We went to Henri as a treat during our visit to Chicago. Â In a town with so many high end food choices, we decided to treat ourselves to a world class lunch before visiting a world class museum (the Art Institute, literally across the street.) Â Everything we had was phenomenal - from our delicious drinks, to the incredible food, to the stellar service. Â We took our time and relaxed into one of the nicest lunches I've ever had.
Review Source:We were here on a Sunday night, because of the train we were early for our reservations. It was a quiet night most of the patrons were much older then us, and there were not many. The slow night did not reflect the quality of the food or the service. We had the tasting menu with the wine pairings. The food was exceptional and all but the last pairing were spot on. The bright stars were the amuse of main lobster over a brine gele with micro greens, paired with there version of a side car made with Pineau des Charentes and rye whisky. Delightful. The first course of foie gras made my dinner partner melt in front of me. It was paired perfectly with a dry cider form Normandy. The only true negative was the hand soap in the bathroom the sent was very strong, nice but each time I took a bite I could smell it, not I think what the chef wanted me to experience. The server did bring me a cloth and lemon to remove the sent, I very much appreciated the understanding. Over all the quality and experience were far better then the price, and empty dinning room suggested.
Review Source:Five star dining in a beautiful room without the pretention
The staff at Henri is professional but friendly. Conversation between patrons and staff flows freely while the kitchen prepares exceptional fare and the bar shakes unique drinks
It is imperative to me that I find a chef's tasting menu with wine pairings for my birthday. Last year I flew to Georgetown for that. This year I was happy to discover Henri on Michigan Avenue across the street from Millennium Park
The restaurant is beautiful in its appointments and colors. Beautiful chandeliers hang throughout the space and the soft blue-grey colors create a dining room boudoir-esque feeling that is comfortable but formal. The only miss on the décor is the odd choice of floral photographs on the walls that don't seem to fit with the restaurant or its location
To the tasting menu, I believe I was there the last night of this particular (and incomplete) menu, but it is worth reliving
Foie gras paired with hard cider was a revelation
Black bass was actually trout, paired with Chenin Blanc
Wood roasted squab paired with Pinot Noir (my favorite dish and pairing)
Bison with smoked potatoes paired with Cabernet Sauvignon
A forgettable 'honey' dessert reminscient of a semi-freddo paired with a nice amber dessert wine
Easy to recommend, rather, highly recommended. I would love to return, even if it were just for a few cocktails and a bread basket
I can not express enough how perfect this dining experience was. It was the most intimate and personal waiting experience. My date and I had a reservation made a couple days before. Imagine walking into this beautifully lit small intimate setting of a restaurant and the hostess already knowing you who were by name the second you walked in the door. It may have been a guess, but it was still very impressive and made it feel like we were friends upon arrival. What I loved is how small and intimate this restaurant was, it felt like you were in someone's beautiful dining room rather than a restaurant. The atmosphere is beyond romantic, and it will have you instantly connecting and staring off into your loved ones eyes. Even if you are celebrating something as small as your 5 month anniversary, and don't mention it until you get there, they will bring you complimentary champaign to make your night feel special. Another thing I absolutely loved was the waitress herself. She would give you ample time to decide, and would pay attention to when you were ready and would very quietly and intimately come over the corner of your shoulder and ask if you were ready for something else. It was so polite and even when the waitress came, it would never interrupt the conversation or romantic and intimate atmosphere between you and your date. And of-course the food was absolutely delicious. The steak tar tar came with a quail egg to be poured over it, which was so yummy- and I am not use to eating something so different or sophisticated. If you love good food, you will love Henri. And if you want a gaurenteed romantic dinner, look no further.
Review Source:A truly beautiful experience in Chicago for those that wish to spend the money. Honestly though, compared to many of the other high end restaurants around the area, Henri's prices are not ridiculous, especially for the quality of the food. I thought the service from our waiter could have been better, but the rest of the staff in the restaurant were all very helpful and nice. The dining area is small, but cozy and beautifully decorated.
I went here for my anniversary and we were allowed to be seated early, given free champagne, truffles for dessert, and a personalized menu that had the date of our anniversary. We were easily the youngest people there, but we didn't feel out of place and the dining experience felt very much private even though we shared a public dining space.
We ordered the steak tartare, lobster, and veal. They were all beautifully prepared and tasted amazing. The bread/butter is also pretty amazing, it's a shame that I was too full to even think about dessert though, but I'm sure it would've been delicious. Overall, Henri is definitely an experience that is wonderful from beginning to end.
