nervous wreck with slight signs and symptoms of ADHD. Nice guy, but definitely requires more training.
Um. Not much to like here.
Had 8 pm reservations on a Friday evening -- we walked in and they immediately set us at an inner table, despite the fact that there were several tables next to the window available (including one table for two that set empty the entire time we were there). We then waited at least 20 minutes for a waiter to acknowledge us (and later watched as others nearby were treated the same way). The bread was great (fennel-raisin, mmm) and so was the complimentary amuse-bouche, but the lobster bisque was...runny and mediocre. I had the duck a l'orange for an entree -- the duck breast and rice were excellent; the duck leg was tough and poorly seasoned. My date had the seafood risotto: the lobster was pretty good, but the risotto itself was waaaaay too salty. Like Rice-A-Roni Cheesy Pleasers too salty. Yuck.
Beyond the decent-but-wholly-unimpressive food, the service was pretty abominable. A 20 minute wait to be acknowledged was nicely bookended by a 20 minute wait between getting the dessert menu and being acknowledged AND a 15-ish minute wait to get the check. Additionally, the waiter forgot to add our wine to the tab (the wine was enjoyable and not horribly overpriced), then came back after running our credit card with the wine on a separate tab. Two big problems with the wine -- we did NOT get an ice bucket to keep at our table (though we saw others in the area with ice buckets). The waiter poured us a glass each, then came back later in the meal to pour my date a new glass and top off my not-yet-empty glass...and that was the last we ever saw of the wine. These were medium-sized pours, and yet we only got 3.5 glasses out of a bottle? Unlikely. We did not get the entire bottle we paid for. Second thing on the wine -- since they rang it up separately, we were able to pay attention to this: the total we had for the bottle of wine was 28% more expensive than the price listed on the menu. Now, I know Cook County has a pretty high sales tax for alcohol, but is it as high as 28%? If so, then we were correctly charged...but if it's less -- and I think it is -- we were overcharged somehow.
If I haven't already made it clear, the service was very poor. We were given a disappointing table even though better tables were available (and we were appropriately dressed, in case you're curious), we were left unattended for long periods of time, and something definitely went wrong with our wine and the bill. In the restaurant's defense, there appeared to be some sort of event taking place that night were a woman was singing near the bar and selling CDs -- though I don't know why that would have hampered service so much. In the end, our waiter knew how bad things had been and came by (as we were signing the bill and leaving a tip, naturally) to give us a $25 gift certificate to make up for our experience. We left it on the table, as we will not be returning.
Cite boasts one of the most impressive and beautiful decor and skylines of Chicago's lakefront I have ever seen.
The food was great (i Ordered the oven-roasted chicken) and the service was superb. Contrary to my belief, the prices were more than reasonable (pre-fixe $70/person, regular dining ~$70-80/person) and the ambiance was stellar.
This is a great romantic dinner place - where the lighting is soft, there are views of the Lake, and in the summer on Saturday night, the fireworks can be seen at this prime locale.
I highly recommend this place for any special occasion - annivesaries, birthdays, a special treat, or a proposal.
Wine selection is absolutely amazing - Reds are amazing and the availibility of King Louis Cognac is far impressive @ $150 a glass serving - very worth this well-manicured drink.
Attire - dressy
Price - $$$
Parking - Valet
For my work, I am often in charge of reception dinners for perhaps the most powerful businessman on Earth. His first choice is always French cuisine, and he is perSNICKETY about where they go. I hadn't heard a lot about Cite but went to scout the place out. It's on the top floor of Lake Point Tower by the lake, and it's is circular in shape. (Not revolving mind you.) It is elegant, and upscale. The views are to die for. On the northwest side is the bar area where you may have drinks, and as you circle around to the far northeast east and south sides, it is dining. Rooms can be partitioned off for your group size.
The event staff was very helpful and accommodated all of our very high maintenance requests. The night went off smoothly, all guests had a great time, and they very much enjoyed the food.
