WOW!!! This restaurant truly is a gem. Everything was spot on. We're so excited that we no longer have to drive into the city for an amazing meal. We had the foie gras, roasted quail & portobello salad, herb crusted halibut, braised snapper, chocolate trio and floating island desert. I highly recommend the prix fixe options. Waterleaf is fantastic! read more

Let me start by saying my wife and I have lived downtown for 13 years and have just moved out to the suburbs. This is our first time here and were excited by the prospect of having a nice upscale restaurant to try (you can probably tell where this review is going). Overall the experience was pretty good and I'd say we will probably be back. The prix fixe menu, for the price, is a really good deal. We got this with the wine pairing. I knew our night could be in trouble when I asked the waiter to explain the 3 different sparking wines by the glass. Instead of dry, sweet, etc. he said the first is the most popular because of the price while the last is probably the best because its the most expensive. While clearing the table that was set for 4, he removed the wrong bread plates. Obviously not a big deal, but if you're trying to represent yourself as an upscale french restaurant, the waitstaff should be trained a little better. The food was above average. Overall we thought it was a little bland but they had some creative dishes. We sat on the patio which was very scenic and recommend if the weather is nice. We will probably go back as its one of the few nicer options in the area, but overall we felt left just a little disappointed. Maybe our expectations were too high. read more

Went for Mother's Day 2013 and had a much better experience than another reviewer on the same day. Maybe I just got lucky, but my food was excellent, the ambiance is nice and the service was suitable to fine dining. We ordered off the prix fixe menu and I had a chicken liver terrine, (which was excellent, especially with the little toast points and whole grain mustard!), a spectacular Halibut dish with a luscious light cream sauce, and a nice dessert (Baked Alaska). I would go back. The wine menu was expansive. It seems like sort of an odd location, but when you get inside, you would never guess that you're on a college campus. And, it's easy to get to geographically, it's easy to find from the road, and parking was close and convenient. Look for the W on the right side of the building - it's at the end, which backs the pond - That's the restaurant entrance. I enjoyed it, and I recommend it. If you're interested in fine dining - definitely try it out. I thought it was a good mix of fine dining without being stuffy or pretentious. Enjoy. read more

Great atmosphere (patio) , Great service (Kevin), Great Meal & wine!! Wine selection is extensive, and the daily specials are a bargain! (Prix fixe) read more

Waterleaf Restaurant - On the patio. - New American Near Me - Glen Ellyn, Illinois

Ambiance stuffy & boring, food a bit pricey but good, issues with the management.... .. Having a child with severe life threatening food allergies a lot of planning goes along with making reservations & dining out. Not wanting to hold up the chef, wait staff etc....I always call ahead to speak to a manager or owner on the protocol for food allergies at their establishment. In the week leading up to Easter Sunday, I left 2 messages & an email to the manager (Megan Reid) - to which no response was ever given. I did finally speak with a Joshua (wait staff) that said he would make a note of our allergies on the reservation book & not to worry - even though there was a set menu for the day accommodations could be made for a special meal. Although Joshua was professional in handling my phone call "do not worry" was not the response I was looking for none of my questions regarding ingredients, cross contamination, etc...were answered. Needless to say I did not feel comfortable & brought a home cooked meal for my son. Arriving to the front desk I asked to speak face to face with a manger & the young hostess says: "ya - we know - the allergy kid - we know about it - it's on the reservation book." So unprofessional & rude! Training of management & staff is a must when dealing with food allergies! take note & implement such training - education & awareness is crucial! Megan Reid, it all starts with you, take your job a bit more seriously - return phone calls, train your employess / students, entice customers to dine at Waterleaf... Kudos to Chef JohnPierre for delicious food but we will not be returning. read more

At this visit to Waterleaf, we ate there after a tour of the Mac. For the salad, we had the Green Salad -- with the greens, hazelnuts, green beans, and crisp parmesan. So delicious. For my entree, I chose the caramelized vegetables with warm burrata. It was really good. The vegetables were young/spring vegetables and the burrata was a nice amount of warm cheese. I'm looking forward to my next visit to Waterleaf! read more

Waterleaf is an Oasis in the Chicago suburbs. Overlooking a large pond and lovely trees, it is a relaxing way to enjoy fine dining. My husband and I started our evening with a cocktail shaken by the mixologist Cody: it packed a punch and was delicious. Try the French Onion Soup - unlike other French Onion Soups, I did not swell like a balloon from salt. There was a hint of cognac and brandy in the soup and it was very satisfying. We loved the duck! OMG was this incredible! I don't think I have ever had duck this good! Kevin, our waiter, recommended wines with our entrees. He was professional and was able to describe the entrees in detail when answering my questions. My dessert - a rhubarb fool....I felt like I should have been on the British baking program...it was fabulous. I gave it 5 stars because our dinner was superb, the service was excellent, and the view was beautiful. Its fun to be at modern restaurants but there is something to be said about the experience of fine dining overlooking nature's beauty that just can't be matched. Simply stated, the restaurant is elegant - a definite gem. Comment to Waterleaf - loved your dessert - please add on Grand Marnier Soufflés! read more

