10
Chicago Guide
Where to eat, stay, and spend a day off
Compiled with strong opinions and no regrets. Every entry is tagged by meal, neighborhood and price — $ under $20 a head to $$$$ a splurge. Tap any name for the map.
Chicago Classics
Mr. BeefRiver North
Lunch · $
The no-frills stand that inspired the TV kitchen. Dipped, standing up, hot giardiniera.
Italian beef, dipped, hot
Al's BeefLittle Italy
Lunch · $
The other side of the Italian beef argument. Since 1938.
Beef, sweet and hot
Harold's ChickenSouth Side
Lunch · Dinner · $
Half dark, mild sauce, extra bread — non-negotiable Chicago vocabulary.
Half dark, mild sauce
Portillo'sMultiple
Lunch · Dinner · $
Chicago dog, crinkle fries, chocolate cake shake. Feeds any group, fast.
Dog, fries, cake shake
Lou Malnati'sMultiple
Lunch · Dinner · $$
The required move when family visits. All locations reliable.
The Malnati, buttercrust
Manny's DeliSouth Loop
Breakfast · Lunch · $$
Cafeteria-line institution since 1942. Corned beef, and a room full of politicians.
Corned beef on rye
Breakfast, Diners & Bakeries
Lou Mitchell'sWest Loop
Breakfast · $$
The 1923 landmark by Union Station — free doughnut holes, fluffy omelets.
Skillet, thick-cut French toast
Little GoatWest Loop
Breakfast · Lunch · $$
Izard's all-day diner across from Girl & the Goat. Big, fun, generous.
Bull's-eye French toast
Eleven City DinerSouth Loop
Breakfast · Lunch · $$
Classic deli comfort — matzo ball soup, towering sandwiches, egg creams.
Matzo ball soup, Reuben
WildberryThe Loop
Breakfast · Brunch · $$
Steps from Millennium Park and worth the line. Towering pancakes and skillets.
Berry bliss pancakes
YolkMultiple
Breakfast · Brunch · $$
Bright, reliable, all-day breakfast — a downtown standby for a reason.
Red velvet pancakes
Goddess & BakerMultiple
Breakfast · Lunch · $$
Pastry-forward all-day cafe — great coffee, better cakes.
Croissant, seasonal cake
Sunny Side UpWicker Park
Breakfast · $
Cheerful neighborhood spot for an unfussy, well-made morning.
Classic breakfast plate
Sawada CoffeeWest Loop
Breakfast · $
Military latte, matcha, and the best coffee room in Fulton Market.
Military latte
BeatrixMultiple
Breakfast · Lunch · $$
The dependable, healthy-ish all-day answer with locations everywhere.
Power bowl, monkey bread
Pizza
Pequod'sLincoln Park
Lunch · Dinner · $$
The caramelized, blackened crust deep-dish Chicagoans actually defend.
Caramelized-crust pan
Robert's PizzaStreeterville
Dinner · $$
Cult thin-crust from the lakefront — balanced, blistered, obsessive.
Cauliflower & sausage
PieceWicker Park
Lunch · Dinner · $$
Thin, crackery New Haven pies and house-brewed beer in a big, loud room.
White clam, plain red
Milly's PizzaNorth Center
Dinner · $$
Cult pan pizza with sourdough crust and seasonal toppings. Pre-order.
Seasonal pan pie
Bob's PizzaMultiple
Dinner · $$
Modern tavern-cut done right — a new-school Chicago favorite.
The Bob's pepperoni
Paradise ParkWicker Park
Dinner · $
Fun neighborhood bar with a genuinely great square-cut pie.
Tavern pepperoni
Jimmy's Pizza CafeBridgeport
Lunch · $
No-frills South Side slices — the real neighborhood move.
Cheese slice, sausage
CoalfireWest Town
Dinner · $$
Blistered coal-oven thin crust, and a quiet local favorite.
