We planned dinner here because friends in Oak Park said it was great, they offered a variety of entrees, and it was centrally located. We had three couples of family meeting for an early dinner on a Tuesday to celebrate the holidays. The restaurant is very cozy with a welcoming atmosphere. Unfortunately, the menus we saw online were different from the offering at the restaurant. Some of us were disappointed by the available options. Some said their meals were great while others said they were okay. Nothing was bad, but the recommendation to go there and the cost of the meal gave us higher expectations. For example, we were told that their French Onion soup was excellent. It wasn't hot when delivered to our table so the cheese was chewy instead of gooey. The soup du jour was a very tasty lentil and vegetable soup, but it was also luke-warm when they served it. The one dish that people enjoyed the most was the chicken pot pie. The service was very good. They were attentive and let the meal happen at a nice pace. The food was good enough that along with the atmosphere and the service, I might try it again.
Jennielu
The person who greeted us said I did not have a reservation. I explained we were early and we would gladly sit at the bar. The gentleman said we could sit anywhere we wanted. The bar area seating was not crowded . We sat at the bar. Hemmingway's is always a good experience. I am still puzzled on why they could not find my reservation. I confirmed the reservation on Sunday. At the bar we each had a French 77 and shared baked Brie.
Estella
We shared the oysters, escargot, lump crab cake, butternut squash soup, shrimp De Jonghe, and a fisee salad. Then for desert we had crème brûlée. Everything was excellent. I'll be going back for the brunch on Sunday.
Steven
Very good date night place. Great variety on menu, food is excellent as well as service. Nice atmosphere!
David
I think I was hoping for more. The steak with frittes was just ok. The mushroom soup was good. My wife's whitefish was good. There just seemed to be something missing. Maybe a bit too low key for me. I do know they had the thermostat set way too high. It was downright hot in there!
Matt
Good food and lovely atmosphere! Was a little warm inside but we just took off our sweaters.
Steve
This is one of our favorite places for dinner, but this was our first time at brunch. It was great! The small buffet is perfect to get you started, and also pick up a sweet treat for after the meal. It is loaded with meat and cheese choices, pastries, and fresh seafood. The smoked salmon was especially delicious. The entrees we had were all delicious: eggs benedict, white fish, croque madame, the roast du jour (pork loin for us) and crepes. And the brunch price includes a glass of champagne!
beth
Everything was wonderful as always! We are so lucky to have this special place in Oak Park.
warren
It's been our go-to restaurant for many years. The food is always delicious-haven't had any misses. We enjoy everything, and consistently order the escargot, the soup special or the French Onion, the rabbit ragout (great in the fall and winter), salmon, duck breast and the whitefish. I had the pot pie last week, too, and it was delicious. Soufflés are fantastic, too, as is the warm apple tart. Highly recommend Hemingway's to anyone looking for a great meal with wonderful ambience! Great for just a weeknight upscale meal or a special occasion.
Gail
A delightful birthday lunch for my friend! We all had the quiche, which was beyond wonderful!
High marks for ambiance- a relaxed vibe with underlying class. The food is excellent and reasonably priced.
Pamela
It was lovely to sit outside and have Hemmingway's outstanding food and service. Their martinis are great, though I am not usually a martini drinker.
ARIELLE
What a great find, we loved our dining experience here! As a designer, I have to first point out the beautiful architectural details in this restaurant. The building is very old, and it has some of the most gorgeous Torrazzo and brass inlay floors I've ever seen, and the plaster on the walls was incredible. It even had Venetian style plaster details, whoever did this space is probably no longer with us. This type of Plaster work is only done by very few people these days. That said, it was a fantastic French vibe, the pictures online do not do this space justice. It is way cuter inside! I love a linen tablecloth. I love that the servers all had white pressed shirts on. The menu was exactly what you would expect for French fair, it was very traditional and served on white plates. Everything we ate was delicious. The crabcake was definitely crab forward, no filler here. My husband had the white fish and I had the steak frites, we switched entrées halfway through so that we could each try each other's and everything was delicious! We were sat at a two top in the same room as the bar and I loved watching the bartender make all the cocktails to order. That was very impressive. This is just a personal note, but when my husband and I go out for dinner, sometimes we are sat at a two top and when this typically happens, we're normally joined by another couple at some point in the reservation. Now this doesn't bother my husband and I because we always like to eavesdrop and listen to everyone's conversations, and we were lucky enough that the couple next to us was on a second or third date and it was not going well. 😂😂 entertaining for us to say the least but if you're someone that really wants a private dinner, this might not be the restaurant for that, as the tables are close together. We came to Hemingway‘s because we were going to a candlelight show at the art center across the street, we will absolutely be back. This was such a spectacular date night!! We will be back!
