Brindille
Brindille — dependable french in River North. The drinks match the food in quality. "Delicious, juicy, tender, flavorsome bit of pork with a nice then layer of crispy fat" — Micheál Ó
What 250 diners keep saying
What 250 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“Returned here after almost a decade and wow still as great! Chef has curated the best menu a staying menu and everything is fresh, locally sourced and delicious as hell! Service on point, their cocktail list is phenomenal space is exquisite! @chicagopescetarian”

“Great service. Love the drinks. I had the scallops which were good. Would like to come back for the farm plate which was really good.”

“This is one of the finest meals that I’ve had in a very long time and I so much enjoy fine dining. Walking into Brindille, you’re taking aback by the small, comfortable seating at a restaurant of that size maintains. We were greeted by the co-owner, Michael, and immediately seated, even though we were a few minutes early for our reservation. For a French restaurant, the menu was exhaustive, but they offer several five course meals at a fixed price ($155-170) and tonight the special menu was Basque cuisine. Every single course was prepared to perfection with flavors that popped right off the plate in unique ways that I have never experienced. The co-owner and chef is French trained Armenian with a knack for the eclectic. She was formally the executive chef of the Four Seasons in Los Angeles. The portions were surprisingly large and Evan, our head waiter handled us to perfection with his recommendations and service. We tried some of their signature cocktails (Arman, Vieux Carre, Spritz Sans Soufflé), which were amazing, kudos to the bartender. At the end of the meal, we were quite satiated and most appreciative for the outstanding culinary experience. Timing of the courses was relaxed and we spent a most pleasant 2 ½ hours enjoying our meal and conversing with the owner and waiters. I highly recommend this restaurant for couples and groups of adults. We were most impressed!!”

“First time here. When we sat down, they served like a couple of bite size hors d'oeuvres. They were delicious! I wish I could have more! 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 had the best time at Brindille last night! 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”

“Food and services was good. Good place for family get together. Desserts are must try.”

“Food was tasty and different. They need to work on the atmosphere and service.”

“There is just something off about this place. Feels like it wants to be fancy and modern, but at the same time food seems like a french restaurant you would find in Rosemont. For the same price point, there are many places in Chicago that are miles ahead in all respects. 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.”

“I recently visited this restaurant for an anniversary dinner with my girlfriend, who is a big fan of French cuisine and thought it would be a perfect fit. 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 food was incredible. I couldn’t recommend this place more. Lavender rum crème brûlée was the best dessert I’ve ever had.”
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