I really wanted to like this place, but the overall experience was underwhelming--especially given the price point. The restaurant was empty when we arrived, yet service was surprisingly slow. Our drinks sat at the bar for over 10 minutes before being brought to us, and when they finally arrived, they were warm and served in chipped glasses. The food was okay, but didn't quite match what was described on the menu. Fries came without any sauces, and the cheese plate included just two small pieces of room-temperature bread--not quite what we expected. At the end of the meal (which came out to over $80 for two appetizers and two drinks), the server abruptly mentioned he wouldn't touch the credit card and made a big (negative) deal about American Express, then casually tossed the checkbook on the table. While he wasn't very present throughout the meal, he was quick to return once the tip was on the table. When we asked to speak with a manager about our concerns, we were told there wasn't one available. Unfortunately, I wouldn't return based on this visit. For a restaurant associated with the Hyatt Centric, I expected a more polished and professional experience. read more

Brunch has horrible service. My food was lukewarm, ask for anything and you won't get it for over an hour. I got the bandol breakfast, my potatoes had no flavor. I asked for butter for my toast and never got it. The lavender lemon French toast, is normal French toast. There is no lavender or lemon flavor. It's like they don't know how to run a restaurant. They gave us the incorrect bill, for people who left 30 minutes before us. read more

French inspired place with a very good happy hour options, the poutine and sliders were really good, I would avoid $1.5 oysters as it wasn't that tasty and the size was tiny. Cocktails variety is very good and location is perfect read more

Bandol - Bandol Poutine Happy Hour - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I had the trout amandine, and my companion had the salmon. Delicious! We came back the next night for dessert after a show at the nearby CIBC theater (and for another excellent fleur de champagne!). The prices were very reasonable -- a pleasant surprise. read more

Visiting my hometown for a Board meeting, and dinner was planned by a staffer, but this was not a good experience. A disappointing visit. The staff and its server weren't in greeting mode, and the whole night felt antiseptic, bland. Limited interaction, and the pace of the food being served was horrible. We were a party of 10, and they were overmatched. My steak freites were mediocre, and the fries cold. Our Brussels sprouts were not tasty. The salad was meh. I expected so much more. read more

Food and drinks are amazing! The service and atmosphere was my favorite, great people and great vibes read more

See all

Amazing taste!!! The server was attentive! Nice location! Want to visit again. Dinner menu was simple. read more

Bandol - Steak cob Power Salad Dinner - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My group and I came to Bandol for breakfast. We ordered the breakfast sandwich, lemon lavender french toast, and a soymilk latte. When we were ordering the lavender toast, he asked us to point it out as to where we saw it on the menu, which was strange. I guess our server was new because after he took down our orders, he came by our table multiple times and asked us to confirm we ordered the lavender toast. I don't know if he put down two lattes in our order because they brought us two lattes instead of one. Luckily they comp one of the lattes. After that, I think the manager(?) came over to confirm we ordered the lavender toast, to which we said yes (for the fourth time lol). The breakfast sandwich was good. Nothing much to say. The potatoes were good though. I tried the lavender toast and it was yummy. It had a strong lavender flavor, and was not too sweet. The latte was also pretty good, especially with the soymilk (which made it taste creamy and less acidic). Overall, the service experience was very confusing. We had to double-check to make sure our order was correct when it was time to pay. The staff were very nice and took care of our table, but the breakfast items were meh (nothing much to rave about). read more

