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Kiki's Bistro
Category: Restaurants French French [Edit]
900 N Franklin St(between Locust St & Walton St)
Chicago, IL 60610
Neighborhood: Near North Side
(312) 335-5454
- Nearest Transit:
-
Chicago-Brown (Brown Line, Purple Line)
Clark/division (Red Line)
Chicago-Red (Red Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
179 reviews for Kiki's Bistro
Review Highlights
"Creme brulee of course was also fantastic."
(in 27 reviews)
"FOOD: Hands down the best French Onion soup in Chicago."
(in 27 reviews)
"The blueberry bread pudding was better than I expected."
(in 8 reviews)
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179 reviews in English
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Review from Christy L.
Chicago, IL
2/1/2012
My date and I headed to Kiki's mid-week during a snow fall and were two of perhaps six patrons in the entire restaurant. The service was very attentive...in a good way. The waitstaff was particularly helpful in recommending wines given that neither my date nor I were particularly well-versed on French varietals.
As mentioned by many Yelpers, the space, while much bigger than I was expecting, is super cute and romantic.
I always stare at a French menu and nothing jumps out at me; Kiki's was no different. Nevertheless, the food was very good. We split an escargot appetizer, which was tasty, thanks to the heavy garlic. For an entree, I ordered the rack of lamb, which was perfectly prepared.
I probably wouldn't return to Kiki's, not because we didn't have great service and food, but because French food in general is just not all that memorable to me. However, if you do like French bistros, definitely try Kiki's as the ambience and service were top-notch, and the food was very well-prepared. -
Review from Tim B.
1/31/2012
Really enjoyed Kiki's and it may very well become our favorite little local haunt. As expected, service, food & ambience were every bit of a french bistro. Succulent duck, crisp frites (and haricot verts) and one of the best Beef bourguignon we have had stateside. The lighting was perfect the noise levels subdued allowing for undistracted conversation.
Th emenu as you could guess is french, good specials, solid wine list and again great service -
Review from Grace N.
1/29/2012
My husband and I had a staycation in the city and the ingredients were almost there for a perfect, romantic weekend:
Hottie husband who tolerates the word "staycation"? Check.
Long, leisurely day at the Art Institute? Check.
Fabulous, gustatory sensation at a french restaurant? Er.....check please?
To be fair, the ambiance is like a Monet painting turned to life - warm and ebullient. The service was near perfection. And the appetizer of poached artichoke on toast topped with a poached egg, hollandaise sauce, and truffle shavings was transcendental - like a warm french kiss to the palette.
But the dismayed look on my 6-foot-2 husband's face when he saw his teeny-tiny short rib dish (like an adult at a child's tea party), along with my bland Coq au Vin, made the experience sadly mediocre. The prices, however, are anything but mediocre.
I guess we'll have to "staycate" in the burbs to have our perfect Coq Au Vin, at Hemmingway's Bistro. -
Review from Saira K.
1/29/2012
Lovely place, but the food was just all right. I had foie gras, which was more of a pate than the foie gras I'm used to. I also had moules, which were good. The dessert was nice.
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Review from Tiff W.
1/6/2012
We came to Kiki's Bistro for a pre-Christmas dinner with my boyfriend's parents and as soon as I walked in, I was in love. The floating candles, Kiki walking people to their tables, the giant magnum bottles of champagne decorating the interior...I was smitten.
And when I think about French food, I have to compare everything to Bistro Campagne up in Lincoln Square, which is about half of the size of Kiki's. The inside of Kiki's is surprisingly big when you walk in, and the restaurant was crowded for a random Wednesday night.
I was slightly disappointed by the food. Having heard so many great things about Kiki's from friends & coworkers, I was expecting the food to be amazing, but throughout the meal, I kept thinking "If you think Kiki's is good, just wait until you try Bistro Campagne!"
My Magret de Canard was tasty, but unremarkable. I didn't get an appetizer, but everyone at our table who got the Soupe A L'Oignon Gratinee thought that it was overly salty.
Kiki's was good and I'm glad I tried it out, but I'd definitely pick Bistro Campagne over Kiki's for the food. -
Review from Bill F.
IL
2/7/2012
Great local place. It's slightly off the path, but not far at all. The service is outstanding. The waiter realized I didn't like my dessert so he brought another one at no charge. The food was very good. Nice place inside, just a good vibe overall. If you are looking to get away from tourist spots in River North come to this neighborhood spot.
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Review from Tim H.
Chicago, IL
11/28/2011
I've been to Kiki's twice and both visits have been delightful. Kiki's is what it says it is: an old fashioned French bistro. It serves all the standards, and it does them as well as anyone in town. Service is great, cordial, friendly, and professional.
Piecewise, it's comparable to other restaurants of its type. They do, however, over a limited early bird fixed price menu if you order before 6.30.
The room is very warm and inviting, although it's location is kind of off the beaten path.
Parking isn't too bad here. I think that free parking can often be found around this neighborhood. Note too that even at some of the nearby metered locations, parkers don't need to feed the Daleys (that is, the parking kiosks that will be with us for the next 75 years thanks to a very poor decision made by the last mayor of Chicago) after 6.00PM. -
Review from Rachel T.
Chicago, IL
12/6/2011
So I have been to Kiki's a handful of times and mostly for lunch as this is a hot spot for our office. The service is impeccable and they truly adore their customers. The only problem I have when I go here is the fact I can never decide what to order!
I recently ordered the escargot and it was delicious, not overly garlic- just right! Then I had the scallops, always a safe order here, they were prepared to perfection. Anything you order from there is always delicious, from the soups all the way to dessert.
