The compilation of renowned restaurants in Chicago answers the classic question: “If you had one night to spend in the city, where would you eat?”
Chicago is a trendsetter with an array of excellent restaurants, ranging from pizza joints to Michelin-starred heavyweights to some of the cheap eateries in the city. Moreover, there are a variety of cuisines available, including Korean, Mexican, Italian, Mediterranean, and Indian.
Featuring award-winning chefs and memorable dining experiences that combine hospitality and fine dining, here are some of the top-tier restaurants in Chicago to explore:
Top 12 Restaurants In Chicago
1. The Publican
Location: Fulton Market
Cost: 31$-60$
Best Dishes: Spicy Pork Rinds And Publican Quality Bread
Why Visit: It is a European-style beer hall serving pork and seafood from one of Chicago’s most prominent restaurant groups. A perfect place to enjoy beer, pork and seafood, the Publican hasn’t missed a chance to improve the flavors and hospitality since 2008. In this lively restaurant, crowds spill into communal tables and booths that resemble pig pens to sample oysters, charcuterie, and veggie-forward dishes. Most of the ingredients on the menu are also sourced locally.
2. Proxi
Location: Randolph St
Cost: 31$-50$
Best Dishes: Featuring Chef Andrew Zimmerma’s global street food influences, the menu includes hamachi crudo with blood orange nahm jim, smoked pumpkin tamales with goat cheese and pasilla piloncillo, or Vietnamese beef stew with lemongrass and Thai chili.
Why Visit: One of American-inspired restaurants in Chicago, Proxi celebrates the vibrant flavors of multicultural street food with pristine ingredients sourced from the most culinary-rich corners of the globe. There is a smorgasbord of flavors and preparations, including Indian, Mediterranean, Thai, and Mexican. At Proxi, cocktails are prepared using ingredients such as compressed pineapple, toasted cashew orgeat, and chamomile-infused Lillet Blanc.
3. Johnnie’s Beef
Location: North Avenue
Cost: 20$
Best Dishes: Italian Beef, Chicken Pita, Chicago Dog & Italian Sausage
Why Visit: An old-fashioned Italian beef and ice stand in Elmwood Park. Unlike Chicago-style hot dogs and deep dish pizza, locals can’t agree on which Italian beef maker is the best. However, some people would agree that Johnnie’s is the closest competitor, a legendary restaurant located in the suburbs. While waiting in line behind regulars, you’ll have plenty of time to decide what to order, but beef dipped in hot sauce is the top recommendation. After your meal, order an Italian ice with lemon to cool your mouth.
4. Bayan Ko
Location: Montrose Ave
Cost: 30$ or under
Best Dishes: Lumpia, Empanadas, Fried Rice With Shrimp & Cuban-Style Mojo Pork. Adobo wings create cravings, while pancit is worth a stop.
Why Visit: With Cuban and Filipino owners, the restaurant brings together the best of both cultures. Fusion is not the goal; rather, it is the combination of foods from both cultures that complement each other. One of the finest sandwiches is the Pinoy burger (made with beef and longganisa). It is one of the BYO restaurants in Chicago; reservations are recommended on weekends.
5. Maple & Ash
Location: Maple St
Cost: 31$-50$
Best Dishes: Whipped & Buttered Potatoes, Mac & Cheese & Brussels Sprouts. Chef Danny Grant’s menu features delicacies such as caviar, fire-roasted seafood towers, dry-aged beef and truffle agnolotti. Also, don’t forget the ice cream sundaes.
Why Visit: While Chicago is home to some of the finest steakhouses in the world, few can match Maple & Ash’s ambience and aesthetic. You will see groups of 20 celebrating birthdays in the second-floor dining room, couples enjoying date nights, and power brokers conducting business.
6. Smoque BBQ
Location: Pulaski Rd
Cost: 11$-30$
Best Dishes: Smoque BBQ serves Kansas City-style and Memphis-style barbecue, including ribs, brisket, and apple-and-oak-smoked pulled pork, all prepared by two smokers.
