Last weekend we enjoyed a relaxed and delightful dinner at Aboyer. The food, service, venue and sound track are lovely. Prices are very reasonable for the high quality experience. We highly recommend Aboyer. read more

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This restaurant was highly recommended but the reality was it didn't live up to the hype. Firstly the service was lacking. The initial order was timely but the wait from salad to entree was 40 minutes. Also the wait staff was absent for long periods of time. We ordered the steak and fries along with the chicken. Both were appropriately cooked and hot but way over seasoned. The standout dish was the onion soup. overall a disappointing experience and hopefully this will change in the future ambiance was loud and difficult to maintain conversation read more

Service is warm and inviting. Food is delicious. Love the salmon with the whipped potatoes and green beans. They have these little bread and warm cheese balls that are out of this world. Chocolate pot with salted whipped cream tops off the evening. read more

Great date night restaurant with very good service. The food is incredible but also incredibly rich. I loved it but my tummy was a bit overwhelmed. Just ate too much! Next time I will go for the appetizers and the creme brulee (it was to die for!!!) and skip the main course. Although the main course are also good. Pace yourself! Also a great selection of wine! read more

SO WONDERFUL!!! I really wanted to check out the restaurants in Winnetka and this was at the top of my list. I absolutely loved it here!!! I enjoyed my birthday dinner and both the service and food were impeccable. Parking was easy to find at the restaurant is romantically lit and adhering to social distancing very well. Lovely, quiet ambiance. This is a perfect place for a nice date night or a fine location to just relax, de-stress, and and have a fine meal. I have been raving about this location to my friends and family ever since. A total gem! read more

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Love this place! Great food and even better service. Dine in or take out, they will see us!!

I love Chef Michael's specials. Tonight's was hot honey fried chicken with a side of mac n cheese in a French onion soup. The latter is a bit deceptive in that it was gourmet mac n cheese ala penne. Yum-mo! Doesn't sound very French who cares? It was fab. The chicken was fried 2x and had a gooey sweet sauce with a bit of a tang. We were given 2 napkins: sorry about the mess. I looked around and all 5 tables on the "booth"wall had the chicken and you could hear raves reverberating up and down the banquet. One woman said it was the best meal she's had at Aboyer. (Stick around, sister. Michael continues to outdo himself. ) Never had a bad meal here. Never disappoints. Burp. read more

We were greeted, seated and watered immediately. We were delivered an amuse bouche - a delicious cheese with Gruyère and 2 other cheeses. We split the beautiful salad with pears , goat cheese and the mustard vinaigrette. Loved. Omitted the olives because we were nervous about that addition . Both ordered the steak frites- med rare. One with chimmichirri- one au poivre. Both sauces were"mildly" flavored. The chimichirri was notably under seasoned with any....seasoning. Like garlic or salt, or flavor. Both steaks, were under seasoned with salt - in my opinion . Like way under. Chimichirri talked like nothing? Fries were good but I'm not a fan of the plating because the fries in the bottom are pretty soggy quickly. Idk maybe that's traditional? I like a crispy fry. The doneness in the steaks - both med rare. One was under one was over. Same steaks same thickness, inconsistent. Ended the meal with really good chocolate soufflé. The server made me laugh when he "explained" to us ( didn't ask) - "would you like crème Anglaise? It's like vanilla ice cream". Like the assumption there- I'm not sure about the sophistication level of the common patron here. I guess people can ask BEFORE you dumb it down for them. A bit Insulting, to be honest. It was fine?I would go again. read more

Aboyer - Steak frites au poivre. - French Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

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Very disappointed. Very limited menu We came for french taste dinner ... Nothing even near to be . The was No french onion soup . Escargot wish to be at least better... No dish with duck ... Taste like from Walmart fish fillet... My stars only for very nice and friendly people and service. Do not recommend read more

