Not going to lie, I've always avoided French restaurants. I don't really eat meat and I've never been a fan of the "french menu". My husband came across Bistro Campagne and noticed the food is organic and grown by local farmers, so he knew I'd be happy about that. The atmosphere is warm & romantic; the perfect spot for a date night with your significant other. If you're lucky enough to get a table closer to the front, you can enjoy the music. We sat towards the back, which was still very cute, but you couldn't hear anything other than those around you chatting. For an appetizer, we split the squash soup with maple bourbon creme fraîche, which was outstanding. The perfect fall soup; slightly rich and warm with a hint of spice. My husband had the pork chops roasted sweet potato, onions and brussel sprouts with apple cider glaze. I didn't taste any of it but I'm pretty sure that he cleared the plate the second our server returned with my plate. I had the chickpea crepe with tomato confit, artichoke, shallot, & goat cheese. The goat cheese because it's very present in this dish, so you'd better love it (which I do). I also loved the way the tomato's would literally burst in your mouth when you bit into them. And finally, we shared the caramelized apples on puff pastry with vanilla ice cream. You can never really go wrong with deserts in my opinion, the pastry was nice and flaky, and the apples were so nice and warm that the vanilla ice cream melted before it reached our mouths. Not bad at all for my first time at a French restaurant. VERY cute for a date night or a small girls night out. read more

Took my wife here, because we had passed by the joint many times and were curious. This restaurant was one of the best we have had in the city. The atmosphere was amazing. They have cute bistro style entrance/restaurant area that has a broken away cottage that is surrounded by a gorgeous patio that faces the sidewalk but is completely separated from the public with a 5ft fence. We started with some beers, of which they had an AMAZING Belgian selection. The bread they brought out was so delicious. The appetizer was escargot, which arrived boiling hot. It was full of garlicy buttery goodness. When the snails were done we sopped up the awesome juices with the awesome bread. Then my wife had the medium rare hanger steak which was perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and pink in the middle. It came with perfectly crisp thinly cut frites, that were not greasy. I had the Calves liver. The sauce was a little rich, but what else can you expect from French cuisine. The liver had a nice consistency, crispy on the outside. The potatoes were soooo smooth. The meal was so good my wife and I ate way too much, but it was hard not picking up the utensil one more time. read more

Hooray for my 50th review! I wanted to make sure it was a good one, so I saved this place while I worked up to 50. My family went here for my sister's birthday, and it was such a charming, delightful experience. The outdoor patio felt like we were in a little backyard patio in the French countryside. So cute. Inside was warm and cozy, service was perfect, staff was friendly. Now onto the food. I ordered the goat cheese salad and the scallops, and both were amazing. The scallops were cooked so perfectly, and they sat atop of swirl of a corn puree, which i could have (and maybe did) lick off the plate. It was a small portion, which was my only complaint, but since I had the salad and we ordered mussels for an appetizer, i was stuffed. Other items at the table were the steak frittes and pan seared trout, which were both incredibly delicious as well. And since it was a birthday, we naturally had a smorgasbord of desserts. We left full and satisfied and i would definitely return. read more

We came here on April 29, as Bistro Campagne was donating 1/3rd of their evening profits to local AIDS agencies. Hard not to love a restaurant with a heart! Tragically, the beautiful warm day was also quite windy, so the outdoor patio was closed. However, we were seated right next to three windows, where we could feel the sun and the breeze, and gaze into the patio. The decor of the restaurant was beautiful, and you do feel like you are in the French countryside. We began with cocktails - a Manhattan for him, a Maria-Tini with me. Mine was delicious - who knew vanilla vodka and Absolut Peach were such an enchanting combo? Now I know. Warm, crusty bread soon arrived with butter that spread easily. Munch munch. Our appetizers were escargot, and the mussels. We like our shelled creatures, yes we do. The mussels were really divine - best I've had in the city, and there were so many of them! We made short work of their delicious selves. The escargot were also the best I've had anywhere, and they arrived sizzling hot. As I think everyone knows, the best part of escargot is the luscious garlicky sauce in which they arrive - and we were scraping up every last bit with the bread. My male counterpart ordered the roast chicken, and I ordered the duck. We love our poultry. The duck dish was, as the waitress explained, extremely light. A small (and thus, finishable) portion of beautifully cooked duck breast over delicate orzo, with very balanced flavors of Picholine olives (my favorite olives, btw) and preserved meyer lemons. Hello gorgeous. It would be a great dish for someone who loves French food but doesn't want to be rolled out the door on the way out. I assisted my boyfriend with his roast chicken, which was juicy and flavorful - and do NOT neglect to eat the skin! The skin makes the dish - crispy and delightful. His plate was also loaded with, what I imagine are called "onion fries". They were addicting, like the best onion rings you've ever had, only wee tiny. No dessert, we were too darn full. Prices were fair considering that much of their food is locally-grown/organic. The food here is simple but superb - classic French. I can't find a flaw in our experience here, start to finish, thus the rare and elusive five-star rating. Go eat here now. read more

