Francois Frankie Photos
Business Info
FRANCOIS FRANKIE ATMOSPHERE
You might also consider
More like Francois Frankie
Recommended Reviews - Francois Frankie
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
This was a wonderful choice for my fiance and I to have a special occasion dinner! The ambiance is amazing, with starry lights on the ceiling, tufted booths or intimate tables, and of course the carousel bar as the centerpiece of the space. We started with drinks, a French 75 for me and a non alcoholic Belgian beer for him. The bartender was mixing things with flair all evening; at one point I saw him shaking two cocktail shakers at once! The menu is full of classic French dishes; I had the classique steak frites which came with a Bordelaise sauce and herb butter and was cooked perfectly medium rare, and his Amish chicken was tender and lemony. For dessert they brought us a creme brulee, since our reservation had specified the occasion, which was a nice touch. The manager and our waiter were very welcoming and warm. Accessibility notes: not all tables are high tops (yay!); the restrooms are individual occupancy and large enough for a wheelchair; I did notice the brass railing near the steps was slightly wobbly (on the side closer to the host stand). We would definitely return for a classic French food experience in a magical setting!
I came in on a weeknight after work and the place was packed. I was able to get a spot at the bar though. They had live music, which was cool. I ordered the French onion soup and crabcakes, and they were both really good. I was overcharged for a drink, though compared to the price on the menu.
Let me start with the service. So impressed with the kindness of people especially when it seems like an outlier these days. Everyone we encountered was great. To calling for reservations to the hostess getting the door for my mom and our waitress, Jennifer. She was amazing! We were seated in the bar area with view of the moving carousel bar and the outdoor patio. In my opinion, we had the best table! We started off with cocktails.i got the aperol spritz and my mom got the rum jungle with banana liqueur. So good! We started off with the bone marrow. We got two giant bones full of marrow with an onion jam and greens. The bones are dog friendly so we brought them home for our pup. For dinner, I got the mussels and frites. My husband got the salmon and my mom got the mushroom pasta with shrimp. The mussels and frites were so good. Loved that the fries were in the mussel sauce. Delicious! My husband's salmon was great. Loved the mushrooms with my mom's homemade pasta. We were celebrating a birthday and received a complementary piece of Nutella bar. Such a nice surprise! It was gobbled up quickly.
Great service. Surprisingly great food because of location. Nice big restaurant. It has all the French bistro favorites and some other unique choices. I am a sucker for an egg salad sandwich. French? Don't think so. The French onion soup was some of the best I've had. I am a French onion soup fanatic. Do you know what they call it in France? "Onion soup."
Came here with a large party to celebrate a friends birthday and the staff was very accommodating. As one of those places that was seen all over socials I had my hesitations about whether the food would live up to the hype. Sadly it didn't exceed expectations. Our waitress was very kind and accommodating with our party. Despite the restaurant being completely empty on a Saturday night, it took a very long time for the kitchen and bar to serve us our food. Appetizers came out and almost immediately the dinner came after. In terms of the food, the espresso martini was the best tasting thing I had all evening. The calamari was pretty good but I was not a fan of the bone marrow and the French onion chip dip barely had any flavor to it. The lobster roll was very dry and the rib dip was also average.
