Latest Chicago restaurant reviews

I was a little startled to find, on entering Alinea Group’s remake of Roister into the bro-y, all-caps FIRE, that the room felt dark and serene, awash in gray and black like the remains of a fire that burned out hours before. Then again, what was I expecting—licking flames climbing toward the ceiling to match machismo decor with all the subtlety of Guy Fieri?  Even Fire’s hearth, aglow with live flame and framed with suspended leeks and juniper branches, exuded a controlled kind of softness, crackling gently as half a dozen chefs milled around it wielding fans, blowtorches, branches, brushes, stones, misters and cast iron … irons. It’s an important metaphor for how fire is deployed at Grant Achatz’s first new restaurant in eight years—as much precise seasoning as multifaceted and elemental cooking method. A glowing log slowly diffuses its smokiness into an ice cream base, and hot stones and damp branches gently steam shellfish. When it works, it is revelatory. Take the opening course, which conveyed three miniature expressions of hearth-“seasoned” Spanish prawns atop a charred wood box heavy with stones and seaweed. A tiny shiso leaf “taco” packed an umami bomb of cold-smoked prawn meat seasoned with crunchy garlic and chocolatey barrel-aged soy sauce, like oceanic forcemeat. Grilled prawn shells infused a prescriptively decadent bisque shooter with toasty depth. A technicolor prawn tail, steamed till tacky-soft like crudo, was shellacked with raw honey and garnished with...

What happens when a chef trained at Carbone opens an Italian restaurant in Lincoln Park? I went to the recently debuted Dimmi Dimmi to find out. This intimate spot on the corner of Armitage and Seminary Avenues took over the former Tarantino’s space. (Word is that a handful of former Tarantino’s employees are now on staff at Dimmi Dimmi.) There are very few reservations available over the next few weeks, but I managed to get one of the two high-tops at the window by walking in just before 5pm on a Tuesday. The bar was already filling up with singles and groups of no more than three. Light chatter and easygoing, nondescript music bounced around the space, which became increasingly louder as the evening went on.  Dimmi Dimmi, from Cornerstone Restaurant Group (Urbanbelly, Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse), is helmed by chef Matt Eckfeld, whose culinary career began here in Chicago. Eckfeld worked under Bill Kim at Urbanbelly and cut his teeth at high-end spots like Carbone and ZZ’s Club in New York. It’s no surprise that for this homecoming, he tackles Italian-American fare from a Chicago perspective. The menu is robust with all the expected classics: salads, pastas, pizzas, fish and meat dishes. Portions are not massive, but they’re enough for a family-style meal, which seems like the protocol here. Thankfully, the dining tables are spacious enough for this type of dining. I’m immediately impressed by the Caesar salad, which is crunchy, creamy and delightfully lemon-forward. The...

A couple of weeks after Brendan Sodikoff opened Bavette’s, I started hearing reports. “It’s just like all his other spots,” a friend told me. “It’s exactly the same,” another said. Having now made a few visits to Bavette’s, I’m guessing these reports were based purely on conjecture. Which isn’t fair, except that, well, Sodikoff does have something of a track record. His first three restaurants act something like triplets, all with similar looks and personalities and food, but slightly different interests. Gilt Bar’s the clubby one. Maude’s is the aesthete. Au Cheval’s the hipster. Throw Doughnut Vault in there as the (pudgy) black sheep and you have a strong, if somewhat predictable, family of restaurants. Bavette’s messes with this metaphor. Contrary to the reports I heard, it’s a deviation, or, to put it in terms closer to my opinion, an evolution. The room is lit differently; golden light bounces between tufted red-leather booths and the mirrored bar. Like his other spots, the place is highly conceptual, but the concept—jazz-era steakhouse with light French touches—is more sophisticated. Sodikoff’s other spots are taste-specific; the loveliness of this one is, I believe, close to universal. You don’t even have to like steak. In fact, I had better luck with the chicken. The fried chicken is crazy good, the juicy wings encased in a flaky and crunchy crust; the roast chicken is otherworldly, with skin a very dark amber, delicate and moist flesh and a thickjus on the plate....