Henri is one hell of a "dialed" restaurant. Â The decor is stunning and to the point. Â Our waiter this evening (January 4, 2013) was fantastic. Â I believe the gentleman was the bar manager, and he can make one hell of a cocktail. Â My drink had single malt (if I recall correctly) blood orange, and Carpano Antica- Lovely.
Dinner: Dozen Oysters, Steak Tartar, Ribeye, and a chocolate dessert (I do not recall) but it was very good. Â
Thank you Henri for giving me hope that there is such thing as impeccable service without being full of yourself. Â
I hope to see you soon.
(I would have given Henri 5 stars, but Yelp keeps pulling my "excellent" reviews off...hence the 4 star)
I still have a love affair with Henri years after my initial perfect drink and steak. I still note one of the best meals of my life, in this country, being here at Henri. Sadly they no longer make that NY strip or those delicious potatoes. Must have been a dream the first time around.
I still enjoy their other items like Kate's salad and the sullivan Chicken. Their creme brulee is one of the best as well. This is just a true gem in the heart of Chicago and I hope it remains here for a long time to come.
the place was beautiful with velvet walls and crystal chandeliers. we ordered
lobster wellington
steak tartare
roasted duck breast
butter poached lobster
woodland mushroom and knob onion
creme brulee
milk chocolate mousse
everything was good but not mind blowing the appetizers and desserts are the best!
I brought a friend here for her birthday dinner on a Wednesday night. Â We were running late because we kept driving past it, and then we had trouble finding the valet. Â The place was pretty busy when we got there, but we were seated right away. Â The place is dimly lit, quite romantic. Â The service was prompt, and sparkling water was complimentary. Â We ordered off the regular menu instead of the tasting menu. Â We ordered 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 1 side, and 2 desserts (1 complimentary for the birthday girl). Â The food was very good, and the service was great. Â The free dessert and special printed menu for my friend was a very nice touch. Â Overall, a very good experience.
Appetizers: Â
Lobster Wellington - Â so good
Steak Tartare - Refreshing and yummy
Entrees:
Butter Poached Lobster - very good
Duck Breast with foie gras - duck was tasty, but a little dry; foie gras was very good
Side:
Wild Mushrooms - okay
Dessert:
Tahitian Vanilla Crème Brulee - very good, the custard was very smooth with the perfect hint of vanilla, and the sugar crust was thin and crispy
Chocolate Mousse Cake - the cake was good, but the pumpkin brittle was the star of the dish, and the salted ice cream was a little too salty
Very cozy restaurant. Â Excellent service!!! Â The Cinq a Sept cocktail was amazing!
Moon Mountain vodka, Clarified McIntosh Apple, St. Germain, cinnamon syrup was the perfect cocktail!!!  I usually stay away from cocktails because they are quite sweet but this was extremely well balanced!  For my main entree I ordered the Saturday Special - Roasted Pork Loin.  It was slightly dry but had good flavoring.  The Pomme Aligot was so delicious!  We were in Paris for our honeymoon a year go and we fell in love with it so we have been searching for the best Aligot in USA, this was the closest we've found so far!  The  Crème Brulée was good but nothing special.  The Manjari Ganache was very good, not too sweet and very light.  The entire staff was very pleasant and very friendly!  Loved the dinning experience!  Will definitely go back!
I'd been meaning to try Henri for a while. I'd only hesitated because they're owned by the same people as The Gage, which I have mixed feelings about.
We stopped by at 9pm on a Friday night without a reservation, and were seated immediately. It's a pricey French-style fine dining restaurant. Both our meals were very well executed (the Friday special, bouillabaisse, and one of their other specials, venison garnished with sweetbreads). They have a good wine and cocktail list, and a helpful sommelier. Service was formal but not stuffy.
This place was good. In fact one of the better meals i have had in Chicago. The service was great and our food better. It is very quite which was nice since my grandfather has trouble hearing. Â Everything came out on time and the meals where a good size. I had a steak and it was cooked just right. My wife had the chicken and loved that the dark meat was separate in its own bowl.
The only reason i didnt give a five is cause of the Foie gras. Made sure no one at my table had it the process in which this is made is absolutely horrible. But honestly dont hold it against them the place is good and i told the server i was opposed to Foie gras and he was very nice offering to substitute things.
3.5 - food was very good, but overall the stuffiness of the restaurant was a huge turnoff.