Bandol - Breakfast Sandwich ($14) scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, american cheese, arugula, breakfast potatoes, multi-grain croissant - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My husband and I stopped into Bandol while wandering downtown in search of a brunch restaurant open on the 4th of July. They were pretty empty, which made it easy to see that it's a gorgeous space. Very clean and the tables didn't feel like they were on top of each other which is always nice. The servers were attentive, taking our order straight away (a house Bloody Mary, grapefruit + mint mimosa, seafood omelette, and their signature bistro sandwich) The bloody was really tasty - as expected from a seafood bar, it had the faint taste of cocktail sauce in the best way. My husband was pleased with his mimosa as well. As for food, my husband absolutely raved about his sandwich (I had a bite, and it was decadent and delicious!). My seafood omelette was nice, but needed something to make it really special. For $18, it was packed with crab and lobster, but I feel like the dish needed something salty, gooey, lemony - something to take the omelette above and beyond. My husband noted that they already have an eggs Benedict on their menu, and maybe a Hollandaise side drizzle over the top would work - I think he's a genius. Overall, we'd come back to Bandol to try new things! I was surprised to see it rated so lowly on Yelp, I can't speak for the service experiences of others but we had a lovely time at Bandol. read more

See all

We were walking north on Clark and the restaurant caught our eyes. We decided to check it out later that night. The restaurant atmosphere was nice. The menu looked good. Since we weren't really hungry, we shared the seafood omelet and had a la folie. You can get a hint of the smoky tequila, which is nice. As for the omelet, it was delicious. read more

See all

It's funny how one individual can affect the perspective of a whole meal experience. To feel like you're being ignored or others are receiving more attention. This establishment is at the bottom of the hotel we're staying at so we decided to give it a try. We were not asked what we wanted to drink until 15 minutes in. There were two other tables occupied... when we finally were asked we gave our order too and the drinks came out a minute before our food. But to hear the kitchen bell keep ringing and the cook keep yelling order up. Eh. The food was decent. Terrible atmosphere. read more

See all

Great experience and the food was the great! Overall vibe was low key on Friday night which was great. Friendly service and the food was perfect. read more

See all

We stayed at the Hyatt Loop and Bandol was very convenient to grab breakfast, lunch, dinner, even a midday snack aka happy hour. They have different options for each meal. Happy hour, they have specials on raw oysters! Bar service was very quick and nice. However, when we got rained in and stopped by for dinner with our family, service was disappointing. We had to grab the bartender (who was also the waitress for the night) for items needed, be it cocktails, more water, ordered dessert, etc. The food was tasty. We had breakfast and portion was huge. Dinner was good as well, perfect potion. I ordered the scallops. Delish. My husband also wanted scallops but sub with risotto. The chef was able to accommodate. Cocktails were also good, not too sweet. Oysters were from Delaware, perfect size and sweet. We also got Tuna tartare and escargot. Costini's we're paired with each. I thought it was a little much to pair with the same item. However the taste for both by itself were good, the escargot.. a little too much butter for my liking. Other than service during dinner hour, great food. Beautiful ambiance. Great location. read more

See all

Went for happy hour and got the oysters Husselbee sprouts and a burger and the rose tower. The food was all great and the happy hour deals were amazing. read more

Bandol - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered 2 cinnamon rolls. They were extremely hard and dry. Went back to return them when the waitress saw me she told the cook even before I reached the counter that I was back. She informed me that she told the cook and also said they dry out really fast. If the cook is aware that they dry out fast then take that off the menu. They replaced them with two more They were still dry ended up throwing them out. Take that off the menu please. read more

Checked in hotel after a long day. Stopped here for a small bite before turning in. I ordered the shrimp scampi appetizer which was served over saffron risotto. Everything was delicious. The risotto wasn't creamy but perfectly al dente and flavorful. The scampi could have used more garlic but still yummy. Perfect for a small meal with a nice glass of Chardonnay. read more

Bandol - Shrimp scampi over saffron risotto - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Have to say that the place has steadily gone down and can longer say this is a place that I would recommend. The bartender and the service staff - along with the manager seem very nice and great professionals. But overall the food has declined immensely since opening and the senior management seems to be a real hindrance to people service the customers with excellence. The high turnover and loss of good employees all seem like indicators of senior managers / general managers that don't know or care. When this place opened - the chef, the menu, the bar staff and others were exceptional. It was innovative, fun, happy atmosphere, good music and nice vibe. Sad to see the place go down so badly. read more

