Kiki's Bistro
900 N Franklin Street
(between Locust St & Walton St)
Chicago, IL 60610 (312) 335-5454
- Nearest Transit:
Chicago (Purple Express, Brown)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Fri 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Valet
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
36 reviews
Neighborhood: University Village
"Absolutely wonderful from start to finish. The staff was courteous and knowledgeable and even the Valet was a pleasure to deal with. Each…" read more »
61 Reviews for Kiki's Bistro
I love the food at Kiki's, and there is something about the name I think is so cute. Like I want to get another dog and name her Kiki or something. ANYways, if you like Kiki's and want a facial, go to Tiffani Kim and you can get lunch from Kiki's! Best of both worlds!
I visited Kiki's during Restaurant Week for lunch. First off, I was happy that they had an actual Restaurant Week menu, with a few selections as opposed to the "menu" that Aria offered with one, lonely option for the masses.
I started with the pates as my Restaurant Week approach was to try new things. Given that I am generally a proponent of all foods spreadable, I was happy with my decision. Those pates were pretty darn tasty.
I chose the salmon with hollandaise for the entree bc it was lunch and I wanted something light. Obviously, 'hollandaise' doesn't scream 'light lunch' but the other options were steak and duck so...you see my reasoning. It was also de-lish but I was jealous of my dining partner's frites.
Dessert = creme brulee with a chocolate bottom = fantasticly inappropriate for lunch and my waistline but ... what of it.
My one huge gripe was that we went for lunch - as in 'lunch' in the middle of a normal working day - and the whole experience took about 2 hrs and 15 minutes, which, I am guessing, is generally frowned upon in the corporate world. But, hey - it was Restaurant Week!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
First of all... I sent Jennifer B. a compliment this morning because she made my mouth water at the mere thought of the orgasmic caramel sauce on a poached pear dessert at Kiki's Bistro. And of course, to each her own... But I was not moved by this caramel sauce. It tasted like jarred Smucker's caramel ice cream topping diluted with rubbing alcohol.
Well, anyway.
I headed in with a friend tonight for my only Restaurant Week reservation. The interior is charming, very cozy and rustic. Perfect for a winter night. Sadly, by cozy I also mean the tables were packed together comme les petites sardines, n'est-ce pas? The restaurant was loud and frenzied, but our table's corner location, right near the kitchen, server station and 7,432 tables somehow managed to be the eye of this culinary hurricane.
We both ordered the French onion soup from the prix-fixe menu, served in the traditional ceramic crock with bread on the bottom and freshly shredded Swiss cheese melting over the top. Piping hot and delicious.
As his main course, my friend had the lamb skewers served over the most intensely buttery couscous I've ever experienced. The meat was tender and cooked to a lovely medium rare. Despite my temptation to stray from the prix-fixe and order steak frites (so. hard. to. resist.), I opted for the duck entree, with a sliced breast cooked to order and a little drummie of confit. Which I'd never tried. Which I want to be bathed in from now on. The accompaniments to my meal were a little bizarre, some caramelized beets and a sort of wild rice (and three, count 'em, little steamed veggies), but that only left me room for the dessert.
And it is the lemon tart that brings this otherwise ordinary meal up to its four-star glory. Get READY. It was just perfect. The custard was light and tart, served atop a delicate crust that all held together with perfect balance and unity. A generous drizzle of raspberry and possibly white chocolate sauce, along with some whipped creme fraiche and a strategically placed sprig of mint, completed the plate. Parfait, mes enfants. Parfait.
I want to marry that tart, I said. I want to make an honest woman of her. And just for that, I would return to Kiki's Bistro outside of R-week, get the steak frites, box up three-quarters of it and go to town on that sweet, luscious tart one more time.
Go there, and fall in love for yourself.
