Chez Simo Bistro

This place is precious. Replicating a great French bistro, the family delivers a great experience. Quality across the board and great service with classically delivered French fare.

A popular neighborhood spot with a great atmosphere. This place fills up fast on a Saturday night. Bring a good bottle of French Wine and a couple of friends for an evening at a true French bistro. The menu is small and filled with a variety of dishes that look appealing along with several specials. The French Onion soup is perfectly balanced with a large helping of melted cheese on top. I ordered the Steak au Poivre for main main course which came with frites. When ordering this dish be sure to ask about the sauce, something I didn’t do. It was rich and heavy on the peppercorns. I enjoyed the steak but not the sauce, more out of personal preference then poor quality. Next time I would try something else.

Love this place, the food is always great. I had the short ribs and the meat was so tender and the taste was perfect. The shrimp appetizer was a nice starter. Every dessert is scrumptious. It’s a byob and for this great quality of food and service you really get a bang for your buck! Simo is warm and friendly, he made us feel like a guest in his home. I highly recommend Chez Simo!

This a great alternative to Bistro Campagne in Lincoln Square — lucky to have not 1, but 2 great French Bistros in our neighborhood. Chezsimo is a BYOB restaurant, which is just fine. Great food, great & attentive service. I’ve NEVER had a bad meal here. LOVE, love, love the escargot appetizer, great salads, and wonderful entrees — steak frittes, fish, duck cassoulet — I’ve had them and love them all.

Made reservations for 7:45 on a Saturday night. Show up at 7:38, and –quelle horreur! –there’s like a half dozen people waiting ahead of us. Figured it just might be a big table they’re waiting to seat, but it quickly dawned on us that these were all separate tables of two, and the place was inexcusably overbooked, like it was a sketchy discount airline. Still though, figured we’d wait it out, even though the place smelled kind of funky. So we waited.
And waited. And waited. Not to be seated, but just to be acknowledged. 7:45 came and went, but acknowledgment wasn’t forthcoming, not even when the hostess, searching for menus, leaned over and around my gf, like a tentacle porn octopus. Non! I stopped the assault by picking up a couple menus myself and handing them to her, which caused her to look confused. «Do you have reservations?» she asked. Oui, I responded, as she looked over a handwritten list, unable to find my name until I pointed it out to her. Then she kind of disappeared again, without saying a word.
Looked around at the tables that were already seated. The diners looked forlorn. One neglected customer at this BYOB was struggling with a corkscrew, trying to open his own bottle of wine, while his female got up to forage for menus. Another couple, who were seated even before we arrived, sat glumy without menus or water, waiting for Godot.
At this point I whipped out the Unilocal app, found another BYOB, and we bounced. YMMV, but consider yourself warned.

I can’t believe how terrible the service was. What is with the attitude of the staff and owners?
Not very warm or hospitable, not friendly or very welcoming as this was our first visit.
Waiting for ever to get a menu for the pre-​fix dinner special we came in for, we ended up looking for it on our phones, then had to ask three times for bread! They were not very accommodating and seemed like they did not want to be bother when we asked a question…
then they ended up charging for everything we ordered individual, and seemed bothered that we questioned the bill!
Food was good, but we were almost the last one’s in the restaurant waiting so long for service between entrees. Kind of a funky dated atmosphere, food was good, but not sure if it would be worth dealing with the unpleasant staff again!

Chez Simo Bistro houses you a cozy ambience with retro French oldies. Totally a classy diner-​styled atmosphere and very suitable for a dinner date.
The owner held down the whole restaurant with 4 tables of customers this evening. He was friendly to answer my question of how to properly pronounce «coq au vin» and why pommes frites mean potato fries instead of apple fries. :)
Ordering from the prefix menu, I selected pumpkin soup, coq au vin, and chocolate mousse.
1. The pumpkin soup was rich in spice and taste similar to a pulpy purée.
2. Coq au vin. Wow, I could taste the red wine and love the vegetables and meat bits in the sauce.
3. Highly recommend the strings of pommes frites when drenched in the «maitre du butter»
4. Chocolate fudge drenched over a scoop of vanilla bean and breaded puff is a perfectly sweet way to end the meal.

Fantastic, great, excellent… what a little treasure this place is. We loved it. The BYOB is great. Everything was done to perfection, everything!!! I love the Edith Piaf playing… the French style, etc., etc…

Came in late on a Saturday evening, starving — and left very satisfied after an enjoyable evening. The waiter was very helpful in selecting dishes and always there with the wine opener for our next bottle! Our steaks were cooked just as we requested and the portions were just the right amount. We will definitely coming back soon.

Authentic French bistro dining in Lincoln Square… Yes! BYOB, a very casual atmosphere with French music in the background and staff that speak French. This is a great find in the neighborhood. The food is very well prepared and extremely flavorful. We had the salad Lyonnaise with a poached egg that was perfectly done. The Steak au Poivre was perfectly cooked with an amazing sauce accompanied by frites that were awesome. My other half had the duck which was perfectly done. It was great to see the place filling up with patrons. Of all the restaurants that claim to be a French bistro in Chicago, Chez Simo fits the bill. Will definitely be back on a regular basis!