This was my second time at Bandol and just like the first time, I was not disappointed! The food was delicious! The escargot was cooked perfectly and so tender! The oysters are so delicious. I would go back just for the oysters! Drinks were great and the crème brûlée at the end was the icing on the cake! I can't wait to go again! read more

Bandol - Delicious oysters - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food was incredible, and so was the service! We just got back from a vacation to Paris, and they nailed the ambience of a Parisian bistro. We came in for brunch and enjoyed the experience so much that we came back for dinner. And brunch the next day!! The lemon lavender French toast was to die for! Got it twice since I do t know where else I could enjoy this. The breakfast potatoes were perfectly crispy, and be sure to ask for the garlic aioli. For dinner, I had the escargot and the Louis salad, and both were superb. Can't go wrong with this place, and we can't wait to go back on our next visit! read more

We came in here for breakfast on the morning of Thanksgiving and I really appreciated them being open on a holiday. The decor is that of an upscale French cafe with modern vibes. Found lots of seating space at 7:30am. We ordered the croque monsieur plate, parfait and pain au chocolat and every item was prepared very well. The potatoes on the breakfast plate were crispy and flavorful on the outside and soft, well-seasoned on the inside. I ordered the granola parfait as I wanted something light and was impressed by the flavor of the granola! The yogurt was lightly sweetened as well and very well balanced overall. Would recommend. read more

See all

We're staying at the Hyatt Centric so we toodled down to the restaurant for our breakfast. Prices were reasonable for the quality and portions. The restaurant was super busy as it was Columbus Day and the day after the marathon. Our waitress was a lovely young woman with a beautiful smile. Because it was so busy, service took a while, but that was fine. My partner had the Eggs Benedict with House Potatoes and a side of Fruit. I had the Croque Madame. Plating of all the food was well done. I would have preferred more Hollandaise, but at least it wasn't drowning in sauce. The baby Yukon Gold potatoes were a bit of heaven. I believe they were roasted, slightly smashed and then popped in the deep fryer. So crunchy & creamy! The Croque Madame came with a very French-style egg that had crispy edges and a runny white and yolk. So much cheese, ham, and Bechamel! The accompanying salad had greens from a food service bag, but the cherry tomatoes and cucumber were delicious. The vinaigrette was acidic to play off the rich cheese and sauce. The side of fruit was at least a cup and a half of ripe cantaloupe, honeydew, and strawberries. Exceptional! The tiled floor was very French. Nice understated decor. I confess that our breakfasts were comped, but if I had to pay for it, I gladly would have whipped out my credit card! read more

I love this place. It is a very nice restaurant with a great playlist. The food is very delicious.I had the shrimp dish, and it was outstanding. My friend ordered the scallops, and he was also super satisfied. The manager, Cris, was on top of his job, very polite, and friendly. I highly recommend this place! read more

Bandol - Shrimp dish! - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I just had wine but the food was not great. Great atmosphere though. So good for happy hour and an app or so.

I was looking forward to going back to Bandol and taking a friend. This time the food was mediocre at best. The service was snail paced. Drinks were painfully slow to arrive and apparently the bartenders were being allowed to make up their own drink recipes because mine did not taste like the drink I ordered. After placing our dinner order and being served a lukewarm onion soup, we were told my companions entrée was no longer on menu! Why no one was aware of this 25 minutes earlier was never explained. My friend graciously selected another entree but requested a substitution as she did not like the offered sides (which was why she ordered the initial entree). To add insult to injury they hit us with a substantial up charge! We finally were able to pay the check and run to cibc theatre just in time for the show! Our reservation was at 5:15 so you know how slow service was. Skip this place! read more

