Location
655 Forest Ave, Lake Forest, IL
Le Colonial Lake Forest 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 the heart of the charming Market Square of Lake Forest.
Le Colonial opened its doors in July 2022, in a historical two-story structure originally built in 1901 to serve as the community’s fire and police station. The free standing building includes over 12,500 square feet of lavish palm-filled dining and picturesque banquet event space, as well as a large outdoor garden for alfresco dining and lounging by the Parrot bar.
Private Dining
Private Chef's Dining Room, Lounge, Banquet rooms or full restaurant buy-outs available
Chef's Note
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.