The food is inventive and fabulous. Original combinations of tastes. We plan a return visit in the near future.

Highly recommend. Unexpected and unique presentation and absolutely delicious food. Can't wait to go back.

serving small portions in clay flower pot dishes, give me a break.

The food pairing was fabulous and the service was wonderful. It was a real treat to eat their. We have eaten in many of the finest restaurants in the country and this one of our best experiences.

Thank goodness for the Chicago Tribune review of the Blanchard, or it never would have been on my radar. My husband and I ate our way through four blissful courses after a theater matinée, and the meal was so incredible that we're already planning our return trip from the western suburbs even without an event in the Loop to link it to. The wait staff was courteous, informative, friendly, but never intrusive. My husband and I agreed that we could eat our shared chicken thigh appetizer every day for the rest of our lives. I had the most trouble finishing my main course because I couldn't decide what to save for my final bite, the crab or the pillowy ravioli.

Although our view out the window showed an ugly mid-April rain and snow combo, we could see the chairs for outdoor dining stacked on the front patio under the strings of lights on the bare tree branches, patiently waiting for warmer weather. We can't wait to return on a day we can enjoy dining outdoors. Of course the prices are not what most of us spend on an average meal, but the careful and delicious preparation is worth the cost. We will be back, and we'll be bringing friends to share in the gourmet experience!

We were very impressed by the restaurant from the minute we walked in. Greeted and handled well from the start. The service was amazing. The food was wonderful. We'll visit The Blanchard again very soon. Highly recommended.

The Blanchard has been a personal favorite since it opened and continues to be. With its wonderful decor, great bar and strong drink, a welcoming staff and great service mated with creative and superb plates, The Blanchard always deliver a wonderful evening.

The food, service and atmosphere is terrific

Can't wait to go back! The beef tartare was so different but so, so delicious (it's not a classical interpretation, dusted with smokey goodness); the Kennebec fries with caviar service accents and trout roe were awesome, and the King Crab gnocchi was amazing (the gnocchi were some of the best and the buerre blanc was a perfect accompaniment to the crab and gnocchi). We were seriously considering ordering seconds of each for dessert!

Cloying waitstaff, limited dining choices...not a lettace leaf in sight!, too many types of ingredients in one dish ( peach sorbet with tapioca pudding and other stuff), bland fish, cold steak. And I had a rock in my stomach for two days. Was still nauseaus next day. Will never return although had been there before the partners broke up. Ran into a friend as we left, she e mailed me that they hated it as well. Too bad!

Excellent food. High quality ingredients and creative cuisine. Attentive service. This restaurant should be a lot busier than it is.

I did not like my seafood entree. It was bland I could only eat a portion. Not quite to my expectation. I complained and they took it off my check. Otherwise the appetiser and other entrees were great. Service was excelent.

We were at The Blanchard before and really liked it but under the helm of a new executive chef, it seems to stepped up!! We truly enjoyed our evening! Loved the food and lovely ambiance. Service is attentive and top notch. We look forward to going back. Thank you! And thank you Mr Vettel for reintroducing us to The Blanchard!

Unset tables in the dining room. Poor service, such as not pouring bottled water. Food was fairly good ( not special), but portions were tiny despite high prices. Unpleasant overall.

Great food in a very pleasant setting

Terrible! What happened to this once wonderful restaurant? When my friend and I arrived there was only one other table with 2 people. It was creepy. This was a Friday night.
We were being gently pushed along- really? like they needed our table.
Appetizers were ok, not great.
Dinner was terrible. I had ordered the salmon and it was served cold, not warm, cold. We had trouble getting anyone to come over to the table- how could this be? They were all talking and laughing with each other. When the waiter finally came over and I asked him if the dish was meant to be served cold he quickly acknowledged that it was not and he would have it redone. My friend was totally done eating and we sat talking for awhile while we still waited for my dinner. When it arrived it was hot- but over cooked and very dry with two little pieces of artichoke. None of the other items that had been part of the first dish were included. I was not going to complain again. We just wanted to finish and leave at this point. No one is in the restaurant and they cannot get the salmon correct after two tries?
Not sure what the problem was, but no one in my family will back.

