Went to an event at the Lincoln Park zoo and came by here afterward with a dear friend. It's literally adjacent to the Conservatory and a 3 min walk to the park entrance. Note: It's connected to "The Belden-Stratford" (an upscale high rise) and you have to come through their lobby to check into restaurant. Patio seating was open so we went for it. A little breezy but still quite nice out. Waitress promptly greeted us to take drink orders, then shared menu highlights and specials. We started with this absolutely delicious warm Brie plate with apricots, candied walnuts, and honey. This was much larger than we expected but we enjoyed every last little drop of it. I highly suggest getting it if it's on the menu (it's seasonal). We each ordered steak frites (forgot to snap a photo, was a bit immersed in conversation) which comes with a choice of 5 different sauces and a side plate of asparagus. All was cooked to perfection. Kinda wish the waitress came to check on us a bit more, we might've had another round of drinks or some sparking water. Nonetheless, it was a great meal and left very satisfied. read more

Mon Ami Gabi - Outside - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We were off to a good start with well prepared cocktails and a delicious mushroom soup. Our server Seth was attentive and lighthearted. He was careful about food allergies. With our complaints, he reassured us that he'd "get to the bottom of it" which he did. The Brie appetizer tasted like nutmeg and my wife's hangar steak was tough to the point of being inedible. Seth summoned the manager who gladly removed it from our bill, acknowledging our concern without excuses, which was refreshing. My trout entree was comprised of a plate with nothing but 2 slabs of oil soaked fish sprinkled with almonds tasting like whitefish; ie, tasteless. Bottom line: food was a disaster; the staff was great. read more

I recommend the buttery escargot with unlimited bread to dip in the sauce. Then, split the giant French onion soup with a friend - you won't regret it. Pick between a bright patio or a darker, candlelit dinner. Absolutely amazing experience and a 5-star server who really went the extra mile. I'd highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fancier night out without breaking the bank. Great job to the staff! - AT read more

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Very friendly and attentive service. Good enough food that we go back when we're craving "as close to bistro French as you can reasonably get in Lincoln Park." Good kids menu, and the kids food feels "worth it" (i.e., not boxed pasta and sauce sitting oddly in a pile in the middle...). Warm baguette is really nice. I like the frisee and lardon salad. read more

Our server Lily made the dining experience oh, so much more flavorful. We found her extremely experienced in all things French-cuisine related. She knew her wines & was glad to wrangle a lovely Sancerre for us. Efficiency was on the menu, too. We were neither rushed, nor waiting. The Lamb chops were expertly prepared, and kudos to the bartender for the perfect Martini. Get in here. It's a lovely, classic bistrot-style joint. And. Ask for Lily. She'll take most excellent care of you. read more

This is a wonderful restaurant to stop into if you are at Lincoln Park. They have an excellent patio that you can enjoy some great cocktails or French wines and is directly facing the park. On this occasion, I went with the classic steak frites and it was excellent. A well sized, melt-in-your mouth steak that was topped with a perfect amount of butter. The fries were fresh and crispy. Service here has always been too-notch with our server making some good recommendations and being extremely prompt. read more

Mon Ami Gabi - Classic Steak Frites - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Been wanting to come here for a long time. The location feels very posh right by the park. Parking is difficult but they do have valet. I got the steak frites, which were good but seemed more like churrasco style. I also tried the escargot, and was pleased that they were buttery and salty. The cocktails were delicious and the wine selection was great. read more

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Came here to celebrate my birthday and it was a wonderful setting and delicious food. We sat outside and it was so pleasant with the music playing in the park across the street. We were there on a Friday night during the summer so they were busy so service was a bit slow. There were some hiccups with the service but they made up for it. I had the escargot. It was buttery, garlicky, and filled with melted butter great for bread dipping. My husband had the French onion soup and it was quite tasty. I love when there is a little sweetness to a French onion and this one had it. For dinner, I had the duck confit. I wish it had a sauce but besides that, it was perfectly crisp. My husband had the beef Wellington special. The steak was cooked to the perfect temperature and the pastry was buttery and flaky. Kids' meals were cute, and came in a bento-style plate with a vegetable and fruit served with the meal. If I lived here I would come back for a special occasion. read more

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Worst place ever. Mid food. Horrible experience. Do NOT come here under any circumstance. Overpriced BS.

