The food and service were absolutely lovely. I was surprised to easily find a Friday night reservation especially considering how packed it was. We enjoyed live music in the piano lounge. My only complaint is the seats/tables are extremely close together making it tough to get to your seat against the wall without disrupting your neighbor but once you're seated it's very New York vibes. We shared a bottle of the Chardonnay, escargot and Royal pasta! I would come back for the pasta alone :) read more

Le Petit Marcel - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We arrived a few minutes prior to our reservation. The hostess asked if we preferred sitting inside or outside. We chose outside. We ordered our drinks and then food. The drinks came and were very good. Two of us ordered French toast, one with a side of bacon. One order was steak, medium, one was an omelet, one I'm not. sure of the name and one was the petit cheeseburger. We began eating the French toast so it didn't get cold as the temps were cool. Meanwhile, a yellow jacket flew in and around. No big deal. The omelet comes out. Then the unnamed item. More yellow jackets arrive. Pretty soon we were swarmed with yellow jackets. We didn't even have all our food yet and eating was becoming impossible much less enjoyable. Finally, the side of bacon comes out, well after the French toast. We ask to be moved inside and we're told no, they would not seat us inside. We said we were offered inside seating at arrival and they said yes but that was then, this is now, basically. We pointed out the wasp situation. At this point they are crawling in and on our drinks, on our plates, on the food. The steak arrives, totally extra rare. Even the server was like, that's not medium. The final item, cheeseburger, arrives. And we are told by mgmt that they will not move us inside to a table because they can't seat us inside anymore. It's the rule. Inside is empty. We've come a ways to have a nice meal and are told, "we can't control the wasps". No but you CAN control how you respond. Would you enjoy this meal? Epic fail, Le Petit Marcel. read more

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The restaurant has a great ambiance. I sat at the bar. The bartender was friendly and attentive. I ordered the steak frites. The hanger steak was great. The frites were tasty but they were soggy. The green beans were swimming in shallot oil and I would skip this. The cocktails were expertly prepared. The dessert menu was forgettable for a French restaurant. Thus I did not order a dessert. The piano player was entertaining. In regard to a dress code, I don't know as the restaurant is located on N. Broadway and I would not feel comfortable over dressed. read more

We made a 12:15 reservation for Mother's Day in the dining room at Le Petit Marcel. When we arrived we were told they were running 20 minutes behind and we could sit at the bar. The bar is in front of the door which opens and closes and cold. Eventually they offered us a cramped table in the front piano room. NOT the dining room where the reservation was made. My elderly mother who by then was freezing after waiting over 30 minutes wanted to not be seated in the front room. The hostess said we would need to wait a "little longer". We waited and saw every group that walked in after us seated immediately. Eventually the manager came and said "well we offered you a table and you didn't want it'" By now it had been at least 45 minutes waiting and the manager had been rude. Fyi we are a black family. Was it racism? I did not see anyone else have to wait or dismissed the way we were. Of course they deleted our reservation on open table so we could not leave a review of their crappy customer service. read more

We ordered the cauliflower appetizer (SO GOOD), steak frites with 2 different sauces, and profiteroles, all came out quickly. Service was timely from the entire staff. Really appreciate the bussers confirmed if we were done before pulling our plates away. Tried the London fog martini - very fun! It's amazing the renovations from when this place was avenue tavern, would absolutely recommend read more

Le Petit Marcel - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I got the lobster pasta and my partner got the chef's salad with salmon. Both were incredible. I wish I had a second stomach to get the lobster pasta again, it was spicy and flavorful unlike other lobster dishes I have had in the past. The ambience is perfect, not too loud so you can still hear your other party. The cocktails are out of this world. I've gotten many bad martini's in my life time. And I must say, this was the best dirty martini I have ever had. No exaggeration. Bottom line: Highly recommend. read more

We had a creme brûlée and some cocktails. Sidewalk Patio is a fantastic spot with great vibes. Old fashioned was volumetric. Classy joint. (Don't order the sparkling water unless you're jonesing; its $12 for 500 ml of Avian) read more