The Ides of March are upon us and that means we have two family dinners to celebrate! My wife and youngest daughter decide to combine their birthday celebration meals into one meal. They explain that way they can choose a more expensive place together. I know you are thinking that sounds like a woman's logic. But what the heck I get to go out to eat and you all know how much I do LOVE to eat. Well we head to Bistro Campagne, another one of those Check Please restaurants (still trying to be a reviewer if you remember). There are seven of us today in our group. We arrive for our 6:00 pm reservations and the place is quite empty. It is a cute little place with different rooms for eating. We start with drinks, a Crab Cake appetizer, two bowls of Split Pea soup (with bacon in it) and a bowl of French Onion soup. They also bring out bread and hummus. Everything was good. I think the free bread and hummus was probably the best so far but then again I am not a big fan of Split Pea soup. Maria did think the Crab Cake was out of this world. Usually she says it is more breading and less crab but this time it was the opposite. Well for our main course 5 of us actually ordered the Steak Friter with thin onionized fries. This again was good. Nobody is raving about things so far but they also are not complaining. My youngest son ordered his usual Cheese Burger. I really think he should write a book reviewing cheese burgers. That is usually all he orders no matter where we go. My oldest daughter ordered the Grilled Salmon. This was also good. Actually not that usual heavy fish taste that Salmon has. She of course let Dad sample her dinner, she is the best you know. On to dessert, which we did order (except for my youngest son who is not a big dessert fan). I ordered a Mango and Orange Sorbet. Which the mango was good but the orange was horrible. We also ordered 2 Bread Puddings, 1 Creme Brulee and 1 Pot-de-Creme. Again our desserts were average to go along with the rest of our meal. I will say from a negative side the service, though very friendly was exceptionally slow for a Thursday night. I don't think that was our server's (Aneta) fault because she was around a lot, actually so was the guy filling the water glasses. But it did take forever for the food to make it to our plates. I think in total we were there for well over two hours. Also Bistro was very expensive!! Our total bill for the night came to roughly $320 including the tip. That was appetizers, main courses, desserts, non-alcohol drinks and a tip to cover seven people. That is roughly $45 dollars a person!! Also I will have to mention, with a big group I usually mention when it is someone's birthday in the group. Because most, if not all places will give the birthday person a free dessert. Well Bistro did not! I thought that was unusual considering how much we did spend. Overall we all left full and happy. Nobody was complaining, but no one was jumping up and down and raving about Bistro Campagne. It was nice to try (I always say it is nice to try a new place, I LOVE food) but I don't think we will be heading back anytime soon. read more

love love love Bistro Campagne. From the moment you walk in the door, you are enveloped in the aroma of butter and cream and all things that are french. I have walked, jogged, biked, driven by Bistro Campagne and for ages and i couldn't figure out why I hadn't been. Armed with a group of girlfriends, we enjoyed a night of indulgence in the succulent delights of french cuisine. When I think about Bistro Campagne it takes me back to Chez Pannise. Where you feel like you're inside someone's home, nestled in the corner waiting for your meal as you catch up with old friends and tell stories of times past. The night was long and pleasurable with a delightful server that not only recommended a wine that complimented each of our meal but quickly corrected an order, when we made a mistake. Local seasonal ingredients. Bistro Campagne is exquisite. A perfect restaurant for someone you love. I cant wait to dine on the patio in the fall. How romantic. read more

Wow, I used to love this place. But the past two times I've been are worse than the last. The only saving grace of our last meal was the service, which was very good. However, the food was absolutely terrible. I ordered a Poulet Roti (which I've had in the past, though it's been awhile) and my wife ordered the Beef Bourgonone. After a few bites, the dish was unpalatable because of the amount of salt in the dish. Literally overpowering and, at this level of cuisine, absolutely unacceptable. In addition the head chef came into the dining area, not once, but four times to chat with his friends at another table and he looked really unkempt. Granted, cooking in a restaurant kitchen is a hard job, but I've seen fry cooks in fast food look more put together. Very, very disappointing.... read more

