Jilly's Cafe

This is a step or two above an ordinary bistro. The standard bistro menu items are on point but come for the specials, like venison or sea bass. They take a modern approach with layered flavors. Sublime. The wine list features excellent, fairly priced wines. They don't hurry you through the meal to turn a table. The atmosphere rating reflects the fact it is a bistro, which I believe is a plus because it's more relaxing. It is the perfect place for a romantic date, intimate anniversary, or special birthday. The candlelight picture is from a large birthday celebration and the atmosphere was perfect. Love the place.

We went for our anniversary and didn't hold back. It was a Wednesday night, so it wasn't very busy. Otherwise, it's packed on the weekend! The bouillabaisse (seafood dish) with lobster I thought was an amazing deal considering costs of what I've seen at other restaurants and sizes. This was sizable for a pure seafood dish. Pictured: frog legs, octopus, veal chop, bouillabaisse with lobster

I was last Jillys 3-4 years ago. I experienced a complete transformation last night. An interior remodel, well trained professional table service, vastly improved wine and dining menu and outstanding food prep. Highly recommend, but leave time to park!

We always love going to Jilly’s - visited tonight for a birthday celebration. It was a quiet evening indoors with a few other occupied tables. Food, delicious as always. Unfortunately we did not get any pics.

The appetizers were just fabulous. I did not like my entrée. I had the ribeye steak. It wasn’t cooked properly. It had no char on it it was raw. I asked for medium rare. I should’ve sent it back. That’s my fault. In addition to that, it looks like Evanston added a 6% extra tax on alcohol. We’re not returning.

First time dining at Jilly’s Cafe for dinner and it’s a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars. I tried their French version of Lobster Risotto and sadly, the lobster tail was overcooked to the point it stuck to the shell. This should not happen if lobster was cooked correctly. For a $50 entrée this is a silly mistake but would suggest quality check in the kitchen. The French Onion soup was also a bit small serving, served in cup size for $12. Other members in my party enjoyed their entrées which I’ve shared below. For dessert, the carrot cake was delicious. I do not recommend the lava cake, as it’s not a lava cake but chocolate cake. The “lava” was on the outside and a bit disappointing. Due to some other interesting menu items, I would like to return to give it another shot. The last suggestion for this restaurant is to offer better parking options. You have to park several blocks away and it’s paid parking only.

Can't comment on the food, as we never ordered, but my wife and I had the worst experience we've ever had at a local restaurant. We had made reservations a week earlier and were looking forward to trying out this quaint-looking eatery. My wife was ignored for awhile at the door (I was parking the car) and then was pointed to a table by the kitchen and told "This is what we have." No "welcome," no "how are you tonight?" Meanwhile, the owner greeted those I presumed to be regulars with hugs and shown a table with a "reserved" sign upon it. The waitress came over to take our drink order and left before I could even finish my request for a substitute liquor; she arrived with the wrong drink. I told the owner that I was surprised by our initial reaction to the place and the brusque treatment received, wondering why we couldn't have been given a better table like the couple who came in after us. She made some irrelevant comment about it being a busy graduation weekend and that some people make a reservation and then cancel. Well, we had made reservations, (added that we were celebrating a special occasion in the online form), showed up on time, and this is the experience. No thanks.

out. Started off with some amazing escargot sizzling in butter, the mussels in a white wine sauce was satisfactory. all of the appetizers were so delicious, especially the foie gras which was so good we got a second order. For the mains, we had their lobster risotto special, and the duck breast with a confit leg was fantastic, the sauce didn’t take away any of the flavor from the duck surprisingly. It was my first time having venison steak, the meat was firm and juicy. Don’t snooze on their desserts with everything being homemade, and my favorite was the creme brûlée being very creamy. Amazing spot to check out.