Edit, the morning after: I'm tempted to knock this back down a star for the indigestion I have this morning. G'damn.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (7)
Cool (2)
This was the most charming dinner I've had in a long, long time. Service was abslouter perfection, and my group and I can be pretty demanding, and the food was absolutely incredible. None of us are conniesseurs (is that how you spell it?) so we hadn't a clue what wine to order with dinner, but our server helped us out and suggested a tasty wine that was absolutely perfect for us. We loved evry lingering minute of our 2 hour stay, and felt welcome the entire time. To sum up, WOW!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
Thoroughly enjoyed a meal here last night. I was in with a fairly large group and the service was perfect. Drinks and bread baskets were promptly refilled, wine was flowing, servers were really helpful...
James was our main server and I thought that he was excellent. Considering the size of the group (18ish), he was quick and caring. He was also very knowledgable about the dinner, drink and dessert menus.
My food was delicious. I really enjoyed a steak and onion soup - yum. The onion soup is pretty rich, but pretty good too. The desserts were outstanding, but I don't usually complain about chocolate mousse or creme brulee :) (I shared with others, though I might have been able to eat them myself, they were so delicious).
Overall it was a great experience and I am looking forward to going back with a smaller group to enjoy their more intimate setting.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Delicious! We had the steak pomme frittes and lamb stew. The lamb is sooooo tender. Steak ordered medium well came out more medium-ish (dark pink insides). Mussels and mushroom soup for appetizer. Those were delicious too. And for dessert, blueberry bread pudding (blueberries on top, not IN the bread) with vanilla ice cream. Wash it all down with a bottle of Clos de May. Absolutely great service. I almost want to take off half a star for the room temperature bread and hard butter, but nah. It was quite a perfect night anyways!
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
I visited Kiki's with two friends for the first time two nights ago to celebrate my new job--overall, we had a great experience. The service was excellent--the staff was unintrusive, but we never had to wonder where our server was and our water glasses were constantly filled. And the bistro has a wonderful, warm ambiance.
The food:
- We ordered the sauteed scallops and Kiki's frog legs as appetizers for the table to share. These were AMAZING. The sauces were simply superb. And I don't say that lightly. I think we would have licked the plates clean if we'd been at home rather than a nice restaurant. If I come back I might have to make meal out of those two rather than ordering an entree.
- Entrees: My roommate had the roast chicken, which was excellent. Soft, tender, not over-cooked, as chicken can sometimes be. The portion was large too--the dish was half a chicken. I thought my boyfriend's salmon was good but slightly overdone--he wasn't terribly happy with it though, and thought it was a bit bland. I had the rack of lamb, which was almost perfect--the lamb itself was excellent, but it seemed like it was encrusted in wasabi (there was no mention of wasabi on the menu, so perhaps it was just undercooked garlic? It was rather strong). The mashed potatoes that came with my meal were nothing special; I make better mashed potatoes myself.
- Dessert: The creme brulee is fantastic. I'd been longing for a good creme brulee for the last week, and this definitely satisfied. The custard was soft and delicate, not too gelatin-like, the crust had just the right depth, and the chocolate at the bottom made this chocolate snob really happy.
Expect to spend around $40 a person with tip and taxes (without drinks).
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Fantastic! We went here during restaurant week, so we ordered off the fixed price menu. For $32 each we got three courses, which was a ton of food. The onion soup and duck ravioli were good, the lamb skewers and duck breast were great and the pear tart with caramel sauce was unbelievable. It had the best caramel sauce I have ever eaten, and I've had quite a bit.
The atmosphere is really nice too, you definitely don't realize that you're sitting in the middle of a dilapidated block in Chicago. With the exposed beam ceiling and the paintings behind the "windows" that look like fields of wildflowers it really does feel like you're in Provence.
I highly recommend Kiki's for a great dining experience.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
This was once my favorite French restaurant in the city with wonderful food, reasonable prices and good service. Unfortunately the last 2 or 3 time I went there the food was mediocre, the service was so-so and the prices have gone up. There are many better places in Chicago fro French food than Kiki's.
