Cyrano's Bistrot & Wine Bar

(312) 467-0546

546 N Wells St (Between Ohio St. and Grand Ave, River North)
Chicago, IL 60610 41.8918 -87.6342

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Neighborhoods: Near North Side, Central

Hours:

Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30-10:30pm

Sat 5:30-10:30pm

Price:

$$

Last updated 5.10.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Romantic Dining, Quiet, Fine Dining, Private Rooms, People Watching, Lunch Spot, Date Spot, Prix Fixe Menu

Cuisine:

French

Smoking Permitted:

Yes

What People Are Saying About Cyrano's Bistrot & Wine Bar

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

Mustard-yellow walls, wood accents and Gallic knickknacks (champagne bottles, scenic paintings, handcrafted chickens) lend Cyrano's a relaxed, rustic French charm. Good French basics make up the menu. Heaps of diced garlic and flecks of sun-dried tomato give tender escargot a heady kick, and Nicoise salad "Julia Child" is a big bowl of lightly dressed greens, flaked tuna, olives, crunchy haricots verts and hard-boiled egg. Steak au poivre is perfectly tender, with crispy frites and red-pepper sauce. Indulge in a generous slice of fruit tart or creme brulee for dessert, or grab a box of Chef…

Editor's Tips

Save Money:
Cyrano's Le Grand Lunch Express offers a four-course meal on an oversized platter for just $13.95. Five prix-fixe dinners range from three courses for $28 to seven courses for $51.
When to Go:
Friday and Saturday evenings feature cabaret entertainment starting at 7:30pm.
The Extras:
Cyrano's also has a riverwalk cafe (May through September) between Columbus and Michigan, on the south side of the river.
Know Before You Go:
Casual business types and tourist groups fill the place at lunch (not served during winter months); things get cozier at night.
Parking:
Valet is available after 5:30pm for $10.
Know Before You Go:
Casual business types and tourist groups fill the place at lunch; things get cozier at night.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. the ambience was excellent and the french background music was a nice touch.
  2. want to because I like the name and LOVE the decor but the 2 times I've been here, I've been disillusioned.
  3. We were told beforehand by friends from DC that service might suffer because of the circuslike atmosphere of Restaurant Week, but we had a great, friendly waiter who was very patient with us.
  4. The interior was well-decorated and the ambience nice.
  5. Cyrano's is our choice when we want a special dinner, in a fairly quiet atmosphere where the food is always good.
  6. will be returning to a cozy seat in their downstairs caberet again & soon.
  7. Great place to go for a romantic dinner with a bottle of wine and a dessert!
  8. The food was delicious, the wine was a real value for the price, and the ambiance perfect for the afternoon's escape.
  9. Charming French atmosphere, great bistro food, delicious frites with 4 different dipping sauces-- including homemade ketchup!
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. Great place to go for a romantic dinner with a bottle of wine and a dessert!
  2. The food on the prix fixe was good--salmon to start, coq au vin, chocolate cake--nothing spectacular or anything, but then again we were only paying $20 for it.
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. The wine list has wonderful wines at good prices.
  2. The food was delicious, the wine was a real value for the price, and the ambiance perfect for the afternoon's escape.
  3. We can always count on excellent food and service time after time or a late night glass of wine and cheese plate.
  4. Great place to go for a romantic dinner with a bottle of wine and a dessert!
food quality
91.66999816894531% positive
  1. Cyrano's is our choice when we want a special dinner, in a fairly quiet atmosphere where the food is always good.
  2. We were there for New Years Eve and had a great meal and wonderful time.
  3. The food on the prix fixe was good--salmon to start, coq au vin, chocolate cake--nothing spectacular or anything, but then again we were only paying $20 for it.
  4. Thanks Cyrano's for a nice Restaurant Week meal.
  5. Their duck is incredible we can honestly say we have never had a meal that we did not enjoy.
  6. We can always count on excellent food and service time after time or a late night glass of wine and cheese plate.
  7. If you love French food, Cyrano's is for you.
  8. The food here is great.
  9. Then, soup was cold and the food was tasteless.
  10. The creme brulee was fantastic and our entrees were served on time and were very flavorful.
  11. Charming French atmosphere, great bistro food, delicious frites with 4 different dipping sauces-- including homemade ketchup!
  12. The food was delicious, the wine was a real value for the price, and the ambiance perfect for the afternoon's escape.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. WE had such great service that knew the menu backwards and forwards and did not rush us out of the table.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. With so many great French restaurants in the city, Cyrano's is a restaurant to avoid.
service
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. WE had such great service that knew the menu backwards and forwards and did not rush us out of the table.
  2. service was great (if not a little pretentious), and the sea bass was excellent!
  3. As were walking out, I overheard the staff telling angry guests that the reason they were not being seated promptly was because they could not control how long people dined, I would have loved to leave earlier, it was their service that was poor therefore
  4. We can always count on excellent food and service time after time or a late night glass of wine and cheese plate.
  5. We were told beforehand by friends from DC that service might suffer because of the circuslike atmosphere of Restaurant Week, but we had a great, friendly waiter who was very patient with us.
  6. Servers are warm ,friendly and knowledgeable.
  7. Everyone from the waiter to the hostess and bartender were delightful & accommodating.
  8. The service ia attentive, but not intrusive.
  9. We went on a saturday night, without reservations, but were promptly seated and the waiter friendly enough.
value
100.0% positive
  1. Love the pate in a jar that you can take home because you can never finish the generous serving.
  2. The food was delicious, the wine was a real value for the price, and the ambiance perfect for the afternoon's escape.
  3. The wine list has wonderful wines at good prices.
  4. The dinner was excellent for the price!
  5. Cyrano's offers a fantastic dining value.
wait time
0.0% positive
  1. As were walking out, I overheard the staff telling angry guests that the reason they were not being seated promptly was because they could not control how long people dined, I would have loved to leave earlier, it was their service that was poor therefore
4 Star Rating: Recommended

