Le Pain Quotidien – West Loop

It’s rare to come across a chain bakery that actually has good pastries and coffee, but LPQ (as i like to call it) is certainly an exception.
After drinking the coffee here, you won’t be able to go back to Starbucks. Flavor is always rich and nutty without that burnt after taste you get at Starbucks. Though I can’t speak to the espresso based drinks as I always get a basic cup of coffee.
As far as the pastries go, I don’t think I have ever tried anything that I didn’t like here. My two favorites items are the chia muffins and seasonal scones (e.g., cheddar + scallion right now). It’s hard to describe what makes these delicious pastries so good — I think it is that they taste wholesome & fresh, have great texture (i.e., flaky scones and moist muffins), and are never too sweet. After all, these are BREAKFAST pastries not desserts. I hate it when I get a muffin and it tastes more like a cupcake marketed as a muffin rather than an actual muffin.
The prices are a bit above average but I think it’s definitely worth the premium.

This is my first stop every morning. I love it. It’s a bakery and the smells of freshly baked breads start my day with a deep comfort.
I get a croissant and a coffee and sit alone while bunches of people in big hurries run in and out sloshing coffees and jamming pastry bags into their backpacks.
It’s a very quiet place, seemingly undiscovered, and offers an old European solace just paces away from crazy Chicago perpetual movement. It’s at the rear of Ogilvie just a couple of blocks from my second train, the Green Line Clinton stop, so I can catch my carb fix on the run from one to the other.
I highly recommend this place.

0 stars rounded up to 1 for removing table service and converting to only grab and go. I have starbucks for grab and go. A now useless restaurant taking up valuable space in the neighborhood. Shame on management/​corporate for not listening to what customers want. Best part of this place is having breakfast there.

This place was great, and then they stopped serving a full menu for breakfast and lunch. People can get coffee anywhere and everywhere. I have not returned since they removed their food items.

My experience today (this being my third visit) really deserves a one star. I bought the quinoa taboule (premade, in the refrigerator case) and just got back to the office to discover that the one avocado in it is rotten! I am sure I was charged more than $ 10. This is not acceptable. I was previously wondering why this location doesn’t seem to be doing well. I usually go to the Michigan Ave location, which is beautifully managed and well stocked. West Loop, by contrast, seems lazy. They hardly have any inventory. No one greats you. Lunch is self-​service and most items are not even marked, such as soup, so you have no idea what it is. And the outdoor tables are unsupervised, so people who are not customers just go and sit there. I am totally disgusted and will not be back.

Ok, I really wanted to like this place — I live in the West Loop and it’s been well recommended to me by people that know food.
So my son and I went there today for breakfast and it was very disappointing. Here’s why.
When we arrive on the Clinton St. side the sign says to wait to be seated. The lone waitress comes out of the kitchen, looks at us, and turns her back to put silverware on another table. Then disappears. We seated ourselves, thank you.
Two different servers come, bring water but no coffee orders until we asked to order beverages from the second server. The place is not crowded but service is very sluggish right from the beginning. Coffee and tea take 10 minutes or so to arrive. Our server apologies that he just got there.
We order standard stuff — quiche and an omelet. Each come with a little breakfast salad. The salads are chock full of blackish-​wilted (unfresh) greens. Nasty, nasty. I push half of the salad to the side and eat the omelet which was good. The mismatched pieces of bread (not toasted, one sour dough, one a slice of baguette) are on the plate. No butter or jams provided. We have to ask for that. It arrives about 10 minutes later. I ask for a refill of brewed coffee for my latte that I finished. The server returns finally with a new cup with multiple cracks and a small pot of coffee (the pot is a nice touch). Pushed that aside. Used the old cup to drink the coffee. Not a big deal but no excuse to give me a visibly damaged cup. (See photos I posted just now as well.)
The bread did taste good, it just should have been toasted or warmed with breakfast.
A meal like this is incredibly easy to execute. No excuse to put nasty greens on a plate for fail to provide toast, butter and jam. These people sell their own line of jams. The waiter was so out of it – he never once came back and asked how things were, standard operating procedure in any well run restaurant.
I’d give it another shot at some point. But it is clear the restaurant was not up to its game today — maybe it was an off day or maybe it really suffers from a lack of attention to details and good management. We’ll see again soon.

This little place was quite good. It was super cute. And I loved how you could watch their bakers making bread. My friend said they do lessons sometimes? That would be awesome and something I’d look into if I was in Chicago longer.
Their coffee must be a light roast and was delicious. Prefect with a little cream and Splenda. I liked the little pit they have me held about two cups worth so I didn’t have to bother the server with wanting refills. My friend said her latte was great.
My friend and I both got waffles with clotted cream and fresh fruit on top. Delicious! Maybe one of the best waffles I’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying. As we were leaving I said to my friend that I’d ordered similar waffles in the past at other places and still needed syrup or something to enjoy the dry waffle. But here I did not! The waffle was so good and sweet. Delicious and something I totally recommend you try if you’re here.