This is a good place to go for an impressive evening.
I say this restaurant has the Best view of Chicago! Never mind the Signature Room, Cite had more of a personal touch, an intimate feel - definitely not so tourist, or "Snobby"
I went in for Wednesday night drinks around 8 pm with one of my girlfriends, saw an amazing sunset even though it was raining earlier in the day, then ended up having dinner and saw an amazing fireworks at 9:30. It was a GREAT evening! The food was tastier than some had reviewed and meet one of their new chefs that gave us a tour of the space! Also amazingly not as pricey as many may think, For two of us with drinks we spent about $120 with out tip n tax
I highly would recommend Cite for almost everything, from special occasions to business dinners, and just to enjoy a drink at the bar to view the sunset!
This place was FANTASTIC!!!! I found this place through twitter. I walked in and they placed me not by a window, but I wanted to be by the window. The host kindly moved me to a window seat. We had our waiter Simon, who was just awesome. He surprised my date with a box of chocolates. The steak was delicious. They add such a personal touch to the dinner which is second to none. They bring out a cucumber with caviar on it, and raspberry sorbet to cleanse the pallet. Definitely coming back here. It was a little foggy but it was still superb. I made the reservations a little bit later so we could see the fireworks from way up top. It was awesome
I have dined now at Cite several times and still find it to be an delightful experience. The first thing a guest will notice is the view, truly extraordinary - from the 70th floor, the entire city skyline rests before your very eyes. The staff is exceptional and attentive - formal, but never making you feel uncomfortable or 'on-edge' - they are also extremely knowledgeable. The cuisine is inventive, original, and extraordinary on your your taste buds...
The price is no different than any other restaurant of similar stature in the city. The best thing about Cite, it's populated by local Chicagoans, no tourists, as seen in the Signature Room.
5 Stars, no doubt!
I really love Cite, mainly because it's upscale, but not snobbish. I'm 100% sick of restaurants that think because they are "upscale", "trendy", "unique" ,"expensive", etc, etc., the staff can act like bunch of pretentious snobs....last I checked, you're the server and I'm the one being served, so kill the attitude.
Cite doesn't have that vibe at all. The staff is very friendly and inviting. The food is wonderful. Nothing too frou-frou and exotic, but it's enough to somewhat satisfy a foodie on most days. The wine list is extensive!!!!! Not too much of a selection if you just want a glass, but they they have a lot of reasonable half bottle and bottle selections.
Obviously, the view is amazing. It's a revolving restaurant, so every seat has a great view. The decor is nice, but nothing exciting or creative. It doesn't need to be though - you'll probably spend most of your time staring out the window.
As far as the several other Chicago restaurants with great views (Signature Room, Everest, Sixteen, etc.) Cite is the least pretentious and intimidating. If you are new in town, just visiting, or have never ventured outside of places like Maggianos and Widfire, Cite is the best place to go. It has the best views of the city, and every table has a great view - so you wont get stuck at a disappointing table with no view. The food is good and more inventive than a chain, but its not over the top and intimidating. And of course, the service is great.
While it's not a cheap place to dine, (about $ 215 to $275 a couple w/a decent bottle of wine, tax and tip) it is much more reasonable than many other restaurants in the city. I truly believe you get a great bang for your buck here. It's not too much to spend when you can count on good food, service, views, and a good relaxing time.
Only complaint would be that if you go for an early dinner and there aren't many other diners, the staff can be a little too attentive. It's nice to never have to wait for my wine to be refilled, but I can't stand someone hovering near me while I'm eating.
Cite is my good old standby restaurant . When I can't decide, I always end up here.
Food - Average
Service - OK, but I expect some more polish from a fine dining establishment
View - Fabulous
Overall - Disappointing
Likelihood of me returning - Slim, unless someone else was paying and they ABSOLUTELY wanted to go to Cite and no place else would do.