This would be a good date spot as not too many people (my age) know about it. They have a ton of hanging bulbs filled with tea lights that turn the dining room into quote a romantic spot.
You can never lose with Kiki's. -
Review from Marnie R.
Chicago, IL
12/27/2011
Had such an enjoyable experience at Kiki's Bistro. The food was delish especially the steak frites. The service was great and the atmosphere was romantic. I will definitely be back.
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Review from Elizabeth b.
Chicago, IL
10/23/2011
The #1 thing about this place is the atmosphere. You wouldn't know it from the logo, but this tucked-away restaurant is a Parisian cafe right here in Chicago. The color, the decor, the lighting, it all just works.
The service was just fine. Nothing to write home about, but people were friendly and prompt so there's not much to wish on that end I guess.
Collectively we tried the lamb stew, the chicken, steak, the mushrooms and the mussels. We had a few things to sample among the deserts- the absolute best being the mousse- seriously- simply melt-in-your-mouth amazing followed by the lemon tart which was done to perfection.
I thought the desserts and appetizers were far better than the entrees. I'm not a mushroom person but WOW! So many amazing flavors going on! I could've made those dinner on their own! The mussels on the contrary, were flat-out gross. They almost tasted like metal.
As for the entrees- not bad, not good either. I thought the chicken was the best of the entrees, but that's not saying much. Just not very special.
Will I be back here? Yes, but only if I have good company. -
Review from Khadijah L.
Chicago, IL
11/1/2011
Cute parisian cafe tucked a little away from the noisy River North area, it's almost in Old Town. This place looks really cute with the wood floors and panels, the owners try really hard to please their patrons. Service was prompt.
The food was good also, but I don't have anything particularly special to say about it. The lamb stew was good and the mussels, too. What I liked most was the dessert (lemon slice), that was pretty amazing.
What I did not like about the restaurant is how surprisingly noisy it was inside. The tables were far enough apart, and the light was low and everything looks cozy, but it sounds like a hectic market, and I'm not quite sure how all the noise seems to be amplified. I looked around and on average most of the patrons here look like they were 40 or older. Definitely a lot of older guests... so it's not loud like rowdy or anything.
I like the food, but it wasn't anything special. The place is cute but attracts a lot of older people. Would I come here again? Only if I were on a secretive dinner date and wanted to avoid being seen by people I know. -
Review from J. M.
Chicago, IL
10/26/2011
My husband-to-be and I had searched high-and-low and in-and-out of Chicago for the right atmosphere, with the right food, for the right price, for our event. And we found it by returning to this dear spot of mine. Kiki's Bistro hosted my wedding's reception on October 9th.
I've been a regular customer at Kiki's since it opened its doors 20 some years ago. We've celebrated every special event in our family there. I never envisioned hosting all my beloved friends and family in that space until I actually sat over my favorite dish (the duck), paired with my favorite Bordeaux, and considered it. Suddenly everything started to fall in to place. Its warm, welcoming feel lent itself naturally to exactly the experience I wanted to give our guests. And it's food: not your standard banquet chicken. And its wine list: fantastic! So we approached Kiki and he accepted our date and we took it from there.
Kiki's only hosts special events on Sunday nights, when they'd normally be closed. And to do so, you have to give your word you'll make his minimum tab, which we knew we'd easily reach hosting 130-140 guests that night. But Kiki is an ancient Frenchman. He doesn't have an event planner or a normal routine for these sorts of things (in his words - he only opens on Sunday nights 1-2 times a year) so we literally typed up our own contract and if we needed to reach him, we drove over to see him in person. Kiki does not check his e-mail account to regularly these days.
These experiences leading up to the day of the reception caused me a huge amount of anxiety. I actually had to put my groom up to the task of working with Kiki for all our needs and desires the night of. He patiently took up the challenge and did the best he could. And he did a good job because the day we got married, Kiki had the restaurant staffed and opened for us. He was waiting for our friends to decorate. The kitchen was prepared to cook our menu. And the sound system played our iPod.
Mind you: I didn't actually believe any of this would be the case until the morning I was planning to get hitched. So there's that. If you're a bride willing to marry on a Sunday night, and you pick Kiki's, prepare yourself. It's quite a rollercoaster of uncertainty!
But our reception was perfect. It was what we wanted. We hosted our loved ones by showing them how much we appreciated them being there. We did this through attentive service, endless pours of good wine, and delicious made-to-order meals. We left full of happiness and contentment. And we appreciate all the hard work the staff did to pull it all off for us.
And to wrap this up: if you're on Yelp to find a quaint spot for dinner, where there's no scene to contend with; just a friendly waiter with a rustic French menu to share with you head out to Kiki's Bistro. Order the duck and enjoy every bite for me.Listed in: Nuptial Bliss
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Review from Ashley B.
Chicago, IL
12/16/2011
Kiki's is a revelation. It is a shame we hadn't been there before! My husband and I have been exploring the world of French food quite a bit since we got Le Crueset cook wear off our registry...and we've fallen in love, this time with French cuisine. And Kiki's is perfect. The atmosphere is beautiful, whimsical and elegant and perfect for a date night.
First off: the french onion soup is perfect. The gruyere is incredibly flavorful. It's slightly better than that at Bistro Zinc, which had been our favorite until tonight.
Then, the venison chop. Shut up. Perfect. After we had our first bite, we stopped talking and ate slowly and in silence out of reverence for the sacred deliciousness. The sweet fig sauce and the walnut puree melded richly with the perfectly cooked, tender meat.
Finally, the creme brûlée. I had never enjoyed this particular dessert, but it's my dear husband's favorite so we indulged. And now I understand, so clearly, his deep love for the burnt sugar amazingness.