A wonderful addition to the neighborhood! The atmosphere takes one back to the bistros of Paris! The service is attentive without being overbearing or cloying. The food is good! At our table, we had the steak tartare, the seasonal salad, and steak frittes- all classic French bistro choices. Execution was very good. The seasonal salad was fresh, tasty, well balanced. The greens were appropriately lightly enhanced by the dressing. The steak tartar was wonderfully presented, just the right balance of mustard, egg, and accoutrements. The steak frittes was cooked exactly as ordered. [though there was some discussion at time of order regarding our preferred level of rare (bleu), despite the waitperson's initial unfamiliarity with the term, the result was spot on] While we did not partake of dessert, many of the selections looked very enticing . read more

I love you just the way you are. Drinks are great. I haven't tried the food yet but service is top notch' too

Loved the beautiful restaurant atmosphere! Mussels and filet mignon, and Petite Burger & fries were Devine! Excellent service and cocktails! Ron the piano player was spectacular!!! read more

The short version: This place was magnificent from start to finish! The long version: Our daughter chose this as the place for us to celebrate her 17th birthday. We live in the neighborhood and watched the transformation of Avenue Tavern into Le Petit Marcel from the outside. What a stunning job they did inside! This was only the beginning of tonight's wonderful experience. We had the great fortune to be seated at the table closest to the open kitchen and greatly enjoyed the show that gave us throughout the evening. The service was impeccable from the start, and includes literally everyone who had anything to do with our table, from the delightful host to our server to all the staff who bused our table. And the quality of the food went toe to toe with the service. Our meal started with the escargot and deviled eggs, both of which were such creative and unique preparations that knocked our socks off. We followed those with the Lobster Pasta and the Marienière Royale along with the Potato Gratin. The flavors in all of those dishes were incredibly multilayered and complex. We capped off our dinner with the cheese course and profiterole, a fitting end to a spectacular meal. We lost count of the number of times our daughter was wished Happy Birthday from a member of the staff. What a way to make you feel that they appreciate you being there! We are so happy to have Le Petit Marcel in the neighborhood and look forward to returning! read more

I feel like reviews are left for either really great experiences or pretty bad experiences. Unfortunately, this was the latter. Pretty much everything about our dining experience here was bad. The decor and ambiance was the only redeeming quality. The steak frites, which should be a staple of a good French restaurant, had barely any seasoning and was served rare, though ordered medium rare. Our server didn't check on us often enough to know the steak needed to be sent back. Each dish we ordered was mediocre and especially considering the price. Even the cocktails were unbalanced. Would have ordered a second drink but the server didn't come back often enough and same issue for running out of water multiple times. Do yourself a favor and skip this spot. read more

sat at the bar decor is lovely and had a salad and the french onion soup . Both were just ok. Caesar had obvious store bought croutons but the leaves were well dressed and it was sizable. Beef based Soup didnt have much broth mostly onions which some may enjoy. Ordered a truffle martini on their menu but they said they were out of it. my regular belvidere martini was 20 dollars and only 3/4 full. One bartender was talking with his friends the other did not engage any one in conversation but was attentive. Piano player is a nice touch but the man hit so many wrong keys it was almost laughable. The steak looked good that the couple next to me was sharing. I may go back at some point and sit in the dining room but many other french bistros id rather try first. read more

Le Petit Marcel - French Onion Soup and Chablis - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The worst brunch I have had in Chicago in 20 years. Just disgusting and disappointing. Been many time and this place has totally gone down hill. Don't waste your time or money. read more

This is the third time we've been to Le Petit Marcel. It has a charming, Parisian brasserie atmosphere in a quirky restaurant space - it's basically chopped into two halves by an enclosed staircase accessed through an entrance outside to reach apartments above. It works. We were early for our reservation so we started the evening with a stop at the bar. It was a challenge to stay there because of the nauseating smell of sewage there. This is not an unusual odor on that stretch of Broadway; it's often in the air but inside a restaurant? As it is a French restaurant; why not use a Maison Berger wick air purifier? Really unappetizing. We held our noses, my partner considered wine and I ordered a drink with Sprite. The bartender said they don't stock it. Isn't that a standard restaurant soft drink and mixer? Who doesn't offer Coke, sprite, ginger ale, tonic, and soda? Not everyone drinks alcohol. It'd be nice to offer them options. As far as food, I wish the menu offered more French classics: foie gras, duck, blanquette de veau, pot au feu, a killer chocolate dessert like mousse or pots de crème. The standards. That being said, the steak frites were very good - cooked à point - and the halibut came with a delicious sauce. Too much salt and lemon in the side arugula salad but the crème brûlée? Perfectly authentic. Please note: the diners who come here are very enthusiastic and exceptionally loud. It was hard to hear each other over the din. Perhaps the dining tables in the bar room are quieter. read more