My bf took me here for our 2 yr anniversary. If you want to impress a special date, this is definitely the place, but it does come at a cost. I didnt mind though since i wasnt the one paying ;) I love the fact you take a elevator to the top floor and BAM there's the restaurant and greeters there expecting you.
The view is breathtaking especially as the sun begins to set and you start seeing the city in the night's view. I loved the fact the it was pretty quiet and private especially the night we went. There were only 3 other couples there and i didnt even noticed them.
Now to the food and drinks. I had wine (pinot noir, my fav) while the bf had a beer. We started off with apps...escargot and shrimp cocktail. nothing special about em, just like any other restaurant basically. we skipped the salad and went straight to the entree. I got the filet oscar style and the bf got the ny strip oscar style (oscar style wasn't on the menu so we asked the waiter and he had to ask the chef. he wasnt too happy about that since he said the chef doesnt like rearranging his entrees. but how hard is to to slab some lump crab meat onto a piece of steak???) The cuts of meat were nothing special. I'd rather prefer a filet from chophouse or ruth chris but the oscar style was amazing. I've never had soooo much crab meat on my steak. from my experience, most places are pretty cheapo and only few minimal crab meat. I had enough crab meat for each and every piece of my filet. yummers! Another plus for this place is that sides are included in the entree. I dispise places where you order a $40 steak and have to get 2 sides that cost $6-10 dollars along with it.
DESSERT.....my fav part of a meal was also deeelicous. we ordered the
CHOCOLATE MACCHIATO (Chocolate Cake, Caramel Mousse, Espresso Ice Cream) per the waiters suggestion. it was heavenly especially with the wine.
I was basically pretty happy leaving with my tummy full to the max and having enjoyed such a great view.
-great view/atmosphere
-average food
-great service
-very romantic
Wow, what a stunning view that gets better as the night goes on. The food was excellent, but what impressed me most was that I didn't have to refinance my home to eat there, Bravo, Cite!
If you are sent a text that there is a bottle of champagne on ice waiting for you and your baby at the bar at Cite, then this is probably the best place in Chicago.
I can't speak to the food, but I loved my hour or so up there.
I'm going to preface this by saying that we had a larger budget than most when planning our Holiday party...
We had our Christmas party here a week or so ago. It was on a Saturday and we had to do a buyout, meaning that we had to spend at least as much money as what they make on a typical night ($13,000 for those of you keeping track). Sami, the GM of the restaurant was excellent in helping us make decisions on the food and planning of our party. I had gone there several times beforehand to look at the set-up and show the dj and all that. Any questions that I had, Sami and Suzy (works in Catering) were more than helpful.
The food (and I asked the 100 or so people that night) was quite delicious. The Chilean Sea Bass, the Beef Tenderloin (so I heard) and the Pasta Bar (different sauces, pastas, and veggies cooked right in front of you) I thought were the best parts. The creme brulee and chocolate mousse were also very good.
The only bad part was the parking situation. Sami had promised that we would get 40 parking spots in LPT, and we were only able to get 21. That is not good when there is a snowstorm and people have to walk from a lot a few blocks away. Other than that, the service was great, as was the food. And the party was a hit, so that's really all that matters!
