1. Alinea
Cuisine Type: Contemporary, Creative | 210 - 365 USD
Three MICHELIN Stars: Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey!
Chef Grant Achatz continues to bring out new ideas and culinary ingenuity at this temple. The kitchen is mature, substantial, soulful, and has infectious confidence.
Whether you're sitting at a table, gallery, or salon, dining here is part drama and pure fun. Dining takes advantage of all the senses, so expect scented steam, tricks, and tableside preparation. The olfactory experience is vivid - if you close your eyes, strong citrus or smokey smell will easily reveal what has just been served.
The room was packed but felt more like a party than a crowd. Service is knowledgeable and engaged, thanks to the staff who bring humor and personality to the meal. Dishes are always whimsical and sometimes experimental. For example, the beef Rossini highlights the grilled A5 Miyazaki tenderloin, grilled very hot, then sliced and served with foie gras. Morels are served with suet lotion for classic simplicity, while desserts like quirky caramel popcorn candies, bubblegum-flavored Japanese cheesecake, and balloons filled with green apple helium perfectly showcase the chef's "nostalgic" "feel.
Information
Address: 1723 N. Halsted St., Chicago, 60614, United States
Telephone: +1 312-867-0110
Website: alinearestaurant.com
2. Ever
Cuisine Type: Contemporary, Modern Cuisine | 285 USD
Two MICHELIN Stars: Excellent cooking, worth a detour!
Local foodies are even more ecstatic when chef Curtis Duffy and partner Michael Muser return to the food scene in the Windy City. A home in a dark brick building off the beaten track in West Fulton Market, it's a bespoke dining room with velvet-smooth leather seating, plush grey rugs, and plaster walls. The show kitchen is shaded by opaque windows and warm white-grey slats, adding an inviting sense of intimacy to each table.
Those familiar with the master's work will revel in his vision of fine dining, captivating taste buds with luxurious flavors, uplifting textures, and visual pyrotechnics. A meticulous study of the tomatoes uncovered fried brioche with raw burrata cheese, shaved radishes, and - no guesswork prize - the eponymous fruit itself. This classic summer flavor might be followed by meaty maitake mushrooms with mushroom soup, roasted rice, and Idiazabel-stuffed potato filling; or lamb tenderloin with crispy belly, creamy sunflower seeds, and coffee stomach.
The dessert combo of chocolate, finger limes, and bananas might complete your meal, and it's really ingenious, right down to the sweet finish.
Information
Address: 1340 W. Fulton Market, Chicago, 60607, United States
Website: ever-restaurant.com
3. Smyth
Cuisine Type: Contemporary, Modern Cuisine | 265 USD
Two MICHELIN Stars: Excellent cooking, worth a detour!
Perfect for the local setting, this spacious restaurant is housed in a solid red brick workday building. Step inside, however, and discover a very chic setting, straight out of Shelter Magazine. The small lounge area is like a real living room, complete with a rug, leather sofa, and bar cart.
A large portion of the floor plan is dedicated to a richly decorated open kitchen with white tiles, gleaming appliances, and a roaring fireplace. The talented team, led by chefs John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, has grown since opening in 2016. Their cooking is desirable, impactful, and doesn't require a ton of luxurious ingredients to impress diners. Instead, pure creativity applied to seasonal produce is what grabs attention – like summersweet cherry tomatoes brushed with black garlic, served with aged beef deep-fried brioche doughnuts, dipped in cheese fondue. The warm lobster can then be seasoned with roasted strawberry juice and seasoned with horseradish.
Desserts are correspondingly great. Look at that silk sunflower pudding decorated with peach pits, almond granita, and a small candied pine cone.
Information
Address: 177 N. Ada St., Chicago, 60607, United States
Telephone: +1 773-913-3773
Website: smythandtheloyalist.com
4. Oriole
Cuisine Type: American Contemporary | 215 USD
Two MICHELIN Stars: Excellent cooking, worth a detour!
Welcome to one of the best restaurants in Chicago. The interior is modern and industrial, with an open kitchen - crowded with jovial professionals who look like they're cooking for a dinner party - taking up a lot of space. The fact that there's nothing gloomy about it shouldn't come as a surprise, since the Orioles are a family business. Every member of this team has clear attention to detail, and they are all well-versed in the intricacies of a rather complex menu.
Oriole's tasting menu is inspiring and contemporary. Global flavors intertwined without borders. It all starts with a series of delicate sips: Aged sesame oil is paired with fresh mustard and truffled honey for an intriguing sweetness. Maine with yuzu kosho and puffed rice had a wonderful crunch. A crab siu mai shakes in a soothing kabocha and ginger soup. Cilantro Cappellini paired with rich yeast butter, puffed wheat, and shaved black truffles is a heady dish. Desserts offer tantalizing combinations ranging from Celery Pistachio Financiers and Guava Danes to Sweet Potato Cheesecake and Mint Dark Chocolate Lollipops.
Oriole thinks about everything; it even offers non-alcoholic drink pairings.
Information
Address: 661 W. Walnut St., Chicago, 60661, United States
Telephone: +1 312-877-5339
Website: oriolechicago.com
Cuisine Type: American Contemporary | 200 USD
Two MICHELIN Stars: Excellent cooking, worth a detour!
Chef Jared Wentworth and brewer Jared Rouben have envisioned a unique presentation, pairing an ultra-seasonal and creative menu with a superb range of home-brewed beers. Tucked away atop a working brewery, this is a modern and sometimes austere restaurant. Unsurprisingly, the word "moody" does fit the intimate space, which features beautiful wood paneling, dark brick walls, and polished concrete floors. Sleek light fixtures and soft woven rugs ooze elegance.
Beverages are equal partners to the food here and are even incorporated into the structure of haute cuisine. As proof, indulge in innovative combinations like Maine lobster lightly cooked in spiced tomato water and served with a sour watermelon vinaigrette. Grilled Hudson Valley foie gras might be served with charred peach dashi, pistachio skewers, and an elegant lychee IPA for you to enjoy.
Dark chocolate cake with toasted rye ice cream and bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout is the perfect combination. Cooking fireworks like this will lift your spirits and keep you coming back for more - maybe even as soon as tomorrow.
Information
Address: 2515 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, 60616, United States
Telephone: +1 312-600-5111
Website: moodytongue.com