I count myself lucky to be a person who has experienced a stay at Deer Path Inn, a historic inn modeled after a fifteenth-century British manor house that’s tucked into Chicago’s North Shore. Staying at the inn truly felt like I had flown overseas instead of traveling just an hour outside of Chicago. The inn is nestled in the quaint town of Lake Forest, with shops and restaurants within walking distance and Lake Michigan within biking distance. (You can even rent bikes from the inn.) I was extremely impressed with the dining experiences at Deer Path Inn, which is important to me as a foodie. If you’re the kind of person who plans their trips around restaurants and dining options, the inn is perfect because it’s all right there for you.
All of this to say, I’m excited that Deer Path Inn has recently unveiled its new dining room, The Brasserie. The space was previously known (for nearly a century!) as The English Room, a place for guests and locals to enjoy formal dining and conversation with an atmosphere of British sensibility.
Here’s a photo I took of the space during my stay so we can do a proper before and after and truly admire this transformation.
As you can see, it’s an elevated room that truly makes you feel like you’re dining at a fancy inn somewhere in England, possibly even a castle! (Maybe this is just me.) The exposed beams, the iron chandeliers, the dark green leather, and artwork along the walls all contributed to the historic and distinctly British character.
I was a little surprised to learn the room had been updated to a more modern look, but when I think about the age of the inn (it’s 97 this year!), the volume of guests served, and the quality of the dining experience there, it makes sense to freshen it up.
Here is the newly transformed space, now called The Brasserie.
The difference is pretty dramatic, and I must admit that my jaw hit the floor! The team at Deer Path Inn managed to make the space brighter and more open thanks to a fresh color palette and the banquettes around the room. And while there are some very obvious changes—the floors, the lighting, paint color on the walls—there are still several elements that were carried over from the previous design. The dark green leather, the beams, and artwork (although there is quite a bit more of it now) all tie the new, modern design to the history of the previous space.
The renovation was designed (and brought to life with local craftsmen and artisans) around conversation and community, something that’s central to the inn’s identity, but with a more vibrant and contemporary atmosphere. As guests descend the stairs into the new restaurant, they’re met with a gallery of over 70 works from British and Chicago-based artists. The collection includes everything from photography to illustrations and paintings in frames of various materials and sizes, which create a salon-style look that feels collected over time.
All of the thoughtful changes come together to create a dining room that honors its roots and heritage while still feeling modern and present.
“The Brasserie represents an important evolution for Deer Path Inn,” says James Barnett, general manager of Deer Path Inn. “For 97 years, our dining spaces have been central to the inn’s identity and a gathering place for the community. The Brasserie honors that legacy while introducing a more vibrant and contemporary spirit. It feels familiar, yet unmistakably new.
I’m so happy I was able to experience The English Room before this incredible renovation, and now I just need to book another stay at the inn to try The Brasserie so I can adequately experience and compare the two.
Beth Branch is assistant editor at Country Living, where she is the resident baker on staff developing baking recipes for digital, food styling, and digital food content. She runs the CL Instagram and helps create content for Tiktok. She’s been with Country Living for two-and-a-half years and has 9 years of experience in the digital food space. She’s held editorial positions at Bake from Scratch, eMeals, and MyRecipes, editing recipes and developing digital and social content. She has run a personal baking blog since 2013 that lead to publishing a cookbook in 2018. She loves vintage and southern baking recipes, iced coffee, her cat Olive, and fantasy novels.