I dined here last night, it wasn't that busy for a Thursday night, 9:00. The service was great, very helpful. We had a great bottle of wine. Appetizers - Smoked Salmon, which was lovely and the Mushrooms, Amazing!!! Entrees - I ordered the Tuna, which tasted very 'smokey' I wouldn't recommend it (although the spinach, onion, and peppers had great flavor), the Duck was fantastic! I would go back just to order this. We had some great cheeses for dessert, and an apple tart....the caramel was great! Overall a very nice experience. I will definitely be going back.
We came here for the first time for Restaurant Week, but I've been meaning to try it anyway. It was hard to stay on the prix fixe meal with so many other good choices on the menu. We did though, and overall the meal was quite good. The potatoes with my salmon were not, and we weren't crazy about the pear dessert, but I'll put my positive opinion in for the caramel sauce debate.
Our service was not super friendly, but was very polite and we were well taken care of in all aspects of service. Also, we had time to "rest" and chat between courses. I enjoy this and hate to feel hurried.
The wine list seemed quite good in my amateur opinion. It had a wide mix of prices and varietals.
Overall: a good experience, but not outstanding.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Ok so maybe I shouldn't order Duck and Onion soup and sparkling wine when 7 months pregnant- (equls heartburn)
I just love this place it is perfect for busines, pleasure and romantic.
One Day I will come for Valentine's day.
Their service is quick effcient and experienced.
The food is perfect French food- haven't found similar place in town?
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
OH MY! Yet another prix fixe deal! This place is adorable and cozy. I came for an early dinner one time, only to be surprised with a prix fixe. There is this early dinner special that goes on from 5-6:30PM. It's $25 for 3 courses. Our group had a nice variety of choices. The steak I got was a large portion. I was happily surprised.
If I were to compare this to La Sardine...which is similar...La Sardine is a little fancier and the food is a bit better too. It's really hard to say. Anyways, both are definitely worth a try.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
A lovely dining experience! Even during the Valentine's weekend!! The service was quite good. We were seated immediately. The wine list quite good. The space was fun and whimsically decorated. The menu, true to French cuisine...and yet,still "fun".
The food was quite good. I had the grilled peach salad - yum. Baked tenderloin ....with the requisite mashed potatoes -- double yum. My dearest had the Lamb Brochettes...which looked quite good. He also tried the Frog Legs and pronounced them "tres bon"! The only minor disappointment was the desert. I ordered the "warm chocolate cake", but the cake was not warm and was not particularly chococatey in taste. Not "bad"....just "average". After the scrumptuous dinner, I really expected something over the top divine.
Dessert withstanding, this is definitely a place a wonderful "date" spot. Quiet, but not too. Romantic little seating areas...just dark enough to make you look glam, but not so much you have to question what you are eating. Extremely attentive waitstaff, but not intrusive.
So you walk in and initially I was like, "Did we go to Buca's by mistake?" Banners hanging from the ceiling, kinda cramped and white table cloths all on top of each other, kinda loud for a french place. The owner, not very interested, asked if he could help us. We had reservations for 7:30 and he didn't smile or say welcome - just grabbed some menus and we assumed to follow him. We got a cozy little table on the side that they actually cut off one corner of our square table - just so they could squeeze more people in the place. And other than the owner being completely uninterested, this is my biggest gripe - they cram the place with as many tables/people as they can. You almost feel as if you are eating with the people next to you.
Other than that, our waiter was absolutely fantastic. He made some excellent suggestions - for both food and wine - and not a complaint was to be heard. He gave us enough room to breathe and enjoy each course, yet we didn't have to wait forever between courses and he was very attentive to our needs and drinks.
Again, the ambiance was more like Buca than a cute little french bistro - but we found it easy to relax and it was not stuffy at all. I think it is moderately priced and felt like we got our money's worth.
I know it is cliche, but if I could give 3 1/2 stars, I would. Even though the waiter was great, you just don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling from the owner and most of the staff. I would go back, but I'd request a table that was not so cramped.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Cool (1)
Ate here on New Years Eve this year and I thought it was fantastic. The restaurant itself has a very warm, rustic feel to it. We were seated at a larger corner table, but the little side-by-side tables looked kind of cramped - glad I wasn't there.