While Chicago's city venue may boast some of the nation's finest restaurants, I find that the suburbs offer hidden gems that shine as bright... or brighter. One such place is Aboyer. It's an absolutely A++ experience all the way through. For many years, I was a Gabe Viti fan. Gabriel's was my jam and later on I came to enjoy Miramar. One of the reasons was that Gabe was present. Michael Lachowicz is all over this place. The fact that he is an extraordinary Chef would be enough for most restaurants, but I think that's simply where the Aboyer experience begins. Michael gets it. He has an acute awareness of hospitality. And, he and his team create the full experience. The ambiance is warm and sanguine. The staff move with haste and their eyes are always focused up (how much do you hate it when you're trying to get someone's attention and they are looking down as they move away?). I can say with total certitude that every meal I've had there... every dish I've tasted... has exceeded expectations by a mile. Their wine pairings are solid and I'd recommend taking their sommelier's reco every time. I've come to feel part of the Aboyer community. In fact, one of my favorite things is attending Michael's Cigar Events. 3-4 times over the summer, we join Michael on the patio for an elevated evening of cigars and first-class food. I know that's not for everyone, but it's a hell of an event. In fact, there was an Aboyer cigar event where I was introduced to a Tomahawk Bison that has left a permanent mark on my palate. Anyway, if you're not up for a commute to the city and want to have a great, great gasro-experience... hit up Aboyer. One final coda to this review. I have to admit that I have yet to try Michael's limited-seating, upscale George Trios. But, my friends tell me that it is truly incredible. I will get there soon. read more

Super friendly staff, great ambience with very comfortable indoor and outdoor seating. The food was delicious. And don't skip dessert! If you like French bistros, highly recommend. read more

Went last night with a large group of friends for our monthly dinner out. Coco (the manager) and Junior (our waiter) went above and beyond to accommodate our large group on short notice. The service was absolutely top notch, the restaurant is beautiful, and the food and cocktails were incredible. Certainly one of the best restaurants on the North Shore, sophisticated and delicious but unpretentious. read more

Classic case of me needing to manage my expectations. With this being the casual version of the tasting menu of George Trois, which is adjacent to Aboyer, I expected to be wowed & honestly I wasn't. The place is good but I drove 45 minutes here & spent $100 all by my lonesome. The maple truffle old fashioned was way too sweet. The black mission fig Manhattan lacked flavor. For an entree I got the "Filet de Lotte Rôti" which had a pretty good sauce that was delicate yet enjoyable. My dessert was crème brûlée & it too was fine, nothing mind blowing. I used this a precursor to judge if I'd be dining at the tasting menu & because of my experience at Aboyer I think I'll pass. The tasting menu is $85 More than what I spent per person & at almost $400 I'd need to be truly floored. Service was out of this world tbh. I was shown the tasting menu room & although a new item & not readily available as of yet they accommodated my request for the fig Manhattan. read more

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Outstanding food, fabulous service, friendly staff. The vibe is lively, but not conversation challenged. This place shouldn't be missed. read more

Aboyer - Garlic prawns with cheese polenta. - French Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

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This restaurant is in the same building with George Trois, which is more an upscale restaurant. The foods here are very nice, and I think the atmosphere is quite casual, and so as the service. I gave 4 but will definitely come back to try other dishes in the future. read more

Aboyer - Escargot - French Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

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A gem of a restaurant with exceptionally good food and impeccable service. Our server, Alfredo, went out of his way to make our dining experience memorable. We will definitely be going back! read more

Came here for the first time for Restaurant Week. Okay that's kind of a lie. We have dined at the former Restaurant Michael and the upper crust George Trois on multiple occasions. This was our first time at the newly transformed Aboyer. Unfortunately our table wasn't ready when we arrived even though we had a confirmed reservation. This is kind of a pet peeve of mine. We were asked to wait at the bar. The bartender made a full recovery by offering us glasses of sparkling wine. I think he knows the way to my heart and a five star review! For my restaurant week meal, I chose the Charcuterie plate, the Hanger steak with pomme frites and the chocolate cake for dessert. This was a great deal! There was tons of food! The Charcuterie was enough for two really. I did share a bit with hubby. Loved all the pates and the accompanying fig jam was everything! My hanger steak was cooked perfectly and fries too were delicious - no need for any ketchup here! The chocolate cake was a deep chocolate, rich and moist, just like it should be. So glad to see Chef Michael continue his reign over beautifully done French cuisine! read more

