The ambiance and decor reminds me of being on vacation especially when lots of natural light is coming through the windows. The owner takes the time to make sure you are happy. The crab cake was delicious. read more

Me and a mate stopped by for a bit of lunch after mooching about Oak park, lovely place this, nice room, decent food and service. Not a lively gaff by any means, full of old conservative types, "lots of old money here" the barman told us. You will be hard pressed to get a drink in Oak park so this place makes sense. read more

Liked the food and the live music on wed and Sunday- rose colella and dan effland. great ambiance Jim g

The service was great, and the food and wine we ordered was good, but I don't think I've ever seen a less appetizing dessert presentation than my chocolate mousse. I wish I'd taken a picture, but alas, a written description will have to suffice. The plate came with a big hunk of mousse which, if I'm being kind, looked like a diseased liver or something, plopped onto a puddle of raspberry sauce that looked not unlike a pool of blood. I tried to keep eating it, because it tasted good, but the presentation was simply so abhorrent and reminiscent of something I'd expect to see on a surgeon's table that I put my spoon down before I had eaten a third of it. read more

Great food, great atmosphere, great service, AND live music. This place does everything right. I wish the price was a little lower, but that does not stop me from finding myself here every couple of weeks. read more

I came for the lobster. We ordered three of them. Very messy, buttery and good. Our waiter, Aaron, was very attentive.

The atmosphere was pleasant, if kind of loud. The server was attentive. The brunch entree had a lot less flavor than I expected based on the price and was pretty average. Like, I could make that at home average. Probably wouldn't make an effort to go there again. read more

great place.....friendly atmosphere. My wife and I went there for our anniversary and the service was prompt and friendly and the food delicious, what more could you ask for. btw, we had rack of lamb. will definitely go back read more

Unsalted butter and no garlic in the escargot? $26 and and hour wait for a bowl of chicken soup (unsalted) with croissant topping (pot pie)? Please save your wallet the money, and taste buds the disappointment. Hemmingway's Bistro has gone to the dogs. We had a slow wait staff and an even slower kitchen. Of the four diners present, only one really enjoyed their food, and for those prices (all in the $20's), the butter should be real, and the amazing french tastes should explode in your mouth. I'm so sad, this use to be an excellent restaurant. They must be counting on the senior crowd who can't use salt and can't taste the blandness. read more

Like others, we had a Groupon for Hemingway's and went there today for Sunday brunch. Though we arrived 5 minutes prior to the buffet being served at 11 :00 am the host told us we'd have to wait in the lobby. Call me crazy, but seating guests and taking drink orders would have been less off-putting. Once seated at 11:10 we were left to our own devices for close to 15 minutes before we were greeted by a server. After another 10 minutes I had a cup of coffee and champagne was on the way. (Had to ask for cream, a spoon to stir coffee and water) It was clear that the servers were playing catch up as like ourselves, our fellow guests were told to stay in the lobby until the buffet was ready. This resulted in roughly 20-24 guests being seated all at once and expecting to get drinks; unfair and chaotic to both diners and wait staff. The restaurant itself is quite charming, old world-ish with crowded tables and vintage features, the live singer was good, much appreciated. The buffet was decent, and though the seafood selection was limited, it was good. My husband especially liked the lox and shrimp, while I stayed with fresh fruit, lettuce salad, decent pasta salad and a few chilled mussels. There was a tray of cheeses and cold-cuts as well as some non-descript pastries and breads. Quiche was tasty and well made but served ice cold. I ordered the spinach and goat cheese omelette, (I think they forgot the cheese!) My husband ordered the corned beef hash with poached egg, and the egg was actually nearly hard boiled and not good. For this price some warm buffet options would have been welcomed. Dessert offerings included a layered cake and my husband enjoyed a sampling of creme brulee' and a chocolate mousse with a nice raspberry sauce. The coffee was very good and they kept my cup full. The complimentary champagne kept a smile on my face,I now suspect this is a clever ploy to keep diners "occupied" while the wait staff try desperately to take care of everyone at once! Service did get better once all diners were served drinks. All in all, food was decent, the atmosphere of the building is charming,parking difficult and the host/management could do a better job of greeting and seating guests. Would we come back? In a word, nope. read more

The restaurant has a wonderful ambience and delicious food. The only problem is the menu never changes...

