Bavette's Bar and Beouf Review

Sweet place with amazing food. The ambiance is what takes the cake here.

Cocktails are really nice and balanced. The Tokyo old fashioned is top notch, made with Nikka from the barrel.

Exceptional restaurant. The food and service is top notch.

Never had a bad experience here. Truly one of the finest establishments in Chicago. If you're looking for something romantic, reserve a spot at the parlor!

The food was great as was the service. Our table was located in the basement, which was very chic and cozy looking. Only complaint was that the music was too loud for the space making it hard to hear each other and the waiters.

Supremely top notch service. All employees are perfectly in alignment and work to make the night a totally in-sync experience. Absolutely recommend.

Favorite dish is the baked goat cheese, which doesn't say more than garlic bread on the menu, but comes with generous slices of Texas toast. This alone was filling, but oh there were so many more pieces to come.

One thing I will say, with reservation, is that we weren't all that impressed with the steak (dry aged ribeye, ordered medium-rare). The flavor was great, the meat was a bit mealy and more fat than meat. I know fat is typical of ribeye, but this was about 50/50 edible meat to fat+bone ratio.

Regardless, the service more than made up for any steak shortcomings. In fact, I've had excellent steaks at other restaurants in Chicago, but the service was always underwhelming. At Bavette's, service is the star on the menu.

Side note: cocktails were excellent, and reasonably priced for the menu ($14).

Total bill for two with 2 drinks, baked cheese, salad, potatoes, and dry aged steak comes out to around $160 with tax/tip.

Loved the crab cake! Best I've ever had. Filet mignon was wonderful too! Definitely a delight for the taste buds.
The food was pretty dang good, but the service was even better.
Really friendly, really understanding, every staff member went out of their way to make you feel welcome. I sat at the bar, and both staff were a pleasure to chat with. When my filet mignon was too rare for me, they were super nice about cooking it more. When I didn't end up liking the mango sorbet, they didn't charge me for it.
Would definitely come again.

Best ambiance of any restaurant I've ever been to, like out of a movie or novel. Go Chicago!

The food here is amazing. It is outstanding. The service is amazing and the dark theme overall in the restaurant is just so relaxing. Everyone should at least try this once because they have amazing food. It is a good location and walkable from most hotels. They are extremely kind and good. I suggest going here if you haven t already because you need to try this place.

One of the best Steak Houses I have been to. The ambiance is what you would expect at that price point. The service is extremely attentive. The food is amazing. I have only been to one restaurant with better steak and that steakhouse is in Wisconsin. When I say better, I mean barely.

Nice atmosphere. I sat in the bar area. Good price range of different cuts of meat. Drinks were very good. My old fashion was one the best.

My absolute favorite steakhouse in Chicago. The aged ribeye is top notch and is the best I've had across the country. Reservations are required weeks ahead of time and the ambiance of the restaurant is quite intimate to say the least but everything they do here is fantastic and well worth the wait. I have brought friends and family here on multiple occasions and I have never left disappointed. My most highly recommended restaurant in my 12+ years of living in Chicago

steaks... super delicious. food with real quality ingredients. i look forward to a return trip. this place has an awesome atmosphere.

Steakhouses are another popular date night choice, and there are plenty excellent options to pick from in Chicago. One that is frequently called out as being the most romantic is Bavette s Bar & Boeuf. The menu is very Chicago, as is the Jazz Age-style decor. Just make sure to reserve your table well in advance!

That mac and cheese is marriage material. Great fresh salads. Chicken is crazy good. That chocolate pie has a consistency that could be described as perfect.

One of the best steakhouses in Chicago! Superb food, service, and atmosphere.

Bavette's was truly a top-shelf experience. We arrived early to have a drink at the bar, and the staff found us in a dark corner of the basement bar with no problems and quickly got us to our table. The meal was excellent from start to finish; perhaps the most remarkable part of it was how unrushed we were! It was great to have time to savor each course without feeling like we needed to keep up with our server. Hard to find any fault with this experience! We would certainly go back.

Exquisite drinks and food! Cocktails you have to go with the champagne smash or the little rose cocktail. The bartenders spend their time mixing your drinks and the are just delish! The wedge salad is the BEST wedge I have ever had it comes with two full pieces of their delicious bacon and the dressing and toppings make the dish!