A few tips: don't dress like a trixie. The crowd here is elegant and no one is trying to impress anyone else. Think cashmere sweater and jeans. Perhaps it's the first evening out in Chicago for a long time where I did not see a single female (or male I guess) in tights or jeggings. -
Review from Brian P.
8/31/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I had a coq a vin. It's hard to mess these things up. I believe the chicken was pretty good--they were able to achieve a certain smokiness from a proper wine deglaze. More than enough chicken to take home and eat for lunch the next day. How fun!
Would love to go back--the wine was pretty great as well. wines are a big part of this restaurant as it should be--it's french. they have a little wine station in the middle of the dining room.
It's in a little area that seems a little under-loved which makes this place great. I love that it's a little french outpost complete, as i believe it's a vintage citroen car rally point. it really is quite quaint.
Great for:
romantic dinner
corporate event (if you work for a small law firm, or design shop, or something with a more casual yet professional atmosphere)
friends
Not great for:
quick bite
Ex'es
seen and be seen -
Review from chris g.
Though I may not be rich in my pockets, today's lunch at Kiki's made me feel like a King.
Coq au Vin. This is true ambrosia because it tastes like the chef at Kiki's has been mastering this dish and its velvety sauce for decades. All of the stewed carrots, white asparagus, fingerling potatoes and onion bulbs sit there in a chocolately seduction.
Spoon the chicken from the bones and quickly follow by sopping up that dark-meat liquor with a coin of French bread to achieve the desired mouthgasm.
If the meal solely consisted of Kiki's Coq au Vin, I'd still credit them 5 stars. But we worked our way toward this dish by starting off with escargot succulent enough for the fussiest diplomat and mussels bathed in a rich, creamy butter sauce that we also fantasized about having as a savory ice cream or mousse. There were shallots or something similar caked onto some of the mussel shells that made for a wonderful licking. I requested a dish of pommes frites out of curiosity and while they're perfectly good crisps, we could have stood for them to be more thickly cut, so as to enjoy a bit more soft potato essence.
Thanks to your Yelp reviews, we decided to order a lemon tart but there was no way I could leave today without trying Kiki's chocolate mousse.
I must explain that the restaurant was filled mostly with seniors who appeared to be distinguished, happy regulars, so they knew the deal me thinks. But I must've made some pretty X-rated facial expressions and sounds because once I recovered from the pleasurable blackout of tasting the mousse, the looks on their faces were straight out of a laugh scene in the BBC's Keeping Up Appearances sitcom.
I've never had scratch whipped cream confident enough to refuse a cane-sugared mask yet compliment such a silken, smooth, cocoa delicious mousse. Listen, this was about a 2 hour lunch because they do no rush you through your meal and take great care in bringing to the table phenomenal cuisine. Don't go here and be in a hurry.
And I can kick myself for passing this place up as many times. We waited too long, because here you eat like Gods.
See, I've recently been sulking at the closure of my favorite French BYOB named Cotes du Rhone, but Kiki's is like an ultimate sneak-up lover that comes along while you're messy-mascara'd and snotty-nosed... then sensually presses your reset button when you least expect, but need it. -
Review from Mark G.
Chicago, IL
11/30/2011
You have to love the atmosphere in this beautifully lit and decorated restaurant. Service couldn't be better and there specials are all that you would expect from a French restaurant. Unfortunately, the chef has decided to use no salt at all. There is a salt shaker on the table and even my wife that never adds salt to anything found that in order to find the familiar French flavors that salt was required. Very romantic and great service are reasons why it has lasted for so long.
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Review from Aloysius T.
Chicago, IL
6/8/2011
I always wanted to get better acquainted with French food, but generally the cost has been a bit prohibitive. Kiki's is definitely at a good price point and the food is approachable and not snooty whatsoever.
Wine by the glass: They have a huge book of French wine as you would expect from a French restaurant. Their selection of wine by the glass was considerably less (~20 wines -10 red - 10 white). I selected a fantastic 07' Rhone wine. I can go out on a limb and assume all the wines by the glass were chosen cuz they are affordable and delicious. The Rhone was exactly how I imagined a Southern Rhone would be just a little bit lighter.
They have a fantastic early dinner special (5-6:30pm), which is perfect for a post work dinner, although unfortunately it brings in an expected "older" clientele. That didn't stop me from talking about all kinds of raunchy things. I think they were kinda disgusted by some of the things I was saying; but such is the audacity of youth.
The pricing is fantastic at $27.50 for 3 courses. The menu options are a bit underwhelming for entrees. Steak, roasted chicken, salmon, or lamb stew.
Entree: The lamb stew was perfectly tender and not too heavy. Paired very well with my wine; though maybe a heartier Bordeaux woulda been even better. The chicken was also cooked perfectly and came with an ample serving of fries.
Apps: We ordered beet salad, and mussels. The mussels were fantastic. The broth buttery and rich. And the mussels themselves, soft and fresh. The beet salad was a good beet salad, but nothing to write home about.
Dessert: We got the homemade ice cream/sorbet and chocolate mousse. The mousse was okay, but the ice cream and sorbet were fantastic. Never woulda thought a French place would bother to make their own ice cream
Service: Was impeccably courteous and kind. Kiki is a very hospitable man.
Ambience: Hmmm, i was hoping to be transformed to a Parisian bistro; but didn't quite feel it. A little Sous Le Ciel de Paris on the speakers couldn't.
Overall a very pleasant experience, the early dinner special is a great deal; but i feel the real promise in this restaurant is their daily specials. Not easy to find dover sole or beef bourgogne in this city. -
Review from Alison F.