Charming restaurant located in The Write Inn just 5 minute walk from the Oak Park train station. The food was delish and the service was extremely attentive. The owner was on-sight and came around to welcome us as it was our first time. A friend had recommended it. Lovely night for a walk so we took the Green Line from State to Oak Park and strolled through a lovely little town to find this hidden gem. The baked brie was to die for, stuffed zucchini, fresh red-snapper and the fresh and crunchy french bread served in its own little brown bag...so delightful!! The menu had something for everyone. Don't miss this treat when you're in town. read more

This little restaurant is a great place for a romantic date or a special occasion. The food is just fabulous. The service is good both table side or at the bar. While the prices are on the higher end, I think it is definitely well worth it to enjoy some great French food. read more

We've been many times in the past couple of years. The room is great, the service constantly superb. (Linda H, is it possible, given your other restaurant reviews, that the problem is not the restaurants?) Breakfasts are always good. Haven't tried lunch yet. Dinners are not in truth uniformly perfect, but an off night here is better than most restaurants in the area, and the atmosphere and service have so far made up for a bit of overcooked rabbit. It's a reliable go-to neighborhood place for something special. And, guys, the name says "Bistro," not 3 Michelin stars. ("Foodies" with unreasonable expectations aren't Foodies; they're just affected.) read more

We have been wanting to take my Mother here for a year and after a few health set-backs, finally made reservations for Mothers Day. We all thought the decor to be charming. The service the whole evening was lax even though when we arrived, the restaurant was not very crowded. Water glasses were cloudy and the apps we ordered were nothing special. Then our meals were served and all 5 were "room-temp" at best - - very disappointing. Monk fish special was bland and cool, veal dish not appealing in looks nor taste. The one highlight of the somewhat expensive meal was our waiter who did try to accomodate by offering a glass or wine or desert on him. The chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce although delicious not unlike desert I have had elsewhere ------- will not be returning here. read more

Went there as part of a tour group. Our tour staff were fantastic, can't say the same about the Bistro. We had two choices of entree, I picked the crepes. It was one of the most disgustingly prepared dishes I've had. Smothered in cheese, swimming in fat. When I asked the snotty French waiter if I could exchange it for the other entree he rudely said no and walked away. No attempt was made at making it right, not even an apology. Maybe he thought I wasn't worth his time because I was part of a tour or maybe he (and the cook) were having bad days. Either way, too bad for them, none of our party will be going back there. read more

First time having brunch there, and there are pros and cons. To start off, I called the night before to reserve and was put "on hold" by having the girl simply put the phone down while I listened to restaurant noise. She then returned to say that they were having a private event and were really busy and nobody could find the reservation book. OK, decided to call in the morning. When we got there I was impressed with the cozy ambience. The glass of champagne was generous and the bloody mary was good. The buffet definitely lacks dazzle - looks more like someone put some plates of food out as an afterthought. The quality of food, however, was great. Everything fresh and tasty - just very lacking in presentation. Also, no seafood forks for oysters & mussels, many seeds in the lemons, no small dishes for sauces - a lot of little common details forgotten. Service was just OK - polite waiter, but he never invited us to start the buffet - we kind of had to figure it out on our own. Not the fastest plate clearing, etc - not awful, but not great. Never noticed the coffee splashed into the saucer which was messy and awkward. The biggest weakness was the plated entrees - solidified hollandaise and overpoached eggs over dry English muffins for the benedict, and both dishes came with potatoes which had clearly been sitting for quite a while. Desserts on the buffet were very picked over near the end and not refreshed. Staff all seemed polite, and the hostess was very cordial and helpful with refilling coffee etc. Would I try them again? Probably, but I'd make sure to come early in the day, and maybe go with an entrée that is a little simpler. The ambience is delightful, and they have the right idea - they just need to raise their service and standards a little. Also, their website has problems, which makes things difficult. read more