Springing from the mind of chef Grant Achatz, fine dining institution Alinea has been the recipient of numerous awards and is regularly named the best restaurant in Chicago (and the United States, for that matter), bringing culinary expertise and flawless service to each and every meal. In January of 2016, Alinea closed for renovations, reopening in May with a complete overhaul of the menu, tossing out the original one, which changed frequently, that had garnered the restaurant many accolades.  This was my first Alinea experience, which is a pretty big deal, not just because of its reputation, but also because I consider some of my first visits to other Alinea Group restaurants to be some of my finest eating and drinking experiences in Chicago. My first time at the Office—when I was invited down to the bar on a whim by my server at the Aviary—left me forever lusting after the browned butter bourbon concoction they whipped up for me. But Alinea was a bit different—my trip was planned in advance while avoiding all the murmurs about its magical new menu. I wanted to see it for myself. And it is magical. The food comes and goes effortlessly, wine glasses filled and replaced throughout the meal, with the sheer beauty of excellent service extending all the way down to your entry. We walked in and were immediately whisked to the second floor salon for the most affordable meal ($800 total for two diners including a wine pairing). The salon is meant for groups of one to six people,...

Andrew Zimmerman's warm, elegant West Loop stalwart is a destination for constantly changing dishes like crisp-skinned trout, chicken with sausage bread pudding and creamy foie gras capped with sour cherry gelee. The bar program, under Griffin Elliott, turns out well-balanced drnks, while Arthur Hon's wine list is among the city's best. No time for dinner? Try some of Zimmerman's exceptional charcuterie in the bar.

Chicago is home to some of the best steakhouses in the world but few can match the vibe and aesthetic of Maple & Ash. Upstairs on the posh second floor dining room, you’ll spot groups of 20-somethings celebrating birthdays, couples on date nights or power brokers doing business. Chef Danny Grant’s menu aims to please with delicacies like caviar, fire-roasted seafood towers, dry-aged beef and truffle agnolotti. Oh, and save room to build your own sundae for dessert. The following review was published in 2015. The Gold Coast steakhouse marries irreverence with spot-on takes on classic dishes. I didn’t expect to find myself in the middle of a clubby lounge in a steakhouse at midnight, but Maple & Ash inverts expectations. You enter the Gold Coast restaurant through a crowded bar, then take the elevator upstairs to a lively lounge before being whisked into the calm, elegant dining room. I also didn’t expect the chef's choice option to be called "I Don't Give a Fuck” or the “Baller” seafood tower, but I did expect classic steaks and sides from chef Danny Grant and exceptional wines from sommelier Belinda Chang.  The dichotomy places Maple & Ash in line with other new steakhouses, like RPM Steak, Swift & Sons, STK and Boeufhaus, which update classic dishes while offering a cooler ambience than old-school spots. The meal begins with a round of freebies—a mini gin cocktail, citrus-cured olives, nubs of Hook’s cheddar and radishes with butter—to snack on while you peruse the menu....

Chicago is home to a number of fine dining experience but few are able to match Oriole’s deft execution. Upon arrival, guests are escorted into a freight elevator and given a drink before the door opens to reveal the dining room. Though there’s no telling what chef Noah Sandoval has in store each evening, you can look forward to a minimalist style of cooking that puts the spotlight squarely on the premium ingredients. Acclaimed mixologist Julia Momose and beverage director Aaron McManus complement the food with inventive cocktails and an Old World-inspired wine list. The following review was published in 2017. It’s here, Chicago: Noah Sandoval has thrown down the fine-dining gauntlet with Oriole. It took some time wandering through River West on an icy, blustery night before we finally found the much raved-about Oriole—from industry vets Noah Sandoval, Genie Kwon and Aaron McManus. The door in the back alley is relatively unmarked, as if the restaurant knows it’s worth seeking out. And it’s not wrong. Here is a fine diner that gets everything right, right from the start: The moment we entered, the host whisked away my jacket and replaced it with a steaming cup of sochu-laced cider. It was like she was reading my mind. The room itself is a jaw-dropper—exposed brick gives a warm feeling, while tall wooden columns remind you that you’re in one of the trendiest neighborhoods in town. Pristine white tablecloths drape every table and napkins are folded perfectly. The first...

