Top 20 Best Restaurants in Chicago; Tested, Trusted, and Ranked
Using your vacation in Chicago? catch the best restaurants that will make you extend your vacation stays.
As we embark on taking our tour through the beautiful city of Chicago, one of the best tourist attractions in Chicago we shall explore is, finding the best restaurants where you can serve your stomach different sumptuous meals that will make your heart always pray for you.
Truth is, Chicago is one of America’s top food cities, and several amazing restaurants are doing this job. Should we start with deep-dish pizza or high-end cuisine? the Windy City is there which offers an incredible dining table.
While ranking the best restaurants in Chicago, we consider what we have experienced based on different factors like food quality, service delivery, price, ambiance, and value aimed to highlight this range of cuisines starting from casual spots to Michelin-starred destinations. Then we are able to come with 20 of the best places to eat during your next visit to Chicago.
1. Alinea
To start with, Alinea is a 3-Michelin-star red dining room that offers a dazzling look and delicious tasting menu from chef Grant Achatz. With dishes like edible balloons filled with apple helium, it provides a true once-in-a-lifetime unforgettable experience.
2. The Purple Pig
Looking for the best place to fill your stomach with cheese? wines? The purple pig is your go-to spot. Here, they serve both small and big plates perfect for sharing. The pork shoulder is a standout but you may shun that because they serve other meats better than pork.
3. Au Cheval
Au Cheval is being runned like a dinner-solution. It’s the only burger joint in the West Loop famous for its cheeseburgers, duck dish, and fried bologna sandwich. Even with a no reservations policy, it’s worth waiting in line for the juicy patties.
4. Girl & the Goat
A “Top Chef" winner restaurant. Stephanie Izard runs this amazing restaurant with a 24-hour lively show. West Loop owns this spot. It is full of aesthetically pleasing creative fare like an oven of a roasted pig face on Ciabatta. The vegetable dishes are just as inventive.
5. Avec
This Mediterranean style wine bar in the West Loop is always buzzing. Pair creative small plates like chorizo-stuffed dates with carafes of wine for a convivial dining experience.
6. Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar
With an extensive Italian wine list and spritz menu, Quartino is a great option to quench the thirst of spending a day full of meals. Its standouts include the cacio e pepe and any of the thin-crust pizzas from the wood-burning oven.
7. The Publican
This meat-centric Fulton Market spot is perfect for pork and oyster lovers. Sit at one of the large communal tables and indulge in dishes like ham chops with scrambled brained eggs.
8. Parachute
Here, you can experience contemporary Korean cuisine, especially at the avant-garde Michelin-starred spot in Avondale. There is an offer of $85 tasting menu in this restaurant, which will take you on a culinary journey across Korea by way of Chicago.
9. Big Star
Big Star is an award-winning restaurant and the city’s best juice house. The epic patio makes it a favourite for drinks, tacos al pastor, and smoky salsa music. Cash only.
10. Green Street Smoked Meats
Situated in the West Loop's restaurant row, this counter-serve joint excels at Texas-style barbecue like brisket, ribs and housemade sausages. Go early before they sell out.
11. The Publican Quality Meats
It’s owned by the same team as The Publican upstairs, this gourmet butcher shop and cafe downstairs serves stellar sandwiches like the popular Publican Burger.
12. Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
When in Chicago, you have to try deep dish pizza. And Lou Malnati’s signature butter crust is considered among the city’s best. The sausage patty pizza and Chicago Classic are standouts.
13. Frontera Grill
The original restaurant from chef Rick Bayless practically invented modern Mexican cuisine. Now with locations worldwide, the Chicago original still impresses with complex moles, ceviches and more.
14. Giant
This hip Logan Square restaurant offers a vegetable-focused tasting menu that changes with the seasons. Dishes burst with surprising textures and flavors in the 12-15 course experience.
15. The Duck Inn
Here’s a Bridgeport’s home for contemporary American fare. The Duck Inn impresses with whole rotisserie duck, foie gras ravioli, stellar craft cocktails, and late night karaoke sessions.
16. Formento’s Nonna’s Kitchen
Transport back to 1950's Sicily at this cozy Lincoln Park trattoria serving authentic red sauce classics. Start with meatballs or clams before bucatini pesto Siciliano and tiramisu. Cash only.
