Brasserie Ruhlmann

I want to love this place. So much in fact, that I’ve been here several times for brunch, cocktails and dinner hoping that this time will be the time I’m bowled over. But to no avail.
There are few spaces in the City as beautifully designed as Ruhlmann; it really is a throwback to the decadence of the 1920’s. The place is palatial! And unless it’s completely full, which it never is, the shear size of the place sucks the energy from the room. Even a jazz orchestra or piano player would make this space much warmer.
The food and alcohol on the other hand are just okay… their mussles are good, but made better by the fact that their served in the classic Staub kettle straight from the oven. The raw bar is good, but not fantastic. They make a pretty decent Champagne cocktail with fresh berries… paired with the Pot de Crème, and I’m happy.
I would have to say the only time I’ll frequent this place again is for dessert and/​or a cocktail.

Brasserie Ruhlmann, French meaning of the phrase translates in English as «Don’t order 12 double Makers and Diets on Valentine’s Day»
Not cool…
Ruhlmann is nothing short of awesome. The décor is outstanding: Red velvet upholstery on all of the chairs, beautiful mirrors carved into spectacular shapes and placed strategically on the walls. Candle light dining at it’s finest, especially for a romantic dinner on Valentine’s Day.
The menu from what we were told is classic Brasserie, which is good? We started off with a few appetizers, which tasted very nice. We both ordered a fillet for the main course, with sides of fried potatoes and asparagus. OMG everything we had was full of flavor and prepared perfectly!
Definitely would recommend this restaurant for ambiance and taste!

For my graduation dinner, my family and 2 close friends headed out to Brasserie Ruhlmann. They were very attentive to our party of six, so despite a few hiccups, I’m still giving them 4 stars, though 3.5 would be more appropriate.
For starters, we ordered shrimp cocktail, oysters on the half shell, tuna tartare, escargots, and lobster bisque. Everything was spot on except for the tuna tartare; there was some weird sesame crunch that didn’t taste quite right with the dish. Shrimp and oysters were fresh and delicious! Escargots were lovely with the garlic-​butter sauce. And the lobster bisque was velvety smooth and rich.
Some of the entrees were stars, while some were definite misses. The steak au poivre came out very strong — in a bad way. The peppercorn encrusted steaks may have been left on the burner for too long because my sister couldn’t finish half of it — it was too smokey and spicy. Even my friend, who loves spicy foods, had to scrape off the crust. The duck l’orange was beautiful; it wasn’t too fatty, but wasn’t dry at all. My pork chops were excellent; it was easy to cut through and very tender.
Dessert was the real highlight. Our table had a lot of fun ordering dishes. We had the special praline eclairs, pots de crème, coffee-​chocolate mousse, lemon tart, and raspberry napoleon. We demolished the desserts. Though the real standouts were the pots de crème and praline eclairs. Yummy.
Service was attentive throughout the meal. Empty dishes were cleared away and empty glasses were refilled. Servers never made us feel uncomfortable, so it was a very pleasant experience.

I was impressed by Ruhlmann for a few reasons:
— They took some risks on the tried-​and-​true brasserie recipes, like not having crème brûlée on the menu
— There was a large amount of fish, which was quite tasty
— Their frissee salad was fantastic
— The pot de crème was fantastic
The service wasn’t outstanding, and it is in an odd part of town, but the outdoor seating looks like it would be awesome in nice weather (it was 50 when I went).

Definitely a restaurant that I’ll remember for both the décor and the food. The atmosphere is very New York — seems always busy and a little loud. I had the lobster bisque, which was very rich and tasty, and then the duck l’orange — perfection. The organic chicken is also surprising, considering chicken is usually boring. Drinks were a bit weak for the price. For dessert I tried the apple tart, which now sits on my top 5 list at #3 for Best Dessert Ever. (I also heard the Pot O’Cream — or Pot d’crème if you prefer the French — is lovely.) Also try the Green Tea passion. And, strangely enough, they have incredible orange juice!!! (My boyfriend was sick so he ordered orange juice.) Reeeally good.
Only complaint: Server was MIA most of the night. With these kinds of prices, one should not have to chase l’server around for another drink. Upon a second visit, and with better service, I might upgrade my 4 star rating to a fiver.