Far better than the Bethesda one. Service and food both good. Consider offering two kinds of frites. read more

Wabbit: - Escargo: 8/10 - Salad: 7.5/10 - Chicken: 6/10 - Croute: 6.5/10 Wabbit weview: Nice atmosphere and service. Escargo and salad was delicious with good flavor, signature chicken dish was okay but a little disappointing and a bit dry. Menu looks interesting though, would be open to coming back to try other dishes. Bear: - Escargo: 7/10 - Salad: 7.5/10 - Chicken: 6.5/10 - Croute: 7/10 Bear weview: very busy restaurant, luckily we were seated in the back where a lot of other 2 tops were, much quieter back there and less hectic. Atmosphere is dark with mood lighting. We started with the warmed baguette while looking at the menu, wouldn't get it again, too tough. Snails, or I mean eScArGo, came first. They were good as far as snails go, not my thing though. The salad was good and well seasoned. Croute was interesting, would try once but wouldn't order again. Chicken wasn't famous worthy, I didn't know it for sure. It was fairly dry, I enjoyed the accompanying thick-cut bacon more than the chicken itself. read more

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I'm a fan. Everything was great! Had a lovely dinner with family and enjoyed the delicious food, Our waiter suggested a wine and it was a perfect pairing. We'll return, for sure. read more

Incredible first experience at Mon Ami Gabi sitting on the patio. East coast oysters were excellent, as was the shrimp cocktail. The pot of mussels was just okay. Filet cooked medium rare was great. Affogato dessert was the perfect ending. Our server Seth made the whole experience so much better. He was knowledgeable, fun, and totally engaged. I'll be back soon! read more

Mon Ami Gabi is a French inspired restaurant located in Lincoln Park! They really bring the essence of France to Chicago. I went with my partner for an anniversary brunch (only on Sundays!) and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed how small the place was - an upscale, home-y vibe. The servers are friendly and attentive, giving us great recommendations on the food! Speaking of the food...QUALITY! They first present you with some of the best bread and butter I have ever had. Then, we moved on to the appetizer. I've never had pate before. Apparently it's chicken liver, and it was a delicious app. They served it with this mustard, pickles, and grapes which each added a nice depth to the dish. For our main, we split the spinach,artichoke Benedict and the croquet Monsieur. Both very rich and would definitely recommend. I'm curious on what this place is like for dinner. Next time. I'll leave you with one question ... How many chicken livers do you think it takes to make a serving of pate? read more

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One my my fav places in Chicago! I've always had a wonderful time here. The food is wonderful; I think I've had pretty much every menu item. Notable favorites- pate, steak frites (best frites in the city), French 75, sautéed mushrooms, all of the side veggies are wonderful, chocolate mousse for dessert. Staff is wonderful. Ambience is perfect, low lighting. Their patio is perfect, bring a little jacket as a bit colder by the lake. read more

Mon Ami Gabi deserves better than a 4.1! Everything we had was incredible - the baguette & whipped butter, the escargot, and the steak frites. We also had an incredible dark chocolate roulade on special. Our waiter John was great. read more

Great spot for French bistro style food! Three adults split the salad w soft boiled egg, small mussels, au poivre steak frites, baked brie, and the roast chicken. Hands down the chicken was the best. Crispy skin and really savory veggies on the side; don't skip it!! read more

Wine service and selection is excellent. Chicken liver pate was great. However, duck confit dry, over done and not enough sauce. The mussels were large and fishy and the steak frite was very thin though the sauces were good. Overall dinner service was slow and inattentive. A big disappointment for the price. read more

Love this area. Has a great atmosphere near the park, outdoor seating, beautiful historic building and kind staff. The food is pretty good. We did experience a metal piece somehow in the spinach which was surprising. Otherwise everything was good And would have been a 4 star rating. read more

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Let's start with the setting & ambience - holy F waaaow. The hotel you walk into almost feels like you walked into mini Paris. The restaurant has a perfect vibe to it with dimly lit setting, great service and a perfect outdoor seating to make it feel like a beautiful evening in Paris. Let's start with the food- Baguette - simple yet delicious. Crunchy bread, so cronchy there were crumbs literally all Javier by the end of the meal. Came w sweet butter and some carrot thing- no clue what it was but bread slapped. Melted Brie- sweet gooey melted cheese. I mean do I need to say more? Came with bread and was a great appetizer to share Escargot- This was new for me. Didn't know what to expect but hey if you try French food I hear this is a must. The butter was great, snail I guess was okay. Let's just say I won't be repeating that next time but glad I tried it to push myself a bit. French onion Soup- solid, gooey cheese with a rich flavor. What you'd expect but nothing out of this world. What I loved here was that without asking they split a portion perfectly so the two of us didn't have to make a mess on the already teeny table- great service It was a birthday so they ended us bringing a small portion of profiteroles- absolutely incredible. Almost like ice cream Overall Mon Ami Gabi is a great spot, in the city but somehow tucked away. The atmosphere is incredible and the food follows through. 10/10 will be back read more