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I was very excited to come here for an anniversary dinner, but I was sadly disappointed. The service was ok; they didn't do anything for our anniversary or anything. We did get a lot of food. I got the non alcoholic tangerine dream because I'm pregnant, and that was a delicious drink. The best food we had was probably the bread service which comes from a bakery in Evanston. My husband , who is French, ironically ordered the quesadilla and cheeseburger. The quesadilla was just ok, especially for the price. The burger was very good, just very salty. I had the escargot and the quail. Both were just ok. We had the soufflé for dessert, and it was over cooked and burnt around the edges. This was also the second time they made the soufflé, because they didn't find it acceptable the first time. That night, I also got very sick, so I had to toss my leftovers. read more

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We loved our meal! I was excited to see coq au vin on the menu, so I had to get it. Even the white meat in it was so tender and moist. Our favorite part of the order was the gnocchi as a side. So garlicky! The lamb porterhouse, pear crumble, and bread plate were also good. Our service was professional and efficient. We ended up being there much longer than we realized because we were enjoying ourselves. It is noisy in there on a busy Saturday night, but we didn't feel like we were yelling. The acoustics are well-designed. The chef came around to each table and introduced himself, which I thought was a very nice touch. read more

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Great food, wait time was a little long but other than that delicious food and pleasant staff. Will visit again.

Spent our Christmas Eve at Aboyer up in Winnetka, Illinois. Chef Michael Lachowicz has turned his popular Michael's into a trio of French-influenced restaurants all working out of the same building - George Trois (a tasting menu space), Silencieux (a conversation friendly dining room), and Aboyer (a brasserie that is loud and boisterous). For our Christmas Eve dinner, it was a prix fixe three-course menu with a limited but adequate amount of choices. Here is our take. For appetizers we had: the potato/truffle soup (2 stars only because it had little taste - good but bland), the scallop/crab duo (4 star very nice tastes and perfectly done scallop), and the quail salad (4 star and a large serving all by itself). For entrees: one in our party of five had the venison (5 star stuff done perfectly), one had the Chateaubriand (4 star nicely seasoned and tender beef), two had the Dover sole (4 star delicate fish done right), and the last had the duck (two preparations of 4 star tastes but a tad overdone). Desserts: everyone at the table went with the souffles - three candy canes and two banana rums (2 stars for the souffles as they were tasty but underdone with one at our table remarking that the lower parts were like scrambled eggs - just way too moist). Service was off - and one can see the same comments in many other YELP reviews - people seem to rate Aboyer 2 stars or 5 stars - and service seems to make the difference. We felt the service was 2 stars as it either was absent or hurried - and yes we had both that night. It seems that the staff works more than one of the three restaurants at a time, flowing from one to another as needed. While in concept that could work, to us it seemed that there just weren't enough staff to make the place hum. We suspect they could turn their tables a bit faster if they worked the tables more efficiently. For example, we placed an order for a bottle of wine, and waited longer than reasonable to receive it; they poured once, we finished the pouring. Also, when the entrees came they served everyone the wrong item - we easily straightened out who got what but the servers didn't really have a feel for the table. Chef Michael kindly signed our copy of the prix fixe menu that night, and he was all around the room during the meal - he knows how to work his crowd. We started out the night having a drink at the little bar in the corner of the room and the bartender (Owen on our night) was 4+ stars. He knew how to make drinks well, and he supplied generous pours. The only complaint with the bartender was that he was not engaging. He served up beautiful drinks and then we looked at his back the rest of the night. In sum - I would rate Aboyer 4 stars for the food with parts being 5 stars, and 2 stars for the service ... for an overall rating just barely getting to 4 stars. read more

