Bistro Voltaire
| Address: | 226 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654, USA |
| Phone: | +1 312-265-0911 |
| Site: | bistrovoltaire.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM Closed |
Location
Photos 44
Reviews 9
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Jen K
I made a reservation for the prix-fixe Valentines Day meal, and it was very underwhelming and disappointing. Service: fantastic, they were very attentive and quick with their service Food: Appetizer: lobster bisque and escargot. Lobster bisque had no lobster in it, and it tasted like tomato soup with a hint of lobster flavoring. Escargot was ok, with no texture. But VERY HOT. Also, be prepared to smell like garlic, sweat garlic and be garlic until the next day with the escargot. Entree: filet au poivre with foie gras The steak was no way in hell a filet mignon although they claim it is. Its tough and not the regular melt-in-your-mouth filet mignon we all know and love. The foie gras was cold and jello-like, had a fishy smell/taste to it, and i couldnt eat more than a bite of it. Even the sauce over the steak had a fishy smell/taste to it. Dessert: trio de gelato and chocolate lava cake Only part of the meal I loved. It came with chocolate hazelnut, caramel sea salt, and cherry flavors. Chocolate lava cake is very decadent and gooey. Wine: wine by the glass list is very limited for a place that claims to be a "wine bar". I had the Pinot noir and Malbec, both of which tasted stale. I was very disappointed by my experience and I would never recommend to anyone nor return here again.
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Sophie Thomas
My boyfriend and I came here for his birthday for a fine dining experience with the two of us. We frequent the nice restaurants around time, and are very familiar with "typical" top of the line circut. This is hands down, bar none one of the best meals/most authentic experiences I have ever had in my life. Let me start by talking about the atmosphere- you are in France. It is small, luxurious, perfect lighting and light music. Some of the staff is clearly French and the others are professionals. I can not tell you how much service (at least to me) can make or break a meal and the attentiveness, the awareness of the menu and the understanding of french wines was unreal. The food- we started with the french onion soup- OH MY GOD. I then ordered the stuffed chicken (it literally fell apart when my knife hit it) and my boyfriend the muscles (can we say white wine and butter delish). And then for desert the creme brulee melted in my mouth. These are the words Id use: sophisticated and warm. If youd like to escape to France for an evening, this is where you should go in Chicago.
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Victoria Liu
Came here for my dads birthday, and we had a great time. The food was delicious, we came for the French Week prix-fixe menu. We all got a 3-course meal for $38 each which was a pretty good deal, the escargots were great, as were the frog legs and our individual dishes which we let each other try. I got the lamb shank, which I thought gave me a lot of meat so I was pretty happy. The only thing that concerned me was that we were there for 2+ hours because only one waiter was working all the tables in the restaurant so each dish came out relatively slow. It did not bother us because we used the time to catch up as a family, but there were a lot of people waiting to be seated. The second thing was that it was a hassle trying to find parking around the restaurant that was not terribly expensive. All in all, my family and I had a great experience!
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Anthony Martorina
This is my only favorite French bistro. The service and the food stand out. Steven the head waiter takes pride in his work. He is one of the best waiters you will find in Chicago. The fresh baked bread here is amazing. Honestly it is the best bread ever. I have two favorite dishes here: the mussels and the duck. The mussels bowl was loaded with a ton of mussels. I needed more bread to soak up that delicious broth they were cooked in. There is also a great selection of wine to wash it all down. Plus Steven knows his wines and he will direct you in the right direction. The owner is also really friendly. The other day I saw him sweeping in front of his restaurant. I love this old world charm and respect for his business. I have never seen an owner do that in America. So this makes me appreciate this business even more.
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Ryan Gartland
Similar to the previous review, I hold mixed feelings about this restaurant. After having a full day to digest my thoughts regarding my experience, I can only describe eating at Voltaire as being subject to overt affectation while attempting to select food that -- alas -- was underwhelming and devoid of fostering what one might think of when referring to French cuisine: experiential. My cultural expectation has long been that French food, unlike American, was an experience; truly the paragon of quality over quantity. Voltaire fell short of this, and the sobering reality of the bill after the underwhelming service and slightly above-regular food left me to conclude that the bill at nights end did not qualitatively reflect the overall value of service, food, or experience.
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Nastasja Kapordelis
There are not enough words to describe my experience at Bistro Voltaire. I love coming here!!!! The food is always delicious..... I love the escargot and get it every time. The atmosphere is warm and inviting with good music always playing in the background. The staff is very friendly and always offer fantastic suggestions if you are ever caught trying to decide between two great entree options. I will say a good default for me are the scallops. If you have yet to try this hidden gem you need to do so!! I will also say that more often than not I have eaten at the bar and it is just as inviting as sitting at a table. The added bonus, I can go when I want without a reservation and not have to wait for a table :)
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TMAC2028
A lovely, cozy French restaurant with brilliant ambience. Perfect for date night. The duck and escargot were both exquisite. A fine list of Bordeaux, burgundy, and Côte du rhone. The absolute best part of the experience was our waiter Massimo. Charismatic, incredibly helpful, and made the dinner al the much more of an enjoyable experience. We stayed well past any other patrons on a Tuesday night and kept him until 10:30. He never once complained and still offered us incredible service and an amazing experience. Thank you Massimo for an amazing evening (and the $4 off my after dinner cognac!)
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Laurel Miltner
Im very torn on this place. Pros: Great staff, comfortable Parisian atmosphere, elegant but not uppity. Cons: quality/cost ratio. I went with a Gilt City deal (paid already) for mussels and frites for two, with two draft beers. I paid $30 for the deal. At the restaurant, we also ordered two cocktails, and I got a bill at the end of the night for $50. So, two cocktails, two beers, about 3 dozen mussels and an order of fries, plus tip, was $80 AFTER what was supposed to be about a $30 discount. Kinda steep. Everything was tasty, but nothing was standout.
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Robyn Wallace
With all my heart, this was truly the best meal I have ever had. (And I just got back from Paris.) The wine and champaign were incredible. No comparison. Eating the food was an experience - every bite. The service was unparalleled. The restaurant has every bit of class without pretense. It is beautiful, happily situated, perfectly lit, cozy, classy and welcoming. I will be there every weekend!!!! Thank you maitre d Stephen for a beautiful night!