The restaurant is small and the overall crowd seemed to skew to the 40+ demographic. There is nothing wrong with that, though the conversations we were hearing made me roll my eyes...
The hostess was extremely rude to us, but apologized later, and our bartender seemed to notice so he gave us a round of drinks on the house which was nice. However the whole exchange just made us feel even more out of place than we already felt.
Th saving grace was the food. It really was very impressive and flavorful.
I doubt I will go back, but if I do I will go during a time that I can sit on their patio as the view of Millennium Park is gorgeous.
My boyfriend took me here for our anniversary and it was one of the most special nights we've ever had. We both did the chef's tasting menu and it was sublime. The restaurant celebrated with us by providing a couple glasses of complimentary champagne and even printed "Happy Anniversary" on the menus!
Since we also did the wine pairings with the dinner, instead of giving us the normal first drink (which was a sparkling wine) because we'd just had something similar, they spiced things up with a wonderful little cocktail.
There's just a lot of thought that goes into this place. The staff never makes you feel out of place, the environment is gorgeous with velvet walls and chandeliers, and it was just fantastic.
I hope I can come back again some day!
After reading the YELP reviews - I had high expectations of Henri but I am not sure the hype was worth it. Â My experience falls between 3 and 4 stars. Â I am giving a 3, because while it was good, i probably wouldn't go out of my way to go back.
My mom loved her appetizer and entree and dessert. Â I on the other hand - had a salad - which was good - but nothing special. Â My entree (Dover Sole for $50) was good - but nothing unusual - just buttery white fish cooked very well. Â I enjoyed the fish the most out of everything...but for $50, I should love it. Â Dessert - inedible in my opinion (and I love dessert). Â Drink- good, but I wouldn't order a second.
The Pros:
 - Beautiful ambiance
 - Exceptional service
 - Fresh, seasonal, interesting cuisine
 - amazing warm rolls
The Cons:
- Parking, no valet
- overpriced for what we got
4.6
Went here for my birthday (yay me!) and it was really quite fabulous. Â I have to say, that the food was very nice, as was the ambiance, but it was the service that pushed it over the top. Â I think I can safely say that this is the best customer service I have ever received at a restaurant. Â Period. Â But let me start with the food.
We shared the Truffle and Asparagus Pissaladiere (fancy word for flatbread in this case). Â I'm a sucker for anything truffle, so I was a happy camper. Â For my entree I got the Butter Poached Lobster (with arugula, figs, woodland mushroom, lobster vinaigrette). The combination of textures and flavors was good and the lobster was very substantial. Fabulous wine list!
now on the the non-food:
1. if you tell them it's your birthday they create a special menu that has your name on it and says happy birthday.
2. Our waiter was opinionated...in a good way. Â I hate when I ask a waiter's opinion and they just kind of say "everything is good." Â He gave detailed explanations and thoughtful opinions.
3. My friend said, in passing, that she was feeling a bit chilly. Â Our waiter brought over a pashmina, which apparently they have on hand for similarly chilly folk. Â Such a thoughtful touch, that I've never seen before!
4. When we asked about getting a cab, the manager (not our waiter or front of house, but manager) ran out and grabbed us a cab and helped us in.
A mediocre attempt at french cuisine.
Foie gras was bland and steak tartar was fatty and very salty.
Watercress soup was good and the mains were okay. Â Chef that evening over seasoned with salt.
Ambiance was a dated attempt for a French theme.
Service was pleasant but not fine dining.
Very solid fine dining restaurant -- came here for lunch and ordered the 3 course prix fixe for $29. Â Started with the steak tartare, which was very good. Â Nice, smoked flavor to the beef and mixed well with a raw quail egg. Â
For the main entree, had the snapper. Â Not my favorite dish. Â A bit too fishy for my tastes -- could have used a bit more citrus to counter the fishiness. Â
For dessert, had the creme brulee. Â One of the best crume brulee's I've had ever. Â Very creamy, great vanilla flavor, and a good balance to the sugar coating. Â Really good and worth getting.
The service here was exceptional. If you tell them it's your birthday, they throw in a special birthday menu (a menu that says "happy birthday") and wish you happy birthday. Every plate was beautifully and artfully presented.
We had the tomatoes (good), the wellington lobster balls (AMAZING), the butter poached lobster, and I believe a special entree--maybe it was venison. Def a game meat, I think.
Anyway, it was a top notch dining experience.