What an amazing little gem of a restaurant. The ambiance is relaxing with the subtle soothing French music playing, I forgot that I'm in Evanston and not in Paris. So much delicious food to pick from, but Hayde our server was so helpful and so delightful. She helped us with our menu and with the perfect selection we chose. The food was flavorful and awaken my palate. We order the crispy goat cheese and melt in your mouth grilled octopus. The beet salad was tangy refreshing with a sweet balsamic dressing. For an entree we split the bouillabaisse with scallops, shrimp, scallops, sea bass, lobster and fennel, and I'm glad we did! The serving was enormous! Absolutely the best seafood I had in a long time. Now it was time for dessert! I totally recommend the chocolate mouse and crème brûlée! My taste buds are in awe and in shock, so I will end my review here! Thank you Hayde, you were such an awesome server. We will be regulars.

We went to Jilly's after a few years away. On the plus side, the food was good and the service attentive. The atmosphere negatively affected our experience. We had reservations for two, and were seated immediately next to table for three, even though there were ample empty tables. I counted one table other than ours and the table next to ours in the entire place. For the entire dinner experience, we had to listen to a diner pontificate on everything from Citizen Kane to lost Beatles tapes to his puberty. Yes, we should have asked to move. But why were we seated there in the first place when so many other spaces were available?

I think this place focuses on quantity vs quality. Their portions are generous. But this is fine French dining only in the sense that it tasted fine. My husband had the bouillabaise and I had the trout. In addition to the trout on the plate, there were plenty of carrots, fingetlinv potatoes, green beans (not haricot vert as listed on their menu) and a rather hefty arugula salad. The trout & vegetables tasted fine, but I had no room for the salad - seemed wasteful. The bouillabaise was heavy on the mussels & included a nicely cooked lobster tail, but only scant pieces of other seafood/fish. Their garlic toast tasted overseasoned with herbs. All this would've been ok if both of us weren't awakened during the night with upset stomachs. I doubt we'll return to Jilly's. Their service was friendly. The atmosphere is dated & worn.

Ida the owner is a very nice lady, who's hands on receiving and going around greeting her customers. She's a fantastic owner and host. Their crème Brûlée is delicious and the wine selection extremely good !! The food is good. Ida is constantly checking for quality control which is outstanding from an owner. This Bistro has a huge potential the menu is very impressive. Perhaps they need to refine a little more the French taste on the bouillabaisse and thé moule but as I always say less is more. The real French cuisine is made of good and fresh ingredients and a simple but exquisite taste that's all.

The food was outstanding. We had questions about wine. The owner gave us tastes so we could decide. And complimentary dessert for my son's birthday. We will definitely be back.. It was everything I want French food to be!

Exquisite in every aspect! From the service to the ambience to the food. Absolutely amazing food, so flavorful and without flaw. Service especially attentive to our every request and dedicated to making the entire experience perfect. The atmosphere was authentic and soothing enhancing the dining experience. It's not Michelin rated.....why not??? We've been to Michelin 3 star places and this place is right up there with the best. Cost? Very reasonable for what you get in quality, service and atmosphere. Bravo! Put this on your bucket list.

