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Chez François is my favorite restaurant in Vermillion, if not my favorite restaurant ever. As much as I love to try new places, this is one that my husband and I come to repeatedly. When I think of Chez Francois, I think of luxury in a small-town lakeside atmosphere. I think of indulging in lobster bisque and sipping a glass of wine while I watch the boats go in and out from the lake on the Vermillion River. I think of how my husband and I came here after we got engaged and had the most wonderful meal on the very lovely patio at Touché. It’s kind of more than a restaurant in a way. It’s an experience!
Unfortunately, a lot of visitors to Cleveland don’t venture this far outside of the city. Heck, this is even a trek for residents of the Cleveland area. That’s because Chez Francois is located about 45 minutes from downtown in the city of Vermilion. To be honest, there’s not much going on here other than its adorable little downtown area and the gorgeous lake views. Plus, there are so many new restaurants popping up in places closer to downtown Cleveland all the time. Further away places like Chez Francois may get a bit overshadowed at times. However, this particularly awesome restaurant is certainly worthy of a visit.
Keep scrolling and see why we are in love with this place, and why you need to visit as soon as possible!
Make it a casual evening at Touché
Touché is the upstairs space that you walk into immediately. Chez François is the main dining room below Touché. Touché’s menu is more casual and a bit lighter with smaller dishes. There is also no dress code, unlike Chez François. I usually opt to eat here, as it’s more my comfort zone and the atmosphere is a bit more relaxed. I actually like the view from the upstairs patio better, as you can see much further out into the lake. Also, as I mentioned above, my husband and I ate here the day we got engaged, and it was truly an amazing setting to celebrate such an occasion.
Have an elegant evening at Chez François
So this restaurant is really nice, and yes, the prices will reflect that. There is also a dress code, with jackets required for men, and apparently it is one of the last places in the state to have these rules. Because of this, it can come off as a bit stuffy at first. However, there is nothing else like it in the area, and I think it really adds to the elegance of the place.
They take their dining a bit more seriously down here, with a bigger and more formal menu featuring several courses. However, the small dining space is intimate, and the décor is warm and rustic with exposed beams throughout. This is meant to be a slow and leisurely dining experience, with highly attentive and knowledgeable wait staff serving you throughout the evening. Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or just celebrating life, this is the place to do it.
Some of the best French food I’ve ever had
Don’t come here if you’re on a diet. This is LEGIT French cooking, so expect butter and cream in most of their amazing menu items. These rich dishes are meant to be enjoyed slowly with a glass of wine, and they have earned the restaurant a spot on the “Open Table Top 100 Restaurants List” several times.
Do not fear the calorie consumption, as you wouldn’t want to miss out on their bowl of lobster bisque covered in puff pastry (my favorite menu item). While we’re on the subject of lobster, I’d be remiss if I did not mention the always delicious lobster quiche or the lobster stuffed zucchini blossom. They have more than lobster, of course, but that happens to be what I usually splurge on. Well, now I’ve made myself all hungry. Let’s move on…
They know their wine
This restaurant really knows their wine, and there is no shortage of delicious bottles of varying price ranges available (although most are $$$). In fact, my favorite way to enjoy wine at Chez François is by attending a wine dinner. Now this is what I was referring to when I said Chez François is an experience. These events really set this restaurant apart from other fine dining options. Over a 3-4 hour long evening, you navigate through carefully selected courses and wine pairings. They even bring in a representative from the wineries to talk about each pairing, and help you understand what you are drinking. I love when they bring in someone from overseas because it really just adds to the authenticity when we are drinking wines from an international region.
It is seriously worth the spurge to spend the evening sipping wine and enjoying the slow-paced dining experience. Especially if you get to sit outside!
Chez François’s location can’t be beat
Why do I love to enjoy an outdoor meal at this restaurant? I can’t think of a more scenic and relaxing atmosphere. I love the water view and watching the boats. These surroundings just bring me a sense of calm. When you pair this with the excellent restaurant that is Chez François, I don’t know how it could get any better. They seriously just have the best location of any restaurant I’ve been to.
In Cleveland, especially on the west side, there are surprisingly few restaurants actually on the water. Yes, we have the flats, but that is a totally different atmosphere, and not quite as charming as this quaint little village. It’s kind of hard to believe that such a fine dining restaurant could offer such coziness and tranquility, but it truly does. The restored old building the restaurant is in and the undeniable beauty of the surroundings are what make this place truly unique. To me, it really separates it from other fine dining restaurants in the area.
A reason to visit the beautiful city of Vermilion
This is such a lovely lakeside town that I’ve been coming to my whole life. To this day I still find it to be a quick and easy escape from the busier areas closer to the city. What you get from Vermilion is lake views, a cute old town area, wineries, and country drives. It’s about a 45 minute drive from Cleveland, so a little out of the way. However, I think it’s just the right distance for a mini adventure. If you are driving all that way to go to Chez Francois, you might as well take the time to explore what else this area has to offer.
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Hopefully this will convince you to branch out from some of the more “trending” Cleveland restaurants, and venture outside of the city a little bit. Chez François’s unique location is the main thing that draws me back every time. I don’t know how anyone could feel anything but pure bliss while dining out here. It’s certainly one of my happy places.
Do you think this sounds like a restaurant you’d like to visit? Have you been here before? Share your experience below!