The best restaurants I have ever been to are Melisse (Santa Monica, CA), Restaurant Guy Savoy (Las Vegas), Michael's Gourmet (Las Vegas), and L'Atelier by Joel Robuchon (Las Vegas). Â So, when I read reviews that a place is the best restaurant someone has ever been to, I get pretty excited to try it. Â Last night I tried Henri. Â The food was good, not great, the service was good, but hardly to the level of a Michelin level restaurant, which is why I cannot give it 5 stars. Â
We ordered the tuna crudo and the foie gras pave to start and the rib eye poivre and the squab for entrees. Â The tuna crudo was very good, but the foie gras was a let down. Â It was tasty, but nothing compared to the foie gras offered by Melisse and Restaurant Guy Savoy. Â As for the squab, it was tasty with a bacon-like flavor. Â While the rib eye was delicious and cooked to perfection, it was not the best steak I have ever tasted. Â That honor goes to Michael's Gourmet Room (Prime Sirlion Cut) and Carnevino (riserva cut).
All in all, Henri is very good, but it is far from the best restaurant I have ever been to. Â If you are looking for a good meal with great service, you should try Henri. Â For a truly exceptional experience (flavors and service), you should try Melisse (Santa Monica), Restaurant Guy Savoy (Las Vegas), or Michael's Gourmet Room (Las Vegas). Â Still, Henri is a good restaurant with a good price point.
Waw is all I can say .
I had my birthday dinner there , the staff must have told me happy birthday 14 times.
They also had my name customized on a sheet of  paper with the menu options for my birthday
They are super friendly from the moment I stepped in.
I love the fact that they are not pushy to order , they know people come for the scenery and food and they give you ample time to enjoy both .
Now the food ...
I had the cold zuccuni soup . It was very refreshing
I has the 14 oz steak . Medium well. Thus one if the very few times that I had it done right.
There was friend bone marrow on the steak with the side of spiced butter. Massively delightful and full of fresh pepper corn.
for desert, i had the creme brulee , it was not the best i have had, but not terrible.
out water was refilled constantly, we had constant check ups but not intrusive and our table was cleaned with a blade which very few restaurants do now a days ( only the very high class ones like this ) and it makes the dining experience very elegant !
I loved the view, over looking the fountain at night, changing its colors, very very romantic.
Management did not over look a single detail, fromt the moment we walked in till the very moment we stepped out was very carefully planned, designed and taken care of.
very very very well worth your time and money , GO THERE !
I love french food and this place met my expectations. Â Â The food and service were both excellent. Â
Like most "trendy" french places, the portions were small, but hit the spot perfectly and were full of flavor. Â My colleague and I both enjoyed our meals. Â We started with the mixed lettuces and Foie Gras. Â For the entrees, we had the white fish and lobster nanua and Game of the Day, which was Venison - both meals were exceptional.
Classic white linen atmosphere with soft music in the background.
Total bill was between was between $150-200 with a bottle of wine. Â
Try it!
I am still amazed that this place is from the same folks who brought you The Gage, located next door. Â The two spots are two different worlds and after the lackluster showing of Gage, I was hesistant to shell-out for a night here. Â I am really glad I changed my mind. Â
We were in for an early Friday dinner and were seated right away. Â I had checked the menu online, but was sure it was wrong because who would be serving things like cassooulet and bouilaibasse in mid June? Â Nope, there it was, bouilabaisse as a daily special. Â I was thrilled since I love the dish. Â I also started with the soup of the day, a cold, raspberry and red pepper with blasamic mousse. Â Delish. Â Husband ate the foie gras and took advantage of the unlimited bread service (seriously, they needed to cut him off) and had a steak that was cooked perfectly. Â My main dish had halibut, calamari, shrimp, lobster, mussels and clams - yum - but the broth was a bit bland before adding the rue - which was red pepper and reminiscent of my soup!
All this was still under $200 with two drinks and sparkling water for the table. Â Not bad - I will defnitely be back for the cassoulet with duck confit and house made sausage!
I will keep it somewhat short.
Emily - wow, what amazing service, THANK YOU.
We came here for our first wedding anniversary. They custom printed menus with "Happy 1st Anniversary!" at the top and brought champagne on the house to start.
We got shared 4 things:
Tuna Pave - excellent. Order this. Period. Done.
Pork Loin - perfectly cooked. I don't even like or ever order pork and I lustily ate this dish up.
Duck - so many flavors. Very well cooked. Cannot go wrong with this.
Ice creams/sorbet - underrated. At the bottom of the dessert menu, and I would guess, not ordered often. The Early Grey ice cream was to die for and the sorbet was perfect for summer.
