Le Colonial chicago

Le Colonial is a celebration of the seductive spirit and vivid flavors reminiscent of Saigon in the 1920s.

EST. 1996
cocktails

Location

57 E OAK STREET CHICAGO, IL

Le Colonial Chicago is a celebration of the seductive spirit and vivid flavors reminiscent of Saigon in the 1920's. Heralded as "an escapist’s paradise," the famed French-Vietnamese institution is designed to capture Vietnam's bygone era of romance and soft architecture.

In 2018, Le Colonial moved from its location of over 20 years at 937 N. Rush Street to Chicago’s iconic Oak Street. Located on the third floor of the building, Le Colonial features a luscious dining room, bar and lounge, an idyllic private chef’s dining room and a palm-filled all-season terrace overlooking the bustling Oak Street.

Private Dining

Private Chef's Dining Room, veranda or full restaurant buy-outs available.

Le Colonial Monkey Room private dining area
Le Colonial bar area
Le Colonial Veranda
Le Colonial Veranda
Le Colonial bar cocktails

Chef’s note

"Until recently, modern Vietnamese food in Vietnam could only be found in grand hotels’ fancy dining establishments, and those kitchens are usually run by Western chefs,” Routhier says. “So I was more interested in restaurants that offered that same kind of food experience but with a point of view from a native Vietnamese chef."
Chef Nicole Routhier, Culinary Brand Director at Le Colonial
rolls
Chef Nicole Routhier

Owners

Celebrated restaurateurs Rick Wahlstedt and Joe King

Joe King, Owner

Joe King is one of the Chicago area’s most prolific restaurateurs, playing a pivotal role in Windy City ventures spanning from nationally acclaimed Japonais by Morimoto, Rockit Bar & Grill and Le Passage nightclub to local favorites like King Café Gourmet and Go. He is also a partner in award-winning East Coast establishments, L’Escale in Greenwich, CT and Artisan in Southport, CT, and co-owns South China Management with Rick Wahlstedt.

A Massachusetts native, King first found his love for the hospitality industry as a teenager working during summer breaks. In 1996, he entered a partnership with Chicago’s Le Colonial, where he was intimately involved in all operational, culinary, service and design aspects that have made Le Colonial an institution in Chicago, as well as the big picture of the Le Colonial’s legacy.

Rick Wahlstedt, Founder & Owner

A lifelong entrepreneur by way of Sweden, Rick Wahlstedt is the creator and/or partner and driving force behind some of the country’s most successful, innovative and acclaimed culinary and hospitality concepts such as Japonais, Le Bilboquet, La Goulue, L’Escale and Artisan.

Wahlstedt’s uncanny ability to know what his patrons want is based on a simple principle: he creates sophisticated, inviting and unpretentious venues that he and his friends would enjoy. In 1993, Wahlstedt set out to create something unique in Manhattan debuting the adventure of Le Colonial, the first upscale fine dining Vietnamese restaurant in the country. After 25 years of great success and with Le Colonial thriving in Chicago, Atlanta and Houston, Wahlstedt is spearheading Le Colonial’s expansion with five new restaurants during the next two years and establishing joint ventures internationally and licensing opportunities.