Bistro Campagne — Restaurant in Lake View Township

Gross! Disappointing! Sad anniversary date. My husband researched where to go for our 15 year anniversary. We were really excited about this bistro. We ordered the cheese platter. It was good… probably the best thing we ordered. However… the bread that came with was smaller than my hand. You’d definitely not have enough bread for the cheese and spreads. But whatever … that’s not the biggest problem here. My husband ordered the chicken. It was okay. He said the chicken was nice but there was no spices - not even basic salt and pepper on the chicken.

I ordered the burger. It sounded delish and was one of my favorite things I ate in French Bistro’s in France. I ordered it med. well. It came out and was bloody red/pink. I immediately sent it back to be cooked more. Over 40 minutes later my husband was done eating his chicken and we were still waiting. Yikes! 😳 I asked to speak to the manager and he came over and apologized and then said he’d check. He came back with my food but by then we had to head out and didn’t have another hour to eat. We took it home to go and also ordered the bread pudding to go. They put the ice cream on and it was melted all over. The size of the bread pudding was a mini cupcake/muffin. For $12 I expected so much more.

My burger was gross. While waiting for the bill and rice pudding I started eating it. The bun was wet and gross. It was dripping of oil and just holding it falling apart. I had a couple bites and honestly on my way home my stomach hurt and I had to take a bit of Pepto or I’d have thrown up. Just gross.

We were really disappointed. Worst dinner I’ve ever had that cost over $100.

Notes: Parking lot across the street. Meter parking lot.

No steps, small but handicapped accessible.

Bar, indoor and...

I loved the intimate ambiance, great portions, and excellent drinks. Every time I go to a French restaurant, I walk away with a really good meal and an elite dining experience. Bistro Campagne was no different.

The fortified wine was served like a glass of whiskey but tasted so much lighter.

The escargot was very tender and served with oil and herbs and a baguette.

We each got a French onion soup and it was hearty but nothing super special. The onions could’ve been cooked down even more.

The steak tartare was creamy, served with mushrooms, and crusty chips, but not very traditional. I would’ve loved to just have the meat to let the flavors and beefiness shine without all of the additional flavors. Some who don’t want the raw meat taste may prefer this, though.

The mac and cheese and the special potato side dish we got was a little underwhelming. Still tasty, but we’ve had better renditions of each elsewhere. I didn’t need the herbs to be all over the mac and cheese, and I thought it could’ve been creamier. I was hoping the potatoes would be something more bite sized instead of looking like a slice of pie (or cheesecake).

The steak in the steak frites were cooked perfectly and the fries were a little soggy but the perfect texture and consistency. Next time I go back, I’d love to try the duck leg or the black cod. Too bad very few reviews mention either dish.

The bread pudding was my favorite of the three desserts, but I enjoyed the basque cheesecake.

Overall, this is an awesome date spot and the food and experience is really...

Bistro Campagne is a friendly neighborhood restaurant in the Lincoln Square neighborhood. The bar and entrance room feels like a French bistro, venture further and it's akin to a classic French restaurant near the Champs Elysees. Bistro Campagne was available for a Friday RSVP so I felt fortunate to be seated at a table near the courtyard. The service along with staff are top notch, with wine and menu pairings. Popped open a Chenin Blanc to go along with a seafood craving and definitely hit the right notes. Notable choices at Bistro Champagne, steamed mussels, grilled halibut, croque madame and chocolate pot de creme. All were delightfully plated and coursed well. The only caveat I had was fending off bussers from cleaning our delicious mussels broth after asking several times for another baguette. Since we did not ask our server directly, it was never fired. The arrival of entrees of the Halibut and Gnocchi put baguette to rest. The Chenin Blanc accompanied both very well. We did save room for desserts of Creme Brulee and Pot de Chocolate. While the creme brulee was served to.temp with a gorgeous crust... The Pot de creme stood out as the favorite. Bistro Champagne has been a fixture in the neighborhood for over 20 years and with service and stellar menu, I definitely can't wait for...