Been walking by this place for a long time and haven't been before as I wanted to do a burger review after seeing them on my buddy's Instagram handle, Windy City Burger Reviews. Same ownership as Taureaux Tavern in the south loop, which I frequent a lot for work lunches, and they have very large portion sizes. Francois Frankie is similar as the burger was big and they gave me tons of fries. A nice vibe in the Loop. Bar wasn't super crowded on a Tuesday night, but a good amount of people dining in. It seemed mostly like a Theater crowd, which makes sense given the close proximity of the Chicago Theaters. Vibe is modern, intimate, and can be casual and dressy with the theater folks. They even had a live jazz band on a Tuesday night before NYE so that was a neat touch. Another neat touch was that the bar rotates slowly like the Space Needle in Seattle. I didn't realize it and I was wondering why the floor was shaking. But that was a fun experience. I didn't care for my Frankie Fashioned as I didn't like the bourbon, but it was well crafted. The Espresso Martini was very good! So overall, cocktails were good. I did not see any happy hour specials so they want this to be more high end. I had the Cochon Volant Cheeseburger. RIP Cochon Volant, which I didn't try before they closed. The burger was very good and it hit the spot. Bun was slightly better than Taureaux as it held together well. Same story tho as it wasn't super fresh. The Wagyu beef patty was good, but it was a little dry. It was slightly overcooked at medium well, but it was still a very good burger. Toppings shine like Taureaux. The bacon and cheese is fantastic. Aioli sauce was solid. I wish the pickle and onions were slightly crispier and had more tang/zest. It was expensive at $30 including the $6 bacon (worth it). Was it worth $30, I don't think so, but if definitely hit the spot and is worth it if you are craving a burger like I was. Fries were crispy, seasoned, and the aioli/ketchup were good. Same exact thing as Taureaux Tavern. Prices are slightly above average for the Loop and Chicago. Overall, I am a fan of both Taureaux Tavern and Francois Frankie. The food is good and hits the spot and the place has good vibes. Definitely a good spot for lunch/dinner in the Loop!
Such a fun spot to have our meal before the ballet with a gabby group of gals! Service was exceptional especially since our large group was all over the place in terms of communication haha The carousel bar wasn't working but was super cool - really loved the decor in here. Normally you'd think a place like this would have mediocre food - NOT AT ALL! Cocktails were inventive and refreshing, the escargot and calamari were so deliciously fresh and seasoned to perfection. The fries are not to be missed with that tasty aioli and my tartare was cut uniformly and flavorful. We also had split desserts - some apply thing that was ridiculously comforting. I truly don't know how I didn't fall asleep at the theatre LOL
What a beautiful restaurant! My husband and I went for a quick lunch and cocktails on our anniversary and had a wonderful time! The escargot and lobster roll were some of the best we've ever had. Both full of flavor and seasoned to perfection! The only critique we had was the crème brulee. It was served COLD (fresh out the fridge cold) and had more of a thick pudding texture than the creamy smooth texture you want. It was also topped with a fruit puree that wasn't listed on the menu (that we remembered) and it wasn't the most pleasant. *and we were given a cider that wasn't what we ordered because the menu was listed incorrectly. (Ordered sweet tart cherry and received a spicy pepper jam cider) But that didn't ruin our day at all. Overall we'd absolutely come back to enjoy seafood and a glass of wine!
This place was lively and great without being too stuffy or pretentious. The rotating bar was really cool and almost gave me motion sickness at one point. Their sazerac drink was delicious, and the steak tartare cheeseburger, and beef bourguignon were really good! The dessert was especially great sweet but crunchy but nutty and with a candle for my birthday.
Solid spot for a team dinner if you have a group of meat lovers. I ordered the bouillabaisse because I wasn't feeling a heavy steak and glad I did. The broth was super flavorful and the grilled sourdough was delicious. The dish had a ton of mussels but had sausage instead of fish so slightly different from the traditional dish. The burrata and Brussel sprout chips were also nice apps. The only odd thing that I'll call out is that they ran out of the chicken dish on the menu. The interior is interesting. You have a carousel on top of the bar mixed in with a modern look with traditional dark steakhouse vibes with the big booths. Service was attentive though as our glasses were always topped off. It was on the emptier side on a Monday night so no issues with reservations.
Went just for drinks of a Friday night, and sat in the little "window pit" The server was so super pleasant, and quite funny and attentive. Drinks were excellent, which is really all we had, as well as a calamari appetizer (which was very good) loved the sassy bee (a little spicy which was great, could've been more :) We all tried a bunch of cocktails which were all wonderful. Wanted to sit at the bar, just wasn't enough seats for the four of us, but the carousel was so pretty! Would love to come back for dinner!
