This is a special restaurant that delivers well portioned French food cooked to perfection. I had the steak tartare and the lobster Brindille - both were excellent. My wife had the foie gras And the duck. Could not have been better. Also, there were no delays between the courses. As usual, a superb evening... read more

The minute you step foot into Brindille, you know you will be in for a delightful evening. Immidiately, the hostess and manager greeted us with a smile and treated us like we were old friends. Once seated, we really had a chance to look around the restaurant and notice all the beautiful details...the decor is absolutely breath-taking. Our server was very, very knowledgable, polite and funny. He didn't steer us wrong throughout our entire dining experience...in fact, as we observed other tables, it appeare as though everyone had great rapport with their server, nothing but happy faces in the room. Its apparent that everyone working here is very proud to be there, and they should be. We ordered the aparagus salad and crab dish to start, both amazing, shared the ribeye and lobster dish for entrees, and had the pineapple dessert. This is a meal that will stand out as one of the better meals I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Its obvious that a lot of love and care goes into the preparation of each and every dish. All in all, I would give this experience an A+ and I can't wait for my next visit to Brindille. read more

Really a 3.5. Went to Brindille; admittedly high expectations given the great food and service at Naha! Had a drink at the bar while waiting for my friends -- had a gin cocktail wth currant caviar, which was strong and delicious! Started dinner with the oysters -- these were beautiful, delicate, delicious. Would order again in a heartbeat! Ordered the crab and the duck for main course; this is where the problems started. It took a long (long!) time for the entrees to come out; when they finally came to us, my duck, while perfectly medium-rare, was cold. I really really don't like cold meat, and that hadn't been mentioned in the menu, so I asked if it was meant to be served cold. The answer was no, so I requested that it could be fixed and heated appropriately. What a shame, because it was so beautifully prepared. My friends ordered lobster -- that, while tasty, was also borderline cold, which led us to believe that these had possibly been prepared correctly and then sat out for a while. My duck was then returned to me -- now overcooked. :( They did ask me how it was; I didn't want to complain again so I said it was OK. (yes, yes I know I could have complained again, but there's only so much complaining one can do in a restaurant). I appreciate that not everything is always perfect, but at close to $40/entree they need to be able to execute and coordinate well. (without putting the onus on the diner to be the "complainer"; I am not sure how my request was presented to the kitchen, but any chef would think that what was sent back out to me the second time was overcooked.) To the server's credit, he did "top off" my wine since it was almost drained during all the waiting for the dish! Dessert was divine; we tried the clafoutis, the chocolate fantasy, and the Paris-Brest wheel pastry (wow!) Food is top-notch; service needs some work for coordination. Not sure if I'm going to return; they need to work out the kinks first. read more

Amazing! This is the first time we've been to a restaurant the first week it opens, but this wasn't much of a gamble, given that Naha is amazing. Brindille is definitely meant to be a dining experience, but we had theater tickets so we had to rush a little. We had the king crab appetizer, which was awesome. I had the Dover sole, which was wonderful, and my husband had the rib of beef, also wonderful, as was the glazed potato concoction that came with it. We didn't have time for dessert but the Fantaise au Chocolat looked incredible. Quite pricey, but a great place for a special occasion. read more

asked the server to recommend his favorite wines and without providing us with any benchmarks he recommended 3 wines of which we picked the first one, it turned out this was a $400 bottle of wine. next time, server should ask for a price point. because recommendations should never include a $400 bottle of wine. on top of it all, he told us that we shouldn't order desert since the kitchen is about to close and we were simply rushed out of there after paying a $700 tab for 2 people. never going back there again!.. very dissapointed.. felt like we were being robbed and shoo'd out of there before we could realize it read more

Not many restaurants in chicago can deliver both flawless service and expertlyprepared food in a quaint but very elegant setting. The decor is stunning, and the menu speaks for itself (it sounds a lot fancier than the food really is - just terrific, simple, great flavors and perfectly executed) You would be absolutely crazy to pass on an opportunity to dine here... read more

