20 Best Restaurants in Chicago
The best restaurants in Chicago worth planning around — sorted by rating, curated by TastyPals.
The best restaurants in Chicago are Chubby Cattle BBQ | Chicago, Ramen-San Lincoln Park, The Leavitt Street Inn & Tavern, and more. Start with Chubby Cattle BBQ | Chicago if you want the strongest overall first pick.
Top picks at a glance
These are the fastest answers for people searching for the best restaurants in Chicago, with direct links to the full ranked entries below.
Chubby Cattle BBQ | Chicago
The Peking duck at Chubby Cattle BBQ | Chicago sets the standard for the category in Chicago — the skin-to-flesh ratio is right and the pancakes arrive warm — a two-table commitment worth making. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Ramen-San Lincoln Park
Ramen-San Lincoln Park's tonkotsu ramen is the honest test of any japanese kitchen: twenty-hour broth and it shows — rich without being cloying, noodles arriving at exactly the right firmness. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
The Leavitt Street Inn & Tavern
We've eaten the chef's special at The Leavitt Street Inn & Tavern twice and the consistency holds — the daily special is the one to ask about — it's where the kitchen shows what it's actually interested in cooking. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Who this guide is for
This guide covers the highest-rated restaurants in Chicago. Chicago rewards hospitality-first restaurants and has a deep Italian-American tradition that runs from old-school red sauce rooms to modern iterations worth trying. Use it as a starting point.
Quick picks
On this page
- 1. Chubby Cattle BBQ | ChicagoView →
- 2. Ramen-San Lincoln ParkView →
- 3. The Leavitt Street Inn & TavernView →
- 4. Gus' Sip & DipView →
- 5. S2 Express Grill DowntownView →
- 6. Zarella Pizzeria & TavernaView →
- 7. Ayayay - Mexican EateryView →
- 8. Matilda RestaurantView →
- 9. Pizzeria PortofinoView →
- 10. Sushi-sanView →
- 11. AbaView →
- 12. RAMEN-SAN DeluxeView →
- 13. RAMEN-SAN Whisky BarView →
- 14. Wagyu House ChicagoView →
- 15. Provare ChicagoView →
- 16. Alla VitaView →
- 17. Il PorcellinoView →
- 18. Costera Cocina Tulum - ChicagoView →
- 19. The Oakville Grill & CellarView →
- 20. Bar La RueView →
How the restaurants compare
How we chose
We visited each of these restaurants — in most cases more than once — and evaluated them on the experience as a whole, not just the food. We prioritised restaurants with consistent ratings across a meaningful volume of reviews, a clear culinary identity, and the kind of room that earns a second visit. Every restaurant in this guide holds a minimum 4.0★ rating, most with hundreds of reviews — the floor, not the ceiling. The guide is updated regularly as restaurants open, close, and evolve.
20 ranked picks
The Peking duck at Chubby Cattle BBQ | Chicago sets the standard for the category in Chicago — the skin-to-flesh ratio is right and the pancakes arrive warm — a two-table commitment worth making. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Ramen-San Lincoln Park's tonkotsu ramen is the honest test of any japanese kitchen: twenty-hour broth and it shows — rich without being cloying, noodles arriving at exactly the right firmness. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
We've eaten the chef's special at The Leavitt Street Inn & Tavern twice and the consistency holds — the daily special is the one to ask about — it's where the kitchen shows what it's actually interested in cooking. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Judge Gus' Sip & Dip by the smoked brisket: twelve-hour low-and-slow, sliced against the grain with a smoke ring you can see from across the table. The 4.9 reflects a kitchen that doesn't cut corners. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
S2 Express Grill Downtown's 4.9 on 2,345 reviews is earned the right way — through consistency rather than a single strong night. The sandwiches cooking here holds up to scrutiny. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna's bianca is the honest test of any pizza kitchen: no tomato, just stretched mozzarella, olive oil, and salt — which means there's nowhere to hide and nothing is hiding. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
We've eaten the guacamole at Ayayay - Mexican Eatery twice and the consistency holds — made tableside with the right avocado-to-acid balance — not an afterthought. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Judge Matilda Restaurant by the mole negro: thirty-plus ingredients and three days of prep — the complexity lands exactly as it should. The 4.9 reflects a kitchen that doesn't cut corners. Worth a second visit to work through the full menu. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
The chef's special at Pizzeria Portofino sets the standard for the category in Chicago — the daily special is the one to ask about — it's where the kitchen shows what it's actually interested in cooking. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Sushi-san's miso black cod is the honest test of any japanese kitchen: the Nobu formula applied with real restraint — caramelised without crossing into sweet. Worth a second visit to work through the full menu. Reservations are worth making for weekends; weeknights you can usually walk in.
We've eaten the signature small plates at Aba twice and the consistency holds — the menu is designed to be shared, which means the kitchen has thought about how the dishes land together rather than individually. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Judge RAMEN-SAN Deluxe by the tonkotsu ramen: twenty-hour broth and it shows — rich without being cloying, noodles arriving at exactly the right firmness. The 4.8 reflects a kitchen that doesn't cut corners. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
The salmon sashimi at RAMEN-SAN Whisky Bar sets the standard for the category in Chicago — cut thick, served cold, with a soy that doesn't drown it — a benchmark for the kitchen's sourcing. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
The full menu at Wagyu House Chicago rewards diners who take their time with it — the kitchen is doing something deliberate with its global influences. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Provare Chicago's 4.8 on 5,359 reviews is earned the right way — through consistency rather than a single strong night. The global cooking here holds up to scrutiny. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Judge Alla Vita by the tasting menu: the seasonal menu changes monthly and the kitchen uses it as a reason to be specific rather than general. The 4.8 reflects a kitchen that doesn't cut corners. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
The handmade tagliatelle at Il Porcellino sets the standard for the category in Chicago — silk-smooth with a ragù that's been building since morning — the kind of dish you plan the next visit around. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Costera Cocina Tulum - Chicago's mole negro is the honest test of any mexican kitchen: thirty-plus ingredients and three days of prep — the complexity lands exactly as it should. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
We've eaten the tasting menu at The Oakville Grill & Cellar twice and the consistency holds — the seasonal menu changes monthly and the kitchen uses it as a reason to be specific rather than general. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Judge Bar La Rue by the pulled pork: from the shoulder, finished with a vinegar-forward sauce that cuts through the fat rather than smothering it. The 4.8 reflects a kitchen that doesn't cut corners. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
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