Why did I not know there was a carousel bar in Chicago?! As soon as I learned about it, I had to check it out. Though it is nowhere near as grand as the Hotel Monteleone's carousel bar in NOLA, it is charming in its own way. It's smaller and rotates slowly, one full rotation per hour, and is very fun. The rest of the restaurant is elegant: very small, but nice. Sadly, I had poor service at the bar, even though it wasn't too crazy when I arrived. My friend and I later moved to a table for dinner, and service was also lackluster, although our server was very nice and we could tell he was swamped. Fortunately, the food made up for it: my friend loved her steak frites and my cheeseburger was fantastic. I will definitely come back here soon.
3 months ago
We stumbled on this spot during one of the many polar vortexes before Phantom of the Opera in the winter. We had gotten out of our uber and ran to the nearest place to eat and drink. Wow what a great place to stumble on. Food is always great. Bar tenders are always awesome. My drinks are amazing. We mentioned we were seeing a show so they made sure everything was coming out efficiently. The carousel bar is so fun to sit at. It actually slowly rotates. Last night we were seeing another show and we couldn't help but think let's hit up Francois Frankie. There were other choices near by but we really enjoyed it the first time we are thinking this is our pre show spot. We sat at the carousel bar and again, we absolutely loved it. We had ordered the Burrata plate and the chef came out personally and told us he was out of burrata. He apologized and stated to us he's going to make it right and he'd come up with something else for us. He brought out a beautiful plate of food with stuff he had in the back that is not on the menu. A lovely little charcuterie plate. We were so happy with that. The Frankie Fashion was a great drink and my dirty martini was executed perfectly. The chef then came out and said he was going to comp our lovely charcuterie plate since he didn't have what we ordered. We were so thankful. I haven't been disappointed yet. Give it a try when you're walking by or before a show. We definitely will be back. read more
3 months ago
Definitely a cool bar BUT our server seemed to be in a bad mood therefore got crappy service! The waitstaff were amazing and friendly! It's a shame because we had been looking forward to our outing. The food wasn't the great either ...although the French onion soup made up for it as it was very tasty! That was the only thing we liked! Save your money and go somewhere else! read more
5 days ago
9 months ago
1 year ago
This was a wonderful choice for my fiance and I to have a special occasion dinner! The ambiance is amazing, with starry lights on the ceiling, tufted booths or intimate tables, and of course the carousel bar as the centerpiece of the space. We started with drinks, a French 75 for me and a non alcoholic Belgian beer for him. The bartender was mixing things with flair all evening; at one point I saw him shaking two cocktail shakers at once! The menu is full of classic French dishes; I had the classique steak frites which came with a Bordelaise sauce and herb butter and was cooked perfectly medium rare, and his Amish chicken was tender and lemony. For dessert they brought us a creme brulee, since our reservation had specified the occasion, which was a nice touch. The manager and our waiter were very welcoming and warm. Accessibility notes: not all tables are high tops (yay!); the restrooms are individual occupancy and large enough for a wheelchair; I did notice the brass railing near the steps was slightly wobbly (on the side closer to the host stand). We would definitely return for a classic French food experience in a magical setting! read more
I came in on a weeknight after work and the place was packed. I was able to get a spot at the bar though. They had live music, which was cool. I ordered the French onion soup and crabcakes, and they were both really good. I was overcharged for a drink, though compared to the price on the menu. read more
Let me start with the service. So impressed with the kindness of people especially when it seems like an outlier these days. Everyone we encountered was great. To calling for reservations to the hostess getting the door for my mom and our waitress, Jennifer. She was amazing! We were seated in the bar area with view of the moving carousel bar and the outdoor patio. In my opinion, we had the best table! We started off with cocktails.i got the aperol spritz and my mom got the rum jungle with banana liqueur. So good! We started off with the bone marrow. We got two giant bones full of marrow with an onion jam and greens. The bones are dog friendly so we brought them home for our pup. For dinner, I got the mussels and frites. My husband got the salmon and my mom got the mushroom pasta with shrimp. The mussels and frites were so good. Loved that the fries were in the mussel sauce. Delicious! My husband's salmon was great. Loved the mushrooms with my mom's homemade pasta. We were celebrating a birthday and received a complementary piece of Nutella bar. Such a nice surprise! It was gobbled up quickly. read more