Perched on the 11th floor of the St. Regis Chicago hotel, Miru pairs stunning views with a pristine selection of maki, sashimi and nigiri. We suggest starting with an order of crispy rice topped with king crab or spicy tuna, before induling in luxe bites of otoro, uni and hotate. Can't decide? Go with the oke mori for anywhere from nine to 36 pieces of fish.

You can practically feel the soul oozing from the menu at this Hyde Park restaurant. It's because chef Erick Williams cooks with his heart, whether he's plating fried green tomatoes with tender shrimp and creamy rémoulade or he's fixing his famous collards, which arrive studded with hunks of smoked turkey meat. Second only to the food is the ambiance, which is sexy without trying too hard—perfect for a cozy date night. The following review was published in 2019. Erick Williams’ ambitious solo venture captures the depth and scope of Southern cooking with soul-satisfying results. When I ask Erick Williams, the chef/owner of Virtue, to describe the inspiration behind his effusively warm, broad-spectrum Southern restaurant in Hyde Park, he heaves a long sigh. “I want to be thorough,” he says, pausing again. “The food is inspired by the Southern experience of cooking.” That sentiment encompasses centuries of chosen and forced migration, strife and survival, and the collision of myriad regions and ethnicities—which Williams channels into satiating, elevated fare at his solo debut. The menu’s boiled-down dish descriptions (pork chop, salmon, shrimp) all but hide the intense attention to detail that he devotes to techniques and sourcing methods. It's a reminder that we're here to be fed, first and foremost. “What’s with this place? I keep dropping people off here,” our Lyft driver commented as we pulled up to the Hyde Park storefront that formerly housed A10. Inside, the soaring...

This Napa Valley-inspired eatery in the heart of the West Loop is probably the closest thing to Southern California you'll get without hopping on a plane. Bright, airy and accented by lush greenery, the interiors set the scene for a pleasant upscale dining experience. The bill of fare from executive chef Tim Havidic (Eden, Gilt Bar) features an extensive array of high-end classics like light and fresh salads, pizzas and burgers, as well as standout sides like three-cheese blend mac n cheese and creamy mashed potatoes delicately sprinkled with chives. Personally, I would never allow a loved one to visit The Oakville without trying the grilled avocado, drenched in California olive oil and togarashi, and the Costa Mesa salad, made with roasted corn, avocado, queso fresco and lime vinaigrette. But in true Napa fashion, the wine program is the star of the show. Wine director Grant Barnow's thoughtful curation of more than 750 high-quality bottles showcases a diverse selection of wineries ranging from lesser-known names to notable classics. At The Cellar Door, an intimate six-seat tasting room at the back of the restaurant, Barnow guides guests through a 90-minute tasting experience focused on a rotating selection of producers each month. 

"Have an enchanted evening," gushed the attendant as the elevator doors closed. When they opened again and I looked out over the opulent lobby of the brand-new Langham hotel, it looked like it might just be true. Walking into the lounge at Travelle, the restaurant in the Langham, seems like the perfect beginning for one of those enchanted evenings. The expensive hotel (the lowest priced room is about $400 per night) just opened in the Mies van der Rohe–designed IBM Building, and the lounge has an expansive view of the river, the city skyline and, off in the distance, the sun setting over Lake Michigan. Low-slung modern chairs and tables don't interrupt the view, and falling into one of them with a drink and watching the after-work crowd meander along the river is a genuine delight. The dining room at Travelle doesn't have quite the same grandeur as the lounge, but the understated decor perfectly sets off the bustling kitchen, which is encased in floor-to-ceiling soundproof glass. It might have been an enchanted evening, if only the food lived up to the posh surroundings. The kitchen, helmed by chef Tim Graham (who got a Michelin star when he ran Tru) doesn't seem to have a handle on the huge, ambitious menu. That menu, which boasts more than 40 different dishes, lacks any sense of direction. At times, I wasn't quite sure where I was, and my tastebuds were definitely not enchanted. Is Travelle a seafood restaurant? It has a full caviar menu, serves a crazy multi-course...

