The Windy City has always been one of our favorite eating destinations. With its mix of confident cooking, brazen portions, diverse inspirations, and great local ingredients (not to mention the fact that everyone is so friendly—and so into food), it’s where you go for a big, fat weekend, or tack on an extra day to your business trip to squeeze in a few more reservations. (Did we mention the drinking’s top-notch, too?) Definitely our kind of town.
Chicago: A City Guide
Everything you need to know about where to eat, drink, sleep, and explore.
Restaurants, Bars, and More
Marisol
The destination-worthy museum restaurant in Streeterville
Tempesta Market
Where cured meats go to heaven
Old Town Ale House
Every local’s favorite dive bar in Old Town
The Spice House
Just follow your nose to Old Town’s salt-filled, cinnamon-scented wonderland
Sawada
A Japanese coffee import in West Loop barbecue land
Giant
A compact Logan Square spot that dares to dream a little bigger
Elske
A young couple’s modern Midwestern marvel
Mi Tocaya Antojería
A standout Mexican restaurant in a city of standout Mexican restaurants
Smyth & The Loyalist
Fine-dining upstairs, a famous burger downstairs, and attention to detail everywhere
Roister
The Alinea team goes (a little) wild
Boeufhaus
A new-school brasserie with an old soul
Monteverde
Fresh-pasta heaven in Chicago’s West Loop
Pub Royale
When beer bar meets Indian restaurant
Ipsento
A refreshing lack of cool, in the best kind of way
Avec
The brilliant Chicago restaurant that launched a thousand wood-burning ovens
3 Arts Club Café
Restoration Hardware like you’ve never seen (or tasted) it before
P.O.S.H.
Magical flea-market finds right off the Magnificent Mile
Chicago Athletic Association
The hotel renovation of the century on Millennium Park
Longman & Eagle
The B&B for the serious eater (and drinker) in Chicago’s coolest neighborhood
Gaslight Coffee Roasters
Logan Square coffee with a side of delicious food
Bow Truss
For the hardcore coffee addict, no lingering allowed
Caffé Streets
Wicker Park’s OG coffee bar, using beans from nationally acclaimed roasters
Richard's Bar
Strike dive-bar gold at this cash-only Chicago classic
Scofflaw
Chicago’s cocktail obsession (with some PBR, too)
Sportsman's Club
The best indoor/outdoor bar for simple/spot-on cocktails
Ruxbin
Serious, sophisticated cooking in a seriously fun BYOB setting
Cellar Door Provisions
Chicago’s best bread happens to be in one of our favorite daytime restaurants
Gene & Jude's
Chicago hot dogs worth the trek. Don't ask for ketchup
Fat Rice
Way, way beyond fusion (it’s Macanese) in Logan Square
La Chaparrita
Our favorite Mexican food in Chicago. There. We said it.
Still Hungry for Chicago?
7 New Restaurants to Try in Chicago
From playful food in the West Loop to exploring the African diaspora on the South Side, Chicago's dining scene is on fire.
The 16 Best Bars in Chicago Right Now
From a chic North Side listening room to an acclaimed Pilsen brewery, Chicago’s drinks scene is as diverse as its 77 neighborhoods.
ICE Raided Chicago's Immigrant Communities, but These Neighbors United to Save Local Restaurants
From launching dining events to helping street vendors, these community leaders are stepping up.
Where to Stay in Chicago If You Like to Eat
Discover our staff's favorite home bases for exploring the Windy City's vibrant food scene.
Why Malört Is the Patron Spirit of Chicago
Jeppson's Malört’s backstory has always been the stuff of speculation, but a new book pulls back the veil on Chicago's favorite spirit.
The 8 Best Hot Dogs in Chicago
Hot dogs are practically everywhere in this city. These are a local expert’s favorites, thanks to no-nonsense charm and a climbable mountain of toppings.
The Little Things: A Design Tour of Life on Marz Community Club, an Arty Chicago Brewery
It’s part brewery, part social club, part art project, and all fun.
Valeria Taylor’s Guide to Chicago
The pastry chef breezes through the city’s best bakeries, breweries, and hot dogs.
The Pie Shop That Turned Me Into a Savory Pie Guy
After sinking into Hoosier Mama’s gravy-laden, flaky crust-covered pies, I finally saw the light.
I Will Never Make a Sandwich as Good as The One at Lula Cafe
Which is why you have to go there.
Chicago’s Real Signature Pizza Is Crispy, Crunchy, and Nothing Like Deep Dish
Ask around, and most locals will tell you that the city’s greatest pies aren’t what the tourists are sold.
You Can’t Go Wrong with “Creamed” + “Eggs”
The indulgent brunch dish at All Together Now proves it.
The Unordinary Wine Philosophy of Bradford Taylor
If you’re way more into natural wine now than you were a few years ago, you might have the owner of Ordinaire in Oakland and Diversey Wine in Chicago to thank.
The Chef Carrying on Chicago’s Red Sauce Legacy Is Ecuadoran Immigrant Arturo Aucaquizhpi
After quietly rising through the unsung ranks at local icon Gene & Georgetti, one ambitious cook opened his own classic Italian steakhouse.
Cellar Door Provisions Is the Perfect Restaurant That Is Positive It Could Be Better
This hyper-seasonal Chicago cafe has been quietly rejecting and rethinking restaurant culture...while turning out some of the best food in the city.
How One Chicago Bartender Makes the Freakiest, Dopest Cocktails in Town
For Annie Beebe-Tron of Fat Rice, it all starts with an intense desire to touch things.
Don’t Call Passerotto Fusion
At the buzzy Korean-Italian restaurant in Chicago, chef Jennifer Kim refuses to play by the rules.
Chicago’s Forgotten Vegetarian Past—and the Woman Who Wants Us to Remember
Kay Stepkin founded the National Vegetarian Museum to tell the world about her meat-centric hometown’s neglected history of vegetarianism. Will anyone listen?