Our Chicago trip was a blast–there were a ton of fun activities and sightseeing we got to do. And to our delight there was no shortage of amazing restaurants in this city. We snuck in some tours, a magic show, and hit up farmer’s markets but hit up so many good restaurants in between.
I must admit that the beer and coffee scene is not as bustling as I’m used to in Orange County, Portland, Austin, or other cities we’ve visited, but it’s still worth a visit just for the food. Below are some of the best restaurants in Chicago we are grateful to have tried!
Armitage Alehouse
Stepping into the Armitage Alehouse is like getting transported to another time and place.
As you walk through the door, you’re enveloped in a world filled with rich and eclectic interiors, cozy booth seats, and intricate wood details throughout the bar and the back dining room. It does feel like you’re in London during the 1920s.
This British Indian gastropub is perfect for date night or a fun time with a small group of friends. Armitage Alehouse is located in Lincoln Park and a 15-minute drive from downtown Chicago, but you can easily take the metro to this restaurant since it’s only a two-minute walk from the nearest station.
Order any pot pie specials, and you won’t be disappointed, mainly because they bake it with a hunk of bone marrow. For dessert, the sticky date cake was melt-in-your-mouth good and easily shareable between 3-4 people. Since this is a pub, we recommend getting a pint of beer and the Queen’s cup if you like cocktails.
Type of food: British Indian gastropub
Price: $$$ ($65 pp)
What to order: any pot pie specials, tandoori-style roasted chicken with lentil daal, sticky date cake, queen’s cup cocktail
Address: 1000 W Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL 60614
Website: https://armitagealehouse.com/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/armitage-alehouse-chicago
The Aviary
The Aviary is part of the Alinea Group, headed by famed chef Grant Achatz. Like Alinea, it’s also focused on experimental and gastronomical techniques, but for cocktails. The menu indicates how extravagant each cocktail is–obviously, I picked King’s Peach because it’s the most dramatic. To make this cocktail, they use a siphon over a fire to brew the ingredients. It’s pretty entertaining and a liquor-forward drink. There are so many options, so talk to your server for suggestions.
While this drink had some flair, many of the other cocktails didn’t have much drama in the presentation. The vibe for the Aviary is a little more glam than what we expected and seemed like a place for people to make business deals. The Aviary is located in Fulton Market, and we recommend reservations. They offer a la carte reservations, but if you’re in the mood for an adventure, they also have a pre-fixe option to try a set of different cocktails. This is probably the most I’ve ever spent on cocktails, but you get a show with each drink.
Type of food: cocktail bar
Price: $$$ ($65 pp)
What to order: king’s peach, ferrand’s with benefits
Address: 955 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
Website: https://www.theaviary.com/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-aviary-chicago-2
Lou Malnati’s
Lou Malnati’s is a staple in Chicago, and we received a lot of recommendations for its deep-dish pizza. Since it’s so popular, there are various locations throughout Chicago. Just like Giordano’s, this place can get busy, so we recommend coming during off hours, like after lunch and before dinner.
Lou Malnati’s differs from other pizza places because you order before you’re seated. Baking a deep dish takes quite a while (about 40 minutes), so this helps speed up the process while you’re waiting for your seat.
I liked the deep dish Malnati Chicago classic, but they also offer personal-sized pizzas if you’re not too hungry, they also offer personal-sized pizzas. If you don’t have time to wait, you can also order take-out or delivery. But if you want a taste of Chicago from across the country, they also ship frozen pizzas to your door with instructions.
Type of food: Chicago deep-dish pizza
Price: $$ ($20 pp)
What to order: deep dish Malnati Chicago classic
Address: Various
Website: https://www.loumalnatis.com/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lou-malnatis-pizzeria-chicago
Kasama
Eating at Kasama was one of my favorite Michelin star experiences. It’s the first Filipino American restaurant that’s received the coveted award, and its innovative and delicious dishes deserve it. Located in the East Ukrainian Village, this restaurant is a little bit farther away from central Chicago, and you may need to take a car ride to visit.
They offer brunch and a prix-fixe dinner at different price points, so it’s great to experience Kasama cuisine if you’re on a budget or want a fancier meal. But, hands down, my favorite pastry to try at brunch was the ube huckleberry basque cake. This isn’t just your typical pastry with ube extract–it’s a treat with a buttery crisp crust and sweet and tangy filling.