Aboyer - French Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

I was a huge fan of Michael's and so looking forward to this place however, Aboyer turned out to be a big disappointment. What did it for me was that Service was just not good. The place was packed on a Saturday night and super loud as expected and yes you had to Aboyer (to bark) to hear the people you're dining with. Took forever to get drinks and bread service which btw was the best part of the meal. We were also taken aback by the waiter giving us a regulation when we ordered apps: he came back and said "we have a policy on weekends that you have to place your entree orders along with appetizers otherwise we can't start on your apps" Wow talk about buzz killing your evening! Food: Roasted chicken was overpowered with tarragon with no hint of subtlety. Frites were soggy. Charcuterie was good. Salmon was meh. Steak frites also meh. Quail was gross and gamey. Don't get this unless you like that sort of thing. Had a table right by Silenciuex door. Not sure how silent that place could be with the door constantly opening with the loud noise from Aboyer which by the way looked more like an IKEA cafeteria than a modern brasserie. This place needed a bit of warmth and greenery like a potted plant or something because it seemed very sterile and cold. Not sure if I'd go back here so Probably a DO Not Return place for me. So let me bark that out: I WONT BE BACK! read more

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Aboyer is a new brasserie that opened in the space of Restaurant Michael. Silenceaux, was also created from the Restaurant Michael space. A third restaurant, George Trois, is in the same building, but has always been separate from Restaurant Michael. If that's all a bit confusing, it's probably fair to think of Aboyer as the most casual of the three restaurants, Silenceaux in the middle, and George Trois as high-end (and from experience, I can say without a doubt one of the best dining experiences in Chicagoland). As a longtime fan of Restaurant Michael, I didn't know what to expect when I came to dinner. Visually it is a startling departure from the days of Restaurant Michael The dining room boasts a sleek, contemporary look with grey walls and off to the side is a snazzy bar area (which was rocking on a Saturday evening) both of which are replacing a much more traditional setting. Somehow it all works well together. The good news is that Chef Michael Lachowicz's cooking is still as magnificent as ever. We started with a cheese course that was one of the better versions (if not the best) that I've had in the city. This was followed by a unique take on a roasted beet salad, that was accented with a black walnut romesco sauce, shaved fennel, basil, and burrata. Everything went down quickly -- the apps were 2 for 2. The mains were even more impressive. The take on steak frites that is simply labeled as "Beef" was perfectly executed to medium rare. Similarly, the stuffed half-chicken was delicious and exquisitely cooked (and was an absolute value to boot). Unfortunately, we were too stuffed to eat dessert, but we did sample the wine list. The selection on the menu is well chosen albeit somewhat sparse, but if you ask for the wine list from George Trois/Silenceaux (they share a list) the sommelier will be happy to bring it to you. As it was, we selected a J Christopher Pinot Noir from Oregon that was a bargain compared to most restaurant pricing. While the server explained that they everything was still new (opened less than 2 weeks at our visit), service went off without a hitch and the food was great. We'll be back soon -- probably to try Silencieux, but that's simply to mix it up a bit. Aboyer hit on all marks. read more

Great find in the burbs. Was overly impressed w the entire meal. Had the crab cake which was 100% crab, no filler. We tried the salmon...was like buttah. The burger was off the charts and comes with fresh cut fries. Also tried a pasta dish with short rib, excellent. Service was superb. We will def be adding this to our rotation of restaurants. read more

Small intimate restaurant with delicious food. We had little balls stuffed with cheese. The corn and truffle soup was delicious. I ordered the chicken stuffed with Boursin cheese. It came with delicious sauce with morel mushrooms and gnocchi. My husband had the peppered salmon with creamy mashed potatoes and haricot verde. We shared a crème brûlée. Staff is attentive and accommodating. We will be back! read more

Food was excellent we went during restaurant week! Which was great cause it was a way to try it out without having to pay a lot and without knowing if we would like it. The only thing is because it was busy they had to sit us out on a heated tent to wait but it was probably 15-20 mins and they basically served us our drinks and started taking our orders so when we got a table the food would be coming out shortly. The desserts so delicious and fresh and the cheese board read more

