The Bristol

I’ve been meaning to go to The Bristol for a while – I’d heard great things about the brunch, so I was extremely excited to stop by here for brunch one Saturday morning.
I got the braised pork chilaquiles, which was decent but not amazing – the dish felt a little dry, and I would’ve enjoyed a little more salsa/​braised pork to top the tortilla chips. I also sampled the hangover breakfast, which had a nice flavor and a nice chewy texture to the noodles; however, the portion was a bit on the small side.
Overall, I was a little underwhelmed – perhaps I had too high of expectations, but I found the food decent but not amazing enough to warrant the hype it gets.

There wasn’t anything I didn’t like. My drink was AMAZING. The food was delicious, the desserts were perfect, I loved the dining area, the Edison light bulbs made it feel very hushed and hip. Just great overall, well be back. Get the duck fat fries.

I use to be a big fan of Bristol, for a long stretch of time it was my go to brunch spot. However, after I awhile I stopped going because there wasn’t enough of a rotation in the menu, and you can only eat the same thing so many times. Dinners are an adventure where you could be eating anything from rabbit kidney livers to beef tongue. I don’t do dinner that much, but I like that experience.
However, after my latest trip I will not be coming back ever again. I wrongly decided to come to Bristol for it’s Mother’s Day brunch where they were supposed to have a price fix menu. What they had instead was a complete rip off. They charged $ 29 per person to get the EXACT SAME entrees they have every Sunday that are normally $ 12-​$ 15. The «price fixe» was a free coffee and a small pastry for each person at the table. Those two things couldn’t have costed more than $ 3. So basically, they charged you $ 10-​$ 15 more per person just because it was Mother’s Day. This was a straight rip off and scam. I expressed my displeasure to the server and hostess, and all I got was a half assed attempt to tell me free free coffee or juice, and a free pastry is somehow a price fixe. I emailed the restaurant and got not response. After two weeks, I emailed again and I got an attempt to tell me they could charge more because it was Mother’s Day, and since they brought the price down from $ 39 last year, it was a good deal.
Shameful.

Recently came here for Mother’s Day Brunch per my sister’s choice. We arrived at 10AM although reservation was at 10:30, but they were nice to accommodate us.
When we got there, I was expecting a different menu than their usual limited brunch menu, but it was pretty much the same except they charged $ 29 and it included coffee or juice and a tray of small baked goods. Nothing on their menu appealed to me so I had a difficult time figuring out what to order.
Didn’t want salad for brunch. Wasn’t interested in noodles. French toast sounded good, but since we were getting the tray of baked goods, I didn’t want more sweets. I don’t like benedicts, chicken ‘n’ biscuit, nor chilaquiles so my only choice was a quarter pounder with cheese at 10:30 in the morning. Didn’t feel good about the «healthy» choice I had to make.
I ordered regular coffee, but it tasted like water so that was a bummer. The tray of mini pastries was the highlight for me. It came with their famous cinnamon rolls along with this almond financier and a chocolate chip-​like scone.
My cheeseburger was okay, but nothing special. It had pickled onions, but no other vegetables so pretty plain. The duck fat fries were good, but it wasn’t the best fries ever as other Unilocalers claim.
Service was attentive although I was getting annoyed when they kept refilling my water and all I kept getting was more ice every single time and hardly any water.
Overall, I was not impressed. Perhaps, dinner is better.

We went for brunch one weekend and the menu looks good, but the meals we got were just okay. I got the Chilaquiles and to be honest, they were just average as far as Chilaquiles go and not all that flavorful. I didn’t finish my meal. My partner got the Chicken ‘n a Biscuit and she thought it was pretty bland. I agree. All in all, it was really just over priced for that kind of food.
We did get the Bourban Stone Sour and that drink was amazing, light, good flavors.

Had a reservation here with my friends for my birthday. We were seated promptly upstairs upon our arrival. Beautiful space.
We started off with some cocktails — all fabulous. I had the painkiller which was tasty.
We got the smoked whitefish first off the small plates. It was delicious.
For dinner we each ordered a glass of wine. Also shared the farfalle pasta (so good and possibly my favorite of the evening), pan roasted amish half chicken (this was some of the best chicken I’ve had in a restaurant), and some foccacia and duck fat fries on the side (neither disappointed).
Service was fantastic. Definitely enjoyed our dinner here.