Chicago, IL
11/12/2011
Second time at Kiki's and less impressed unfortunately.
The restaurant has a nice, cozy feel to it, though a bit outdated, and it's easy to speak and hear each other across the table. It's a bit of an older crowd which suited the group we were with well. Kiki's is not too loud nor is it trendy.
Our server did a good job across the board, unfortunately the food wasn't great for the price.
We started with the Crab Cakes, scallops and mushrooms. The mushrooms were the best of the three. The other two were just ok.
For the main entrees, they ran out of their recommended chicken dish so 2 of us had to adjust - it happens, they handled it well but then 3 of us that ordered the salmon had to send it back as it was less than rare. They were kind enough to send us complimentary desserts to make up for the inconvenience which was a nice gesture. Desserts were good but not great either.
At the end of the night the coat-check staff came to our table to deliver our coats (a hint I guess). We couldn't find our plastic reusable claim ticket and she looked at us as to please find it. She said they just bought them. We spend over $600 that night and we shouldn't have felt uncomfortable if we couldn't find our claim ticket. No worries, we did eventually find it and returned it so we saved the day.
We found Kiki's to be just OK for the price. With so many options in the city it's hard to recommend OK food for the price. -
Review from Ivan M.
New York, NY
10/1/2011 Seated via OpenTable
France is an amazing food country and French bistros can easily be the best bang for the buck you get. Great food at affordable prices could also be Kiki's slogan. The place is not particularly hip, you may almost say outdated, and you should not expect to find a 20-40 year old crowd here either. But it's a solid French kitchen with attentive service and it does not disappoint at all. I would definitely recommend this place if you're looking for a French bistro in Northern Chicago
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Review from Taryn T.
2/20/2011
Located just outside of the hustle and bustle of River North, Kiki's Bistro has a very friendly, intimate atmosphere and French food that tastes light and healthy rather than heavy on the butter.
I had the poulet roti (roasted chicken) and finished with the lemon tart with raspberry sauce. The chicken was lean and not oversaturated in seasoning; the lemon tart was just enough for two people to split, though I think I'll order something with chocolate next time. Portions are meant to sate rather than stuff you.
Because the lighting is dim and the vibe is quiet, this would be a fantastic date spot. Just be sure to make a reservation - this place was packed on a Monday night with what looked like a loyal clientele. -
Review from Aurore L.
Updated - 11/22/2010
Forget turkey, stuffing and 4th Thursday of November: what about a wine-induced nap?!?!?
Dunno why - but sounds much more appealing to me....
Every year, every THIRD Thursday of November French drunkards gather all around the world (with a few of their international friends) to celebrate the Beaujolais Nouveau, New Beaujolais, kinda crappy primeur wine that we use to flood the world with just before the Holidays.
It's traditionally released at midnight in France, and hilarity, bad dreams and morning-after hungover follow.
This last Thursday around 1pm I was not ready yet for a glass of wine (shhh....I am being PC here....) but was desperately craving the next best thing: a strong after lunch espresso.
I dragged my partner to Kiki's, asked him en français if we could have a tiny cup of joe to kick up our neurons, and settled at the bar.
Witching brew swallowed in record time.
Perked up for the afternoon.
Merci, patron!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/21/2009
I can't help but revisiting just a tiny bit my review for Kiki's bistro (based on Yelp Eat… Read more »
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Review from Anne M.
2/7/2011
I've been to Kiki's twice now, both times for lunch, and it was lovely both times. Country-chic interior, romantic, would be very cozy at night for dinner - which I would love to try sometime!
Most recently, I started with their house salad ( mixed greens, endive, tomatoes + balsamic) pretty basic, could have been jazzed up a little - some cheese please? Other veggies? They also serve bread baskets/butter to start. I ordered their pizza du jour, one of the best 'fancy pizzas' I've had. Absolutely delicious, buttery crisp chewy crust, tomato sauce, lots of mushrooms, mozz + goat cheese. Mmmm... so good.
We split their lemon tart - perfect dessert, great crust, tangy lemon filling, served with fresh whipped cream + strawberries.
Very yummy lunch, thanks Kiki. -
Review from Lucas P.
Chicago, IL
9/25/2011
We have been to kiki's twice so far and the restaurant is getting al title better each time. The first time I nada the coq a vin, chicken in red wine sauce, and a the chicken was cooked very well, but the sauce started to coagulate a little, and for the appetizer we had the duck ravioli, which has a hair in it. On the second turn, I had the lamb shank which was incredible as well as some oysters. The second turn ended up being much better than the first. I guess the saying goes, if you try something once and you don't like it, try it again and give your opinion then.
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Review from Sara F.
Chicago, IL
3/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
So I absolutely LOVED the atmosphere here. It feels like you step right into a little Paris bistro. I wanted to absolutely fall in love with this place, but there were a few kinks.
Our waiter was super friendly, but really slow. There is something to lingering over a long dinner talking and drinking late into the night, but I just wanted him to be a little more attentive.
My escargot was absolutely delicious, but it came out SO hot that I couldn't eat it for about 10 minutes.
My parents really enjoyed their food (dad got the calf's liver and mom got some chicken dish), and my boyfriend RAVED about the duck, but my dish left a lot to be desired. I got the steak pommes frites, and my steak was SO TOUGH and chewy. The pommes frites were salty and delicious, but I could barely cut through that meat! It was very unpleasant eating it.
I wouldn't be upset if someone told me we were going here again, because it's clear that I just ordered the wrong thing; however, I am not in a rush to get back. -
Review from Nicki W.
