Le Colonial

As a vegetarian, I'm always searching for new veggie-friendly restaurants to try. I immediately fell in love with Le Colonial. The cozy, romantic and vintage inspired atmosphere is truly relaxing. Le Colonial offers special vegan and vegetarian menus, which skip the meat but not the flavor. My absolute favorite dishes are the Banh Pho Xao and Cha Gio Chay.

I love the bar upstairs and they have a great chocolate martini. I was a huge fan of the one at Pepper Lounge before they closed and this has been my new favorite in Chicago. Le Colonial always has great food options but I do wish they would bring back the sticky rice!! It was amazing!

Love the food and the ambiance of this French Vietnamese restaurant. The dim lighting and soft color used creates a great atmosphere. The boulala and spring rolls are must get appetizers.

For most of my friends in Chicago, Le Colonial is a home away from home, where Nikki knows your name, and we all go to have a great time in their cozy second floor lounge. Each year we have our girlfriend holiday lunch, (and this was most likely the 6th, but who is counting) of bubbles and fun with Moët & Chandon Imperial. Of all the dishes at Le Colonial – my favorite is the chicken fried rice with a side of Sriracha. We had a three course luncheon – with many classic dishes as well as some newer ones Director of Operations Jen Hansen wanted us all to try. The classic Bo Bia – soft salad rolls. (Photo Credit Tasya Menaker)

I have been to Le Colonial many times in Chicago, sadly always for lunch. I shall change this soon. This visit was somehow more impactful, as we arrived and the maitre'd had reserved an outside patio table for us without even asking. It was an awesome Saturday and we were thrilled. The food is always great, and was certainly on par for this visit as well. We had the spring rolls and the shrimp chao tom (delicious shrimp wrapped around sugar cane then eaten in fresh lettuce wraps). For our entrees we had the Tom Xao Sate (Sautéed jumbo shrimp, asparagus, onions & scallions in a spicy sauce of sate spice, chili, & garlic), my absolute favorite each time I come and the BBQ pork, which was also delicious. Since this wasnt a work day, we also explored a few of their signature cocktails, which were amazing. I left feeling as though I was in another country for a few minutes! A great experience, special thanks for making this visit great.