9 splurge rooms in Chicago, editor-picked. tasting menus and the full big-night-out treatment in Chicago. All Chicago food.
Alinea ★ 4.9
lincoln-park · 1723 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614
Alinea in Chicago is Grant Achatz's three-Michelin-star tasting menu at 1723 N Halsted, the dining room that codified American modernist fine dining since 2005.
Tip: Book the Gallery flow if you want the full theatre; Salon is the quieter, three-course-less option.
Smyth ★ 4.8
west-loop · 177 N Ada St, Chicago, IL 60607
Smyth in Chicago is John and Karen Shields's two-Michelin-star tasting menu on Ada Street, with produce from their own farm 90 minutes south of the city.
Tip: The companion bar downstairs, The Loyalist, runs an excellent burger if you can't land the upstairs seats.
Oriole ★ 4.8
west-loop · 661 W Walnut St, Chicago, IL 60661
Oriole in Chicago is Noah Sandoval's two-Michelin-star room on Walnut Street in the West Loop, a quiet 28-seat tasting menu with a strong caviar service.
Tip: The wine pairings are unusually well-judged at the German-and-Austrian end. Ask for them by region, not by tier.
Kasama ★ 4.8
ukrainian-village · 1001 N Winchester Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
Kasama in Chicago is Tim Flores and Genie Kwon's Filipino bakery by day, Michelin-starred tasting menu by night, in the Ukrainian Village on Winchester.
Tip: The bakery has no reservations; the tasting menu books out 60 days ahead. Treat them as two different visits.
Ever ★ 4.7
west-loop · 1340 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60607
Ever in Chicago is Curtis Duffy's two-Michelin-star Fulton Market tasting menu, opened 2020 after Duffy left Grace, with rigorous service and quiet plating.
Tip: Sit at the chef's counter if it is on offer at booking. The view of the pass is the room's best seat.
Bavette's Bar & Boeuf ★ 4.6
river-north · 218 W Kinzie St, Chicago, IL 60654
Bavette's Bar & Boeuf in Chicago is the dimly-lit River North steakhouse on Kinzie, French bistro paintings overhead, with a bone-in ribeye that anchors the room.
Tip: Book at 21:00 on a weeknight if you want the back booths. The earlier seating is mostly business dinners.
Topolobampo ★ 4.6
river-north · 445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
Topolobampo in Chicago is Rick Bayless's Michelin-starred Mexican fine-dining room beside Frontera on Clark, with regional menus that rotate every six weeks.
Tip: Reservations open 60 days out and the Friday slot goes in an hour. Set a calendar alarm.
Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse ★ 4.4
gold-coast · 1028 N Rush St, Chicago, IL 60611
Gibsons in Chicago is the Rush Street steakhouse since 1989 with its own USDA Prime stamp, packed nightly with politicians, athletes and conference traffic.
Tip: The cake slices are large enough for four. Order one for the table and ask for four forks.
RPM Steak ★ 4.3
river-north · 66 W Kinzie St, Chicago, IL 60654
RPM Steak in Chicago is the marble-and-leather River North steakhouse on Kinzie from the Melman family of Lettuce Entertain You, with A5 Wagyu sliders at the bar.
Tip: Sit at the bar if you cannot land a booth. The bar menu is the same and the cocktails arrive faster.