Chicago, IL
7/20/2010 2 photos
Very few times am I head over heels in love with a restaurant and Kiki's will be added to the likes of Joe's Stone Crab in my category of pure amazingness. When you hear about Chicago's restaurant gems, this is what they're talking about.
Right as you walk into the restaurant, warmth hits you as Kiki the owner greets regulars with hugs and kisses asking about the family. It seems that just about everyone knew Kiki and that speaks volumes. For an establishment to have been around for 40 years and still be bustling on a Tuesday night, I give major props.
Kiki's would work very well for family gatherings, special events and much more.
My entertaining dining buddy for the night and myself were the youngest people in the room by at least 20 years but I was completely fine with that. The patrons themselves are what makes the atmosphere what it is. Wealthy older River North locals pulling up in their luxury vehicles adorned in suits coming straight from the office to meet their wives and their friends.
This is a place where the Scotch and Wine flow like the salmon of Capistrano.
We were sat in a cute little booth in the corner perfect for a date. I feel I need to get right down to the food, because it was truly perfect. For appetizers, we started with the Duck Ravioli as well as the Red Beet Salad. First off, the sauce in that Duck Ravioli was to die for and we continued to dip our bread in there. The salad had the perfect combination of sweet and salty and it was very enjoyable.
For the Entrees, we had the Steak Au Poivre, 12oz New York Strip Steak with cracked peppercorns served with assorted vegetables (carrots and potatoes). It was so juicy and melted in my mouth but the only complaint I do have is the fact that the last taste I had in my mouth was the pepper when it should have been the steak. Case in point, the pepper was a bit overpowering. But still outstanding and cooked to Medium Rare perfection!
We also had the Roasted Pork Tenderloin served with Polenta, Braised Red Cabbage, Green Beans, Carrots and Turnips. The same Calvados sauce which was served with the steak also came with this. The presentation on this dish was especially enticing. They had the pork laid out in a fan over the cabbage. You NEED to combine the cabbage, polenta and pork together because the flavors all compliment each other!! Fabulous.
In my world, a dinner is not complete without dessert and their dessert list did not let me down. We ordered the Blueberry Bread Pudding (so sweet and moist), as well as the Profiteroles Au Chocolate (wow). We were so stuffed, but we just kept on eating because we couldn't let all of these wonderful treats go to waste.
All in all, if you haven't heard of Kiki's, don't waste the time and shame yourself, just call up and make a reservation ASAP. I've been wow'd tonight and I wont stop talking about it for awhile! -
Review from Carolynne M.
Chicago, IL
6/23/2010
Here is the breakdown of what my experience was like:
AMBIANCE/ATMOSPHERE: Tucked away in a rather industrial section of North Franklin street, you walk in to a very cozy dining room with a wood beam ceiling, French Country decor, low lighting and wide plank wood floors. Decor was very well done and appropriate for the style of this restaurant. Too quiet though, some soft background music would have been nice.
CLIENTELE: Maybe we were here just too early in the evening but you might want to take note if you are under 40 years old. This was Elder Haven, kids, lots of the grey-haired set here. Many of these folks gave the impression of being regulars.
SERVICE: Adequate, except when I ordered the salmon entree and it came out cold in a mixed salad style, I was surprised to say the least. Then my friend Renee took a bite and said "I think you got the chicken dish instead of salmon", and so it was. The correct dish came out with little wait but I felt guilty that now the unwanted dish was going to go right in the garbage. What a waste. Drink and bread refills were continuous and there was never a wait for plates to be cleared or our waiter to appear between courses.
FOOD: Hands down the best French Onion soup in Chicago. Rich, complex and loaded with cheese, my mouth is watering as I type this remembering how good it was. As good French Onion is tough to come by in this town, this was a welcome surprise. My one bite of the Chicken salad entree had cool crisp vegetables mixed with a nice, moist warm chicken. My salmon was perfectly cooked, with somewhat salty vegetables in a brown sauce. The chocolate mousse for dessert was divine - so light and fluffy and not too sweet.
My only one true complaint is the restaurants logo. It really needs an update badly. Looking at the sign from the street one might almost think this was some kind of lunch room, it is very plasticky and 1980's looking. The Citroen car is a cute idea, but come on - let's swank it up people! This is a fancy French restaurant - your logo should represent that and not be a handdrawn cartoon. OK, sorry, rant over.
Anyway, definitely go for the food. You wont be disappointed. -
Review from Carolyn L.
Palatine, IL
12/6/2010
For Bastille Day this summer, I had the pleasure of attending the festivities at Kiki's Bistro in Chicago. Upon arriving at the restaurant on 900 N Franklin, I was greeted with Kiki's 2CV classic French voiture in front of the place. In the street next door, there was a street fest with a French singer in the style of Edith Piaf accompanied by an accordion and base player. I wandered around to find my French and Francophile friends and realized that there were many people there that I had never seen at any of the French In Chicago meetings or FACC cocktail hours! I enjoyed a couple glasses of some sparkling rosé and also watched a couple of street performers who played with fire! It was very reminiscent of the teenagers who play with fire sticks on the Champ de Mars near the Eiffel Tower in the summer evenings.
The restaurant itself was founded by Kiki (Georges Kiki Cuisance). He is a native of Eastern France and has been in the restaurant business for 50+ years. He even worked at the Closerie des Lilas in Paris (Montparnasse area) which was frequented by Hemingway. In the 1960s, he came to Chicago as the sommelier for Maxim's de Chicago. He also opened Le Bordeaux restaurant on both Madison and Michigan before eventually moving north to Kiki's Bistro. I didn't get to taste the food this time but I'm sure I'll be back to get some fine French fare! Vive la France! -
Review from Keith A.