It's about the sauces. But let me back up. The food was surprisingly good. Surprising because it seemed like other reviewers had conflicting opinions on everything from food quality, service, atmosphere, billing strategies and on. So, of course, it had to be tried. Don't take the word of other reviewers. They have no taste. And glad we went for my son's (a chef) birthday. On this Sunday night we were alone in the restaurant until we were almost done when 2 more arrived. How is it possible to serve 4 distinct meals when there is no flow? I don't know. Table bread arrived with butter and liver pate'. Decent cocktails were ordered and served. We opened with seared foie gras and mussels marinieres for the table. Although a little stingy on the bread but quickly remedied when we shouted down the empty dining room for reinforcements. One could not let those sauces escape un-sopped and putting the bowl to our mouth seemed a bit gauche even as the sole diners. Rufus Wainwright sang softly on a loop all evening on non-intrusive sound system. Main courses arrived timely and at the same time. How is this possible? My wife had the bouillabaisse which she loved because it was loaded with fish. She barely made it through the rich broth and kept commenting (I think not liking) the roma tomatoes. But they were on the menu. So it's on her. My daughter in law had the roasted pork tenderloin which pretty much shut her up for the evening as she gnawed through it all. And the birthday boy had the venison. I had the rack of lamb because I almost always order a rack of lamb if it's on the menu. There was a lot of silent chewing. Curiously, we didn't share tastes of our meals which we almost always do when we eat out together. And I think this is because each meal was so distinctly flavored and the sauces were so unique that none of us wanted to compromise the chemistry happening in our mouths. But we had plenty to share had we wanted. At the end of the meal we all took containers for our next day lunch. And, speaking for myself, it was excellent all over again. Service from the one and only server was fine. And even then we had to go locate him once or twice (bread, water, pay the bill etc.). Might have been a different story if there were more patrons. And then, maybe they would have staffed up if they needed to. So service was a non issue. For us. This time. The Brinks truck arrived and unloaded my cash so I could pay the bill but I didn't see, or ask for, any cash discount that seemed to be offered. Nor was a gratuity automatically added so I got to stiff the server on my own (Just kidding). It was all fine and no problem. If these things bother you, consider eating at home. There is no parking. A Yelp tip pointed me to the closed auto repair shop next door where I left my beater. So I'm passing that on. Bon appétit.

At this price point, we were disappointed. We probably won't come back unless the owner were to comp so to give another try. Our server told us that the boullabaisse was their signature dish so I ordered it. It was very average. The spinach salad was the best part of our meal. The biggest disappointment was the duck which our server said was her favorite. It said it came with a wild rice cake, so my wife ordered this. She has a gluten sensitivity, which the server never asked about, and it was served with a potato pancake.

Wow! Amazing! Incredible! I like to try new restaurants that I've never gone to before. I also like to find places tucked away in areas off the beaten path. So while planning dinner with a friend who lives in downtown Evanston, I researched and chose Jilly's Cafe. Parking can be tricky but I was told to park next door at the auto repair shop. It was right next to the front door of the restaurant and made things much easier. The outside is charming with it's storefront windows and red awning. Once inside, the ambiance continued. Quaint and cozy, in size and decor, lounge-y music softly played. White tablecloths, chandeliers and varnished wood was the perfect backdrop for a quiet dinner. We were able to chat and enjoy a leisurely meal. There is a tiny little bar at the back of the restaurant. We both tried the French Martini to get into the Parisian mood. It was very tasty. My friend loved her spring roll for her appetizer that looked very interesting and smelled great. She said her homemade gnocchi was incredible. I loved my fresh salad with a bright red wine vinaigrette. My salmon entree was perfect. Sitting on a bed of couscous with a light cream mustard sauce, my salmon was highlighted by the addition of brussels sprouts. We shared the profiteroles for dessert that were very nicely done. Service was attentive, professional yet warm. Our server was a very kind gentleman who took great care of us from beginning to end. Jilly's Cafe is the perfect spot for a nice meal, special occasion dinner or date night. I cannot wait to return!

Great food and excellent service. A nice place to have dinner with friends or a date night

out. Started off with some amazing escargot sizzling in butter, the mussels in a white wine sauce was satisfactory. all of the appetizers were so delicious, especially the foie gras which was so good we got a second order. For the mains, we had their lobster risotto special, and the duck breast with a confit leg was fantastic, the sauce didn't take away any of the flavor from the duck surprisingly. It was my first time having venison steak, the meat was firm and juicy. Don't snooze on their desserts with everything being homemade, and my favorite was the creme brûlée being very creamy. Amazing spot to check out.