First, it’s worth mentioning that I was treated to lunch by a sales rep. I would not be able to afford this place on my own and it’s way fancier than I would ever splurge on. It’s one of those places where you don’t realize there are five people watching you eat until you drop your fork… and then there is a guy who runs right over and gets you a new fork. Suddenly it dawns on you that a lot of people are watching you eat. Awkward.
Anyway, first problem: when we arrived the host looked us up and down and must’ve decided he didn’t like what he saw because he asked if he could help us with a tone that slightly suggested we must’ve been lost. When he seated us he didn’t ask if he could take our coats. Not necessarily a problem because I don’t mind hanging my coat on the back of my chair or leaving it on the seat next to me. But then as I looked around I noticed that no one in the restaurant had coats. Which is odd in February in Chicago. That made me feel very awkward since this was a «fancy’ place and I was the only person with my coat with me in the entire restaurant. Not a big deal though.
Our waiter was great. Can’t remember his name. Tall, young African-​American man. He was very attentive, he knew the menu and had great suggestions on what to eat.
Overall I’m giving three stars for the food, waiter and décor (which is awesome!). The host and host alone are the reasons I can’t say five stars. He just made me incredibly self conscious that I was in a fancy restaurant and that I stuck out. I really feel like a restaurant should bend over backwards to make their clientèle feel welcome. Particularly the host.
The food is divine though. I had an asparagus soup and the truffle chicken club. Loved it. My friends had the salmon and raved about it. I also had a bite of my friend’s «macaroni gratin» and that was so delicious. Seriously… not sure what’s in it but it was so good.

I don’t know why I am not giving this place 5 Stars because I feel as though I really, truly should. But for some reason, it didn’t win me over, way over the top. Just to the brim.
I had a fantastic experience at Brasserie Ruhlmann from the moment I walked in the door. I fell in love with the décor and the well suited men at the front waiting to receive me. I liked the space they left for the bar area, large enough to give weekend diners enough room to wait (for what I am sure would be long wait times) for their dinner. I also really liked the tile that laid to look like fancy hotel carpeting and the wood paneling around the very tall beams in the dining room. The room was very inspiring and soothing all at once„ very Brasserie-​esque.
I was most impressed with the red velvet banquettes and the seating arrangement — how entirely private each table felt although you may have been in close proximity to the next table, you felt as though you had your own space. Not a bad table in the room that I could see. And, most of all, I thought the acoustics were fantastic for such a grandiose room. How, without carpeting and with such tall ceilings, did they manage to have the acoustics so well maintained? Great music selection too.
The clientele on the night that I was having dinner, a Wednesday in mid February, was much older and very distinguished. I prefer to eat in the company of adults, so taking a look around the room was a relief — no halter tops and open toe shoes in the dead of winter here. To the left, was an older, married couple. Across from me were two gentleman who appeared to be enjoying a friendly business dinner. And I was with a friend whom I had not seen in months.
I started with the Moulin Rouge cocktail made with Lillet, I love it when restaurants are able to incorporate Lillet into their drink menu and I thought this was a great spot to have such a drink. We did not look at the wine list as my friend is pregnant.
I was very impressed with my first two courses, we started with the grilled calamari served on a tomato, delicious. We each had a salad, she had the Belgian Endive and I had the Frisee salad with egg — I love egg on my salad and it meshed quite well with my tarragon vinaigrette.
Next up, my friend had the skate wing, I took a bite and it was nice. I had the bone in fillet. My steak was only slightly over cooked. I ordered it medium rare and along the outskirts of the cut of meat, it was cooked too well. Not enough for me to complain or send it back but I did cut around the edges to eat my warm red center.
For dessert, I had the Pot de Crème which was lovely — adorably presented and light enough after a large steak. My friend had the Profiterole which was divine.
Our server was highly enthusiastic and she was also very patient with us. We had not seen each other in a while and we sat for nearly an hour before ordering. She never once became impatient with us (as many servers do when women are dining without the company of men). She had excellent command of the menu and everything she mentioned I wanted to buy. I let her choose my entrée due to my great faith in her knowledge and enthusiasm.
I think the only thing I wished were different was the menu selection. I realize that they are a steak house but if you don’t want steak you are fairly limited in your entrée choices unless they have some great specials.