Wilmette, IL
12/10/2010
Now this is what you'd call old school and classic french food. It wasn't in the real heavy butter and cream style, but this is exactly in that rustic style that makes french food so much fun when done right.
I went here a few nights ago to meet up with a group of friends for a burgundy themed wine dinner. We had some out of towners in and needed a proper establishment for the great wines we were going to be drinking.
Since there we were 9 strong in the group, we ordered up several different appetizers for everyone to sample. We got the escargot, mussels and shrimp provencal. The escargot was extremely good and the sauce that was with it was great. The shrimp were good, but nowhere near the level of the escargot or the mussels. The mussels were meaty and the broth that they were cooked in was packed with flavor.
I ordered up the rack of lamb for my main entree and had it medium rare. The lamb was great for some pieces but they were all varying in how cooked they were going from medium to almost rare with two pieces being medium rare. While the lamb was very good, the ratatouille was easily the best thing on the plate and was just plain good.
I finished off with the foie gras pate. Normally I like my foie gras seared but this pate was extremely good and creamier then most pates that I've had. Of course, as always with foie gras, a little goes a long way and not much was needed to be satisfied.
The service was extremely helpful and did a great job of letting us go at our own pace. Since there were a lot of bottles out they were also very reasonable with the corkage charged. This is easily a place I would come back to either with a smaller group or with another good sized wine tasting -
Review from Penny S.
3/28/2010 ROTD 6/9/2010
What do you get when you spiff up a happy pair, give them a Friday night open skate and make the cuisine requisite French? You get that happy pair to Kiki's Bistro and then you let the evening take its course!
Greeted warmly, we sat at the bar for a quick round before our reservation time. When it was time to sit, we were shown to a lovely, quiet and intimate corner banquette seat. Wine list opened, appetizers ordered, attire duly appreciated.
The kumomoto oysters (six to an order) arrived, one order for each of us, pre-adorned with a few types of roe and a lemon in the middle. Perfectly shucked, slurped and demolished - delicious! Next up, the salads. My date's Lyonnaise (amazingly warm poached egg and bacon lardons - perfection) and my beet, or "dirt cherry" as he charmingly calls them, salad was light and had the right amount of salad-to-beet ratio.
Bottle of delectable red ordered, happily taking in the warmth of the room and each other, we anticipated our entrees.
Our mains were, as predicted by a neighboring table, things we would dream of in the coming days. My duck was cooked to perfection and accompanied by a savory en glaze, slightly overcooked string beans (which I ate anyway, happily), a fantastic rice pilaf and rich, sweet stewed red cabbage. My date's lamb chops were excellently cooked and succulent however he was a little let down by the pedestrian mashed potatoes. Our sides of mushrooms (at least a few different types, buttery and meaty) and sauteed spinach rounded everything out fully.
As we waited on desserts of creme caramel and a lemon tart, a patron intercepted Kiki himself on his way around the room, congratulating the restaurant on 40 years and mentioning that he and his wife had been dining there for 17 of them. My heart was warmed, what an ideal sign that they do things right. Yes, the crowd is an older one and it's not crazy lively or bumping even on a Saturday night, but it was a perfect place in time. -
Review from Christine M.
Chicago, IL
11/8/2010
Kiki's is absolutely my favorite type of dining experience -- classic, simple exquisitely prepared faire in a classic style restaurant. I went for an early Friday dinner and was really amazed that the ower was actually there and sat us to our table. This set the evening off on the right foot and only got better as it went on!
We were lucky to get a corner table that was away from the hustle and bustle of the other areas. If you're looking for a quieter dining experience, go earlier as the noise levels seem to rise as the evening goes on. Wine by-the-glass is top notch but not belt breaking. Recommend reservations as well.
Started with the Foie Gras which was absolutely amazing (sorry duck lovers!) and I'm glad that's not illegal anymore, haha! Then, went on to the Steak au Poivre which was tender and an excellently prepared pepper sauce -- they didn't hold pack on drowning it in it either. Finished off with Berries and Cream (special request) to end the night.
They seemed to have a fair mix of groups of friends, married couples, dates, groups of girlfriends, etc. so it doesn't seem like you can pin it to one type of crowd. Either way, wonderful dining experience and would go back in a heartbeat. -
Review from Joe L.
Peru, IL
8/15/2011
This isn't a French Bistro.Maybe the regular chef is off on Monday nights? Rack of " Mutton " .it was bad. Salad --mediocre at best--bread was good---service friendly. My wife had the same experience with her meal. We do hope this was just a bad night for Kiki's it was for us.
Best wishes, Joe Leydon -
Review from Melanie S.
Chicago, IL
3/5/2010
I've been to Kiki's Bistro many, many times. My old firm held their annual holiday party there for 4 years in a row, and I had been for dinner on several other occasions.
You know you're in the right place when you see the darling red Citroën parked in front of the restaurant, which offers free valet, btw, an unheard of concept in downtown Chicago.
Last night, I met a newly-brunette Yelper (who looks fantastic as a chestnut-haired beauty, for the record) for dinner. We had tossed around a few other places but I wanted to stay fairly close to the Brown line out of convenience, and knowing her predilection for French food, I suggested Kiki's. She's easygoing, so we settled on Kiki's.
To be honest, I was a little disappointed. I've had a lot of wonderful meals here, but this one fell a little short.
I arrived a few minutes early, so I sat at the bar and ordered a glass of Bordeaux, which was excellent. She arrived and we were shown to our table.
I started with a Salade Lyonnaise, which is one of my favorite salads. While this was good (how can you go wrong with a warm poached egg and lardons?), it wasn't nearly as good as it could have been.
