The Emerald City of America’s heartland benefits from seasonality like few others in the country, and you’ll taste it all in the amazing restaurants here.
Sourcing farm fresh ingredients from all over Illinois—not to mention neighboring Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin—the best restaurants in Chicago are recognized as some of the most exciting in the country, thanks in no small part to the talent in their kitchens.
From acclaimed chefs to memorable dining experiences, we’ve listed our favorite Chicago restaurants here—so snag your reservations ASAP.
1. Superdawg Drive-In
6363 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60646
(773) 763-0660
Superdawg Drive-In is a classic circa-1948 drive-in where carhops deliver Chicago-style dogs, fries, and milkshakes.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Avatars of Superdawg founders Maurie and Flaurie Berman stand guard over this venerable Chicago drive-in at the intersection of Devon, Nagle, and Milwaukee; customers can spot those giant hot dog statues bearing the Bermans’ likenesses from blocks away.
Superdawg is a throwback dining experience where customers park their cars and talk to staff through crackling drive-in speakers and carhops bring out trays of food.
Superdawg’s offering isn’t a traditional Chicago-style dog, and you wouldn’t want to miss the coolest spot to head to with a foodie for some classic (but with a twist) hotdogs.
What to Eat
Rather than a Vienna Beef frank, Superdawg uses a thick, proprietary all-beef sausage that comes with mustard, pickled green tomato, and chopped Spanish onions, and if you’re not drooling just from reading that, you’ll want to experience it yourself first.
This is all cradled in a box of crinkle fries, so grab a box and chow down.
2. Lost Larson
5318 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 944-0587
Lost Larson is best known as a bakery-cafe serving bread, pastries, sandwiches, and cocktails in a casual space with a retro vibe that opened in 2018.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
This Andersonville bakery and café pays homage to the neighborhood’s Scandinavian roots in the most delicious way.
Chef and owner Bobby Schaffer—whose star-studded resume includes Grace and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York—is the culinary mastermind behind a drool-worthy pastry program that encompasses cardamom-scented chocolate croissants, lingonberry almond cakes and calamansi meringue tarts.
Savory enthusiasts have plenty to look forward to, too, with Lost Larson’s selection of open-face sandwiches that are topped with fresh produce and quality meats.
The shop doesn’t close after the sun goes down, but instead turns into Vinbar, a natural wine bar offering pours by the bottle and glass plus composed plates that spotlight farmers-market–fresh ingredients.
It’s the kind of place you’ll find an excuse to visit for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner—which is A-okay in our book.
What to Eat
The bakery and cafe doles out whole wheat ham-and-cheese croissants, scones, quiche, and the fabled cardamom bun.
3. Luella’s Southern Kitchen
4609 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 961-8196
Luella’s Southern Kitchen is known for serving traditional Southern favorites in a simple storefront space with a weekend brunch menu.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
While chef Darnell Reed toiled in hotel kitchens in downtown Chicago, he imagined opening a restaurant that honored his great-grandmother Luella, who arrived in Chicago from Mississippi in 1943.
Now, his tiny Lincoln Square restaurant serves some of the city’s best Southern food, including cream shrimp and grits, chicken gumbo, and a mighty platter of fried chicken and waffles people consider to be the best food in Chicago.
This Black-owned restaurant on the North Side is also a popular brunch destination.
On this quiet strip of Lincoln Square is an unassuming storefront, and within, an equally unassuming Southern restaurant dishing out high-quality food that tastes like home.
What to Eat
Dishes like shrimp and grits are beefed up—instead, it’s New Orleans-spiced shrimp atop silky cream cheese grits.
A huge plate of fluffy biscuits comes smothered in a savory, spicy gravy of tasso ham and andouille sausage, while sweet potato pancakes are served with allspice butter, maple syrup, and a dusting of fleur de sel—it’s a comfort food feast.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Hotel Zachary, Chicago, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
4. Smoque BBQ
3800 N Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60641
(773) 545-7427
Smoque BBQ is a popular BBQ spot slinging ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and more in a basic space with community tables.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Since opening in 2006, Smoque BBQ has gained a loyal following for house-smoked meats combined with pitch-perfect, house-made rubs and sauces.
The restaurant has received the Michelin Bib Gourmand award every year since it has been awarded in Chicago, and has been featured in a wide range of media outlets, from the New York Times to the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
The Revival location brings Smoque’s signature barbecue downtown, where an abbreviated menu of the restaurant’s favorites is offered, along with a few Revival-only items.
Smoque is one of the best dinner places in Chicago for dining in, taking back to the office for lunch, or for stopping by on the way home for a pound or two of fresh-cut BBQ and a few classic sides for dinner.
What to Eat
Smoque is all about barbecue tradition; even the baked beans are infused with smoky flavor.
The ribs are simply irresistible, as they’re coated in a Memphis-style dry rub and glazed with a sweet, tangy barbecue sauce.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Guesthouse Hotel
5. Honey Butter Fried Chicken
3361 N Elston Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 478-4000
Honey Butter Fried Chicken boasts its quick-serve outfit furnishes fried poultry, craft beer, and cocktails in rustic digs with a patio.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Crowds flock to this cozy nest of a restaurant in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood to get their fix of fried chicken.
The high-quality, antibiotic-free birds come served in a bevy of craveworthy iterations, including the insanely good Fried Chicken Nachos.
These crisp and skinless pieces of meat come with the restaurant’s signature honey butter.
But beyond the food, Christine Cikowksi and Josh Kulp are committed to improving restaurant working conditions and have championed a business model where employees receive health care benefits.
That explains why prices are higher than the average counter service joint, but HBFC reports strong worker retention, which is a rarity in the industry.
What to Eat
Juicy morsels of the signature Honey Butter Fried Chicken are loaded onto a mound of tortilla chips, then layered with melty pimento cheese, candied jalapenos, lime crema and corn pico de gallo.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Robey
6. Pat’s Pizza and Ristorante
2679 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 248-0168
Pat’s Pizza and Ristorante is a family-owned restaurant serving thin-crust and pan pizzas plus Italian and American entrees since 1950.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Chicago thin-crust pizza is having a moment, with the city’s pizza makers eager to defy the notion that this is only a deep-dish town.