I got some sort of local beer that Emily told me was "food friendly" and she was right - spectacular. And still or sparkling water are both on the house which is a nice touch.
Price was spectacular: half of the cost of some of the 2 star Michelin places but a better experience.
I am crowning Henri my favorite restaurant in all of Chicago. Service, food, ambiance, location, price, everything, just a home run all around. Thank you again for such a memorable dinner, Henri team!!
French paradise!
Henri has been on my wish list for a long time. Decided to have lunch here with my BFF to celebrate both our birthdays. The ambiance is cute and feels upscale. The french music and the peace inside will make you forget that you're in the busiest part if the city. We decided to opt for the Prix fix menu. The vegetable potage of the day was a chilled apricot soup and it was the perfect first course on the warm sunny day. Tried the buckwheat crepes (isn't the best crepe I've tasted but the mushroom filling was good) and Sea bass (cooked perfectly but the dish missed the mark). The best part of any French meal is of course, the dessert. We thoroughly enjoyed the trio of ice cream and sobet (Vanilla, Chocolate n lemon-mint) with a palmier cookie and the shining dish that elevated the entire meal to 4 stars was the Chocolate Cremeux... absolutely divine!
Met with a dear friend for lunch here to catch up. Its a beautiful place - the ambiance is lovely - very girly though. Perfect for lunch with the girls!!
Both of us went with the pre-fixe menu. Both of us got the vegetable potage - which was a cold apricot soup with hazelnuts and foie gras mousse. It was divine. It was perfect for a hot day such as today. Both of us absolutely loved it. Second course was buckwheat crepes for my frnd and the Nicoise moderne (fish was sea bass) for me. The fish was perfectly cooked and delicious. I didn't really care for the accompaniments on the dish. The buckwheat crepes had woodland mushrooms which were delicious and meaty, but the crepes themselves were quite heavy. Was not too crazy about the crepes.
Next was the dessert - the dessert was super awesome!! Â We ordered the ice cream and sorbet which was vanilla and choco icecream and lemon mint sorbet. IT was mind blowing. The other dessert I don't really remember the exact name - but it had chocolate and caramelized banana caramel - mmm.... delicious!! The service was perfect.
My husband and I dined here on a Friday evening in April for his birthday. Â We made reservations for 9 PM at night. Â The restaurant was full, but not crowded like it's sister restaurant, The Gage. Â We were seated in the booth to the left of the entrance. Â Our hostess said it was voted one of the most romantic spots in Chicago. Â It was nice to be able to view the restaurant as well as the city. Â We did enjoy being cozy with each other.
For starters, we had the Tuna Pavé and the Smoked Steak Tartare.  Both were absolutely delicious and items we would both order again in a heartbeat.  I loved the richness of the quail egg over the tartare.  The tuna in the Tuna Pavé was so fresh and well seasoned.  For the entree, we had the 14oz Rib-eye and the Venison special.  Both again were very good.  I had ordered the rib-eye medium well, but it came out more on the medium to well-done side.  The venison was cooked to a perfect medium well.  I thought the vegetables that accompanied the rib-eye could have used a bit more seasoning as well as a bit more sauce for the rib-eye.  The butter was suppose to melt over the rib-eye, but the butter was a bit too cold and didn't quite melt like I thought it would.  For dessert, we decided to split a strawberry dish that I can't remember and wasn't memorable. Â
I had pretty high hopes for Henri, but after the starter dishes, everything else fell a bit flat for us. Â In addition, service was a bit slow. Â If I am ever in Chicago, I do want to come back and try their brunch as I love a good Croque Madame.
TDLR; Okay food, slow service, great for romantic date nights, will come back for brunch.
Another great experience with my lil' bro and family in Chicago! We had a party of eight, so we did the seafood tower, then ordered appetizers and entrees, which we shared a bit so that I got to try a few things. Everything I tried was excellent.
Crown tower of seafood -- great way to try a bunch of seafood, though my faves were the oysters and lobster salad, which can be ordered a la carte. There was also some kind of fish that was prepared to look like ceviche. I usually love ceviche, but it wasn't at all citrus-y, so I'm not sure I'd call it that.
Smoked steak tartare -- basic but solid, a generous portion.
Lobster "Wellington" -- lobster and foie gras in yummy, flaky balls of pastry.
Butter poached lobster -- also basic but very solid. I liked the little chunks of beets, and since I asked for no mushrooms they made mine with tiny slivers of haricots verts. Yum.