FOOD-Very Good-4 Stars
SERVICE-Very Good-4 Stars
ROOM-Best in Chicago-5 Stars
Looking for a romantic dinner at a fine french restaurant? Well than Cite is one to steer clear of! I have dined at this place on more than one occasion (unfortunately) for business and personal reasons, and it has not only not impressed me - but has disgusted me. This impossibly pretentious and silly restaurant (that dares to call itself "French") is utterly tacky. The views you think you are going to see at the top of Lake Point Tower, an ancient structure above downtown Chicago's tourist trap Navy Pier, are non existent. Not much to see from the 70th floor at night when the lake is dark and the lights look like you are viewing them through green pea soup (I don't think that is on the menu). Even after a major make over a few years back, this pretentious joke of a place never ceases to amaze me. Why have I been so many times? Due to invitation. I would NEVER take anyone to dinner here. The food is tasteless, the surroundings are tacky and gaudy, and the prices are SKY HIGH! EVEN higher than the restaurant itself, which I'd like to reiterate make it impossible for any type of view. Why anyone would come here and pay a 200% mark up on wines and order items that are tasteless, often arrive cold, and are so over priced it is obscene is beyond me. If I ever do business in Chicago again and a client or partner suggests this awful place, I will speak up sharply. Terrible in every way - I even saw a woman who had to be escorted out because she was freezing next to the the windows that the cold wind was whipping against, and was dizzy from the round structure. If you are itching for a headache from bad decorating, want to put a big dent on your credit card, or just enjoy tasteless food - by all means try Cite. Possibly one of the worst so called 'upscale' restaurants in the country! No view unless you are at the bar (barely) so that is not worth it. Trust me on this folks!
Oh, on one good note - the service has been pretty good, but on my last I mean LAST dinner there in May, our table felt a bit neglected even in such a tight environment, as I waited almost 15 minutes to have my water glass refilled.
G.S.M.
Food: Average, Service: Excellent, Location / view / experience: excellent
I went there last year during the summer. We sat right by the navy pier fireworks, and the fireworks were soo nice to watch. The restaurant itself is very romantic, the views are amazing, and watching the fireworks was the best part of the night.
On to the food - we both felt it was just average. Considering how much money you are forking out - you expect some really good food. However, none of us really thought it to be excellent.
They did bring gelato between our courses to cleanse our palette. That was kind of cool. In addition, the service is incredible.
Definetly a place for you to go if you want a very nice and very special evening. Celebrating anniversaries etc. I still consider this place to be a secret in Chicago and its a delight that its not overcrowded with tourists like Signature lounge.
I was looking for a really romantic place to go for New Year's Eve, and this place was originally my first choice. But when we heard the $125 per plate price tag, not including drinks, we said no thanks and made a reservation elsewhere...well, com NYE, we finish dinner at 10 and are wondering what to do with ourselves for the rest of the night. I think: well...let's give them a try and see if we can just come up to the bar for drinks and dessert. Hostess says, no problem, come on over! We get there, and are seated, but apparently our waiter didn't get the message and he was pretty passive-aggressive when he found out we weren't there for dinner. Maybe he was grouchy because the restaurant was half empty- I guess most people weren't willing to pay that much for what most of the reviewers here have described as mediocre food. We had to wait an hour and a half to get our very spongy and dry cheesecake because he thought we had already gotten it. Then he sells my boyfriend a $25 glass of champagne 15 minutes before they pass around a complimentary toast for midnight. And then he tacks an automatic gratuity onto our bill. Glad we caught that and didn't give him any more.
Positive points- The view is GORGEOUS at night, and a prime spot for watching the Navy Pier fireworks (although they seem small from that high up!) The ambience is really romantic and the decor was elegant but comfortable. The rest of the staff besides our waiter seemed very nice and festive, passing out hats and horns shortly before midnight. There was a live jazz band and a dance floor for those so inclined.
I would not come here again, but the view and the atmosphere balanced out the bad food and service, so it was not a bad experience.
Worth noting: the restaurant is a little on the chilly side with all those windows- bring your coats!
If you want to be different and take your date out somewhere besides the signature room (where everyone and their grandma has been to) take them here. Atmosphere wise, it simply cannot get any better than this. This is one of the best kept secrets of Chicago, and I think the food, though pricey is decent enough to warrant the price tag. Go on a non foggy day and the views are ridiculous. The layout of the place is a small circular area and it's just a very unique and intimate space where you can actually hear each other talk.