Now the food - it was all incredible. The onion soup was really good - not the best I've ever had, but up there. The mussels were great and probably the biggest ones I have ever had. Almost freakishly big, I was slightly concerned they were shot with steroids. The goat cheese salad was also really good and huge, 2 people could split it. And finally, the Poulet Roti was amazing!! Too much to finish, but amazing nonetheless.
I'd give it 5 stars but the service was lacking from the time we entered and throughout the meal. I'll have to go back on a night that's not NYE to see if the service is any better.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
Kiki's has been on my "must try" list ever since I found out that they had my favorite beer Kronenbourg 1664. So on a recent, blustery, Winter night, I finally had my chance.
They seated us at a little table squeezed into the corner at the back of the room which was perfect as it gave me a chance to look around. Whoever had said that it has a loyal clientele wasn't kidding. This place was full on a Thursday night with the royalty of the Gold Coast- all primped and ready for a night out. There were only three tables of people under 60 in the whole place!
The food was delicious. We started with the scallops (delicious) and the shrimp with some kind of sauce that was perfect for soaking up in the bread that they provided.
As for our entrees- we ordered a variety of things to split. The cheese plate, the steak au poivre, french onion soup and some kind of potato. All were delicious. The cheese plate came with balsamic vinegar, walnuts, brie, goat's cheese and some other unidentifiable cheese that were all amazingly good. See man can live by "cheese" alone!
There were a couple of hiccups in service during the evening which is what kept this from being a 5 star experience.
The other crazy thing that happened was actually pretty funny. When we put our credit card into the check folder, the waiter was in such a hurry that when he spun around, the card must have been thrown from the holder and went sailing across the restaurant and he couldn't find it. It was like a bit from an old comedy with everyone looking under their tables and finally an older woman with two tone hair held it up and proudly proclaimed "I found it!".
Certainly made for an interesting end to our evening. And who said French food is stuffy?
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (3)
Cool (2)
Overall an OK place to go. Too much food for my taste and it was a bit overpriced. The atmosphere is nice and the food is good! They have a great wine selection as well.
Perfect for a date because...
1. quiet, so you can hear each other
2. good lighting. dim. so any blemish you may have isn't obvious
3. affordable
4. close to the el and Chicago Ave. easy out
5. and lastly, the food is really good.
I had the beet salad with goat cheese for starters. Good-sized portion and tasty. The fish du jour was whitefish with a lavender cream sauce. Nice wine list, mostly French (duh). And very romantic desserts.
The Early Dinner Menu is from 5-6:30pm. $25 excluding tax & tip
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
My husband and I went here to celebrate an anniversary and we left feeling like we missed out on what had potential to be a really good experience.
The location is good and easy to get to and they have free valet. Inside the restaurant is nice with a warm feel but a little bit "stuffy".
We looked over the menu and were close to deciding when the waiter came over. He seemed very uninterested in us and almost annoyed that we weren't quite ready. He offered no help and didn't even tell us what the specials were!! So we quickly made our decisions and placed our order.
We started with the french onion soup which was very good with just a hint of sweetness. My husband ordered the POT AU FEU which was basically pot roast cooked in broth. The meat was flavorful & tender and the vegetables tasted very fresh. I had the Margret de Conard avec son confit and it was only so so. The duck was flavorless and the wild rice tasted like plastic. The red cabbage was great and it saved the meal for me.
For dessert we had creme brulee & Profiteroles. The creme brulee was just ok, I have had better elsewhere. The profiteroles were great! Everything blended together very well, the pastry was light & fluffy, the ice cream was very creamy and the chocolate sauce brought everything together.
Overall I felt that our dinner was not worth the hundred dollars that we shelled out for it and while I might stop by for a soup & dessert lunch if I was in the neighborhood, I would not go back for a special dinner.
Went there for lunch. Enjoyed the decor very much. The food was very good, as was the wine. Will be back for dinner for the full experience with live music.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
I visited Kiki's for the first time on New Year's Eve in 1992, and I had two of my friends from France in tow... They loved the place, and so did I. I have returned to Kiki's a handful of times over the years (I would have gone more often but I haven't lived in Chicago for most of the years between 1992 and 2007), and it has never disappointed.
