The English Room

Someone from this business manages this listing.

#4 of 46 Restaurants in Lake Forest$$$$, American, Vegetarian friendly

+1 847-234-2280+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

6:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Mon

6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Tue

6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Wed

6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Thu

6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Fri

6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Sat

6:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

169 reviews

#4 of 46 Restaurants in Lake Forest

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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CUISINES

American

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

features

Location and contact

255 East Illinois Road The Deer Path Inn, Lake Forest, IL 60045-1953

+1 847-234-2280

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Appetizers

Mediterranean Vegetarian Sampler

hummus, baba ghanoush, grape leaves,& tabuleh salad served with pita chips

US$12

Baked Brie

petite salad & strawberry balsamic compote

US$9

Smoked King Salmon Tartar

with petite salad & salmon caviar

US$12

Shrimp Cocktail

jumbo chilled tail-on shrimp with cocktail sauce and fresh lemon

US$14

Maryland Crab Cakes

seaweed salad & carrot jus emulsion

US$14

Soups, Salads

Lobster Bisque

US$9

Baked French Onions Soup

US$7

Does this restaurant offer validated parking?

Yes

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Details

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About

Long considered one of the most celebrated fine dining venues on Chicago’s North Shore, the English Room is our culinary heart and soul. Reminiscent of an English manor, it is equally suited for special occasions and everyday dining. Whether guests are enjoying the formality and rich tradition of the English Room, the sunlight and sophistication of the adjacent Garden Room, or simply soaking up the warmth of the secluded Courtyard patio, exquisite cuisine paired with one of the area’s most extensive wine lists is a moment to be cherished.

CUISINES

American

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Private Dining, Seating, Parking Available, Valet Parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Table Service

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4.5

169 reviews

Excellent

116

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

CarlaAKS

New York City169 contributions

pretty restaurant, but you better not be hungry or in a hurry

Jul 2021 • none

Pretty garden room and patio dining beyond. Nice place for a couple's dinner or for older friends. Good food. A little staid. The menu is a bit pretentious, and slightly beyond the skills of the chef, and the service is a bit slow. Overall, very nice, but I don't have to go back.

Written July 27, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

L S

Minnetonka16 contributions

Lovely dinner on outside patio

Sep 2021 • couples

The courtyard dining at the Deeepath Inn was a lovely surprise. The setting, with beautiful twinkle lights and uplighting that showcases the water feature and oversized deer, was as good as the food. They were prepared with heat lamps to keep the outdoor dining going, well into the fall. My Almond Encrusted Sole was delicious. Overall, a lovely evening.

Written September 10, 2021

Jacqueline G

Chicago4 contributions

Lovely brunch beyond words

Sep 2023 • friends

A friend of mine and I wanted a quiet vet elegant place for brunch. We chose The English Room for Sunday Brunch. The setting is very elegant yet cozy, making you feel right at home. The chairs are padded, meant for you to linger. The buffet was beautiful even though our reservation was for late Sunday afternoon. The carving station meticulously tidy as were all the selections. The pastry and bread assortment was very Euorpean, plumply filled in and inviting. There was such an array of choices it was hard to decide what to select. The poached salmon was exceptional, flavored perfectly. My friend had the roast beef, exquisitely roasted just pink enough to be perfect. The sauages were meaty and not greasy. Pastry first class as was the service. Must go. We were not rushed but encouraged to linger.

Written September 18, 2023

MarScott_10

Chicago4 contributions

A big disappointment

Feb 2020 • couples

We are extremely disappointed with this restaurant’s management. We had a very bad experience over the holidays with a reservation made two months in advance. They made a promise and then with an unprofessional message, said they would not meet our request. In private we wrote the general manager expressing our displeasure. After over a month, there is no response. The only conclusion we can make is they do not care. This is not the action of an establishment that cares. We were repeat customers, taking many friends and guests to this restaurants over many years. This lack of concern says a lot. We should add the last time we had a meal - the end of 2019 - the meal was not very good and the serving staff seemed unhappy. Obviously, something has changed. We can not recommend and we are telling others to stay away. Very sad to see a once special place become average.