I recommend that if one is interested in a French café experience, this may be one of the best places in Chicago to find it. The pastries and sweets are very nice. The variety is amaing and their coffee is good.
I was looking for something different for my team for a lunch outing so I brought them here and everyone really liked it. They want to come back and order other things on the menu. The selections are eclectic and tasty. In my opinion, their offerings are somewhat pricey, but you get what you pay for and quality does not come cheap. Once in a while I now I feel like splurging and what better way to feel like you are going to France than to cross the street and imagine you are there?
I liked it and I recommend it but be prepared to pay a bit more than what you may normally — but you will feel good about it afterwards.
I recommend the restaurant and I hope it is around for many years to come. I plan to come often.

Third time here. Love the atmosphere and the food is delicious, though pricy. The only reason I don’t give it more stars is due to the service. Three visits, three nervous, inexperienced servers. Overwhelmed much too easily for a small place with a limited menu. Believe I’ll stick with carry-​out from now on.

Summary: meh.
Food 2 – 3
Service 3
The avocado toast to start was meh. It wasn’t buttery enough, and the mildness was covered with meh.(2)
The bright spot was the nutty appetizer served in a dainty jar. It was like a sweet gelatinous granola bar and was the highlight. (3.5)
The spicy shrimp appetizer was not spicy at all. It was mediocre. (1)
For a lunch that cost almost $ 30, it sucked.
Don’t bother.

Was looking out for the French market with my girlfriend on Sunday, but we stumble upon this little place. Out of curiosity, we decided to give it a go. Afterall, it’s brunch time~
Before we sat down, we decided to buy a few things that are already put on display. the drinks section quickly grabbed our attention, as it is labeled «organic soda». What the hell does that even mean??? o. O but we decided to try one that was peach flavored. With a quick sip, it is hard to believe it is organic, but you can tell that the sweetness of the drink came from honey. A bit too sweet for my liking though.
We also bought a little rice pudding that is packed with nuts and dried fruits. Delicious start I tell ya! It was plenty of sweet and the vibrant organic dried-​up goodness played support perfectly along with the rice pudding.
Then we decided to share an order of waffles topped with fresh organic berries. Gotta say, they play the illusion game very well! At first glance, it seemed like the waffle was buried underneath the mountain of fruits, but after closer examination you realize that no, it’s just that the waffle is small! However, that does not mean that it is not a darn good waffle! It was cooked to perfection~
Honestly, I really like this little restaurant, and I looked around other customers’ tables and I observed some dish that I would love to try on other opportune visits. The only thing that kept this restaurant a 4, or even a 5 star review is its price. I understand that French places are usually expensive and petite, but would love to see more on my plate when I am paying as much as I did. But overall, a lovely dining experience!

We came here on a Sunday for brunch and left conflicted.
The food was fantastic. The french toast, the Belgian waffle, and the quinoa scone were excellent. The french toast and waffle were rich and flavorful without being heavy. The scone is the way a scone is meant to be, not the really-​sweet-​cake-​density scone many places serve. Add to it the cream and preserves that come with it and deliciousness awaits!
The service was horrible. Service was very slow and didn’t come with any smiles or apologies for the wait. I know they were really busy and understaffed. Still, smiles and quick words of apology are easy. Frowning servers aren’t enjoyable for anyone. So sip your coffee slowly (no free refills) when you go.
The food was a 5, the service a 2. I’ll give it a 4 and another try. I’m hoping that next time the service is better because the food makes me want to love this place.

Why waste your time scrambling for a flimsy table in the French Market when tons of seating in a better atmosphere is right outside the Clinton Street exit doors? Le Pain Quotidien is a lunchtime staple for New Yorkers and now we have locations in Chicago too. Delicious yogurt parfait, healthy salads and their classic tartines (open faced sandwiches)… if you aren’t looking for hangover food then you can’t go wrong.

THE Location in the west loop and loop for fresh organic bread and pastries, wonderful Belgian style tartines, omelets, waffles, quiche, frittata, great pot pie and mac & cheese and plenty of other items to fill or create whatever your needs are.
Service is professional without being stuffy… think nice bistro meets your local spot. The full service coffee bar can knock out Starbucks and bring it back to simple quality, yet with the options and service of home and beyond.
Fresh cooked bread (the bakery is literally next to the dining room and you can watch them bake the bread!) in multiple styles are available all day, as a person dining or to go both sliced or whole. Just ask what is available!
Also… they serve beer and wine!!! What I would recommend is ordering a few things to taste and sharing them over a couple of bottles of wine.
Trust me… this is a hidden gem and once the word hits (as it has at lunch-​time, its a wait for a table many days!) — it will be hard to get into — check this place out! They are honest and deliver the goods.