The food is really good, and remarkably consistent. I have sampled the steak frites, veal chops, duck, and coq au vin - they are all first rate. The escargot are excellent, and the salads (goat cheese, house salad, and beet salad) have always been delicious, too. Kiki's has a great wine list - you can always get a nice bottle of wine in the 25 to 40 dollar range, but they also have good options on the high end of the price spectrum. The desserts I have tried (tarte aux pommes, creme brulee) have also been well prepared and very tasty. (The creme brulee never has a manhole cover of caramelized sugar on the top, which has happened far too often at other French bistros in the city.)
In addition to having great food, Kiki's has a nice, warm atmosphere and very good service. They do a good job of taking care of customers like me (a non regular), and they clearly expend extra energy to keep their regular customers coming back.
My only reason for taking away a star from Kiki's is that their steak frites, while very good, isn't as good as the steak frites at Brasserie Jo. (A restaurant that fails to come close to Kiki's in terms of service, atmosphere, or dessert quality.)
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
This restaurant was exactly what we were looking for. Three of us met there to catch up and found the decor inviting, the service excellent, great wine selection, fantastic food, and quiet enough to have a great conversation. I had the quail, my friends had the salmon and mussels. All dishes were wonderful. I would definitely go back again.
We ate at Kiki's last night in celebration of my 27th birthday. It was--in a word--fantastic. I had the bouillabaisse Marseillaise, while the hubby had the sauteed sea scallops. Before those fabulous entrees arrived, we staved off our hunger by splitting a serving of duck ravioli. Very rich and very tasty.
I am completely spoiled by the bouillabaisse. It was a dish I had never tried before and will forever compare to Kiki's. The hubby said his scallops almost tasted like lobster because they were so rich and buttery. Portions were generous.
Finally, before we waddled out of the restaurant to retrieve our car from the complimentary valet parking, we had dessert. I chose the ever-popular creme brulee. My husband tested the profiteroles du chocolat. Both were simply divine.
Overall, we had a great experience. As noted before, the crowd was not young. Rather, it appeared that most of the diners were in their middle ages or older. We saw one large group that came in around 8:00 which appeared to be our age. Service was prompt and attentive but not overly friendly. It was certainly a place we would consider returning to for a special occasion. And although Kiki's is casual, be prepared to lay down some pretty significant bucks for a three-course dinner.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
Tricky one this. In general I think most people on this web site over rate when they score restaurants and services. For me 3 stars means it does what it says and it does it well, 4 stars means I had a really good time and it was above par and pretty fabulous. 5 Stars means it was exceptional and I was basically orgasming over the food and service and would sell my mother to go back there.
With that I would say this place is a solid 3 stars. That is I had a really pleasant evening, the food was good and the service was good too.
I would recommend this place and take friends as it's close, the food is good, prices are reasonable and the service was good too.
I had a Salad Lyonaiise to start, i.e. Lettuce Frisee, lardons and poached egg. The poached egg was done pretty much perfectly and the sald was nice, a bit tart/vinegary but pretty good. We both had the Roast Chicken which came with red cabbage and mash. The mash was too pureed for me, nothing wrong with it, quite nice just a bit bland. The cabbage was really nice and worked well with the mash and chicken. The roast chicken was just nice, nothing special or to write home about and not too dry.
So pretty good meal, I think it was $80 plus we left $15 tip so $95 which was 2 starters, 2 Roast Chickens and the other half had a Kir Royale and a Glass of White wine. I just had water cause I am a bloody martyr. :o)
So based on the above do you think I am under markign them and they deserve a 4 star? Is there any guidance or is it merely a personal thing?
Love yas
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Charming and oh so romantic. This probably wasn't the right choice for my girls night out with one of my girlfriends, but no complaints coming from either of us after this delicious meal and a glass of sauvignon blanc (necessary to get through a Monday).