Soppressata & hot honey
Steakhouses
Bavette's Bar & BoeufRiver North
Dinner · $$$$
Moody jazz-age room, the best steakhouse atmosphere in the city. Book well ahead.
Bone-in ribeye, short rib stroganoff
Gibsons Bar & SteakhouseGold Coast
Dinner · $$$$
The Chicago power steakhouse. Loud, clubby, and never not busy.
W.R.'s Chicago cut
Maple & AshGold Coast
Dinner · $$$$
Scene-y wood-fired chophouse with a raw bar and a serious wine list.
I don't give a f*** seafood tower
Swift & SonsFulton Market
Dinner · $$$$
The polished modern chophouse in the old cold-storage district.
Dry-aged ribeye, king crab
HawksmoorRiver North
Dinner · $$$$
The London import — British-style beef, oysters, proper cocktails.
Bone-in prime rib
Tre DitaLakeshore East
Dinner · $$$$
Tuscan steakhouse high in the St. Regis, with sweeping lake and river views.
Bistecca alla fiorentina
Chicago CutRiver North
Lunch · Dinner · $$$$
Riverfront dry-aging program and a business-dinner standard.
22oz bone-in ribeye
Gene & GeorgettiRiver North
Lunch · Dinner · $$$
The city's oldest steakhouse, open since 1941. Old Chicago, unchanged.
Garbage salad, bone-in filet
Asador BastianRiver North
Dinner · $$$$
Basque-influenced live-fire chophouse — a critical favorite.
Txuleta for the table
Bazaar MeatGold Coast
Dinner · $$$$
José Andrés theatre — caviar cones, smoking cocktails, whole-animal cooking.
Jamón, the ribeye
Sophia SteakGold Coast
Dinner · $$$$
Newer, glossy, and easier to book than the old guard.
Filet, truffle fries
Italian
MonteverdeWest Loop
Dinner · $$$
Sarah Grueneberg's pasta temple — arguably the best Italian in the city. Book early.
Cacio whey pepe, tortelli
AdalinaGold Coast
Dinner · $$$$
Glamorous handmade-pasta destination — prime and Italian menus both shine.
Tortellini, dry-aged strip
Ciccio MioRiver North
Dinner · $$$
Red-sauce romance with a modern hand. A date-night standard.
Rigatoni, veal parm
Gibsons ItaliaWest Loop
Dinner · $$$$
Riverfront Italian steakhouse with the best patio view in the city.
Bistecca, river-view table
Piccolo SognoRiver West
Dinner · $$$
The best garden patio in Chicago, and honest northern Italian cooking.
Whole branzino on the patio
La ScarolaRiver West
Dinner · $$$
Old-school red-sauce warmth on Grand — loud, generous, always a good night.
Rigatoni alla vodka
Il PorcellinoRiver North
Dinner · $$$
Cozy, checkered-tablecloth Italian with a great bar.
Chicken parm, meatballs
Formento'sWest Loop
Dinner · $$$
Supper-club Italian-American with an excellent bar next door.
Chicken Vesuvio
QuartinoRiver North
Dinner · $$
Bustling Roman-style enoteca — small plates, house salumi, big wine list.
Salumi board, meatballs
NonninaRiver North
Dinner · $$$
Warm, handsome, handmade pasta from the Fioretta team.
Short rib agnolotti
Asian
MomotaroWest Loop
Dinner · $$$$
Sushi and robata upstairs, a dim izakaya below. Theater either way.
Omakase up; skewers down
ItokoLakeview
Dinner · Brunch · $$$
Gene Kato's Southport izakaya and robata — the neighborhood cousin to Momotaro.
Slider skewer, tom yum hand roll
QXY DumplingsChinatown
Lunch · Dinner · $
Qing Xiang Yuan — widely considered the best dumplings in Chicago. BYOB, walk-in.
Lamb & coriander, pan-fried
Sushi-SanRiver North
Dinner · $$$
Hip-hop on the speakers, excellent nigiri, and a great late menu.
Omakase at the bar
KumikoWest Loop
Dinner · $$$
James Beard Outstanding Bar — Japanese small plates and world-class drinks.