Food- top notch French cooking. Crafted. Cocktails from expert bartenders. Loved Gratin Dauphinois aux Shitake and Salmon Wellington. Friendly and competent service. Ambience with perfect piano player was a sublime Parisian experience. read more

Very nice new French restaurant has opened in our community and I could not be happier. The chef warmly greeted me and checked on my meal. The ambiance is beautiful and I like the choice of music. I have the charcuterie plate a perfect pairing of cheese and cured meat alongside chutney and nuts, for my entree I had the ribeye and green beans the ribeye was cooked nicely but going forward they need to use a higher grade of beef. I also had the potatoes with shiitake mushroom gratin it was the best dish of the evening crispy and creamy all at once a perfect side. For dessert I stuck to Creme brûlée. Although I did not partake they had a very full wine and drink list. I had a nice server named Samantha for my meal. I will be sure to take my family here in the future read more

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Food was very sub par. Cute place and has potential, but they need to improve on the food quality ASAP!!! French restaurant, but they play teenager pop DJ music and killed the vibe. Nothing sophisticated as they promote it to be. EVERY single course was served room temp. French onion soup was burnt onions without a proper cheese pull and sweet. Who knows what the Escargot was as it was placed on soggy puff pasty pieces in some creamy sauce that was a huge fail! Will not be going back. Shame as the place has a nice & cozy decor. read more

My wife and I looked forward to a new French restaurant in the neighborhood and I was pleased with the pleasant space here. But the food was terrible. The Poulet Paillard was dry as a bone and lacked any flavor. The Steak Frite was tough and nearly impossible to chew and drenched in mediocre sauce. Creamed spinach was badly under seasoned. They were out of some sides and nearly all French wines by the glass. Service was good and the bussers were very attentive. But none of this makes up for the terrible food. We may give another try in a while, but this was very disappointing. read more

We started with the mussels and our waitress insisted we order "bread service" as well since there apparently wasn't enough served with the mussels. The bread service turned out to be a couple more pieces of the same scraps served with the appetizer--not a variety--and came with a smear of herbed butter. Most of our mussel shells were empty and the broth was bland, so no need for extra bread. For my main, I got the steak frites. The fries were under seasoned and a little limp. The steak was fine with the shallot sauce although a bit overdone. We got the potato gratin for the table as well--this should be a no brainer, cheesy potatoes. Except it was flavorless. I couldn't even detect a cheese in it. Is the ambience nice? Yes. Did I feel fleeced during each course? Also yes. I expect a lot from a $90 meal and this isn't anywhere close to it. read more

The food was very mid for the price. It was nothing special or elevated. You have to pay for bread. Very cramped. Servers could barely walk in between tables. There is one table that is right next to the cash register/kiosk and you just have server butts in your face all night as they put in orders and close out tabs. The front is way more "aesthetic" looking for drinks and a happy time. I always understand if it's busy but it wasn't too busy the night I went and the server we had quite literally would disappear from the entire back room for a while. There were other servers all attending their tables slowly but surely, but ours just kinda didn't show up unless it was to drop off food. Never got asked how the dinner was or if we wanted anything else aside from our initial order. Overall mid food, high prices, bad service, bad set up. Not a fan. Would not recommend to a friend. read more

Very mediocre food with sub par service for the area. I would not go to this place again unless I was wanting to kill time and waste some money.owner is weird asf. read more