Ellen
Excellent meal in a relaxing and charming atmosphere. For us it was a birthday celebration and we had plenty of time for conversing and enjoying both our appetizers and our main courses. The pate appetizer is fabulous, ask for more cornishons! Our waiter gave us just the right amount of attention and good advice on our entrées. p'Perfect 
teri
I was disappointed in food as well as service . I made a reservation on phone as well as website . I informed on both that my dad was visiting from Michigan for his wedding anniversary . When there was no mention I mentioned it to the waiter which he replied happy anniversary . The shrimp was quite tough and the flavor was not pleasant . The crab cake was overcooked on outside again the flavor of the crab was missing . My dad said his French toast was good and his wife said the whitening fish was ok as well . It was a disappointment to say the least . It was my first time there I live in area but would not recommend to there's as well I will not be back . Teri Aidara Our reservation was Sunday 12:30
We planned dinner here because friends in Oak Park said it was great, they offered a variety of entrees, and it was centrally located. We had three couples of family meeting for an early dinner on a Tuesday to celebrate the holidays. The restaurant is very cozy with a welcoming atmosphere. Unfortunately, the menus we saw online were different from the offering at the restaurant. Some of us were disappointed by the available options. Some said their meals were great while others said they were okay. Nothing was bad, but the recommendation to go there and the cost of the meal gave us higher expectations. For example, we were told that their French Onion soup was excellent. It wasn't hot when delivered to our table so the cheese was chewy instead of gooey. The soup du jour was a very tasty lentil and vegetable soup, but it was also luke-warm when they served it. The one dish that people enjoyed the most was the chicken pot pie. The service was very good. They were attentive and let the meal happen at a nice pace. The food was good enough that along with the atmosphere and the service, I might try it again.
The person who greeted us said I did not have a reservation. I explained we were early and we would gladly sit at the bar. The gentleman said we could sit anywhere we wanted. The bar area seating was not crowded . We sat at the bar. Hemmingway's is always a good experience. I am still puzzled on why they could not find my reservation. I confirmed the reservation on Sunday. At the bar we each had a French 77 and shared baked Brie.
We shared the oysters, escargot, lump crab cake, butternut squash soup, shrimp De Jonghe, and a fisee salad. Then for desert we had crème brûlée. Everything was excellent. I'll be going back for the brunch on Sunday.
Very good date night place. Great variety on menu, food is excellent as well as service. Nice atmosphere!
I think I was hoping for more. The steak with frittes was just ok. The mushroom soup was good. My wife's whitefish was good. There just seemed to be something missing. Maybe a bit too low key for me. I do know they had the thermostat set way too high. It was downright hot in there!
Good food and lovely atmosphere! Was a little warm inside but we just took off our sweaters.
This is one of our favorite places for dinner, but this was our first time at brunch. It was great! The small buffet is perfect to get you started, and also pick up a sweet treat for after the meal. It is loaded with meat and cheese choices, pastries, and fresh seafood. The smoked salmon was especially delicious. The entrees we had were all delicious: eggs benedict, white fish, croque madame, the roast du jour (pork loin for us) and crepes. And the brunch price includes a glass of champagne!
Everything was wonderful as always! We are so lucky to have this special place in Oak Park.
It's been our go-to restaurant for many years. The food is always delicious-haven't had any misses. We enjoy everything, and consistently order the escargot, the soup special or the French Onion, the rabbit ragout (great in the fall and winter), salmon, duck breast and the whitefish. I had the pot pie last week, too, and it was delicious. Soufflés are fantastic, too, as is the warm apple tart. Highly recommend Hemingway's to anyone looking for a great meal with wonderful ambience! Great for just a weeknight upscale meal or a special occasion.
A delightful birthday lunch for my friend! We all had the quiche, which was beyond wonderful!
Restaurantji Recommends
High marks for ambiance- a relaxed vibe with underlying class. The food is excellent and reasonably priced.
It was lovely to sit outside and have Hemmingway's outstanding food and service. Their martinis are great, though I am not usually a martini drinker.
What a great find, we loved our dining experience here! As a designer, I have to first point out the beautiful architectural details in this restaurant. The building is very old, and it has some of the most gorgeous Torrazzo and brass inlay floors I've ever seen, and the plaster on the walls was incredible. It even had Venetian style plaster details, whoever did this space is probably no longer with us. This type of Plaster work is only done by very few people these days. That said, it was a fantastic French vibe, the pictures online do not do this space justice. It is way cuter inside! I love a linen tablecloth. I love that the servers all had white pressed shirts on. The menu was exactly what you would expect for French fair, it was very traditional and served on white plates. Everything we ate was delicious. The crabcake was definitely crab forward, no filler here. My husband had the white fish and I had the steak frites, we switched entrées halfway through so that we could each try each other's and everything was delicious! We were sat at a two top in the same room as the bar and I loved watching the bartender make all the cocktails to order. That was very impressive. This is just a personal note, but when my husband and I go out for dinner, sometimes we are sat at a two top and when this typically happens, we're normally joined by another couple at some point in the reservation. Now this doesn't bother my husband and I because we always like to eavesdrop and listen to everyone's conversations, and we were lucky enough that the couple next to us was on a second or third date and it was not going well. 😂😂 entertaining for us to say the least but if you're someone that really wants a private dinner, this might not be the restaurant for that, as the tables are close together. We came to Hemingway‘s because we were going to a candlelight show at the art center across the street, we will absolutely be back. This was such a spectacular date night!! We will be back!
Excellent meal in a relaxing and charming atmosphere. For us it was a birthday celebration and we had plenty of time for conversing and enjoying both our appetizers and our main courses. The pate appetizer is fabulous, ask for more cornishons! Our waiter gave us just the right amount of attention and good advice on our entrées. p'Perfect 
I was disappointed in food as well as service . I made a reservation on phone as well as website . I informed on both that my dad was visiting from Michigan for his wedding anniversary . When there was no mention I mentioned it to the waiter which he replied happy anniversary . The shrimp was quite tough and the flavor was not pleasant . The crab cake was overcooked on outside again the flavor of the crab was missing . My dad said his French toast was good and his wife said the whitening fish was ok as well . It was a disappointment to say the least . It was my first time there I live in area but would not recommend to there's as well I will not be back . Teri Aidara Our reservation was Sunday 12:30
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