Le Bouchon of Chicago Reviews

Would absolutely recommend eating here. Awesome atmosphere, delicious dishes, awesome customer service. Kudos.

The scallops were amazing..and the french onion soup was out of this world!

Excellent neighborhood authentic French bistro. Tuesday night prix fixe menu is a great deal. Tender escargots and a delicious tarte a l'oignon alsacienne. Perfectly cooked coquilles St. Jacques with baby artichokes, fave bean puree, and tomatoes. The room was a little "energetic" (noisy) by 7pm or so, but a lovely experience all in all.

Wonderful experiences both times we went, even when our reservation wasnt kept the first time. We were accommodated at the bar and given free extra appetizers and free pours of wine to make up for it. Our second trip was wonderful as well. Both experiences the food was AMAZING and very traditional.

Amazing French food. Always get one of the specials. Great service.

I forgot all about this tiny gem of a French bistro when I left town for a decade. Reconnected with it last week. Fantastic food with very large portions, we rolled out of dinner. The space is tiny, and can feel a bit cramped.

My companions split the beef for two; I tried a bite, it was excellent. The regular rabbit is "en croute" which is like a pot pie, we ordered the saddle of rabbit off the specials menu, which is served in medallions. The specials change regularly, but are usually excellent.

Unfortunately we didn't have room for cheese after dinner, but to my amazement they had my favorite "barnyardy" cheese, Epoisses.

Reservations strongly recommended.

Just excellent food, and wonderful wine choices. Everything paired perfectly and the duck was incredible!

All around, it was a terrible experience. The service was extremely rude, the food took forever (even though there were about 5 customers in the place), and the food was not good. I am extremely surprised this place has 4.7 stars. It s very hard to see how I went to the same restaurant as these other reviewers.

Best onion soup I've ever had. Steak au poivre was delicious.

This restaurant is so tiny, yet filled to the brim with patrons and able staff. I had the roast Green Circle chicken. So tasty it brought a tear to my eye!

I like this place a lot. It has a very special feeling. The food is great. the service is dynamic and the team is courteous. The price is reasonable. extremely recommend.

The wine list here is quite good for as small as the restaurant is. I saw no beer on draft but saw several bottle options.

The steak tartare was bright with a perfect amount of acidity. I think the best thing on the menu was the Brandade de Morue. Both entree's (appetizers) could have came with more bread but they were more than willing to bring us a extra.

This is the place for French food in Chicago. Amazing food, fantastic wine list and perfect service

Food is absolutely outstanding. Very busy place but wait staff is quick and friendly. Small menu and almost all the dishes are superb. The duck and lamb are delicious. Some of the most delicious chicken I have ever had. Fish, soups and salads are also delicious. Very cozy and small with a very comforting French feel. Portions are very large. Definitely shareable. Sauces on the dishes are divine. Great atmosphere for a romantic date. You might forget you're not in Paris for a second...

GREAT GREAT GREAT! Lovely people, great service, delicious food, great wine ... Wish I could give 10 stars. :-)

Certainly a spot worth stopping over, the food is good and fresh, the rates are affordable and it is regularly well organized there. Keep up the good work.

Great food and atmosphere - highly recommended for any occasion

Cozy atmosphere, amazing food, amazing staff, great specials, a true French Bistro. What else can one expect?!

Everything about this restaurants great atmosphere the food the people the food is very old school French cuisine with a touch of the new

Had a great birthday meal from Le Bouchon. Cannot recommend the chicken meal highly enough and the french onion soup is a must order. I will definitely be back!

Wonderful experience as always. The escargot is one of my favorite in the city. Recent seasonal dish was the duck salad, highly recommended! This small bustling place has incredible service, a beautifully creative chef and romantic ambiance. A must!

Fabulous food
It is a little tight and it was too cold but food. Trumps everything

Amazing service and food! Super authentic - escargot, steak frite and rabbit pot pie was outstanding! Our server Phil was so kind and made excellent wine pairing suggestions! french 75 was perfection! Can t wait to go back!

Very small and cozy French restaurant. Great decor and atmosphere.

Great food
Rabbit pot pie and escargots are phenomenal

Picked up food for a special family celebration. Probably the best meal we have had since the pandemic began. The meal was exquisite. Bonus points for being able to safely accommodate a gluten free diner.

Simply the best! The French onion soup is to die for and the service is always warm, friendly and exceptional. Definitely come check this place out!

The food is great here. Especially the French onion soup and the steak and frites

It is my absolute pleasure to tell you this is one of the best restaurants in the city and such a clutch go-to in the neighborhood!!!

I've been twice for Le Bouchon's amazing French onion soup. I'll be back for more.

A great space that has been an anchor to the Damen and Armitage intersection since the early 90s.

Love the Restaurant and food. Hate the lack of manners on phone. Please be more thoughtful when speaking to others and learn how to say please and thank you!