The tables are so close together, it's awkward to get in and out of your seat and you can easily overhear the next table. Just keep in mind for the kind of atmosphere you are looking for. Architectural elements throughout the restaurant were cool. Got the goat cheese for app, that was really good although the goat cheese and the house bread free app all came at the same time which I thought was weird. Could've been munching on the bread while waiting for the goat cheese. Very happy with our steaks and spinach. Mashed potatoes were very buttery, not our style but still delicious if you like that sort of thing. Service was good overall.

Perhaps the best steaks in the world. When I visit Chicago, I always include a visit to Bavette's. They also have a restaurant in Las Vegas at the MGM Park hotel/casino.

I have visited 3-4 times before reviewing...steak is average, prime rib is good but the service for this type of place is so bad it s not worth the visit. I d recommend steak 48. Much better experience. Staff is as lazy and rude as it gets.

We came to this place for a meeting. This restaurant was recommended to us by a friend. Well, we were not disappointed. The staff members welcomed us with a smile and we felt very good. The meal was great. We enjoyed every moment and we will visit this place again. we highly recommend this place.

By far on the best steaks I ve had. Service was friendly and the food exceptional. Ambience was great and if I m ever in Chicago again I will definitely be going back. (Visited October 2018)

This is where you want to go when you crave red meat in Chicago. The seafood and drinks are also off the charts. The atmosphere is unique and the service leaves nothing wanting. Pics are from my birthday, we ordered: 4 oysters, 1 bone-in dry aged rib eye, 1 rib eye, and buttery garlic mash potatoes. The quality and preparation of everything we ate was amazing. Making reservations weeks in advance is highly recommended.

Incredible dining experience! The atmosphere is unlike any other and gives off a real cool vibe. We ve been here a few times now and we continue to have amazing experiences. We decided to bring our own wine this time and the options were a $50 corkage fee or the fee was waived if you chose to share a glass with another table. We were more than happy to share (plus the server didn t pour a whole lot in the third glass) so we opted to share with another table. Our service was impeccable and the food was out of this world.

An excellent meal. Our table had 3 steak cuts and the lamb chops. All were exquisite. We also shared 4 sides: the Mac n cheese and mashed potatoes are MUSTS. Highly recommend for a celebration dinner!

I just want to begin this review by saying this place is absolutely beautiful and intimate and the staff is amazing. My husband and I came here the past weekend while in town celebrating our anniversary. The drinks were awesome, truffle mac melt in your mouth good, brussels best I ever had, oysters were very good and smoked salmon caesar delicious..all food was delicious . The only reason I gave 4 instead of 5 is because initially we had to make reservations which was fine, but there's a charge pp to make the reservation and the charge is supposed to go toward your bill. However, the charge didnt go towards our bill and my card was charged the reservation fee after leaving the restaurant. I found that to be a little sneaky and unfair to customers. That was my only complaint.

$160 for shrimp, bacon, two dirties and a bone in rib eye. I'll do it again.

I appreciate the quality of the food for it was like satisfying especially if you are craving it. The place was cozy enough that made you feel comfortable while savoring the taste of the food. For me, they have a professional chef who cooked the food so tasty. I would recommend this place to my friends and families.

Absolutley fantastic. Service, atmosphere, drinks all on par. Ordered the Classic Ribeye and it came out perfect. Cannot wait to return.

Came back on June 15th 2020, to indulge in the $20 burger special, during COVID. Ben was at the front door and assisted us with our pickup. For some reason I pre-ordered for the wrong day but Ben was able to squeeze our order in. Top notch service as always!

Large portions that they will divide up to be shared with your group. Bring a nice wine and the waiter will find another for you to share with. The potatoes are killer and the blue cheese salad has chunks of cheese in it. Our waiter, Erik, made our dinner very special an memorable. Ask for him if you can.

The atmosphere of this restaurant is very swanky. Dimly lit and decorated very well. We waited for a bit, and ordered right away. Rib eye is the greatest thing on the menu here. The sides such as the mac and cheese were probably the greatest I ve had. Next to Gibson s Chicago ribeye this is my favorite so far. Service was excellent.

Came here for an anniversary dinner and the service and food was basically as good as it gets. The location is relatively close to one of the metro stops (in case you are using a metro pass) but the restaurant is very dark in the front and you could easily pass by it.

The host was extremely friendly and seated us almost immediately for our reservation. The location was packed for a Friday night and SUPER dim. I questioned how one could even see the food in such an environment, but it looked like everyone was really enjoying themselves.