Out of all the reception venues we looked into, the Bristol was really the perfect place for our 30-​person wedding. The staff were very personable, the food was delicious (appetizers, cocktails, dinner, and the wedding cake), and we really felt like Michelle and The Bristol did their best to ensure we had the perfect wedding night. And we did!
Throughout the planning process, Michelle ensured that we were satisfied with every detail we decided on. Her and the chef were even able to bring in an out-​of-​season dish we had requested.
Overall, there is nothing bad I could say about our experience. Every aspect of our wedding reception at the Bristol surpassed our expectations and perfectly fit our personality. We wanted an intimate, rustic, and beautiful wedding reception and that’s what we got. Michelle and the rest of The Bristol staff provided us with an opportunity to share an experience with our family and loved ones that truly represented me and my husband’s relationship and our life in Chicago.

Amazing fries, cinnamon rolls and nutter butters!
Ambiance: Very roomy, with lots of natural light coming in on a sunny day. They also have those large windows that open up to make it feel like you’re outside, which they opened while we were there, it was nice. It was very roomy for a Saturday morning/​afternoon. We made a reservation for 10am thinking it would be super busy (as is any Saturday or Sunday around brunch time), but it wasn’t. And throughout our time there business was pretty steady and never got packed. The fact that it wasn’t super packed or busy made it feel very roomy. With the amount of space, I’d say it’s a good brunch spot if you have kids and need high chairs.
Food:
HIGHLIGHTS:
Cinnamon roll, doughnut, duck fat fries, pork chilaquiles, and the «hangover.»
Main plates average $ 15 a plate and sides $ 6
DETAILS:
The cinnamon roll was amazing, words can’t justify or describe how delicious it was. It’s not like a Cinnabon roll (one of my favs!) with a ton of icing and overpowering cinnamon flavor. It’s light with the perfect amount of icing and the texture was fluffy and basically melted in your mouth. The doughnut was a vanilla custard filled one with blueberries and lemon flavoring, covered in powdered sugar. It was similar to that of a paczki (the Polish doughnuts pronounced «pon-​chki»). I didn’t really taste the vanilla or lemon flavoring, but definitely the blueberries. It was yummy and I’d recommend trying it especially if you love doughnuts like I do! Both the doughnut and cinnamon roll are good for sharing between 2 – 4 people.
The duck fat fries, wow. These are honestly the best fries I have ever had. They tasted amazing and were super crispy. You get alot for your money, good for sharing for a group of 4. I ordered the pork chilaquiles and they were good. I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t some more meat, but otherwise the meat was very tender and tasty. It was my first time having chilaquiles so I have no basis of comparison. But it’s good for sharing or for one person, I finished all of it. My friends got the «hangover» ramen and they weren’t wowed by it. They said the noodles were really good, but the broth was just ok. Lastly, since it was my birthday they served me their homemade nutter butters. I love peanut butter and cookies so needless to say I really enjoyed them. My friends don’t like peanut butter, but liked the cookie. Even though I got it as a birthday surprise, I’d order them again.
I love that the brunch menu is on the smaller side compared to most so it doesn’t make your decision too difficult. I would definitely come back to try some other things or for dinner.
Service: Our server and service overall was great! She was very attentive and quick.

Eat here, it’s really good. High quality neighborhood spot.
Cocktails — A
Focacia — A
Apple salad — C (way too much apple)
Whitefish and roe — A
Linguini and egg — B
Porchetta — A
Basque cake — A