Overall, I was pretty impressed with this place, which is the newest location of a mini-​chain of upscale French brasseries. Though I’m not sure that «brasserie» is really an accurate description of this sprawling, elegantly appointed restaurant in the former Montgomery Ward building.
Leaving semantics aside, I thought that the food ranged from good to excellent. My party started with an enormous seafood platter, consisting of scallops, clams, oysters, shrimp cocktail, and mussels, and I found it to be quite fresh and well-​presented. The calamari appetizer was also excellent, and highly recommended.
We then shared the «porterhouse for two,» a hulking chunk of cow carved up for easy picking by the table. While I wouldn’t rate this steak in the Chop House pantheon, it was juicy, and perfectly prepared.
We tried two desserts — the pot de crème and the lemon tart. While I found the lemon tart actually too tart and pretty underwhelming, the pot de crème was fantastic — creamy, rich, and paired with excellent lemon madeleines.
I also take a slight issue with Ruhlmann’s wine list. I found it lacking in French selections (the Bordeaux and Burgundy selection needs to be beefed up) — which seemed a bit strange for a French restaurant. The list was chock-​full, however, of excellent California cabernets and pinots from Oregon and Washington. Be warned, though — there are no bargains on this list.

I went with our office for the holiday dinner, so I wasn’t paying… which makes the experience that much more enjoyable :)
Definitely meat oriented, but there were very good seafood appetizers that we enjoyed — especially the calamari. Great bread with a crunchy crust. I had a bone-​in ribeye which was delicious even without the interesting sauces served with it. I see a lot of comments that not enough sauce is given — just ask for more. The service was impeccable, The cheese/​fruit/​nut dessert was very tasty.

I went here a few days after open, so maybe I should give it another shot… but…
It is really expensive for what it is. The cheese soufle was good, but had broken glass in it. That’s just how the meal started out. I found the macaroni side dish was swimming in oil and I hardly complain about oily foods. The service was just okay. They have a great wine list, I recommend for a drink or two, perhaps the raw bar. As noted by other Unilocalers, the interior is beautiful, perfect to compliment the Montgomery building. But, I leave the rest behind.

Mmm… I stuffed myself here and it was totally worth it. My boyfriend and I shared the oysters, some steak that is meant for 2 people (I forget what it’s called), and this vanilla custard dessert. The potatoes that came with the steak were some of the best I’d ever had. And the dessert — I could eat that everyday.
Service was excellent, and I really like the atmosphere here. Very New York, very brasserie-​esque. This place is right next to my parent’s city place so I can guarantee I will be going back (and if I’m lucky, they will foot the bill).

Named and fashioned after the great Art Deco designer Emile-​Jacques Ruhlmann, the ebony wood, intricate tiling, decorative lighting, velvet ligned chairs, and close seating arrangement is so French! Truly reminiscent of a french Brasserie (brewery) in Montmarte, though much larger. The service was impeccable and the waittress described the dishes so well, whilst «Je né veux pas travailler» was playing in the background.
The wine list is not quite as extensive as I would have imagined for a French Brasserie, but the French selection by the glass is still worthy of a look. The dishes are classic french fare. The endive salad was sweet and tart and enlivened my taste buds. The lamb stew was served in a large Staub iron pot, it was extremely tender and fell apart when picked up, juicy and succulent, true provencal. The menu also included such classics, like steak au poivre and short rib bourguignonne. The frites here were excellent, crispy and soft on the inside, and the macaroni gratin was rich and cheesy with heavy cream.
The overall experience was excellent, maybe it wasn’t very innovative, but true to its French namesake.

LIPSTICK ON A PIG
This NYC import initially impresses with its soaring ceilings, rich hardwoods, and its fusion of art deco /​French brasserie décor. Unfortunately, the feast for the eyes fails to translate to a feast for your tummy. While my party’s steaks were cooked well, they were ultimately under-​seasoned, uninspired, and too expensive. Obviously Chef Laurent Tourondel was not in town. Perhaps he can spare some staff from BLT Steak, BLT Prime, or whatever BLT is opening this week (all of which are excellent).
Come on Chef… this is a town that knows its steak. Time to up your game.