Written February 9, 2020

Ireland5255

Lake Forest2 contributions

No room at the Inn…

Nov 2023 • family

The food was outstanding & the wait staff has improved a bit since our last visit 3 months ago, but…. I can’t figure out why they won’t take a reservation, made well in advance, when there are often many empty tables in evidence. Perhaps they’re waiting to see if hotel guests will go to their dining rooms, but what’s happening is that area residents are complaining they can’t get in & therefore no longer frequenting this restaurant. The Deerpath Inn is a long standing favorite in Lake Forest, but they are losing the support of their faithful local patrons.

Written December 4, 2023

Jim Y

Chicago193 contributions

So rude at the reservation desk

Nov 2021 • couples

Oh my goodness this place is rude. Getting reservations is essentially impossible. Whenever I call they tell me they are booked. No matter what day I pick. It’s unbelievable. Oh, and don’t leave them a message and expect a callback. It’s not going to happen. I have NEVER had them return my call. It’s truly unbelievable how rude they are. Makes me feel like I am back in high school trying to get the popular girl to pay attention to me. Much like the popular girl in high school, it’s really not worth the effort. Le Colonial will be here soon enough.

Written December 5, 2021

Anthony S

Chicago298 contributions

We had a lovely dinner at the English Room in the Deerpath Inn

Aug 2022 • none

We had a lovely dinner at the English Room in the Deerpath Inn. The food was delicious, the manager and the servers were charming and the decor is lovely. The restaurant does have outdoor dining. We actually dined in the Garden Room overlooking the outdoor area. It is a very British restaurant. We all had a wonderful time

Written August 12, 2022

wakina2018

Chicago1322 contributions

Love their afternoon tea

The review is only for their afternoon tea We absolutely loved the English afternoon tea at Deer Path Inn. Having experienced afternoon teas from Japan to England to Chicago, Deer Path Inn stands out as one of my top choices. The food, ambience, and service were all exceptional, making it a truly delightful experience. Highly recommended!

Written July 9, 2024

sangeetadas

Chicago602 contributions

Elegance

May 2023 • couples

We were here for breakfast to celebrate birthday. We visited this place in early hours so had the whole place for yourself. Food and Tea options are great. We had lovely english tea, house coffee, Avacodo toast, eggs Benedict. Service was really good and they were kind enough offer us birthday cake. Highly recommend and I will definitely go back!

Written June 26, 2023

marisa s brown

Saint Louis22 contributions

The worst afternoon tea

Dec 2024 • business

I was at the Deerpath Inn English Tea Room with a business associate. It was a pleasant space to eat and talk. The service was ok, but you literally have to wait to get started with your tea and the food. To our surprise, after waiting for a long time the tea was served then the food. I noticed the tea and the food was served too cold to enjoy. As we were leaving, the manager in charge was so unruly in answering our inquiries about reservations. We left the Inn and on my way home, I had to stop on the side of the road, and I had several bouts of forceful expulsion of my stomach contents. I felt better but as I got home, I had the runs and end up to be food poisoning. I called the English Tea room and raised a concern since my business associate also had the runs. I was promised that a Manager will be calling and I followed with several more voicemails to addressed it. No one bothered to call to show concern. I missed several days of work. Will I come back or recommended this place? Certainly not a chance will I make such recommendation after what I experienced as an afternoon from hell and to wonder why there’s no response to my calls. Food Poisoning is serious, and if there’s no accountability on the part of the Inn, there’s nothing more to say. There’s a lot of Five Star Hotels offering English Afternoon Tea, like The Langham and The Peninsula where the atmosphere and the professionalism is a breath of fresh air! It was truly an incredible, satisfying experienced to say the least and to top it all these Hotels are business and customer-oriented focus on pleasing their guests! I am totally surprised at the way the Deerpath Inn handled a very serious concern/issues. I think they have to change their mindset and be focus on customer service and satisfaction of guest!

Written December 12, 2024

Kurospii

Lake Bluff53 contributions

Can’t make advance reservation for high tea

Jul 2024 • family

We have been long time patrons of this restaurant. But the way they handled their advance reservation left very bad taste in one’s mouth. I tried to reserve in April for a 4 person high tea in July. But I called repeatedly (3 different times) and they said call back because I was too early. So I called at their recommended time and they asked for a credit card information which I gave them. Afterwards, she said, we can’t take your reservation! You are still too early! At that time I asked to speak to the F and B manager and left a message for him to call me back. But no one did! So I concluded that they really don’t want or need my business!