Went with 4, so we were able to try a few things. For the app, we had escargot with puff pastry top. Well seasoned, snails a bit over cooked. Pastry on top wasn't necessary. Used the bread to sop instead. Tasted good. Complementary bead not baguette, was a little white bready no crunch. The liver mouse was outstanding, almost benchmark. Whipped butter was bland. Entres. Had duo duck on pancake with slaw. Was good value and the best of the 4. ambitious dish, 5 components. The lamb chops we cooked as requested , the blue cheese mash potatoes and green beans. All good, seasoned well, cook well. The only thing was excessive meat stock. It was really good , but the au jus ruined it for me. The short rib were outstanding, tender, bbqy. Sweet, grilled, braised. Our 4th had a veggie dinner, spinich with garlic butter. Was good. For desert, carrot cake, really good, moist, ricj spiceing, good, crumb, good cream cheese frosting and burnt carmal drizzle, vest desert in a long time. Good wine selection and specials. Service was mild, not aggressive, slow on the start, but we were early 5p. Was weird that lights were off at 455p with our reservation at 5p, but pulled together last minute. We were going to a show in hr and a half and got us out in time. Ambiance was the worst part. When we got there, there was no music. One other couple a few minutes in. Table cloths un washed un pressed, spots on ours. Beautiful venetian glass chandellers un washed and dust covered. The whole place was dust covered and needed a refresh. Very limited parking Recap...food was good, place was not. Staff was friendly , not rushed. Selections of cocktails and wine, was as expected. Could be the top of the neighborhood. Seems like heart and soul not in it.

We went on a Sunday night at five when they opened. We've been there before and it was lovely. Love the ambience, you feel like you're in a French café. Cocktails were delightful, as was the bread & butter & liver pate served with the cocktails. The menu is too big. They're obviously not getting as many diners as they used to and there's just too many things to be able to do well. And it's wildly overpriced for the quality. We looked at the specials of the day (too many) and not one of them was under $50. All three of our entrées were $35 and up. My duck was tender, but the skin on it was white and slimy, and the sauce was cloyingly sweet. My mother-in-law's venison was tough and chewy. My husband's barbecue, spare ribs were tender and good, but the sauce was overpowering. We ordered profiteroles for dessert and they were obviously pre-frozen and not made in-house. They were not good. The chocolate sauce was bottled. My suggestion would be pick out 10 entrées that you do perfectly with fresh ingredients made in-house and concentrate on that. There's no reason to have as many options when clearly the restaurant isn't as busy as it once was. Stick to classic French dishes and just do them very well.

A sad restaurant. The food is OK, nothing special. The ambiance is dated and tired. The service (Maitre De was the only server) was clumsy and the fact that there were like 2 tables including the 4 of us made it depressing. Spend your money somewhere else. Restaurants are now so costly at least go to a place that's alive

Had a dinner with friends at this place for the first time. The food was good, not great, but variety and well prepared. Nice, cozy French restaurant. Service was good, decent, waiter was a young lady,polite, knew her business. The only thing that threw me out is the additional fee included in the final bill. After inquiring why, the waiter explained that this is an additional few that they charge for paying by a credit card. I guess for a younger generation, this would be something they get or will get used to. But for us, we are in our early 50s, which means we will consider next time going out to a restaurant. We learn more and more these days that too many restaurants are not that great to attend to. Steak houses don't make great steaks anymore, so I guess it is better to stay home and enjoy a home cooked meal. And if there's a chance to go out, then it has to be something special. Otherwise, I feel like some places are taking advantage of us. I didn't mention tips that they are asking for. So, next time we want to go out, I should do homework on reading reviews and even call restaurant to find out their policies. No shopping malls nor groceries charge an additional credit card fee. So, they should not, too, if they want sustained in business.

Place is cute (as in old and dated) food is good (but not great). Heads up: they automatically add a automatic 22% gratuity, and they also tack on another 4% for any payment except cash. You got me this time, but there will not be a next time.

Overall, the place was decent. The highlight of the lunch was the sangria with champagne which was delicious. I'd come back for the sangria. The Mushroom risotto was good. The turkey, bacon, brie and apple sandwich was decent. We were the only ones at the restaurant so the service was good. :) Again, the drink was pretty and tasty!