Wonderful experience

We were there on a Saturday evening and it wasn't very crowded. I don't know why as its a beautiful space, the service is outstanding and the chef creative and passionate about what he is doing. I have been a few times and the chef always finds a minute or two to come out and check on things, answer questions, etc. The food has always been delicious.

We have dined at the Blanchard many times and our meal on Saturday was spectacular. This is one of the outstanding restaurants in Chicago. We look forward to coming back soon. Chef continues to create a unique menu that makes each meal memorable.

The Blanchard was superb! I was looking for somewhere special with French cuisine to celebrate my fiance's birthday. This was it! The atmosphere was quiet and classy without being stuffy; cool modern digs in an incredible old building. Service and staff were friendly, kind and went above and beyond to make this not simply dinner but an experience. Food was mouthwatering and creative, leaving you wanting more. We loved our evening and will definitely be back the next time we visit Chicago!

Great service, delicious creative food. Portions a little small.

Very unsatisfactory. There is a new menu that is really pretentious and unappealing - sort of nouvelle cuisine meets farm-to-table but ultimately just not very good or interesting. The service is great, the room is nice but the food is very disappointing. If you want traditional French, go to Mon Ami Gabi. If you want a playful update on French classics, go to Chez Moi. This place badly needs a rethink.

Overpriced.

Bland flavors.

Trying to be more than it is. Won’t be back.

We’d been looking forward to dinner on Valentine’s Day at the Blanchard since Christmas. Unfortunately, it was a really disappointing experience, not only for me and my wife, but for many couples at the restaurant. The table next to us left after saying they were still waiting for their food after 2 and a half hours. We overheard other tables complaining about the wait, as well. We waited an hour and a half for our food. The waiter never came back to our table after we ordered our food. We both wanted another glass of wine and water the whole time. After many attempts of trying to flag our waiter down throughout the night, we finally asked the busser if he could get someone to bring us the bill. We were initially interested in dessert, but never got the chance to order it and, frankly, we ran out of patience all together. Wish we hadn’t gone to the Blanchard. We rarely go out for a nice meal and this really ruined what was suppose to be a special night for us.

This was our first time at The Blanchard and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The abbreviated menu (Valentines Day) was well done. Something for everyone..wine list was extensive. The service was good, just enough attention paid. We will definitely go back - just to see the menu/service on a regular evening.

After 2 hours and only one course, we walked out. Waiting on tartare for over an hour? Valentine's day or not, that is unacceptable.

I dined here recently with a group of friends, and we loved everything- from the creative cocktails to begin, to the wines we selected with dinner, and the delicious food. We shared 8 different dishes and all were executed very well with unique flavors and creative ingredients. The dining room was comfortable, visually apealling without being overdone, and service was friendly and attentive. The chef visited our table and we enjoyed talking with him about his new menu. I really felt like the kitchen cared about putting good food on the table, and I am looking forward to going back again for dinner with other friends to try more!

We'd been to The Blanchard a few times before and thought the food was excellent, so we decided to visit again during restaurant week. A big disappointment. The service was great and everyone very friendly, and I think the ambiance / decor is perfection, but the food was definitely not as good as what we expected. The menu was a fixed 4-course in honor of Restaurant Week. The first 2 courses were very disappointing -- the food was nicely plated but was very bland with no notable flavors and certainly not anything we would order again. The entree was Dover sole and was good -- the delicate fish was complimented nicely with a light sauce and seasonal vegetables cooked to perfection, but the portion was very VERY small. Dessert was just so-so (and certainly wouldn't order again). Overall the experience was blah -- not what we were used to from prior visits at this restaurant. It's a mystery how The Blanchard thought this week's special menu would entice repeat customers. We were told that the menu will change completely starting this week. I'm hoping they get back to their original approach which made them great when they first opened.

They had four tables at 7 pm due to a snowstorm, no excuse to be served a barely warm short rib entree with cold gelled sauce and over cooked Dover sole. Pot de creme was old and rubbery tough. I tried this after a terrible experience over a year ago. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone. Two or three years ago it was outstanding.

