Bistro Monet: User Reviews

I've been eying this place for a while every time I pass by it when I go biking. Finally I had a chance to go without a reservation. The interior is very plain with wood paneling all over the place reminiscent of a gentleman's card and smoking room. Tables have white cloths with white paper on top. The waiter/ host/ bar tender was VERY friendly, kind, and attentive - when available. Because he wore 3 hats service was spotty. I ordered the Salmon in mustard sauce and I have to say it was the Best salmon EVER. The salmon was not crispy and over cooked like a lot of places and it wasn't too bland or overwhelmed by the sauce. I loved how it was covered in very fine very short slivers of julienned carrots and zucchini. My date had the rack of lamb and chose the Chef's recommendation of medium rare. I came sliced and not scary rare as we suspected - thankfully. The rolls are AWESOME and we had complimentary pate to start which was delicious. Our app were the muscles in a tomato garlic broth which I could have eaten like a soup for it was so very yummy. And the wine selection was excellent.
I loved this place and I would go again. A good spot for a romantic dinner and a savory and delicious one with reasonable prices without feeling uppity.

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We go about once a month. Every entree and salad we have had has been excellent. Always fresh and unique. The service is friendly and attentive and the chef comes out often when we are there to say hello. The ambiance is unique because it is not noisey. It is quiet and cozy. We hope it will there for us for a long time!

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My husband and I visited this restaurant for our anniversary. I was a little skeptical because of the location. Don't let it fool you! When we met our server, Bernard, and tasted the incredible food we fell in love. My husband got the pork and I got the lamb and both were delicious. Then we got the check and were even more amazed. This is a great restaurant and the prices are very reasonable. We'll definitely be going back!

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My friend suggested this restaurant. And what a great time we had. Our server was attentive but didn't hover. I had the sole with lobster stuffing. Absolute perfection. Exquisite is the only word to describe it. My friend had scallops and raved about them. It was certainly worth the trip up from Champaign. Our only negative was dessert. Our chocolate mousse was more like pudding.The taste was wonderful, the texture was not.

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We went there this weekend. We took the advise of others on this site to seek Bernard. Personally, not a good choice. Service was lacking. Our plates clearly needed to be cleared & we wanted more wine, we tried to flag our waiter down who was right in front but couldn't even though it wasn't that busy. The hostess noticed and cleared our table, got us the wine. The food was good really though. The wine list is good too, if you like big reds, the Little B is really good - it's a blend of Cab/Merlot. The ambiance is nice, not too loud, you can actually have a conversation although there was trouble with the music it kept going off and on. To bad there isn't a website. All in all, it was good.

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We went last night and really anjoyed the restaurant. The little things are done well here and that makes all the difference in the world. Service was solid and the waiter very knowledgable (Bernard). He knows the menu and more importantly the wine list. The wine list is a bit light with few selections, but the bottles are good quality and clearly selected to complement the menu.

We started off with a 1/2 bottle of Sancerre (served correctly very cool and not cold) and the chicken liver pate appetizer. The sancerre was perfect to cut through the richness of the pate. The stemware was a bit lacking. I asked if they had crystal and was pleasantly told "no, ees bistro." Then we moved on to a salad with a parmesan souffle and short rib ravioli in a creamy mushroom sauce. Both were excellent and very rich. The short rib ravioli was quite a large portion for an appetizer and did not match the sancerre, but fortunately, the attentive waiter brought out the red that I had ordered for the main course. The 2002 Pierre Moret-St.-Denis (again recommended by our waiter) was beautiful - well perfumed with bright cherry notes and plenty of terroir-what pinot noir should be. The wine matched well with both our entrees - braised lamb shank with root vegatables and salmon en croute with a beurre blanc.

After dinner, the chef/owner Michel came and greeted us. He was friendly and polite.

All in all a very solid experience in an out of the way location. We'll definitely be back soon!

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Originally went with my wife on Valentine's Day thinking we were going to Zagat rated Le Deux Etre, but turned out that it had changed hands and was opening as Bistro Monet that night. You should never go to a new restaurant on their opening night as there are kinks to work out, and this was no exception. However, we ordered food to go from them last weekend and were extraordinarily impressed. Everything tasted exquisite. The sauces were rich and wonderful and the portions substantial. For food of this quality, I felt it was a good value, although by dining at home we didn't have tip or alcohol on our bill. Nevertheless, a large , delicious, lamb shank special was only $23. It was a Sunday early evening when I went to pick up the food, and the chef personally brought the food out to me and was very engaging and clearly very interested in making sure we enjoyed our food, which we did immensely. The restaurant itself is cozy and features upscale decor. A short walk from the Glen Ellyn Metra Station. I highly recommend Bistro Monet.

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We absolutely loved this restaurant. The food is great, the interior was cozy and warm. They have temporary website www.colbyj.com/bistromonet, while they work on the proper one. It doesn't have prices, but it gives an idea of the food they have.

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I don't agree with the 4-star ratings. More like 2 1/2-stars. Went on a Sunday evening - Chef was in the kitchen, a plus. Weakness was several of the meat entrees were pre-cooked, in our opinion. The sauces were heavy classical French cream based - sat on the tummy a little bit. The strengths were the au gratin potatoes, short rib ravioli, french onion soup, and the desserts (lemon tart and apple/pastry).

You will not leave here hungry - guaranteed.

Had an excellent du Pape French wine.

Another example of an over rated restaurant by the culinary-starved of the south side.

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Magnifique! What else can I say? It has a warm, inviting ambiance along with a gracious and professional wait staff. I dined with 2 others and each tried something different. My ravioli appetizer and rack of lamb were indescribable. My companions wanted to lick their plates. The chef said that was acceptable behavior. After all, it is a bistro. He's a character, the real McCoy. He is quite accomplished; not to mention his wonderful French accent and gregarious personality. While we were there he visited most of the tables... absolutely charming. Don't miss this one. We're going back for more.

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