My husband and I have been coming to Bistro Campagne since it opened in 2002, and sadly the last few times we have been there we were disappointed with the food, someone in the kitchen has a very heavy hand with the salt. I see that others have noticed the same.... We really want to love this place, it's a beautiful, cozy space, but our most recent experience forced me to leave this review. We ate at the bar which used to be our favorite spot. No longer , the staff there tonight seemed rather inexperienced and certainly not happy to be there. We witnessed a waitress and the bartender engaging in a bit of a cat fight over a drink, a waiter snapped at the busboy who cleared my plate (the waiter was just standing at the bar not adding much value to any customer's experience), and bottom line the food let us down (not the wine though). My husband ordered the steak tartare appetizer and it was very salty (we get much better at Laschets on Irving). I had a salad with goat cheese and everything looked nice, but the dressing was way over salted - just too much. And we've run into this with the chicken dish, etc. I wish the kitchen could let go of the shaker and the staff needs to spend more time talking with customers and not just standing up at bar sniping at each other - I couldn't wait to get out of there, talk about tense. So sad, we really want to love this place but the quality of food is very low, and just isn't worth the price - not to mentioned the tension between the bartender and wait staff - you could really feel it. We really feel we wasted our money.... read more

This is a review I wrote about Bistro Campagne that I put on Open Table after a horrible New Year's Eve there.: This was an incredible disappointment after hearing so much about this place. While it's cozy and charming, the food was so bland I could never see myself returning here. It was a bad way to start New Year's Eve (luckily the rest of the evening turned out okay). My lyonnaise salad had no flavor to the dressing and the croutons reminded me of styrofoam. There was barely any soup in the french onion soup-just bread and cheese. My partner ordered a vodka collins and we were told they didn't have any mixer to make it(really? what bar doesn't have that). My partner's escargot was too salty while my cassoulet cried out for any kind of spice. And where was the pork belly and lamb; I only tasted duck and knockwurst. Avoid, avoid, avoid! read more

Against my better judgment, I am doling out a 5 star review here. Despite the less than stellar service...(abrupt, no eye contact, no recommendatioins, very curt). However, it was my birthday. I was happy. We had a bottle of white wine, a delish heirloom tomatoe appetizer...the world made sense. My man was lookin' good...the air had a warm life to it. We were dining in the my beautiful city. So, they get 5 stars. Our meals were lovely. Absolutely. I had the roasted sea bass, he had the lamb...well presented and prepared, perfectly portioned. Oh, and the dessert! If I choose to cheat, it best be worth it...and this WAS. Pot de Creme and Chocolate souffle, I could've bathed in the stuff. It was practically heaven in small, chocolate form. MMM. so good. The souffle is a MUST. Divine. Mid range prices, very cozy. Lovely for a date. I will go back :) read more

Mom has been wanting to come here for over a year now. We utilized a Restaurant.com certificate and made a holiday excursion out of it. I'm giving a 4 star review, because Mom enjoyed herself so much and her lamb was really very good and plentiful. I also loved the decor and the feel of the place and the service was very good, so yeah 4 stars works. If I based the review solely on my personal experience, it would be more like 3 stars. I had the escargot appetizer. It was ok, but I think the snails would have been better served in a simple garlic butter. For a main entree, I had the duck. It was ok, though the breast slices were rather tough. I came close to sending it back, but didn't. Chris had the steak, which had good flavor, but again I found nothing exciting or memorable about it. He also had the French onion soup, which was decent, but not particularly exciting. The creme brulee for dessert was good, but again, I certainly have had better. I admit I was a bit annoyed because they did not have any specials for the day. I was hoping to try the marrow bones or the braised ox tails, but alas it was not to be. Mom wants to come back in the summer and sit outside, so I know I will be back one of these days. I just hope I have a dining experience that will knock my socks off. read more

The boyfriend and I went back for VDay noms, and Bistro Campagne is still the best game in town. Besides, where else can you get macaroni and cheese with a pot of chocolate for dessert? Nomnomnomnomnom!!! read more