Review based on a new year’s eve reservation.
Making the reservation was a snap, and they were very accommodating when we tried for an earlier time due to some late changes in our schedule. Arrived and seated promptly. Beautiful room & fixtures, and the staff was very attentive witout constantly interrupting our conversation. Like other reviewers have noted, the space is gorgeous.
Started out with a couple glasses of champagne while we looked over the menu. Passed on the prix fixe menu as it didn’t seem like a great value (probably because it was new year’s eve). Regardless, settled on the frise salad w/​lardons & the onion soup as appetizers. The soup was really good, but the salad was the total money shot. I’d go back just for that.
For dinner, we figured to play to their strength and ordered the bone in porterhouse for two with a broccolini side. I have no idea why people are starting to put toasted pine nuts on veggie sides, but I hope they continue as they helped round out the taste on this side. The broccolini was excellent.
Potatoes Ruhlmann (essentially scalloped potatoes with loads — and I mean loads — of garlic and spices) were served under the porterhouse. Done to perfection and enough to feed 3 or 4, the steak and its seasoning were as good as any other steakhouse I’ve been to in the city, and better than plenty of the top ones people cite on here.
Apparently, it was the first time our waiter had served the dish, so don’t be put off if your server doesn’t know much about it or recommend it.
Didn’t hang around for desert as we had places to go, but I’m looking forward to going back to try some of their seafood apps (which looked delicious) and their deserts. Lastly, the wine list, though not «NoMI extensive», has some really wonderful wines that should match most tastes. It was also nice to see a number of good half bottles and wines by the glass available.
We will be back.

There’s nothing like the sturm and drang of a weekend night at a brasserie to excite the senses and set the stage for an exciting meal. Walking into a humming Brasserie Ruhlmann, with its riot of red, brass, and chocolate shades, we anticipated a great night out.
And in that respect, it didn’t disappoint.
When we arrived at 9pm our table wasn’t ready, so we pushed past waves of striped-​shirted men and planted ourselves at the bar on a couple closely-​placed bordello red stools. We ordered up a couple cocktails (a gin gimlet and a sidecar) and toasted our salvaged night (plans had fallen through but Ruhlmann came through with an open table a few hours earlier).
We were seated around 9:30 at a two top that was close –but not too close — to the couples on either side. We ordered heavy on the apps — tuna tartare, duck rillettes, squid — and shared an entrée, the bouillabaisse, which promised a riot of flavor.
The rillettes were tasty. Served with a dijon mustard, cornichon, and pickled onion accompaniment, we slowly made our way through the generous portion that arrived in a glass jar. So far so good.
The squid was less to my liking. Served with gratineed bread crumbs and placed on an out-​of-​season-​here tomato, I was put off by the contrasts in texture — the crisp bread crumbs, the chewy squid, and the mushy tomato didn’t seem to work.
The tartare was fine. It was what I expected, no more no less. It was tasty but conservative in appearance and in flavor — wasabi is, according to 38% of the respondents to the NRA’s annual «what’s hot’ chef survey, is passé. (only 37% thought it was hot… no pun intended)
Our entrée was fairly disappointing. The bouillabaisse broth was tasty but didn’t break the top 20 list of bouillabaisses I’ve eaten. The langoustine in it was awful — it was served whole, which made it extremely difficult to eat, as the shell is very hard. When I finally did get the sea bug open, the protein in the meat had broken down and lacked any substance at all. It was more liquid than solid.
We decided to forego dessert. I wasn’t much in the mood for more after the bouillabaisse. It takes a exciting dessert menu these days to make me interested. And with the exception of the marjolaine, I didn’t see much on the menu that struck my fancy.
I’m sure our experience would have been different had we ordered steak frites and crème brûlée. No, not in this lifetime.
Overall, the meal wasn’t unreasonable but I’d classify it under «mediocrity over $ 50 per person». I’d be hard pressed to go again unless I was there for work-​related entertainment.

Came here for a work dinner with a large group which means a lot of food. So much that I don’t know if I can recap it all.
The highlights: the tuna tartare, the huge crab legs, the mussels. We had all of these as appetizers and they were so good. I especially loved the mussels although I only had a few (they were pretty popular).
The lows: Very skimpy sauce trio to go with the giant seafood platter. Nowhere near enough sauce available. Also, the bread they brought out during the beginning of our meal was really hard.
For my entrée, I had the cod which came recommended. However, it was only ok. Nothing special. The cod did come with scallops and mussels on the side which were really good (huge, meaty scallop was the best thing on the plate). I ate everything around the cod, but was unimpressed with the main attraction.
Our group also ordered a number of sides for the table and I tried a few. Mac & cheese — amazingly good. I don’t really like mac & cheese but I would definitely order again. The asparagus and creamed spinach were also good.
They kept the drinks coming, but not as much as I would have liked (see Louis A’s review). A few of us did try some of the specialty cocktails, and I would recommend the Moulin Rouge if you are in the mood for something sangria-​esque. Quite strong, but really tasty.
The highlight of dessert was the dark chocolate torte and ice cream. ANything dark chocoalte is good so they really couldn’t have messed this up. The pot with caramel and ice cream was also delicious eaten just by itself. But the lemon dessert was way too lemony. Bleh.
I really liked the atmosphere; I kept commenting on just how huge this place was. It’s enormous relative to most restaurants in the city, but it doesn’t feel too overwhelming. It’s got an old school loungey vibe that makes it seem unique among Chicago restaurants that are usually trying to be hip and modern. And I really dug the bathrooms here — I just wish they weren’t so far away.

