After 22 years on Rush Street, the A-list favorite reinvents itself in a primo new Gold Coast location.
The lounge at Le Colonial beckons with warm wood accents and a sultry Southeast Asian vibe. (Photo by Anthony Tahlier/courtesy of Le Colonial)
From its enviable perch in the city’s chicest shopping district, French-Vietnamese restaurant Le Colonial has been a beloved destination for the see-and-be-seen crowd since it opened in 1996. Regulars were dismayed to hear that the iconic Rush Street location would close at the beginning of 2019, but not to worry—if anything, the restaurant’s new iteration on Oak Street elevates the original’s lush, welcoming vibe with an equally attractive address and a rebooted menu that reinterprets signature dishes like cha bio (crispy shrimp and pork roll) and goi ga (Vietnamese chicken and cabbage salad) and adds creative new plates like addictive spicy beef carpaccio salad and Instagram-worthy crispy whole red snapper.
The verdict on the new space? Says partner Joe King, “There’s been a consistent response that we’ve maintained that special feeling the first Le Colonial had, and with the new upgrades and interesting artwork that has been added, it’s only more beautiful and elegant.” 57 E. Oak St., 312.255.0088
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