So settle down, deep-dish fans, because the thick slices are still awesome here if you’re looking for the best lunch in Chicago.
Pat’s Pizza in Lakeview has a storied history of popularizing tavern-style pies, and this family-owned spot sports some of the crispiest, thinnest pizzas around.
Pat’s uses its own sausage blend for the pizza, which also helps set this place apart.
What to Eat
Pastas, salads and a handful of cheesy, sauced chicken entrées round out the options, but we suggest sticking with the pizza, especially if you’re a fan of crispy paper-thin crust and square-cut slices.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Viceroy Chicago
Related: Top-Rated Italian Restaurants in Chicago
Related: Best Chicago Pizza
7. Mi Tocaya Antojería
2800 W Logan Blvd
Chicago, IL 60647
(872) 315-3947
Mi Tocaya Antojería is a colorful, laid-back spot serving multiregional Mexican small plates, desserts, and cocktails.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Few chefs share the talent and drive that Diana Dávila exhibits while showcasing a dazzling display of small Mexican dishes in Logan Square.
Dávila isn’t shy about taking risks: she isn’t pandering to the typical American diner.
This isn’t a place to fill up on chips and salsa with a pitcher of margaritas; Dávila left her previous job after owners tried to force those expectations on her, but that’s not to say there’s not a taste of the familiar.
This is one of the best restaurants Chicago has to offer for tacos and enchiladas.
What to Eat
The guacamole, steak burrito, and fried oyster tacos are all stellar, but customers should dive into unique items like peanut butter lengua and tlacoyo de nopalitos, the latter of which represents the chef’s obsession with pre-Hispanic Mexico.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Hotel at Midtown
Also See:
Restaurants: Naperville, IL
Restaurants: Elmhurst, IL
8. Lula Cafe
2537 N Kedzie Blvd
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 489-955
Lula Cafe is known for inventive, market-driven food in a casual, funky space that hosts an especially popular brunch.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Chef and owner Jason Hammel continues to keep the community at the forefront of the operations at Lula Cafe, which has, since 1999, endeared itself to many in Logan Square as a welcoming space for New American cuisine.
Lula Café feels a bit like home—if your home is artfully distressed, with gramophone speakers on the walls, warm pendant lights, and succulents on tabletops.
The long bar is prime people watching, while the limited patio is coveted real estate during the alfresco season.
What to Eat
This is an all-day cafe with fresh-baked pastries and a stellar breakfast burrito.
At night, the wine list goes deep to accompany dishes like roast chicken, beet bruschetta, and summer squash with Santa Rosa plums, tropea onions, and basil.
Find a seat at the bar and enjoy oysters and snacks like chicken liver mousse.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: City Suites Hotel
9. Pequod’s Pizza
2207 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 327-1512
Pequos’s Pizza is a casual, brick-walled pizza pub where deep-dish pies with caramelized crusts are served until late.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
If you’re looking for local restaurants near you for deep-dish pies or really good pizza, this is one of the best rated restaurants in Chicago to visit.
Prepare for a wait—on busy weekends, this casual spot attracts a crowd, with waits up to two hours for groups.
A casual neighborhood sports bar with the usual trappings (high booths, exposed brick), Pequod’s also boasts one of the city’s top pan pies.
What to Eat
Though Pequod’s version isn’t exactly the deep dish that tourists expect — it’s thinner than the stuffed pizza many travel magazines feature — it’s still the premier take on the style.
The crust features a chewy rim of caramelized cheese that may appear burnt, but that chew adds a special texture that sets it apart.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile
10. Redhot Ranch
2449 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 772-602
Redhot Ranch is a no-frills neighborhood spot serving up burgers, hot dogs, and fresh-cut fries.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Red Hot Ranch is a fast food spot that works perfectly as either a cheap lunch option or your last stop after a night out.
The dining room at their Lakeview location is small and simple, like a miniature high school cafeteria, with a couple of picnic tables outside.
Their burger is smashed thin with crispy edges, and it’s one of the best places to eat in Chicago at its price range.
What to Eat
The menu also includes a Depression Dog – a more obscure version of a Chicago Dog that swaps out most of the vegetable toppings for fresh-cut french fries – as well as milkshakes and fried shrimp by the pound.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Nobu Hotel Chicago
11. Hermosa Restaurant
4356 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60639
(872) 802-4920
Hermosa Restaurant is a casual hub for sandwiches with Asian flavors and ice cream floats made with Mexican soda.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Hermosa may look similar to a neighborhood hot dog or beef stand that many Chicagoans grew up with, but chef and owner Ethan Lim, who had a stint at Alinea Group’s Next Restaurant and Aviary, uses his culinary talent to take Chicago classics to the next evolutionary level, incorporating Asian flavors to create a Cambodian fried chicken sandwich and an Italian beef banh mi.
But for those who want a composed meal more sophisticated than a fast-casual sandwich, Lim also offers a popular “Family Meal,” essentially a chance to buy out the entire room for dinner.
The chef acts as a one-man show, loading the table up with delicious pan-Asian plates (noodles, Cambodian beef dishes) meant to be shared.
Chicago lacks a dedicated Cambodian restaurant, but Hermosa fills part of that niche, and is easily one of the best birthday restaurants in Chicago for a good time.
What to Eat
It’s perhaps best known for a Cambodian fried chicken sandwich, inspired by a Khmer-grilled beef skewer, translated into a refugee family meal, interpreted by an immigrant son’s after-school obsessions.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Hyatt Place Chicago Wicker Park
Also See:
Restaurants: Tinley Park, IL
Places to Eat: Wheeling, IL
12. Alinea
1723 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 867-0110
Alinea’s chef, Grant Achatz, draws foodies with New American tasting menus featuring highly creative plates.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Chef Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas’s three-Michelin-starred, fine dining institution is not only the city’s only restaurant to have three Michelin stars, it’s also considered one of the world’s best.
Inside the luxurious Lincoln Park dining room, expect a sensory overload as you dine in one of the top Chicago restaurants to date.