The tasting, with pairings
MiruLakeshore East
Dinner · $$$$
Sleek Japanese in the St. Regis with the best new views in the city.
Nigiri set, lake-view table
GaijinWest Loop
Dinner · $$$
The country's only okonomiyaki-focused restaurant. Genuinely unique.
Osaka-style okonomiyaki
Duck Duck GoatWest Loop
Dinner · $$$
Stephanie Izard's deliberately inauthentic Chinese. Loud and very fun.
Goat belly, hand-pulled noodles
Izakaya at MomotaroWest Loop
Dinner · $$
Warm neighborhood izakaya — skewers, sake, and a regulars' bar.
Rice sliders, tsukune
KasamaUkrainian Village
Breakfast · Dinner · $$$$
Michelin-starred Filipino — bakery by day, tasting menu by night.
Pastries early; tasting late
MingHin CuisineChinatown
Lunch · Dinner · $$
The reliable Chinatown dim sum standard, open late.
Har gow, shu mai, roast duck
Lao Peng YouNoble Square
Lunch · $
Tiny, exacting northern Chinese noodle and dumpling shop.
Beef roll, pork dumplings
Mexican & Latin
Big StarWicker Park
Lunch · Dinner · $
Honky-tonk taco bar with a massive patio — the definitive summer hang.
Al pastor, a patio margarita
XOCORiver North
Lunch · $$
Rick Bayless's counter-service gem — tortas, caldos, churros to order.
Woodland mushroom torta
TopolobampoRiver North
Dinner · $$$$
Bayless's fine-dining room and one of the country's great Mexican restaurants.
Tasting menu
TrinoWest Loop
Dinner · $$$
Live-fire Latin cooking and top-shelf agave in a striking room.
Wood-fired short rib
Carnitas UruapanPilsen
Breakfast · Lunch · $
Michoacán-style carnitas by the pound. A South Side institution.
Carnitas by the half pound
Bar SótanoRiver North
Dinner · $$
Bayless's basement mezcal bar — snacks, agave, and a good late hour.
Mezcal flight, queso fundido
New American & Gastropub
The AlstonWest Loop
Dinner · $$$
A polished, of-the-moment room — seasonal cooking and a serious bar.
Chef's seasonal plates
BokaLincoln Park
Dinner · $$$$
Michelin-starred and still the most gracious room in Lincoln Park.
Tasting menu
SepiaWest Loop
Dinner · $$$$
Michelin-starred, handsome, and a reliable special-occasion answer.
Seasonal tasting
VirtueHyde Park
Dinner · $$$
Erick Williams's Southern room — one of the city's most important restaurants.
Blackened catfish, hot chicken
The LoyalistWest Loop
Dinner · $$$
The dirty burger downstairs from Smyth — possibly the best in the city.
The dirty burger
The DearbornThe Loop
Lunch · Dinner · $$$
Polished Loop lunch — great for a business midday or a shopping break.
Devils on horseback, burger
Mott StNoble Square
Dinner · $$
The famous Mott burger — a griddled, umami-slicked cult favorite.
Mott burger
Kuma's CornerAvondale
Lunch · Dinner · $$
Heavy-metal burger bar — towering, named after bands, worth the wait.
The Kuma burger
Little Bad WolfAndersonville
Dinner · $$
North Side bar with a burger that regularly makes best-of lists.
The Little Bad Wolf
Leavitt Street InnUkrainian Village
Dinner · $$
Throwback corner tavern — unfussy, excellent, and easy.
Classic cheeseburger
Armitage AlehouseLincoln Park
Lunch · Dinner · $$
Handsome, easy neighborhood spot — a reliable family lunch or dinner.
Fish & chips, burger
Rooftops & Views
Cindy's RooftopThe Loop
Rooftop · $$$
Atop the Chicago Athletic Association, looking straight over Millennium Park.
