Cafe Matou

The Scene – A quiet, charming find on a gritty stretch of Milwaukee Avenue. Step through tied curtains from the front bar into the main dining room, where welcoming green leather chairs, hardwood floors and exposed brick set a relaxed, comfortable tone. Service is efficient, unhurried, and genuinely French, complete with charming accent. – – The Food – Matou offers simple presentations of timeless country French fare on an ever-changing menu. Creamy, flavorful pâtés of the day (chicken liver and country pork terrine on one visit) are served with cornichons…

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Save Money:: From Sunday through Thursday nights, Cafe Matou offers a three-course prix fixe dinner for $22 per person.
The Extras:: On the second Tuesday of each month, the restaurant hosts a regional wine dinner featuring a six-course meal paired with French wines ($70-$80 per person, tax and tip included).
What to Drink:: The wine list features 10 by-the-glass selections for less than $10; a list of champagne cocktails features concoctions flavored with berries, chocolate and more, all created by one of the restaurant's bartenders.

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User Reviews (18)

ambiance	100.0% positive	“Immaginative food presentation as well as great ambiance” “This is an extremely romantic place or can be a great place to come with a group of friends for a relaxing dinner and drinks.” “Very nice ambience and comfortable.” “This romantic French spot has a personalized wine list and friendly knowledgeable staff.” “It has a warm, comfortable environment with exeptional food at reasonable prices.” “Excellent service, food, and atmosphere”
dessert	100.0% positive	“The food is so delicious it actually occurred to me to order another entree for dessert.” “After such a great dinner, we had to have dessert, which was also among the best I've ever had.” “For desert we had a very rich chocolate cake that was loaded with walnuts- too rich and not enough balance or flavor.”
drinks	90.90999603271484% positive	“Food is consistently good, strong wine list and the service is impeccable.” “Not only did our party have to deal with table issues, longest wait ever to have drinks served the wait staff and manager were terrible!” “My husband and I both have high standards for service, and the staff at Cafe Matou are friendly professionals who accommodated both the wine snob and the novice at my table.” “James' wine list includes great crus from Bordeaux and Burgundy, amazing, obscure finds from the Loire and the South, along with a number of well-chosen American wines that are crafted in the French way.” “Considering all that we ordered, and the drinks we had, the bill was very reasonable.” “This romantic French spot has a personalized wine list and friendly knowledgeable staff.” “The bar tender, overhearing that I only like sweet fruity drinks, created a raspberry martini with a sugar rim just for me.” “And James always comes up with a perfect matching, reasonably priced, wine.” “Perhaps the best reason to visit here is that the staff are so knowledgeable about food and wine pairings - which can make for an easy and very enjoyable night out.” “We love the Cellar Raid, which is an awesome deal; it happens the fourth Wednesday of every month, 17-dollar bottles of wine!” “This is an extremely romantic place or can be a great place to come with a group of friends for a relaxing dinner and drinks.”
food quality	91.66999816894531% positive	“Excellent service, food, and atmosphere” “Went with a group of friends and the food was very good.” “The menu has enough variety to be interesting, but small enough so that everything is fresh.” “Easily the best french food in Chicago.” “One should enjoy paying such a large amount for a completely enjoyable experience instead of feeling stuck in a situation and only hoping the staff isn't spitting in your food!” “The menu changes daily, but I got a wonderful stuffed chicken breast, my sister had roasted duck, which she said was the best duck she ever had, and my fiance had fish, which was also great.” “If food is fresh or presented well, or both, that is indeed a good thing- but that doesn't make a great meal.” “While the food was delicious the experience left only a bad taste in our mouth.” “Immaginative food presentation as well as great ambiance” “there has to be a keen use of flavor and balance to creat a truly memorable dish- in this respect, cafe matou did not entirely succeed that evening.” “The food is so delicious it actually occurred to me to order another entree for dessert.” “Cafe Matou- good fresh ingredients used with care, but not with great flair” “wasn't sure if I would like pate, but it was delicious.” “The service is great, the food has amazing presentation, flavor, and original tastes that you cannot get anywhere else.” “believe we had a party of about 10 and everyones dish was very good.” “Good, simple, authentic French fare, albeit a little too French almost.” “After Ambria this is the best french food I have had in Chicago.” “wonderfull find in a city that offers great food.” “It has a warm, comfortable environment with exeptional food at reasonable prices.” “The entrees we ordered included a walleye with spaghetti squash and a very bland sauce- once again, a dish that was fresh and serviceable, but NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY.” “had the chicken and this is one of the best chicken I've ever had.” “Perhaps the best reason to visit here is that the staff are so knowledgeable about food and wine pairings - which can make for an easy and very enjoyable night out.”
menu variety	100.0% positive	“The menu changes daily, but I got a wonderful stuffed chicken breast, my sister had roasted duck, which she said was the best duck she ever had, and my fiance had fish, which was also great.” “The menu has enough variety to be interesting, but small enough so that everything is fresh.”
overall	100.0% positive	“This is an extremely romantic place or can be a great place to come with a group of friends for a relaxing dinner and drinks.” “We have been several times and feel like it is a great date night and wonderful place to take friends.”
return potential	100.0% positive	“Overall it was an outstanding experience and I can't wait to go back.”
service	83.33000183105469% positive	“My husband and I both have high standards for service, and the staff at Cafe Matou are friendly professionals who accommodated both the wine snob and the novice at my table.” “Not only did our party have to deal with table issues, longest wait ever to have drinks served the wait staff and manager were terrible!” “The staff is friendly and aim to please.” “When we were seated, our waiter was friendly and helpful.” “The service is great, the food has amazing presentation, flavor, and original tastes that you cannot get anywhere else.” “One should enjoy paying such a large amount for a completely enjoyable experience instead of feeling stuck in a situation and only hoping the staff isn't spitting in your food!” “Service is bistro service - not perfect, but fine and knowledgable.” “And, they have the best waiter in the city of Chicago - Leon!” “This romantic French spot has a personalized wine list and friendly knowledgeable staff.” “Excellent service, food, and atmosphere” “Food is consistently good, strong wine list and the service is impeccable.” “Perhaps the best reason to visit here is that the staff are so knowledgeable about food and wine pairings - which can make for an easy and very enjoyable night out.”
value	100.0% positive	“We love the Cellar Raid, which is an awesome deal; it happens the fourth Wednesday of every month, 17-dollar bottles of wine!” “It has a warm, comfortable environment with exeptional food at reasonable prices.”

