Le Colonial Restaurant Review

937 N. Rush St. (Walton St.) Send to Phone

An upscale, Vietnamese vibe prevails at this moody New York transplant.

Le Colonial Restaurant is one of our 2012 | Top 10 Chicago Sexy Restaurants | Top 10 Chicago Romantic Restaurants |

Cuisine

Vietnamese

Open

Lunch & Dinner daily

Features

Romantic setting
Private room(s)
Full bar
Reservations suggested
Outdoor dining
Open late Thurs.-Sat.
Valet parking
Casual

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Step inside the Chicago outpost of this restaurant with New York and San Francisco sibs and you're transported to Saigon in the 1920s (well, almost). Sepia-toned photos, louvered shutters, potted palms and lazily rotating ceiling fans set the stage for exotic meals. Despite somewhat tightly packed, white-clothed tables, thereâ€™s something downright romantic at play. Itâ€™s important to note that dishes are puny and pricey compared to those at the more authentic spots on Argyle Street, however. Still, much is forgiven in this evocative setting. Fresh rice-paper salad rolls and grilled shrimp wrapped around sugar cane are among the openers. The lovely selection of salads includes bracing, spicy beef salad redolent of lemon grass, basil and chile. Typical entrÃ©es include crisp, whole red snapper in spicy, sweet-tart sauce, ginger-marinated roast duck and a complex coconut-milk chicken curry. Be sure to check out the upstairs lounge with its ornate carpets, overstuffed sofas and tiny balcony: it, too, is built for romance.