My wife and I went for the restaurant week was both skimpy special and have very mixed reactions. We both thought the anuse bouche was both skimpy and tasteless. O well. I had the foie gras and thought a magnificent even if a bit on the small side but that's restaurant week. My wife ordered the carrots since she doesn't like foie gras the carrots were meh.

I had the short rib with a date sauce it was one of the tastiest short ribs I've ever had I loved every morsel and even though the portion was generous I could've finished off 2 pounds. My wife had the sole in which the piece was quite tiny, overcooked and generally tasteless I'm a pretty good cook when I go out to eat I expect food a few notches better than I can make and a simple panseared filet with the beurr e blanc sauce would've been far superior, we finished with the chocolate pots de creme-wow, one of the best I have ever had.

So hard to review, for me, great, 5* but my wife doesnt want to go back. Ok dear reader, verdict, if you order the right stuff, absolutely wonderful, if not, disappointment. All I can say is if the foie gras is on the menu, go for it along with the short rib/date sauce. If not,you were warned.

Great experience from top to bottom. Service was great. Food was outstanding. Chef Ryan is great. The Foie was the highlight of the meal. Highly recommend it.

Excellent food and service! Visited for the first time during restaurant week. Won't be the last. Cool, contemporary interior. Great background music! Looking forward to checking out bar area and outdoor seating this spring.

Wonderful food, would definitely recommend for a Date or special night out with the family.

We love this restaurant. The fois gras is always amazing -- can't get enough. The Dover sole on the restaurant week menu was outstanding!!! Actually, we loved everything about the restaurant week menu --- every course was just wonderful. I can't wait to go back again. It's very special, both in the food and in the vibe and decor. Hope they are around for a long, long time.

Both, food and service are amazing. It is rare when you go to expensive restaurant and don't have any hesitation of paying the bill. Definitely exceeds expectations.

I went to the Blanchard for dinner during restaurant week. The restaurant only served the prix fixe(restaurant week) menu which was very disappointing. The portions were extremely small and my friend and I left the restaurant hungry and wanting to pick up a pizza. The worst part of the evening was the service. I had an 8pm reservation and was conveniently seated at the chef's table while everyone else in the restaurant was seated at a table in the dinning room. When I asked the GM/hostess if it was possible to have a table, she dismissed my requests by saying that they were at capacity and turning over tables 2-3 times in the night. Then once we got settled in and waiter comes, he is completely rude. I ask is he could go over the menu and he proceeds to tell me that he knew I was going to get a person like you. " A person like you." What is that suppose to mean. He then pulls out notecards and reads everything word by word. After we're half way through the menu, we notice there are several tables opens. We ask a nearby waiter to grab our waiter if possible. It takes him 15-20 minutes to get back to us. When he arrives, we express our concerns about the wait and our interest in a dinning table the waiter tells my friend to "slow his roll." This comment was extremley rude and unprofessional. He then all of sudden has a table we can sit at. The GM comes over and we express the inadequate service we have experienced and she tells us our waiter has a dry sense of humor and essentially it is the way it is. No appologies, no comps, just flat indifference. Needless to say I won't be frequenting this place again or referring any of my foodie friends. Horrible service takes good food down to just okay. Do the math.

The room was cold (both in temperature and decor). The food was mediocre at best (the only menu was for Restaurant Week and it was mass produced and poorly prepared). The wine list was massively overpriced with virtually no options at the lower price points.

But worst of all was the service. It was careless. It was slow. And, it was neglectful. It was almost as if our server was doing us a favor and that we were simply a nuisance.

Shame in you.

Never again.

The entire experience was outstanding. The service is exemplary at all levels. Your comfort and satisfaction is a priority. The staff is attentive but not overwhelming. The food is excellent with great flavors, textures and presentation. The Foie Gras is superb as was the Dover sole. Each course was of the highest quality. We ate during Restaurant week and with excellent choices of the highest quality.

Service was good but food was mediocre for the price.

The food was absolutely wonderful. The service was spotty but friendly - a few things were missed but set right when mentioned. We will definitely be back to eat here again.