Norman&#x27;s Bistro

This was my second visit to The Dearborn, and the food and service were both on point. We ordered…read morethe salmon tataki, fish and chips, Wellington burger, and Midwest fried chicken. Everything was well prepared, but the fried chicken was the standout, especially with the hot sauce adding another level of flavor. The staff stayed attentive throughout dinner and even replaced our plates between rounds, which was a level of service I wasn't expecting. I also respected seeing the owner personally making the rounds, stopping at every table to check on the guests and the food. Calm atmosphere, solid hospitality, and a kitchen that delivers.

Had a reservation with two friends from out of town and had the pleasure of being with Vivian…read more Amazing service, so sweet and funny, very thoughtful. and we got free cookies! we got sat in a little private booth in the back, so quiet. will def come back again and again :)

$12 Martinis for Martini Mondays

New Spring Menu

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Spring desserts

Cindy's Rooftop

4.1(2.9k reviews)

4.6 mi•The Loop

food & views are great. l love the vibe of this restaurant-fun spot to take out of town guests.read more

We explored and went to the Bean/Millenium park. A visit to this city isn't complete without going…read moreto this area. While researching for restaurants this is one of the places we wanted to try out. I did not make a reservation because honestly this is one of those trips that I just want to relax and not be following a rigid schedule. This is a rooftop bar facing the park. Just follow the signs and go to the side entrance to get into Cindy's (go through the Chicago athletic association. We told the reception while checking in that we have no reservations so we were directed to the bar. We got here around 7:30 Monday night and were able to sit on bar and order drinks. I ordered Cha Cha Chicago and my son got a Kevin. Both drinks are superb - we left our bar seats to go to the terrace and were out there for 20 mins to enjoy the view. One of those spots you'll need to visit when you're in town. FYI to see the view - the terrace is SRO.

5.2 mi•West Loop, Near West Side

Espresso martini also #basic but also good.

Pink Moon Oysters* (Half Dozen)

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Pink Moon Oysters* (Half Dozen)

Girl & The Goat

4.4(10.7k reviews)

One of my favorite restaurants in the west loop. They always have fun items on the menu, wonderful…read moredrinks, and the service is great. We sat outside on the patio last night and it was lovely. The patio had a moody romantic vibe to it and was well maintained and taken care of. Chairs were comfortable and tables spaced apart nicely. Plus, being on the patio is great for people watching. I would highly recommend reccomend the tropic like it's hot and sun boy cocktails. Both full of flavor and make sure to try the chickpea fritters and splurge on the pork shank. Well worth it and portion was perfect to share. The only negative comment I have to mention being interrupted 3 separate times by children trying to sell flowers at our table. I would be nice if the staff did a better job of keeping the soliciting out of the dinner area.

Tasty spot for shareable, tapas-style food with unique and creative flavor combinations! The…read moreatmosphere was super lively, and the server was very friendly (though a bit hard to hear/understand at times). The lighting creates a moody vibe, though it gets almost too dark to read the menu or see the food clearly. Still, a fun spot to visit with a group!

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Yardbird Table & Bar

3.8(465 reviews)

5.4 mi•Near North Side

Full bar

Gluten-free friendly

Our waiter was excellent, professional and attentive. We…read moreliked the chicken ..we tried 4 different ways. Sliders, jumbolia, fried and rotisserie. All yummy. The restaurant is beautifully done. We especially liked the chairs at the ground floor tables for comfort.

Started with the bottomless mimosas and then I ordered the shrimp n grits 10/10 and the creme…read morebrulee waffles 10/10 our server Anna was amazing and sweet it's always a treat coming to yardbird

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The Purple Pig

4.3(9k reviews)

5.2 mi•Near North Side

Good food, eclectic environment but too small to be comfortable. A lot of patrons jammed in to a…read morerelatively small dining area. Usually long lines and some wait time.

This was such a life changing experience from a flavor perspective! We were in town for the…read moreweekend and stopped by because we'd heard amazing things about what The Purple Pig does with pork and we were not disappointed! We started off with the bone marrow; it was incredibly flavorful, paired nicely with a nut jam and some greens and bread. We also got the Agnolotti pasta, and this was our favorite bite of the evening by far. The beef short rib, paired with more marrow and the butter sauce were absolutely incredible and we will be thinking about them for a long time to come. We ended with the pork tenderloin and it was a lovely ending dish. The pork was cooked to perfection and paired with sautéed oyster mushrooms and corn. Service was exceptional and quick! We will come back with a bigger group the next time we are in the city!