For my entree I ordered a rack of lamb, which came with ratatouille, mashed potatoes, and haricots verts. The lamb was overcooked and a little tough. The sides were very good, however.
My dc ordered the roasted chicken, but she didn't eat very much, so I'm not sure if she enjoyed it. It could have been that we were just chatty and she didn't get a chance.
Which leads me to the service. Since we were talking quite a bit, we had several moments where we weren't eating. The bussers and servers interpreted that as we were done with our entrees and constantly kept coming over to clear our plates. It got annoying to have to keep saying we weren't done. We were asked so many times, we just gave up and let them take our plates.
Moving on to dessert. I knew from past visits that Kiki's has crème caramel on their menu, so I knew ahead of time that that was going to be my selection. There isn't a French bistro that doesn't have crème brûlée on their menu, but you'd be hard-pressed to find many that have crème caramel.
This was creamy and sweet, and served with a puddle of caramel sauce and fresh berries. Simply sinful.
We settled our check and moved to the bar area to meet a friend for another glass of wine. By then, we were the only people in the bar area and there wasn't a bartender.
No worries, Kiki himself came over and poured us some wine. Conversation flowed and wine was drunk. We all wanted another glass but no one ever came over and asked us. You'd sell a lot more wine if you asked if your guests would like another round. That was ironic to me because when I was waiting for my guest, I heard Kiki remark how slow business had been lately. Again, your check average would rise if you kept a bit of a closer eye on your guests.
We never were offered a second round so we just ended up deciding to leave since I have copious bottles of red wine at my house, and then it became a problem trying to get someone to close out our bar tab.
So Kiki's get 3.5 stars. I'll definitely go back to Kiki's in the future, but since my experience was lacking, it may be awhile before I go back.Listed in: Je mange donc je suis
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Review from Jim P.
Niles, IL
1/1/2011
Hey! I read from other reviews about Kiki's Bistro that Brasserie Jo is now closed. Great! I always thought that place was terrible, having visited Kiki's several times first. The visits must have spoiled me.
Anyway, Kiki's Bistro has always been a wonderful dining experience. The food has always been great, the service great, the ambiance great, and Kiki (the person), a great fellow who knows Paris and its restaurants (we talked about L'Ambroisie and he gave me the name of a place to dine at, recommending that I reference him when visiting). Kiki's Bistro is a place I always have fond memories of. -
Review from Rachel W.
Chicago, IL
7/30/2008
If you work in River North, you must do lunch at Kiki's. The food is incredible (today I had diver scallops with asparagus and whipped potatoes- perfection!) and the size/ variety of their lunch menu is incredible. Their daily omelet, salad, soup, and fish specials are the real stars.
And I have a theory the waitstaff is psychic. No seriously. Like creepy pod people from another planet, all armed with ESP and the ability to hear our thoughts. Whether or not you make reservations, they anticipate if there are still more to arrive for your party. They swoop in during conversation lulls (not during highly engaged dialog) to take orders. They appear the moment you've finished to take your plate. And they can sense if/when you need to get back to the office and make sure you get your bill quickly.
Kiki (the owner) and Violet (the hostess) are both friendly and extremely professional. A great spot for a business- or fun- lunch! -
Review from Paige W.
Chicago, IL
2/26/2008
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. -
Review from Kate B.
Chicago, IL
1/3/2007
I L-O-V-E this restaurant. It probably doesn't hurt that my nickname is Kiki and I told the owner and he gave me a beret with their logo on it. So nice and so gracious!
But their food is really good. I started with the escargot which I love and rarely eat. It was full of garlic, which automatically earns you points in my book and the little guys weren't tough or chewy, they were perfect.
Then I had the Steak-Au-Poivre (sp?) with pomme frites - because in my book about steak there is nothing better than steak covered in fresh cracked peppercorns. It too was good, and I like my meat cooked medium-well, and I feel that sometimes its hard to understand what medium-well really means. It means that yes there is some pink in the middle, and at Kikis yes there was some pink in the middle.
On to the dessert, which is really my favorite part of any meal. I had the creme brulee. And as my spoon cracked the perfectly crusted sugar topping and dove to the bottom, to my surprise there was chocolate in the bottom! How perfect! It is to this day still the best creme brulee that I have ever had. And I was going to join my Dad and his girlfriend here for dinner once, but I got sick and couldn't go, so my Dad asked the waiter for a creme brulee to go and they gave it to him in the bowl with the special serving spoon. It made my sniffles disappear for a few minutes!
Plus their service is top notch, in all the times I have eaten here there has never been bad service. And when the owner is around, which is most weekend nights, he stops over to the table to see how everything is. -
Review from Michael E.
Charlotte, NC
5/1/2009
Though I've had friends introduce me to many places in the city, Kiki's was one that no one mentioned.
This lovely French bistro located in Near North Side is tucked away in an old building that sits quietly by the rumbling Brown line.
To begin, there is complementary valet, which in a big value due to the parking debacle our Mayor has put us in.
As we entered, we were greeted by George......oops, I meant Kiki. This establishment has been at this location for 19 years, but Kiki's was actually located in the Loop for 20 years prior to that and folks in this restaurant were much older, but don't let that deter you younger folks from considering trying this restaurant.
Zac was our server and did an excellent job of making recommendations. We started out with a goat cheese salad and escargot.
Zac provided some advice on our entrees and indicated that the steak and duck were excellent, so we took his advice and ordered them which I'm glad we did as they were very good. He also helped pair a nice wine with our meal.