17. Temporis
This fine-dining destination in Noble Square transports diners to the ancient Roman empire. A 12-course tasting reflecting Roman ingredients and cooking wows guests.
18. Smoke Daddy
With live blues music and melt-in-your mouth brisket, Smoke Daddy lives up to its name. Ribs, pulled pork and smoked wings round out the menu at Wicker Park’s barbecue & blues destination.
19. Michelin-Starred Dining on a Budget
Several neighborhoods like Pilsen, Chinatown and Little Italy offer Michelin Bib Gourmand picks and reasonably priced ethnic eateries. Taquerias, noodle shops and mom-and-pop Italian joints offer delicious dining without the typical Michelin price tag.
20. Food Trucks & Pop-ups
Chicago's dining scene expands beyond brick and mortar restaurants with stellar food trucks and underground dining pop-ups. Bite into Korean fried chicken sandwiches from Chi-Seoul-Yaki or indulge in 12-courses at an ever-changing pop-up venue.
Beyond the Best Chicago Restaurants
Chicago is a teeming metropolis for all things edible. Meanwhile, there are more incredible dining places that abound beyond Chicago’s most popular eateries.
Ask a local for their favorite spot and you’ll often hear names unknown to tourists and bucket lists. These lesser-known, under-the-radar finds offer some of the city’s most authentic meals.
Explore Chinatown’s underground world of secret soup dumpling purveyors only frequented by those in the know. Track down an elusive gourmet sandwich pop-up taking place at a brewery one weekend only. Wait in line beside locals for perfect carne asada tacos from an unassuming Little Village cash-only counter shop.
Eschew the usual recommendations and dive deeper like a native foodie to discover Chicago’s best hiding-in-plain taste treasures missed by most visitors.
The Ultimate Chicago Food Bucket List
With so many phenomenal dining offerings mentioned already, what should you prioritize on a Chicago eating itinerary? Build the ultimate food bucket list to tackle during your stay:
- Deep dish pizza - the local specialty
- Italian beef sandwiches - dipped or dry?
- Chicago-style hot dogs - no ketchup allowed
- Trendsetting contemporary cuisine - what’s new on the scene
- Authentic ethnic eateries - Polish, Greek, Brazilian and more
- The city’s emerging food halls
- Local craft brewery tap rooms
- Top dessert destinations - cake shakes and cookie fries.
Follow those cravings to feast like a Chicagoan on a vacation for your tastebuds.
Conclusion
From world-class fine dining to critically acclaimed neighborhood spots across a diversity of cultures and cuisines, Chicago truly caters to every taste. We aimed to highlight an array of the top dining destinations in our list, but so many incredible restaurants didn’t make the cut. This selection offers just a glimpse into Chicago’s amazing food scene.
FAQS
- What is the dress code like at some of Chicago’s finest restaurants?
Most upscale downtown destinations adhere to smart casual or business casual attire. However, a few old school steakhouses like The Original cocktails still expect jackets for gentlemen. When in doubt, call ahead about specific dress code policies.
2. Do you need reservations for popular Chicago restaurants?
Reservations are strongly recommended for acclaimed restaurants like Alinea, Next, Ever and other destinations without walk-in availability. Hot spots like Au Cheval, Girl and the Goat, and Big Star also book up early. Try 30-60 days out for hard-to-get tables.
3. What should visitors know about tipping culture in Chicago restaurants?
Like most US cities, Chicago adds taxes and tips on top of menu prices. Expect to tip 18-25% pre-tax for good service. At upscale venues with polished staff and sommeliers, 20% should serve as the minimum custom tip amount.
4. How can travelers save money dining out in Chicago?
Take advantage of happy hour deals at bars with good food menus like The Purple Pig's wine specials. Seek out affordable ethnic eateries for value eats. And explore Chicago's quality food trucks and takeaway options for satisfying meals on a budget.
5. What are the best Chicago food tours for visitors?
Chicago Food Planet tours hit key speciality dishes from deep dish pizza to Italian beef across different neighborhoods. Food Planet’s Chinatown tour also offers cultural insights. Chicago Eating Tours of Little Italy are perfect for pasta fans. The Heart of Chicago Mexican Food Tour dives deep on tacos and more.