We were wandering around the north side, semi-aimlessly looking for good eats. After a brewski at Glunz Bavarian Haus (review to follow), we stumbled upon Bistro Campagne. We were the a-holes that were the last table seated. Oops. They didn't have to seat us, but they did. High five for you. We ordered a bottle of white wine, the name escapes me as I was already pretty toasty by the time we arrived. I ordered the Steak & fries which was pretty delish. The steak was a bit chewy, but I suppose my own doing since I ordered it medium-well. It was however, seasoned perfectly. The fries were amazing. My com padres were snatching them off my plate (I was happy to share). I really enjoyed the atmosphere and "ambiance." It clearly used to be a home, now turned restaurant. It was very cozy. It was a chilly night that we went, but I hear they have outdoor seating. I would love to check that out sometime. Bistro Campagne was good, but I don't think it will be a place we frequent on the regular. La Sardine has us hooked. :) read more

Simply amazing. My brother and I split a duck confit appetizer. It was extremely delicious. My parents split a mac and cheese for an appetizer and good god, I wish I had picked that for dinner. It was probably the best mac and cheese I've ever tried. As for dinner, I had the leg of lamb. It was succulent and just perfect. I tried a little of my brother's steak frites and my mom's trout. Both were really tasty, and I would have ordered either if I could start over. Overall, this place is fantastic and I would recommend it to anyone who looking for a good meal, or it would be perfect for a romantic atmosphere. read more

Came with an A la card... and did not know what to expect, since we found lots of good French restaurants/bistros in Chicago lately. We ordered brandade de morue en beignet - REALLY GOOD! Surprising since it's fish. escargots au beurre d'ail - ok pot-au-feu - good porc a la moutarde - good canard - GREAT! Best duck ever! fig & brown butter bread pudding - good I love duck & this place won me over with it. I wish Bristro Campagne has pre-fixe menu... read more

Absolutely fantastic French bistro with fabulous food and great wine list. Make sure to try: - goat cheese salad - escargot - salmon - steak frites And if weather permits, make sure you sit outside! read more

Bistro Campagne, to me, is a special occasion establishment. Why? Not sure....it just feels that way to me. It was a beautiful day.......but Spring in Chicago means way too cold to be sitting outside, though they do have a lovely patio area. Luis was our server and did an overall good job waiting on us as we placed our order of the scrambled eggs dish with bacon and my date had the Goat Cheese Crepes. To top it all off 2 mimosas made for a pleasant experience, though I did have to wait for the server to return to order the second mimosa which removes one star as reading other reviews this seem to be an ongoing issue with the wait staff. But the food was very good. The space is cozy with low ceilings and resembling a small country house, it possesses the look and feel of some small family run place in Europe which adds to its charm. Parking is good during the day, but as the evening progresses you may find even the public parking lot across the street a challenge to find parking. Though the Brown line Western stop is just up the street, so you can go Green if you prefer. Want a little of Europe in Chicago, then Bistro Campagne is a very good option. read more

So, it's Sunday morning and you feel like getting brunch with your friends or your sweetheart. You are thinking through all the brunch places you usually have on your list. You are trying to choose between something mediocre and an hour wait, then you remember, "hey, doesn't that french bistro serve brunch?!" Yes. Yes, they do. And it is fabulous. We went here around 12pm with no reservation and were seated almost immediately. Everything was perfectly done, from service, to beverages, to food, to decor. It was exactly what we needed. I had the quiche and it was the tallest, fluffiest, most flavorful quiche of my life. I tasted all my friends' food (because I'm like that) and I was pleased to find that everything was delicious. Allegedly, they are also spot on for dinner, but I can only speak for the delightful brunch service. So, if you are in North Center on a Sunday, and are trying to decide where to brunch, don't EVER overlook Bistro Campagne again. read more