First time here really good. 2nd time mediocre at best. 3rd time so bad. 4th time .. what's worse than terrible? There will not be a 5th. Service so slow, food no flavor, waiter didn't pay any attention, even when most of us couldn't eat our food. The only flavor mine had was sodium, potato wasn't cooked, the vegetable so burnt I do t know what it was. After we left everyone looked at each other with the look of 'why did we go here!" So disappointed, especially since its sister restaurant (NaHa) is consistently excellent. Do not waste your time or money here..it needs to close, or start over! read more

It was my daughter's birthday and she has always wanted to go to Brindille and so, last minute, we were able to get a table. Our server was very energetic and personable, the food for the most part was delicious. The moment of truth came when unfortunately a long (4" at least) hair appeared in my chicken dish after the second bite. Everything seems to go downhill from there. Our server appeared unable to handle the situation and did take back the dish and create a new one. Interestingly the dish was not comped which I thought was interesting. The interest of our server in our table seemed to extinquish thereafter....So, in summary the appetizers were wonderful; the mains (other than the affected chicken) were very good. I do think this should have been addressed better and there were really no apologies made to us... In a restaurant of "that caliber" or thinks that they are, there should be a better way of addressing unpleasant issues that arise. read more

My husband chose this restaurant to celebrate mother's day. We dine at many Chicagoland restaurants including very upscale places. While the atmosphere and decor where lovely , the food was disappointing. It is OVERPRICED. The portions were VERY small -primarily in the appetizer category. The menu shows two coarses but I recommend that you order two and either a salad to share or a third. The food all came at room temperature at best. I have dined in France and other restaurants at this same price point and never had this odd temperature. Some things seemed less appealing at this temperature while others it worked well. The desserts range from $12-15. When I say small, I mean small. Don't share if you have your heart set on what you order. Unfortunately, I would recommend other 4 star restaurants in Chicago before this. read more

Lovely. That's the word that I use to describe Brindille when telling friends to eat there. Not going to lie, it's expensive, but the food and experience are well worth it. Most notably, their sauce work is impeccable. Service was super professional while remaining friendly and totally un-pretentious. The dining room is quiet and simple yet classy, and the diners were dressed appropriately (no jackets required, but don't go in your schlubby jeans either - have some respect for what they are doing there). read more

This restaurant has potential to be good. Unfortunately the service is lacking as well as some of the garniture that came with the dishes. First let's start with service . It took 15 minutes for someone to take our order (including drinks) from the time we finished our appetizer (soup and salad) to our main entrée it took 90 minutes, yes 1 1/2 . We found that to be a bit too much. The main dishes were fish so no way for them to have to take 90 minutes to prepare. More than 15 min to cook fish would be overdone! The sole I ordered came with a fava bean , whole almond garniture amongst other things. The almonds were whole. If they wanted to add them I would recommend slivering them. Fava bean? No thank you. Less is more! The salmon my client ordered was swiming in sauces , badly plated and over done!. All in all food was average we would have enjoyed it more if we did not have to wait forever for our meal or fished out the food from the sauces. read more

There was nothing wrong with the restaurant, but I think it's overpriced. The dorade was good, but it was essentially a $37 piece of fish that would have been $12 anywhere else. The soft lettuces salad was delicious, but it was a $15 salad with nothing particularly fancy about it. It was fine - I'd go here during Restaurant Week if there was a deal. read more

Great place for a special occasion! The presentation of the food was beautifully done coupled with excellent service. The prawn noodle appetizer was very tasty but a bit on the small side. The poached lobster entree was absolutely delicious. read more

My husband and I had a lovely meal at Brindelle this weekend. We chose the tasting menu-highlights were the halibut and the noodles with snails, but everything was delicious and beautifully presented. Our server Sophie was knowledgable and she and the rest of the staff were attentive and kind. The space is modern, yet comfortable. So why only 4 stars? The gent who greeted us at the door was frenetic and almost rude. In addition, there was a couple at a nearby table watching the Blackhawks game on their phone throughout dinner and commenting loudly. The same gent stopped by the table frequently and encouraged this disruptive behavior. I'm as excited for the Hawks as the next Chicagoan but wanted to have a nice meal out, not go to a sports bar. Turns out the gent was the GM- totally unacceptable. I would recommend Brindelle. We eat out often and don't mind spending the money for thoughtful food and a great experience but sadly, the actions of the GM and some disruptive guests soured our experience from great to just good. read more