For appetizer, we ordered the roasted bone marrow which included 5 bones for ~$19. The bone marrows were delicious and came with several slices of bread to pair with the delicious beef butter. For the entree, we decided to split a dry aged rib eye cooked to a medium rare for $70. It was my first time trying a dry aged steak and I was definitely not disappointed! The dry aged-ness of the steak makes it taste kind of funky yet the steak has a great amount of flavor in each bite. Overall, really impressed by the taste, and also decided to add some roasted garlic (+$4) to add some more flavor. I wouldn't recommend getting an additional marrow for the steak ($8) because it is only one bone, it's better to just go for the actual marrow platter itself to get more bang for your buck.

Overall, the service was attentive, the ambiance is loud yet it allows you to keep to your own table, and the presentation and food quality makes this a true fine dining establishment. Would definitely come back again whenever I get the chance!

Great steaks and ambiance. I d suggest to any person looking for a craft steakhouse in Chicago that has plenty of class and amazing food.

Excellent food and service. Quite dark. Used my flashlight to read menu. Highly recommended

A favorite Chicago place for dinner when we're in town.

Surprisingly disappointed. Maybe the kitchen was off. Oysters were good. Truffle mac and cheese was good. Dry aged 22oz ribeye was average at best. I came for the steak and it wasn't special.

The bone marrow plate is outstanding and plentiful.

Easily the greatest meal I've ever had. We ordered a wedge salad, truffle Mac and cheese, the bone in filet, fried chicken, and the chocolate pie for dessert. All phenomenal!!!

Let's not forget the "beverages". The Tokyo old fashioned was perfectly balanced. My negroni lasted maybe 5 minutes, and the wine selection was out of this world.

Can't wait to bring more friends and family to this precipice of excellence in the near future.

Best steakhouse I ever had. Everything from the decor, to the service, and especially the food and drink. Our server, John was exceptional.

Bone-in NY Strip steak was overdone and lacked flavor. I ordered it medium well, and it came out with no pink. Next time I would order it medium, likely would not get the NY Strip. I've had better flavored steak at Outback. Wife got the Filet Mignon and it was very good.Superior wedge salad. Best lemon meringue pie ever

Best boneless ribeye I have had in Chicago! The char was perfect, the meat was tender and I didn t need to add any sauces to bring out the flavor. We started with a wedge salad containing Gorgonzola and pork belly. We also tried the stroganoff and truffle Mac... both of which were delicious. Definitely adding this to one of my go-to places when in the city proper.

Great service and GREAT FOOD! I ordered the bone-in NY strip and it was like cutting into a stick of butter. Highly recommended!!!

Food is very good.. loved the steat. It melted in mouth...a must go to place

This is hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. So difficult to get a last minute reservation. The trick is to go later like after the dinner hour. Same menu, just later. There is a main level and a basement level, both accommodating for dining. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Short Rib Stroganoff and the Mashed Potatoes which both are beyond good. There are many other things I want to try, but can't get past what I mentioned. Please don't judge me or my post. I do not and did not order pasta and potatoes! Because that would be weird, right? I ordered the pasta and my pals ordered the potatoes as a side dish. I just simply had a few bites. :p

An overall incredible experience. The drinks were well made and the steak was cooked so finely that you could cut it with a butter knife. The sides were some of the best mashed potatoes and macaroni I've had. For dessert, we asked for bacon and ice cream which wasn't on the menu, but our waitress and the kitchen staff were able to deliver with perfection.

Went for a special evening. Started out with some salad apples and pecan then filet mignon which was magnificent and we finish out to dinner with chocolate cream pie. Everything was to die for.

Where to start..

My fiance has amazing taste and knows what's up and what's good. She has impeccable flavor for the best places in town. I'm from a small town in northern Illinois and am not used to these places.

She surprised me by taking me here for my birthday.

At first I didn't know what to expect. It looked like the French Mafia was waiting for me inside because I missed my last payment. Well it was definitely a restaurant from some type of Oscar Worthy movie like that but without the imminent threat of the mafia taking me out back.

The hostess set us down after I had some time to take in the aesthetic, and classicly lighted atmosphere. We were treated very well by our waiter and I started with oysters which brought me back to my summer in cape cod. Incredibly succulent and delicious and fresh!

The lamb chops I had were perfectly seasoned and cooked to their medium perfection. The added fancy salt dish made it all the more better. The asparagus and broccolini were not overdone in the slightest and had by-the-book consistency. My fiance said her petite filet was one of the best she's ever had.

We finished with their famous chocolate pie. Best damn chocolate pie I probably will ever have in my entire life.

