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    Bistro Monadnock

    4.6 (175 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    Bistro Monadnock Photos

    BISTRO MONADNOCK ATMOSPHERE

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    Casual
    Intimate
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    Classy

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    Great cocktails!
    Jill A.

    The atmosphere is chic and cozy inside this hidden gem. Great cocktail list and the food is always fantastic. I'm glad to have them in my neighborhood. Would be great for a date with someone you want to impress.

    Hannah H.

    We stopped by the Bistro Monadnock, a French restaurant, before catching a show - Their HH specials are a great deal, as they have some good bites offered at the bar. We ordered: +oysters - these were fresh and brine-y +salt cod croquettes - these were forgettable; overcooked and didn't have much flavor; super dried out +and, sliders - these were extremely juicy and delicious; could have just focused on these! The place was very dim-lit, and the seats at the bar was a bit tight and uncomfortable. However, the bartenders and staff were friendly. Note that the place does get packed during the rush! +sliders! +friendly staff

    Fish
    Kendra M.

    My goal is to try 50 new Chicago restaurants in 2025! Restaurant: 23/50 Month tried: April Favorite dish: escargots A very solid option if you need dinner in the Loop! I'm almost never in the loop, but we needed a meal before a show and Bistro Monadnock came up with good reviews. The atmosphere is great - huge bar, lots of dark wood and soft lighting, and very French vibes. The menu is definitely a little pricey, but we had good strong cocktails and solid food. The menu has changed since I dined but I had a fish dish with a fennel salad that was cooked very well. I could see this being a great place for cocktails after work for those who work downtown.

    Steak Frites
    Connie L.

    Bistro Monadnock is a hidden gem! Perfect for a casual date night or family dinner. Their French cuisine is absolutely delicious and you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. My favorite was their steak frites. It was a perfect medium rare and the fries were crisped and seasoned to perfection. The profiteroles with pistachio gelato was to die for. Also $3 for happy hour oysters? Yes please! The staff were amiable and helpful as well. Highly recommend this place!

    Jasmine L.

    First time here for restaurant week and our group is very happy with our food and service. The place is in a quiet street with a classic cozy design inside. It is a good spot for friends gathering or a date. These are the items we ordered: cocktails, lobster bisque, steak tartare, Cornish hen, skate wing, steak frites, cream brulee and profiteroles. Everything is very flavorful and the portion is generous - the cream brulee is the biggest I have ever had and I absolutely love it. Our waiter is very friendly and attentive. I'll recommend it and probably come back to try other items.

    BLT and frites
    Annette D.

    Perfect spot for lunch. Everything on the menu sounded amazing. I chose the lunch special which included a cup of soup and half sandwich. My friend ordered the BLT special of the day and incredible frites. The food was incredibly delicious. The ambiance is cozy, quaint and intimate. Convenient parking directly across the street (parking discount with validation)

    Cornish Hen
    Nicole M.

    My sister doesn't want me to write this review because she's afraid this place will become too popular! Walking into the Monadnock building almost feels like time travel; it was built in the 19th century, and the shops inside have preserved that historic feeling. We arrived earlier than our reservation, but were seated promptly anyway. We started with drinks and a baguette, which was up to my French native dad's standards, so we soon polished that off and had to get another! Next up were the salads, we got a Bibb, and a Strawberry & Farro to share among the 6 of us, the latter recommended by our server. She did not steer us wrong; both salads were delightful. Several people in our party ordered the Striped Bass, my younger son got the Dorade Royale, my sister chose the Cornish Hen, and since someone had to do it, I went with Steak Frites. It was cooked perfectly to my medium rare request and came with a massive pile of beef fat fries! I needed help with those, and everyone was happy to dig in; they were amazing. So good that we had to get another side order of frites, especially since my sister had a lot of yummy sauce to scoop up; it was either that or more bread. Everyone enjoyed their fish dishes, too; the Dorade Royale was a good-sized whole fish in a golden sauce and my son soon devoured it all. I certainly didn't have room for dessert, but most of us ordered coffee. However, the young men wanted to try something, so we got a Peach Melba. I ended up trying more than one spoonful. The bathrooms consist of several single-seaters, which is nice. All sparkling, and with the same old-school charm as the rest of the building. The bar has a rather large sculpture behind it, which generated some discussion as to what animal it was. Bull? Mythological creature? Horse? Since it has a mane, I concluded it was a horse.

    French onion soup and fries
    Emeri Q.

    Bistro Monadnock feels like a little escape to Paris tucked right into the loop. From the moment you walk in, the cozy, cute French ambiance makes you feel transported to a charming bistro in France. The French onion soup is a standout: rich, deeply flavorful, and perfectly comforting. Their fries are equally addictive and crispy, golden. The happy hour menu is another big win, with great deals that make it easy to enjoy quality food and drinks without breaking the bank. A perfect spot for a casual date, a relaxed evening with friends, or when you're craving a taste of Paris without the plane ticket.

    Mushroom melt and French onion soup
    Amanda M.