Literally just came out of this place. Two words. LOVED IT!!!
Service was impeccable! Our server (didn’t catch his name) was very knowledgeable of both food and drinks and knew exactly when to come check on us. He didn’t interrupt us constantly and came two minutes after we’ve finished our dishes.
Food: where to begin. First, we started off with the mackerel dish and shrimp cake. The mackerel was cooked perfectly and seasoned so well. I am pretty good at pin pointing the spices in a dish, but the chef did a good job at keeping me guessing with this dish. The fish was delicate and paired well with the tangy fruits on the plate. The shrimp cakes were good. A flavor that is pretty new to my palette, a little bit of shrimp flavor and everything else that I cannot point my finger on. However, I can probably skip this dish the next time I come. Then we tried the lambs hearts and parts and the beef fried rice. The hearts and parts were served with a yummy jam and crostini with the hearts and parts in a «spam» like cut. IT WAS DELICIOUS! If you’ve ever had Banh mi, it tasted like the pâté that’s used as spread. The beef and rice dish with kimchi?
Was good. The beef was very tender and delicious with a bit of sweetness from the marinade. NOW, the part of the review I’ve been waiting for is the BASQUE CAKE! The hype? Yes, it definitely deserved it. I am NOT a fan of sweets whatsoever, but this soft poundcake-​ish of deliciousness paired with candied almonds and crème frache ice cream was seriously to die for. It is, no exaggeration needed, one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. (P.S, I believe the waiter said one of the dishes we had was the chef’s grandmother’s recipe, amazing!)
After hitting some of the tourist food spots, Chicago Dogs & Deep Dish pizza, The Bristol’s dishes should be the staple of this city!
I seriously love this place. ¹⁰⁄₅ stars.

I’m not one for the meats that this place serves up; but the fish sure was on point. Thankfully, my friends and I made some reservations to finally get a taste of all the hype.
The Bristol really delivered on all fronts. From the moment you walk in you get this intimate Chicago speak-​easy chopping-​block setting, if that makes any sense. Like a steak house; but on a modern level more intimate level. Dinner was amazing and the desert sinfully delightful!
Their «Apple Salad» reminded me of something I’ve once tried in Berlin, but nicely done with Manchego cheese, toasted hazelnuts and watercress. Got the poached Sea Trout for din.
It was nicely complimented with fluffy quinoa, pine nuts and a hint of lemon. The lemon balanced everything out, where I didn’t get the typical gameness from the Trout.
My Girls were very pleased with the Amish Chicken. Moist, juicy and very flavorful.
Sticky toffee pudding was on whole other level. I’m leaving Chicago with a few extra pounds but it was well worth the experience. I’m putting this place on my To Do list every time I visit.

This was our first visit to the Bristol for my husbands birthday diner. It was fabulous all around. Apparently they have a new menu so I can’t comment on what the food was like previously.
Service — attentive, knowledgable and quick (not rushed).
Food — meant for sharing and overall really amazing food. Perfect portions, impactful, memorable and tasty. FOCACCIA with ricotta and honey (dreamy), LIVING WATERS GREENS (best salad I have had in a long time. I need to re-​create this dressing), DUCK FAT FRIES (big serving, naughty and nice), MALFORMATI (this was the only thing that was slightly disappointing. Not enough meat and the sauce was too sweet. We provided our feedback and it was taken off the bill, which was a very nice gesture and not expected).
We also had a special that was like a twist on an ham and egg salad sandwich that deserves a permanent spot on the menu.
Drinks — bubbles and wine — although the cocktails that the neighbouring table had looked amazing.
Desert — nutterbutters (made in house).
We will be coming back. Love love love