Why Visit: It is one of Chicago’s premier barbecue heavens. Dessert lovers will appreciate salted caramel-Bourbon sauce drizzled over pecan bread pudding. Owner Barry Sorkin expanded the takeout and outdoor dining options during the pandemic, including the construction of a patio in the former parking lot.
7. Vito and Nick’s Pizzeria
Location: Pulaski Rd
Cost: 11$-30$
Best Dishes: One of the best restaurants in Chicago, they serve a cracker-thin crust pizza stuffed with gooey mozzarella, sausage chunks sprinkled and fennel. Topped with a few extra ingredients, like mushrooms, peppers, onions, and black olives.
Why Visit: As Chicago’s longest-serving pie shop (although this location opened in 1965), Vito and Nick’s has become a tradition. If you want the full experience, watch a Bears or Sox game on TV while you sip an ice-cold Old Style.
8. Calumet Fisheries
Location: 95th St
Cost: 20$
Best Dishes: A state-rare smokehouse, Calumet smokes all of its seafood using only natural wood. You can taste the quality when you taste the salmon, catfish, and sturgeon, making it one of the popular restaurants in Chicago. If you’re on the go, crispy shrimp in the cocktail sauce make a delicious grab-and-dunk appetizer.
Why Visit: Are you familiar with the bridge-jumping scene in the Blues Brothers? It happened right next to Calumet Fisheries. A classic Chicago seafood smokehouse that accepts only cash.
9. El Che Steakhouse & Bar
Location: Washington Blvd
Cost: 50$ and over
Best Dishes: There is no comparison to chef John Manion’s flame-kissed vegetables, meats, and seafood, which boast premium cuts from Kansas’ Creekstone Farms and Michigan’s Vander Farmers. Try the Parrillada platter for an authentic South American experience. It is packed with sweetbreads, black pudding, chorizo, steak, bone marrow, and so much more.
Why Visit: A steakhouse influenced by Argentine cuisine that pays homage to the country’s beloved Asados. The aromas emanating from the kitchen’s custom-built hearth are heavenly, reminiscent of Argentina.
10. Alinea
Location: Halsted St
Cost: $295-$475
Best Dishes: One of Alinea’s most famous dishes is the balloon. The green apple taffy is filled with helium.
Why Visit: One of the reputed restaurants in Chicago, Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas’ fine dining institution is the city’s only restaurant to have three Michelin stars. You can expect sensory overload inside the luxurious Lincoln Park dining room. Citrus scents, smoke, and other smells give Achatz’s diners a theatrical dining experience: servers present dishes with artistic flair.
11. Kasama
Location: Winchester Ave
Cost: $185
Best Dishes: Enjoy some of Chicago’s best pastries and a longanisa-topped breakfast sandwich or a full Filipino breakfast (longanisa/bacon, fried egg, garlic fried rice and pickled papaya). During the night, reserve a spot for the restaurant’s 13-course tasting menu, which features Nilaga with A5 Wagyu and a perfect little croissant with freshly shaved black truffles.
Why Visit: Trust the hype on this one: Kasama is actually as good as everyone says. Kasama is a modern Filipino-American bakery and fine dining restaurant from Tim Flores and Genie Kwon (Oriole), featuring Michelin-starred dishes and casual dining.
12. Virtue
Location: Hyde Park
Cost: 54$
Best Dishes: Beef Short Ribs, Pork Chop, Cashew Dukkah Spice, Root Cellar Vegetables And Rice
Why Visit: Virtue is a restaurant showcasing Chef Erick Williams’s love of the Southern style of cooking through passed-down recipes and reimagined expressions. Visitors can experience his soul seeping from the menu at the restaurant. The ambiance is elegant without trying too hard. It’s a perfect spot for a cozy date night.
All in all, these are Chicago’s fine dining restaurants of all time that have contributed to the advancement of the culinary experience. So, take in the breathtaking views of cityscapes and enjoy culinary delights from around the world served at the best restaurants in Chicago.
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