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Sure, this city has great architecture, museums, and sports venues. But at its heart, Chicago is really a food town. This is evident in the priority that good eating takes, no matter the occasion. Rain or shine, locals will wait in a line that snakes around the corner for dolled-up doughnuts at Doughnut Vault. They’ll reserve part of their paychecks to dine at inventive Alinea. And they love to talk about their most recent meal—just ask.
It's no wonder that outdoor festivals are often centered on food, from Taste of Chicago in summer, which packs the grounds at Grant Park, to smaller celebrations, like the German-American fest in Lincoln Square, a mini-Oktoberfest in fall.
Although the city has always had options on the extreme ends of the spectrum—from the hole-in-the wall Italian beef sandwich shops to the special-occasion spots—it's now easier to find eateries in the middle that serve seasonal menus with a farm-to-table mantra. For the budget conscious, it's also a great time to dine: some talented chefs aren't bothering to wait for a liquor license, opening BYOB spots turning out polished fare (just try Ruxbin in West Town).
Expect to see more Chicago chefs open casual concepts—Rick Bayless, Paul Kahan, and Michael Kornick have a head start with their respective sandwich, taco, and burger spots. Yet the goal remains the same: to feed a populace that knows good food and isn't willing to accept anything less than the best. In the following pages, you'll find our top picks, from quick bites to multicourse meals, in the city's best dining neighborhoods.
Believe the hype and secure tickets—yes, tickets—well in advance, since Chicago's most exciting restaurant demands an adventurous spirit and a serious commitment of time and money. If you have two to four hours and $305 to $495 to spare, the tasting menu that showcases Grant Achatz's stunning, cutting-edge food is a fantastic journey through intriguing aromas, visuals, flavors, and textures.
The latest spot from creative chef couple Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark probes the latter's Ukrainian heritage. The approach isn't academic, but rather inventive and full of fun. The highlight of a meal here is flagging down the Zakusky Tower, a kooky-looking cart that plys the dining room, for delicious little bites like fried olives stuffed with lamb sausage and delicate cream cheese tartlets topped with trout roe. The cocktail presentations add to the festive air; a brandy, chamomile, and washed kefir concoction, for instance, arrives in a vintage teacup.
Chicago's North Side is graced with a wide variety of delicious Thai restaurants, but Aroy Thai tops the list for their array of spicy, funky, delicious Northern Thai dishes in a small, BYOB storefront just steps from the Damen Brown Line stop. Diners who dare to venture past pad thai should try the Issan and Sai Ua sausages, Thai-style chicken wings, larb salad, or noodles with roasted duck.
A menu packed with burgers, fries, and chopped liver might sound like a classic dive, but Au Cheval is no greasy spoon—exposed brick, dim lighting, and antique-inspired fixtures give a sultry feel, and rich takes on classic American diner dishes satisfy cravings. There’s a perennial wait, but sneak in after 10:15 pm Monday–Saturday for a limited menu consisting of the crowd-favorite cheeseburger and fries.
Head to this Euro-style wine bar when you're feeling gregarious; the warm, intimate space has seating for only 55 people, and the results are loud and lively, with shareable fare—a mix of small and large Mediterranean plates—that's reasonably priced.
Although the steaks at this cozy brasserie are executed to perfection (you can also buy them to take away from the on-site butcher counter), this isn't just another Chicago steak house. Chefs Brian Ahern and Jamie Finnegan are informed by classical French training and many of the most memorable dishes are anchored not by beef but fresh seasonal produce. The cocktails are darned good too.
If you're looking for a Steppenwolf pre-theater dinner, this upscale spot gets the foodie stamp of approval. The seasonally driven menu is constantly changing, showcasing elegant fare like slow-cooked fish or an elevated presentation of roasted chicken, and the slick bar and outdoor patio both serve food, so this is a big draw even for those not watching curtain time.
When chef Joe Frillman moved his popular handcrafted-pasta spot down the street in 2023, he picked up more than triple the square footage of the original. More important, he gained the partnership of talented pastry chef Leigh Omilinsky, whose flaky kouign amann and bostock fuel the remote-work types that flock here daily. At dinner, Frillman's elegant, hyperseasonal pastas meet their match in Omilinsky's composed desserts, many of which play with savory elements in unexpected ways.
If the name sets expectations high, Eden does its best to deliver. Tucked like a pleasant little surprise amid an industrial park, the elegant yet easy-going spot grows much of its own produce in a large on-site greenhouse. On the plate, seasonality takes center stage; the dishes are faintly rustic, but the flavors are big and sophisticated. For parents, the restaurant's child-friendly attitude makes this place a paradise.
Devotees of chef Rick Bayless queue up for the bold flavors of his distinct fare at this casual restaurant brightly trimmed in Mexican folk art, where the menu changes monthly. Bayless visits Mexico frequently, updating his already extensive knowledge of regional food and cooking techniques, and he frequently takes his staff with him, ensuring that even the servers have an encyclopedic knowledge about the food. Bar Sótano, in the Frontera Grill basement, serves mezcal and agave, alongside modern Mexican bar food including Oaxacan drinking snacks.