Delicious! Although it seems like this place has some hit or miss tendencies, it seems we came on a «hit» night.
I had the «Painkiller» cocktail which was rum based, with coconut milk and tropical juices. My wife had the Moscow mule; both cocktails were strong and flavorful. We started with the focaccia bread, served with a whipped honey ricotta spread. It was fine, nothing too special but tasty enough. Then we had the duck fat fries, served with a homemade ketchup and a garlic aoli. These were delicious, crispy on the outside and tender inside and the garlic aoli was delicious. Next, we had the raviolo, stuffed with a runny egg yolk and a cheese and herb filling, sitting in a sunny lemon butter sauce. Delicious! The textures and flavored of this dish were very rich and satisfying, and the slight acidity helped tamp down all that richness. Super tasty.
Next we had the escolar with red quinoa. Although I could see describing this as «bland» I personally don’t mind something simple. The fish was buttery and perfectly cooked, the quinoa lightly crunchy, and there were a few crispy onions that added a little punch of flavor. Very enjoyable, and I’m not even a huge eater. We finished our savory endeavor with the kielbasa– yes, a splurge from our typical fish only eating style, but since they ethically source their pigs, we went for it. The cheddarwurst was salty, fatty and delicious, and was served in top of a pea purée. The one issue I had with this dish is the bacon in the pea purée, which I thought took the dish into a slightly too salty direction. It was still mighty tasty, but a touch too high on the salt.
We had the basque cake for dessert, which I enjoyed immensely. A very rich cake with buttery flavor, served with honey, crushed almonds and orange marmalade. The crunchy parts on the top of the cake were my favorite!
All in all we had a great meal and really enjoyed ourselves. The place was a little crowded and uncomfortable (hard metal chairs that bob precariously when one sits down) also, it was very loud because people are packed in there so tightly.
4.5 on food, 3 on ambiance– since food carries more weight for me, I’m giving it a 4.

This would absolutely be a five-​star review if we hadn’t had to wait about fifteen minutes for a table despite arriving on time for our reservation. There also wasn’t really a space to wait, and so it made the beginning of a weekend brunch with my mom a bit awkward.
However, once we were seated, things were excellent! We ordered the Cinnamon Roll to split – be aware that it is giant and delicious! We also had the Smoked Ham Benedict and French Toast, but we hardly even touched the French Toast after polishing off the Cinnamon Roll! Everything was excellent.
Other than our initial issues, the service was kind and quick, but without giving off a vibe that we were being rushed. The ambiance is also great – we lucked out with a table right next to the window, as the communal seats seem like they might get a bit cozy.
Overall, I would love to try this spot for dinner, or again for brunch, but hopefully they can get their reservation issues fixed!

Had dinner here on Saturday evening and it was the perfect fun and delicious reason you go out on Saturday kind of experience. Terrific food, great drinks, good service, and a lively room.
The menu is eclectic and requires a little thought to order appropriately if you want anything approaching a balanced meal. It’s the usual small plate conundrum — everything looks so good so you want it all. And it is all good, so order wisely but you can’t really good wrong. Here’s where we landed:
Country Pâté — really delicious, and excellent example of the art. Better than at many French places.
Endive Tarlet — warm and savory. Great winter comfort food, could have used a bit more crisp in the crust.
Bristol Fried Rice — really outstanding. Nice tang from the sauce and bite from the kimchi. We should have ordered two of these.
Duck Fat Fries — ’nuff said.
Sticky Toffee pudding — don’t even debate it, just get this. Warm, gooey, great flavor and shockingly light pudding. I don’t like caramel or toffee and I love this thing.
Basque Cake — like super rich pound cake with outstanding accompaniments (marmalade, candied almonds, and crème fraiche ice cream (!!!)). This is another outstanding dish.
But enough about the food — let’s talk about the cocktails. Interesting menu with a good balance of new and old. Plus, plenty of boozier drinks without fruit juice, which I always appreciate. I got the Sicilian Smoked Manhattan, which would clearly be Tony Soprano’s drink of choice should he ever dine here. This is like my dream drink — Smoked Bourbon, Amaro, and Orange Bitters. The smoked Bourbon is kind of like drinking a cigar along with your Bourbon. Only this way there is no ash tray needed (and you don’t taste like a cigar the next day). I highly recommend this one.
Service was outstanding. Our server was very helpful and accommodating and the bus team was right on it. Plate cleared and set at exactly the right moment. Shout out to this usually under appreciated team.
My old house used to be just a few blocks from here, we may need to move back just to have this be our local place.

Fantastic restaurant!
I enjoyed their very popular Roasted Chicken with Spätzle…wow, so good! Amazing texture and flavor from the chicken with a subtle and rich flavor from the spätzle. I also had the Duck Fat Fries, which were amazing.
I wish I could have tried brunch here and the burger looks impressive… I’m definitely going back!