The only thing I would say is that they need to either have a better waiting area, or make sure that the tables are ready at the reserved time. We arrived a few minutes early, but the table still wasn't ready when our reservation time came and went.
Since there was nowhere to wait, we ended up having to stand around by the entrance, right next to other diners' tables, which couldn't have been great for them. Then, when it was time for us to take our seats, two other parties had arrived and were blocking the entrance and hovering around beside our table.
I am in love with Henri! Don't tell my Hubby! But seriously folks...
Both Hubby and I LOVED this place! If I could give 6 stars, I would.
We went during Nato, so we were one of a few tables. It made it nice and quiet. We were thinking that the servers would be hovering... but no, just the right level of attention.
The ambiance is relaxing. We sat by the window and looked out on Michigan Ave. The decor is modern French, teal and brown, and comfortable seating. The bar also looked inviting. (next time)
Hubby and I both loved our drinks enough to order a second once we finished our first. Hubby had a Manhattan and I had a Dutch 75. Mine was light and crisp. Perfect with my food.
The waiter described most all of the dishes. He did such a nice job. It made me want to order almost every one of them. He instructed us to only order a starter and an entree. I wanted to also order a salad, since at some of the upscale restaurants lately they seem to put "form" over "function" (see Balena) and skimp on the portions. Not this place. Our waiter steered us correctly. We did not go away hungry!
Hubby had the soup of the day. It was a curry cauliflower with shrimp soup. It had such wonderful flavors and was very rich. I had a grilled calamari in a tomato cream sauce. It came with grilled bread which helped me get every last drop of the sauce. yum.
I had a grilled black sea bass for my entree. It had crispy edible skin and a tomato olive sauce/side. Excellent! Hubby had a veal dish. He felt it was a tiny bit rare, but loved it and ate every bit of it.
We were celebrating... so they brought us out a creme brulee. Hubby and I don't normally like creme brulee, so at first I was disappointed. As we cracked into the sugary top, I thought we might as well give it a try. OMG! We devoured it! It was a nice large flat one, so we didn't need to fight over the burnt sugar topping. Underneath was smooth creamy vanilla heaven.
When we got the check, they had two little chocolate brownies. Delish!
We had a wonderful evening. I agree with some other yelpers that this is one of the best restaurants in Chicago. I actually went back to look at my other 5 start ratings. This really is the best of the best!
I'm tempted to say Henri is the best restaurant in Chicago (although I am sure some foodies would disagree). Â I'm not into the "food for show" kind of places---I'm "just" looking for exquisite food, with superb service, in a nice space. Â Henri ticks all of those boxes!
The room is small but very nice, with good light (large windows looking onto Michigan Avenue) and a kind of modified French decor. Â Every detail of the decor is nice, including the comfortable upholstered chairs. The entire staff, from the host to the busboys, was attentive (but not intrusive), and very pleasant. Â (When is the last time a busboy smiled at you when you thanked him for refilling your water glass?) Â
The food, of course, is the most important part. Â We each had the mixed green salad with Roquefort and grapes---absolutely delicious, with an excellent champagne vinaigrette. Â My friend had the fluke (which is what they now have instead of the Dover sole), which she thought was very good. Â I had the Sullivan chicken. Â Wow---I never thought I'd rave about baked chicken, but I can't stop thinking about it! Â Tender, and with wonderful flavors. Â We had the jasmine creme caramel for dessert--light and fluffy. Â I loved everything I tasted!
Henri is, of course, expensive. Â Our bill for dinner for two (one drink each) was about $200. Â I thought it well worth the price, though, for a top-notch dining experience. Â Highly recommended.
Dinner here was a sublime pleasure!! From the gracious and attentive service by Rich, Terry and the whole staff, to exquisite cuisine, the experience in this intimate and luxurious dining room is not to be missed.
I had a mixed greens salad with Roquefort cheese, pistachios and grapes which was dressed in a light and delicious vinaigrette. Love that the elegant french food is as locally sourced as possible. My chicken was to die for, as was the almond financier that followed for dessert. What a transportive experience--definitely a gem among gems in the city!
Henri is one of the finest restaurants in Chicago. The service is impeccable and the cuisine is consistently delicious.
I was there last Friday for dinner with my parents who were in town. Â We arrived on time for our reservation, but waited a bit for our table to become available. Â During our wait the manager/owner brought us complimentary drinks and chatted with us a bit, and shortly after being seated we were immediately treated with a couple bites from the kitchen.