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Mon Ami Gabi in Lincoln Park has become a little tradition for me, with visits on Christmas Eve 2023 and my birthday in September 2024. The ambiance feels effortlessly Parisian, cozy yet sophisticated, and the food is as delightful as you'd hope. I can still taste the crisp baguette wrapped in that charming La Fournette bakery paper--such a simple yet elevated touch. On Christmas Eve, our reservation (made months in advance) did have us waiting a bit, and the initial table placement wasn't ideal, but c'est la vie. The quick table reassignment and cuisine made up for it, earning my loyalty for a return visit. Fast forward to my birthday, and oh la la! The espresso martini was divine as was the birthday cream puff like a sweet little fête on a plate. The staff was attentive, and the atmosphere set just the right tone for a celebration. If you're in the mood for fabulous French-inspired cuisine and a touch of timeless charm, Mon Ami Gabi is a très bon choice. Just make sure to book early and possibly make a specific kind of table request. 4 stars with love! read more

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Amazing food, comfortable ambiance for group or solo outings, & kind staff inside the restaurant. The greeter was okay, could have been friendlier but we all have our days I suppose. I got the Caesar salad (11/10) which was stacked with goodness, and the beef Wellington (9/10) which had a very tasty red wine reduction (I also really liked the garlic spinach that came with it). Thanks for the great dinner & the yummy profiterole dessert!! I can tell this restaurant has a lot of regulars; they seem to be an older friends/family community. Be ready to chat with a random person! read more

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The lobby of the building is beautiful and the look of the restaurant is good too, though it's tight quarters to the point of being cramped. The food was fine--not as good as I was expecting. Having recently dined at Bistro Monadnock, that's my closest point of comparison. The shrimp cocktail was better at Mon Ami Gabi, but the mussels were not, they were nearly flavorless here. Entrees were fine--not particularly memorable. And frites were far better at Bistro Monadnock. Service was mixed, but it took way too long to order and way too long to get the check. For the vibe and prices, this place did not live up to expectations. read more

It's a happy plate kinda good!!! Everything from the Baguette to Creme Brûlée is delicious. Our little one is a picky eater and prefers home eating. It's been a challenge finding restaurants that cook the way he likes. It amazes us that he likes the Baguette, pasta and fries here! I was surprised by the huge portion of the kids menu, but he gave me a happy plate (green beans don't count)! Escargots and Bone in Rib-eye are fantastic! The ribeye might be one of the best I've had in Chicago. Champagne-dijon vinaigrette in Frisée & Lardon Salad wasn't my favorite. I forgot to ask to separate the dressing, but it's probably a me-thing. Desserts were also tasty. Buttery cookie comes with the sorbet was a hit. Wish there could be more. Service was also excellent. The server carefully addressed our concerns regarding food allergy and confirmed ingredients with the back kitchen. Noise level was medium to low. They also have puzzles and crayons for the little guy. We will see you soon :) read more

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One of my favorites. The bar is small, but fun to sit there if there is room. They have a great selection of wines by the glass, and bring the bottle to pour at your table. Traditional French menu with a lot of steak choices. Their frisée salad is wonderful, as are the mussels, which you can get as an appetizer or entree. My husband loves the hangar steak, and the frites are delicious. I have also had some wonderful fish dishes. A must visit for a special occasion. read more

Headline: Delicious French-inspired food in an upscale bistro setting you can dress up for. My friend and I were looking for a French restaurant where we could get a fairly last minute reservation. Mon Ami came up in our search and after looking at the menu and liking it, we decided to go. One thing to note is that if you do need to cancel your reservation less than two days beforehand there is a $50 fee per person. Lucky for us, we had no plans to cancel, but I know that might deter others. We ordered the warmed baguette, roasted salmon and skate wing with a couple of glasses of wine. Each dish was amazing and I think what made it even more special was that our server was incredibly fun and attentive. He even brought out a treat on the house to help us celebrate our special occasion! The value was great for the vibes and quality of the food. We'll be back! read more