A cocktail at golden hour
LH RooftopThe Loop
Rooftop · $$$
LondonHouse's tiered rooftop over the river bend — the postcard view.
The cupola table
The J. ParkerLincoln Park
Rooftop · $$$
Atop Hotel Lincoln — panoramic lake, park, and skyline. Sunset reservations.
Something seasonal
ROOF on theWitThe Loop
Rooftop · $$$
High above State Street with big skyline views and a scene to match.
Frozen cocktails
IO GodfreyRiver North
Rooftop · $$$
Retractable-roof rooftop — day-club energy, late-night buzz.
Whatever the group is drinking
OffshoreNavy Pier
Rooftop · $$$
The largest rooftop bar in the world, out over the lake.
A table on the rail
Nobu RooftopWest Loop
Rooftop · $$$
Fulton Market skyline views, and a walk from the United Center.
Sake and skewers
Cocktail Bars
The Violet HourWicker Park
Cocktails · $$$
The bar that started modern Chicago cocktails. No sign — look for the door.
Dealer's choice
Three Dots and a DashRiver North
Tiki · $$$
The definitive Chicago tiki den, down a back-alley staircase.
The namesake, for the group
KumikoWest Loop
Cocktails · $$$
James Beard Outstanding Bar 2025. Precise, Japanese, quietly brilliant.
The spirit-free flight
The AviaryFulton Market
Cocktails · $$$$
Alinea Group's cocktail laboratory. A genuine experience, not just a drink.
The tasting
Milk RoomThe Loop
Cocktails · $$$$
Eight seats, vintage spirits, reservation only. The city's smallest bar.
Whatever they pour
Cherry Circle RoomThe Loop
Cocktails · $$$
Handsome, clubby, and one of the best rooms downtown.
Martini, oysters
Green MillUptown
Jazz · $$
Al Capone's old haunt, still a working jazz club. Cash preferred.
A drink and a set
Where to stay
The PeninsulaGold Coast
Grand luxury · $$$$
The city's benchmark five-star — impeccable service, the best hotel spa in Chicago.
The family go-to for visitors
Four SeasonsGold Coast
Classic luxury · $$$$
Quiet, polished, reliably excellent, high above Michigan Avenue.
Lake-view suites
The Ritz-CarltonStreeterville
Grand luxury · $$$$
Reimagined and perched above Water Tower Place, with a stunning lakefront outlook.
Torali, and a lake-view room
The LanghamRiver North
Modern luxury · $$$$
Riverfront and contemporary, with a Chuan spa and skyline rooms.
River-facing rooms
Waldorf AstoriaGold Coast
Residential · $$$$
Tucked off the Mag Mile — the discreet, residential choice.
Courtyard entrance
The St. RegisLakeshore East
Modern luxury · $$$$
Jeanne Gang's rippling tower — sleek rooms and the best new views in the city.
High-floor lake view
Soho House ChicagoWest Loop
Members' club · $$$
Rooms, rooftop pool, gym and spa in a converted belt factory. Walk to the UC.
A rooftop cabana
Nobu HotelWest Loop
Design · $$$
Sleek and low-lit in Fulton Market, with the restaurant downstairs.
Walk to the United Center
The RobeyWicker Park
Boutique · $$$
Art-deco tower over the Wicker Park six-corners, with a rooftop pool.
Rooftop at sunset
Hotel LincolnLincoln Park
Boutique · $$$
Quirky, well-located, home to the J. Parker rooftop.
Park-facing room
The GwenStreeterville
Luxury Collection · $$$$
Art-deco landmark off the Mag Mile with a terrace and a quiet, grown-up feel.
A terrace suite
Loews ChicagoStreeterville
Modern · $$$
Family-friendly and generous with space — good for longer visits with kids.
A corner river-view room
Pendry ChicagoThe Loop
Design · $$$$
Inside the landmark Carbide & Carbon building — the best-looking lobby downtown.
Château Carbide, the bar
Viceroy ChicagoGold Coast
Boutique · $$$
Sharp, contemporary, and steps from Oak Street shopping and the beach.