Hi. Ate here about six years ago. Still very good French cuisine. Tomato soup remains outstanding. This time had mussels, crab cake,smoked salmon, trout, best white wine. Still going strong.

We went to celebrate my family visiting from California. Jilly's was fantastic from the time we walked in the door. The owner greeted us with such positive energy and seated us within a minute's time. We all felt like we were in France. Such a warm ambience and the décor has a real French flair. Now let's get to the important part. All of our meals were PERFECT. (by the way, I'm not that easy to please-I'm one of those that will complain and send things back.) I got the mussels which were drenched in a light cream sauce and the goat cheese salad was a great accompaniment to the mussels. The Seared Foie Gras was melt in your mouth along with a glass of Sauterne wine. Everyone had different entrees and all were rolling their eyes in delight. The desserts were outstanding. The wait staff was very attentive and my husband was impressed with the choice of excellent wines and we ordered several bottles. Jilly's made our evening. We will absolutely return for another culinary adventure.

I am confused this was one of our worst French restaurant experience We ever had. Maybe they changed ownership definitely the chef has no clue about French cuisine. Greasy foie gras total disaster disgusting to say the least A bouillabaisse without any flavor steamed seafood with a little broth Overcooked tasteless salmon Terrible French bread Plastic flowers dirty silverware Water glass soiled with lipstick we asked for replacement and they brought us an empty glass!!!! Maybe this was an amazing restaurant sometime ago but our experience food, presentation, cleanliness, service below average "terrible" we will never go back and do not recommend

Scallop risotto was unbelievable! Husband had pork chops and it was great too. Great anniversary dinner.

Food is excellent and very flavorful. Very good for takeout. Worth the price. Highly recommend!

I'm sorryto say, but my family and I had an underwhelming experience. Food subpar, service subpar. Please, step it up as an Evanston French Bistro. Food (pomme frite, escarot) was overly greasy. The crab for the egg benedict was from a can opened perhaps day before, with nothing with it. the crab cake was not delicate, was mushy. The bathroom was not as clean as a closet toilette in the front room should be kept. The server, while friendly, spilled water on my mother's menu and place setting without changing it or offering to top with extra napkins, he was quite busy tending to every table on his own. My sister in law did not receive her food consecutively as the rest of us at the table did. We started without her and her food arrived as we were almost halfway through. she received an apology and a comped cocktail which was fine. Excellent food and service is part of the experience in fine dining. Fine dining priced, but subpar experience.

Make sure you check your bill! The waiter gave us one bill before we paid and then when we paid, the amount was different, because they added a service charged of $7.69 for party of 6. Leave a bad taste in our mouth after we just had a delicious dinner.

Delicious food. Escargo and seafood frittata was really very tasty. Ali was our server and he was so personable! great experience.

Very fast French cuisine, on the pricey side. My party ordered the fried calamari, the steak, the rack of lamb, mushroom risotto, and the trout almandine.

I moved from Evanston to the city last year, and I am desperate for the COVID vaccine if only so I can go back to Jilly's. Am I the youngest one there by at least 25 years each time I dine? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Starter bread is perfect, with butter and an unidentified paté that is delightful and I have not been able to find anywhere else. Salad with fruit and cheese? Just right. Complementary, fruity sorbet palate cleanser? Didn't know I needed this, but accepted with joy. Rotini with chicken in cream sauce really hits the spot every time. (Friends particularly recommend the salmon with cous cous.) Expect a high bill and adorably small, old school atmosphere. Now I'm hungry and sad I'm not within range for delivery. C'mon, Moderna and Pfizer -- hurry up!

My friend and I had the place nearly 100% to ourselves when we came for Sunday brunch, but it was kind of nice to sit by the window and chat in private, listen to French music and enjoy our tea, coffee, and bread basket. We ordered one of each of the omelettes which were well-stuffed and came with yummy salad and roasted potatoes. It felt a little rundown (especially in the bathroom, which needs a good deep clean) but the food and atmosphere were nice enough that I'd consider coming back.