KenScale: 8.5÷10
During my trip to Chicago, my friend that I was visiting asked around for the best brunch spot in the city and came up with The Bristol, a New American gastropub that has been winning praises for creative dishes and cocktail menus. On a gorgeous Sunday (unusually warm for the beginning of November by Chi-​town standard), I thoroughly enjoyed the brunch at this place. I’m by no means a brunch aficionado, but the execution of dishes was great.
If you had had too much to drink the night before, you can’t go wrong with hangover breakfast dish in the form of noodles and vegetables in pork broth. It is definitely not the ordinary dish, but beats many other ramen dishes I’ve had before, with aromatic flavor that was very soothing without overpowering your palate. I don’t think I’ve had the Mexican traditional dish chilaquiles before, but the one with braised pork at The Bristol was simply amazing. Combined with fried egg, lime, cilantro and queso, I’m ready to declare this dish the best brunch dish I’ve had this year, with decadent flavor that somehow maintains nice balance without over-​seasoning. I could seriously eat this dish for every brunch! Add in sides of crisply cooked bacons and duck fat fries, and your brunch has become suddenly wonderful. Cranberry coffee cake at the end capped a memorable brunch at the restaurant.
The restaurant has a full bar with some creative brunch cocktails such as bourbon sour (I haven’t tried just because I don’t like its flavor, but I saw so many other tables ordering their Bloody Mary). Getting a reservation wasn’t challenging, but it was nearly packed in the course of my meal, mostly with young, hip crowds looking to have a good time in the suburban neighborhood of Chicago (yes, the restaurant isn’t located in downtown). If you’re looking for a nice brunch option in Chi-​town, The Bristol won’t disappoint.

Really great weekend brunch. Brunch menu is short but has a nice variety of sweet and savory ranging from salads to French toast to burgers.
We had a group of six and were seated right away for our Sunday afternoon reservation. The house was busy! We started with the cinnamon roll and doughnuts and these were amazing. Cinnamon roll has a rich yet not overpowering flavor and the doughnuts were light and creamy.
We shared the chilaquiles and chicken and biscuit. The chilaquiles were hearty and meaty, with fresco and cilantro, a bit soggy but delicious nonetheless. The chicken and biscuit was scrumptious, very flavorful and balanced. Others had the Hangover Breakfast and Ham Benedict.

I’ve been meaning to make it to The Bristol for awhile, so when my friends bought a condo a few blocks from the restaurant I was finally able to go. Me and three friends decided to share a couple of plates and then get our own entrees so we could sample as much of the menu as possible. Overall, nothing stood out to me that would make me want to come back to The Bristol.
*Parker House Rolls — the top of the rolls were so good, but the rest of the roll was a little dry.
*Duck Fat Fries — amazeballs! Highlight of the meal.
*Octopus — just OK.
*Raviolo — definitely worth trying.
*Prime Skirt Steak — good, but nothing special.
*Frank and Beans — the bratwurst was delicious, but we weren’t a fan of the beans.
*Lemon Tart — really good. Recommend trying this dessert.
* Blueberry Cobbler — too sweet for my liking. Felt like there were packs of sugar poured into this dish.
*Basque Cake — can see why so many people have mentioned this dessert in their reviews. Good and enough for two to share.

I’ve been looking forward to coming here for so long and was expecting a great meal. Unfortunately that’s not what we experienced during our most recent brunch outing.
We had reservations and were quickly seated. The décor and ambience is awesome with a big open door to the outside and exposed brick.
After waiting for a good 10 minutes before anyone even greeted us at out table, we were able to order our drinks. From then on, our our server was completely absent. We watched group after groups around us get their meals and then their bills before we even received our appetizer. We could hear the tables next to us also complaining about service. Empty drinks and empty waters were ignored, time after time, until they were pointed out by us…
By the time our Chicken ‘N A Biscuit and Braised Pork Chilaquiles arrived, they were cold, almost to the point of being inedible… Clearly not how the were supposed to be served. The chilaquiles were too salty, but did have really great flavors. The chicken and biscuits were delicious but not worth all the other disappointments.
I’m sorry Bristol, I had hoped for so much better but was met with such disappointments