I can't say enough. Please go here. The people, the service, the food, the wine... Jude was incredible and the most amazing host. Please. GO HERE. read more

Experienced exceptional, attentive, personable service by Jeremy and Sergio who made every effort to accommodate our every whim with a smile and a sense of humor. Each dish was a culinary adventure that tested our taste buds and always pleased our palates. Cocktails, wine and drinks were fabulous. Desserts were varied and well-made but we wished they were sweeter (this seems to be an unfortunate trend in dining establishments across the city which cannot run its course soon enough!) We had the best seats in the house to appreciate the subdued yet elegant atmosphere, but no need to worry this was not a stuffy establishment. Great for any occasion as long as you embrace creative culinary experiences. read more

Since it was our wedding anniversary, to celebrate we tried their tasting menu. It consisted of one appetizer, 4 small entries and desert selected by the chef after considering our preferences and any allergies. The food was outstanding! Each course was introduced by the wait staff. First we had the hand cut noodles with snails. We then had the four entries, Lobster Brindille, Dover Sole, Grilled Lamb and Roasted Quail. Each were wonderfully presented, tasty with wonderful herbs and seasoning. For desert we had the Tarte and the Clafoulis. Although both deserts were good, we would have preferred to try the Chocolate Entermet, Fantaisie au Chocolat or the Crème Brulee that we saw other patrons order. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

My wife and I enjoyed our anniversary dinner here at Brindille. We chose this because it looked like a throwback to our favorite restaurants of the past, with great ingredients well prepared without a lot of flash. We are not fans of "hot" restaurants in general, as the sizzle hides the lack of substance that most of them have (see Paris Club and RPM). The Chicago Tribune review of Brindille was enticing so we made a reservation. There were not many customers on a Sunday night, so we were given a nice table in the window. Other than the clear view of the frog on the top of Rainforest Cafe, it was very comfortable. My wife noted that the tables are awfully close together, so had the restaurant been full, we might not have enjoyed it as well. A class in absinthe was being taught at the bar, and while it was a little off-putting at first, we were able to move it to the background. We brought our own wine. It was subject to a $50 corkage fee that was waived when we bought a bottle from the list. Our waiter was excellent, having a full command of the menu and the wine list. He steered us to a delicious French white that we would not have found on our own. He indicated that they are working on a half-bottle list, and it would be useful. More on the wines in the summary at the end. Our appetizers were stunning. I had the fois gras and my wife had the sweetbread and rabbit combo. The flavor combinations were amazing and everything I expect at this price point. The same was true for the entrees where I had the saddle of lamb and she had the Lobster Brindelle. So often, restaurants oversalt their entrees in the name of being "French", but the seasoning was absolutely spot on. The cut of lamb was perfectly cooked and tender. Although the portions are not exceptionally large, the food is so rich and flavorful that I could easily have skipped the dessert course, but in the spirit of the evening, we went ahead. In the whole scheme of things, this is a small point, but it was a little disappointing. I had the cheese plate. It was lovely to look at, and the cheeses were tasty, but it was not a good value at the price point. The accompaniments were a little spartan and each cheese appeared to be less than a 1 inch square. I would have been pleased if this had been at the same price point as the rest of the desserts. My wife had their single chocolate offering, which was sold as almost an ode to dark chocolate. Again, it was visually impressive, arriving in a lovely transparent spun sugar shell, looking like a light bulb. But, the cream dominated the dish, hiding the chocolate from view and when she found it, it was simply good, not great. Post dinner we were given a chocolate candy that was so much better. If we were to return, we would ask for a plate of those if we chose to have dessert. So, in summary, we found this to be an excellent restaurant with respect to the main events, but the value proposition needs just a little work on the side. We did a little research prior to arriving and found that the wine markup was substantially higher than most other places. That was what prompted us to bring our own wine more than anything. We found several bottles that were 3x retail. We wanted to have a better than average bottle of wine with this meal, but their prices made that difficult. A little work on the dessert menu and perhaps a curtain on the front window and this has the potential to become a 4 star Chicago destination. I'd also suggest a side room for things like the absinthe tasting. It is a little odd to go out for a fine dining experience and to hear a lecture in the same room. All of these suggestions are meant to be constructive criticism for a fine restaurant. read more