Came here for a special occasion on a weeknight and had a very nice time. I haven't been to too many french places in the city, and we heard quite a few good things about this place from friends so we knew we had to give it a try. It's very charming inside, simple tables with white table clothes give it an appealing elegance. Their patio is absolutely romantic and also charming, but make sure you come here when it's really warm out to enjoy it. It even has hanging lights, so definitely a pretty spot. We asked for a nice table inside as it was chilly out and they gave us a perfect table in a corner away from the crowd. It was dimly lit and cozy so you get very comfortable right away. It was a Tuesday night and when we came in most people had mussels on their table as it is a special I suppose, something to note for the future and they did smell yummy. We ordered the escargot to start. Let's just say I wasn't the biggest fan of it, but maybe it's just not my thing. We had it at Paris Club and I think they made it a little tastier because it was in a puff pastry where as Bistro's is more garlicy and authentic. Now I had no idea what to do for my entree and since there were no diets that day, I went with their burger coupled with onion frites and I'm soo glad that I did. It was one of the best burgers I've ever had (see attached pic). Wow, good quality beef with onion jam and brie cheese, absolutely delicious. It's also huge so I could only eat half of it, but I definitely recommend it. My hubby got the steak frites with the hanger steak as everyone recommended it with the french fries. I had a bite and he ate the entire thing so it is definitely tasty. But their onion string frites are amazing, better than the pommes frites so definitely get that if your dish doesn't come with it. By this point we were stuffed but how could we not get some dessert, it's me we're talking about here. We went with the creme brule and it was amazing, one of the best I've had, not overly sweet, and the top was the perfect caramelized crunch. They even gave us a candle with it, so that was sweet on their part. Our server was good and friendly and everything was brought out correct and timely. We were definitely impressed by it's non pretentious vibe in a good neighborhood. I'll have to do some other French places before coming back, but I'm happy we came here. read more

Bistro Campagne - Bistro Burger! - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

YUM, YUM, YUM, YUM!! I have been wanting to eat here for the past several years and have finally tried it, during Restaurant Week. Boy, was it worth the wait! The wine the waiter described was divine and paired well with the various dishes. The baguette and fresh butter was a super start to the food fun. Nest, was a fresh salad dressed perfectly, a fish dish that melted in my mouth, and an apple tart that finished off the night. Too bad I didn't have enough room for two tarts! I liked the intimacy of the various dining rooms and found myself becoming more and more relaxed and the evening progressed. This French restaurant is the real deal. Two thumbs up! read more

Bistro Campagne is my favorite French restaurant in the city and one of my favorite places. The mac and cheese alone is enough to die for. It's cute, it's cozy and it's not too expensive. The food is organic and the waitstaff has always been really pleasant. I first went to Bistro Campagne because I've been hearing good things about Tallgrass Beef, from a friend who biased-ly enough works for Tallgrass and Bistro Campagne is one of the few restaurants to serve their meat. So, I knew I had to get the steak frites and I actually get it everytime I go, because it's pretty good. And then, I looked to my left and saw a woman eating what looked to be a delicious serving of macaroni and cheese. The kid in me wanted to try that and when I ordered it as a side, the adult in me was pleasantly surprised with the smooth and creaminess of the macaroni au gratin. Absolutely delicious. The steak tartare is some of the better tartare I've had outside of Paris. Desserts are also excellent. The staff is very helpful at matching wine with your meal. I've also tried the duck confit (phenomenal) and salmon dish. All-in-all, a great gastronomic experience. Parking is easy - with a pay lot across the street. This place is great for a date, a dinner with a friend, or a larger group outing. read more

After a long, gluttonous week of dining in NYC, upon my return, my husband wanted to take me out dinner....I really wasn't up for another indulgent meal, but I couldn't really say no considering he was happy to see me and wanted to take me out for our 5 mo. wedding anniversary (ahhh : ) Anyhoo, we ended up at Bistro Campagne on a Thursday evening, and I was quite pleased. I ordered the Whitefish with celery puree and it was delicious. Filling, but not stuffing. It was pretty empty, which made it very romantic, as the lighting is very dim and there are candles on the tables read more

INCREDIBLE!!! My husband and I came here for our 2-year anniversary dinner. After letting the person calling to confirm the reservation know it was for our anniversary, we got there and were seating in an incredibly romantic table. The food was phenomenal, the service was outstanding, and the atmosphere was sweet and romantic =) They even brought us 2 complimentary glasses of champagne and a dessert! Love this gem in Lincoln Square. Will definitely be back for the brunch!!! read more

I just tried out brunch at Bistro Campagne with Becky S. and Kelly M. It was wonderful! The place is super cute, first of all. We ate outside and it was very pleasant but the inside was very inviting as well. I feel like it would be a great place for a winter meal. All warm and cozy. I will definitely be going back to see if I'm right :) My food was delicious. I had a cauliflower and heriloom tomato quiche with a green salad. Yum! I ate every last morsel. Kelly had the same and Becky had the crepes which se also said were excellent. Great bloody mary mix too. Nice and spicy! Service was good. Not one issue to speak of. I'll be returning for sure. Can't wait to try dinner! read more