We have only done the Dinner to go a few times, To be heated up at home. It is Amazing!! Each time it has been fantastic! The Onion Tart is to die for. The wines have been great! Wonderful flavors seasoned and salted beautifully. I can not wait for the pandemic to be over and dine in here. The pickup process has been a bit of a miss. Times are usually 15-30 minutes late and have forgotten wine/bread each time. So make sure to have your copy of order ready and double check your items yourself.

Came with my French in-laws for their second French restaurant experience in Chicago.





So why 4 Stars? It may have just been the night...but it was so loud that it made my head spin. And it wasn t just me but all 6 of us felt the same. I couldn t hear the person next to me when they yelled and across the table was a pipe dream. Small caveat: I m a 31 year old who loves loud concerts and noisy bars with the best of them, so it s not a personal sensitivity.

Don t get me wrong, i love a bustling and lively place but this was just too much. I will definitely give it a second try with the hope that it is a bit more manageable.

I want to be clear that everything about this place was great and authentic otherwise. It could totally just have been a bad night/time of night but maybe just pack in one less table.

Whoever handles their wine list must be asleep. Had their Grand Tinel Chateauneuf du Pape, and it was much too young (2015) to drink in 2018. Would have been much more annoyed if it wasn't their half price bottle Monday (so $50 instead of $100). But it helped destroy an otherwise fine meal. Their food is not bad, but I doubt I'll be back.

Great French bistro option. Reservation is recommended but if you go early still quiet 5-630 PM. we had a reservation for 6 PM and it filled up fast after we arrived. Valet parking is available and why not splurge so you can enjoy your time!

I recommend the brandade fume as an appetizer for a small group. The escargot is good but the fume was better.

The pear salad is a must, the combination will knock your taste buds right out of your mouth and have you begging for another hit.

My friend had the salmon and said it was amazing. I had the rack of lamb and decided I was ready to stay at that table for the rest of my life. That is until I had dessert, the Marquise aux Chocolat Noir.

The staff was attentive and was ready to answer our questions. Every person there tonight helped every table. The staff explained each dish as it was delivered to our table so worth the trip.

This place always delivers. They have fresh dishes for affordable prices, there are no long waits even when they are loaded.

I've had better escargot. But it's a good neighborhood place.

Fantastic food, friendly staff, and comfortable environment

It lived up to our expectations, everything was very well prepared and delicious, and the staff was friendly and professional.

Classic French food and a nice wine list, the space is small and fills up fast. Reservations are almost mandatory.

The best French restaurant in the city. Chef Oliver is the most respectful and great person you will meet.

Always excellent food and great service. Be sure to take advantage of the weekly deals.

This place was recommended to me by a friend who claimed the trout was the best meal he'd had that year... So I got the trout! It was delicious and perfectly cooked, yet left me slightly underwhelmed only because it was a victim to the chef's own prowess elsewhere. We had the steak tartare and French onion soup for the second and third course beforehand and they were honestly just fantastic. The steak tartare was well-dressed with the perfect amount of spice; we fought over who got the last bite. And the French onion soup had the most flavorful broth I've ever had in a French onion soup. Highly recommend this place and highly recommend the steak tartare and French onion soup.

Pre-COVID, we had been to Le Bouchon a couple of times and really enjoyed both the food and the atmosphere. Since COVID, their takeout dinners (they also have delivery) have been BEYOND outstanding. Everything is so fresh. Not oily, not over salted. Presentation is beautiful. They offer weekly family-style dinners for pickup a couple days each week. I normally don't like take out (because food gets smushed together and you miss out on the dining experience), but Le Bouchon take-out is something I now look forward to regularly!

Unbelievably impressed with the deliciously creative dishes. From chipotle corn, to andouillette octopus, as well as a phenomenal dessert. I will return with each change in the menu.

In terms of space, compared to it's sister restaurant La Sardine, Le Bouchon is definitely more quaint and cramped. In terms of food, everything tasted pretty good. The bread (which is amazing btw) and the escargot are identical to La Sardine. The duck mouse macaroon was a delicious combination of savory and sweet. The duck for 2 was good but I wouldn't say it was great - the duck was a little on the dry side and the skin was far from crisp. Also, can someone explain to me how a duck has 4 legs? (Makes me wonder if the duck that was presented at the table was in fact the duck that was prepared in the dish or was it leftover duck parts from other duck dishes? If so, the whole duck table presentation is a little misleading....)

You can't deny the exquisite flavors in all the food which overall was amazing. However the duck was slightly overcooked. Still good but overcooked.

One of my preferred places to eat. great location, well organised, and awesome service. Keep it up!

This place is such a sweetheart. Unassuming and elegant, from the little bowls of baguette to the soft-spoken waiters. Have the bouillabaisse and steak frites. Linger there.

Best French onion soup ever. Killer steak tartar. Inedible entrees due to insane salting last two visits. Guess we'll just get apps here now. Nice wines too. I used to adore this place.

Its like really good french kissing for your stomach

I had such an amazing experience every-time I come in. The staffs are so nice and the foods are excellent. Make sure you tried Mussels here. It is one of the best mussel I have ever had, the broth is totally make it unique. Also I love sausage here, it is so flavorful.