Finally, we topped off the meal with dessert.....a profiterole (I have Carol K to thank for turning me onto this lovely dessert) and an egg custard which were perfect.
Now I would have given this establishment 5 stars, but we found that the busboys were constantly coming over to try and clean off our plates when in fact they were still half full with food. At these prices, meals are more leisurely and the place was not packed, so we were taking our time, but it is annoying to keep telling the bus boys "no, we are not done yet." A small little tweak in service will get them up to 5 stars with me if it is fixed the next time I partronized this location.
This is a perfect place for a perfect French meal in the city if I ever did experience one and you should too. -
Review from Caroline A.
Chicago, IL
6/21/2009
Classic French cuisine is probably my favorite type of food. Sure, it's not as adventurous as other restaurants in the city, but it's delicious, consistent and if they do it right, I'm going to love it.
My three best friends from high school and I had a mini-reunion dinner here. The atmosphere is... well, that of a classic French bistro. It is rustic, charming and terribly romantic. This is definitely an ideal date spot.
You'll notice that most of the patrons here are 50-plus in terms of age. There are no trendy designer jeans with striped shirts here... but ultra classy gentlemen with their equally elegant significant others. It was really sweet to watch the older couples as I was waiting for my friends. It was lovely.
The menu is traditional, and everything we had was perfect. I had the goat cheese salad, and as another yelper mentioned, it was perfectly dressed. For my main course, I had the duck... because I love duck. The wild rice was a little bland, but the braised cabbage was delicious and went very nicely with the duck. J-Money had the lamb, and she said it was a little over seasoned, but very good. For dessert, the four of us split an order of Creme Brulee and the Bluberry Bread Pudding. The Creme Brulee had a chocolate bottom that was a very nice surprise. It was very good... but I still love the one at RL better. The Blueberry Bread Pudding is perfect for those who want a dessert that is not overly sweet.
The four of us sat and dined for about 2.5 hours. And nobody bothered us. Nobody rushed us. It was loads of fun :)
Free valet too. Yay. -
Review from Michael P.
Chicago, IL
10/19/2008
Kiki's Bistro has been at it's current address since the early 90's. Prior to that, he had a restaurant in the Loop which was a hidden little gem below street level (Le Bordeux on Madison). Kiki knows how to run a restaurant.
This is an adult restaurant. No techno music. No trainee, temporary while I am studying to be an actor/musician/lawyer waitstaff. No culinary experiments with the name of "fusion". No waitstaff singing for your birthday either.
At Kiki's you get good, solid, traditional, French bistro dishes prepared the way you would expect. Now... can that be boring to some? Sure. To them I say, Chicago is filled with the Eatery du Jour that is hot for the moment and I suggest you go there for the total doofus experience before they close next month. If you are over 21, come to Kiki's for the food and the professional service. Kiki himself will be there to seat you.
I have read some complaints about the age of the patrons. Well, I happen to think that the old money knows where to go and what to spend it on. Since I have several grey hairs, I fit in nicely and pretend to be old money! Keep in mind kiddies, when you get to be grey, I don't think you will still be hanging out at Japonais - you will get a headache from all the energy.
As to complaints about the food. Well, while dining in a well respected, establishment, if you are dumb enough to pay a good buck for food that you don't feel was prepared properly without telling your waiter....(and you are dumb enough to write about it later) you will never be old money. All kitchens make mistakes and if you ever wish to make it as a seasoned, restaurant aficionado you need to let them know when something is not right - good restaurants will make it right.
Regarding price, the fact is, most chain steakhouses charge more for a hunk of meat a la carte than does Kiki on a good variety of near complete meals on his menu. If you are in the mood, feel free to run up the bill.
The wine list is extensive and there are specials as well. As in any upscale restaurant, don't expect to find a discounted, "expensive" bottle of wine. Kiki's is not the place to come to get loaded. If you need more than two glasses of wine with dinner, stop at your local gin mill on the way home and then call for reservations at Betty Ford. You may have a problem.
Bottom line - Old School restaurant experience. Good for special occasions or for a nice escape from the day-to-day. Generally a mature, regular crowd with more of a mix at special events. Professional wait staff. "Bistro Favorites" (as classified on the menu) are my go-to choice. Daily specials add an interesting change. Duck Ravioli, the Veal Chop, Coq a Vin, Rack of Lamb, are wonderful. Deserts are generally simple but outstanding - the usual standards, creme brulee, chocolate mousse and some surprises. Free valet. Dress runs from business casual to nice jeans and a sweater.
Skip Starbucks for a week, put on a sportcoat, get your wife or significant Other to dress-it up a little as well, and live large. Stoggy can be fun.
Go and pretend you are Thurston Howell, III. - (Google it - if your a twentysomething.)Listed in: Destination Restaurants
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Review from Daniel R.
Chicago, IL
7/16/2008
It's not like I'm going to be wearing any berets or anything, but sometimes it's a good thing to get a little Frenchy. I mean, they've given us SO much: french fries, french toast, french kissing (oo la la)!
Anyway, it was my mother's birthday and it coincided with the special Yelp promotional menu, so I gave it a shot. BTW: the promotional menu is eerily similar to the early dinner menu they normally have. You can get that from 5 to 630PM and it's only $25 for 3 courses.
The food was pretty good. I had the mussels and they were some of the best I've had. My mother had the mushroom fricassee and it was frican-awesome. We both had steak pomme frites. Mine was a bit overdone, I think, but it was good and HUGE. The frites made the meal (as did the giant pat of compound butter). We split the chocolate mousse and lemon tart. It was as expected. Nothing too spectacular. BUT, if you want simple food done well (or well done, if you're having the steak) eat at Kiki's.