Wonderful BYOB French bistro! The waiters are French. Many of those dining are French. Just a lovely place to have good, classic, surprisingly large portions of French food served in a casual, unpretentious atmosphere. We had the poisson du jour which was trout — prepared perfectly and served on a large bed of vegetables. We also had the braised beef short rib — also excellent. We plan on returning for the prix fix early dining special: $ 25 for your choice of appetizer, entrée and a dessert.

I would actually be giving Chez Simo Bistro a 4 star rating (a high 4 star rating at that) if the review was strictly based on the food. I went with a couple girlfriends and we shared a salad that was on special to start with — it had roasted pears, arugula, a creamy cheese, and was refreshing and delicious. I had the canard (duck) and it was cooked to perfection — well seasoned and juicy on the inside with a crisp skin on the outside. The restaurant is also BYOB so that is another point in their favor.
The reason for the three-​star (okay so it would be a 3.5 star, the food WAS really good and affordable) rating is because our server, while friendly, kind of lied to me. When I got my duck dish, it was supposed to come on top of creamy polenta (a big reason why I ordered the dish, I love me some good creamy polenta) — the duck was on top of the braised cabbage and had a little bundle of sauteed vegetables (looked like zucchini, carrot, and yellow squash) cut into matchsticks next to it. Our waiter dropped off our dishes and whisked off, checking on other tables. When I was able to get his attention, I asked about the polenta, as I hadn’t touched my meal yet (I wanted to enjoy it all together) — he assured me it was ‘coming’ and then rushed off again. I waited for a few more minutes and then just started eating since I didn’t want my entire dish to be cold. After I was nearly halfway through my dish, I again flagged down our waiter and asked about the polenta — he seemed confused and then said «Oh the chef didn’t like how that batch came out, so we gave you those vegetables instead.».
Wait what? Not only did they not say anything about the vegetable sub out, but he had definitely told me earlier that it was ‘on its way’. I was very confused and explained to him what he had said prior (and it felt weird. since ya know. I was repeating what the waiter himself had said earlier)… he then said ‘oh well. do you want some mashed potatoes instead?’. I ended up conceding (since there wasn’t really any other option, the polenta apparently having been trashed), but there was no apologies whatsoever from the part of the waiter for the very strange mix-​up. I get that sometimes a batch of whatever isn’t good, but I would have appreciated at least a heads up that there was going to be a subbed ingredient or at the VERY least not to be lied to.
I’m a bit torn about coming back to Chez Simo Bistro since the food WAS very good, but the waiter was very strange. I’ll probably give it a second shot in the future, but be wary of any other strange behaviors on the part of the staff.

This has become our go-​to neighborhood fine dining restaurant in a casual but sincerely French atmosphere. Edith playing in the background, low lighting, lovely French bistro décor sets the stage for what will be one of the best simple French meals you will ever have.
Coq a vin done in the most authentic way, pomme frites that will demand you have another round, and specials that surprise and make your mouth water.
Tonight we shared dinner with six friends. The host Simo treated us like family, sharing our jokes, recommending his favorites and opening our wine. Our starters ranged from the awesome mushroom soup to the mussels in a wine sauce that was fought over for bread dipping.
Main courses were coq a vin, melt in your mouth chicken in a savory sauce, pork loin in a blueberry reduction with spinach, cut it with a fork steak and the special, salmon in beurre blanc sauce… rave reviews from the table
And what can be better than French desserts. Tarte Tatin, crème brûlée, profiteroles, and the best Napoleon EVER!
Please, please don’t miss this hidden gem. Read the history of the owners, stop in for a bite and you’ll fall in love. Face away from the windows and you’ll be in Paris for the evening!

Holy smokes, the service is slow. I mean SLOW.
We sat down and the server opened our bottles of wine. I think it was close to 40 minutes before he swung back.
I started with the French onion soup ($ 8), which was good, but scalding. Help yourself to some complimentary bread while you wait for the cauldron to stop bubbling.
For my entrée, I had the steak pommes frites ($ 19). The steak was delicious, but heavily doused in pepper. I liked that, but if you’re sensitive to pepper, ask them to leave that off. I didn’t like the frites, however. Maybe I’m too Americanized when it comes to my fries, but these guys were tiny, hard potato shards. I had to blast them with salt so they weren’t completely flavorless.
It’s cool that this place is BYOB, though there is a corkage fee — we paid $ 8 for the table (3 bottles of wine).
While the food was generally good, I do have to reiterate how slow the service was. Our waiter was largely absent and there weren’t that many full tables in the restaurant. Also, the guy coming around with water refills had horrendous B.O. The women at the table specifically asked us to put our glasses near the edge so the guy wouldn’t lean over and release a death cloud of stank from his armpits.
Lousy service and body odor? IT’S AUTHENTIC FRENCH!
The décor leaves a lot to be desired. It looks like this place was a diner that went under and Chez Simo bought it and left most of the fixtures in tact.
I would go back because the food was good and we got properly sloshed on the wine we brought. But there are enough drawbacks that I wouldn’t go out of my way to return.