My friend settled on the steak and frites pretty fast, but I had trouble deciding between the ahi tuna and the sea scallops. I asked our waitress to help me out with the decision and after a bit of hesitation (tough decision for her as well) she went with the ahi tuna. And she led me in the right direction because it was so good that I cleaned my plate. Yeah, yeah I pretty much always clean my plate, but it really was so good (especially since it had a few shrimp on top of it)! And even better than my ahi tuna with shrimp was my friend's fries, which she was nice enough to share with me. She seemed to enjoy her steak as well after setting aside the huge glob of butter they put on top of it, but hey...I'm sure some people would be very happy with that butter!
Based on the other reviews it sounds like i missed out on the creme bruelee so I'll be back for that, as well as to visit fellow yelper and assistant manager of Kiki's Bistro, Zac B. And next time I plan on bringing my fiance so I can make the most of the romantic atmosphere!
People thought this was:
Useful (8)
Cool (4)
My husband took me here to celebrate my 25th birthday. Besides being one of Oprah's favorite restaurants, it is also one of mine. The food is excellent. The service is great and it is beautifully decorated and cozy. So romantic... Cest Bon!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
It was my first night home after a 3 month trip, Alinea and TRU and Schwa couldn't get us in, so a friend recommended Kiki's for my boyfriend and I. "It's not as fancy, but you'll be happy." I was surprised, since french food and vegetarians rarely mix well, but he said it was romantic and we were out of ideas.
I was SO impressed. I told our server I was veg and he said "that's no problem." The chef made a special plate of delicious vegetables just for me- perfectly cooked and buttery tasty. We were a little overdressed, but nobody noticed. The wine list was fantastic and the servers were kind about our ignorance on all things wine. The dining room is cosy and heavy wooden beams crisscross the ceiling, throwing shadows from the candle lit tables below. We were seated at 7:30 and were the last table in the house after closing but the wait staff didn't rush us at all, refilling coffee cups until we chose to leave.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (1)
Cool (4)
Actually came here for a business lunch and the atmosphere was perfect. We were given a table a little further away from most diners. Service was attentive, but not overbearing and the food was excellent, including the wonderful desserts. Not somewhere I would go for lunch everyday, but it's a good alternative for days when you want to go a little fancy to celebrate or impress a client.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
all in all a great dining experience.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
This is my favorite restaurant in Chicago. I proposed to my wife here, my 10 year old loves it and, it is, in general great.
i went here last night with my makeout partner and we had an outstanding time. started with appetizers of mussels and a salad. i'm not one for salads, so i left that to the girl. the mussels with bacon were really good. for my dinner i had the lamb shanks. very tender, juicy, yum. a little more fat on it than desired, but nothing crazy. she had the scallops, and when she was looking away i scarfed one up. for dessert we had creme brulee and chocolate mousse cake. sooooo good. it was one of the better dining experiences i've had in awhile. our server was very good as well. i'll definitely go back. oh, and after dinner, we totally made out. boo-yah!
p.s. free valet service. the lucky guy got to drive my tricked out ford truck. yuh-huh.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
This is one of the best restaurants in Chicago.
Even if you are not a fan of French food, you will likely love this place. They seem to do everything right. The desserts are amazing. I love the steak pomme frites. The clams are also really good.
Just a warning, if you aren't driving to Kiki's, the area is a little sketchy.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
I went to Kiki's with a friend - it was the first time for both of us. The restaurant itself is cute. It's got a unique look -- sort of like rustic ski lodge meets eccentric French. The service was .... serviceable. Our waitress didn't waste any time on pleasantries and was pretty invisible. That's kind of ok I guess, though I might have appreciated a bit more friendliness. The food was fairly good. We got the special appetizer -- muscles with sausage in a buttery cream sauce. It was marvelous. The steak pommes frites was ok, though not great, and the desert (blueberry bread pudding) was good, but again, not anything I'll particularly remember. All in all, I'll probably return because it's close by and I love French food. But I think Marche, La Sardine, Brasserie Jo, and Le Bouchon are better.