Achatz uses heavily scented citrus, smoke, and other smells to provide diners with a theatrical experience: servers present dishes as though they were works of art.
As dinner for two can run close to $1,000 for two, including wine pairings, Alinea is the restaurant that appears most frequently on Chicagoans’ bucket lists.
What else are you waiting for if you’re looking to experience fine dining in Chicago?
What to Eat
Serving vessels might be made of hand-carved ice; food could be smoking; dessert just may come in the form of an edible helium balloon.
Three different options for dining are available: The poshest is the Kitchen Table, which overlooks the food preparation drama.
Next is The Gallery Menu, which is 16 to 18 courses.
And finally, the Salon Menu is the most subdued (which isn’t saying much!) at 10 to 12 courses.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Park Hyatt Chicago
13. Johnnie’s Beef
7500 W North Ave
Elmwood Park, IL 60707
(708) 452-6000
Johnnie’s Beef is a tiny, no-frills, cash-only hot dog stand serving sausage and beef plus Italian ice, fries and shakes.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
The best example of Chicago’s iconic Italian beef sandwiches exists outside of the city at the two suburban locations of Johnnie’s Beef.
The original space in Elmwood Park is a relic that first opened in 1961 (there’s also a second location in Arlington Heights).
While the city has plenty of beef options, Johnnie’s is worth the drive to the ‘burbs for casual spots to eat in.
What to Eat
The menu is simple: beefs (the monosyllabic term locals use for Italian beef sandwiches), charcoal-grilled Italian sausages, and hot dogs. The thin-cut beef is moist and perfectly seasoned with hints of oregano.
The hot peppers deliver plenty of heat but don’t overwhelm the meat.
Don’t sleep on the beef-sausage sandwich, which combines tender slices of Italian beef with a robust sausage.
Pepper-and-egg sandwiches are also available daily; they’re mostly aimed at Catholic customers who need a meat-free option on Lent Fridays.
For dessert, there’s a stellar lemon Italian ice.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Carleton of Oak Park
14. Kasama
1001 N Winchester Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 697-3790
Kasama is a bakery and modern Filipino restaurant from chefs Genie Kwon and Timothy Flores located in the East Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago offering a laid-back eatery serving creative sweet and savory pastries, plus Filipino offerings, coffee, and wine.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
If you’re Chicago eats for some authentic, delicious, Filipino home cooked meals, this is one of the most popular restaurants to try.
This past fall, Kasama introduced a fine-dining dinner tasting menu, one of the few Filipino tasting menus in the country, that immediately became one of the hottest tickets in town.
What to Eat
Executive chef Kwon handles the amazing pastries, like an eclair-shaped croissant topped with Serrano ham or salmon, while chef Flores prepares Filipino dishes for breakfast and brunch, including spins on lumpia and rice plates with tocino (roasted char siu-like pork) and longaniza (charred sausage).
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Four Seasons Chicago
15. Jeong
1460 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 877-5016
Jeong is known to be an inventive Korean cuisine with elegant presentations, served in minimal environs with a full bar.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
If you’re looking for where to eat in Chicago for authentic, real, modernized traditional Korean food, this is one of the best restaurants downtown for just that.
The modern interior design adds to the class of the modern plating of their dishes, so you get those traditional Korean flavors in the midst of Nordic furniture designs.
What to Eat
The chef is precise with the tasting menu, which features mandu stuffed with kimchi, pork, and cucumber, and his signature dish, a pile of cured salmon served with a dollop of creme fraiche and adorned with crispy rice pearls.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago
16. Soulé
1931 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 526-3825
Soulé restaurant is a cozy option for modernized soul and Creole cooking with BYOB (with a fee) beverages in a casual space.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Soulé amps up soul food classics like nourishing shrimp and grits, jerk chicken wings, and blackened catfish.
The attention to small details in the food has made the restaurant a favorite in the neighborhood and has also drawn many visiting celebrities, particularly musicians and athletes, including former Chicago Bull Bobby Portis, and NBA legend Scottie Pippen
What to Eat
Guest favorites include the jerk shrimp, shrimp and grits, grilled lamb chops, fried chicken, and crab legs served with potatoes and sweet corn on the cob.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Langham Chicago
17. Tzuco
720 N State St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 374-8995
Tzuco is an upscale, regional Mexican cuisine offered in a stylish setting with a pastry chef and craft cocktails.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Carlos Gaytan, the first Mexican chef to run a Michelin-starred restaurant (Mexique), has returned to Chicago.
He brings the same affection for his heritage to River North with Tzuco, the next evolution in his ongoing project of fusing Mexican food with classic European cooking techniques.
The space is beautifully designed, featuring glass boxes filled with trinkets from his hometown, Huitzuco, Guerrero, Mexico, as well as local shrubs and plants.
It’s a welcome reprieve from the forgettable cookie-cutter layouts of so many dining rooms around town.
But Gaytan’s adventurous cooking continues to be the main draw.
What to Eat
The spicy roasted octopus, cochinita pibil made with pork shank, and a Mexican-style steak tartare are highlights.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Waldorf Astoria Chicago
18. Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and Bar Sotano
445 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 661-1434
Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and Bar Sotano is a Hip Rick Bayless outpost with a generous mezcal collection to pair with modern Mexican plates.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Bar Sótano takes you to Mexico City, to one of the cocktail bars in La Roma or one of the modern, casual spots with everything from inventive tacos to baked-to-order paellas.
Its lifeline is the markets, where aromatic waves wash over you from the fruit stalls, meat vendors set out every part of the pig as a prize, herb stands promise health in a hundred or more flavors, and where chiles transform from a single-note spice to a symphonic full-body experience.
What to Eat
Start with tacos, chicken tostadas, habanero chicken nuggets, taquitos, and take it from there.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: JW Marriott Chicago
19. Ever Restaurant
1340 W Fulton St
Chicago, IL 60607
Ever Restaurant is a luxe establishment offering a fine-dining tasting menu created by an accomplished chef.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
The Ever environment has been aesthetically engineered to make diners feel as though they’re walking into a new kind of restaurant space: undulant wooden walls lead diners through the entryway, hung with 70 chains holding dehydrated fruits, vegetables, and herbs that reflect whatever you have on your plate.
