Avenues

108 E Superior St, The Peninsula Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611 312-573-6695

Description: NEAR NORTH. Elegant and exquisite, this stately hotel dining room serves French-Mediterranean cuisine and has a penchant for fresh seafood. The contemporary menu includes dishes like foie gras, duck breast, Maine lobster, and fresh scallops. An elegant interior features gold walls, rich leather chairs, an open kitchen, and fine china. The large wine list includes over 600 varieties. Impeccable service too.
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Bistro 110

110 E Pearson St, Chicago, IL 60611 312-266-3110

Description: MAGNIFICENT MILE. This Continental classic has a popular jazz brunch on Sundays. Regulars line up year-round to sit at the outdoor tables (enclosed in winter) that boast lovely views of the famous Water Tower. Check the long chalkboard for info about the day's news, stock quotes, sports results, and lots of other useful facts. Cuisine includes favorites like pommes frites, wood-fired pizzas, and breakfast classics like omelets and eggs Benedict. Desserts are a highlight, as well. EL: Red Line to Chicago
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Bistrot Margot

1437 N Wells Ave, Chicago, IL 60610 312-587-3660

Description: Bistrot Margot is a charming French bistro with decor that resembles a turn of the century Parisian hotel, replete with gilded mirrors, starched linens, and velvet upholstry. The menu is classic and superbly executed with notable entree items such as pan-roasted N.Y. strip, creamy linguini tossed with jumbo shrimp, clams, and spinach, and basil-roasted chicken served with pommes frites. Large wine list, some available by the glass. Live jazz entertains weekend diners.
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Brasserie Jo

59 W Hubbard St, between Clark and Dearborn Sts, Chicago, IL 60610-4603 312-595-0800

Description: RIVER NORTH. Holding true to European brasseries, this little gem of a restaurant is bustling with diners who appreciate and apparently have spread the word about the incredible menu offerings here. Signature dishes include the bag of golden, crisp phyllo dough filled with shrimp, wild mushrooms and leeks in a lobster cream sauce. EL: Red Line to Grand/State or Brown Line to Merchandise Mart
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Café Absinthe

1954 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 773-278-4488

Description: WEST SIDE. This Bucktown New American favorite consistently produces quality cuisine and serves it with panache. Chicken with roasted fennel, seared scallops with prickly-pear coulis, grilled ostrich, and glazed rack of lamb are just a few of the delectable options to be had at this elegant restaurant. Candlelight provides a warm, romantic feel to the dining room, and servers make each guest feel welcome.
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Café Bernard

2100 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614 773-871-2100

Description: LINCOLN PARK. Stepping into this easygoing favorite is like visiting a friend's comfortable home in the French countryside. The ambiance is casual, and a laid-back, welcoming nature prevails. Well-prepared food includes soups, salads, poultry, beef, and vegetables. Try succulent roast duck, bouillabaisse, or filet mignon au poivre for a sampling of the chef's skills.
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Café des Architectes

20 E Chestnut St, Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, Chicago, IL 60611 312-324-4000

Description: MAGNIFICENT MILE. Located in the Sofitel lobby, this restaurant boasts notable French cuisine colored with global inspiration and a well-selected French-American wine list. The design of the restaurant is contemporary, mirroring the architecture of the building itself. The menu features a mix of soups, salads, and seafood and meat entrees, including roasted monkfish and seared beef tenderloin. The wine list offers over 60 varieties; several are available by the glass.
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Châtaigne

361 W Chestnut St, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Chicago, IL 60610 312-873-2032

Description: RIVER NORTH. Châtaigne is the hands-on classroom/restaurant of students at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts of Chicago. As such, it offers great value since guests allow themselves to be a test audience for students-in-learning. No worries, though ­ meals are uniformly well-received by diners. So, give yourself over to the experience and find out just how well students take to their educations with dishes like sautéed striped bass, roasted red potatoes, Thai pork, an asparagus stir-fry, and chilled pear ginger soup. The menu also features a prix fixe lunch for $15 that includes an appetizer, soup/salad, and entree.
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Chez Joël

1119 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607 312-226-6479

Description: LITTLE ITALY. Chez Joel offers diners a comfortable interior dining room as well as a lovely garden area for dining during warm weather. The restaurant's decor features warm yellow walls and colorful artwork. The menu offers daily specials as well as traditional French fare that excels in quality, taste, and presentation. Try the bouillabaisse, the duck confit, one of the many salads, or the traditional steak frites.
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Cyrano's Bistrot & Wine Bar

546 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610 312-467-0546

Description: RIVER NORTH. This restaurant and wine bar is owned and operated by a husband and wife duo, chef Didier Durand and wine authority Jamie Pellar. The bistro is welcoming and comfortable and features live music on weekend nights. The menu is traditional French cuisine with a few innovations for luck. The lunch menu offers speedy service and a fixed price three course meal. House specialties include the rotisserie chicken and several select regional French wines.
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Everest

