PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

Bistrot Margot is not only one of the best restaurants in Old Town, but it's also one of the better French bistros in Chicago. It can get very busy and loud, and the tables are quite close together, but, for many, that only adds to its charm. This is true bistro dining -- very casual and never stuffy. Starters include out-of-this-world mussels in white wine with fresh herbs; escargot in garlic butter; country-style pâté; and crab folded into seafood mousse. Don't skip the salad course, either (in warm weather, go for the light, refreshing Belgian endive with spicy walnuts, blue cheese, and apples). Specials are usually the best bet for the main course. But the usual suspects (roasted chicken with garlic, lemon, herbs, and pommes frites; rack of lamb with Dijon mustard and garlic bread crumbs; and a terrific steak frites) are proof that, when done right, it's hard to beat classic French cuisine. On warm summer nights, the restaurant sets about half a dozen tables on the sidewalk, which, on this colorful stretch of Wells Street, makes for a truly memorable meal.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Chicago 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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