My new favorite steak house in the Chicago. The atmosphere is great and the food was tasty!

Great place. More intimate if you get a lower level table. Bone marrow and Lamb chops are outstanding

An old-school steakhouse with a French twist, Bavette's is how steak is meant to be enjoyed. Seating is on multiple levels, but the lower (basement) area provides an ideal atmosphere for a rare-medium steak... Dimly lit without being dark, leather, brick and wood surfaces, and attentive wait staff ready and willing to offer suggestions on pairings. There is a decent specialty cocktail menu accompanied by knowledgeable bartenders to mix most cocktails not listed. The mac and cheese side and thick cut bacon are must-order sides.

Absolutely stunning in every respect... We went twice in three days it was so good and the second visit was even better than the first. Old-fashioneds and the filet are both perfection and the staff is friendly, generous and attentive, I will visit this restaurant every time I'm in Chicago from now on.

One of the best steakhouses I've ever been to! Amazing ambiance, great cocktails and a ribeye to die for.

Sat at the bar with 4:30 reservations. Not many people at the bar but very attentive bartenders. Dark atmosphere and quaint. Food was outstanding.

Excellent food and even better service! Mike is the best!

I had an amazing experience here. Their fried chicken and mashed potatoes are very good. Their service is amazing and the staff is so nice! I highly suggest going here if you haven t, it is hard to get a reservation but this place is incredible.

steaks at this location - very tasty. Got there near seven, it wasn't very crowded. The service here is above par.

Spent a wonderful evening in the downstairs bar. Great cocktails. Same food as upstairs. Wonderful ambiance. Great service.

One of the best meals I've EVER had. GREAT service. But, WAY TO DARK. They go overboard with the whole "ambiance" thing. From the moment you step into the restaurant, whether you're planning to eat or go to the bar, it's SO dark, you need a miner's light to find your way from A to B

The best steak in Chicago! Plus that bread and butter

Always one of our favorite restaurants. The food and service are consistently excellent.

Great service, excellent prices, friendly staff. I love Bavette's Bar & Boeuf!

This steak house IS Chicago. Forget all the other steakhouses I always recommend Bavette s as a local who enjoys it just as much as a tourist. It s not a white table cloth dining experience but who needs that these days. This place has character, incredible staff and the best steak around. Don t hold back on the sides, load up.

You can BYOB here but you have to share a glass with a random table. It s a little known secret!

Eat here. You won t be disappointed.

OMG. We've been wanting to come here for years and finally had the chance to eat downstairs to celebrate getting married.

It was suitably dark and elegant inside with very flattering mood lighting. As for our server, he was great. Friendly and knowledgeable. We had some amazing petite filets which were perfectly done and savory. The mashed and baked potatoes were amazing as well.

And wow, the wedge salad is worth its weight in gold. You will dream about this salad afterwards!

Go, enjoy and savor. It was one of the best steak dinners I've ever had!

Had a wonderful time! The bartenders are among the best in Chicago.

Bavette is the best steakhouse in my opinion within Chicago market. Their sides are amazing. Steaks are perfectly cooked. Sourdough bread is a great starter. Love their service. The only thing I feel could use an upgrade is desserts. Otherwise everything is as close to perfection as it gets.

So amazing! I m not a huge foody but there wasn t anything mediocre! Service, ambiance, and the food is amazing. We had a full menu of steak tartare, avocado crab salad, marrow, rib eye and drinks. All amazing!!! Definitely a new fave!! Eric was the best server!

Excellent From start to finish! Plump Garlic Shrimp appetizer with Garlic Bread, perfectly cooked steak, Brussel sprouts, corn & truffle mac & cheese. Ginger Beer and Shirley Temple house made non alcoholic, top notch! Premium service with romantic ambiance. We enjoyed immensely and highly recommended!

Absolute top-notch. There is no place better in Chicago for a steak. There are some places that come close, but no one eclipses Bavette's. Great environment too. No negative comments about this place. Love their BYO-Wine policy.

If you like surf n turf, this place is a great choice. The seafood was plentiful, and very fresh. The steak was quite tasty, although perhaps not quite as tender as I would have expected for the price (hence not quite 5 stars). However, the service was pleasant, and quite fast given the type of atmosphere. There are better steakhouses, but few with this combination of seafood as well.

Great ribeye, Mac and cheese and bacon was amazing!

First are the one in Vegas. Came to Chicago for the first time and had to make it over there.
The food is amazing.
Order a crab cake and the thick cut side of bacon. You will die happy, I mean dine happy.