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Think of it as a fancy brasserie if not you will be disappointed! Order the desserts. The mains were fairly disappointing. The servers need to.be better educated. He described the potato brandade as an artichoke dip - which totally intrigued me (I remember it being more like aerated mash potato in Europe) Turns out the server was wrong and I wasted my money. Please do not go there unless you are around that area. read more

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I wanted to like it here more than I did. The service was very good. Our waiter noticed our table shifting around and volunteered to put something underneath us, anticipating our needs. That was great! I was disappointed by the food, which I didn't think I would be. I got a filet, and I was disappointed to see that I ordered it cooked medium but it was gray all over. When I cut into it, it was gray and overcooked. It was awkward because the waiter said "that's medium," and while I hate it when people say "the customer is always right," at the same time, it really seemed overcooked! They remade it (I was nice!) and it was better. It was weird that there was only one mushroom. It was advertised as being tourneed, and that's very cool in terms of specific technique, but at that point, why just have one mushroom? That is weird! The foie gras was perfectly cooked, so I of course enjoyed those bites! The steak itself was well seasoned. My fiance enjoyed his steak and chimichurri sauce, the latter of which he wasn't used to but really liked. I wasn't expecting "bargain basement" from wine pricing, I promise, but the $16 flutes of champagne were sadly a bit flat. I'd return, but I wouldn't make a beeline for it. read more

We have been here twice in the last few months. Once, we went to eat outside. The next was more recently. We went with another couple to take part in their lobster on saffron risotto special. When hubby and I ate outside, it had just stormed. We were the only ones outside, but our waiter was great and attentive. Hubby and I especially loved the side of carrots. And my fish was cooked perfectly. When we saw the email ad for the lobster special, it was right up my sister's alley. It's the type of dish she loves. I was debating whether to get the special or their burger. I am dying to try the burger. I decided at the last minute to do the lobster special. It was $49 as opposed to $25 for the burger. While hindsight is 20/20, I wish I had gotten the burger. The lobster on the risotto was delicious, but the risotto was slightly undercooked to my taste. The service here is excellent. We had a young man bring our food, and he was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic! I would come here again, but for my taste, I will get a burger, or one of their fish dishes. read more

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Food is delicious and service is outstanding! Went for Father's Day dinner and everying we tried was excellent!

Fantastic dinner at Aboyer for our anniversary. We sat on the patio as the sun was setting and stayed for almost 3 hours. Spirited Jazz music played on speakers. Caesar and the other servers were attentive and described everything well with a smile. The food was fantastic. We enjoyed the English green pea soup, Crab Gateau, lamb shank with couscous, halibut with morels and spring vegetables and of course finished with the chocolate soufflé. They gave us some Prosecco for our anniversary and some gougers at the beginning that were delish. No pictures because we couldn't delay eating and ate almost every last morsel. Seems like regular customers were there as the chef came out to say hello to a few people and the servers knew many. Staff has been there a long time which shows in their service. This is a great place for a special meal or an weekday meal- so glad we tried! read more

Aboyer - Chocolate Soufflé - French Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

Was early for a reservation so we sat at the bar. The gin cocktail on their menu was excellent (2 of us each had two). Had our choice of the indoor dining room or the outside patio. The inside was crowded and felt tight, as "larger" people it felt as if it would be cramped. We chose outside which was beautiful! We were asked right away if we needed more drinks and they were brought out quickly. Our first course was the cheese platter which was excellent. There were 4 of us so I would say that we could have used a bigger piece of each cheese, cutting a little square in 4 was a really small taste, but, delicious. Next we had the caprese salad. The balsamic was fantastic and the cheese looked/tasted home made. Friends and the corn soup, it was creamy and rich and delicious with the right balance of truffle oil and a clear taste of popcorn. I had the stuffed hen, presentation was nice but it was cold and quite bland. Husband had the scallop which he enjoyed but said the crab cake was unremarkable and the curry sauce was good. Friends had the salmon which looked beautiful and they said was excellent. The homemade ice creams were "old", wierd texture and gooey and not good. The lemon tart was runny and really needed another 24 hours in the cooler. The chocolate souffle had good flavor, the peach cobbler looked dark and thrown together and was not great, the chocolate tarte was the winner. Service was excellent, every need was met with kindness and a smile. Staff was very knowledgeable about the menu. We never felt rushed and it didn't feel uppity. read more