I thought this cafe was just all right. It's a bit on the tiny side. You can have reservations for large parties but this wouldn't be my restaurant of choice for large groups. They serve French food here. I thought the flavors were all right. They served this sweet sorbet thing before dinner. It was a dark red color. I should have asked what it was because it was really tasty. Very smooth. I guess it was a palette cleanser. I got the pork tenderloin and it was cooked well. I wish the purée on the side was something else besides sweet potato as I personally thought it was too sweet. They had lingonberries which was already sweet! Service was not that good. I had to grab menus for the table since nobody was serving us for a long time. The waiter said it was his first day but still...

The 2 most recent Yelp reviews of Jilly's were mixed. So we were a bit apprehensive before our visit, probably the 10th time we have visited Jilly's over the years. Never fear ... the food and service deserved 5 stars. Four of us each ordered something different. I had spare ribs; the red wine sauce was outstanding. My wife got Chilean sea bass, again very good. Our friends got pork tenderloin and lamb, both good. We were too full for dessert. The coffee was fresh and good. All portions were sizable; 3 of us took home leftovers. There was only one wait person. Since we were in no hurry, the slow service was OK. And the waitress was doing her best. Our friends are hard of hearing. At a corner table, we were able to converse easily, even though the restaurant filled up over time. An earlier comment mentions the prices have gone up. True. Bottom line: we'll probably go back for another helping in December.

I felt like I was in Paris and it was a delight. Elegant table, wonderfully attentive service, true French bistro menu. Food was fantastic. A gem. I will be back soon!

A friend and I went there for dinner last night prior to attending a concert at St. Luke's in Evanston. Loved it. Very nice ambience. Ali was our server and did a good job. The food was delicious. My friend had the Chicken Paillard and I had the trout. I also had a French 75 cocktail which was fantastic and my friend had the French Martini which she loved. If you want an adult experience - no people glued to their cellphones and taking photos of their food- just enjoying the in-person company, I highly recommend Jilly's. I believe they are probably suffering the same fate as most businesses these days in terms of staffing, but we had a great experience.

Very expensive for what we had. Salads were great. Steak was not a great cut tough, the bouillabaisse had over cooked salmon. Food just wasn't what it. Should have been

Jilly's is a casual French cafe with friendly service and a fairly traditional menu. One of the more interesting aspects is that there are almost as many specials each night as there are regular menu items. The meal begins with excellent crusty French bread, butter, and chicken liver pate. I had the escargot, which were the traditional preparation, topped with small croquettes and served with a slice of lemon. The escargot and garlic butter were good, especially with the French bread. I'm not sure the croquettes and lemon added a lot. My second course was my favorite, a poached pair and bleu cheese salad. It had just the right mix of bitter and sweet ingredients. An intermezzo of pinot noir sorbet cleared the palate. For my entree I selected their specialty, the skinless duck breast and confit. Both were good, but the breast was swimming in a very sweet sauce, so I stuck with the confit. Service was extremely friendly at all the tables, and they were reasonably busy on a Tuesday night, with a crowd composed of about half regulars. Wine prices is reasonable, although the website version of the wine list is out of date. Jilly's is a good choice if you are in the mood for traditional French food in a friendly atmosphere.

We had duck confit, boullanaisse, and poached pear & field greens salad. Tried our best to find which was the pear. BTW, dipping sauces for the bread was super delicious. They said it was made from chicken liver.

What a nice surprise!! Looking for French and literally fell into this place thanks to yelp! We had the escargot which were delicious and a beautiful presentation. Spinach salad was just ok. However the lamb was fantastic. Done to perfection. Excellent sides! Profiteroles were the perfect ending! Excellent service. Worth a trip to Evanston!