Mon Ami Gabi - Roast Salmon - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My family's been coming here for decades, including its previous incarnation as Un Grand Café. If you stick to the heart of their menu, you'll consistently get an excellent meal. The more you stray from the traditional, old school French classics, the higher the odds that you'll get a flawed dish. You will never go wrong with the baguette, onion soup, steak frites, mussels, chicken grand-mere, trout amandine, crème brûlée, and profiteroles. In fact, they may well be the best you ever had. When I go with the specials, I usually wish I hadn't. They're never bad, just unpredictable. Today, the duck a l'orange was room temperature, the breast a little overcooked. The scallops were fine, but barely browned despite being labeled "caramelized." The au gratin potatoes were more al dente than potatoes ought to be. But the onion soup, trout, bread, and profiteroles were superb as always. It's still worth coming here, especially on a summer day when you can enjoy the patio facing the park. read more

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Haven't reviewed this place in awhile. Family has been coming here fo over 25 years for everyone's birthday-- seen the ups and downs, renovation, pandemic.... Food quality in general is still excellent-- steak frites and chicken are consistently excellent. Belden cocktail: also excellent. Outdoor seating is lovely unless you're seated along Belden, and you're crammed against the water storage cabinet. I'm sad that house merlot is gone. Unfortunately, the Baguette on 7/28 was terrible! Not crisp or watm, actually stale and tough. Server said it was due to the 'outdoor bread warmer". Dubious. I fear something fundamental in the bread source has changed for the worse. Time will tell. To end on a positive note, our server, Braden, who was new for us, was GREAT! read more

What a great atmosphere for a Sunday brunch I went with my daughter and had the eggs Benedict with lox. I also had a specialty cocktail and she had a mimosa. My only complaint is that you have to buy the bread which is totally worth it. It comes out hot and you get a whole loaf to take home. read more

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Excellent food but is not authentic French. The atmosphere is great and has great vibes but the accountability of some waiters/servers needs to be addressed as it relates to respect of customers. There are some serious management issues but recently changes have occurred. Lettuce Entertaine You has made some great changes and has an excellent management system. The top Executive Chef, David Koehn has always served great food always top quality. There are also a few servers that have been there a long time and are five star people. Willis is one of the best. read more

So good! I'm stuffed. This place was so good and such a vibe. It's on the fancy side so dress up a little, the pics will be worth it. The entrance has a cool old money vibes aesthetic read more

Mon Ami Gabi - Steak & Frites roquefort - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We came for dinner on a Tuesday night and I can't believe that I haven't been here before. The restaurant is located adjacent to the park in Lincoln Park. The menu offers French cuisine with all the classics. The beef bourgeon was amazing. The service was friendly and despite our reservation starting late (8:00pm) we never felt rushed to leave the restaurant. The ambiance is classy and sophisticated. I will definitely be back to this hidden gem in Lincoln Park. read more

Mon Ami is the place to be. One of our favorite dining experiences in the city, from food to vibes to SPECTACULAR service. Shouting out our server Lily, who truly went above and beyond to make our night special. They made perfect recommendations, paid attention to detail, and were so friendly they made us feel right at home! We WILL be back, and will be requesting Lily again!!! Thanks! read more

I can't believe it's taken me years to give this outstanding restaurant a review. Located in the beautiful, newly renovated Belden Stratford, Mon Ami Gabi has been a staple in Lincoln Park for years. There has not been one time that I have eaten here and not had not just a great meal but served with the most attentive and conscientious wait staff. There are daily specials which should not be ignored and if you are worried about portion sizes, this is one of the few restaurants that actually serves half portions in some of their dishes such as the onion soup. (Another must try). You can never go wrong with their steaks but if you are looking at a seafood option, the trout almondine is particularly popular. For dessert, give their profiteroles and chocolate mousse a try - absolutely delicious and great for no guilt sharing. Make a reservation if you can. This place gets busy any day of the year including Sundays when they do a Sunday brunch too read more

I have been wanting to try Mon Ami for so long and I am so excited I went yesterday! I love the cozy yet classy vibe. Our waitress was absolutely adorable and the staff was very attentive- filling our water, taking our plates and always checking in on us. We ordered the steak frites bearnaise and it was DELICIOUS! The bearnaise came on the side which I loved for dipping! We also started with a baguette, then melted brie(I will say I wish I had the baguette with the melted Brie because they didn't bring too much bread out for the Brie but we brought the Brie home) and then the salted Carmel dessert was delicious! It comes with whipped cream but would recommend adding a scoop of ice cream bc why not!!! Can't wait to come back! read more

Mon Ami Gabi - Melted Brie, Onion Soup au Gratin - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Customer service went above and beyond for me. They have a really great restaurant and you'd be happy to go here.