I was taken to this restaurant for my Birthday a few days ago.
It had a great atmosphere, our server was friendly and attentive, and I really enjoyed my experience!
So…how is the food? I had escargot (garlic butter, yum!) and then mussels for appetizers. They were cooked right and delicious! I had the Cannard (Duck) for my main course… and wow… they know how to cook and present their Cannard!
I highly recommend this restaurant. I am not a expert on French Food, but I am picky and know what like. This was it. All-​around a VERY good experience!

We called ahead to make reservation that day but were told that since we were arriving pretty early (530 – 630) we wouldn’t need a reservation. When we arrived we were asked if we had reso and said no, we kinda got the sneer look by the hostess… we replied that we called but said that it shouldn’t be a problem.
We were seated. The food was good but not the best we’ve had. Its a BYOB.

I’ve given this restaurant a couple tries – mostly on account of the fact that my boyfriend & I love French food and it’s so close by. While I don’t have any complaints about the food specifically – I will say that the service we’ve received each time we’ve been there hasn’t been very warm or hospitable. The last time we were in we were made to feel any request we mad was annoying to them – as was evidenced in the eye rolls directed toward us.
The ambience itself isn’t the greatest either. The smell of bathroom cleaner/​deodorizer is pretty strong throughout the place.

It is with great sadness that I must remove a star for this place. I moved to a different neighborhood, so I don’t come here nearly as often but the last time I went their escargot tasted a bit off. It was evident straight away. They used to bring the bread out right away, but now it takes them a good 15 minutes after they open your wine. I still insist the it’s great quality for the price though (and there are very few French restaurants in that area). And to those of you complaining about the lack of «ambience»… it’s true, this place was a diner before Simo bought it, but contrary to popular belief most provincial french restaurants aren’t «fancy» and they’ve done what they could to make this setting cozy and comfortable (as tacky as they are, I find booths to be far more comfortable and intimate). If you’re looking for a super fancy date night then go elsewhere.
I will still come here, and I encourage you to as well!

We decided to switch our annual holiday girl’s dinner from Tapas/​Med food to French and since we always need BYOB, Chez Simo Bistro was shouting from across the room «COME TO ME!» So, we did.
There were 12 of us all together. The seating situation is a bit peculiar. I think the space used to house a diner so for the intimate French setting is… well…it’s…interesting.
Anyhow, we sat down and one of my chicks was super hungry so she ordered ALL THE APPETIZERS. I’m so glad she did. There wasn’t one thing we had that we all didn’t want to lick the plate…
Foie Gras — Soft, tasty, and amazing for the price
Snails — I wanted three orders… for myself.
Salmon was fresh and refreshing
Mussels in the white wine sauce were perfectly cooked and the sauce with the bread was food-​gasm
Shrimp were garlicky and wonderfully prepared.
I’d never had a Lyonnaise salad — but if they all taste like this one did, I’m a new a fan!
I love this place because they have something for everyone:
Steak, chicken, veggies, fish, pasta…
Short ribs were fatty and rich. Lamb was succulent. Duck was cooked to perfection.
I tried all of those. My entrée was steak and mashed (I subbed the frites) and the steak was just really good quality cooked steak. Nothing more… nothing less. It was so satisfying.
For dessert we had the mousse, crêpe, and chocolate cake. We wanted three more of each but decided against it.
All of this for 12 people, with tax and tip, turned out to be a whopping $ 27 per person. WHAT!!!
I don’t know how and I don’t care. We’re thinking this will be our girl’s dinner for a few more years.
I can’t wait to bring my husband here

We came here on a recommendation from our neighbor as well as the excellent Unilocal reviews, we were not disappointed. We arrived at 6:00 and there were only two tables occupied, as the night moved on it began to fill up.
The appetizers consumed were: escargot, smoked salmon and two soups (Clam Chowder).
Entrees: One Steak Frittes and Three of the specials which were seared scallops, kale, fingerling potatoes with a caper butter sauce. All of which were were very good and cooked perfectly.
Deserts: Profiteroles, Bread Pudding and an Apple tart
Drinks: Two bottles of wine (minimal corkage fee) and three cups of coffee
Everyone in our party of four was very pleased with the food and the service. There was one server working and he never seemed in the weeds or was intrusive. We will certainly be back.

When you have young kids a date night is rare. My wife and I were very excited to come here at the recommendation of others. We made a reservation for 7pm on a Saturday night. We showed up at 6:55 and were told it would be a few minutes. We sat at the bar with our bottle of wine. We were never offered a drink or offered to open the wine we brought. While we waited there were two other couples that came after us, but were seated immediately. That was slightly frustrating, but were finally seated after a 15 minute wait.
Once we were seated our service was almost non-​existent. We had to ask for bread rather than it get brought to us. I had to get up and ask twice for water refills. I am really not picky about these things, but it was incredibly frustrating as we were expecting a nice night out. The food itself was OK. I liked my wife’s dish better than my Steak Frites. Overall I would have much rather gone to Mon-​Ami for the service, atmosphere, and food. It gets two stars, because maybe we caught them on an off night. If that’s the norm here then it’s a solid one star spot.