2 Best Restaurants in Lincoln Park and Wicker Park, with Bucktown and Logan Square, Chicago

Background Illustration for Restaurants

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.

Anelya

$$ Fodor's Choice

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.

Eastern European Fodor's Choice $$ Dinner
3472 N. Elston Ave., Chicago, IL, 60618, USA
773-692–2192
anelyarestaurant.com
Known For
  • Varenyky
  • Stuffed cabbage
  • Cocktails built around Eastern European spirits
Restaurant Details
No lunch

Something incorrect in this review?

Tryzub

$$ | Ukrainian Village

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.