Devereaux rooftop
The Essentials
Architecture River CruiseChicago River
90 min · Essential
The single best thing to do with a visitor. Sunset slots sell out — reserve early.
The Art InstituteThe Loop
Half day · World-class
One of the great museums on earth. Free for Illinois residents Thursday evenings.
Millennium & Maggie DaleyThe Loop
2–3 hr · Family
The Bean, Crown Fountain, climbing wall, ribbon rink — connected by the BP Bridge.
Skydeck or 360 ChicagoThe Loop
1 hr · The view
The obligatory skyline moment — the Ledge at Skydeck, Tilt at 360.
Chicago RiverwalkThe Loop
2 hr · Walk
A mile and a half of bars, kayaks, and the best way to see the buildings.
With Kids
Lincoln Park ZooLincoln Park
Half day · Free
One of the last free urban zoos in the country. ZooLights at the holidays.
Shedd AquariumMuseum Campus
Half day · Family
World-class aquarium on the lakefront — belugas, otters, sea lions.
Field MuseumMuseum Campus
Half day · Family
Sue the T. rex, the Egyptian galleries, and the underground mummy tour.
Museum of Science & IndustryHyde Park
Half day · Family
Walk through a submarine, ride the coal mine, watch chicks hatch.
Adler PlanetariumMuseum Campus
2–3 hr · Family
Sky shows plus the single best skyline photograph in the city, out front.
Chicago Children's MuseumNavy Pier
2–3 hr · Little kids
Built for under-tens, and a genuine winter lifesaver.
Neighborhoods & Culture
ChinatownNear South Side
Half day · Food
Wentworth Avenue, dumplings at QXY, bakeries, tea shops, and the riverside park.
Pilsen & the National Museum of Mexican ArtLower West Side
Half day · Art
Murals along 16th Street, great taquerias, and a free, superb museum.
The 606 & Wicker ParkNorthwest Side
Half day · Walk
Walk the elevated trail, then drop into record shops, tacos, and a nightcap.
Chicago Cultural CenterThe Loop
1 hr · Free
The world's largest Tiffany dome, and free exhibitions year-round.
Oak Park & Frank Lloyd WrightOak Park
Half day · Architecture
The Home and Studio plus the largest concentration of Wright houses anywhere.
Second CityOld Town
Evening · Comedy
Where most of American comedy came from. Still funny, still cheap.
Outdoors & Seasonal
North Avenue BeachLincoln Park
Summer · Free
The best city beach — volleyball, paddleboards, and the boathouse bar.
Garfield Park ConservatoryWest Side
2 hr · Free
A Victorian glasshouse of palm and fern rooms — the hidden gem of a Chicago winter.
Chicago Botanic GardenGlencoe
Half day · Family
385 acres on the North Shore. Worth the drive in any season.
Morton ArboretumLisle
Half day · Family
Trails, troll sculptures, and the best fall color near the city.
Montrose Point & HarborUptown
2 hr · Free
Quieter beach, a bird sanctuary, and the skyline from the north.
Summertime Chi
Cubs Game at Wrigley FieldLakeview
Half day · Summer
The best ballpark experience in America. Go for a day game and stay for Wrigleyville.
White Sox Game at Rate FieldBridgeport
Evening · Summer
Easier tickets, better food, and a genuinely South Side afternoon.
Navy Pier Summer FireworksStreeterville
Evening · Free
Wednesdays and Saturdays through the summer. Best seen from the lakefront or a boat.
LollapaloozaGrant Park
4 days · August
Four days and eight stages in Grant Park. The city plans its August around it.
More to See
Obama Presidential CenterJackson Park
Half day · New
The new museum and campus on the South Side — worth planning a day around.
Chicago Magic LoungeAndersonville
Evening · Unique
Close-up magic in a converted laundry. One of the city's genuine originals.
The Hand & The EyeWest Town
Evening · Unique
Intimate parlour magic in a townhouse setting. Book well ahead.