While hardly a Francophile, I admit a certain weakness to Kronenbourg 1664. It's a great beer and not easily found here in Chicago. With that said, I walked in an already happy-camper.
The dining room is cozy and filled with smells from dinner plates everywhere which made it a little difficult to decide what my plan of attack was going to be.
Our server was polite, efficient and unobtrusive. She was pretty funny as well.
The food was impeccable. I can't really say anything that hasn't already been said about the quality or the price. You'll just have to take my word for it and experience Kiki's for yourself.
I can't wait to go back.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
I love all things French which of course entails french food. My group and I sat outside on the patio area and the seating looked a bit tight but that was not the case. Although I would suggest some mosquito-repellent candles since I received a few bits on my legs while sitting outside but that really was the only umcomfortable aspect about the evening. The escargot was fabulous -- the perfect amount of garlic which complimented the bottle of Saviougon Blanc that Pascuel suggested. I have had better mussels though and I think that was because of the broth but this did not disuade my love for Kiki's Bistro. I had the Steak pommes frites -- we also had the beef tenderloin and the veal in a truffle sauce. For dessert we had the creme brulee, chocalate mouse cake with a rasberry sauce, blue-berry bread and Pascuel threw in the profiterolles since they're not to be missed.
The service is fantastic, warm friendly and upbeat personality. Albeit my sister is one of their servers this review is not biased, I truely was impressed with all aspects of Kiki's.
Kiki's is a great place to spend a romantic evening or even a place to dine with friends. If it's a nice evening I recommend outside, it's a more casual atmosphere as opposed to the inside which tends to be more initimate.
As Zac B mentioned, "What I like the most about Kiki's isn't the food, or the ambience, but the comraderie shared between the customers and the staff. We have customers who have been coming here for over fifteen years" and that is true, my mum has been coming here for years and she spent the evening regaling us w. funny/romantic stories of Kiki's bistro and even how she was proposed to at Kiki's.
I guarantee after one time at Kiki's, you two will come back and maybe even for the next 15 years.
Apprcier l'exprience
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
Such a wonderful night here!!!
My boyfriend and I went here on a double date with a friends new boyfriend and we had such a great experience!
Our server was James and he was helpful and friendly and would ask for him again when we go back.
One of us was a little afraid of French food but even he converted.
I ordered the salad with goat cheese and it was sooo good, i cleaned my plate, which i rarely do. Then i had the duck ravioli appetizer and it was equally as good. But i have to stress how good the salad was.
My beau order the escargot and frog legs (two separate appetizers) The escargot was tender, perfectly seasoned and had a lot of extra garlicky sauce to sop up with the bread. The frog legs were in this great creamy sauce that was like a chowder. The other couple ordered pork tenderloin that was great, and it was a lot of food (it was the only entree ordered) and some sort of goat cheese tart that i didn't get to try.
The drinks were great, especially the after dinner drinks. The creme brulee was slightly different than the norm with a layer of hard chocolate on the bottom was the perfect end.
It was a little on the pricey side for 4 graduate students - our bill with3 cocktails, 1 bottle of wine, and dinner was 120 with tip and the other couple was 80ish with tip.
But it was well worth it! All four of us loved it there, the food was incredible and i highly recommend it.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
If you are craving French food, Kiki's has delicious and buttery traditional French cuisine...and the wait staff is always very personable, funny, and attentive! It was a bit loud last time we were there, but i think there was a Bastille Day celebration going on, so that could explain the din!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
This is one of my new favorite restaurants.
It's a taste of Paris in Chicago with great outdoor seating; an urban escape. Our waiter has been at the restaurant since it opened and could not have been more friendly.
The French onion soup was delicious - lots of gooey cheese on top. The duck ravioli was very nice as well.
Steaks were very good and came with lots of crispy pommes frites.
The creme brulee was good (chocolate at the bottom is a nice twist on a classic) but the chocolate dessert on the menu is amazing melt in your mouth good!
I think this is a great place for a date or a place to take your parents for dinner.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)