Oriole is our highest-rated restaurant, and will give you one of the best meals of your life for a high price tag ($295). Despite the price, the environment (which you enter through a non-working freight elevator in an alley in the West Loop) isn’t stuffy at all. Attentive servers provide just the right amount of context while presenting you with dishes that will reframe your thoughts—like a truffle pasta with the power to finally convince you that truffles aren’t just a scam.

Kasama is a chameleon. By day this Ukrainian Village Filipino spot is a low-key cafe that serves a longanisa breakfast sandwich that could lure any chronic snooze button-hitter out of bed. By night it transforms into a softly lit, fine dining restaurant. Whether we’re just grabbing lunch or celebrating an anniversary with a $255, 13-course dinner, the warm service and spectacular food have us wishing every meal had an “instant replay” option.

This tasting menu spot doesn’t have a team of servers in uniform, wine pairings, or a hushed atmosphere filled with couples who just dusted off their anniversary outfits. It’s a BYOB place in Wicker Park that serves an incredible 14-course dinner for $165 set to the soundtrack of alt hip-hop. The chefs are also the servers, and they’ll casually drop foie gras pancakes in a raisin-miso broth on the table as if they aren’t about to change your life.

Kyoten was our highest-rated sushi restaurant until it was dethroned by Kyoten Next Door, its younger sibling. This 10-seat sushi omakase takes everything that's great about the original and does it better in a more casual setting and for less money. It's still expensive ($159 for 18 courses) but dinner at this Logan Square spot involves phenomenal nigiri made with high-quality fish, heavily seasoned large-grained rice, and blowtorched wagyu that puts your favorite steakhouse to shame.

If Xocome Antojeria in Archer Heights were a movie, then the protagonist would be the unbelievable masa, the base for the restaurant’s incredible tacos, tlacoyos, picaditas, enchiladas, and giant quesadillas. And while the masa is the main reason we wish this counter-service spot were open for longer hours the fillings aren’t just supporting characters—they’re stars in their own right. Everything from the rich red mole to the earthy huitlacoche hongos is perfectly seasoned.

In a perhaps not-very-interesting turn of events, Chicago’s most famous restaurant is one of our highest-rated. If you have a fancy restaurant bucket list, Alinea is probably on it. Of course, fame and 50-minute features on Chef’s Table don’t necessarily mean a place is worth your time (or in this case, several hundred dollars)—but Alinea definitely is. Regardless of which tasting menu you choose, the mish-mash of flavors is devastatingly good with Thai, Mexican, and French inspirations at play.

A few things set Chicago apart from other major U.S. cities. One, you can find reasonably sized apartments that won’t force you to store your old yearbooks in your oven. Two, we have Monteverde. This is the first place we make reservations at when someone from the East Coast tells us they're visiting. Every Italian dish is fantastic, from the housemade pastas like cacio e pepe and gnochetti con pesto, to the ragu alla Napoletana, which is one of the most delicious plates of food we’ve eaten.

Let us tell you about the power of Mariscos San Pedro, a Mexican seafood spot from the team behind Obelix (which, yes, is also on this list). It makes us sweat and cry tears of pineapple broth-y joy with its spicy hibiscus-and-beet-cured scallop aguachile. It turns seafood non-enthusiasts into octopus evangelists thanks to a creative spin on a Sonoran dog. No matter what dishes make it to the table, expect spicy, bold, and smoky flavors to crash the wildly delicious party.

At some point during a meal here everyone experiences what we call “The Galit Moment”—the inevitable realization that this place is f*cking good. The smoky cinnamon-braised brisket hummus could make it happen. Or it could be the falafel with mango and pickled turnips. Perhaps the mushroom-stuffed cabbage with saffron mujadara will be the culprit. This Middle Eastern spot’s $88 tasting menu is just that great.

The sandwiches at J.P. Graziano are so incredible, we had a friend fly across the country with a muffaletta in their carry-on, eat it the next day, and still declare it the one they’ve ever had. This iconic family-run Italian deli and sub shop in the West Loop has been around since 1937, long before the West Loop was the Disney World of restaurants. And now that J.P.’s takeout window is open until 1am on the weekends, it provides a way better late-night option than we deserve.

Akahoshi Ramen evolved from a hard-to-get-into pop-up into a full-fledged, hard-to-get-into restaurant. Reservations are booked five weeks out, and a line forms outside 30 minutes before they open. But once you’ve finagled your way into a seat and had your first taste of their ramen, it’s clear why. Each of their four bowls is distinct, with only a handful of toppings, giving every ingredient room to showcase its flavor.

If you press your face up against the window of Obelix, well, you’ll want to wash your face. You’ll also see what appears to be a typical, white-tablecloth French restaurant. It’s not. While this River North spot is a place where the waitstaff folds our napkin whenever we leave our seat, it’s also somewhere we can casually pop in for drinks with friends and split foie gras tacos at the bar.

Whether you grab a seat at this counter-service Nepalese spot or get your meal to go, you can take comfort in knowing that you’re eating the best momos in Chicago. The Momo World specializes in (you guessed it) momos, and we’ve never ordered one we didn’t immediately want to give a standing ovation. Want something simple? Get the tender and chewy steamed. Is Mars in Scorpio and you’re in the mood for something saucy or smokey? Go for the tomato-y jhol or crispy tandoori momos served on a skewer.