Great food, great server, Aron paid serious attention to celiac needs. Lobster special, Wall Eye Pike, rum cake highlights - nice quiet corner table good for talking. Very enjoyable evening. read more

Lovely atmosphere, historic, quaint. The service was pretty good. However, I was really underwhelmed by the food. I tried of my friend's lobster bisque which was really bland. The food wasn't bad, it just didn't match the atmosphere. read more

We've had two really wonderful dinners here. It's a beautiful place and an excellent choice for a special night out. The service is very friendly and professional, and the food is terrific! On our first visit we had the trout amandine, which was one of the best fish dishes I've ever had. I don't know of another place that compares to Hemmingway's -- it's our favorite! -- Larry B. read more

Ok place, nothing special. Ate here about 8 times, more than once because my daughter and I love French onion soup and they offer a good one. Staff is great and the history of building is charming. read more

had the best Sunday brunch today with my husband - impeccable service, lovely ambiance with the sun shining through the windows and the jazz music. Had mimosas. And the food was awesome - just what I was looking for (that good old school fabulousness). Love how you order an entree and then go nibble from the buffet while your waiting (then again for dessert). Also love that they give you a couple of lunch options on the menu for those not up for egg dishes. Everything was superb - think we've found our new Sunday brunch spot. Also found it to be quite reasonably priced for all that you get. read more

I concur with many of the reviews already posted. The food was good, quite good in fact. The Bouillabaisse was delicious, and the baguettes are fresh and warm. The restaurant itself managed to be at once elegant and cozy. The servers, however, were a little distracted. We had to wait at least 15 minutes before drinks and another 15 before we got around to ordering the food. That said, we were pleasantly surprised to be seated promptly without a reservation on a Friday night. read more

First time here saturday night at 6p. Very excellent service. The escargot was a little different and interesting, tasty. The mushroom main course was quite a presentation and very flavorful. It had a filo dough tower stuffed with finely chopped mushrooms, a portobello, spinach and tomatoes in a cream sauce. The soft shell crab was in season and the amount of breading was just right crunchy and very fresh. It had almonds and and orange sauce which made it special. Mussels were just a tad over cooked but the sauce was really good and rich with Spanish favors. We each had a little baguette of crunchy bread was served in a little brown bag that was perfect. We had a soufflé for desert. Luckily the waiter told us that it would take a half hour when we were ordering or dinner so it was ready when we were. It was a chambord/raspberry flavor. The soufflé was prepared exactly as it should be , was nice and sweet but could be a little bolder on the raspberries. The atmosphere was just as you would hope a French bistro should be. Overall the the dinner was delicious and the price was right. read more

delicious food, fantastic service, not kid friendly but when we can get a baby sitter we will be back plenty.

as i drove down oak park ave. lobster fest caught my eye. i turn my car around and there we were in the most quaint restaurant. it reminded me of a place i once eat at in boston, their were three of us girls we each ordered a whole maine lobster now i really felt like i was in boston my lobster was cooked to perfection, delicious i love the atmosphere of this restaurant. we are going back next tuesday for another lobster. this time we will order our souffles half way through dinner.....can'nt wait. read more

We were looking forward to trying Hemmingway's for the first time, but simply could not get anything to eat or drink there. There were several empty tables but it took 20 minutes to place a drink order. Twenty minutes later, we still did not have the drinks and no one seemed interested in taking our dinner order. We finally flagged our waiter, and asked him if we could place our order and get those drinks. He was literally sweating with exertion - perhaps he had too many tables to attend to. It turns out, we didn't have drinks because 1. they couldn't find one of the ingredients for a cocktail that was featured on the menu and 2. the bartender was also working as a waiter and she'd been too busy. (Perhaps our own waiter was exhausted because he was doing double duty as cook, or cleaning the bathrooms.) No one apologized or tried to remedy the situation; the staff were clearly angry to be in this situation, and I suppose I can't blame them. At this point, it became clear we might not be served in time to get home before the sitter needed to leave. We left and went down the block to Winberie's, where we were served promptly and pleasantly. Perhaps food is better at Hemmingway's but we no longer have any interest in finding out. read more