Les NomadesA treasureOld-school French restaurant with a new-school menu. Decor, service, and overall "feel" frozen in time -- this is a GOOD thing. All are top notch. A fine, relaxing evening. Superb wines. But let's talk about the food. Very modern and creative 4-course or 5-course (your choice) dinner. Smoked salmon "three ways" was a killer starter, and duck consommé as a second course was fantastic. A lamb and veal combo of grilled chops was the perfect entree, and the green apple tart dessert a fab finish.
My companion mixed things up after the salmon with shrimp-and-lobster salad, venison, and a soufflé ... gave all A++.
$300 for 2 complete with fine French wines (by the glass), tax, tip -- this is a bargain.
On my top 10 list.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Food Great ServiceEverything was exceptional! Older business crowd with great food. Old school french dining and GREAT food. I will come back!5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMGood food, a little stuffyWe came here for our 6th wedding anniversary. Our waiter was very pleasant and had a good sense of humor. The decor of the place is very old school and you feel sort of like you're at the library and someone might shush you. The food was delicious. A couple sitting next to us (they were from omaha) asked us if we'd come back. Answer: no. Fun to try for a very expensive dinner, food good....but too many restaurants in the Chicago area to try to substantiate coming back here. Places w/a more enjoyable, less restrained atmosphere.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent!We really enjoyed our dinner at Les Nomades, outstanding food and excellent service!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is one of Chicago's veryThis is one of Chicago's very best restaurants. Elegant,quiet, fine food.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMIt's good, but....While the food was really, really good, particularly the apple tart dessert, and the service was absolutely impeccable, I still would not go back. It is astoundingly expensive and very stuffy, so for the money I would choose to go elsewhere.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMEasily one of the best restaurantsEasily one of the best restaurants in Chicago; we will certainly return.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMA special place for a specialA special place for a special occasion. The two types of foie gras that my wife and I started our meals with were terrific. The waiter suggested a nice saturn by the glass that was great with the foie gras. I then had the shrimp and lobster salad and she had the crab salad. Both were terrific but mine was better. This reataurant has a great selection of half bottles of wine. I'm not sure why other restaurants don't. We ordered a nice half bottle of a white burgundy to accompany this portion of the meal. We moved on to the main course- sweetbreads and beef for me and duck for her---again, both terrific but this time her's was better. We had a nice half bottle of burgundy. The service was impeccable and the waiter was charming. Couldn't have4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMHadn't been to Les NomadesHadn't been to Les Nomades in years and had forgotten how good this restaurant (and the entire experience) is.
Outstanding!3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazingI've eaten all over the world, and this was one of my very favorite meals ever.
This is the second time I've gone there (from San Diego- worth the flight!), and it was actually as good as I remembered!
The foie gras is the best in the world. Seriously.
Everything was divine, and once again, will be one of those "life's moments" never to be forgotten.
This is my favorite restaurant on the continent.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat a great experience! TheWhat a great experience!
The wine list is outstanding, in particular, I was impressed by the excellent selection of half bottles, which is perfect when only two are dining.
The food was very nice, and they were able to accomodate special dietary needs.
Service was crisp, pleasant and perfect for a high end restaurant.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat ExperienceI hadn't been there for years but the quality of the food and service has never changed. outstanding!3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful food, gracious serviceA wonderful civilized experience every time. We had four courses including dessert and the dishes were all spectacular. The focus on consistently high ingredients and preparation is evident. We plan to return at least once a month for a reminder as to what great food and service should be elsewhere. Service is gracious and formal, but never aloof nor snobby. The experience is similar to Masa's or The Ritz Dining Room in San Francisco, some of our other favorites.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMEven better than anticipatedI generally come to Chicago 2-3 times a year for meetings. I have always wanted to eat at Les Nomades but this was my first opportunity. I was not disappointed. Everything was just perfect. The hospitality was extraordinary and the food and service were top notch. Overall I would say that I was more impressed than I even thought I would be. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMVery good overall food andVery good overall food and service. Very expensive.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMWent here during a businessWent here during a business conference. Food and service were excellent. Prompt but not intrusive. Waiter described each dish as it was served, a nice reminder for those that cannot remember the entire description on the menu. Portions were reasonably sized. I had calamari served grilled and fried, a nice combo for the contrast. Then a warm lobster and shrimp salad that was excellent. Then I had a Dover sole, about a 6oz portion of fish. beurre blanc sauce was excellent, fish was extremely tender. Finished with a Gand Marnier soufflé, which was in all honesty, the best soufflé I have ever had! I almost ordered another. The wine list is extensive, heavily biased towards French wines, and a bit overpriced, as expected.3/20/2013 12:00:00 AMMore Time Needed Between CoursesMy only quibble is that the staff did not allow quite enough time to pass before they brought out the next course. I told my lady friend that this "was American," but maybe it was because we had made an 8:30 p.m. reservation (on a Tuesday night, March 19th) and the staff wished not to keep open for too long. I would say that a total of five minutes elapsed between our plates from a course being removed and the next course arriving. About a total of 10 to 12 minutes would have been better. When the third (main) course arrived, my friend just stared at it, disappointed that it (and the prior course) had appeared so quickly. This was otherwise a superb, lovely restaurant. I wouldn't be taking time to write all this out if I didn'tloveit.3/19/2013 12:00:00 AMIt was our first experienceIt was our first experience at a fine dining French cuisine in Chicago. We did feel a little out of place as the restaurant was composed of business men & older couples in their 30's + (we're approaching our mid-20's). We embraced it & carried on to enjoy ourselves for the 2.5 hrs. Don't forget to bring a dinner jacket, but if you do, they'll have one for you. The service is the premium we paid for, outstanding. We had 4 courses & wine. The food was perfect proportions leaving us satisfied at the right amount of full, yet not feeling it at all. The only critic I have is that my sea bass was over seared on the skin portion by a touch, making it not as easy to fork & part, 'fall off the bone' so to speak, as the rest of the sea bass.3/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat PlaceIt was a great meal, with wonderful service. Our only complaint would be that the service was too....wonderful. Having the entire wait staff in the Dining area, all the time, made us feel a bit uncomfortable.3/9/2013 12:00:00 AMA must visit in ChicagoThe food and service are impeccable. The menu is interesting and the food wonderful. The service staff is attentive but not intrusive. This is simply an extraordinary restaurant which provided us with a memorable dining experience.3/9/2013 12:00:00 AMThis place is fabulous!This place is fabulous! The food and service is exquisite. Beautiful rooms to dine in.12/7/2012 12:00:00 AM