Sat at the bar. Ordered a Vodka Martini. It was undrinkable, and I've had plenty of vodka martini's. The bartender did not offer to remake it, or get me something else, and acted like he was doing me a favor by not charging for it. Terrible drinks, worse service. read more

Pros: * Food was excellent and well presented * Friendly and warm customer service, server made us feel at home! Cons: * Inaccurate and deceptive pricing * Exceptionally long wait time for food arrival (45 minutes +) * Music too loud for conversation in piano area, tolerable in dining room Was very interested in a reservation for New Years! Were told there was a $50 hold for the reservation (2 for myself and my wife, $100 total) which would go toward the bill. Sounded like a great deal! On the day, turns out they added an additional $160 to the total for a miscellaneous fee. We were very confused as to what we were actually paying for and the host herself mentioned the pricing was very confusing for people. Ended up overpaying heavily compared to the pricing and the food we got on the website listed menu. At least advertise your pricing correctly, this is very deceptive business practice and hoping my experience can help others possibly considering this venue. Happy New Year!! lol read more

While hopeful that the food would meet the charm of the restaurant, the food is mediocre at best and the service poor. Been here twice and gave it a second try after a first failed experience with the second experience just as disappointing. Asked for bread service which came with main course and the Bouillabaisse was served luke warm and looked more like leftovers than a robust dish. I'd like this spot to succeed but there's lots to correct from service to price to portion. For now I'd say skip it. read more

The food at Le Petit Marcel was absolutely outstanding! It was prepared with great care and much attention to detail. it was very much "la France" However, we had to wait for our entrées for over an hour! Even more disturbing was the noise level which made conversation almost impossible! This made the dining experience very "Un-French". Never have I experience anything like it in my years living in France. Le Petit Marcel would be a superb restaurant if the above disasters could be corrected. Wayne G read more

The cocktails are sheer artistry. Staff is quite friendly. Ambience is great with cool music at the perfect level for conversation !Dress code is for real, but you can manage it! read more

Bad service, would not recommend. If you're looking for something worth the prices they're charging, go to a different spot.

Such a great experience! Highly recommend the French onion soup. Our server, Abbey, was attentive, knowledgeable and made the experience perfect! Will be back soon! read more

Half of our mussels for apps were empty shells idk what happened. That was what saddened me the most bc they were decent in flavor. Fries were pretty soggy and bland, but maybe it's just the style?. If youre there for the vibe, it's not bad. I would just sit at the bar because there was someone playing the piano. Went on a Thursday. Would I go back? I could, but not to eat, I think a bar seat and drinkies would be better. Staff was nice. read more

If I could give this experience zero stars I would. Firstly, the tables are very tightly packed. I had read that in reviews, and I was prepared for this when I made the reservation. However, I was not prepared to be seated up against the hostess stand with the water spigot and wine glasses. Our table quite literally touched the stand. The dining room was empty except for one other couple, and there were three other 2-person tables available. Throughout the whole dinner, waiters and waitresses were bumping our table coming to and from the stand. It is difficult to recall a time throughout the meal when someone's rear end was not hanging over the side of our already small and cramped table. At one point, the water tap was left running for 5 minutes as a pitcher overflowed. Additionally, several wine glasses being put away grazed my forehead and hair. The wine glasses were not taken back to be sanitized again. We only had restaurant staff actually engage our table once, to take our drink and food order; they requested to take both orders at the same time. I ordered a dirty martini, and they served me a dry martini with two olives. The substance of the drink was only vodka and vermouth. I ordered steak frites with the red wine sauce, and they served me steak frites with the garlic sauce. The steak itself was delicious, but the fries were soggy. To top it all off, I made this reservation for an anniversary and marked so on the form. I will not be returning to this establishment, nor would I recommend anyone else to. read more

