Bandol Brasserie & Raw Bar
The Iron Queen · 184 Google reviewsBandol Brasserie & Raw Bar — straightforward mediterranean in Loop. The atmosphere is half the draw here. Drink selection punches above its weight. Angelo Wright: "The Alfredo sauce was rich but not overpowering" [$$, patio]
What 437 diners keep saying
This spot has closed for good. Its reviews stay up for the record — the rankings have already moved on.
What 437 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“Great Chicago Restaurant Week meal. Escargot for appetizer and perfectly cooked medium—rare steak frites for entree. Not a dessert guy, so did not even try. Excellent food and service!”
“Deyanira was an incredible server. She made our experience 10x better. So kind and overall amazing vibes. We love her! 10/10 food and atmosphere”
“Excelente restaurante. Probé el menú de restaurant week y valió cada centavos. Todo el personal es super amable, y no pude haber tenido una mejor experiencia de la que tuve.”
“We visited Bandol for lunch while in town for work. It was reasonably busy on a weekday at noon but we were able to sit immediately without a reservation. The waiter was prompt and friendly and special requests were adhered to. I had the burger and it was great! Although I'd requested it to be cooked thoroughly/no pink inside, it was nonetheless very juicy. Basically greasy but in a good way. Fries also very good - nice and crispy. Definitely recommend!”
“First one in for breakfast made for a pleasurable quiet breakfast while staying at the hotel.”
“I've gone twice. They have great cocktails and they also do an awesome breakfast. Great service too! I plan to go again next time I'm in the area.”
“Great french onion soup! & highly recommend their version of the “Painkiller”, tastes like a summer🏝️”
“Solid lunch experience for restaurant week. Great service, and good food. We tried the eagargot and the French onion soup. The soup was a bit difficult to eat because the cheese was thick and very gooey. But delicious. French dip was on point and a large serving with a side of crispy tasty fries. For dessert we had creme brulee. Quite a thin layer of custard with a slight lemon flavor and also a thin crust. This was about favorite dessert. Server was good, prompt with water, and checking in. Restrooms are quite a ways away, down an elevator and into the hotel. Seems like a business lunch/dinner place to take clients.”
“We made a reservation about three weeks ago for a party of 5. I heard great things and wanted to try out Bandol and it just so happened to fall during Chicago restaurant week. Unfortunately, I was very let down. I was surprised to be seated at a high top in the bar area as a reservation. We had a latecomer so we started with drinks which I will say are the reason I gave two stars - kudos to the bartender. We ordered from the prix fixe menu and everything went downhill from there. Our salads came out before our starters. The crab cakes were just okay and escargot wasn’t bad, but also not great - my friend’s crab cakes were taken before she was finished with them as she went to the restroom. Once the table was cleared there was a very long gap between the first two courses and the main. All but one got steak and we all regretted not getting the poulet (other reason for redeeming two star because it was a very good plate). The pictures show what came out for medium rare and medium well steak frites… at this point we had been sitting for 1.5 hours and didn’t want to send to the back to elongate the stay. The dessert was a cold crème brûlée with a pretty soft top. Overall, will not be coming back and it’s a shame because I do like French food.”
“Never thought a redbull vodka would cost $20 if I wasn’t at an overpriced stadium. When asked about the pricing, our waitress blamed the bartender who blamed the manager who didn’t have an answer except taking $3 off. When we asked the waitress how much a shot of vodka was at the restaurant we were told $7. When we asked for a drink to be made (off menu that all ingredients were available) - we were told that the bartender was too busy to make our order. When looking towards that bar, there were no customers sitting at the bar and there wasn’t a bartender behind the bar for at least 5 minutes after our request. When asking the manager about the pricing model, he told us that he took $3 off and that a shot of house vodka was NOW $12. Honestly the food is okay/good, but be ready to get ripped off because they’re making up the prices as they go 🤷♀️ Good steak. Sucky customer service.”
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