Cool location @ the top of Lake Point Tower, amazing view, and the food is nice, but I'm not anywhere near old enough to eat here. The atmosphere screams Crazy King Ludwig--gold, baroquey decor makes you feel like you're in a Wagner opera in an underwater flower cave--with mermaids & lots of mirrors. Also super expensive. You can definitely find better food for much cheaper--and less surreal.
If this restaurant had a middle name it would be tacky. There is gilded gold everywhere. Despite the tackiness, I enjoyed my time at this restaurant. I think the real reason was the combination of the views and the fact that I did not have to pay. The restaurant is on the 70th floor and the views are amazing. The food was pretty good but expensive. The salmon was great- very fresh and the mixed green salad was tasty. However, the rest of the meal--the green beans, the bread and the potatoes-- were just average. If someone else is paying, go. If not, skip it.
If you like to spend a ton of money on average food, this place is for you. The only redeming quality of this place are the views of the city and lake. The dining room manager is rude, unprofessional and the staff is slow at best. Come have a cocktail, enjoy the view and move on.
my cousin took the family and i here while we were all in chicago. isn't this supposed to be a french restaurant? if so, where's the french to it? to me, it's mostly americanized. it's like modernized americanized frenchized (kidding) french food. i've been to high quality french restaurants before and this isn't one of em.
the restaurant is on the 70th floor or so on the lake point tower, which has a great view of the city. service was good. super clean place with clean restrooms. food was alright. it was good, but i really expected the french part of it. it's a tad bit on the pricey side as well. i think the only thing i really liked from this restaurant was the escargot appetizer dish. i've never had the infamous snails before. one try and i loved it.
it's a nice restaurant to go to just for the experience, but i wouldn't want to go back again. it doesn't tempt me.
I have not been here in years, however I still remember my experience. The views and wine were amazing and they had the best rack of lamb I have ever had in my life. Really quite romantic with a great location and amazing service.
Cite offers good food, a pleasant environment and a great view.
IMHO, service could be better - I would rather enjoy the meal than keeping being asked every 5 minutes if I wanted anything else (maybe the waiters were bored, as it was Monday and the restaurant was almost empty). Anyway, it is a good, romantic option to celebrate a special occasion.
Cite was a Totally great place for me but for different reasons than what normally makes me like a restaurant. The food and drink were fine...bla bla bla. There wasn't really anything much to write about. It was the overall experience that I loved more. Upon walking in, we were greated by the older, very proper looking owner or manger (not sure) who was holding a plate of food during brunch. She delicately extended her hand and in between chews of what looked like egg, she slowly said "enchantee". Who does that??? It was hilarious! We were then escorted to our seats where the view was cloudy and grey and the windows were covered with spiders staring at us from the other side of the window. I thought maybe I would pretend I was at a Halloween party. After a few Bloody Mary's and some food I was full, content and I took some time to stare back at the spiders. I think they were enjoying themselves too.
I am not one to complain when I don't pay, so I won't. The location was perfect, with a view of the city and lakeshore. The staff were professional. The food was really tasty. We had lobster bisque, a cheese plate, chateubriand for two, sorbet, and no dessert. If I was going to have anything bad to say it would be that there isn't a lot of food for the cost, but I didn't pay - so I'm not complaining. I like the bathrooms too - clean, modern, and lots of Molton Brown things I could've pocketed with a bigger purse... damn. That was a joke.
Food: Bad
Experience: Excellent
If you want the best view of Chicago, go to Cite at around 7 pm in the summer and eat while watching the sun set on the city. I recommend this place for romantic dates. I would suggest going there for drinks just to look at the scenery. The food was horrible. Everything is a la carte to the strictest sense. You don't even get a little portion of potatoes or rice in your platter, and all the dishes are beyond salty. After several bites I was squirming and wishing for bread or rice to balance my stomach. It is definately not worth the price you pay, but I would definately go there for a romantic view.
Had a wonderful time here. it is pricy but worth it for the views and the good food. I would advise you to take your time and make this a lengthy dining experience. We took about 4 hours which was perfect.
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