Ever describes their offering as an “eight to ten course tasting menu focusing on proteins from the land and sea and seasonal vegetables complemented with fruits, grains, seeds, and nuts.
This may sound simple, but the magical hands of Curtis Duffy, expect the spectacular as foods as basic are transformed into extraordinary creations that tread the line between food and art.
What to Eat
The heavy metal-listening chef remains committed to showing off precise techniques with playful execution.
Case in point: artfully cut ribbons of freeze-dried hamachi, and more.
For folks who want a meal with a dash of theatrics, Ever fulfills that niche better than any Chicago restaurant.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago
20. Oriole
661 W Walnut St
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 877-5339
Oriole boasts its intimate, high-end kitchen serving an extended New American tasting menu in a stylish space.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
The Michelin-star recipient was already known for pushing the boundaries of fine dining without pretension.
But instead, management gutted the space and gave chef Noah Sandoval a new kitchen to play with. The chef doesn’t disappoint in his new workplace and has created a fantastic tasting menu.
If you’re looking for good restaurants in Chicago for modern surroundings, modern techniques in food presentation, and amazing flavors, this is the place to go.
What to Eat
The foie gras course — with pink peppercorn and anise hyssop — is one of the best in memory.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Peninsula Chicago
21. Smyth + The Loyalist
177 N Ada St #101
Chicago, IL 60607
(773) 913-3773
Located in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, John Shields and Karen Urie Shields present two distinct, exciting restaurants, Smyth and The Loyalist.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Spacious and modern Smyth has an open-air kitchen, modern furnishings, and bright windows.
Before the pandemic, the Smyth was poised to improve on its two-Michelin-star status, so you know just how good they are.
Loyalist, on the other hand, is a subterranean, moody bar with concrete floors, dark walls, and amber-hued lighting.
What to Eat
The basement bar the Loyalist serves one of Chicago’s best burgers, so be sure to check it out and see for yourself.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Hilton Chicago Magnificent Mile Suites
Related: Things to Do in Chicago, IL
22. ROOH
736 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 267-2323
ROOH is known as a swanky Indian restaurant serving elegantly plated, contemporary fare with Southern Asian cocktails.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Meaning soul or spirit, ROOH brings the spirit of India to Chicago through the restaurant experience.
A delicate balance of rich traditional flavors with fresh local ingredients prepared with international techniques and inspirations.
What to Eat
Patrons will be more than impressed with familiar classics such as butter chicken, but jackfruit kofta, scallops dusted with gunpowder pepper, and achari monkfish give diners a taste of modern Indian cooking.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Club Quarters Hotel Central Loop, Chicago
23. Monteverde
1020 W Madison St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 888-3041
Monteverde offers a stylish spot serving refined, contemporary Italian fare such as fresh pastas, plus global wines.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
The boisterous, airy dining room is full of clinking glasses and a healthy buzz as guests reach over each other for tastes of one another’s dishes.
In the center, a slightly raised bar—or stage, depending on how you’re looking at it—features chef Sarah Grueneberg (former Top Chef contestant and Tony Mantuano’s protege at Spiaggia) and her team of pasta makers hard at work on that night’s eight or nine offerings, with an overhead mirror allowing diners a peak at artisans at work.
This is a temple to pasta and Grueneberg is the high priestess.
Every dish is affordable, inviting multiple orders and revisits of the seasonally-driven menu, which is divided into pastas “tipica” and “atipica.”
What to Eat
On the former, pork cheek tortellini en brodo or white truffle tajarin sing Italia, while on the latter, cacio whey pepe utilizes ricotta whey instead of the classic’s pasta water, or wok-fried arrabiata, with taglioni tossed with juicy Gulf shrimp and garlic hot pepper oil.
With her tavola large-format plates, Grueneberg demands attention, like the ragu alla Napoletana, hearty tomato sauce pooled around a pork shank, housemade sausage, and meatballs.
Oh, there’s handmade fusilli in there, too, for good measure. Bring friends.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Embassy Suites Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile
24. Manny’s Cafeteria & Delicatessen
1141 S Jefferson St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 939-2855
Manny’s Cafeteria & Delicatessen is a storied, no-frills institution serving classic deli fare in a cafeteria-style setting.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
The torchbearer for a dying breed of Jewish delis and diners in Chicago, Manny’s has endured for more than half a century in the South Loop, thanks to its massive and delicious pastrami sandwiches, an array of hot homestyle dishes on steam tables, and a family-friendly atmosphere cultivated over generations.
The cafeteria-style setting is plastered with decades-old newspaper clippings and letters from Chicago luminaries.
The space also now houses a new wing for bagels, sweets, coffee, and food to go.
What to Eat
If you’re unsure what to get here, you can never go wrong with their Babka French Toast, which is a plate-full.
You get bacon, turkey bacon, turkey sausage, ham, sausage links, corned beef hash, corned beef, pastrami, salami or turkey.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Central Loop Hotel
25. HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen
1800 S Carpenter St
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 702-1303
HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen serves family recipes, urban street food and modern cocktails that make up the Vietnamese menu at this hip spot.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Thai Dang, a native of Vietnam, uses a number of techniques from back home, including claypot cooking, to create a menu that’s as ambitious as it is unpretentious with dishes like grilled wild boar with lemongrass.
Danielle Dang’s expertise with cocktails should be better recognized, as she pairs drinks to compliment her husband’s two tasting menus.
What to Eat
Divided into five sections, the dinner menu offers “for fun” salads, drinking food, house specialties, vegetarian dishes and pickled things.
Start with Dang’s papaya salad, a family recipe that’s bursting with fresh, herbaceous flavors.
Shards of young papaya, culantro (a cousin to cilantro) and savory Vietnamese beef jerky dance in a puddle of mouth-smacking chili sauce.
