# Travel >> Destinations >> North America

The Best French Restaurants in Chicago

Serious foodies know that Chicago offers some of the best dining in the country, and when Saveur Magazine celebrated the Windy City's thriving restaurant scene in a special 2007 issue, few were surprised. Chicagoans love their pizza, steaks, and ethnic eateries, but they devote equal passion to fine French cuisine---some of the country's best French restaurants are found right here, in what Saveur calls the "heartland of the world."

Tru Restaurant
- Named one of the Top 50 Restaurants for Best Service by Open Table, Tru prides itself not only on its attentive service, but also its delectable, unfussy French cuisine. Diners are free to choose from two options, the prix-fixe menu or the "Collections" tasting menus. Each relies on fresh, seasonal ingredients and innovative presentation. Recent Collections menus have included samplings of white sturgeon caviar, celeriac veloute, Maine lobster, and Tahitian vanilla cremeux. The prix-fixe menu offers three mouthwatering courses; recent dishes include an heirloom and beet salad, prime beef tartare, slow-cooked jidori chicken, and prime beef ribeye. The restaurant is also available for special events, including private wine tastings and dinners.
  
  Tru Restaurant
  676 N. St. Clair St.
  Chicago, IL 60611
  312-202-0001
  trurestaurant.com
Le Bouchon
- Le Bouchon, honored by Frommer's in 2006 as one of the "best bets for dining in Chicago," remains a popular and must-visit destination for French-food lovers. The menu entices with classic French culinary delights such as les moules (steamed mussels), a hearty cassoulet, canard roti (roasted duck), and palate-pleasing beef Bourguignon. The restaurant's cozy atmosphere is reminiscent of the best of Parisian bistros.
  
  Le Bouchon
  1958 N. Damen Ave.
  Chicago, IL 60647
  773-862-6600
  lebouchonofchicago.com
L20
- For a unique and memorable dining experience, try L20, named as one of the 50 Best New U.S. Restaurants by Travel + Leisure Magazine in 2009. L20 specializes in fresh seafood and offers a carefully edited prix-fixe menu that "melds French rigor and opulence with the inimitable raw-fish skills of the Japanese," according to T+L Magazine's editors. Dishes include lobster with "Sauce Americaine," pork belly, steelhead salmon, lamb tartare, and octopus. The prix-fixe menu has four courses, including dessert, and serves as a fine introduction to L20's obsessive attention to culinary and gastronomic detail. Seasonal tasting menus are another way to experience the restaurant's fine ingredients. Oenophiles will be intrigued by the restaurant's extensive wine list.
  
  L20 Restaurant
  2300 N. Lincoln Park West
  Chicago, IL 60614
  773-868-0002
  l20restaurant.com