We had a perfectly delightful meal at Bandol Saturday evening. In town just for the weekend, we had originally planned to eat at a different French restaurant, but they were booked. We just walked in and were seated immediately. It's a really cute art deco style space with a southern France beachy kind of decor. Pleasant French pop music was playing. Our server Chazz was such a breath of fresh air, so kind, genuinely seems to love her job. I had the Manhattan Noir cocktail to start, bourbon with chocolate bitters, delish! Everything we ordered was top notch, and we felt the prices were on point. We shared the mussels, which came with Parmesan frites and toast points, and were resting in the classic delicious white wine and butter broth. The entrees were a nice size; we ended up with leftovers, which was great. I ordered the scallops, there were 4 of them, perfectly seared, on a bed of shaved brussels sprouts and squash. Husband had the vegetarian offering, mixed mushrooms with polenta and a bit of rocket salad. We really appreciated the vegetarian option, and even more the fact the menu did not have foie gras or baby meats like veal on it. We typically try to dine as humanely as possible. Bandol reminded us of our favorite restaurant back home, the dearly departed Grand Cafè, which we have not been able to replace since it closed for good. We will definitely be back next time we are in town. read more

See all

Food is great! Service is non-existent, at least for breakfast. Ambiance is cool, maybe it's a better place for in the evenings?

Swung by Bandol for a quick, late breakfast and a coffee. It was empty, but it was a weekend, which I really don't mind. All-in-all, the restaurant is beautiful and really cute. The food was excellent - filling and priced well, and my cappuccino was exactly what I was looking for. The service was wonderful and attentive. No complaints whatsoever! read more

Visiting Chicago for the first time. I stayed at the Hyatt Centric. The Bandol looked very nice and our bartender Vanessa was the best! Our drinks were amazing and I recommend you try this place. Definitely will go again! read more

TL;DR: Food = 5 stars. Service = 1 star. Our thoughts on Bandol are a bit of a roller coaster. Our first visit left us thoroughly impressed, prompting us to eagerly plan a return for our favorite dishes on our next trip to town. Specifically, we can't get enough of their lemon lavender French toast, the refreshing power salad, and the steak frites with rosemary Parmesan fries and aioli - all absolutely delicious! However, our recent visit was very disappointing. While the food remained excellent, the experience was overshadowed by incredibly poor service. Upon arrival, we waited an extended time standing by the entrance to be acknowledged and seated. Once seated, the waiting continued throughout our time there. Even something as basic as waiting for cream for our coffee took an unreasonably long time. At one point, my partner had to refill his coffee himself because it seemed no one was paying attention to us. When we finished our meal and needed boxes, I eventually got tired of waiting for someone to come by so I had to ask a group of staff who were chatting. We even mentioned to one of them that we felt ignored. Sadly there was no service recovery at all. I always like to give the benefit of the doubt so initially, I assumed they might be short-staffed, but upon observing the numerous staff present, it became clear that the issue was they just didn't care. Many seemed more interested in chatting with each other or engrossed in their phones than in attending to customers. It felt as though we were an inconvenience rather than guests. While the food was exceptional, the horrible service left us feeling neglected, frustrated, and ultimately disappointed. It's sad when such a stellar menu is overshadowed by such a poor service experience. I really doubt we will be back. read more

Such a great find! Open weekends during extended lunch and early dinner! Get the prime rib melt and ask for extra dipping sauce. Also the sauce for the roasted root vegetables was garlicky deliciousness. Also recommend the sparkling rosé. read more

Bandol - Crab cake and bar - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Came here on lunch with 6 of my coworkers. Our server was Legendary! Quite the memory, was impressed. Food was delish. We loved the atmosphere. Great spot for lunch in the loop. read more

See all

Had a wonderful birthday dinner for my wife's special day. The place is beautiful yet very pleasant. Elegant yet inviting. The staff was attentive and very friendly. Our waitress, Kaylee, (sorry if I misspelled it,) was sweet and patient. We started out with signature cocktails which everyone enjoyed. The beer list was short but had good options. The apps were great. We ordered the mussels and brussel sprouts for the table. Both were fresh and flavorful. Everyone who ordered it loved the onion soup which was served in a classic tureen. My Caesar salad was wonderful. Oysters were fresh and tasty. For mains most of us had the paella because we heard it was great and it didn't disappoint. The seafood was done perfectly and not overcooked which is all to common with paella. Also had the steak tartar which is rare these days, (no pun intended.) it was great. Sorry to say that the deserts were very good but didn't blow us away. We will definitely be back. read more

