Bouchon at The Venetian

"When you imagine a quaint French restaurant, you probably think of something that looks like Le Bouchon. It’s a small bistro with always-packed tables and a fittingly tiny bar that’s just big enough to have a solo dinner or lunch. Classics like french onion soup and escargot are always great, and rotating seasonal dishes like selle de lapin or oxtail bourguignon give you plenty of reasons to visit regularly. And while you might not overhear whole conversations in French, there’s enough artwork with words like "à toute heure" to convince you that the Seine is actually flowing through Bucktown." - john ringor, adrian kane, nick allen

"Sure, Bucktown’s Le Bouchon is always packed for dinner and you often run the risk of getting jostled by a waiter or a neighboring diner. But it’s all part of this 30-year-old tiny French bistro’s charm and keeps people coming back. Well, that and all of their buttery escargot, cheese-loaded french onion soup, steak frites, and roast duck with spätzle. Throw in great wine, chummy servers that might invite you to their comedy show, and the possibility of befriending the same diner who jostled you, and it's easy to become one of those Le Bouchon lifers." - nick allen, john ringor, adrian kane

"Thomas Keller’s bistro, Bouchon, has an excellent take on the classic salade Lyonnaise. A bed of endive gets a heaping spoonful of bacon lardons, with a poached egg, crackly croutons, and a sharp bacon vinaigrette. It makes for a light starter before a dinner of steak frites and escargot or a complement to a glass of Riesling or an apple sour cocktail." - Janna Karel

"Take brunch up a notch with Thomas Keller’s Bouchon at the Venetian. Start with a basket of pastries to share, order a Benedict with jumbo lump crab on a housemade English muffin, or embrace the French-style midday meal with quiche florentine or a croque madame — all on white tablecloths and in view of arched and airy windows." - Janna Karel

"For a festive French feast, Bouchon by Thomas Keller is preparing a decadent Joyeux Noel menu. On December 24 and 25 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., choose from a variety of sophisticated French favorites—like pan-seared foie gras, braised beef short rib, and creme brulee— on a three-course menu priced at $130 per person and optional $60 wine pairing. Or if you want to feel très chic, pair a bottle of bubbles with a seafood platter featuring lobster, oysters, shrimp, clams, and mussels." - Emmy Kasten