Our dinner was fantastic (I had the duck), everyone was very pleased with their meal.
Great all around, If you haven't been make a reservation ASAP!
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE Henri! Â I love french food, and Henri did such a phenomenal job representing French cuisine. Â Every second of our meal and experience there was just perfect. Â We adored our server who was always around when we needed, had great suggestions, and made us feel so special! Â
We went for dinner, but if you go for lunch, they have these pizza-like dishes that are to die for. Â We had a bite of one for one of our appetizers and it was just so so so good! Â Our entrees were perfection. Â I got a HUGE piece of lobster that was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Â My fiance got their duck that had the most delicious foie gras mousse I've ever had. Â Our desserts were also very satisfying.
The ambiance is so quaint, clean, and pretty. Â I want to decorate my home like this restaurant! Â I personally think it is one of the best places for a date!
Our menu:
=Appetizers=
- Oysters
- House-cured Bacon w/ caramelized onion, crème fraiche, leek  stone oven pissaladière
=Entrees=
- Butter Poached Lobster w/ beet, woodland mushrooms, beurre monté
- Roasted Duck Breast w/ confit, foie gras mousse, spice poached pears, hazelnut, pomegranate
=Desserts=
- Almond Financier w/ pear, cognac caramel sauce, almond hache, buttermilk ice cream
- Milk Chocolate Mousse Cake w/ caramel cremeux, hazelnut ice cream, port caramel
I was so very excited to try Henri as I know it had the distinction of being picked as the Top 50 Best Restaurants in the World (for 2011 I believe...) Having said that, my bf and I went for lunch on a Friday afternoon, and I was surprised at how small the restaurant was. It is decidedly very French and I am glad we got a seat by the window with great views (partly blocked by the patio) of Millennium Park.
What I am most pleased and amazed is the offer of complimentary still or sparkling water!!! We were offered fresh warm bread with churned butter with a bit sea salt and omg, my bf couldn't stop raving about how tasty the butter was. We would have eaten the butter itself if it didn't make us look improper *pinky up.*
We had Rich as our server and he was absolutely fantastic. Everything was Yes Ma'am with a smile! He recommended a white (name escapes me but tell him what you fancy and he will hit the nail with the perfect wine pairing). He provided us specials of the day (soup and main course options), and my bf and I both had the sandwich special of the day which was a white fish ceviche with fava beans and grapefruit in between the most soft and buttery brioche bun. YUM! For appetizers, I had the foie gras which was not HEAVY in any way (2 round pate's) and my bf had the bacon pizza which he devoured the WHOLE THING because it was that good.
Rich was very kind in offering us complimentary dessert which just made him that much more wonderful! This place is absolutely darling. The service is impeccable and the opposite of pretention and obnoxious-ness. Every waiter had his part and played it right on time, from the bread being served on time to water continually being poured so that the glass was never empty. Never intrusive, but someone was always there when you required something. It's very intimate and small - just the way I like it.
I would love to come back here and I wish that Henri could pick up and move itself to Toronto. Lunch for two including a bottle of good white and scotch and dessert wine and full course came to $196 which, although expensive, was worth every penny. I can now see why this restaurant would be considered one of the best in the world, and Chicago is very lucky to have it!
Went to Henri for lunch for the first time and really enjoyed it. The restaurant itself is beautiful! It is very elegant but not overdone at all. The food was good, but I wasn't wowed. Then again, I'm kind of a tough crowd.
We all started with their soup du jour which was a celery root and fennel puree with lobster, pomegranate, and pieces of fennel. Â I thought this soup was beautifully done and really tasty. The pomegranate was such a unique combination with the celery root and added great texture to the soup. Â The lobster was also cooked perfectly. For my main course I had the buckwheat crepes, but I was really underwhelmed. It was good, but I was expecting something with a more complex taste and I felt like the crepe, mushrooms, etc. all blended together in a somewhat bland way unfortunately. It certainly wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite. If I hadn't ordered the soup I'd probably be giving Henri 3 stars, but the soup was definitely the perfect thing on a cold spring day!
