Top Chef winner Joe Flamm's Midwest-meets-Mediterranean restaurant is a love letter to Adriatic soul food, like tortellini djuvec (ratatouille) and cevapi (lamb and beef sausage) grilled over a centerpiece charcoal hearth—and it’s these hearty but unique flavors that spawned shoutouts from the Chicago Tribune, Eater, and more.

When it opened in 2010, Girl & the Goat ushered in a new era of casual fine dining on the West Loop’s now-iconic Restaurant Row. In a cozy, rustic-chic space, feast on mega-award-winning (James Beard, Top Chef, Iron Chef) Stephanie Izard’s bold, globally influenced dishes like sweet and sour wood-fired whole branzino and goat empanadas that prove why this MICHELIN-Starred restaurant remains as hot and relevant as ever.

This Logan Square pasta spot got a fresh start in a spacious home in 2023, after which it nabbed raves from the Chicago Tribune and a MICHELIN Green Star for sustainability. Much of the produce at this Italian-by-way-of-the-Midwest restaurant comes from chef Joe Frillman's brother's farm outside Chicago. Find it in playful dishes like onion dip with housemade Ruffles, fritto misto with cheese curds, and pierogi with mussels and beer.

Popular LA chef Evan Funke and Chicago restaurant giant Lettuce Entertain You joined forces with a bang at this swanky Tuscan steakhouse inside The St. Regis. It's already the ultimate special-occasion destination, thanks to silky handmade pastas and premium steaks, a 700+ bottle, all-Italian wine list, and stunning views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River through dramatic 40-foot windows.

One of Bon Appétit's 2024 best new restaurants in America, this Logan Square spot is the brainchild of Mike Satinover, better known as "Ramen Lord" to the fan base he built up over a decade posting about ramen on Reddit. Get comfortable at one of the spacious booths, or watch the action at the counter overlooking the kitchen, and choose from four different ramens like the Akahoshi Miso, with pork chashu and bamboo shoots.

This West Loop spot sparked Chicago’s small-plates craze in 2003 and now has MICHELIN Bib Gourmand status. Expect soulful Midwestern riffs on Mediterranean small plates and an excellent wine list that leans southern European. Don't miss avec’s bacon-wrapped chorizo-stuffed dates, which are right up there with hot dogs and deep dish as classic Chicago fare.

You'll find the ultimate versions of old-school red-sauce favorites like rigatoni a la vodka and dover sole piccata at Elina's, thanks to veterans of MICHELIN-Starred spots like New York City’s Restaurant Marc Forgione. The inviting West Town joint serves these classics in a cozy, brick-walled dining room or on the lush, Amalfi Coast-inspired patio.

Open since 2003, acclaimed chef Lee Wolen’s one MICHELIN-Starred restaurant continues to serve up some of the city’s best contemporary American fare—all in a glam, greenery-decked dining room. The approachable, refined menu celebrates seasonal ingredients with bold preparations and exceptional clarity—black-truffle roasted chicken and porcini ricotta gnudi are two standouts. Bonus points for a charming, tree-lined back patio.

Besides serving exceedingly delicious soul food and top-notch hospitality from James Beard Award-winning chef Erick Williams, Virtue shows how a restaurant can be a community champion. With moving activist quotes on the windows, art of Black cultural figures, and a minority-centered mentorship program, Williams goes all in on lifting the Black community through food. Pro tip: Don't miss the short ribs.

Sophisticated Scandinavian fare is on the menu at Elske, a MICHELIN-Starred charmer from wife-and-husband chefs Anna and David Posey. Dig into beautiful, seasonally changing plates—think smoked duck liver tart or smoked Fjord trout with beets—in the intimate dining room that channels a trendy Danish B&B or on the fireplace-decked courtyard with an herb garden.

In a historic River North townhouse, you’ll find Asador Bastion, named one of 2023’s best new restaurants by Esquire. Acclaimed wife-and-husband team Hsing Chen and Doug Psaltis lead the kitchen, which turns out Basque-inspired feasts starring impressive steaks cooked over a live-fire grill alongside caviar churros and arroz cremoso. It’s all served in an opulent dining room decked with olive green leather banquettes and vintage Murano glass chandeliers.

Chef Andrew Zimmerman's seasonal American tasting menu is so good that this West Loop favorite has consistently held on to a MICHELIN Star since first getting one in 2011. You'll get to choose from several options in your four-course dinner, which might include dishes like crispy ricotta gnudi, roasted monkfish with little neck clams, and a sweet pea pavlova with meyer lemon sorbet. You'll definitely want to get the wine pairing—Sepia won Wine Spectator's 2022 Best of Award of Excellence.

Chef César Murillo’s seasonal tasting menus are just as stunning as the lush Lincoln Park setting of this beloved restaurant. An alum of Grace, Murillo combines classical technique with hyperlocal ingredients—including fresh produce from the restaurant’s rooftop garden—in elegant dishes that could include a Cornish hen with summer squash and charred cherries. Snag a seat by one of the windows in the Arts and Crafts-style dining room for the best garden and skyline views.

Kumiko is a worldwide leader in cocktails—it even has a spot on The World's 50 Best Bars list—for its innovative drinks and deep sake list from acclaimed bartender Julia Momosé. The seasonal, Japanese-influenced menu can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, like with a playful Wagyūkatsu sando or an omakase-style tasting experience, all crafted to complement creative cocktails like a sherry tonic with celery and sparkling pear cider in the intimate, inviting space.

Beer gets the fine dining treatment at Moody Tongue, the world’s first two-MICHELIN-Starred brewery. Chef James Bingham pairs contemporary seasonal dishes—think foie gras topped with mushroom jam and rhubarb—with the restaurant’s elegant beers like a sour raspberry framboise. Enjoy the full tasting menu in the airy, minimalist dining room or opt for the laidback à la carte experience in the lively bar with industrial accents and a statement fireplace.