09/26/08

Chicago's best French bistro/cafe.

by ChicagoMauiDWS at Citysearch

We moved to Chicago from NY in 2006, and have settled into Cafe Matou as our favorite bistro in the city. It's a 20 minute drive for us from Gold Coast, but worth it. Charlie is fabulous at matching ingredients, creating new combinations, and always has the perfectly complimentary sauces. The menu has enough variety to be interesting, but small enough so that everything is fresh. And James always comes up with a perfect matching, reasonably priced, wine. Service is bistro service - not perfect, but fine and knowledgable. Over 20 visits in last two years, never disappointed.

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09/24/08

Cafe Matou- good fresh ingredients used with care, but not with great flair

by MankindisBlind at Citysearch

Cafe Matou is a charming little spot in Chicago. The food we ordered was delicately prepared and thoughtfully executed. The dishes, however, did not dazzle. The shrimp an crab beignet with saffron sauce that evening was refined and balanced in flavor, but lacked expression and depth. The entrees we ordered included a walleye with spaghetti squash and a very bland sauce- once again, a dish that was fresh and serviceable, but NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY. The chicken stuffed with chanterelles was only slightly better, but was by no means tantalizing. For desert we had a very rich chocolate cake that was loaded with walnuts- too rich and not enough balance or flavor. The best thing, by far, in terms of taste, though, was the corn cake desert which came with a creme fraiche (I think) and caramel sauce. This was indeed very tasty and stole the show that evening. If food is fresh or presented well, or both, that is indeed a good thing- but that doesn't make a great meal... there has to be a keen use of flavor and balance to creat a truly memorable dish- in this respect, cafe matou did not entirely succeed that evening.

Pros: Fresh ingredients, reasonably balanced flavors
Cons: Fell short of excellence.

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06/26/08

Easily the best french food in Chicago.

by RosePants at Citysearch

This romantic French spot has a personalized wine list and friendly knowledgeable staff. My husband and I both have high standards for service, and the staff at Cafe Matou are friendly professionals who accommodated both the wine snob and the novice at my table. It is so nice to go to a restaurant where the staff has tasted all the food and most of the wine! The food is so delicious it actually occurred to me to order another entree for dessert. We have been several times and feel like it is a great date night and wonderful place to take friends. We love the Cellar Raid, which is an awesome deal; it happens the fourth Wednesday of every month, 17-dollar bottles of wine! We love this place and recommend it to anyone, make a reservation for sure.

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10/24/07

Slow, rude and unexceptional

by threesixtyone at Citysearch

Waited at the bar for 10+ minutes, with only two other people there, for the bartender or wait staff to take my order. Found out after I ate and left that they had a promotion going---was never offered it or made aware. Wait staff was sullen and slow and unhelpful. The food was OK---probably would have better things to say about it if the rest of my dining experience had been better. Frankly stated, there are far better places for French food, far better places for service and even far better places for a wine-bar experience. Never again.

Pros: parking---an unbusy so getting a table is not hard
Cons: sullen staff, unexceptional food

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07/08/07

Nice hidden spot

by badjuju at Citysearch

Good, simple, authentic French fare, albeit a little too French almost. Apparently the Lavender porkchop is excellent but I have yet to try it. Good selection on the fish dishes as well, and fairly flavorful. I will have to come back and explore this menu.

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Editor's Tips

09/26/08

Chicago's best French bistro/cafe.

by ChicagoMauiDWS at Citysearch

09/24/08

Cafe Matou- good fresh ingredients used with care, but not with great flair

by MankindisBlind at Citysearch

06/26/08

Easily the best french food in Chicago.

by RosePants at Citysearch

10/24/07

Slow, rude and unexceptional

by threesixtyone at Citysearch

07/08/07

Nice hidden spot

by badjuju at Citysearch

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