Similarly refreshing—though a touch sweeter—is the hand-shredded duck salad, with crunchy green cabbage, banana blossom, scallion oil and ginger.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: River Hotel
Related: Things to Do in Chicago with Kids
26. Carnitas Uruapan Restaurant
1725 W 18th St
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 226-2654
Founded in 1975 by Inocencio Carbajal aka “El Guero”, Carnitas Uruapan is the legendary destination for those whose palates crave authentic Carnitas from Michoacan, Mexico.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Chicago’s Mexican community and food enthusiasts worldwide flock to this longtime family-owned, counter-service institution in Pilsen that celebrates all parts of the pig.
Order carnitas by the pound at the front counter and settle into a table — if one is available — to craft your own individual tacos with a mix of salsas, tortillas, and beans; or order tacos, soup, and cactus salad ready-made.
Prepare for lines and waits during peak weekend hours; what do you expect from one of the most popular restaurants in Chicago?
What to Eat
The family recipe has remained unchanged for 40 years so when you order take-out pork carnitas by the taco or by the pound), you can bet on genuine, traditionally prepared chunks of pork slowly cooked for hours until the outsides are browned and crispy yet tender on the inside.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Club Quarters Hotel Wacker at Michigan, Chicago
27. Dolo Restaurant and Bar
2222 S Archer Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 877-5117
Dolo Restaurant and Bar serves its customers with Chinese cuisine, including dim sum, served in a stylish setting with a full bar and modern decor.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Dolo is one of our favorite spots in Chinatown for dim sum.
And it stands out from other spots in the neighborhood by having a full bar, and because it has a shorter menu.
But don’t let that discourage you – you’ll find a lot of the usual suspects, including pork buns, shumai, and sesame balls.
Everything is made to order (there are no carts being rolled around) and tastes delicious.
What to Eat
The food is fresh and inventive with dishes like a beef shank appetizer and lamb chops that can be ordered in a few different styles, including fried and spicy, and served like lollipops.
Seafood also starts with Cajun-style boils and a can’t-miss lobster.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Hotel Blake, an Ascend Hotel Collection Member
28. La Chaparrita Taqueria
2500 S Whipple St #4138
Chicago, IL 60623
(773) 254-0975
La Chaparrita Taqueria is known as a basic Mexican grocery store on a corner with an eatery serving tacos, fresh juices, and aguas frescas.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Chicago doesn’t get enough love for its tacos, but this charming little grocery store in Little Village produces some of the finest in the city.
From carne asada to crispy tripe, these tacos fit delicately in customers’ hands, and are best enjoyed with tiny bites to savor the mix of textures and flavors.
This restaurant, on a quiet residential street, is a true Chicago original.
What to Eat
We highly recommend their skirt steak tacos, or the boneless chuck and pork sausage tacos.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Hyatt Place Chicago Medical/University District
29. Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream/Maria’s/Kimski
964 W 31st St
Chicago, IL 60608
(773) 565-4192
Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream is a new hospitality project from your friends in the Community of the Future, featuring pizza made by Eat Free Pizza, Fried Chicken by Kimski, and Ice cream by Pretty Cool Ice Cream.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
There’s no false advertising going on here: Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream wears its menu on its sleeve.
The Sicilian-style pan pies are crafted by Eat Free Pizza, the crispy poultry comes from Kimski chef Won Kim, and the frozen treats are provided by Pretty Cool Ice Cream.
Helmed by Ed Marszewski and located next door to Maria’s Packaged Goods and Community Bar, Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream boasts a nifty pickup window and hidden patio for alfresco diners.
You can even pick up four-packs from Marz Brewing—after all, beer pairs well with just about everything on the menu.
What to Eat
You can find just about anything here; pizzas, ice cream, fried chicken, chicken wings, and more.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Le Meridien Essex Chicago
Related: Hotels in Chicago, IL
30. Birrieria Zaragoza
4852 S Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60632
(773) 523-3700
Birrieria Zaragoza is a family-owned Mexican goat restaurant in Archer Heights.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Feeling the quesabirria mania? Head to the Southwest Side near Midway International Airport for goat that isn’t labeled as the latest food trend.
There’s a simple menu packed with deep flavors here, so try not to miss out.
The handmade tortillas and accouterments form the foundation of a signature Chicago meal.
What to Eat
This Mexican institution specializes in a single item—birria—tender stewed goat accompanied by diced onions, cilantro, and house-made salsa.
In fact, goat is all that’s on the menu, though you’ll get a few options as to how to enjoy it: on a plate or in a bowl, in a small or large portion, bone-in or bone-out. Opt for bone-in if possible, as it packs far more flavor.
The bowl option drowns the goat in a generous dose of hearty goat consommé, while the plate is accompanied by handmade corn tortillas for build-your-own tacos, with a small side of consommé for dipping.
You can’t go wrong either way, but if you’re feeling extra decadent, go for the goat quesadilla, a perfect trinity of pillowy tortillas, gooey cheese, and savory goat meat goodness.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Hyatt Place Chicago Midway Airport
31. The Polo Inn Bridgeport U.S.A.
3322 S Morgan St
Chicago, IL 60608-6727
(773) 927-7656
Polo Café is located on site and serves American fare for brunch, lunch, and dinner.
Guests of Bridgeport B&B will enjoy a breakfast voucher during their stay.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Just minutes south of loop Polo Cafe has tremendous gourmet food at an affordable price in a fun neighborhood setting.
Owner/Chef Dave Sambar is famous for catering all over Chicago to former Mayor Daley and his family as well as professional sports teams and numerous businesses.
Amazing service, fun atmosphere and affordable, amazing food awaits, so what are you waiting for?
What to Eat
The chops are juicy, the pasta perfect, and their award-winning Crème Brûlée au Chocolat.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Polo Inn Bridgeport U.S.A.
32. The Chicago Diner, Logan Square
2333 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 252-3211
The Chicago Diner, Logan Square serves hearty plates of diverse vegetarian and vegan diner fare dished out in sleek, casual surrounds.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
“Meat Free Since ’83.” That’s the motto at The Chicago Diner, which first opened up in Lakeview, but now has a second location in Logan Square, the subject of this review.