I was a little startled to find, on entering Alinea Group’s remake of Roister into the bro-y, all-caps FIRE, that the room felt dark and serene, awash in gray and black like the remains of a fire that burned out hours before. Then again, what was I expecting—licking flames climbing toward the ceiling to match machismo decor with all the subtlety of Guy Fieri?  Even Fire’s hearth, aglow with live flame and framed with suspended leeks and juniper branches, exuded a controlled kind of softness, crackling gently as half a dozen chefs milled around it wielding fans, blowtorches, branches, brushes, stones, misters and cast iron … irons. It’s an important metaphor for how fire is deployed at Grant Achatz’s first new restaurant in eight years—as much precise seasoning as multifaceted and elemental cooking method. A glowing log slowly diffuses its smokiness into an ice cream base, and hot stones and damp branches gently steam shellfish. When it works, it is revelatory. Take the opening course, which conveyed three miniature expressions of hearth-“seasoned” Spanish prawns atop a charred wood box heavy with stones and seaweed. A tiny shiso leaf “taco” packed an umami bomb of cold-smoked prawn meat seasoned with crunchy garlic and chocolatey barrel-aged soy sauce, like oceanic forcemeat. Grilled prawn shells infused a prescriptively decadent bisque shooter with toasty depth. A technicolor prawn tail, steamed till tacky-soft like crudo, was shellacked with raw honey and garnished with...

We've rounded up the best chefs in the city to join us at Time Out Market Chicago, a culinary and cultural destination in the heart of Fulton Market. The 50,000-square-foot space houses more than 15 kitchens, three bars and one drop-dead gorgeous rooftop terrace—all spread across three floors. Our mission is simple: Bring Time Out Chicago to life with the help of our favorite chefs, the ones who wow us again and again. You'll find delicious dumplings from Qing Xiang Yuan, mouthwatering burgers at Gutenburg, fried chicken from Art Smith's Sporty Bird and extravagant milkshakes from JoJo's shakeBAR. If you're thirsty, sit down at one of the Market's bars to enjoy a menu of local beer, a robust wine list or a creative seasonal cocktail. And keep an eye out for events, concerts and artwork within the Market throughout the year—we're keeping our calendar packed with things to do.

What happens when a chef trained at Carbone opens an Italian restaurant in Lincoln Park? I went to the recently debuted Dimmi Dimmi to find out. This intimate spot on the corner of Armitage and Seminary Avenues took over the former Tarantino’s space. (Word is that a handful of former Tarantino’s employees are now on staff at Dimmi Dimmi.) There are very few reservations available over the next few weeks, but I managed to get one of the two high-tops at the window by walking in just before 5pm on a Tuesday. The bar was already filling up with singles and groups of no more than three. Light chatter and easygoing, nondescript music bounced around the space, which became increasingly louder as the evening went on.  Dimmi Dimmi, from Cornerstone Restaurant Group (Urbanbelly, Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse), is helmed by chef Matt Eckfeld, whose culinary career began here in Chicago. Eckfeld worked under Bill Kim at Urbanbelly and cut his teeth at high-end spots like Carbone and ZZ’s Club in New York. It’s no surprise that for this homecoming, he tackles Italian-American fare from a Chicago perspective. The menu is robust with all the expected classics: salads, pastas, pizzas, fish and meat dishes. Portions are not massive, but they’re enough for a family-style meal, which seems like the protocol here. Thankfully, the dining tables are spacious enough for this type of dining. I’m immediately impressed by the Caesar salad, which is crunchy, creamy and delightfully lemon-forward. The...