This is a fantastic addition to the neighborhood. The menu is small, but most things are executed well. Ambiance is 1920s country French. Service is cordial and professional. Get The 75 cocktail with the anise spray! YUM! My favorite dishes: steak tartare, poulet paillard. Side dishes: green beans, frites. My husband likes the escargots and my son gets the strip steak and orders it with frites, rather than the "steak frites" which is hanger steak (also delicious, but he prefers the strip steak). They know how to cook rare steak :-) read more

went to Le Petit Marcel on Christmas Eve and came out feeling ripped off. Made our reservation in Oct while dining. When we got to the restaurant Christmas eve they didn't have the reservation even thought it had been confirmed. At that time they informed us it was a fixed menu for $120. We were not informed of that when we made the reservation and they said it was on the website. We had no reason to go to the web sight. If I had ordered the same exact dinner off the menu it would have cost $60. To make matteres worse the steak was tough.Does not make me want to go back! read more

Service was mid, food was mid, ambiance was pretty!! Overall 3/5. I honestly would come for a drink but not food... i'd save my appetite for taco bell. Lol. read more

It looks and feels like it was transported from Paris's left bank. A Chicago treasure.

My husband and I experienced the worst service we have ever had at this place. We requested to be seated on the patio and waited almost 30 minutes before a waitress came around to take our order. The waitress was flip about the order and got the basic order of Grey Goose, Soda and lemon wrong. The restaurant wasn't busy at all so I'm at a loss as to why she was so taken aback by waiting on the sidewalk tables. I was shocked to receive such poor service considering the two drink cost $60. I will never go back to this restaurant for anything and you shouldn't either. read more

We were happy to see a French bistro opening just a couple of blocks from where we live, and last night we had the opportunity to dine there. It was a mixed bag. The ambience is very nice - not at all the hard surfaces and stark decoration that is in vogue. Notwithstanding, the noise level was high. The Good: Mussels appetizer, beet salad entree (a special), dessert. The mussels were on the small side (the mussels themselves - the portion was fine) but were very tasty. The salad was excellent - best thing we had. We shared the pistachio creme brulee for dessert and it was very good. The Mediocre: Deviled eggs were not anything I'd recommend. Three halves for $15. I wanted to add salt. Bread service at $5 with three pieces of bread also overpriced (but the butter was very good). Both Bordeaux on the wine list were unavailable. We wound up just getting a couple of glasses of wine, which were reasonably priced. The Bad: I ordered ordered the strip steak medium rare, & got medium. If you like your steak medium, it was good. The peppercorn sauce was very good, though - enough to get me to eat a few slices before it hit me that the steak was overcooked. The still water option (who wants tap water?!) was $12 and neither the waitress nor the menu disclosed that. It never even occurred to me to ask the price, so my bad, I guess, but you are warned. Service was pleasant and attentive, but as I said the noise level is high & I think the waitress, who seemed a bit inexperienced, didn't hear the "rare" part of "medium rare." She offered to replace the steak when I told her it was overcooked, but by that time I was so full that there was no point. As the weather gets worse, I think there's going to be a problem with people's coats. Ours wound up on a coat rack but I didn't see a coat room. There is a single unisex bathroom which passed my wife's inspection, but you need to know there might be a line. We decided that it's unlikely that we will return, unless their menu, which seems not to have changed since they opened, gets a refresh. read more

Food portions were very small and expensive $15 for 3 half deviled eggs and they were merely cut in half and some mustard on top. Wine on menu unavailable--least expensive bottle of red wine almost $100 -- tables very close nothing exciting-- slow service read more

We love Maison Marcel and couldn't wait to try its beautiful new sister restaurant. We were not disappointed! The mussels were our starter and were delicious! Just the right amount of tarragon, and a cider/vermouth cream sauce that was a meal in itself along side the crusty & toasted bread service. The Caesar Salad was nicely seasoned with freshly grated and shaved parmigiana cheese. The dish was more than enough for the two of us to share. We both ordered our steak frites medium rare - mine with red wine butter and my husband's with shallot red wine sauce. My husband's steak was very tender, and the shallot sauce was slightly sweet and savory -- really delicious! My butter sauce was tasty but I would order the shallot wine sauce next time. FYI, the steak comes already sliced on the plate. Service was friendly and professional, and courses were timed nicely. Next time we will also order dessert - cause we will be back! read more

Le Petit Marcel - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Good chicken and salmon on salad for us. The salmon Wellington on our right looked delicious and our neighbors on the left recommended their pistachio crème brûlée. Nice neighborhood find for French food. read more