Meet us where the neighborhood feels like Paris
Serving French and American fare in a charming dining room that feels just like Paris in the 1920s, this neighborhood bistro is the kind of place where the chef may just know your name.
Chef Christopher Ala lives in the neighborhood where he and his wife opened Hemmingway’s Bistro. The name is inspired by the famed writer who was born in Oak Park (though the extra “m” sets the bistros spelling apart from Ernest Hemingway himself).
Some of the items on the menu are similar to the specials that Hemingway would have enjoyed as he ate, drank, and wrote his way through Paris in the 1920s.
The Plat du Jour at the bistro may be a Coq au Vin or a Caussoulet Toulousain or a Beef Wellington. You’ll also find classic American dishes like an Amish Chicken Pot Pie.
Chef Ala is especially fond of seafood, having spent years serving as an executive chef in the Caribbean and on the American East Coast. Fresh seafood is flown in daily from Boston to the bistro.
The bistro is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week: Monday through Sunday from 11am-8:30pm.
Don’t miss the Champagne Sunday Brunch with live jazz music from 11am-3pm! Try the Crab Cake Royale with poached egg, asparagus, and hollandaise.
The daily special ranges in price, but entrees generally cost between $19-$40.
When you come to Hemmingway’s Bistro, you will almost certainly see Chef Christopher Ala or his wife, Lucia, who own and operate the bistro.
They live in the neighborhood and personally know many of the guests who join them in the dining room. Whether you live down the street or you’re visiting from around the world, you’ll be treated like a neighbor at Hemmingway’s Bistro.
Located in the Write Inn at 211 N. Oak Park Avenue, Hemmingway’s Bistro is less than a half-mile walk from the Oak Park Stop on the “L” train. It’s a 15-minute drive west of downtown Chicago.