This place is elegant and dark. Makes you feel like theres some gangsters from the 20s having a meal at the booth next to you.

Great food and service, a bit too dark for my taste, wine list should be better given the prices.

James was the best barman pretty much ever and the lamb chops were out of this world.

One of Chicago s finest Steakhouses ..recommended to have a reservation. Good variety of cocktails and wines.

Great Chicago steakhouse. Prices are amazing. No city views to pay extra for, but dining room ambiance was excellent. Enjoyed the casual dress code, too.

Bay far one of my favorite restaurants to dine. The food and liquor are top notch and service is exceptional. Always a five star experience

Bavette's dropped the ball on this one, big time. This was was with out a doubt the worst dinning experience I have ever had in Chicago. Despite good food, the entire staff failed to address the glaring issues that occurred during our night out. Midway through our meal, the music shuts off and the restaurant fills with smoke, not a light smoke but a heavy steak smog. Our steaks arrived, 45 mins after our appetizers, sans sides. Out waiter, John, asked us to "be patient" while he simply failed to assure us or accommodate our needs, instead offering us a table red wine on the house instead of the original wine we had specifically selected for our steaks. To be honest it was insulting. They tried to compensate with flat cheap sparking wine. I am truly insulted that I was even offered the check. I left the restaurant distraught and having my whole outfit foully smelling of a dirty kitchen. This was definitely a health violation for allowing patrons to stay inside the restaurant after the smoke let loose. Too little to late was done to assure my party of all inconveniences we endured. Will never return again.

10/10 would smash. Get the shrimp cocktail and the punch. Mac & cheese & the potatoes are also lit. Epic vibes.

I don't think I've had better food! Duck terrine, aged bone in rib eye, bone marrow, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts. The flavors were stunning in each dish! And our waiter, John, was the most helpful and informative waiter! Here made sure everything was perfect. Had great suggestions.

We went to Bavette s for dinner and we randomly chosed the restaurant, good thing there s still an available table for reservation as we found out that it was hard to get reservations of it s only a day or two before. We ordered the Dry-Aged Rib Eye with Buttery mashed potatoes and it was so good!

#rivernorthchicago: If you are looking for an escape. You must try Bavette's Bar & Boeuf. Delicious food and great drinks. A Vega hint, ask to be seated downstairs for dinner or walk down and sit at the bar. A Very cool vibe.

A stylish departure from a traditional steakhouse, Bavette s embraces French flair without the formality, blending fine dining with unabashed fun. #Tridence #chicagofoodie

Love the food, the atmosphere, the drinks. My favorite steakhouse in Chicago

Bavette s ruined steak for me. It s been a few weeks, and I don t think I can eat steak anywhere else. I don t think I can have a celebratory meal anywhere else. The food was so good, I want to be buried with it. I want it as my last meal, then I want them to cover me all over with it and lay me to rest. My suit will go to Goodwill, and I will have an open casket ceremony only covered by the dry aged ribeye, mashed potatoes, and elote corn. Bless the chefs at this restaurant, they are bringing gods work to earth.

Kinda high priced but the service was good and the food was fantastic

I love Bavette's. My family comes here very frequently. The atmosphere is great, the service is great, and we all really love the food. The goat cheese, seafood tower, and wedge salad are usually our go to starters. I love the fried chicken which is served over mashed potatoes with an excellent gravy. I also love the elotes as a side. We always save room for dessert because we love the ice cream sundae. It's pretty big so if you're looking for something smaller you can get a scoop of ice cream but be sure to ask for some hot fudge to go with it because the hot fudge is the star of the sundae!

Bavette's has some of the best steak in the city. Great location in River North too! Really nice cocktails and you can BYO wine too. They waive the corkage fee if you're willing to 'donate' a glass of your wine to another table, a nice touch that adds to the ambience of the place.

We had an absolutely phenomenal meal here and 100% them

Their service was extraordinary and the food was wonderful.

The food is some of the most amazing I have ever eaten. Every recommendation that our waiter made was fantastic. Make sure you make a reservation way ahead of time. Very special dinner and evening.

The atmosphere was BEAUTIFUL, the service was AMAZING, and the food was beyond delicious!!!!!!

I have no words, only the eternal longing to the day I can meet Bavette again. Never meat been so tenders and juicy, never sides been so comforting and delicious. If only I would go back to Chicago once more, once more I would overeat to the brink of death at Bavette