They both feel like traditional diners, but the Logan Square spot is newer, larger, and just as good as the original.
The menu is large, and full of vegan and vegetarian options ranging from chocolate chip pancakes, to burgers, to gyros made with seasoned seitan.
The staff is polite, knowledgeable about the food, and helpful whether you have dietary restrictions, or just happen to be there because you’re in the mood for some tasty vegan food.
What to Eat
The magic they’re able to do with seitan, tofu, and even a black bean veggie burger is a testament to their dedication of making meat substitutes taste good.
Also, go for their vegan cinnamon roll or their delicious chocolate chip pancakes.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Robey
33. Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
60 E Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60611-3533
(312) 379-5637
Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab is best known for its classic steak and seafood fare, including signature stone crab claws, served by a tuxedo-clad staff.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
This Chicago outpost of Miami’s legendary Joe’s Stone Crab offers Chicago a taste of its world-renowned stone crab claws, signature side dishes and key lime pie.
Joe’s also features a variety of fresh seafood and prime steaks and is located in the exciting North Bridge section of Downtown, just steps from the city’s finest shopping and world-class hotels.
What to Eat
Joe’s features an extensive selection of seafood, flown in fresh daily, to complement the world’s finest Florida Stone Crab claws.
Joe’s also features signature prime steaks, hand-carved by master butchers such as our 24-ounce bone-in rib-eye.
Matched with Joe’s famous side dishes, dinner only gets better when capped with a slice of key lime pie.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Allegro Royal Sonesta Hotel Chicago Loop
Related: Hotels in Chicago for Families
34. The Capital Grille
633 N Saint Clair St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 337-9400
The Capital Grille is an outpost of the upscale steakhouse chain offering classic American fare and a clubby, refined setting.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Enjoy nationally renowned steaks—dry aged and hand-cut by their in-house butchers—the freshest of seafood, creative sides, and irresistible desserts prepared on-site every day.
All accompanied by an acclaimed wine list, featuring over 350 labels from around the world.
Experience gracious, anticipatory service in our comfortable, sophisticated dining room.
What to Eat
We highly recommend their dry-aged NY Strip au Poivre with Courvoisier Cream.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Freehand Chicago
35. Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
521 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 595-1114
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood boasts its elegant fine-dining chain with a seafood and steak menu, plus a cocktail lounge featuring live jazz.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
If you’re looking for a stylish and sophisticated fine dining experience, enjoy your time at Eddie V’s in Chicago.
Dishes are artistically prepared and feature an ever-changing array of seasonal seafood, along with critically acclaimed prime steaks, hand-carved and broiled to perfection.
Their restaurant’s award-winning wine list, which has been recognized by Wine Spectator, has more than 300 wines.
Sit back, enjoy your wine, and listen to classic jazz music while enjoying your meal.
What to Eat
If you’re going for their seafood broil, be sure to wash your hands before you eat because it can get quite messy.
They also have steak, scallops, oysters, and more classy meals you can enjoy on a date.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Ivy Boutique Hotel
36. Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf
218 W Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60654-4908
(312) 624-8154
Bavette’s Bar and Boeuf is known as an upscale steakhouse with a New American menu in an ornate, dimly lit wood and brick setting.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
A stylish departure from a traditional steakhouse, Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf embraces French flair without the formality, blending fine dining with unabashed fun.
When it comes to the food, the menu here is traditional steakhouse and then some.
It’s traditional because you can get a wedge salad, shrimp cocktail, or giant piece of ribeye from a menu section titled “Le Boeuf” and pair it with typical sides like creamed spinach or mashed potatoes.
But there are other menu items that aren’t necessarily classic steakhouse picks.
What to Eat
Try a foie gras terrine appetizer with a cognac and blackberry spread, spiced fried chicken, or short rib stroganoff that sounds like it came from a bad 1950’s TV ad but is actually pretty great.
You really can’t go wrong and will be thoroughly impressed by everything you eat.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Sable At Navy Pier Chicago, Curio Collection By Hilton
37. Tanta
118 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60654-5206
(312) 222-9700
Tanta is an inventive Peruvian fare served in a stylish Peru-inspired space and is known for its pisco sour cocktail.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Tanta is dedicated to sharing the flavors and culture of Peru with Chicago, serving authentic Peruvian dishes and beverages in an approachable, fun and casual downtown setting.
Tanta maintains the high-end River North vibes, but music is bumpin’, the lighting is clubby, and the dining room is as colorful as the bright dishes on the menu.
This place is always a great option, but it’s best in the summer when you can hang out at the rooftop bar.
What to Eat
Try the Mixto Ceviche, which is fish, squid, and shrimp bathed in a delicious leche de tigre.
It’s made freshly to order and is seriously refreshing.
We’re pretty sure it’s illegal to go to a Peruvian restaurant and not order one of the cebiches, so just do it.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: 21c Museum Hotel Chicago
38. Spacca Napoli
1769 W Sunnyside Ave
Chicago, IL 60640-5312
(773) 878-2420
Spacca Napoli is a casual spot serving Neapolitan-style thin-crust pizzas in a rustic space with patio seating.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Everything about Spacca Napoli emits thoughts of pizza in Italy, from the decor, brick walls, and wood-burning oven, to a dough mixer they claim comes from the mother country as well.
They also give you a free cannoli on the way out, so it’s safe to say Spacca Napoli thought this thing through.
Even with the homely Italian feel, large windows throughout make way for a lot of natural light, which add a lively touch of modern vibe.
For an even greater lively feeling, you can hit up the small outdoor patio in the summer months.
What to Eat
We highly recommend their Burrata, which is a speciality of the restaurant and isn’t always available, but it’s an absolute must when it is.
Creamy, smooth, and sprinkled with a little olive oil and salt, we’ve been told mid week is your best bet.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Willows Hotel
39. Boka Restaurant
1729 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60614-5537
(312) 337-6070
Boka Restaurant is known for its creative American cuisine in a stylish, modern setting with a lounge and candlelit back garden patio.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Over the past 15 years Boka Restaurant has become one of Chicago’s most beloved restaurants.