Of all things, it was a fried corn silk garnish that made me well up during the fourth “Ravioli” course at Cariño, Uptown’s spectacular Latin American tasting menu restaurant from co-owner/executive chef Norman Fenton.  What’s maybe more noteworthy about this dish, in which al dente ravioli stuffed with puréed huitlacoche laze in truffle beurre blanc beneath a wave of corn foam, is that truffle isn’t rained on top like dollar bills. Rather it’s deployed subtly to enhance the corn smut’s woodsy, fermented qualities. Adorning the bowl’s edge with dehydrated corn and “popped” sorghum, the corn silk looked like little singed hairs. It tasted grassy and toasty, unlocking a childhood taste memory of eating ineptly shucked, grilled corn on the cob with butter. This stuck with me as I unearthed the grain’s diverse expressions one by one, then in a chorus—buttery, minerally, toasty, earthy like mushrooms, gently acidic, sweet as if sun dried. And I cried, just a little.  This was one of countless moments that solidified my sense that Cariño might be the best dining experience in Chicago right now, and a redemption of the tasting menu, which too often feels like it’s reaching for Michelin stars to the point of wanton tedium. Yes, you’ll find some fine-dining hallmarks: molecular gastronomy, occasional Wagyu and a truffle or two. Yes, there’s a hint of chef-bro one upmanship, namely a dessert in which a perfectly fried churro is doubly overpowered by foie gras mousse and a spiced...

The rooftop restaurant and bar at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel offers some of the best views of the city, with an expansive look at Millennium Park and the Lake. The drinks are mostly balanced, and very pretty, while the American food is also mostly well-executed and comes in massive portions and is designed for sharing.

Hailed by many as Chicago’s pastry and sweets queen, Mindy Segal closed her beloved Bucktown restaurant Hot Chocolate in 2020. She made her triumphant return this past summer with a new project just a few blocks away, where folks will find a trove of baked goods. Open Thursday through Sunday, Mindy’s Bakery offers sweet and savory Danishes, quiches, sticky cinnamon rolls, cookies, breads and much more. We suggest getting giardiniera cream cheese to spread on your bagel and a dog biscuit for your four-legged BFF.

In a city bursting with jaw-dropping views from all angles, this rooftop offers one of the best vantage points. Located on the 21st and 22nd floors of LondonHouse Chicago, LH Rooftop affords guests stunning vistas of the architecture along the Chicago River and Michigan Avenue. The only downsides: You'll have to arrive early if you want to find a seat, and the drinks aren't cheap. We recommend staying for a glass of bubbly, enjoying the view and moving on.

My inner child protested the first couple bites of Spaghetti Uh-O’s in vodka sauce, the delightful reimagining of Campbell's canned pasta rings, at Void, the cheffy Italian-American newcomer in Avondale.  “These anelli pasta are al dente, not mushy and waterlogged!” she objected. “The tomato sauce tastes rich, tangy and complexly sweet, not like tinny V8 juice! And these luscious little meatballs taste homemade, not like feedlot beef and filler!” The dish itself is comforting and familiar, deep with the long, slow caramelized flavors good chefs coax out best—making this an especially delicious trick to play on our nostalgic palates. No wonder I’ve watched more Spaghetti Uh-O’s leave the kitchen than any other dish each time I’ve eaten here, and that servers seem to genuinely relish the tableside flourish of emptying the Void-branded can into a bowl and showering the pasta with ground Parmesan. It’s giddy fun but not gimmicky, encapsulating what I already love about this easygoing neighborhood restaurant.  Owners and friends Tyler Hudec, Dani Kaplan and Pat Ray have been in the restaurant and bar industry for 15 years; they met while working at Analogue, which closed in 2016. The trio opened Void (named for the absence of preconceptions—and maybe the only thing I don’t like about Void) in August in the bygone Moe’s Tavern. They used the bar’s old bones to their advantage since the restaurant—low lit and dressed in warm, earthy wood tones, antique paintings, stained-glass...