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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The secret's way out on this creative Filipino spot from culinary power couple Genie Kwon and Timothy Flores ever since it won a 2022 Michelin star and cameoed on essential foodie binge-watch The Bear. Brave the long (like, down the block and around the corner long) daytime queue to the counter for homey brunch dishes like chicken adobo, not to mention ham and raclette danish, among Kwon's other fantastic pastry offerings; at night, there's a major tone shift to an elegant tasting menu with a $275 price tag.
Chef Brian Motyka’s menu favors locally sourced meats and produce, so expect the offerings at this hip gastropub to change with the seasons, with options ranging from bar snacks to substantial entrées, all with clever twists. Chase your meal with one of more than 100 whiskeys on offer (one of the thoughtfully curated flight options is a good way to sample a few), or swing around to the back bar for a nightcap; late night, it serves a small menu of elevated drinking food (wild boar sloppy joes, vegan “sour cream” and onion dip) that’s exactly perfect after an evening on the town.
Division Street has long been a prowl of night owls but with the growing number of spas and boutiques in the area, not to mention the many work-from-home locals, this neighborhood needed a good breakfast and lunch spot. Milk & Honey exceeds expectations with hearty, healthful breakfasts and creative sandwiches at lunch—grab a seat on the sidewalk café in warm weather or in near the fireplace in cooler temperatures.
Everything is big and bold at this perennial neighborhood favorite, from the Asian flavors that infuse chef Edward Kim’s dishes to the colorful graffiti-esque art that adorns the exterior to the high-energy tunes that bop all night. The legendary house burger is only served until 7 pm (but it's an open secret that it's available all night to diners sitting at the bar). The fun vibe extends to the weekend brunch here too.
A long-running fixture on Division Street in Humboldt Park---also known as the Paseo Boricua---family-owned Nellie’s is especially popular on weekends, when locals come out in droves for the generously sized breakfast and brunch dishes. It’s a good place to sample a jibarito, the Puerto Rican contribution to Chicago’s sandwich pantheon: it’s an assemblage of grilled meat and toppings surrounded by flattened, fried plantains.
The crowd at this casual spot serving fried chicken and fish is decidedly hipster, but even if that’s not your scene, the food and cocktails are worth making your way to to the location on the southern end of Logan Square. During the summer, the beer garden is packed with folks playing table tennis, chowing down on shareable snacks and sandwiches, and sipping boozy slushies and cheap beer. With additional locations in Lincoln Park and Andersonville, there's always a picnic table with your name on it.
The weird rhythms of travel often leave hungry travelers stranded in the awkward zone between lunch and dinner. This corner spot, where the food skews American eclectic and produce forward, has the hack: all-day brunch. The vibes are mellow and the wine list so enticing you might want to stay on through dinner.
Indian flavors drive the menu at this merry all-day spot on the northern fringes of Logan Square, but this isn’t your grandma’s tikka masala (even though that might be her calico upholstery in the quirky industrial-meets-cottagecore dining room). Instead, Zeeshan Shah and Yoshi Yamada take a witty approach to familiar dishes, sealing butter chicken into calzones and dressing French toast in halvah and gulab jamun syrup.
The bitterest Chicago gale is no match for the varenyky and other rib-sticking Ukrainian fare at this Chicago Avenue spot, named for the trident that features on the Ukrainian coat of arms. National pride comes through loud and clear here, from the traditional costumes and instruments on display to the menu prices, which sync up to notable years in Ukrainian history. A house specialty is over two dozen vodkas infused with everything from sour cherry to horseradish.
Although there are now satellite restaurants in the Chicago suburbs and across the country, the original Mon Ami Gabi has not lost its charm. This little piece of Paris re-creates a classic bistro with views of Lincoln Park that could pass—with the help of a couple of glasses of vin from the wine cart—for the Tuileries. Park-front windows let in ample natural light, warming the wood-trimmed interior. Best bites include several versions of steak frites, as well as bistro essentials such as steamed mussels and skate with crispy garlic chips. The menu features a rotating list of specials, such as cassoulet and pan-seared sea bass.