We went for a family dinner to celebrate a birthday. It was our first time there. The manager walked by and dropped off the check on the table while we were still ordering dessert and coffee. He didn't say anything to us but clearly they wanted us to leave. Ruined the dinner by making us feel unwelcome. There are plenty of other high quality restaurants in the North Shore in the surrounding villages. read more

Had an excellent dinning experience here last night! The food was phenomenal! My favorite appetizer was the crab with scallop and curry sauce. Loved the beet salad and cheese board. Can't forget to mention the bread board it was probably the best bread board I've ever ordered! Every entree that passed by looked amazing. I ordered the steak dish and loved every bite of it. The beef was a perfect medium rare, the sauce was amazing and the fries were out of this world! My husband had the lamb shank and couldn't have been happier! Can't wait to return and try the chicken dish! read more

Aboyer - Lamb shank - French Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

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Very few suburban restaurants are in this category. I dined here on two occasions and the dishes were simply done right, in fact exactly as described, and were characterized by their attention to detail while maintaining a balance of flavors. Having lived in Washington and California, I noticed that only the best handful of restaurants outside the major cities care enough to do this on a consistent basis. read more

Always a great meal. Love the restaurant. Beautiful French cuisine in an elegant and comfortable atmosphere that's completely unpretentious. Order the bread plate. read more

Party of 4 during North Shore Restaurant Month - February 2024. First, I was surprised waiter omitted the special menu for North Shore Restaurant Month when they handed us the food menu. Had to ask for the special menu. Felt cheap when the waiter apologized with the comment, "sorry most customers don't ask for it". Secondly, I was shocked this very nice fine dinning establishment stated on their regular menu an extra 3.5% charge will be added to your bill if you use a credit card. Seriously... who carries $400 cash to a fine dinning establishment. Credit card processing fees are between 1.5% to 3.5%. Interesting they sided with the highest percentage. Does Aboyer really want to become a cash business? Either suck it up as part of your business or increase the food prices to account for it. Tired of restaurant passing these charges. Credit Cards make their business so much easier to manage. Never mind, customers purchase more without worrying if they brought more cash. Very tacky! read more

If you're looking for a restaurant to host an event - look no further than Aboyer. My mom and sister hosted my baby shower there and Chef Michael and his incredible team made it the most wonderful memorable event ever. Our guests couldn't stop talking about how amazing the food and drinks were. The service was excellent and the space is gorgeous. 10/10 recommend Aboyer for delicious food and fun. Everyone had a great time and didn't wanna leave. Host your next party at Aboyer I promise you won't regret it!! read more

The ability to adapt and to thrive under the most challenging conditions sets a five start restaurant apart from the rest. We started ordering take out from Aboyer in the early days of the pandemic and recently took advantage of the warm weather to dine on the patio. The food was amazing. I had short ribs over pappardelle and my husband had short rib stew. Both meals were accompanied by the perfect glass of wine. The tables were well spaced, there was plenty of room between tables. The fire pit was cozy, and while they were not needed that night, heat lamps were strategically positioned around the patio. It was a Sunday evening and by the time we left, every table was full. The takeout menu and service is equally impressive. On top of great food, Aboyer provides thoughtful packaging and our food is always hot. Add to this a flawless ordering and pick up process. Hats off to Michael Lachowicz. read more

Aboyer - Short ribs over pappardelle. Large serving and delicious. - French Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

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Food is great, service is great, cocktails are great. Portions are small given prices so a bit of a splurge, but we'll worth it for the chef and his creations! read more