Best Fine Dining in South Loop

"Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas’s three-Michelin-starred avant garde fine dining institution is one of the world’s best restaurants. During the pandemic, the restaurant’s elegant dining room has morphed to a control center for pickup orders. The menu changes from beef Wellington, to sushi, to more avant-garde options."

"Since opening in 2005, the Lincoln Park restaurant has distinguished itself as a premier dining destination. Winning the coveted three stars from Michelin, Alinea is only one of 14 U.S. restaurants to earn this ranking. But the awards don’t stop there."

"This swanky outdoor dining spot is in the heart of the Magnificent Mile. Located in the five-star Peninsula Chicago hotel near attractions like the John Hancock building, this Cantonese dim sum restaurant has been voted the no. 1 Chinese restaurant in Chicago by Zagat Survey and boasts some of the best skyline views. OpenTable reviewers love the expanded outdoor rooftop dining area, while TripAdvisor diners highly recommend the Peking duck and craft cocktails."

"In the upscale Peninsula Hotel in Downtown Chicago, you'll find a gourmet dim sum restaurant with roaring ‘30s supper club décor and a blend of Shanghainese and Cantonese dishes. This Zagat-listed pearl of an eatery blends old world elegance with new world sensibilities for a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Shanghai Terrace is one of the best restaurants in Chicago for atmosphere and fine dining."

"If you're feeling fancy, head to Shanghai Terrace for some high-end Chinese dining complete with '30s-era decor on a terrace with views of the Peninsula Hotel. At lunch, bamboo baskets of freshly steamed dim sum contain favorites such as barbecue pork buns, Peking Duck, and shrimp and chive dumplings."

"Restaurants Contemporary American West Loop. Situated off the beaten path of Restaurant Row, just east of the Kennedy Expressway, Oriole didn't fall for the traditional trappings of a Michelin-starred restaurant. The cozy, understated dining room is just as welcoming of suits and LBDs as it is of T-shirts and jeans."

"Oriole remains closed while the restaurant undergoes renovations, but it retains its two stars in 2021. When the doors reopen, get here for its renowned tasting menus."

"Next seems to be unique in the same way all molecular-gastronomy restaurants are unique: the restaurant creates dishes with obscure ingredients, strange presentation, innovative cooking methods, and crazy flavor combinations. But Next pushes boundaries of experimental cuisine by rotating themes. For example, they’ve run a service they called “The Hunt,” which served game-centered dishes on logs."

"Next restaurant offers family-style meals that change weekly. You can also choose to add a cocktail kit from The Aviary."

"A Chicago institution, adored by the seafood-loving citizens of this town, Eddie V’s certainly delivers on the “prime seafood” part of its name. Sourcing its seafood from locations as far afield as Nantucket, New Brunswick, and the South Pacific, this is a place to try seafood at its best. As you can see from our picture, the dish of Nantucket Scallops with Gnocchi is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach."

"Eddie V’s Prime Seafood is one of the most expensive venues for dining, but it is also one of the most upscale in the entire city. This is a high-end seafood restaurant that offers elegant fine dining in an upscale atmosphere in the restaurant/dining area of the establishment. The menu offers a good variety of seafood and steak offerings."

"Celebrate a special occasion or simply relish a perfect dinner in the chic atmosphere at Chicago’s upscale steakhouse, The Capital Grille. This place is known for its dry-aged steaks, and you won’t be disappointed by its American cuisine. Tantalizing dishes like Gorgonzola and truffle-crusted, dry aged NY strip with cabernet reduction or the all-natural herb-roasted chicken will surely impress."

"Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account. A post shared by The Capital Grille (@thecapitalgrille) on Aug 13, 2018 at 8:57am PDT. As one of Chicago’s best steakhouses, the Capital Grille is an impressive establishment."

"Restaurants Steakhouse River North. This steakhouse chain's Marina City digs—a Chicago River fixture since 1998—sports all the classics, from prime-aged meat cuts to creamed spinach and truffled mac and cheese. Head to the restaurant's covered patio area for peak river views, or grab a table near the interior's floor-to-ceiling windows."

