Madame Tartine: User Reviews

I went to Madame Tartine for lunch with a party of 8 (a holiday luncheon with colleagues) and am very thankful that we all have a good sense of humor because this experience was wacky.

We arrived at noon (the time of our reservation) and were seated at a table by the doors. It was extremely drafty and cold so we asked to move to another location. We were placed in the back room, which has no windows and extremely low lighting. Additionally, some of the tables were still dirty from the prior evening.

It took us a half hour to receive our appetizers and over an hour to receive our lunch. Keep in mind that we did not have any special orders and requested items from the limited lunch menu. Not once was an explanation for this significant delay given and the restaurant was most certainly not full. We ended being in the backroom cave for over two hours.

The appetizers (tuna tartare, mussels, cheese & charcuterie) were excellent. The entrees (salade nicoise and a variety of tartines) were decent. The fries and garlic aioli were very tasty - we finished every one.

This lunch outing is one that we'll be joking about for awhile and I doubt that anyone in our party will return.

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I was looking forward to dining at MT and so disappointed by my experience for lunch Friday afternoon. Admittedly, I cannot comment on the food since I never received any. SERVICE was unforgiveable. It started fine. Took a friend for lunch and was seated pretty quickly at on outside table. A waiter approached after 5 minutes and took our order, then worked on two other tables that were after us. We got water from someone else. After watching the 3rd table enjoy their french press coffee and baguette, I rose and the waiter said our carafe of wine would be ready shortly. I even offered to get it . Wine came 5 min. later (the restaurant was not busy). Still no bread. We watched a female waiter serve water, bread, then 1st and 2nd courses to 3 other tables. Nothing for us yet. The table next to us admitted the service was really slow but the food was good. Our water has now been empty a while, still no bread, no salad, no entree. And watching our waiter fumble countless times with another tables' bill, we decided the frustration was too much and opted to leave. I mentioned my disappointment and the waiter aloofly said it was too bad bc the food is really good. To my comment to him that the service was really bad, he said "I know", with a smirk. So though the place is darling and lovely seeming for a lunch, romantic dinner or evening with the girls. I'll wait until they weed out the waiters that have no idea how to handle tables. Or if the idea is to try and emulate the French experience with aloof or rude service, it still isn't right bc they even get the service, even if offended by our loud and demanding ways. I only write this comment to encourage management to work on staffing - as I said, other waiters seemed to handle things well. I really wanted to love it. 437 Rush and Hub 51 nearby had flawless service and exceptional food.

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I have never heard of this place, but sat down Wednesday night on their patio with a friend to celebrate my birthday. He had the lobster roll and I had the tuna burger - and all I could think was lobsterlicious and tunamania!

BOTH were terrific - followed by real drip coffee served at the table! Best new spot I have found downtown in years. Madame T is an A.

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I ended up going here after not being able to get seating at another Hubbard restaurant for 1 hour and what a great surprise. There was no wait for outdoor seating. The fixed price menu is great, you get 3 courses and decent wine for a decent price. The servings are good size, not excessively small or large. I had the grilled salmon which was fantastic with the seasonings it had. It was very relaxed, the waitress kept a good eye on what we needed without rushing. Overall a great experience, can't wait to go back!

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Finally we have a low key, comfortable. stylish, tasty and reasonably priced French Bistro in the neighborhood! The fixed price menu is a great deal and included a decent wine. Four of us tried each of the dinners offered and all were delicous. The owner greeted our table and offered us the duck spring rolls (which were very good) as a welcome. The decor is fun, authentic, personal and the bar is a comfortable area. And we had a rare star sighting when John Cusack came in and sat down at a nearby table. All in all a real treat and one I intend to indulge in regularly!

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We were there for a large party on Saturday night and I highly recommend Madame Tartine! The ambience, the food and the service ... all great!

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I had an amazing dinner last night with a girlfirend at Madame Tartine. The food, wine, service and vibe were amazing. Hubbard Street has turned into a great people watching spot, and Madame Tartine has ample outdoor seating to take advantage of the views. We were so impressed with everything we ordered. Special mention must go out to the muscle appetizer. The sauce reminded me of vodka cream; definately ask for bread to help you devour this dish. Another treat was the great French wine list. I can't wait to go back!

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Went there for dinner the other night with friends. Great outdoor seating and wonderful food. The duck rolls w/ a la orang sauce were a cool take on a classic, and the filet mignon was perfectly cooked. Would love to see a few more appetizers to share with drinks, but overall think it is a great new addition to Hubbard St.

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$12 for a mediocre wine served in a water glass. Undrinkable wine included in prix fixe menu. Steak frites with an impossibly tough steak and exceedingly saltyfries. High prices. And on top of that a waiter who had very limited if any knowledge of French food. To call this place French is a shame. I am counting its days. And will not miss it one bit.
hgl Chicago

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Last night, I had only 45 mins to grab something to eat before going out and didn't feel like getting fast food. I walked around Hubbard St. and came across Madame Tartine. I got there ten till 8 and told the host and waitress that I had to be somewhere at 8:30. We ordered the Grilled Salmon and believe it or not, the food came out right on the dot and was cooked the perfect texture, had amazing seasoning and nice presentation. I definitely recommend this place; I want to go back for their pre-fixe meal and Tartini.

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