12 Best Restaurants in The Loop, Chicago

Mid-century style reigns at this wood-paneled clublike restaurant, where the menu draws inspiration from the landmarked space's previous incarnation as a tony men's club. The sweeping bar is perfect for sipping historic and house cocktails over bar snacks or raw seafood, or settle into a comfortable leather booth for private conversations and all manner of meat perfectly prepared.

You can eavesdrop on advertising types who do the after-five mix-and-mingle at this spot on the ground floor of the Leo Burnett Building. When it comes to the menu, there's no shortage of choices: fish and shellfish entrées come in various preparations, from grilled to seared to baked. Classic surf-and-turf combinations like Atlantic cold-water lobster tail and filet mignon mingle alongside Asian-inspired dishes like lemongrass shrimp and yellowfin tuna sashimi. The restaurant, with its marble, granite, and beautifully set woodwork, is an inviting space to relax, and the multilevel dining room provides plenty of eye candy, plus glimpses of the Chicago River beyond. A local jazz trio performs on Tuesday through Saturday evenings.

You might not expect romance at the top of the Chicago Stock Exchange, but at Everest, there are sweeping westward views of the city's sprawl, the service is impeccable, and the prix fixe menu is French with an Alsatian bent. The space, where modern sculpture melds with art nouveau, is an elegant place to settle in for a luxurious meal.

Lines form early and stay throughout the day. The popcorn is so popular that there are several other Chicago outlets plus branches in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Every day is Mardi Gras at Heaven on Seven, which pursues a good time all the time. The restaurant has a menu centered on a daring collection of hot sauces, and the food is plentiful and filling. Some guests find the menu too spicy for their kids, but would go back for the well-priced Mardi Gras jambalaya, fried oyster po'boy, cheese grits, and chicory coffee. Cheddar-jalapeño biscuits and chocolate peanut-butter pie are great menu bookends.

If you're going to see a performance at the CIBC Theatre across the street, you're close enough to dash over here for a drink at intermission (there's a lengthy by-the-glass wine selection). Pre- and post-curtain, the clubby confines fill with showgoers big on beef, though there are also ample raw bar, seafood, and pasta choices. For the most relaxing experience, plan to come after the theatergoers have left for Act I.