440 S LaSalle St, Chicago Stock Exchange, 40th fl, Chicago, IL 60605 312-663-8920

Description: THE LOOP. Aptly named, this superior French Country restaurant sits 40 stories above Chicago. Reputed chef Jean Joho brings a taste of Alsace to the cuisine, providing it a simple sensuality. A representative entree sandwiches a disc of wild hare between fried potato and a soft quail egg. Other options include roasted chestnut soup, wild mushroom consommé, potato-crusted halibut, and venison filet. The wine list holds its own next to the menu's world-class selections. EL: Brown Line to LaSalle/Van Buren
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Kiki's Bistro

900 N Franklin St, Chicago, IL 60610 312-335-5454

Description: RIVER NORTH. Imagine French countryside combined with state of the art culinary skills. The menu and wine list are contemporary versions of wonderful French classics, including grilled rabbit sausage flavored with garlic and rosemary, escargots, and the soft, buttery, and award-winning brûlées and lemon tarts.
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La Sardine

111 N Carpenter St, Chicago, IL 60607 312-421-2800

Description: WEST SIDE. The sister restaurant to the more formal Le Bouchon, La Sardine is a warmer version of classic French cuisine. Dark wood and brass replace crystal and soft color while the open, bustling kitchen beckons with culinary treasures. Choose from rotisserie meats and game, grilled steak with pommes frites (French fries) and leek with bacon tart. Surprisingly affordable.
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Le Colonial

937 N Rush St, Chicago, IL 60611 312-255-0088

Description: GOLD COAST. This restaurant combines French and Vietnamese cuisines to glorious effect. Evoking images of French-occupied Saigon, the interior is full of stylish bamboo accents, photographs, banana trees, and rattan furnishings. An upscale crowd turns out for dishes such as seared whole red snapper with chile peppers and garlic, chicken breast in coconut curry, or grilled purée of shrimp with angel hair. You can't go wrong with anything on the lengthy, well-rounded menu, and the wine list offers plenty of French classics. EL: Red line to Chicago/State
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Les Nomades

222 E Ontario St, Chicago, IL 60611 312-649-9010

Description: STREETERVILLE. Les Nomades is quintessentially formal and quintessentially French. Quiet, murmuring table conversation, peppered with "mmms" and "aahs," adds to the refined atmosphere. The downstairs dining area is white, crisp and professional, whereas the cozier upstairs venue features wood paneling and a comforting fireplace. Signature dishes include almond-crusted foie gras and roasted monkfish. Civilized dining at its best.
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Marché

833 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607 312-226-8399

Description: MARKET DISTRICT. This restaurant unites French and American fare in a winning combination. Considered by many to boast cutting-edge ambiance, the place also boasts cuisine that attracts legions of fans as well. The festive atmosphere is ideal for enoying everything from apple cider-braised rabbit with creamy polenta to meaty mussels in an orange cream sauce.
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Mon Ami Gabi

2300 N Lincoln Park West, Belden-Stratford Hotel, Chicago, IL 60614 773-348-8886

Description: WRIGLEYVILLE. Translated literally as "My Friend Gabi," this bistro à la Paris is a delightful find for wonderfully prepared French cuisine. Enjoy scallops dusted with Parmesan and escargot to swoon for! Mon Ami Gabi also gives a new infusion to what French onion soup should be. Of particular interest is the wine cart, which is wheeled by an expert waitperson, and offers tastes and wines by the glass with an explanation of the virtues of which best goes with what.
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NoMi

800 N Michigan Ave, Park Hyatt Chicago, 7th floor, Chicago, IL 60611 312-239-4030

Description: MAGNIFICENT MILE. This restaurant offers an impressive view of the city as well as an upscale, elegant environment. Start off with peeky toe crab salad or a scallop tart. Next, order monkfish brochette, wild striped bass, or even the always-enticing veal strip loin. A full bar offers a vast array of wines and liquors. For added glamour, experience the romance of outdoor terrace dining by candlelight when the weather's pleasant.
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Pump Room

1301 N State Pkwy, Omni Ambassador East Hotel, Chicago, IL 60610 312-266-0360

Description: GOLD COAST. The Pump Room is one of this city's legendary restaurants. Dine on fine Limoges china under the sparkle of crystal chandeliers and enjoy the contemporary French cuisine turned out by the Pump Room's award-winning chef.
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Red Light

820 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607 312-733-8880

Description: MARKET DISTRICT. This trendy Asian restaurant draws a see-and-be-seen crowd to its hip environs. The menu is as cutting edge as the interior. Feast on seafood, beef, poultry, and vegetarian offerings. Enjoy the Mee Gha Ti (stir fry chicken, chili, and rice noodles in a lime cocount sauce), Khao Soi chicken (bbq chicken breast in peanut sauce), teriyaki ribeye, or chicken katsu curry. Large windows, curved lines, red accents, and linen-topped tables define the lovely decor.
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