2 Best Restaurants in South Loop, Chicago

The Northeast coast makes a splash in the South Loop with this elegant enclave, where dishes are fresh, inventive, and often have a rather modernist touch. The seven-course tasting menu showcases the chef's culinary talents, and Acadia is unique in that its bar menu also has its own set of upscale bites, like Maine lobster rolls and a popular cheeseburger.

For all its great food, Chicago is not much of a deli town, which endears the old-school Eleven City Diner to locals looking for all-day breakfast and deli staples. There are also plenty of classic diner options including burgers and soda-fountain floats and malts, though breaking from the deli tradition, Eleven City also serves beer, wine, and cocktails.