Bandol - Bar Area - French Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Disappointed in the service here prior to our concert under the stars. Not only were they out of a few menu items, but the bartenders reaction to my husband and I ordering a mocktail was really the turnoff. They had a list of 5 mocktails that all looked SO good. We went to order, and the tone of the server was extremely judgmental as she explained to us that they only had one out of the 5 mocktails because they were so un-popular they had to stop ordering the ingredients. I inquired why they were still on the menu- and she had no response but to reiterate how unpopular they were that they couldnt house them any longer. Additionally when we went to the rooftop bar AIRE- they did not have the same drink offerings as the Bandol bar - which is fine, however, we were again faced with the same attitude when we asked for a Heineken 0%. The served then took 45 minutes (almost the end of the concert) to let us know that they dont know what happened to the beer, so I guess he could make us a mocktail. Super dissapointing for a pregnant lady and a husband trying to support. Additionally- sober culture is so prevalant these days and the large mocktail menu is so appreciated. Not having the ingridients is one thing- making the comment that the first server did was not necessary and felt rude. read more

Ambiance and menu are a nice addition to the area. The service and execution on the food need some polish however. - Oysters didn't come with the typical accoutrements - Beet salad came dusted with pistachios. Menu didn't reference pistachios and server didn't ask about nut allergies. They were gracious about remaking the salad without, but the menu should definitely mention common allergens. - Escargot and Steak Frites were both significantly over-salted. Pricing throughout the menu is typical for the area and level of service. If they can button up these relatively small issues, they'll have something really nice. read more

Got in later in the evening on a work trip and this restaurant was in the hotel I stayed. Had a beer and the burger. The place was pretty packed for a Monday evening. The bar area has high top tables and almost all were full of people having drinks. The dining area was also over half full as well. The bartender/server was very attentive and immediately brought over water and I ordered a beer. Once the beer was brought over I just ordered the burger and fries. I was really happy with the meal. Nothing fancy, but hit the spot after a day of travel. They cheddar cheese they use was good and the fries were pretty salty, which I prefer. Would definitely stop in again next time I am back in town. read more

Amazing experience. Management was very friendly and kind, Ceasar and Vanessa were extremely helpful, definitely coming back. The Signature Old Fashioned was amazing! read more

This place wasn't even on the map when I was searching for a place to eat. My husband and I just passed by and saw the oyster special they had during happy hour, $1 oysters so of course we got a dozen! they were good for being a $1. We shared the Shrimp Scampi & Paella. Both were delicious!!!!! The service was great; staff is very friendly. The restaurant is clean and beautifully decorated. Also, the cocktail I had was delicious. I don't remember what it's called, but it has mezcal in it. read more

See all

Had a late lunch here as we were staying in the hotel above. Oysters on the half shell were delicious, seafood omlette fantastic with loads of lobster and crab meat and the burger was outstanding. Shout out to our wonderful waiter, Mario, who made our meal so enjoyable. He gave us great recommendations for our evening in the city. Will be back and hopefully with Mario as our waiter. read more

Felt abandoned. Seated promptly, ordered and received my drink, then nothing. Had to flag down a server to order. Food was good, never saw the initial server or the second server. Finally able to order my desert and it never came, just the bill. Then i reordered my desert. Just came. I'm already here 1 hr, 45 minutes. Yikes! read more

I ordered the enchiladas with mole sauce. I kind of have a sensitive stomach so the mole sauce did not really appeal to me. But I brought it back up to the counter and they were kind enough to give me a replacement dinner of beef and cheese enchiladas with rice and beans which was fantastic. My loyalty will always be strong with restaurants and organizations that have great customer service Definitely a good place to go read more