Brindille offers very good cuisine, but not sure it quite warrants the high price point. Our table had scallops, steak tartar, Dover Sole and the Hunters Plate, and the food quality was very good. Portions are small, even for the entrees, but that is not unusual for this style restaurant, however it leaves one a bit unsatisfied after a pricey, multi-course meal. The atmosphere, however, is not for everyone. My table brought down the average age in the restaurant by about 20 years, and this was on a late Thursday evening. Older crowd, quite formal dress and atmosphere, a little bit stuffy even, definitely not a scene by any means (nobody having drinks at the bar or anything like that). The staff however was very courteous and helpful, adding to the high-end dining experience. Overall it was a very good yet expensive meal but the ambiance is not for everyone. read more

Great date night spot. Amazing cocktails. I prefer to sit at the bar and order some of the smaller plates (Best oysters I have ever had!). If you are into cocktails you cannot leave without trying their specialty gin drink, it comes with black currant caviar-like balls that sink to the bottom and pop with flavor while you drink! read more

Great food, but what a disappointment with the wine list. It happens when you ask for a nice wine and they are out.. In this case it was Gevrey Chambertin. The next one of same region was 50% more costly, so not exactly same class. Very disappointing. Then it is the only restaurant where a rosso di Montalcino is more costly than a Brunello! Never seen that before. On top of that the only good red they serve per glass is a Brunello and it not offered as a bottle! The one Brunello by the bottle was almost double the cost! What's with that? Sorry, but for a place with such nice food, get your list sorted...! Not sure I would go back and maybe that's because I am from NY and the mid-West is different, but I eat out 4 days a week and don't think this is right... read more

Dinner tonight- I am giving them 5 stars because they were are the best restaurant I have ever been to that has only been open 2 weeks. The service--Jeffrey our waiter whom we remembered from a prior circumstance (and who remembers their waiter?--yes, he is THAT GOOD)--was wonderful; attentive without being obsequious. That attitude was prevalent from everyone there--they ALL wanted to make sure that we had enjoyed ourselves. But the food speaks for itself. I had the Guinea Hen with morels fava beans and sunchokes--because Jeffrey told me to (I had planned to order the Dover Sole Meuniere--will have to go back) and if i could have done so unobtrusively, I would have licked my plate. I wanted a pint of the sauce to go. My husband had the Duck with wheatberries--the duck was cut from the center of the breast and cooked perfectly. We had the King Crab appetizer--delicious, but we shared it and it was too small to do that--note: Jeffrey warned/mentioned that, but we ordered it anyway. Had the cheese course and some port for dessert; and it was a very ample cheese plate that we split--probably 12 small slices with a full range of cheese choices. Truly enjoyed the food, the decor, and the service. For those who might find NAHA slightly loud, this was a more controlled buzz and we could easily talk to each other. BRAVO--a wonderful addition to the Chicago fine dining scene. Cant wait to go back. read more