We were headed to the conservatory / zoo for a fun afternoon, so we decided to come by this cafe for lunch beforehand. We had reservations for 12pm and when we came around then on a Sunday, the place was super busy ! Lots of people dropping in for the brunch rush. It was a bit confusing for us briefly because the entrance is through the adjacent hotel, but signage was pretty clear about this. For mains we had the steak frites (classique) and the prime classic burger with brie (to share for the three of us). Steak was really good - well cooked to medium rare, as desired, with a very good flavour profile (including the yummy buttery sauce). Fries were pretty average (I saw some other reviews raving about these fries so I may have wrongly raised my expectations). The burger was yummy too - brie as the cheese was a fun touch that we liked, and the patty was tender and cooked very well. We also had a caesar salad and french onion soup to share - salad was fresh and a good light option before the meats; soup was not bad, but not amazing (idk some other reviews also really raved about this soup, so maybe it's a bit of a hit-or-miss type of situation). Also we ordered the baguette which was a nice starter. I'm not sure if they bake it in-house, but it's really airy and yummy - and definitely worth the price to share. Overall, a great experience. Our meal was very yummy and certainly quite filling, albeit just a tad on the high end for price. Regardless, I'd love to come again and try some of their other options (the eggs benedicts and omelettes looks very promising). read more

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What an amazing experience. My favorite spot to go with my girlfriend. I love the chicken and the hamburger and the service is always amazing. Great atmosphere, date spot, or anniversary/birthday. 10/10 one of the best French restaurants in Chicago. read more

We came here for our anniversary. We were only able to get a reservation for 4:30 as the better times were all taken. When we got there it was quite busy, and the dining area was extremely crowded and a bit noisy. They took us back to a smaller area in the back which was less noisy, and gave us a cute little complimentary glass of champagne for our anniversary. The waiter was friendly and helpful and had a lot of great suggestions. We ended up getting the escargot and a mushrooms soup they had on special to start. I didn't love the escargot. I thought it was a bit too salty and had a bit of a burnt garlic taste to it, but the soup was amazing. Such a delicate and distinct mushroom flavor and was beautifully creamy. For the main course we got the boeuf bourginon and the duck with orange sauce they had on special. The beef was good, but the duck was exquisite. I don't want to seem hyperbolic, but the duck was the best I've ever had anywhere. I didn't even know that texture was possible for a cooked bird. The skin had the lightest, most delicate crispiness to it, and after the immediate and satisfying crunch, the skin and the meat under it melted like butter on the tongue. The waiter said they have this dish about every 5-6 weeks, so if at all possible, try to get it if you can. For dessert they brought us a free profiterole and we ordered the crème brûlée. The profiterole was tasty and the chocolate sauce was very creamy and smooth. The crème brûlée was delicious and had a lovely and punchy vanilla flavor. I would say probably top 3 best crème brûlée I've ever had. We usually try not to go to the same restaurants over and over again and prefer to try different things, but we have to go back here to try some of the other menu items. read more

Booked here for their February pre fixe menu, but they were unfortunately all out. We were pretty bummed because we had our hearts set on that menu and were scrambling to find other food options. Our waitress was very apologetic, and did whatever she could to make up for the inconvenience despite it not being in her control. We ended up getting the trout almondine, roast chicken, French onion soup, and baguette. All dishes were flavorful and not overly salty. The trout was surprisingly mild and tender. I can be a bit picky about my fish being too fishy, but despite the brown butter sauce not being overpowering, I really enjoyed the flavor, and the texture of the almonds took it to the next level. Leftovers also heated up beautifully the next day. Microwaved fish can be a hit or miss, but it was still almost as good a second time *reheating it may have been a mild grade crime, but I can never finish anything haha* The roast chicken portion was generous, I honestly laughed when it came to the table because it was huge! It was perfectly moist and juicy, and the skin was soooooo good. (Also tasted great the next day with no dry pieces to be found). Service was lovely, and despite it being packed on a Saturday night, our waitress was obviously very experienced and came to check on us frequently+handled issues with other tables gracefully. Layout: I will say that the closeness of the tables is a bit inconvenient. We were placed at a two seater next to a wall, and in order to get in or out, it required the customers to the right to physically move their entire table out and over to the side. Not the worst thing, but something to think about if you're carrying anything bulky with you. read more