"It's evident the moment you walk into Goosefoot, one of the best places to eat in Chicago. French techniques enhance each dish, carefully prepared wi..."

"Providing Chicago with the cookie experience we deserve, this Lincoln Park shop has developed a mouthwatering menu and cookies that own up to their names. They pay tribute our entire cookie-loving country with Yosemite and Boston cookies."

"The good news: It has the city’s largest patio in summer and coolest ice rink in winter. American classics—chopped salad, a burger, cheesecake—are on target. The bad news: The crowds never let up.L & D daily."

"3 Chicago locations: Old Town, Lincoln Park, Edgewater (773) 248-9888www.nookiesrestaurants.net. Located in the heart of Boystown, Nookies Tree is the definition of the all-night breakfast hangout. Though they do serve lunch and dinner, breakfast is king."

"Located in the South Loop in a building that was once home to a printing press and then a bank before it became one of the city’s favorite diners, Eleven City Diner is a traditional Jewish deli that serves a variety of deli-style fare in a casual diner setting. Boasting neon lights and the crackle of WWII-era tunes, the diner takes patrons back in time to the 1940s and 1950s with leather-button booths where bowls of matzoh ball soup and latkes can be enjoyed. The deli serves a variety of deli-style fare such as gargantuan gourmet sandwiches, fresh salads, mac and cheese, melts, and Reubens along with drinks from an authentic soda fountain, house-brewed root beer, and floats."

"Inspired by the nostalgia of trekking across the States and stopping into roadside diners full of charm along the way, Eleven City has that classic, old-school atmosphere you want to go with your burger and milkshake. Here, breakfast is served all day, including a make-your-own omelet bar, but don’t you dare sleep on their loaded mac-and-cheese either. Needless to say, Eleven City Diner has it all and more."

"Restaurants Diners Loop. Owner Brad Rubin scoured the country to research this Jewish deli/diner. His pastrami is tender, fatty and full of flavor; the milkshakes are thick and oversized; matzo balls are enormous; and the brisket is good enough that any grandmother would want to claim it, Jewish or not."

"Restaurants Bakeries Streeterville. What this scrappy retail operation lacks in size it makes up for in expertise. Belgian chef Renaud Hendrickx is the creative genius behind 12 buttery croissant varieties, pastel-toned macarons and a variety of cakes and breads that make us never want to give up carbs."

"A post shared by @cafe_selmarie on Dec 20, 2018 at 4:37pm PST. Nostalgia is in the air this time of year, and the cookies at Café Selmarie will take you right back to your childhood of sprinkling/dumping colored sugar on your Christmas cookies. The Lincoln Square bakery also has cookie exchange-worthy varieties like chocolate crackles, raspberry kolachkys and cinnamon walnut butter cookies."

"Restaurants American Lincoln Square. You might have stopped by this Lincoln Square bakery for a croissant to go and missed the dining room hidden in back. The first-come, first-served policy means you’ll have a half-hour wait for brunch, but a cup of coffee and slice of coffee cake will tide you over."

"Tucked away at the edge of Lincoln Park that juts out into Lake Michigan, the Montrose Bird Sanctuary is a 15-acre wooded respite that features a few peaceful mulch-covered hiking trails to stroll through. What was once a site of Army barracks from the ’50s to the ’70s is now one of the best places in the area to spot a few of the tens of thousands of migratory birds from more than 300 different species that reportedly stop for some green space along their trek along the lake. Within the sanctuary, a 150-yard stretch of honeysuckle bushes has been nicknamed “The Magic Hedge,” because it attracts an especially high number of migratory birds."

"UptownThis more laid-back section of Montrose Beach is both a dune habitat and a bird sanctuary, as well as one of the best spots for trail hiking in the city with killer skyline views. If that’s not enough, there’s also a beach bar. And a damn fine beach bar at that."