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River North captures most of the expense-account diners, but the neighborhoods to the west of downtown—Bucktown, Wicker Park, and Logan Square—are where some of the city's most innovative dining occurs. With concepts like the vegetarian-friendly MANA, the pork-heavy Bristol, and dessert-focused Mindy’s Hot Chocolate, West Side restaurateurs serve great food without looking like they're trying too hard. Pick a ’hood and wander on foot—good eating won't be hard to find.
To the east lies Lincoln Park, named for the lakefront park it borders. Often a first stop for recent Chicago transplants moving to the city as well as the permanent residence of families inhabiting pricey brownstones, the popular neighborhood is definitely worth exploring. From a food perspective, it's host to several of Chicago's best restaurants, including Alinea and Boka. On commercial thoroughfares such as Clark, Halsted, and Armitage, you can spend an afternoon bouncing back and forth from great restaurants and cafés to hip shops.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The mood is easy-breezy but the food and beverage offerings are seriously good at this snug Ukrainian Village all-day café/bottle shop/grocery. Nibble on artisan charcuterie, low-intervention wine at hand, or feast on seasonally changing mains. While you digest, browse the shelves for tinned conserves and natural wines from the Loire and Beaujolais.
If you thought sausage gravy was as creative as biscuit toppings get, you obviously haven’t been to Bang Bang. The buttery, fluffy specimens here serve as a base for an assortment of tasty accompaniments, like herbed ricotta with roasted seasonal veggies. Cap it off with a slice of pie from the rotating selection. On fine days the large, tree-fringed yard is the place to be.
Bright-yellow walls and a soundtrack of classic house music make for a convivial atmosphere at this daytime spot, a favorite with students from nearby DePaul University for its menu of carb-y breakfast dishes hearty enough to fuel diners till dinner.
The second the sun peeks out each spring, locals make a beeline for the massive patio at Big Star because the tacos and margaritas are some of the best in the city. Most of this honky-tonk taqueria's star power comes from chefs Paul Kahan and Chris Miller, who serve a small menu of tasty Mexican classics—if it's a taco emergency, skip the wait for a table and head to the take-out window or try the larger Wrigleyville location.
Things can get weird on the flavor front at this cheerful Ukrainian Village scoop shop---goat cheese, moscato, and even basil have been known to make appearances. Suspend disbelief and give it a go; flavors rotate throughout the year, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a dud in the mix.
Here to shatter the myth that Chicago is strictly a meat-and-potatoes kinda town is this greenery-filled, boho space from chef Rodolfo Cuadros, who classifies his global fare as plant-based rather than vegan to communicate that diners of all stripes will find something to love. For the record, the menu's gluten free too, but when you're digging into elegantly plated turnip causa and savory jackfruit short rib, it's likely the food's big flavor alone that will consume your attention.
The name is so cute, you might not think the food is a selling point—but you'd be wrong: expat Spaniards swear this sprawling spot is one of the best Spanish restaurants in town, and the colorful Mediterranean-style interiors encourage the Spanish feel. There’s a large assortment of cold and warm tapas, as well as four varieties of paella.
"Seasonality" is the watchword at this modern spot filled with blonde wood and lovely light, where the menu changes constantly but the dishes are always executed with the utmost care. Collaborative dinners and wine events happen occasionally, so check the restaurant's social media account ( instagram.com/cellardoorprovisions) to see what's on the calendar.
The art that hangs in this Michelin-starred spot's dining room isn't decoration, but inspiration: four times each year, the restaurant mounts a new show by a local artist, and chef Jenner Tomaska composes a multicourse tasting menu in response. Appropriately, the plates are highly visual, often featuring vivid color palettes, sculptural elements, and trompe l'oeil twists. If it all sounds a bit toney, be assured the kitchen has a sense of humor, which comes across in bites like fiery homemade Cheetos. To sample Tomaska's technique without the steep tasting menu price tag, book a seat at the elegant adjoining bar, which offers a three-course dinner for $68.
This all-day counter service spot crosses Lebanese and Mexican flavors with some kooky notions (halloumi tacos, baklava crumbled over an ice cream sundae), to fun and tasty results. It’s situated in cheerful digs a stone’s throw from Lincoln Park Zoo—a good place to walk off overindulgence guilt.
Chef Zachary Engel has established himself as a critical favorite for his approach to Middle Eastern cuisine, which merges fine dining technique with big flavors and a disarming sense of humor that’s telegraphed through cheeky menu descriptions (e.g., tehina hummus with “way too much olive oil”).
Scads of neon signs and a pitch-black ceiling high overhead give a night market vibe to this full-service grocery store–meets–food hall, new to the neighborhood in 2024. The food court's the place for Korean tacos, bowls of steaming ramen, hojicha tea lattes, and char siu and egg sandwiches on freshly baked pineapple buns. On the grocery side, you'll find all the Pocky sticks and mochi you need to end your meal on a sweet note.
Huge flavors come roaring out of the tiny kitchen at Giant, where chef Jason Vincent takes crowd-pleasers like pasta, vegetarian dishes, and American classics and cranks the umami up to an 11. Beverage director Josh Perlman pairs diners with interesting wines from small producers without an unwanted chaser of snootiness. No matter the evening, a festive air seems to prevail.
Power up after a brisk walk on the adjacent 606 trail with nitro drafts and lattes brewed with the shop's own range of beans. There are sandwiches and mini donuts to snack on during the day, and a curated selection of local beers to lubricate customers come happy hour.
This Costa Rican spot has been going strong since 1990, thanks to its range of empanadas, mixed grill platters, and sandwiches that offer good value but don’t skimp on flavor. The casual, brightly colored dining room and patio call to mind a laid-back beach shack—a welcome vision during Chicago’s rough winters.
A counter-service model helps keep costs down at this lovely, light-filled all-day spot, enabling the kitchen—helmed by two vets of New York's Gramercy Tavern—to turn out unfussy but high-quality American fare, accompanied by generous wine pours. Bargain hunters and good-time Charlies, take note: a daily happy-hour session with cheffy snacks and reasonably priced cocktails takes place every afternoon, and again before closing time.
It seems as if there's now a sushi spot on practically every corner in Chicago, but when Kamehachi opened in Old Town in 1967 it was the first, though the restaurant has since moved to a loftier space complete with sushi bar, upstairs lounge, and flowering garden (in season). Excellent quality fish, updated decor, and eager-to-please hospitality keep fans returning, and the lunchtime maki combo meals are a relative bargain.