The pre-fixe dinner gave me a new experience with Filipino American cuisine. I’ve spent years eating Filipino food in many family homes, US restaurants, and even in the Philippines, but eating at Kasama felt like a contemporary take on traditional dishes done in the most respectful way. My favorite courses were the nilaga made with bone marrow, adobo with mushroom and mussel emulsion, and halo halo granita.
Type of food: Filipino American
Price: $$-$$$ ($30 pp for brunch or $235 pre-fixe dinner pp)
What to order: pre-fixe dinner, ube huckleberry basque cake
Address: 1001 N Winchester Ave., Chicago, IL 60622
Website: https://www.kasamachicago.com/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kasama-chicago
Girl & the Goat
Even though there’s a nearby location in SoCal, I wanted to try the original Girl & the Goat restaurant in the West Loop of Chicago. This restaurant is the brainchild of Stephanie Izard, the first female winner of Top Chef. Girl & the Goat labels itself as a modern restaurant serving global cuisine. All dishes are served family style, so it’s best to bring friends or family!
Our favorite dishes were the wood oven-roasted pig face with potato stix, salmon poke with strawberries, and confit goat belly with quinoa crunchies. You know it’s a great meal when you bring a non-foodie guest who mentions how this experience changed how they look at food. Unfortunately, this place is pretty popular and books out quickly, so I recommend making reservations ahead of time (about two weeks).
Type of food: American
Price: $$$ ($60 pp)
What to order: wood oven-roasted pig face, ora king salmon, goat belly
Address: 809 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
Website: https://girlandthegoat.com/chicago
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/girl-and-the-goat-chicago
Giordano’s
I love pizza but have always been skeptical about Chicago’s famous deep-dish-style pizza. All the deep-dish pizzas I’ve had in the past were always too doughy and chewy. Well, I was wrong. Our first endeavor with deep-dish pizza in Chicago was Giordano’s, and it changed my mind.
First, even a small-sized deep-dish pizza is enormous and can easily feed 3-4 people. It comes in a cake pan about 2-3 inches thick. The crust itself is most similar to a pie crust–it’s buttery, flaky, and perfectly crispy. The center is layered with an al dente dough at the bottom, cheesy mozzarella, and tangy and bold marinara (and other toppings you might want). It’s best eaten fresh to savor all the textures together.
Each pizza takes about 40-45 minutes to bake in the oven, so I recommend reading the menu beforehand so you can order immediately after sitting down. I would also order appetizers like fried calamari to ease your stomach during your wait, but don’t eat too much! Leave some room for this crispy and saucy slice.
Type of food: Chicago deep-dish pizza
Price: $$ ($30 pp)
What to order: Chicago classic deep dish
Address: 130 E Randolph, Chicago, IL 60601
Website: https://giordanos.com/locations/prudential-plaza-millenium-park/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/giordanos-chicago-30
Lazy Bird Cocktail
The Lazy Bird Cocktail bar is a great lounge where you can choose from over 50 cocktails, like an art deco vibe, and want to listen to live music. But first, you need to find it! We had a little trouble locating this bar because they have a neon sign with the bar’s name on the side of the building; however, you will need to enter the Hoxton Chicago Hotel through the lobby and take the stairs down to the cellar.
Once you’re in, we recommend ordering the paloma, clover club, or mojito to sip on. There’s bar seating, booths, and cocktail tables available. It’s first come, first serve unless you have a group (up to eight) that wants to reserve a VIP table.
Type of food: cocktail bar
Price: $$ ($30 pp)
What to order: paloma, mojito, clover club
Address: 200 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607
Website: https://www.lazybirdchicago.com/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lazy-bird-chicago-2
Lyra
Located in the heart of Chicago’s Fulton Market, Lyra features Greek and Mediterranean food with locally sourced ingredients. I love the design of the space because it has an open kitchen and large wood and coal hearth. They also offer indoor and outdoor dining for brunch and dinner.
Our favorite was the slow-roasted lamb gyro because of its ultra-tender and juicy shredded lamb topped with a citrus dressing. During dinner, the roasted lamb is carved at your table. It has plenty of Athenian accouterments like handmade pita bread, tzatziki, hummus, and sliced onions.
We recommend making a reservation here ahead of time so you can choose where to sit. They offer different seating options like the main dining room, private rooms like the Mykonos sunset or Kava wine cellar, and the oval bar seating. If you love a lively experience, we recommend the standard main dining room or the oval bar seating. But if you have a small party or group with you, we recommend the Kava wine cellar.