Disappointed with this visit to the restaurant. Upon arrival, we were seated and then waited 10 minutes before anyone brought water and asked about drinks. Mind you, there was one other party in the restaurant, a party of 3 so why the delay, who knows. Ordered Salmon and the Escargot. I expected the potato pancake to be hot and it was lukewarm at best. The Escargot were tough and not a hint of the garlicy butter you come to expect with Escargot. I had the Bouillabaisse and my wife had the Lobster Risotto. Any shellfish in either dish was rubber, over cooked. Salads and desserts were acceptable. What really took the cake was the 4% that they added to the bill as a surcharge. Nowhere on the menu did it note that such was to be added, and I only caught this because the original amount changed with the final bill. Extremely disappointed. We won't be back and will look for another french restaurant to visit for special occasions (it was my wife's birthday).

Excellent! Quite the hole in the wall spot, and it seemed like they were understaffed (as most places are right now) but the food and selection made up for it! Don't expect a quick meal, but if you're looking for good food, wine, and time to relax this is the place.

Living in Evanston always wondered how is the cuisine in this restaurant. Well, food was okay. I forgot it was a French restaurant and the sauces are a little too much. Restaurant wasn't crowded at all, just me and my dining person. Service was good. The dessert was exceptional, my favorite. I had the carrot cake with caramel sauce, yum. Overall, I would go back to see how the brunch menu is.

A group of 4 of us went to Jilly's on Xmas Eve for the prix fixe dinner. It was amazing!!! Each course was so delicious. The atmosphere was quiet and relaxing. The service was excellent. It was one of the best dinners and most memorable evenings of my 74 years. I highly recommend Jilly's! We'll be going back.

I had to go outside of YELP to narrow down the dinner choice for a special outing after a Northwestern home game. There are lots of nice dinner places in Evanston, I decided to narrow it down by location (walking distance from the Northwestern Campus) and service. YELPers report lots of nice dinner places with good service, but not specifically about my pet peeve, I do not approve of the new hidden upcharges on ice or no-ice for before dinner drinks. I additionally don't like to have my intelligence insulted by having some young waiter or bartender explain to me what they think "neat" or "on-the-rocks" means - when restaurants or bars switch to the hidden up-charges they often coach their staffs to "explain" (talk down to) customers that "neat means more" or "on-the-rocks means like a double" or some other diabolical rationalization. I probably could deal with the up-charges if I didn't get the added insult of the idiotic rationalization (just say that management decided to add up-charges for whiskey or martinis), but I would prefer that they just raise their drink prices across the board openly and honestly. So, I called the restaurants (with a telephone, I felt so old-fashioned, just like my idea of neat or straight-up) and found that this was the only restaurant to not have gone to the new hidden up-charges. Great, made the reservations and spread the word. It's a quaint and cozy little pseudo-French bistro very close to the stadium, run by an Eastern European family (couldn't nail down the accent), and I think we were the only ones in there who weren't regulars (usually a good sign). In spite of the small size, we didn't feel cramped or claustrophobic, and it wasn't too loud either. Service was friendly, sincere, and competent, I do like the family team approach. The venison and short ribs were excellent, the steak-frites were only okay (the beef a little tough and not quite the highest quality), the prices reasonable for the atmosphere and quality of food. There's a steep $20 corkage fee, but they are very up front about it, my Chief of Staff had some specific ideas about the wine so we paid it (and again), but their actual wine list is quite satisfactory with reasonable pricing (compared to other restaurants) so I actually wouldn't recommend the BYOW approach. Oh, and the reason they don't have hidden up-charges for neat or on the rocks? They don't serve whiskey or cognac.

I have driven by this Cafe many times and finally decided to try the place. We had to walk three blocks as there is no parking. The place could use some updating. I have been to many French restaurants, but this place needs a facial. A good cleaning and some additional light would help. The staff was friendly and service was good. The food portions were reasonable, and my wife enjoyed the coffee. The patronage was light, and of an older age. It did not seem to be a vibrant and alive restaurant. I am not sure if I would go back again.