1 year ago
Great service. Surprisingly great food because of location. Nice big restaurant. It has all the French bistro favorites and some other unique choices. I am a sucker for an egg salad sandwich. French? Don't think so. The French onion soup was some of the best I've had. I am a French onion soup fanatic. Do you know what they call it in France? "Onion soup." read more
Came here with a large party to celebrate a friends birthday and the staff was very accommodating. As one of those places that was seen all over socials I had my hesitations about whether the food would live up to the hype. Sadly it didn't exceed expectations. Our waitress was very kind and accommodating with our party. Despite the restaurant being completely empty on a Saturday night, it took a very long time for the kitchen and bar to serve us our food. Appetizers came out and almost immediately the dinner came after. In terms of the food, the espresso martini was the best tasting thing I had all evening. The calamari was pretty good but I was not a fan of the bone marrow and the French onion chip dip barely had any flavor to it. The lobster roll was very dry and the rib dip was also average. read more
Been walking by this place for a long time and haven't been before as I wanted to do a burger review after seeing them on my buddy's Instagram handle, Windy City Burger Reviews. Same ownership as Taureaux Tavern in the south loop, which I frequent a lot for work lunches, and they have very large portion sizes. Francois Frankie is similar as the burger was big and they gave me tons of fries. A nice vibe in the Loop. Bar wasn't super crowded on a Tuesday night, but a good amount of people dining in. It seemed mostly like a Theater crowd, which makes sense given the close proximity of the Chicago Theaters. Vibe is modern, intimate, and can be casual and dressy with the theater folks. They even had a live jazz band on a Tuesday night before NYE so that was a neat touch. Another neat touch was that the bar rotates slowly like the Space Needle in Seattle. I didn't realize it and I was wondering why the floor was shaking. But that was a fun experience. I didn't care for my Frankie Fashioned as I didn't like the bourbon, but it was well crafted. The Espresso Martini was very good! So overall, cocktails were good. I did not see any happy hour specials so they want this to be more high end. I had the Cochon Volant Cheeseburger. RIP Cochon Volant, which I didn't try before they closed. The burger was very good and it hit the spot. Bun was slightly better than Taureaux as it held together well. Same story tho as it wasn't super fresh. The Wagyu beef patty was good, but it was a little dry. It was slightly overcooked at medium well, but it was still a very good burger. Toppings shine like Taureaux. The bacon and cheese is fantastic. Aioli sauce was solid. I wish the pickle and onions were slightly crispier and had more tang/zest. It was expensive at $30 including the $6 bacon (worth it). Was it worth $30, I don't think so, but if definitely hit the spot and is worth it if you are craving a burger like I was. Fries were crispy, seasoned, and the aioli/ketchup were good. Same exact thing as Taureaux Tavern. Prices are slightly above average for the Loop and Chicago. Overall, I am a fan of both Taureaux Tavern and Francois Frankie. The food is good and hits the spot and the place has good vibes. Definitely a good spot for lunch/dinner in the Loop! read more
Such a fun spot to have our meal before the ballet with a gabby group of gals! Service was exceptional especially since our large group was all over the place in terms of communication haha The carousel bar wasn't working but was super cool - really loved the decor in here. Normally you'd think a place like this would have mediocre food - NOT AT ALL! Cocktails were inventive and refreshing, the escargot and calamari were so deliciously fresh and seasoned to perfection. The fries are not to be missed with that tasty aioli and my tartare was cut uniformly and flavorful. We also had split desserts - some apply thing that was ridiculously comforting. I truly don't know how I didn't fall asleep at the theatre LOL read more
11 months ago