Chef Lee Wolen’s seasonal American food is framed by the alchemy of great design, warm hospitality, and award-winning service.
The restaurant’s rich history includes 7 consecutive Michelin Stars, so you can be sure you’re definitely dining somewhere where people know their food well.
What to Eat
Visitors absolutely adore their delicious roasted chicken, served with asparagus, morel, and sherry.
If that’s not your thing, we also recommend the Poached Alaskan Halibut or the Dry Aged Beef Tartare.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Acme Hotel Company Chicago
40. The Purple Pig
444 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611-3777
(312) 464-1744
The Purple Pig is an expanded outpost of a famed pork and wine specialist with an open kitchen and a chic, airy setting.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
This tiny restaurant is the passion project of celeb chefs Scott Harris (Mia Francesca), Tony Mantuano (Spiaggia) and Jimmy Bannos Jr. (Heaven on Seven), with a prime location just off Michigan Avenue that holds, at any given time, fewer than 100 diners.
This spot is so popular that wait-times can sometimes stretch to more than two hours, but visitors all say it’s well worth it.
What to Eat
The succulent tapas-style dishes–milk-braised pork shoulder, chorizo-stuffed olives, octopus with green beans–and the superb wine and cheese selections make dinner at this cozy eatery a worthy goal.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
41. Dear Margaret
2965 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 360-8213
Dear Margaret is an unpretentious, warm and inviting destination for hearty French-Canadian fare.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
With a focus on seasonality and ingredients sourced from the Midwest, you’ll nearly always find something new (and fresh!) to eat.
Warm and nearly always bustling, it’s the type of place that gives you a good feeling the instant you step inside, with wide-paneled wooden flooring, honeyed lighting and a smattering of homey decor befitting of its namesake—Brosseau’s grandmother, the muse behind the restaurant’s French-Canadian menu.
What to Eat
The menu of charcuterie, pot roast and cured pork is rich, but executive chef Ryan Brosseau doesn’t shy away from bracing, acidic flavors—like extra-tart vinaigrettes or neon Piparra peppers.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Claridge House
42. Galit
2429 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 360-8755
Galit is a chef-driven Middle Eastern eatery with regular and sharing menus and creative cocktails in hip digs.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Galit raises the bar for Middle Eastern cuisine in Chicago with a parade of tempting, flavor-packed shareables.
Hummus, falafel, shakshuka, labneh—hell—even pita. You will no doubt enjoy many of the dishes on Galit’s broad-spectrum Middle Eastern menu.
The focal point of the bustling, airy eatery is the vast, snaking open kitchen lined with low bar seats.
Wooden cage lights and pops of blue lend an easy, Mediterranean beachside vibe, though this bustling spot feels decidedly urban.
What to Eat
Everyone who dines here should begin with salatim (an array of dips and pickles) and hummus, each served with fluffy, charred pita balloons.
The hummus, damming a pool of grassy olive oil, is creamy and light as air.
Swiping it with a hunk of tomato, four-hour “Bubbe’s Brisket” will catalyze a moment of pure bliss.
The salatim follows like technicolor Middle Eastern banchan: sweet little cipollini onions perfumed with coriander and mild feta; tangy, smooth labneh bathed generously with more olive oil; spicy ezme with tomatoes and peppers.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Cambria Hotel Chicago Loop/Theatre District
43. The Hot Dog Box (Portage Park)
4020 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60641
A family-owned business founded by the famous father and daughter duo Bobby and Brooklyn offering unique and amazing gourmet hot dogs with a twist.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
The Hot Dog Box started as a pop-up sausage stand inside a shipping container in Bronzeville, but it quickly grew into a beloved Chicago institution.
Building on their success, local musician Bobby Morelli and his daughter Brooklyn have opened a second location in Portage Park, serving their signature creations out of a kitchen that is dressed up to look like a shipping container.
With indoor seating, this location can operate year-round, so be sure to visit when you can.
What to Eat
The standard Chicago-style dog is solid, but meatheads need to try sausages made with filet mignon and Alaskan salmon, each topped with savory sauces.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago North Shore Deerfield
44. Esmé
2200 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
A couple-owned restaurant by chef Jenner Tomaska and business partner- wife Katrina Bravo, employ art and philanthropy accompanied by astonishing food to reinvent fine dining.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
What does it mean for art to be integrated into the dining experience, you ask? First, the space itself—white-walled and sophisticated, with towering windows and asymmetrical light fixtures—has the same feel as a gallery, both for its design sensibilities and the rotating displays of art on the walls.
Huge, gauzy watercolors from Danielle Klinenberg, the restaurant’s first exhibiting artist, hang behind tables for admiration (and for purchase, if the mood strikes).
Tomaska and Bravo’s attention to art extends just as readily to the table, where each course is plated on a collection of gorgeous, frequently baffling serving pieces sourced from sculptors across the country.
What to Eat
The food is a twelve to fifteen-course, with an ever-evolving tasting menu with oddball inclinations, like the superlative sweet potato ice cream topped with peanut miso caramel, celery hot sauce and a dollop of caviar (likely to remain one of the few staples on the menu, I’m told).
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Chicago Marriott Suites Deerfield
45. The Bristol
2152 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 862-5555
The Bristol is a contemporary restaurant offering innovative, seasonal New American cuisine in a hip, rustic space.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
The food here is deliberately created, packed with flavor and unpretentious.
The menu is a hybrid of the classic and the contemporary and based in French techniques, but remains rooted in New American cuisine with farm-fresh produce and Midwest sensibilities.
They also do wine, and the Bristol wine program is built on a foundation of producers that are the benchmarks for their regions and styles of wine-making, while also focusing on the new generation of producers who’ve taken the baton and are re-shaping their region’s historic styles.
What to Eat
If you have some cash to spare, executive chef Larry Feldmeier’s eight-course New American tasting menu is one of the best in town.