    Absolutely loved this place. The decor is cute cozy and an authentic French feel. The service was great. And all the food was absolutely delicious! They have a great lunch special with a soup and sandwhich making it the perfect way to taste even more. The fries are a must as well!

    French onion soup
    Mark W.

    We went to Bistro Monadnock for our anniversary. Once we were seated, the restaurant offered us two glasses of champagne before dinner, which created a fun and romantic start to our celebration. Below is what we ordered: French Onion Soup - 5/5 One of the best onion soups I've had in the city. Perfectly balanced flavors between the rich broth and melted cheese. It was served piping hot straight from the kitchen. Skatewing - 4.5/5 The portion size was generous and beautifully presented. The fish was fresh and well-prepared, with a tangy flavor that paired nicely with the delicate texture of the skate. Steak Frites - 2/5 We requested medium rare, and it was cooked to our preference. However, the steak was over-seasoned, and the fries were just average. Profiterole - 4/5 We ended the night with profiteroles for dessert. They were tasty and flavorful -- a satisfying finish to the meal. Our server was passionate and knowledgeable about the dishes, offering great recommendations. However, the preparation time was quite long, and we waited a while for our main courses. Overall, Bistro Monadnock is a great place to celebrate special occasions, thanks to its warm and welcoming atmosphere. Their signature French Onion Soup is a must-try dish when you visit.

    Crème brûlée
    Sarah B.

    This is such a (dare I say it) hidden gem. Tucked away on a little alley in the Monadnock building it's in the heart of the loop. All the food and drinks we had were well prepared and quickly made. Our server was friendly and even asked us if we had time constraints given we were trying to make a show. The steak frites were delicious. Overall great experience would love to return to try more!

    Steak Frites
    Catherine S.

    A last minute dinner reservation with a coworker turned into a surprisingly delicious dining experience! Food was spectacular! The escargot was better than the one I had in Paris. The French Onion soups was quite tasty, especially for the cold evening. The steak frites was perfectly cooked to medium rare as requested. Drinks were tasty. My coworker got a Hotty Toddy while I had a St. Germain Spritz (aka Hugo Spritz). Service was great! Very attentive but did not overly check in on us. The restaurant itself was quiet with moody lighting which was perfect for the French cuisine. The furniture and decor reminded me of Paris. A nice escape from the Chicago city. What a wonderful experience and a hidden gem. I will be recommending to many friends, family, and additional coworkers.

    Oysters
    Jimmy H.

    A perfect restaurant in every way! You could truly call dining here an experience. Not only was the food delicious (highly recommend trying the oysters) but the timing of the dishes being brought out was spot on. Can't recommend this restaurant enough. One of if not my top pick in the US

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    Terrible experience sitting at the bar with my sister. Bartender was very rude. Not helpful.

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    Bistro Monadnock Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Bistro Monadnock

    Do they still have a happy hour menu?

    Do they have Il flotante dessert?

    Yes! The ile flotation is prepared with a duck egg white meringue, orange & cardamom creme anglaise, candied hazelnuts & salted caramel.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    My boyfriend and I were visiting Chicago (from Las Vegas) 2 weeks ago, and were very excited to…read morecheck out Bisous, as it looked nice inside and had good reviews. Imagine my shock when we didn't even make it past the bouncer because he was so rude, AS OTHER RECENT REVIEWS HAVE MENTIONED AS WELL! We had dinner nearby and walked to Bisous after, and saw there was a line of 5 or 6 people outside. We expected this as we knew Bisous is a first come, first serve bar. We were curious what the wait time would look like, so we approached the front door to ask a host or employee inside (we assumed there'd be a desk with an employee working it who could give us a wait time). We had no problem waiting, just wanted to see how long they estimated it would be! Before we could even fully open the door, the bouncer swung the door open from the other side and hit me with the door. I stumbled back a few steps and he looked at us and said, and I quote, "What do you want?". I laughed at first because I thought he was joking and putting on a tough guy act. He was not. We quickly explained we just wanted to see what the wait time was, and he said "don't you see there's a line outside?" We said yes, and explained we just wanted to know a rough estimated wait time. He just blankly stared at us while ushering us out. Both my boyfriend and I have worked in customer-service roles for a very, very long time. This encounter was not only extremely rude and unprofessional, but he also hit me hard enough with the door to send me stumbling back, and then said nothing about it and continued to address us in a tone that was nothing less than annoyed and irritated. We didn't end up going inside because that encounter left such a bad taste in our mouths. I don't believe in spending my money at establishments that don't treat their customers with the bare minimum respect they deserve! Bummed we didn't get to experience it, as I'm sure it was lovely inside and I can only hope the rest of the employees were much more kind and accommodating, or at least able to answer a simple question. Fire your "bouncer" (??) and hire someone with some basic customer service and communication skills!!

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    Lazy Bird

    Lazy Bird

    4.2
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    Three Dots and A Dash

    Three Dots and A Dash

    4.1
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    Bistro Monadnock - french - Updated July 2026

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