Francois Frankie Le Carousel Bar — Restaurant in Chicago

Francois Frankie, an upscale French-themed restaurant located in Chicago, proved to be a delightful pre-show dinner spot during our recent visit. Despite the restaurant operating at full capacity, the staff managed to accommodate us near their uniquely charming revolving bar after a brief wait, with sincere apologies from what seemed to be a manager for our patience.

The ambiance at Francois Frankie is a beautiful blend of elegance and humor. The dramatic decor and lighting set the stage for the culinary experience to come, evoking the sophistication associated with French cuisine without being overly pretentious. It's a balance that Francois Frankie executes with grace and a dash of whimsy.

Our waitress was friendly and efficient, recommending a cocktail and promptly taking our orders. We informed her that we were dining prior to a show, and thus had a somewhat tight schedule. Despite our concerns about the timing due to the crowded restaurant, our orders arrived surprisingly quickly and were nothing short of delicious.

The French onion soup came highly recommended and did not disappoint. Hearty and flavorful, it was a standout dish that hit all the right notes. I also tried the Croque-inspired eggroll appetizer, an interesting concept that fell a bit short compared to the soup but was still quite enjoyable.

My companion's simple salad, enhanced with added salmon, demonstrated that even the more straightforward dishes at Francois Frankie are prepared with care and skill. The salmon was impeccably cooked and well-seared, a testament to the kitchen's attention to detail.

The pricing at Francois Frankie aligns well with the quality of the offerings and is comparable to other dining establishments in the area. For a night out in Chicago, especially if you're planning a visit to a nearby theater, Francois Frankie offers an excellent dining experience. Its combination of chic ambiance, attentive service, and flavorful cuisine make it a worthy stop on any...

We came here on a Saturday before going to the theatre. The ambiance was great. The service was underwhelming. A guy kept filling our water glasses every few minutes, while it was hard to flag down our waiter to get drinks. The menu could use more variety, and the French theme was hard to see. Steak frites was probably the most French thing on the menu. The cocktail I had, a French 75, was very good. The Shirley Temples the kids had were definitely not a normal Shirley Temples (no grenadine, maybe?) I got a burger that was decent. Our daughter got a Caesar salad that was very good. The desserts were strange -- everything had either a cake or cookie in it. No creme brulee or ice cream, that sort of thing, only super heavy desserts (and there were four of them). One person in our group cannot eat gluten so we did not get dessert. In general, I don't recommend this restaurant for someone with celiac or a gluten allergy. There was not one appetizer without gluten, and everything is fried in a shared fryer. So, both brussels sprouts appetizers had gluten in them. We knew the restaurant was not super gluten-free friendly going in, so that's not a criticism per se, but some of it was puzzling, given today's diners. It was like the restaurant went out of its way to put gluten...

Had a table for 2 at 5pm on a Saturday. Graciously greeted by the host and were able to sit anywhere we liked considering the entire place was empty. It opens at 5pm so I suppose that is normal. I believe it was our sommelier who asked us for a wine choice and when we opted for cocktails he hilariously made a point to let out a huge sigh lol sorry buddy. A minute later we were checked in on by our waitress who was lovely and took our drink and food orders. One minute later another employee checked in on us but we were taken care of so politely declined. One minute later another and different employee checks in on us? Politely decline. Wow the drinks came out fast, honestly, I mean there's nobody here so that is great service! 30 seconds in a third new employee stops by to check in on us. At some point our food comes out, we cycle through all 5 different employees at least twice and leave. Pretty strange place. I don't think they know how to deal with nobody there. Maybe nobody is there because the waitstaff can't coordinate who is responsible for which table. I don't recommend the Sassy Bee cocktail as it tasted exactly like Carmex lip balm. Bathroom was unique. The bar apparently rotates once every 66 minutes. The food was very good, but it's just...