Top Chef Season 4 champion Stephanie Izard's always-packed restaurant lives up to the hype, serving her personal brand of sharable, eclectic plates with seasonal flair amid rustic decor with communal butcher tables and an open kitchen. Dishes are grouped into straightforward categories, like vegetable, fish, and meat—with an array of offerings made with goat, naturally.
The Lyonnais comfort food at this charming, cozy bistro in Bucktown, family-run for three decades and counting, is in a league of its own thanks to pitch-perfect classics along with some light twists on favorite dishes. Evenings can get busy so reservations are recommended; note that Mondays mean half-price bottles of wine, while the raclette smash burger is only served at lunch.
Formerly located around the corner on North Rush Street for more than two decades, Le Colonial continues to deliver delicate and sophisticated and French-Vietnamese fare in its new location. The atmosphere is relaxed and comforting and the service is simply top-notch.
What began as a pandemic baking project for furloughed chefs Sarah and Ben Lustbader evolved into this bakery and sandwich slinger. The vibe is super-casual, but the sandwiches—anchored by homemade breads and accented with ingredients like pickled eggplant and confit tomatoes—belie the owners' fine-dining backgrounds. The chocolate cake here attained overnight cult status when it appeared on Chicago-based chef dramedy The Bear.
Locals worship Lula Cafe, a neighborhood favorite that has been serving modern, seasonal dishes (and a cult-favorite brunch menu) in a spacious location with counter seating and an intimate dining room since 1999. The food is stellar, with menus that change frequently and champion farm sources. If you want to take home a memento of this special space, grab a copy of chef/owner Jason Hammel's Lula Cafe Cookbook on your way out.
The corned-beef sandwich here is the one that other local delis aim to beat. Manny's has always been popular with Chicago politicians—as the saying goes, so if these walls could talk, they'd spill a lot of secrets.
Chicagoans got a sweet deal in 2022 when Mindy Segal, one of the city's best pastry chefs, opened her eponymous shop, where the focus is not on fancy-pants plated desserts, but more humble bagels, cookies, and breakfast pastries. If you see a line forming along Milwaukee Avenue in the early hours, it's likely locals out to get their morning croissant or bialy fix.
Classic meets innovative at chef Sarah Grueneberg’s forward-thinking Italian restaurant, where a strategically placed mirror grants diners a view of pasta makers rolling and filling select pastas to order. The West Loop location means the restaurant gets busy before Blackhawks games, but Top Chef finalist Grueneberg’s dishes, designed for sharing, are always a game changer.
A repurposed Arts and Crafts–style warming house for ice-skaters at Lincoln Park’s North Pond, this romantic gem in the woods fittingly champions an uncluttered culinary style amid scenic views. Organic ingredients, wild-caught fish, and artisan farm products appear on the seasonally changing four-course tasting menu. Come Sunday, diners can welcome the new week over a leisurely three-course brunch.
There aren’t many restaurant dinners that start by entering through an alley and into a freight elevator, but nothing about Oriole is typical, from the secretive entrance to the warm, impeccable service to the hit parade of bites on Noah Sandoval’s tasting menu. Wine pairings are a must, since the old world, white-wine focus makes the flavors on the forward-thinking tasting menu truly sing.
Don't call this beer-focused hot spot a gastropub—chef Paul Kahan prefers "beer hall" (though wine is available, too) and with the long communal tables, at which beer connoisseurs sample from a selection hovering above 50 brews, the bustling space has the air of an Oktoberfest celebration. The seafood- and pork-focused menu gives an elevated nod to pub fare, though there are plenty of veggie-friendly dishes as well.
The Magnificent Mile isn’t usually known for dining, but locals and tourists alike love the Purple Pig, a Mediterranean wine bar with an extensive wine list and many affordable wines by the glass. Adventurous eaters will revel in chef Jimmy Bannos Jr.’s offal-centric dishes, though there’s plenty for tamer palates and vegetarians here as well, along with an array of notable Mediterranean-styled desserts.
The name may evoke nostalgia for the building's gritty past as a print shop, but Sepia is thoroughly forward-thinking in both its design, which features glassed-in chandeliers and leather-topped tables, and chef Andrew Zimmerman’s elegant, seasonal four-course prix-fixe menu. A well-chosen, international wine list and thoughtfully prepared cocktails satisfy oenophiles and cocktail lovers alike; grab a spot on the lounge side for a predinner drink with a side of people-watching.
Despite Chicago's renown for deep-dish pizza, locals are swept away by the thin-crust Neapolitan pies at this bright Ravenswood gem, where finely ground Italian flour, imported buffalo mozzarella, hand-stretched dough, and a brick, wood-fired oven built by Italian craftsmen produce the bubbling, chewy crusts of these pies. Antipasti, a well-priced selection of Italian wines and beers, and desserts like tiramisu round out the menu.
This perennially packed counter-service taqueria seamlessly merges an easy-going atmosphere with cheffy bonafides: co-owner Oliver Poilevey also helms French favorites Le Bouchon and Obelix. The chef puts his pedigree to work with super-flavorful tacos—like duck carnitas with date puree or blood sausage with whipped creme fresh—that go far beyond the usual.
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