I'm writing this review not because Henri needs more accolades or needs to know how I felt about my recent experience there, but because I'm feeling sentimental and want to relive that night. Â It was ten days ago. Â You can be sentimental about young memories, too. Â
Let's talk about the things I saw. Â The dining room, which is one large room, has one wall of windows overlooking Michigan Ave. and the southern third of Grant Park. Â Inside it's pretty, pretty, pretty. Â The chandeliers are embraced with a satiny translucent bronze band, which look attractive and do attractive things with the lighting. Â You will look attractive, is what I'm saying. Â The color palette is what I'd call femme-mellow: aqua and cream with velvety brown. Â Technically, I also saw my husband there and he, too, is easy on the eyes. Â Â Â Â Â
Let's talk about the things I ate. Â First I had a simple green salad with Roquefort, grapes and pistachios. Â Luckily for me, Mr. Beth D. has a thing about fruit in salads so he did not attempt to eat any of mine. Â It was a salad made of the Jolly Green Giant's hand-picked, superior mesclun leaves - truth. Â Later I flipped a coin and ordered the Sullivan chicken, which would have been phenomenal without the extras (truffles, salsify) but was that much more special with them. Â It was so moist and the skin was so light and crisp I actually brought it up more than once afterwards. Â Chicken you talk about? Â Yes, if it's this chicken. Â
In case you were wondering, the other side of the coin was the buckwheat crepes with creme fraiche, vegetables and mushrooms. Â Next time, little crepes, next time.
Let's talk about the fact that there was a girl there in the exact same dress as me. Â I didn't care. Â I had a river of goodwill hormones flowing through my veins. Â Also a strong cocktail (the Negroni, by the way - the only thing I would not order again).
By the end of the meal, we were discussing phase III of our NYE and were both disinclined to leave Henri. Â We lingered over our coffee and dessert longer than usual, but I imagine that happens more often than not at Henri. Â It took some discipline to get up and walk into the buzzing city night but we rallied. Â I hope we can make Henri more than a once-every-365-days event. Â S'il vous plait?
Here was New Year's Eve number two with my inestimable treasure, as of two weeks ago now my wife. Â NYE #1 was fun and unique, but I wanted to make this one elegant, and at least equally memorable, to celebrate the fantastic year that we had. Â Matinee tickets to Elizabeth Rex at one end of our outing, a quiet and romantic midnight at home at the other end...I needed an exquisite dinner in between.
Henri turned out to be a sagacious choice to make our New Year's Eve special, not through ostentation or ebullience, but simply by a brilliant execution of the classic fine dining experience.
Service was perfect throughout; this staff expertly strikes just the right tone in all aspects. Â The smallish space is decorated gorgeously, the music smooth and cool with a twinge of fun and good humor, and the crowd charming and convivial but not boisterous. Â Again, the room strikes the perfect balance between calm and intimate and energetic and engaging.
Of course the consumables should always be the main attraction, and at Henri they do everything wonderfully. Â The French 75 (a NYE semi-tradition of mine) was tempting, but I started with a very nice, modestly innovative and well crafted cocktail called the Henri Presse, made with rye whiskey, lemon, and a couple of obscure French liqueurs. Â I am particular about the kinds of cocktails that I consume just before dinner, and I decided that this drink fits the bill perfectly even in winter but would also satisfy on spring and summer afternoons. Â
The bread is phenomenal, just as at The Gage, but, enigmatically, it seems not to be the same kind. Â Am I mistaken? Â How could they possibly have found the two best breads in all the land? Â Genius, if so. Â The chilled shrimp was rather plainer than I expected, but excellent nonetheless. Â I eagerly ordered the evening's special soup, a cream of cauliflower over braised whitefish and lobster with shaved black radish and a scoop of caviar. Â The soup was absolutely amazing, probably my favorite item amidst a meal comprised only of great successes.
I had looked forward all week to the pork loin, but our waiter informed us that the daily special entrees had been set aside in favor of several dishes presented specifically for the occasion. Â I found worthy recompense for my disappointment in the marvelous venison loin, with sunchoke and trumpet mushrooms. Â My lovely dinner partner shared several bites of her "Sullivan Chicken," both the roasted white-meat portion and the delicious, rich, dark-meat fricasee with winter vegetables. Â
And of course dessert. Â By then I just wanted to sit there and bask in the glow of a magical night out with my beloved. Â French press coffee--Kenyan, my favorite--and an imaginatively refreshing dessert: Â coconut pavlova with Meyer lemon curd, topped with hibiscus-candied pineapple, and poppyseed streusel and basil sorbet on the side. Â Wow.
What a wonderful way to spend two hours. Â It was the jewel at the center of our perfect New Year's Eve. Â I hope to return again soon, special occasion or otherwise.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,607 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,970 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,306 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,905 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,983 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