What a beautiful restaurant! My husband and I went for a quick lunch and cocktails on our anniversary and had a wonderful time! The escargot and lobster roll were some of the best we've ever had. Both full of flavor and seasoned to perfection! The only critique we had was the crème brulee. It was served COLD (fresh out the fridge cold) and had more of a thick pudding texture than the creamy smooth texture you want. It was also topped with a fruit puree that wasn't listed on the menu (that we remembered) and it wasn't the most pleasant. *and we were given a cider that wasn't what we ordered because the menu was listed incorrectly. (Ordered sweet tart cherry and received a spicy pepper jam cider) But that didn't ruin our day at all. Overall we'd absolutely come back to enjoy seafood and a glass of wine! read more
1 year ago
5 months ago
This place was lively and great without being too stuffy or pretentious. The rotating bar was really cool and almost gave me motion sickness at one point. Their sazerac drink was delicious, and the steak tartare cheeseburger, and beef bourguignon were really good! The dessert was especially great sweet but crunchy but nutty and with a candle for my birthday. read more
Solid spot for a team dinner if you have a group of meat lovers. I ordered the bouillabaisse because I wasn't feeling a heavy steak and glad I did. The broth was super flavorful and the grilled sourdough was delicious. The dish had a ton of mussels but had sausage instead of fish so slightly different from the traditional dish. The burrata and Brussel sprout chips were also nice apps. The only odd thing that I'll call out is that they ran out of the chicken dish on the menu. The interior is interesting. You have a carousel on top of the bar mixed in with a modern look with traditional dark steakhouse vibes with the big booths. Service was attentive though as our glasses were always topped off. It was on the emptier side on a Monday night so no issues with reservations. read more
Went just for drinks of a Friday night, and sat in the little "window pit" The server was so super pleasant, and quite funny and attentive. Drinks were excellent, which is really all we had, as well as a calamari appetizer (which was very good) loved the sassy bee (a little spicy which was great, could've been more :) We all tried a bunch of cocktails which were all wonderful. Wanted to sit at the bar, just wasn't enough seats for the four of us, but the carousel was so pretty! Would love to come back for dinner! read more
2 years ago
Why did I not know there was a carousel bar in Chicago?! As soon as I learned about it, I had to check it out. Though it is nowhere near as grand as the Hotel Monteleone's carousel bar in NOLA, it is charming in its own way. It's smaller and rotates slowly, one full rotation per hour, and is very fun. The rest of the restaurant is elegant: very small, but nice. Sadly, I had poor service at the bar, even though it wasn't too crazy when I arrived. My friend and I later moved to a table for dinner, and service was also lackluster, although our server was very nice and we could tell he was swamped. Fortunately, the food made up for it: my friend loved her steak frites and my cheeseburger was fantastic. I will definitely come back here soon. read more
Visited on a Monday evening for dinner to celebrate my birthday. We were seated right away in a nice little corner which allowed us some privacy. It was a nice looking restaurant with dim lighting and gave it a more grown and sexy vibe. We were given waters and menus to look over. I ordered a French 75 and he ordered a beer on tap. The menu looked really good, but unfortunately I wasn't too hungry so we order calamari for an appetizer. I then ordered a Caesar salad with light cheese as my entrée and he order the lobster roll with smashed potatoes. The appetizer came out as a nice portion. The calamari was crispy and flavorful and we enjoyed. Entrees came next. My salad was the perfect portion for me as I was continuing to enjoy the calamari. My husband enjoyed his lobster roll and mentioned that it had a good portion of lobster and not just a little and the flavor was good. Smashed potatoes were pretty good too. We were also given complimentary champagne to celebrate my birthday. Overall this was a great experience with great food, service, and ambiance. read more
Lunch with colleagues with a reservation made before. Easy atmosphere for conversation and a nice variety on the menu to choose from. Service was a bit slow and a drink order didn't come out until after the appetizer, but it could have been due to the lunch rush. Everyone loved their food and the cookie skillet is a must have. read more
2 years ago
