Le Bouchon
French restaurant · Bucktown
1958 N Damen Ave APT 3, Chicago, IL 60647
Highlights
Classic French bistro with escargot, steak frites & French onion soup
Classic French bistro with escargot, steak frites & French onion soup
"When you imagine a quaint French restaurant, you probably think of something that looks like Le Bouchon. This tightly packed Bucktown bistro feels less like a room full of strangers absorbed in the latest Reddit drama, and more like a communal dinner, whether you’re crammed into a booth with a juicy canard roti, or sitting alone at the tiny bar with trout wrapped in delicate puff pastry. Getting slightly jostled by a friendly server or a neighboring diner is all part of the experience here. But that also makes it ideal for making new friends who aren’t AI bots." - veda kilaru, john ringor, adrian kane
"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
"Getting slightly jostled by a friendly server or a neighboring diner is all part of the experience at Le Bouchon, one of the city’s best French restaurants. This tightly packed bistro feels less like a room full of strangers and more like a big communal dinner, whether you’re crammed into a booth with friends and a juicy canard roti, or having a solo meal at the tiny bar with wine and trout wrapped in delicate puff pastry. And while you’re more likely to overhear loving complaints about Chicago’s professional athletes than whole conversations in French, there’s enough artwork with words like "à toute heure" to convince you that Le Bouchon is the Paris of Bucktown." - john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen
"Operated by Oliver Poilevey and his brother Nicolas, Le Bouchon is a well-regarded French restaurant offering classic French cuisine in a cozy setting." - Ashok Selvam