But you can experience some of the same farm-fresh ingredients by ordering from the dinner menu, including pillowy milk bread, handmade pastas and a half roasted chicken.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Hotel Lincoln, part of JdV by Hyatt
46. Lardon
2200 N California Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 697-4444
Lardon is best known as a meat and cheese-centric cafe off the California Blue Line stop.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Walking into Logan Square’s Lardon—a meat- and cheese-centric cafe off the California Blue Line stop—is a bit like entering an amalgamation of every little bistro you’ve ever seen on the European episodes of Parts Unknown, down to the whorled wooden tables and hanging cylinders of house-cured salami behind glass.
Lardon operates as an all-day concept, serving Metropolis coffee and baked goods from Aya Pastry in the morning, sandwiches for lunch and charcuterie and drinks in the evening, plus a selection of dinner entrees on weekends
What to Eat
Believe it or not, this meat-heavy menu boasts some great salads for lunch.
Try the veggie-packed Green Monster salad or a Frisee & Lardon salad topped with rendered pork belly, herbs, vinegary mustard and a soft-boiled egg.
It’s worth popping in to try the cafe’s cured meats during every meal, but we recommend grabbing a table in the evening for a meat-and-cheese board, which you can customize or order from a set of pre-selected combinations.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Willows Hotel
47. Rubi’s on 18th
1316 W 18th St
Chicago, IL 60608
(773) 318-9526
Rubi’s on 18th is best known for serving a menu of tacos and quesadillas featuring charcoal-grilled asada and pastor that sure makes customers want to come back.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Longtime Maxwell Street Market vendors Rubi’s have moved into a brick and mortar space in Pilsen, serving a menu of tacos and quesadillas featuring charcoal-grilled asada and pastor.
Hours are limited and you’ll probably want to order ahead to avoid waiting in line, but the generously-stuffed tacos and quesadillas are well worth the trouble—especially if you’ve missed digging into Rubi’s signature dishes every Sunday on Desplaines Street.
What to Eat
Serving a menu of tacos that include charcoal-grilled asada and pastor in handmade tortillas, you’ll find out why folks regularly queued up to get their hands on Rubi’s delicious Mexican cuisine.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago
48. Bloom Plant Based Kitchen
1559 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 363-3110
Bloom Plant Based Kitchen stands in its name as it serves plant-based cultured cheese plates and banana tacos leveling up vegan dining.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
The vibe is sleek and casual with upscale sensibilities, including sculptural light fixtures and so many potted plants.
When the weather’s nice, ask for a table near the garage door windows, which roll up to create an indoor-outdoor feel.
Their menu items are demarcated with symbols to flag for nut allergies and indicate raw (i.e. uncooked) preparation, so you know what you’re getting into when you visit.
What to Eat
Forget about tofu and seitan—Bloom Plant Based Kitchen wants to change your perception of a meatless meal.
You’ll find everything from charcuterie boards made with cultured almond “cheese” to cashew e pepe, a novel dish that coats cold kelp noodles in a luxurious cashew cream.
Also order the baja taco, made with a tempura-battered banana blossom on a hemp seed tortilla with smoked chili oil.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Peninsula Chicago
49. S.K.Y.
1239 W 18th St
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 846-1077
Taken after the initials of chef-owner Stephen Gillanders’ Pilsen’s wife, S.K.Y. offers an Asian-inspired menu in a stylish setting with a lounge.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
Chef Stephen Gillanders’s long-awaited solo venture delivers soulful Asian-inspired shareables and affordable sips in an airy, industrial-chic space on Pilsen’s busy main drag.
Ease into your night with a drink in the sexy lounge.
If you’re in a twosome and aiming for intimacy, request a standalone two-top along the dining room’s left wall.
What to Eat
Two snacks, an app and two mains will satisfy a hungry pair.
Must-orders include the fried chicken with fermented hot sauce, Thai steak salad and the lobster dumplings.
Don’t sleep on the unassuming banana budino.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Hyatt Regency Chicago
50. Elina’s
1202 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 929-2249
Elina’s restaurant located in Gran Avenue serves classic Italian dishes that embrace familiarity with delicious results.
Why This Restaurant Is a Must Eat
This tiny Grand Avenue restaurant serves classic Italian dishes that embrace familiarity with delicious results, and is easily known as one of the best restaurants in Chicago for it.
The vibe is a narrow, dimly-lit space decked out with pristine white tablecloths and vintage art on the walls.
There are only 28 seats in Elina’s and you’ll probably end up close enough to another party to overhear the majority of their dinner conversation, but the food is absolutely worth it.
What to Eat
Here you’ll find classic red sauce Italian-American dishes done right, including a vinegar-drenched chopped salad, rigatoni in vodka sauce and a golden chicken parmesan.
Make sure to order the mozzarella en carozza—a crispy mashup of a mozzarella stick and a grilled cheese sandwich.
Recommended Hotel Nearby: Eurostars Magnificent Mile
Map of Restaurants in Chicago
50 Best Chicago Restaurants for 2023
- Superdawg Drive-In
- Lost Larson
- Luella’s Southern Kitchen
- Smoque BBQ
- Honey Butter Fried Chicken
- Pat’s Pizza and Ristorante
- Mi Tocaya Antojería
- Lula Cafe
- Pequod’s Pizza
- Redhot Ranch
- Hermosa Restaurant
- Alinea
- Johnnie’s Beef
- Kasama
- Jeong
- Soulé
- Tzuco
- Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and Bar Sotano
- Ever Restaurant
- Oriole
- Smyth + The Loyalist
- ROOH
- Monteverde
- Manny’s Cafeteria & Delicatessen
- HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen
- Carnitas Uruapan Restaurant
- Dolo Restaurant and Bar
- La Chaparrita Taqueria
- Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream/Maria’s/Kimski
- Birrieria Zaragoza
- The Polo Inn Bridgeport U.S.A.
- The Chicago Diner, Logan Square
- Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
- The Capital Grille
- Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
- Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf
- Tanta
- Spacca Napoli
- Boka Restaurant
- The Purple Pig
- Dear Margaret
- Galit
- The Hot Dog Box (Portage Park)
- Esmé
- The Bristol
- Lardon
- Rubi’s on 18th
- Bloom Plant Based Kitchen
- S.K.Y.
- Elina’s
