Tasting menus, Michelin stars and the chefs redefining Chicago.
Tasting menus, Michelin stars, and the kitchens redefining what fine dining means in Chicago.
Alinea in Chicago is Grant Achatz's three-Michelin-star Lincoln Park dining room, the original American modernist tasting menu since 2005 at 1723 N Halsted.
Tip: Salon is the shortest flow and the easiest to book; Kitchen Table is the deepest dive into the menu.
Smyth in Chicago is the two-Michelin-star West Loop tasting menu from John and Karen Shields, paired with The Loyalist downstairs and produce from their own.
Tip: Ask for the wine-pairing 'reserve' option if you have a long evening; the cellar lists a deep run of Burgundy.
Oriole in Chicago is Noah Sandoval's two-Michelin-star tasting menu room at 661 W Walnut Street, a 28-seat West Loop room with strong caviar service.
Tip: The wine pairings lean Germanic and Austrian. Ask by region, not by tier; the value is on the long-pour bottles.
Ever in Chicago is Curtis Duffy's two-Michelin-star Fulton Market tasting menu, opened in 2020 after he left Grace, with rigorous service and quiet plating.
Tip: Sit at the chef's counter if it is offered at booking; the view of the pass is the room's best seat.
Kasama in Chicago is Tim Flores and Genie Kwon's Michelin-starred Filipino tasting menu at 1001 N Winchester in Ukrainian Village, doubling as a daytime.
Tip: Day-room bakery and evening tasting menu run separate book-and-pay flows. Plan to come for both, on different days.
Topolobampo in Chicago is Rick Bayless's Michelin-starred Mexican fine-dining room at 445 N Clark Street, with menus that rotate every six weeks by region.
Tip: Friday slots open 60 days out and disappear inside an hour. Set a 09:00 alarm for the exact 60-day mark.
Boka in Chicago is Lee Wolen's Michelin-starred dining room beside Alinea on Halsted, with a quiet garden courtyard and a brined whole-roast chicken for two.
Tip: Book the garden room in summer. It is one of the prettiest outdoor dining rooms in the city.
Elske in Chicago is David and Anna Posey's Michelin-starred Randolph Street dining room with Danish influences, restrained plating, and a small front-yard.
Tip: The Aquavit pairings are the room's secret weapon. Ask Anna for the by-the-glass walk.
Next in Chicago is the Achatz-Kokonas Fulton Market tasting menu that changes theme every season, from Childhood to Sicily to Vegan to Trio.
Tip: Tickets, not reservations: you buy by season on Tock, and they sell out the morning they drop.
Mako in Chicago is B.K. Park's Michelin-starred 22-seat omakase counter at 731 W Lake Street in the West Loop, with fish flown twice weekly from Toyosu.
Tip: Sit at the wood corner of the counter, closest to the rice cooker; the timing of the nigiri is sharpest there.
Esmé in Chicago is Jenner Tomaska's Michelin-starred Lincoln Park tasting menu, themed seasonally around a guest artist whose work runs on the plates.
Tip: Sit at the chef's counter for the longer between-course explanations of the current theme.
Galit in Chicago is James Beard winner Zachary Engel's Michelin-starred Middle Eastern dining room on Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park, with a choose-your-own.
Tip: Order the laffa straight off the hearth as your opening course; the warm bread is the anchor for every spread on the meze list.
Editor picks in Chicago include Alinea, Smyth, Oriole, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.