Inside Michael Mina’s New Chicago Restaurant, Bringing Classic Paris to Gold Coast

The second of celebrity chef Michael Mina’s two restaurants opens on Monday on the third floor of The Waldorf Astoria Chicago in Gold Coast. Margeaux Brasserie offers a classic take on French food, as Mina —who won the Beard Award for “Best Chef: California” in 2002— created a menu that includes steak frites, “dover sole à la meunière,” and “frog legs à la troisgros.”

It’s Mina’s first full-service restaurant in Chicago and the Waldorf hopes his celebrity will draw customers for brunch, dinner, and drinks at the bar. Last month, Mina’s French cafe, Petit Margeaux, also opened inside the hotel.

Margeaux Brasserie is larger and means to evoke 1920s Paris. There’s definitely a vintage feel thanks to dark woods, mirrored walls, and leather seating.

The bar will feature classic French cocktails. The wine list focuses on French and U.S. concoctions and there’s a champagne cart with rotating selections. They’ll also serve French beer.

Check out the photos below. Margeaux Brasserie opens on Monday at The Waldorf Astoria Chicago, 11 E. Walton St. Reservations are live on the website.

Marc Much

Barry Brecheisen