Here's the deal. Great place for brunch and I am looking forward to going back for dinner. The place has a very cool exterior and interior Parisian feel- and some of the people who work there even speak to you in French. After the first Mimosa you soon forget you are even in Chicago. You can not go wrong here. You've just been yelped in. read more

I went with my wife for the first time last night. I had seen a review on "Check Please" and thought it looked nice (perhaps a little romantic even). The atmosphere is very pleasant. Clean and not crowded (both inside or outside), despite the fact the restaurant was full by the time we left. For whatever reason, I was a little disappointed with the layout outside. I was somehow under the impression it was more spacious and/or luxurious. Instead, it was quite simple (which has its own charm). The staff and servers were very nice. They were attentive, efficient and very capable. The meal itself was tasty. Appetizers included steamed mussels and salad. Entree was steak frites and roasted chicken with a side of "legumes provencale". The steak was fine. The chicken a little fatty for my taste but that's really pretty minor. Let me mention they have a very modest wine and beer selection. We ended the meal with fine dessert -- profiteroles & a strawberry/rhubarb tart -- and coffee. The entire meal was solid. Now, it was a good meal and experience offered by the restaurant. It was more expensive than I would have liked but not by much. That's why I gave it only 4-stars instead of more. We will go back again... read more

Based on the brunch we had, I would give food 3 stars. Duck confit was still disappointing( have never gotten good duck confit in Chicago) others were just average. I took one start out because of the service. Horrible service!!!! The waiter was rude and unfriendly. Let us sit there to wait for check for 20 mins when the restaurant was not busy at all with empty seats around us. In the end, we went to the bar to ask for bills... Get your ass together please, for your reputation. read more

Bistro Campagne - Look at this sad presentation... - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It is one of my favorite restaurants! The food is perfect, the service is amazing. Really a great place to go to in Lincoln square.

This was the perfect place in the city for our small 20 guest wedding. Their back patio was lush with vegetation and intimate. We had the ceremony, drinks and hor d'oeuvres in the back followed by a wonderful two course meal in "the cottage." The wait staff was attentive and Alex, our event coordinator, was responsive. My only concern during our wonderful event related to the manor in which our guest's drinks were served. I noticed some guests were confused about how and when they could order more drinks once the sit down meal started. I mentioned this to the wait staff and they offered to place bottles on the tables. This ended up working out for the best. Overall, everyone very much enjoyed the setting, ambiance, specialty drinks and fine cuisine. read more

Two things I love, brunch and my bestie. I had not had either since moving to the city. I could wait no longer! Enter, Bistro Campange. I had been wanting to check out BC before even moving the 'hood. We needed to fuel our bodies with some sustinance (and mimosas) before frollicking around the square. Bistro was the perfect choice. This quaint little bistro is nestled in Lincoln Square and is offering up a delightful brunch menu. I had the crab cakes served with buerre blanc, poached eggs and potato hash while the bestie opted for house cured salmon served on a baguette, lemon caper creme fraiche, pickled onions with pomme frites. Mimosas rounded out our meal. Our meals were delicious. Everything was fresh and cooked perfectly. The service was fantastic and the atmosphere lends itself well to having a conversation. Bistro Campagne would be an excellent choice for a date. The dinner menu looks wonderful and I also spied some pretty sinful sounding desserts that sound like they are worth a return trip alone. Au revoir, Bistro Campagne! read more

Loved Bistro Campagne! Went here on a cold rainy night mid-week and the place was full. Ambience/Place: Cozy, cute, comforting...lovely! Service: Overall good. They were busy, and our waitress seemed a tad preoccupied, but no major complaints. Food: Delicious! We had the carmelized onion tart (buttery, flaky, amazing!), mussels (no grit, great butter sauce), steak frites (solid, not outstanding but tender and delish), and pork chops (v. moist and flavorful). For Dessert we had profiteroles (pretty good, but the cream puffs were slightly hard), and the other gem of the night, the fig bread pudding (wonderfully moist and so tasty!) I'd definitely go back...! read more

Maybe one of the nicest patios to dine on in all of Chicago. For French bistro food, this is a lovely restaurant. The onion strudel, the steak tartar, and lyonnaise salad, all were very good. Babes has trout and I had whitefish special. We had a bottle of Chenin Blanc and shared a chocolate mousse desert. Like I said, classic bistro, and done very well. The service too, very good. This is a north side restaurant, next to Old Town Folk Music. We will be back. read more

