A corner of Paris at street level, right inside our own hotel
Some of the best meals on a trip happen by sheer convenience, and Pierrot Gourmet, The Peninsula Chicago’s own street-level café at the corner of Rush and Superior, was exactly that kind of happy discovery. After a stay built around the hotel’s sky lobby and its more formal dining rooms, it was a genuine pleasure to find that the hotel offers an entirely different register of hospitality as well — casual, European, and perfectly suited to a quick coffee or an easy lunch between excursions.
A Neighborhood Mainstay for Two Decades
Pierrot Gourmet, affectionately known to regulars simply as “PG,” opened in 2001 and quickly became a go-to spot for area residents and the office crowd working nearby — the kind of café that earns genuine neighborhood loyalty rather than relying solely on hotel foot traffic. It picked up a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction in 2015, recognition reserved for places offering exceptional quality at a relatively accessible price point, which tells you something about how seriously the kitchen takes a menu that, on its surface, reads as simple café fare.
The café closed for a period before reopening in late 2022 with a brightened, modernized look that nonetheless stayed true to its original bistro-inspired design. Reopening under Chef de Cuisine Jerick Vargas, the new menu kept the dishes regulars had missed most — flatbreads, tartines, soups, salads, and the famously popular rotisserie chicken — while introducing newer additions and an expanded retail and gift program for takeaway pastries, wine, and desserts.
A Parisian Mood, Block by Block
The space itself does a great deal to set the tone. Inside, rustic wood paneling and wrought iron accents lean into a cozy, farmhouse-inspired version of a Parisian café rather than anything overly polished, and the seasonal sidewalk seating along Rush Street is, without exaggeration, some of the best people-watching in the neighborhood — tables ringed with colorful flowers, dogs welcome at the outdoor tables, and a steady parade of Magnificent Mile shoppers passing just beyond the railing. It’s genuinely the place to see and be seen on this stretch of the street, in the most relaxed possible sense of that phrase.
What to Order
The pastry case alone is worth the stop — delicate macarons, beautifully balanced mousse cakes, fruit tarts, and a pastry basket that pairs perfectly with one of the café’s expertly pulled cappuccinos. For something more substantial, the Croque Madame and the lobster roll both came up repeatedly as favorites among regulars, and the soups and French-style flatbreads make for an easy, satisfying lunch without weighing down an afternoon still full of sightseeing ahead. Families are well accommodated here too, with highchairs and a children’s menu on offer, which only adds to the relaxed, neighborhood feel of the place.
Why It Belongs on the List
Pierrot Gourmet is the kind of stop that rewards staying somewhere like The Peninsula in the first place — a genuinely beloved neighborhood café happening to share the same address as the hotel’s grander dining rooms. Whether you’re a guest popping down for breakfast before a full day out or simply passing by on Rush Street, it’s a lovely, unfussy reminder that some of the best meals in a luxury hotel are the most casual ones.
For the rest of where we stayed, ate, and explored on this trip, look for the complete Chicago guide coming soon to The Insider’s Guide. In the meantime, stay tuned for the next blog post in this Chicago series.
