
French fine dining & a lengthy wine list in a sophisticated, modern setting with Parisian touches.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 534 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: (312) 595-1616
Website: http://www.brindille-chicago.com/
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Order and Reservations
Reservations: resy.com
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Reviews
Unfortunately, this most recent visit was a major disappointment. Unfortunately we did not get Evan this time, but instead an older James Carville lookalike, bald with glasses. We were seated early in the evening, with very few other diners in the room, yet our server seemed rushed, curt, and disengaged from the start. Simple, reasonable questions were met with abrupt, borderline rude responses. For example, when we asked whether there was a children’s menu, the reply was simply, “This is the only menu I have.” When we inquired whether a tasting menu would be possible given a time constraint, the answer was an immediate and dismissive “Absolutely not,” with no explanation or attempt to be accommodating.
There was a complete lack of warmth or hospitality throughout the meal, which made us feel unwelcome rather than valued guests. This stood in stark contrast to the gracious, thoughtful service we had previously experienced with Evan. After the visit, I looked through older reviews and was surprised to see a number of one-star comments describing similar issues with the same server.
For a restaurant where the bill exceeded $700, including a mandatory 22% service charge, this level of service is unacceptable. To add to the disappointment, the food itself did not live up to the standard of our prior visits and felt noticeably less impressive.
Overall, what was once a restaurant I enthusiastically recommended has become one I have no intention of returning to. This experience was deeply disappointing on multiple levels.
The food was amazing, service was quick, and our server was so pleasant! I wish I could order two entrees to try more so I think I will be back to try something different next time.
By the way, my husband said the foie gras was the best he’s ever had. If you love foie gras, this is the place to try it!
We ordered the lamb and steak from their autumn menu, paired with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. While the wine was excellent, the food was just okay and left something to be desired. In my opinion, the dishes at Mon Ami Gabi and Dear Margaret are much tastier, and I highly recommend those restaurants if you’re seeking authentic French food.
Although the atmosphere was fine, we experienced strange and subpar service. After we asked our server about the portion sizes of the main dishes, we were met with cold and abrasive service for the rest of the evening. Unlike most restaurants where servers check in on their guests, our server did not check on us a single time after taking our order, except to bring us dessert menus after we had finished our meal, which we politely declined. This lack of attention was particularly noticeable because he regularly checked on every table around us and had multiple conversations with the diners to our left and right.
The final disappointment was when he dropped off our bill without a single “thank you” or any acknowledgment of our time at the restaurant. Our server was an older, bald man with glasses.
Overall, if you’re looking for French cuisine or a nice place to celebrate, I highly recommend Mon Ami Gabi or Dear Margaret. The service there is consistently warm and welcoming, and the food is excellent. Or at the very least, if you do still choose to come here, avoid asking any questions about the menu and hope you don’t get the same server that we did.
The cheese course at Brindille is the best cheese course in Chicago. We stopped in at 9 p.m just for the cheese course and a glass of Armenian wine made from Areni Noir grapes from the world’s most ancient wine production region. A friend told us that people visiting Chicago from France say that Brindille’s cheese course is superior to those available to them in France. Each cheese was perfectly ripe. Truly extraordinary!
Brindille
534 N Clark St, Chicago
The one critical note would be that it’s not cheap – we had seen the regular menu on their website and thought it was quite expensive. When we went, it was during restaurant week, and the menu price even then was up there, with portions being somewhat stingy.
We did really appreciate our food and the service though, and we’ll probably go back to try the regular menu too.
Honorable mention for their version of an île flottante- it was absolutely delicious.
Starting from the drinks: a meh cocktail list, a generic wine list (they didn’t even pour, just brought a full glass), and a mocktail that I am certain came from a store lemonade from Jewel. Food wise again it was forgettable at best. We tried a foie grass which came buried in jell-o, which I thought was illegal to serve outside of hospitals. We ordered fries which were frustratingly cut like toothpicks. The venison was tasty but there wasn’t much of it.
Our server was very polite but not particularly attentive.