Le Colonial

Pros: Creative Asian Dishes, Period Decor
Cons: Must Make Reservations Well in Advance

Walking into the front door of Chicago's Le Colonial, one is immediately carried back to the hayday of the European colonial empires. The decor of this Rush Street favorite is reminiscent of a great Saigon eatery shortly after the turn of the...

Pros: ambiance
Cons: service, inauthenticity of food

We went here as a big treat for a friend's birthday. We're both foodies, and I'm trained in Vietnamese, Thai and French cooking (but I'm not a professional chef). In fact, one of the people who taught me Vietnamese cooking also taught the chef at the NY...

Pros: Unique and well prepared food in an authentic atmosphere
Cons: Hard to get dinner reservations

The moment you walk in the door you are transported from the hustle and bustle of Chicago's Rush Street to the halcyon days of French colonial Vietnam: bamboo furniture, lush plants, slowly spinning ceiling fans, elegant oriental carpets. From the...

Pros: Beautiful decor, attentive service
Cons: somewhat pricey, static and small menu

This was my second time at Le Colonial. The first time was after work on a whim with my girlfriend we were horribly underdressed but not met with any kind of negativity. Then we had the coconut shrimp and if I remember correctly Halibut. The shrimp was...

Pros: excellent food, good service, unique ambiance
Cons: service could improve, expensive

La Colonial is a very unique restaurant with EXCELLENT food. I must admist that I was a bit apprehensive about dining at a vietnamese restaurant, but it was all in vain...the food was fabulous and I would certainly go back.
There were a few problems...

Pros: Food
Cons: Service is awful

The service was awful. That may be unfair to the management of Le Colonial because it really boiled down to our waiter, Eric. He is not skilled at being a waiter. Thus, management needs to bear a portion of the blame for unleashing him on an unsuspecting...

Pros: Awesome duck, wonderful Vietnamese coffee! Dishes presented well.
Cons: The service isn't always that great. Don't go here if you are pressed for time.

I have been going here for years and. It's all about the food. You may or may not get good service, depending on who your waiter is. The bar upstairs is lovely for a pre-dinner drink. The decor and ambiance of both upstairs and downstairs is wonderful. You really feel transported from the hustle and bustle of the city.