The kitchen

Chicago style hot dog

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Squid Ink Chitarra

Virtue Restaurant

4.5(1.2k reviews)

1.3 mi•Hyde Park

Some friends and I visited Chicago recently and were looking for restaurants to have dinner. When I…read moresaw that Virtue was Black owned and operated, I made a reservation. I'm glad that I did. We were greeted upon arrival, and seated shortly thereafter. Our server, David came over and spoke to us about the menu selections. We were extremely satisfied with his service. I was truly impressed with Lou, who I assume was operating in a managerial capacity. He went from table to table checking in with the guests to find out if anything was needed. He removed plates of finished food from tables, and even explained the desert options to us. Well done. The food was delicious! I usually have to add salt to my food. I did not have to add anything here. The food was perfectly seasoned. We all enjoyed our choices. I would highly recommend this restaurant without hesitation.

Food was DELICIOUS!!!! First time here, and I'm so glad my brother made reservations since it was…read moregetting busy. Upon arrival, we were greeted by two friendly greeters. We arrived 20 minutes before our scheduled reservation, but we were seated within five minutes of arriving. The server, David, greeted us promptly when we were seated. He mentioned that if you're ordering appetizers, they should be ordered with the main meal. While we looked over the menu, water was offered. I ordered Blackened Catfish over brown rice and carrots. The catfish was tender and perfectly seasoned. My brother had grilled flounder with creamed corn. Like the catfish, the trout was tender and well-seasoned. The corn had a slight sweetness. Roger had Short ribs and mashed potatoes. The ribs were tender and did not need any sauce because they were seasoned well. We also ordered a side dish of Macaroni and Cheese. It was delicious! A mixture of Gouda cheese and other cheeses. Very creamy! The top layer cheese was baked perfectly! If you know, you know, it's all about the top layer of cheese The APPETIZERS: The Gumbo was spicy but delicious! You only taste the spice at the end . It's not overly spicy; it's just right. The fried chicken gizzards were tender but could have used a bit more seasoning. It was served over brown rice and gravy. If I'm not mistaken, there were maybe 8 or 9 gizzards. The fried green tomatoes were perfect! From the seasoning to the grilled shrimp on top. Oh yes, grilled shrimp with this delicious sauce drizzled over the tomatoes. 3 or 4 shrimp. They were delicious! I've never had fried green tomatoes served w/grilled shrimp--definitely a must-try if you've never had it. For dessert, pineapple upside-down cake with coconut cream on the side. It was soooo good! They could have removed the coconut cream, as it was not needed. And it was a shareable portion for 2-3 ppl. There were other desserts, such as Blueberry Cobbler, Key Lime Pie, and Vanilla Ice Cream. If you're in the Hyde Park area, give these folks a try Oh yeah, the Manager, Louis, was walking the floor. I spoke with him briefly From what I observed, it's a very casual dress code--jeans, shorts, blazers, etc. And I loved the quotes on the outside window of those who were killed, like George Floyd and Sandra Bland. This place was nice! The dining area was clean and decorated nicely. The choice of decor fit the overall scheme I look forward to visiting again, possibly next Spring.

Interior!

Biscuits & Pimento Cheese, Gumbo

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Southern flower

The Gage

4.2(3.7k reviews)

4.6 mi•The Loop

From the second we sat down at the bar we were greeted by Gustavo, who had such a great presence…read morebehind the bar. He was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and gave us fabulous recommendations. Jose made me my first spicy margarita and it was delicious, then for my second he added strawberry to it and it was just as good!! My mom was between two wines, and Gustavo recommended the Pinot Noir and she absolutely loved it!! We ordered the Brussel sprouts and burrata toast after Gustavo's description and it was everything we could have asked for and more!! For our first time in Chicago, we are so happy we stopped at the Gage and that we had such great service from Gustavo and Jose! They made the experience 10/10, as if the atmosphere, food and drinks weren't already a 10!! Next time I visit Chicago I will 1000% be stopping at the Gage to hopefully get a bar seat in Gustavo and Jose's section!!

I ordered soup and salad - both were really good. But the burgers? Delicious. I should've ordered…read moreone of those. Fries to die for too. Was reluctant to order dessert but the pavlova and chocolate mousse were both outstanding. Glad we stayed. Server was excellent. Really cool vibes here.