Written July 15, 2024

James A P

Naples341 contributions

Food very average

Oct 2023 • friends

The ambiance is wonderful, but the food does not match, too bad. Portions were way too large and both meals were blah . Disappointing lunch overall .

Written October 19, 2023

Lysippos

San Francisco260 contributions

Wonderful Ambiance and Excellent Service

Oct 2021 • none

The owners have beautifully refurbished the Inn but maintained the character and ambiance of the English Room. Food was very good and service excellent from the hostess to our waiter.

Written October 24, 2021

jackie g

1 contribution

Servers didn't listen to our food allergy needs, were very slow, and stated food was "safe" when it wasn't

Jun 2021 • none

I ate at the Deer Path Inn brunch 2 years ago and it was wonderful - great food, great service. I wish i could say the same about my birthday lunch there yesterday. We were the first to be seated and when the server came we asked what could be made gluten free as we had a food allergy. We ordered coffee and asked for Heavy Cream (not half and half). My dining friend has a lactose problem and can only have heavy cream. The server brought the cream, said it was heavy cream.....it was half and half. i asked if they had gluten free bread for the table - yes, but it would take 5 minutes. He returned 30 min later with 2 pieces of toast ....our orders still not taken and the heavy cream still not delivered. I was impressed that he took the menu to the chef and asked which menu items could be made gluten free - he returned with that menu, starring the items we could choose from. I ordered eggs benedict on gluten free toast. another 30 min later he returned and tried to serve me eggs benedit on regular english muffin. I mentioned that the muffin didn't appear gluten free - he assured me it was until another server said "no, its not." it took more than an hour to receive the correct order. He brought a few pieces of sliced fruit for our trouble. For those with food allergies - i don't recommend this place. There was definitely a communication break-down, but the fact that the server didn't pay attention and tried to pawn off a glutenous item as gluten free is downright dangerous for the diner. I don't know if i'll be going back. Sad because my first experience was so great.

Written June 6, 2021

iTraveltheworld195

Highland Park1115 contributions

Pandemic Dining in the Courtyard

Aug 2020 • none

I have now been to eat in the courtyard at Deer Path twice since the start of the pandemic. Once for breakfast and once for dinner. Both dining experiences were lovely. The courtyard is charming and provides a very relaxing experience. Service is impeccable with accommodating, well masked servers. Reservations are a must. We had to book two weeks ahead for a Sunday dinner reservation. You should also be prepared to be greeted at the outside entrance and asked to wait until the get the all clear that your table is ready. For my breakfast experience, I had the avocado caprese toast. It was delicious and came with some nice fruit. Not quite a five though as the bread and avocado were not quite what I expected. The bread was a bit thin and not toasted quite enough so it got a bit chewy. I'm not quite sure that it was even sourdough as billed. It seemed like extra thin sliced whole wheat to me. For avocado toast, I wish there had been more avocado. The avocado portioning was a bit skimpy. One thing that went above and beyond was that when we told them that we were two friends dining and not from the same household, they were able to seat us a table for six so we able to sit pretty far apart from each other. For our dinner experience, there were four us and three of the four entrees were excellent. The star was the lobster and scallop risotto. We went with our son and his fiance, who is vegan. They don't have much as vegan options but were very kind to put together a pasta dish with lots of mixed veggies! She proclaimed it a success and the tomato sauce to be super flavorful! Son ordered the steak frites but substituted mashed potatoes instead of fries. They absolutely had no problem with the substitution, which is always nice. Hubby has the lobster and scallop risotto which was incredible! It was rich and packed with seafood. Pretty much everything you want from the dish. I ordered poorly. I had the Dover sole. It wash such a shame, as Dover sole is such a wonderful fish. The flavors are mild and delicate and couldn't stand up to their breading and over oiled sauteing. I would not recommend ordering this dish. Overall, the Deer Path is a great choice for special occasion dining especially during the pandemic.