The Franklin Room — Restaurant in Chicago

I’ve eaten here three times and each time I’ve been, the ambiance, food and service have been wonderful all across the board. I can’t praise The Franklin Room highly enough! This restaurant has been one of my go-to choices for dinner in the city for the past two years and will continue to be. Easy ten stars out of five! If you’re visiting Chicago from out of town or simply coming to the city from the suburbs for date night, add The Franklin Room to your Chicago bucket list and thank me later.

The interior of The Franklin Room is what high-end speakeasy dreams are made of. The rich fabrics, leathers and beautifully carved woodwork paired with sultry low lighting perfectly sets the mood for a lovely evening.

I always start my meal with a gin and tonic, Hendricks Gin to be specific. The oysters on the half shell are a must for your starter, go ahead and order the truffled tuna crudo as well. The seafood here is very fresh and delicious - don’t sleep on it. Two out of the three times I’ve eaten here, I’ve ordered the truffled ricotta tortellini as my entree. The truffle sauce is buttery, quietly earthy and savory. It marries well with the mildly sweet and fluffy ricotta stuffed tortellini. This dish is a beautiful symphony of flavors.

Now, on to dessert because, you MUST order dessert! The chocolate crunch is simply decadent - I actually have moments where I fantasize about eating this dessert several times a month. The sweet thin hazelnut praline bottom layer quietly boasts a “barely-there” smokey flavor, channeling notes of a sweet cigar. Resting on top of the praline is the silky marscapone and fluffy chocolate mousse. The mousse is made with dark semi-sweet chocolate - an absolutely perfect and essential end to your meal. You’ll not want to share this dessert!

The Franklin Room’s delicious fare and gorgeous aesthetic reflect and proudly celebrate the glamorous side of prohibition...

I’ve gone to the Franklin room for years and it’s one of my go-to spots to bring visitors when they come to the city, but this last experience had me questioning that a bit.

Food:

Ribeye got rave reviews and the chocolate crunch is legitimately one of the best Chicago restaurant desserts, the gelato was also very nice.

Unfortunately my usual go-to, the marinated butcher’s steak let me down. Mine was medium, borderline medium well (asked for medium rare) to the point I didn’t think it was mine, and when I mentioned it to who brought my food, they argued with me despite it looking significantly more cooked than the rest of the table’s medium rare.

Also, they have clearly downgraded the portion size you get on the butcher steak’s meal, it used to be very filling and satisfying, but now my party and I ate at another restaurant about 2 hours later because most of us were still hungry after the Franklin room.

We also got salads and they were DRENCHED in the dressing to the point that they were hard to eat, the flavor was good though. Would just very much recommend getting the dressing on the side and applying it yourself.

The service was good as always aside from the table clearing, the man doing it was a bit overzealous and we had to stop him twice from taking plates that still had portions of meals on it.

Would also heavily recommend asking for a table closer to back of restaurant, atmosphere is much better there than by the front.

I’m willing to give The Franklin Room another chance, but I hope the overall quality isn’t declining a bit now, especially in relation to the prices. There’s a lot of competition in the steakhouse arena...

This restaurant is a gem in the area. I appreciate the prohibition ambiance and the staff are all so good at everything they do. The food is exceptional and each dish has a wonderful balance of flavors. The cocktails were well done with a little something for everyone's taste. Truly one of the strongest cocktail menus I have experienced in the city. The bar tenders were super talented with whipping together drinks if you wanted anything off the menu as well. Also, it's important to mention, this place has one of the most extensive whiskey selections I have seen in Chicago.

I really enjoyed the rib eye and steak tar tar but honestly I got to sample quite a few dishes and I think anyone would be pleased with anything on the menu. I am also fond of the mushroom tartine and the oysters. The oysters come with a yuzu mingiontte and a Thai sauce that really push the enjoyment to the next level. The Chef, Namo Chowcharoen is wonderfully talented. His love and appreciation for his customers really shows up in his food. All of the ingrediants are chosen with care and always at high quality for the right taste. Each dish is thoughtfully created with a combination of cooking techniques and spices that really puts the food at the Franklin Room at a different level. There is depth and there isn't a single thing on the menu that is one note, which I find to regularly be a problem with American fare . He makes it easy to support him in his craft.

I am excited to return to The Franklin Room for another meal and I often tell friends about it. I fully belive you will find food to enjoy here and want...