Maxwells Trading sounds like Mad Libs: Chicago Restaurant Edition—you can eat clay pot rice alongside french onion dip and drink from a curated wine list while listening to "Smooth Operator" on vinyl in a chic warehouse space. Overambitious? Maybe at any other place. But this West Loop spot delivers on every fill-in-the-blank aspect of a great meal, especially the food. Much like Sade's catalog, each seemingly straightforward dish contains multitudes.

This dark steakhouse (filled with plush leather booths and 1920s jazz music) is like hanging out in the windowless parlor of some rich old lady’s mansion. Everything about the space seems designed to keep you there forever, including a basement that has its own separate vibe (that vibe is “sexy Blair Witch house party with no visible exits”). It’s also the best steakhouse in a city full of them. And that said, some of the best dishes here aren’t even steak at all.

During Valhalla's $198 tasting menu, you'll encounter a letter opener and a giant egg-shaped salt block that looks like a memento from the set of Jurassic Park. None of this is typical dinner paraphernalia, but they're essential to this thrilling and inventive fine dining experience in Wicker Park from the SKY team. The 13-course meal spans influences from as close as Wisconsin to as far as Japan and India. By the time the final dessert shows up, you'll want to replay your meal over again.

Every table at this Chinese spot is usually full of friends, couples, and families sharing the same dish: Twin Lobster Sticky Rice. It’s basically JM Seafood’s poster child, and this loaded steam basket with gingery lobster meat is a knockout. But point at anything on the massive menu, and it’ll be fantastic. The fried salt and pepper soft-shell crab will revamp your definition of “crispy.” The saucy beef with oyster mushrooms is cooked to juicy perfection.

If a restaurant on this guide specializes in one thing (in Birriera Zaragoza’s case, goat) it has probably catapulted itself into being the platonic ideal. This braised meat at this tiny taqueria in Archer Heights is the gold standard by which all other Chicago birrierias are judged. The goat is tender and juicy, and has just the right amount of funkiness that’s balanced out by their smoky arbol consomé. And the handmade tortillas are the best goat delivery system.

Daisy’s will do more to improve your quality of life than a team of personal assistants ever could. Not only does this New Orleans-inspired restaurant in Hyde Park have the best po’boys we’ve encountered in Chicago, but it’s also a blast. The spacious, counter-service restaurant has staff that makes us laugh, live music, and boozy batch cocktails that aren’t too sweet. Along with po’boys, the menu has classics like fried chicken and a rich seafood gumbo that's especially lovable.

In a city full of classic Ukrainian spots, this place is an exciting addition. Eating at Anelya feels like a fever dream. Trippy flower-like lamps shower this Avondale restaurant in colorful light, while servers zip around with sparkly zakusky carts to the tune of European synthpop. But the excitement really ramps up once the food joins the party.

When all else fails, go to Avec. The food at this West Loop Mediterranean small-plates place always makes us happy—particularly staple dishes like the bacon-stuffed, chorizo-wrapped dates, and the taleggio flatbread. The communal dining room feels like a wooden shoebox, so you’ll probably be sitting elbow-to-elbow with strangers. But these strangers are having a wonderful meal, which means this crowded place is always enjoyable whether you’re here celebrating a birthday, or on a 76th date.

We love this multi-faceted Scandinavian restaurant in the West Loop. With the option of either a $125 nine-course menu or ordering a la carte, this bright and airy spot works well for both a special occasion or something a bit more low-key. It doesn’t matter whether you’re kicking off the tasting menu with “tea of lightly smoked fruits and vegetables," sharing small plates of housemade pasta or cured fluke, or on a solo mission to eat sunflower seed parfait with bee pollen.

Milly’s is a small Uptown pizza place taking its inspiration from Pequod’s. This means Milly’s has the same kind of pan-style deep dish with a caramelized crust that we all know, love, and keeps increasing our census numbers. What makes Milly’s different is that this pie has dollops of fresh mozzarella, making it a bit cheesier. They only make 45 pies a day, so you should place your order a day or two in advance, which you can do right here.

Alegrias and its big, fat 8.9 rating is on a stretch of Ashland teeming with mariscos restaurants. Naturally, you might wonder: What makes this West Town spot so special? Is it because it’s BYOB? That there’s a sidewalk patio and garage-style windows? Charmingly chaotic nautical decor and a goofy shark painting ushering you to the upper level? Yes to all of the above. But our love for this place is primarily because of the incredible seafood.

A michelada-inspired oyster cameos on both the $190 tasting menu and the $125 taco “omakase” at Cariño. It’s also the dish that captures Cariño’s best traits: playful, sophisticated, and delicious. At this intimate Latin restaurant in Uptown, a Bad Bunny playlist serenades couples while chefs in faded Nike caps crack jokes from behind the counter. With its casual-swagger approach to fine dining, Cariño is a refreshing change-up from stuffier spots that also love tweezers and edible flowers.