Absolutely the rotating bar, the staff was such a vibe!!! The drinks were on point and staff was welcoming. I strolled in here just from the outside view I was intrigued. The carousel bar is amazing! I came for the drinks but stayed for the food. read more
Service and drinks were great. We went before dinner had an app and cocktails and lived the bar moving. We went around almost one full time. Takes about an hour to go around. It's moving slow but super cute in the middle of the city. read more
2 years ago
The service was absolutely great, I made a reservation for my friends birthday , and they took such great care of us. The environment was nice calm and it felt intimate. Food was amazing , the birthday girl still talks about the food especially that French onion soup and already wants to come back . Highly recommend giving this place a try! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Had the best time at this unique bar. Mauricio and company were fantastic. Great cocktails, conversation, and ambience. Excellent whiskey selection as well. Lots of birthday celebrations going on tonight added to the joyous atmosphere. This is likely one of two carousel bars in the whole country. If you're looking for memorable night out or an impressive date night, this is your spot. read more
Tried the braised short rib and it was fantastic. Didn't need the knife to cut it, came out hot and tasted delicious. Got a glass of red which was a great pairing. Ambiance was nice, a place you could dress nicely for, or casually for. Definitely would recommend! read more
Great spot. We ate here on a Monday night (group of 8). There was lots of availability. The food was delicious and our sever was excellent! They regularly topped up our drinks and were super attentive. Gender neutral bathrooms available. read more
I came here right before the kitchen closed. I was seated and not rushed. We had a very attentive waiter Grant who informed us of specials and great plates. The food was so fresh even for a late dinner. I would have gotten dessert but opted out THIS TIME. The ambiance in there was very chic. I hear they play music on Tuesday so I WILL definitely come back. Again I didn't feel rushed to order or to leave I loved that! I love it my name is Franke and they call me Francois I wanted to hock the plate so bad but didn't lol! read more
4 years ago
My very first taste at restaurant week this year . It was a nicely curated three course meal( but do keep in mind that the steak is a small 5 oz size as it is for a Lunch set ) Me and my friend picked the Brussels sprouts crisp, the onion soup, both ordered the steak frites and tried the chocolate mousse and banana eclair! ( both so delicious:) ) I think it is a steal for the price of $25 ! Though still not as good as the price in Paris, but definitely good enough for Chicago! read more
I had high expectations for this place after all the raving reviews about the food and service, however it fell very flat to me. I usually don't give such low ratings to establishments, but the service here really drove it down. My friend and I came in for lunch and were seated quickly. Our server was We ordered our drinks and appetizers. I really enjoyed the onion soup, and it was a great starter to my meal. I also had the steak frites, and the steak was cooked well! However the fries were so-so. The reason I'm giving such a low rating is because of the next part. My friend and I both ordered the same drink, however hers tasted much stronger than mine? I found the inconsistency to be surprising. We brought this up to our server, and she began to give us an attitude...we didn't even ask for it to go back or whatever, it was just something we wanted to share. I was gonna proceed to just drink my friend's drink if anything. Our server then just took my friend's drink back and went to the bar to make the drink. I had a full view of the bar from my seat, and I saw her shooting dirty looks at our table while conversing with her co-worker!! The drink was then brought back to my friend, and it was much better. After witnessing how her mood changed and how she acted, it just dampened our experience. The dessert we had totally factored into that too -- as it was so underwhelming, and the flavor was lacking. After this experience, we would not recommend or return. read more
9 months ago
9 months ago
Page 1 of 5
More info about Francois Frankie
222 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60606
The Loop
Directions
(312) 600-9659
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.francoisfrankie.com
Full menu
Hours
Payment methods
Food & Alcohol
Services
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
More Info
Health Score