5.3 mi•West Loop, Near West Side

The Gage Bar

Coconut Curry with shrimp

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The Gage Bar Area

Au Cheval

4.4(9.6k reviews)

One of the best burgers I've ever had. The bone marrow was really tasty too, I've never had it…read morebefore

Often times in my reviews, you hear about emphasis on service and how I have repeatedly said that I…read morewish service in this country would improve (my comparison point being India). A brief background; been in Chicago for about 15 years. Heard of Au Cheval back in 2015 or 16. Took a while to give it a shot and went; wait for 2 hours. Hmmmmm, didn't work out. Tried a second time 2 or 3 years later. Still didn't happen. Tried a third time when I had a friend visiting from overseas....wait time was just so long and just didn't have the 'desire' to wait that long. I think for the first time in my life, I had to kick myself as I wish I would have waited the very first time. Had my nephew visiting me from out of town. While I did want to take him to Au Cheval, with the limited time I had, I did not want to wait. I happened to go on their website and noticed that they now offer reservations. That was one of the most beautiful sights I had seen in a long time. Not only do I get to take my nephew out to Au Cheval, but I myself finally get to try the burgers here that have been the talk of the town and were rated the best burger in the United States of America for many years. My nephew absolutely devoured and loved the burger. He was in heaven. I cannot say I was not in heaven myself because the burger was absolutely epic, but that's not just what this review is about. This review is about one of the few joints in America that I have come across and that provided the level of attention to detail and went way above and beyond what I would have ever imagined in my wildest dreams to make this a memorable lunch. She had gone with my mother-in-law as well, so it was my mother-in-law, my nephew, and I. My mother-in-law is a vegetarian, and we figured we would go ahead and get the fries. What we did not know was that the fries are in beef tallow or have some beef seasoning (I forget), so in the end, she was not able to eat anything. My nephew and I just ordered each a burger. Our server proactively brought a house salad, which was vegetarian, and he said, "This is on the house. You guys enjoy the burgers." That, honestly, is a level of service that goes beyond usual service, but there was human empathy involved here. After a while, the head chef comes out, super friendly, and asks how everything was. He then says, "I heard you've been waiting 10 years over here, and I hope it was worth it." He made sure my mother and I were comfortable, and he made sure my nephew was comfortable. The level of service and care here was very special, and I personally appreciated it from the heart. For me, it was a memory built with my nephew and my mother-in-law, one that is going to stick with us for the rest of our lives. Not to mention, I am getting hungry right now, so I need to make a reservation and go down there tomorrow.

Welcome

Crispy Fries & Potato Hash

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Wings (very sticky so they come with hot towels)

Giant

4.3(776 reviews)

8.8 mi•Logan Square

It was a pleasure to finally have a meal at Giant - a restaurant whose reputation definitely…read morepreceded itself. My suggestion? Come with a decent group or a big appetite and order a ridiculous amount of food to share lol. The food I can't stop dreaming about? The jalapeño biscuit, the baked clam, the tagliatelle, the ONION RINGS. I've gotta come back here before the year ends!

Tried 7 different dishes and was impressed by practically all of them, which is rare - every dish…read morewas beautifully thought out and crafted, with distinct flavor profiles and textures. My favorite bites were the baked clams and fatty beef. The flavors were complex and well-rounded. The cocktails were great and fairly priced at ~$16 as well. Service was friendly, but -1 star as we were seated 20-25 minutes after our reservation time (9:30PM). Overall, would highly recommend for tourists and locals alike!

5.4 mi•River North, Near North Side

Interior. The only downfall is that the tables are too close together. You can join in on your neighbors conversations lol

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No Vacancy

4.5(181 reviews)

Been a couple times and it's a nice bar in the area. Drinks are pricey but strong, service is…read morefriendly and I hear the food is fantastic but have yet to have any. I'd come back for sure. I'll update when I try the food.

If you're coming here for drinks, it's probably a great vibe, but if you're coming for food, I…read morewould recommend elsewhere. I want to preface my review with the positives, Londyn was our server & was truly so kind, thorough, and friendly. The restaurant itself is clean & all tables have clear views of the TVs on game days. Now for the room for improvement- the food was very underwhelming. Being from the Chicago area previously, I regularly advocate for the Chicago food scene, and this unfortunately did not meet those standards. We ordered the Brussels sprouts, buffalo cauliflower, wings, and sesame ginger salad: -Brussel sprouts: tasted like they weren't seasoned just air fried and drenched in balsamic dressing -Buffalo cauliflower: soggy, unseasoned, runny buffalo sauce -Wings: PERFECTLY CRISPY, but no flavor (we ordered lemon pepper & buffalo) -Sesame ginger salad: sloppy mix of vegetables tossed in an overly sweet sauce with no sesame or ginger flavor in sight If you're not going to eat, this is probably a great spot, but from a food standpoint, there is room for improvement.

Blackened Fresh Florida Grouper Sandwich

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Pigs in a Blanket

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14 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

cari m.