Waterleaf was excellent all around! It's beautiful, contemporary and unpretentious, the food delicious and staff friendly. Waterleaf is the restaurant at COD -- the school's hospitality students are chefs and staff. I took my husband there for his birthday and we had a very nice, quiet and fantastic dinner. Try the prix fixe options - for $29, get a 3 course meal. I had filet mignon, which was spiced perfectly with a red wine reduction that I was mopping up with bread. I chose the scallop salad as my starter - quite tasty. My husband ordered off the regular menu, choosing lamb, and a trio salad and dessert. His meal was much pricier than mine, and the lamb included only 3 lamb chops (not a full rack). A few more lamb chops and the meal would have felt complete. For my husband's dessert, the kitchen and staff took the time to write a beautiful birthday message in chocolate on his plate. For a sophisticated, beautiful meal in a friendly atmosphere without the city attitude, try Waterleaf. I know it will be somewhere we return often. With the Prix fixe options, it's not a place only for special occasions! read more

Pretty pricy place, it's a good thing the college is shutting this place down and handing it over to the students. This was a failed venture and should've been a student run venue to begin with. read more

Overpriced with food quality bellow average, which was not what I expected from Culinary School. They let students practice on the customers, results are not always satisfactory and price shall reflect that. Went for Valentine Dinner and were so disappointed. Really slow service, had to wait long time in between the dishes. Server could hardly say the name of the ONLY red wine from the list. Wine showed up extremely chilled and we had to wait 20 min before drinking it. Very dry and not interesting appetizer -wild mushroom tart . Soup was "Chicken with Sage Dumplings" that tasted and looked like very brothy and strong beef au jus with 2 chicken meatballs in it, what's up with that? Arugula Salad had such acidic dressing that overpowered the rest of the nice ingredients, one has to have a strong stomach to eat it . Both entrees had good presentation, but lacked any seasonings or spices, we finally had to request salt and pepper to consume it. You could see that students waiter staff tried very hard to perform their duties and their lack of speed and amateur knowledge might be understandable. But out of balance flavors for most of all dishes is not. Sorry, but we absolutely are not going back. read more

Suburban Chicago can be a bit hit-or-miss when it comes to finding quality (vs quantity) restaurant choices. So the discovery of Waterleaf in the Western 'burbs was really quite exciting when faced with the usual roster of steaks, pizza and pasta. The restaurant is in a beautiful location on the campus of the College of DuPage, and the stylish dining room looks out over a nicely landscaped small lake. The menu was modern without being pretentious, and the wine list exceptional (including an unusually large selection of half-bottles). Dinner highlights were a perfect Lyonnaise salad; a phenomenal duck breast with foie gras accompanied by a Kabinett Reisling and Bourbon-raisin bread pudding paired with a small glass of Eiswein. Very knowledgeable and discreet service and charming front of house staff made a really enjoyable evening. read more

Went for Mothers Day, and liked the food, it was okay, but not great. The service was okay, but not great. The price was pretty high for what you got. Was surprised that the gratuity was added to the bill when we only were a party of three. Is that standard? Pretty sure I won't go back, and I only live two miles away. Here's a suggestion, offer either soup or salad with your meal. I felt in desperate need of some vegetables. Better signage would help too. We had to walk down several long halls, which were not a problem for me, but a little challenging for my 83 year old mom. I'm sorry but $173 for three meals that were okay, but not great, is too much. read more

What a lovely restaurant. 5 couples went for dinner and we all enjoyed our meals. Varied menu. Good wine selections. Wonderful food. Good pricing for dinner, especially of this quality. Good service. Nice views from our table. Plenty of free parking. Good fixed price menu though most of us went with the full menu. read more

Great place. Unsophisticated staff but it does not take away from the dining. Food is great with plenty of variety. If you have any complaints, let them know immediately and they will attempt to fix the problem for you. Prices are outstanding for the quality of food you get and this food can compete with any great restaurant. Easy to get to location and you don't have to travel downtown, parking is free and right there. read more

This is so worth the drive! Located on the NE corner of the College of Du Page Campus in the Culinary & Hospitality building, the décor is modern elegant with wonderful landscaping& water views from every window. The service is impeccable, the dining experience is so tasty......we ohhed and ahhhed out way through our courses! read more

OMG!! I don't even want to tell anyone about this, because I know it's going to be the hottest fine dining restaurant to hit DuPage county in quite awhile. The menu is French, as is the wonderful French chef (and the best catch College of DuPage has landed). Featured, are American dishes as well. The french onion soup is excellent, the salads are interesting and superb. We have had the Filet Mignon with Spiced Butter which melts in your mouth. The presentation of EVERYTHING is spectacular and the desserts leave you in utter disbelief that something could taste so wonderful. The atmosphere is lovely..not what you might expect for something on a college campus. The staff is bar none, top in the industry with the the General Manager Jean-Pierre Leroux running a tight well oiled operation all while makeing all feel very welcomed. Arron is the Maitre D, also the comsumate professional who goes above and beyond to make sure your brief stay is an amazing experience. David has been our waiter and he is like a superstar himself in making people feel comfortable and cared for. There is a full bar and also a Sunday Brunch. Portions are generous. I cannot say enough about this new gem. The restaurant is handed over to students only two days per week while they are training. The other days, which have been the days I have gone, the restaurant is run by the above professional staff that have amazed me. They are NOT students. Welcome Welcome Welcome to the area....college was NEVER like this!! (or we never would never have left) ! read more