You won’t hear Edith Piaf’s, «La vie en rose» playing anywhere in this swanky new french addition to the River North dining scene. This place is far too cool for that!
Brasserie Ruhlmann has been open about a week and is located in the old Montgomery Ward building. The space is huge! High ceilings, hand laid Mosaic tile swirling on the floor, white table cloth covered tables, and crushed velvet banquettes make this a feast for the eyes.
The bar area alone would be worth going back for– running the length of one wall, the bar has at least 20 seats at it and there are also small tables to mingle around. The best part? This is one of the few places in the city that carries my favorite beer — Kronenbourg 1664! There is also a large patio out front, one purported to be opening next year on the Chicago Ave side and a private banquet room that will hold 120 people. Did I say this place is huge?
As for the food– we tried a little bit of everything. They have a raw bar so we started with oysters which were delicious. They came with three sauces– a vinegar based, traditional cocktail sauce and a mayo/​mustard mix. Call me a traditionalist but I only ate the cocktail sauce and we had to ask for a little extra horseradish. But the oysters were fresh, fresh, fresh and very good!
Next– we went for the grilled calamari. This was perfectly prepared. Whole squids (4) were artfully arranged on top of tomato slices served with a pesto sauce. I could have eaten that as my entrée it was so good.
For entrees we had the mussels –amazing broth– served with french fries for dipping and a steak– perfectly done. We also tried as a side the macaroni and gratinee which was all cheese and little macaroni but we were not complaining!
The wines by the glass, though limited and a bit expensive, were good and the server was accommodating to bring a taste of a couple we were unfamiliar with so that we could choose which one we like best.
Our servers were great. Attentive and helpful and very friendly. The only wish that we had was at one point when the front of the house and back of the house servers, bussers and manager all converged on our small table at the same time– it was a little overwhelming!
You have to check this place out! It’s beautiful interior and great food and service will have you saying «ooh la la» in no time at all.

My wife and I were so happy to have this restaurant open as we live in the building. Thankfully, the food is quite good. I see another reviewer thought the tartare was flavorless and while I agree somewhat, at least the fish was fresh.
Good: I had the hanger steak with carmelized onions which was very tasty, a side of perfectly cooked broccolini with pine nuts while my wife had the duck which was very tender. As for dessert, we had the pot au crème which was delicious!
Bad or needs work: Wine list. Not a lot of selection by the glass and pretty pricey. We went with a carafe of pinot (500ml) for 22 which was quite good. Service was attentive, maybe a bit too attentive sort of like hanging over your table.
Overall, I’d give it a 4.5. We’re going back with some friends this weekend so I may have more updates. While it may take a week or two to work out the kinks, the nice décor and good food should do well in the long run.

The tuna tartare was flavorless.
Lots of meat on the menu, which is not bad! Good potatoes.Desserts. .. um, not so special.
BUT, I went in the other night, for a glass of wine. The bartenders are cute and SO charming, so it’s gaining stars.

It’s a beautiful large open space with very high ceilings in the old Montgomery Ward tower. I thought the service was exceptional.
Besides steak, they have a lot of seafood options. I had the Steak au Poivre. It had a peppercorn sauce with it. I thought it was good, but I’m not actually a huge fan of pepper. It came with a side of macaroni & cheese. Which was good but there was a lot of liquid in the bottom, which I figured was either olive oil or butter. My friend had the onion soup and she commented that it was great. Had the Raspberry Napolean for dessert which was good and light with the fruit.
The place is a little pricey as with any «steakhouse». They have a huge outdoor area, which looks like it’ll be awesome with some good weather. Unfortunately today it is the first 50 degree day after having 80 degrees yesterday. I’ll have to wait until Spring to hang outside. They have a bar outside too, so I think it’ll be a happening spot.