03/06/09

reminds me of Paris

by Rory

Cyrano's is our choice when we want a special dinner, in a fairly quiet atmosphere where the food is always good. Love the pate in a jar that you can take home because you can never finish the generous serving. The service ia attentive, but not intrusive. If you love French food, Cyrano's is for you.

  • Pros:  a special dinner where the prices are fair.
  • Cons: typical French restaurant with tables close together
4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/18/08

Good prix fixe

by sweetpea1970

We went to Cyrano's for the $20 Restaurant Week prix fixe and were pleased with our experience for the price. The decor is a bit dated, but still cute. We were told beforehand by friends from DC that service might suffer because of the circuslike atmosphere of Restaurant Week, but we had a great, friendly waiter who was very patient with us. The food on the prix fixe was good--salmon to start, coq au vin, chocolate cake--nothing spectacular or anything, but then again we were only paying $20 for it. It seems like they have different prix fixe menus all the time, so we'll have to come back to try those and see how Cyrano's is on a normal night. Thanks Cyrano's for a nice Restaurant Week meal.

  • Pros: Great service, good value
  • Cons: A bit dated
3 Star Rating: Average

09/02/07

Almost a 4

by badjuju

I'm debating whether to give this restaurant a 4 star. I want to because I like the name and LOVE the decor but the 2 times I've been here, I've been disillusioned. Let's start off with my first experience there. Lunch, one summer. The cheese spread was the best part of the meal. The bread ("ficelle" type) was too old and harder than it is supposed to be. I had escargots and they were just like everyone else's (but then it's my bad for ordering escargots). I think I had a cassoulet, one of their specialties I suppose (Cyrano de Bergerac is a character from Auvergne, home of the cassoulet). And it was too watery. I can't remember the dessert but I remember not being impressed with the meal at all, and telling myself it would be a while before I return.

3 years later, I come back with my girlfriend, this time for dinner. We have their specials. The "foie gras" tasted like a soggy pate. No bite to it. The best part of the course was the lobster bisque and the dessert. The rose was simple and clean.

The WORST part of the night, was the supposed cabaret style entertainment. The singer/pianist had no voice or tone and sounded more like a Siberian throat singer... actually possibly worse than one.

  • Pros: Nice decor. Very nice service
  • Cons: Avoid the cabaret when it's not cabaret night
4 Star Rating: Recommended

03/06/07

Great french pick for the monetarily challenged

by bee74

The food here is great. I took a date here this past weekend...service was great (if not a little pretentious), and the sea bass was excellent! On a side note, this place used to be more of a over-looked divey french bistro, but they remodeled, and now it reminds me of every other french restaurant. How sad. But go! The dinner was excellent for the price! (soup + dinner + dessert = $65)

  • Pros: Incredible seafood, attentive staff, cheap
  • Cons: Very small, a little boring asthetically
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/25/06

Feel like you're in a Paris bistro

by angevin

My husband and I stepped in for lunch at this quaint restaurant recently. We were immediately welcomed, seated, and warmly introduced to our waiter and the menu. The waiter's Parisian accent and humility put us in a light and romantic mood right away. The food was delicious, the wine was a real value for the price, and the ambiance perfect for the afternoon's escape. We loved it. The only gripe I have is that we returned again this past weekend, only to find out that, unfortunately, they're not open for lunch on Saturdays. We'll be sure to coordinate our schedule to theirs when we get to Chicago again.

  • Pros: Excellent food, romantic ambiance
  • Cons: small -- could get noisy if heavy lunch crowd -- but it wasn't while we visited for a late lunch

The Details on Cyrano's Bistrot & Wine Bar

Place Categories:

  • great service
  • great french food
  • warm servers
  • friendly waiter
  • great dining experience
  • romantic dinner
  • nice ambience
  • surprisingly amazing dining expereince
  • wonderful wines
  • great french restaurants
  • love pate
  • incredible duck
  • cozy seat
  • love decor
  • perfect ambiance
  • excellent late night glass
  • delightful everyone
  • enjoy downstairs lounge
  • fantastic creme brulee
  • excellent sea bass
  • great french pick
  • enjoy entertainment
  • delicious french atmosphere
  • nice restaurant week meal
  • great bistro food
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