Type of food: Greek, Mediterranean
Price: $$ ($35 pp)
What to order: slow-roasted lamb gyros
Address: 905 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
Website: https://www.lyrarestaurant.com/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/l%C3%BDra-chicago-2
Fisk & Co.
Fisk & Co. is part of the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in the downtown area of Chicago. They serve fresh seafood and have a full bar, so it’s great for a small snack or dinner. I loved the Thai curry mussels because it was a new take on traditional white wine mussels and bread. They also have a varied selection of raw oysters on the half shell. They take reservations, but you can also hop onto the bar and sit in the lounge if you don’t have a reservation.
Type of food: seafood bars
Price: $$$ ($70 pp)
What to order: raw oysters on the half shell, Thai curry mussels, lobster roll
Address: 225 N Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60601
Website: https://www.fiskandcochicago.com/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fisk-and-co-chicago-5
Sawada Coffee
World Latte Art champion Hiroshi Sawada started Sawada Coffee. It’s in an industrial-style cafe connected to a small food hall with ample seating. If I lived in Chicago, this would be my main coffee joint to work in during the week. The two times I got coffee here during the weekend, the line was packed and snaked toward the door.
As a matcha lover, I really liked Sawada Coffee, especially their Military latte, which combines matcha, espresso, and vanilla. They use their blend of matcha that gives you a strong flavor and doesn’t disappear with the bolder flavor of coffee. Another popular drink is the black camo latte with roasted matcha (or hojicha) and espresso. If you end up falling in love with their drinks, you can also order their matcha blends and roasted espresso beans in-store or online.
Type of food: coffee & tea
Price: $$ ($10 pp)
What to order: military latte, latte
Address: 112 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607
Website: http://sawadacoffee.com/chicago/pickup-delivery/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sawada-coffee-chicago
Starbucks Reserve Roastery
If you love the art of coffee, you need to visit the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Chicago. Unlike typical Starbucks shops, Reserve Roasteries are stores experimenting with different techniques for roasting and making coffee. There are only six Reserve Roasteries in the World, and Chicago is the newest location. You can explore four floors with varied coffee types, fresh pastries and savory dishes, and even a full bar on the top floor.
Just make sure you don’t come here expecting a frappuccino or caramel drizzle anything because they don’t make typical Starbucks drinks. Our favorites are the espresso or pour-over flights, seasonal favorites like the hazelnut bianco latte, or espresso martinis. Don’t skip out on the food because we also love the apricot tart and shakshuka. This is also a great place to buy souvenirs like the specialty roast blends they make in-house.
Type of food: coffee roastery, cafe
Price: $$ ($15 pp)
What to order: seasonal favorites (hazelnut bianco latte), apricot tart, flights
Address: 646 N Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611
Website: https://www.starbucksreserve.com/en-us/locations/chicago
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-chicago
Garrett’s Popcorn
Garrett’s Popcorn is the way to go if you’re looking for a souvenir for someone back home that won’t break the bank or collect dust on their shelf. There are so many locations throughout Chicago (and even one opening up at Midway Airport), so they’re easy to pop into and buy fresh popcorn.
They sell flavors like caramel crisp with or without roasted nuts, cheese, and seasonal flavors like white chocolate. You can also pick different-sized bags or buckets depending on your budget. I recommend not mixing the flavors because this quickly changes the texture. For example, the cheese popcorn sogs up the crispiness of the caramel-coated ones. The buckets are also best if you want to preserve them for longer. Try your best to avoid eating them before landing!
Type of food: specialty popcorn
Price: $$ ($20 pp)
What to order: Garrett mix, caramel crisp, cheese, any nut caramel crisp flavor
Address: various
Website: https://www.garrettpopcorn.com/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/garrett-popcorn-shops-chicago-8
Relish Chicago Hot Dogs
A classic Chicago-style street dog. It’s not meant to be fancy or frilly, but it was just plain good. It was an all-beef hot dog with all the fixins that made it Chicago-style: pickle slice, tomato, poppy seed bun, mustard, and peppers. It was $6 at a semi-permanent structure at a prominent street corner, and it was everything I thought it would be–simple and delicious!
Type of food: Chicago-style hot dog stands
Price: $ ($10 pp)
What to order: Chicago dog
Address: various
Website: https://relish-chicago-hot-dogs.business.site/
See more restaurant travel guides
If you enjoyed my restaurant guide here for Chicago, check out the other cities I have visited and made restaurant guides for!:
- Oahu, Hawaii
- Chicago, Illinois
- Washington, DC
- Mexico City
- Austin, Texas
- Orange County, California
- Costa Mesa, California
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