What a huge and insulting dissapointment. Having seen the review on Steve Delinskys dining spot 4 of us tried this place. We all love to dine out at fine dining establishments and hope to incorporate new ones. This place was beyond insulting. We tried to order bloody marys and were told at 5:30 they were out of them. The frisee salad was just that, a small bowl of frisee with almost no dressing, we had to ask for extra dressing as we could not taste any at all.No artistry or specialness at all. Check out their prices on the salad for what you get. It"s obscene. We then tried to order their TV reviewed Dover Sole and were told they no longer carried it. We finally settled on the turbot and the very, very overpriced portion (less then 4 ounces and slightly bigger then a matchbook ) arrived.There was one asparaus spear cut up in there and a 1 inch smear of some potato mixture. I feel like if they try to present themselves as "chic" they assume Chicagoian's will be dumb enough to pay astronomical prices for less then 4 oz. of protien. The taste was average , definitley not gourmet enough to charge so outrageously. For dessert we tried the grilled pinapple . What a joke. It did not taste grilled and consisted of a 3 inch narrow spear with a 11/2 inch half spear over it .We had a strawberry dessert as well and the strawberries were soggy and drenched in some watery , sugary sauce over a cookie size puff pastry. Inedible. Do they really think the diners are that foolish to pay in the teens of dollars for that?*****Our bill with no alcohol at all, 1 diet coke and one dessert for four people $260 without the tip! People may be interested enough to try this place once but positiveley not foolish enough to go back.We were laughing so hard aftewords because we were all starving, so we stopped off at Portillos down the street and got Italian Beef sandwhiches. Believe me, it was a better option. read more

This is a 4.5 star review. The experience was very near perfect. The space is lovely. Understated, grays, browns, blacks. Very large window up front, comfy booths and chairs. Lavender sweaters on the staff. The service was so spot on. Witty, charming, knowledgeable and efficient. Rob was a star! The appetizers were excellent. The hand cut noodles, chanterelles and snails for me---a heavenly dream appetizer! For him: the scallops. Also superb, much lighter and beautifully executed with the unique addition of uni. Mains: Lobster for me, duck for him. Here is where a minor slip occurred. The food was very very good. The lobster was plentiful and accompanied by truly amazing flavors. The duck and foie gras were beautifully cooked (absolutely perfect char on the foie). The slip was that both plates (meaning china) and the food were not hot. In fact, they were below lukewarm. Can't figure out what happened. The place was not busy. Our waiter seemed very efficient. The food just wasn't the right temperature. So, a little point shaving for that. The second issue was two gnats that were hovering around the table (made more noticeable by the impeccable white table cloth-love the beautiful gray napkins, by the way). Gnats in a restaurant, especially one of this caliber, are troubling to me. Had to keep shooing them from my wine glass. Wine?? Ah, yes, wine. Back to the positives. The wines, while expensive are really well thought out and quite good. And the staff is very very good at recommendations and their are some unique finds on both the bottle and by the glass lists. The pairings were perfect. Whites for me, white and red for him. Terrific choices by Rob. Champagne by the glass a bit pricey. OK, dessert. Dessert is something I sometimes enjoy and other times can pass on. I am SO glad we didn't pass. The Warm Baked Cherry & Almond Clafoutis IS NOT TO BE MISSED! It is light, airy, deliciousness. If the plate hadn't been so hot (funny, I know) we would have licked it. Truly amazing! I will be back here. Next time I really want to have the Dover Sole Meunière, one of my favorite dishes. And TWO of the Clafoutis!!!! read more

We eat out 21 meals a week so we are familiar with fine dining and the prices that go with it. This was the biggest ripoff ever. We went to Brindille based on Steve Dolinsky's Hungry Hound recommendation for the dover sole. Only one week later it was no longer on their menu (bait and switch? They got us to come to this pricey restaurant). We ordered the steak tartar appetizer and a less than 2 ounce portion was served. We ordered frisee salad which had no taste. We had to ask for more dressing which didn't even help. The soup was mediocre at best. The replacement for the dover sole was turbot. When it came to the table we had to hold back our laughter. It was a 4 ounce dinner portion although our waiter insisted it was 5 ounces! I have never seen a 5 ounce portion of fish served for dinner at any restaurant. It was good but not great. For dessert we ordered the grilled pineapple which consisted of one and a half small spears of pineapple, an insult. I ordered the strawberry dessert and the strawberries were wilted, dark and not fresh. This is the first time in my life that I left a dessert over! The prices were inversely proportional to the quality. What an insulting dinner. This is the first time I have written a restaurant review but I had to let others know about it. read more