This place is the trifecta: decor, food and service. Everything is just perfectly spot on. I hosted a baby shower for my sister here this past weekend and it was beautiful. The restaurant itself is so quaint and the private room we had was gorgeous with beautiful murals painted on the walls and lovely wooden beams in the ceiling. The event planner was super friendly and pleasurable to deal with, and the price was really reasonable for a great place in the city. The staff at the shower was perfect- everyone was just really accommodating. Not to mention the food! The menu offered a really nice variety of things and everything they served was excellent. Even their granola was some of the best I've had. Not only am I eager to go back for dinner service, I'm looking forward to having another private party there. This place simply can't be missed. read more

My wife and I had a great dinner here last weekend. I had the Base Camp cocktail which was reason enough for me to go back- gin, whiskey, a little smokey taste with a lemon finish. Very different but probably one of my favorite cocktails I've had in the city. We started with the Lyonnaise salad which was huge with very generous portions of pork belly. Then we had the Quail Ballotine- it was a little sweet for our taste so I'm not sure I'd recommend it but definitely a unique French dish. As a main we shared the Cassoulet which sealed the deal for me to recommend this place. We love cassoulet and the duck in this dish was amazing. It was also huge so we took most of it home. We'll definitely be back when we can sit outside this summer! read more

We had the nicest dinner here - it was still warm enough to sit outside in the garden. I love almost any place where I can eat outdoors. The food was very good but they need help in the dessert department. read more

I was excited to try this local French restaurant for my birthday dinner. Streak frites is my favorite and I was thrilled to hear I could enjoy this with 2 toddlers in tow. When we arrived we were seated in the back room which was perfect for my group. The service was attentive and friendly. The front room and patio area would've been perfect for a date night with the husband. Too bad we won't be returning because the food was bad. For the price, which is on par with other bistros in Chicago, this place did not deliver. Escargot tasted old and nasty. Brie was tasteless and comprised mostly of bland puréed seasonal squash. The soup de jour was overly sweet. But what killed it was the steak was under seasoned and left much to be desired. Very sad. read more

My wife and I celebrated our anniversary with a meal at BC. We made the reservation late, so we got a 6:30 seating. It was interesting that the other early diners were all packed into a small side room with us. I don't know if that was on purpose or not (while it did make the place feel more "full" the baby was a distraction). I won't deduct points for that because frankly it would be a disservice to the food and our server. Our meal was off the winter menu, so I won't bother with details. The food we ate won't be available for another 9 months most likely. I will say that the flavors were amazing. Both of us have spent some time in France, and the result of this meal would best be described as culinary nostalgia. Our server guided us well and was attentive throughout the meal. Which says something, since by the time we left the restaurant was completely packed. I only wish we could eat meals like that every day. Alas, the prices make that impossible. However if you want to give yourself a nice treat this is a great neighborhood spot. We will definitely be back to sample their spring/summer menu and sit out on the patio. read more

I went to Bistro Campagne recently for dinner and had a wonderful experience. The decor was absolutely charming. The service was fantastic - attentive without being pushy. My boyfriend was shocked at how little time we were in the restaurant, since it didn't take 20 minutes to get our check. The food was quite good. It's priced comparably to other higher-end French restaurants in the city, and it's delicious. We both had the steak-frites and I would rate their version better than La Tache in Andersonvile and Rick's Cafe in Uptown. I would definitely go back. read more

Bistro Campagne has been something of a hidden gem in Lincoln Square but I'm happy that it's getting it's proper due. Whether it's brunch or dinner, you can't go wrong. Brunch was excellent, from the warm baguette that's served after you are seated, to the crepes/pancakes and pain perdu. Dinner is also top-notch, and I was especially pleased with the onion tart, steak frites, and roasted chicken. You can't go wrong with their dessert options: the fig bread pudding and the citrus tart are equally delicious. read more

Three things about Bistro Campagne: 1. My close friend got married here, in the garden. It's practically family. 2. The last time I was in Chicago, four of us went to brunch here. We ordered pretty much everything on the menu, staggered, like horrid, demanding children. The waitress didn't even mind, she just kept bringing us food. Everything tasted better than everything else. There was savory and sweet all over the place. I wanted to hug the entire neighborhood. 3. Macaroni and cheese. You're welcome. read more