Jilly's Cafe

4.4 ( 170 reviews )
Checking... 5:00 AM - 8:45 PM See Hours
$50–100
2614 Green Bay Rd, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
+1 847-869-7636

Located at 2614 Green Bay Rd, Jilly's Cafe promises an intimate dining experience reminiscent of a charming European bistro. Guests rave about the exceptional service, particularly praising Ali for his attentive and personable approach. Many patrons agree that this French restaurant is a must-visit, citing the delightful ambiance and the well-curated menu.

The culinary offerings, including dishes such as bouillabaisse, frog legs, and duck, frequently earn high marks for both taste and presentation. One satisfied customer described the bouillabaisse with lobster as a substantial and reasonably priced seafood delight. Meanwhile, others enjoyed perfectly cooked escargot and a flavorful lobster risotto, indicating a mastery of intricate flavors.

However, while the food creates a memorable dining experience, some reviewers noted minor shortcomings, such as bland plating and occasional waitstaff challenges during busy times. Despite this, Jilly's Cafe remains a beloved destination, often praised for its homemade desserts—especially the creamy crème brûlée—making it a worthwhile stop for both locals and visitors alike.

Amenities and More

  • Accessibility
    • Has wheelchair-accessible seating
  • Service options
    • Offers delivery
    • Offers takeaway
    • Serves dine-in
  • Highlights
    • Serves great coffee
    • Serves great dessert
    • Has great wine list
  • Popular for
    • Popular for breakfast
    • Popular for lunch
    • Popular for dinner
    • Good for solo dining
  • Offerings
    • Serves alcohol
    • Serves beer
    • Serves cocktails
    • Serves coffee
    • Serves spirits
    • Serves wine
  • Dining options
    • Serves breakfast
    • Serves brunch
    • Serves lunch
    • Serves dinner
    • Serves dessert
  • Amenities
    • Has toilet
  • Atmosphere
    • Cosy
    • Romantic
    • Upmarket
  • Planning
    • Dinner reservations recommended
    • Accepts reservations
  • Payments
    • Accepts credit cards
    • Accepts debit cards
    • Credit cards
  • Parking
    • Paid street parking

Reviews For Jilly's Cafe

Pam Rahhal
Jun 14,2025
Excellent service and food was amazing! Ali is the best. He took care of every table in an extremely timely manner. He has a great personality. This restaurant is a "must go to" place.
Bethany Greenberg
Jun 12,2025
We went for our anniversary and didn't hold back. It was a Wednesday night, so it wasn't very busy. Otherwise, it's packed on the weekend! The bouillabaisse (seafood dish) with lobster I thought was an amazing deal considering costs of what I've seen at other restaurants and sizes. This was sizable for a pure seafood dish. Pictured: frog legs, octopus, veal chop, bouillabaisse with lobster
Sarah Z
Jun 7,2025
This place looked soooo cute on the outside and because of that it has been on our “to try” list forever. We finally went on a Thursday night and everything was just perfect. The place was quiet with 3-4 tables filled. We ordered the escargot, the trout, and the duck, and also got a free creme brulee for dessert thanks to my husband’s NU wildcard discount. Every dish was tasty and delightful from start to finish. Price was decent with what we ordered but some of the specialty dishes certainly looked pricey. Overall, we had a very nice evening and will definitely be back.
Csilla M. Fisher
May 21,2025
Jilly’s Cafe has a true European feel to it, like a tiny little Parisian restaurant hidden somewhere on the smallest of streets. White tablecloth, but it’s not a super fancy place. I was here for brunch - they have a champagne brunch for 45 or you can eat a la carte. We opted for the latter, and had the breakfast trio and the crab Benedict. The food was absolutely delicious, and the prices were not obnoxious at all, however I wasn’t impressed by the plating: it was visually bland and lacked effort in my opinion. There was only one waiter and the small place filled up nicely, so he was working very hard to keep everyone satisfied. If you drive here, you can park on Central and just walk back here - there is no convenient parking on Green Bay.
SERGELATO
Apr 30,2025
out. Started off with some amazing escargot sizzling in butter, the mussels in a white wine sauce was satisfactory. all of the appetizers were so delicious, especially the foie gras which was so good we got a second order. For the mains, we had their lobster risotto special, and the duck breast with a confit leg was fantastic, the sauce didn’t take away any of the flavor from the duck surprisingly. It was my first time having venison steak, the meat was firm and juicy. Don’t snooze on their desserts with everything being homemade, and my favorite was the creme brulee being very creamy. Amazing spot to check out.
Robert Stroh
Apr 11,2025
This is a wonderful restaurant. It has an intimate neighborhood feel with incredible food and wonderful service. It’s a perfect place to take a date. Try the muscles they are the best around.
Tom Conley
Mar 21,2025
This is a step or two above an ordinary bistro. The standard bistro menu items are on point but come for the specials, like venison or sea bass. They take a modern approach with layered flavors. Sublime. The wine list features excellent, fairly priced wines. They don't hurry you through the meal to turn a table. The atmosphere rating reflects the fact it is a bistro, which I believe is a plus because it's more relaxing. It is the perfect place for a romantic date, intimate anniversary, or special birthday. The candlelight picture is from a large birthday celebration and the atmosphere was perfect. Love the place.
Tim Schmitt
Mar 8,2025
Took my wife here for her birthday and it was amazing. The food was great. Angie was our server and she was the best. She took our picture and had it printed out right away to give to us. Nice touch!

Add a Review

Quality
Location
Price
Space
Service

Location

Appreciated by Others

Darrell's Restaurant
(443 review)
Darrell's Restaurant
  • 1200 MacArthur Dr, Alexandria, LA 71303, United States
american restaurant
+1 318-625-7600
Pizza Donisi
(550 review)
Pizza Donisi
  • 1396 S 2nd St, Louisville, KY 40208, United States
Pizza restaurant
+1 502-213-0488
Banana Leaf Indian Restaurant - Downtown LA
(109 review)
Banana Leaf Indian Restaurant - Downtown LA
  • 701 W Cesar Estrada Chavez Ave #107, Los Angeles, CA 90012, United States
south indian restaurant
+1 213-372-5590
Siren Oyster Bar & Restaurant
(166 review)
Siren Oyster Bar & Restaurant
  • 687 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215, United States
seafood restaurant
+1 347-689-4577
Poppins Restaurant & Cafe - Farnborough
(239 review)
Poppins Restaurant & Cafe - Farnborough
  • 96 Queensmead, Farnborough GU14 7SE, United Kingdom
Cafe
+44 1252 510440
Toronto Beach Club
(777 review)
Toronto Beach Club
  • 1681 Lake Shore Blvd E, Toronto, ON M4L 3W6, Canada
Restaurant
+1 416-694-8844
Hamilton's
(891 review)
Hamilton's
  • 2826 Fort Hamilton Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11218, United States
Restaurant
+1 718-438-0488
Taco Mac Prado
(2072 review)
Taco Mac Prado
  • 5600 Roswell Rd Ste M-003, Sandy Springs, GA 30342, United States
Restaurant
+1 404-941-1503
Two Brothers Fish Restaurant
(595 review)
Two Brothers Fish Restaurant
  • Regents Park Rd, London N3 1DP, United Kingdom
Seafood restaurant
+44 20 8346 0469
The Cabin Restaurant
(1357 review)
The Cabin Restaurant
  • 1172 Knollwood Rd, White Plains, NY 10603, United States
American restaurant
+1 914-592-6682