I purchased a dinner for two groupon for this place and dined here last week with my bf. Took advice from other yelp reviews and was able to park at the deluxe auto service place right next door. We ordered a couple glasses of pinot grigio and mussels for starter, which was really good! The mussels themselves were pretty small in size, but the broth was really yummy that me and my bf kept soaking our bread in the broth instead of spreading the butter/chicken liver paste which were also very tasty. Also the famous pinot noir sorbet was very refreshing. Just the right amount and just the right taste. For entrees I ordered a bouillabaisse and my bf ordered the rack of lamb. Both were yummy, although his lamb was more like medium than medium rare. The portion for lamb was also smaller than what I had expected from looking over the yelp pictures... Apparently the rack of lamb picture in yelp is outdated or something? It was totally different from what we had ordered. My bouillabaisse was good, except because we had already had mussels for appetizer, I felt like the two dishes were a little overlapping in taste. For dessert we had the key lime pie. Yum! One interesting thing was that the server brings out the whole collection of desserts to your table for you to choose from. At first when he brought the desserts tray, I thought he was just giving us all of those desserts... Turned out to be a false hope haha. Overall it was a very nice experience - my bf especially really like the atmosphere and wants to come back again.

What a lovely little gem! We'd driven past Jilly's many times and recently gave it a try. The food was really impressive. I had the fish special, branzino that night, and it was cooked perfectly, tender and flaky but with a delicate golden sear. It was sooo much better than the branzino I recently had at a restaurant in River north. My dining companions were all very pleased with their meals as well, including the beet salad, rack of lamb and steak frites. My only disappointment was the French onion soup--it wasn't presented with the immense care of the other dishes and seemed like an afterthought. Nevertheless we will definitely be back! Our server Ali was kind and helpful, and particularly thoughtful with my small children.

Last week four of us had lunch at Jilly's- a touch of France in the northern suburbs! I had not dined there in many years but was so glad to come back as we all had delightful meals - four different salads- all excellent. I had the traditional Salade Nicoise which was delicious - tuna was nicely rare. Another had the steak salad - the steak was cooked to order just right. Although parking can be a challenge, it's worth the effort for this enjoyable lunch spot.

My wife and I have been dining at Jilly's thru three different owners. It is one of the fantastic hidden jems in Evanston. The food is absolutely great and the prices reasonable. You feel like you are eating in the home of a friend. A good friend. Do your self a favor and find out for yourself that I am not exagerating. Burt, my name is Rita and I approve this message.

It's definitely been a many number of years since we've been back, mostly because we live in South Evanston. Anyway, for our 12th anniversary, the hubby and I made reservations for dinner. We did take note that the place was pretty full given a Friday evening, so I would recommend reservations. We also noted that we were probably the youngest people there easily by a decade and we're in our mid-30s. Service was decent - attentive, but they did forget my tea and had to be reminded. We got the mussels to start where the broth was delicious but the mussels themselves were a bit gritty/sandy. The short ribs special was delicious and their steak and frites is definitely a house favorite. The entrees were the saving grace of the meal and elevated them up to 4 stars. The meat was cooked just perfect with that simple but delicious salt/pepper seasoning that brings out the flavor of good meat. Overall, a good experience.

Got there first thing for Sunday morning brunch. Great time to go if you're not into crowds or noise. Service was friendly but not invasive. Food was excellent, especially given the very affordable prices. Perfect place for you and a friend to catch up.

This is a charming little place with amazing food. The bread comes with an excellent pate. But don't get too filled up on bread, because everything else is so good. Entree portions are a good size - not too much, although, I have never made it to dessert! My favorite is the bouillabaisse, which is basically an aromatic seafood stew with fennel and tomatoes. Another favorite thing is that they do a palette cleanser of pinot noir sorbet, which I wish they sold in pints that I could just take home with me... Note that parking is a little tricky here - street parking only. There is a parking lot, but it's a couple blocks west of the place and is often full. Definitely would recommend this place for special dinner dates!