Bistro Monadnock
French restaurant · Loop ·
Classic French bistro in historic Monadnock Building.
Classic French bistro in historic Monadnock Building.
"After going to the Art Institute to check out French Impressionism, you might be inspired to eat some rich bouillabaisse, buttery escargot, or croque madame. You can have great versions of all of the above at Bistro Monadnock, a great French restaurant hiding on a small side street just a short walk away from the museum. Its charming wooden space is not too busy, so it's easy to pop in and grab a booth by the open kitchen or a spot at the bar. Plus, everyone that works there is very friendly, so don't be surprised if you get a tour of the dry-ager, or a brief history lesson of the historic Monadnock building from your server." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru
"The entrance to Bistro Monadnock is on a tiny street that feels like a glorified alley, so it's tricky to find. But it’s worth seeking out because this French restaurant is one of the few places in the Loop that has really good food. The charming wooden space doesn't normally get crowded, so grabbing a last-minute table or seat at the bar has a 98.4% success rate. The croque madame comes with a perfectly crusty baguette, while the garlicky escargot and French onion soup are both comfortingly rich. Just make sure to bring a few mints along if you're planning to be in public for the rest of the day." - adrian kane, john ringor, nick allen, veda kilaru
"The entrance to Bistro Monadnock is on a tiny street that feels like a glorified alley, so it's tricky to find. But it’s worth seeking out because this French restaurant is one of the few places in the Loop that actually has really good food. The charming wooden space is not too busy (just a few tourists, concertgoers, and neighborhood residents), so popping in for a spontaneous bowl of rich bouillabaisse by the open kitchen or some escargot at the bar is possible (and we highly encourage doing so). And with a friendly chef that might give you a tour of the dry-ager plus servers happy to chat about how to correctly pronounce “Monadnock,” we might actually look for reasons to spend time in The Loop now." - John Ringor
"Burger alchemy is what’s going on in the kitchen of Bistro Monadnock, located in the shadow of the Harold Washington Library in the Loop. The juicy and thick petty gives off French onion soup vibes, and it’s the kind of burger you’ll want to order sliced up as an appetizer to ensure your whole table gets a taste. Or just be a glutton and order one for yourself. It comes on a brioche bun with red onion relish, Dijonaise, and gruyere." - Ashok Selvam
"Don’t sleep on this full-service restaurant, a dim, street-level space that feels like old Chicago. French-inspired cooking is the name of the game, and one of the best dishes is a thick-cut burger that is perhaps the most juicy patty in the city. Diners will have dreams of this wonderfully executed burger, but the menu also features a killer French onion soup, a “Parisian” gnocchi, and steak frites, which caters to all appetites." - Ashok Selvam