This was Valentine’s Day and I was craving chocolates from that fantastic store at the French Market… But when I arrived, the store was closed!
Craving chocolates like crazy we decided to stop by this place to see if the had some. Not only they did carry some Belgium chocolate collection (oh! The bread spread is better than Nutella!) they had a great selection of muffins and coffees. They also have everything organic!
Be prepared for some yumi organic and delicious food in here. This place is great for the casual dining but also a great place for you to take your valentine, perhaps? It’s a quite and casual atmosphere, with a touch of cozy. We ended up staying there until it was time to go for dinner, I had a mocha café and my husband the chai latte plus an espresso. Great place, I was really in the mood for some biscotti with my coffee and they had none — so please people, make some biscotti available next time? Lol :).

It was my first time visiting Chicago — my friend took me shopping around the area where we decided to stop in here for lunch.
Food:
The ingredients were fresh and the portions were fair. I tried the Smoked Salmon Salad (fresh dill, seasonal vegetables, arugula and goat cheese dressing) and the Organic Soup of the Day which came with a side of bread (they double as a bakery)
Ambiance:
I especially loved the décor and vibe of the place. It’s a very hipster vibe, but I love this vibe. Cute little place for lunch.

I want to like this place… it’s not Starbucks, which is always a good thing. That being said, I can only give this place two stars for two main reasons:
1) It’s totally overpriced. The coffee is too expensive. The food is too expensive. Everything is just way too expensive for what it is.
2) Both pastries I’ve gotten have had really bad flavor. One, the apple and cheese scone, was awful. Just very bland with no distinct sweetness or savory edge… no flavor at all and bad texture. I stopped in a second time to give the baked goods another try. This time I bought some sort of muffin that was also bland and I didn’t even finish it, which says a lot since I can wolf down baked goods like nobody’s business. They both looked beautiful, but frankly, tasted like crap.
Bummer.

Bakery ($ 3 or less), Breakfast ($ 7 or less), Desserts ($ 6 or less) and Sharing Plates ($ 14 or less) items are excellent value for $$. Portions are decent. Organic galore!
Great place for last minute gift bag.
Organic wine and beer.
Ordinary standard coffee selections. Affordable Cold Brew ($ 3.25) compared to competitor hand pour coffee that starts at $ 4. Both process yield the similar coffee quality.
In-​house bakery for the freshest bread.
I look forward to tasting hot dishes and tartines. The real and authentic Croque Monsieur.
Venue — clean and organized. Smaller dining area than bakery. Can be romantic and quiet.
Staff — pleasant, informative and helpful.
NOTE: Weekday can be a madhouse. Quiet Saturdays.

Another place which I really enjoyed because the food was amazing, but if they could just improve the service…
Originally, I had tried their Belgian waffles at their Manhattan location a long time ago. So when I heard they’re opening up in Chicago, I was super-​excited. I haven’t been able to find these kinds of waffles anywhere else.
They’re kind of a cross between a croissant and a Belgian. There’s much smaller than the Belgian waffles you get at most places and their harder rather than soft. I think they’ve got some sugar built-​in to them. You don’t add syrup on them; instead they come with some jam and whipped cream. Really amazing.
Then one of us ordered this… I think it was called an avocado quinoa cake. It’s not shown on the on-​line menu. It was really good. I had a taste of that. It’s called cake, but it wasn’t like cake-​cake. It was more savory than sweet. Loved it.
Last, we all shared the Mediterranean Platter, which was decent. It’s basically a variety of breads with hummus, baba, and some other dip in the middle. I liked the hummus and baba.
Initially the kids were disappointed that they don’t have pancakes, but with all the variety and flavor, everyone left happy.
Now the service… really slow. We ordered and waited and waited and waited. The waitress was very nice when she’d walk around. It probably wasn’t her, but they just need to speed things way up. After eating, we again waited and waited for the check. Wish they could improve that aspect. I also found it odd that they wanted to charge me for each cup of coffee — don’t most breakfast places usually refill? Well, she didn’t end up charging me, but I guess usually they do.
Still, with the food options and plenty of other vegetarian menu options available, I really look forward to breakfasting at LPQ.

Came in to check out the breads. The space is very French, lovely white subway tiles, chalkboard signs, warm woods and bright space. It’s nice, cute even.
Walking into LPQ are two doors. Go left (sit down). Go right (take out). Went right and it’s a tight area. It’s fine, but I wouldn’t want to be here during a weekday rush — highly possible as it is in a train station.
The staff tries very hard to be warm and welcoming.
Saw a loaf of bread on top shelf, saw another loaf in the middle shelf. They look the identical, but there two different signs both in french. I asked what they were and this is how it went:
First lady: It’s whole wheat.
Me: Oh ok, so I see there’s the ¹⁄₁ and ½. Could I do a half order?
Other lady: Yes, you can do whole, half or quarter.
Me: Great, I’ll take a quarter then of whole wheat.
Paid and stuffed the package into my backpack and went on my merry way. What I discovered later was that they gave me half and it’s actually whole wheat sourdough. Taste it was ok, texture is hard. You win some, you lose some.