The servers here deserve some recognition for professionalism and great service while working in a compact and intimate space. And regarding the kitchen staff, they should be commended as well for providing great interpretations and recreations of French cuisine out of a relatively small kitchen. The atmosphere is real, energetic and socially intimate without being pretentious as some French places can be. The food is what it should be and wonderfully delicious.

Amazing experience. This restaurant was very intimate but the waitstaff was quick and very friendly. Gave great recommendations for everything. The cheese was some of the best I've had. I ordered the steak frites and it was perfectly cooked. My boyfriend ordered the pate and one of their specials with chanterelles. I can't wait to go back and try some of their other options.

LeBouchon has been my very favorite in this city since 1994. The Roast Chicken did not disappoint tonight. The to go arrangement was flawless and travelled well. The only thing better would have been sitting at the bar with Josh!

Great bouillabaise, cassoulet, Lyonnaise plate, and wine list. Very attentive waiters and bar staff. Excellent

Excellent small bistro restaurant. We were there on a Thursday night and the place was crowded. I recommend reservations. Valet parking on weekends. Onion soup was fabulous with Gueyea cheese. (I can't spell the name of the cheese but I love the taste). My entree was a half roasted chicken in sauce of course. Scoop of Sorbet completed the meal. YUM

We ordered their onion soup, escargot, duck for two and chocolate dessert. The onion soup was cheesy and the broth was delicious and the onions melt in your mouth. The escargot was also delicious and we used the butter they were brought in as bread spread because it was so good. The highlight of the night was the duck. It was perfectly cooked and the skin was crispy. It was served with gravy and cabbage side. Dessert was also surprisingly good. The serving size was not too small and it was heavy so we couldn't eat any more. We also had plenty of wine, asking the servers to pair whichever wine they thought best and plenty of French75 cocktails. I would definitely go back again!!

From the moment you step in this place the personel give you an enjoyable feeling. Very warm stuff, it is a friendly place to pass time with friends and colleagues or with your date. very good cuisine, talented chef, modest pay and excellent service. Highly recommended.

The duck was amazing. The pate was amazing. The tartare was amazing. This place was amazing

I eat here a lot since I work right next to it. I got to say their service is always fantastic and they keep the spot clean all the time. Pricing is affordable and they serve sizeable portions.

What's not to love about this classic, lovely French bistro? Amazing food and wonderful wine, terrific service from friendly and professional staff

From the first moment you enter this place the personel give you a good feeling. Very hospitable crew, it is a happy place to go out with buddies or with your date. heavenly food, experienced chef de cuisine, decent pay and professional service. Highly recommended.

We love Le Bouchon. We've been there several times and both food and service have always been extraordinary. On December 30th, I booked a table for 3 and we accidentally arrived 20 minutes earlier because we didn't double check the reservation time. Our mistake. Le Bouchon's host politely told us our table wasn't ready yet and asked us to wait. We told him we'd be back 20 minutes later. The bar was packed and the lobby area is really small. Since it was 30 degree outside, we decided to wait in the car. We came back 20 minutes later. Our host recognized us right away and greeted us again by my first name. He told us our table wasn't ready yet and it should take 5 minutes to get it ready. We decided to wait in the small lobby (where there is room for 2 people as long as people are not passing by) since the bar was still packed. During the next 25 minutes, at least 8 parties came in and about 3 parties left. Because of people passing by, my wife and sister in law had to wait in the dining area (again, the lobby is tiny) bothering other people who were having dinner. During those 25 minutes, our host assigned tables to most of the parties(at least 5 of them) who came in after us. He never approached us to explain anything or apologize. Instead, when my wife asked him (after 25 minutes waiting in the middle of the dining room) to cancel the reservation because that was unacceptable, he replied: Are you sure? Is there really nothing I can do.
It was really disappointing to experience this in a restaurant we love(d). We all have bad days and that's perfectly ok. An explanation would be ok. An apology would be ok. A drink would be ok. An appetizer would be ok. There is always something you can do.

One of my favorite French options in Chicago area. Super cozy atmosphere and great menu!

Started going when they opened. 5-6-7-Star for us. Wonderful dishes, Employees have the best attitude, so nice and caring, they remember your face, we are greeted with hug.My hats are off to this place,
Wonderful, Si vows avez le temps. WJ

Classic French cuisine. The roasted duck was amazing, but the mussels where the overall star of thr evening.

Amazing dessert. Will definitely come back for food

I have been ordering pickup from here for the past couple of weeks and it has been a pleasant respite from the usual fast food I get.

A great bistro. Don t miss the roast duck for two!

One of the most authentic French restaurant in Chicago. The duck dish is to die for, and their selection of wine is great as well.

An intimate brasserie with good food and wine. One of my favorite places in Chicago.

Le Bouchon is a gem of Chicago serving up delicious and authentic French food. We had the onion soup, escargot, steak and frites, as well as the chicken which were all delicious. The prices are actually more similar to French prices you would see in France but it is worth it.