12 years ago

1st visit was a Saturday afternoon (April 26), so the place was not that crowded. Want to go back & try some of the other menu items. While the rolls were warm (a good thing), they were not a good quality & they must have been warmed in a microwave bc as they cooled off, they toughed up :| Had a Mai Tai which was good considering that the bartender wasn't in yet. Someone else at the table had a glass of wine & enjoyed it. Between the 5 of us, there was lamb, beef, pork, liver & catfish. All except 1 enjoyed their food (I think she had ribs). The salad was very fresh. The desserts are off the chain & I'm NOT a dessert person. The sea salt caramel cake?!? OMG, I'm going to track down that cake! :) 1 thing the restaurant might want to consider since they have glass table tops is to use a less invasive cleanser than a Windex-type product. Maybe something a little more environmentally friendly. Bc they clean tables off after each sitting, the spray c/b a bit much if you're trying to enjoy a meal. read more

Chris C.

12 years ago

My lady wanted to take me out to dinner on Father's day. I suggested Normans since I ate there before. After I got off work we arrived around 4:20pm. After being seated we waited,and waited,and waited, after 10 -15 minutes passed still NO ONE came to our table,not even to bring water, say there's a slight delay,or something. Finally we left. The service was TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE !!! Since they were closed Monday I plan to meet with manager/owner to let them know my disappointing experience with their service or rather no service, by the way it wasn't that crowded at the time either.UPDATE: After meeting with the owner,we returned on 6/22/14 and the service was better this time(we arrived between 730 -8pm as I got off work late), I had Cajun catfish with yams which was very good, and my lady had the T-Bone Steak,also delicious ,for desert we had the Peach Cobbler which was very good. The dinner was on the house. Kudos to Greg and Fran. read more

Reenay E.

10 years ago

FRUIT FLIES HANGING OUT WITH GUESTS Visited Norman's Bistro for a friend's birthday party, ordered a glass of wine, took two sips only to find gnats swimming in my wine. They have fruit flies partying with the guests. I showed the server, she wasn't willing to refund my money in light of my disgust and unwillingness to order more drinks in the establishment. This is a prime example of why it's difficult to patronize black owned establishments. They were more concerned with keeping the money for the literally full glass of wine, than recognizing and owning they have fruit flies hanging out at the bar swimming in drinks. read more

Denise J.

15 years ago

Hi, took a chance Sunday morning, remembered passing by one day. My BFF came in from Cali. So decided to treat us to a brunch. All we can say is FANTASTIC! She and I were over joyed with the wide selection available for brunch. Service was wonderful and professional. Norman's Bistro is a must. Enjoy read more

Elliott S.

12 years ago

The bakery is amazing. Sourdough in every form imaginable with great kitchen gadgets as well. The miked bakers in the front window show how it is made and answer questions from people on the street. We did not eat in the café but it looked great as well. read more

Terry P.

254

7 years ago

I'm pretty new to the area and Norman's bistro was a pleasant surprise! The outdoor seating was nice and our server was excellent. Reasonably priced bottles of wine and cocktails were a plus. Really enjoyed my seafood pot pie! read more

Y N.

14 years ago

This Hyde Park restaurant is fantastic! Awesome food, great service, sexy decor and free and ample parking! The brunch is deletable ...high quality food. The owner is always engaged with his customers. read more

Jay M.

16 years ago

The best Jambalaya I have had since being in the gulf! The shrimp was juicy and ooooooweeee love it! Can't wait for my desert! Apple bread pudding... I will get back to you after I max this one! read more

Reatha M.

9 years ago

Jamol provided great service! Shrimp and lobster pot pie was delicious! Coleslaw is so good it should be a dish. Cocktails on point! Will definitely return. read more

Victor C.

14 years ago

The food is very good and fresh, Its my favorite spots in Hyde Park ( North Kenwood) Service was Excellent. Good Prices read more

Cheryl S.

10 years ago

Most enjoyable place. The food is delicious. I'm telling my family about it now. Keep up the good work.

Beth T.

10 years ago

Forget the restaurant. Come for the bar!

LeeAndra K.

15 years ago

Great neighborhood restaurant

Moniet S.

14 years ago

Woohoo! As good as it gets!

Norman's Bistro - brazilian - Updated September 2026

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We came in around the afternoon and the ambience was good, but it could be better. I would say…read moretheir indoors look better than outdoors. They have a lovely tent set up as well. In terms of service, it was okay and it took quite some time for a waiter to get to us as well as waiting for food. However, it was well worth it! My salmon was fried to perfection with the lemon pepper flavor coming through. It was also served with a nice citrusy aioli that complemented the salmon. Overall, Truth Chicago is pretty good for a brunch place!

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It's Father's Day and I'm sitting in a beautiful Black owned business full of life, full of…read morefamilies breaking bread and fathers being celebrated the way they deserve. Rather it be days like this, ordinary days, or special days look no further every day is a day to enjoy fine dining in an awesome atmosphere plus the staff was great!

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