Mentioned by OpenTable
The Best Restaurants in Chicago, According to our Tastemakers
"A favorite of the late Julia Child and a beloved date spot for a young Barack and Michelle Obama, Le Bouchon has been a sanctuary of sumptuous French fare for a quarter of a century in Chicago. Serving lunch and dinner, the menu is in French and English and includes many of the best traditional dishes: soupe a l'ognion, steak frites, confit de canard and moules frites. Favorites among diners include crisp duck for two, rabbit, escargot, steak frites and bouillabaisse."
"Le Bouchon has served great tasting dishes and customer service since 1993. This classic French bistro transports their diners to Paris. It is also recognized as one of the best French restaurants in the country."
"Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing. Visit Margeaux brasserie and experience classic, French dining at its best. Nestled on the third floor of The Waldorf Astoria Chicago, this restaurant features an exotic menu filled with exquisite food devoted to retaining the classic French vibe while the bar is filled with a dynamic cocktail menu."
"If you're going to create a space reminiscent of a particular time, place and spirit, 1920's Paris would be it. Margeaux Brasserie is Chef Michael Mina's "moveable feast" to double metaphor Hemingway's ode to the city of the 20's. The restaurant's traditional brasserie fare is enlivened by Midwestern ingredients and bonhomie."
"Three floors above the lobby of the swank Waldorf Astoria is restaurateur Michael Mina's ode to 1920s-era Paris. Classic Parisian bistro fare (escargot, steak frites, duck breast) gets a contemporary spin. Foie gras comes as parfait with preserved cherries and cornichons."
"If you want a view that blows all others out of the water, head to Cite, where you can dine on upscale French cuisines while taking in the whole of the city’s skyline from its wrap-around windows. This is one of the best restaurants to visit in Downtown Chicago since you can see the buildings and architecture from every angle up here, including Lake Michigan docks, Navy Pier, and even out into the suburbs if you look hard enough."
"Dine among the Stars at Cité | Join us in our Sky Lounge |HAPPY HOUR 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM MONDAY - SUNDAY!"
"Hidden in a cobblestone alley, RM Champagne Salon is a West Loop gem exemplifying a Euro-inspired ambiance with contemporary flair. Warming and most definitely romantic, this hideaway haven is a French bistro, giving up impeccable eats such as their Lobster Mac & Cheese or Steak Frites. Chandeliers decorate the ceiling, and their marble fireplace takes the limelight."
"With excellent food and a European tone, RM Champagne Salon is simultaneously dainty and unpretentious. Enjoy the abundant champagne and mini-dessert selections, and if you’re in a hungrier mood, peruse their various entrees that range from lobster mac and cheese to salmon tartare. If the weather is nice, grab a table on the brick patio draped with string lights."
"Photo courtesy of RM Champagne Salon on rmchampagnesalon.com. A quaint, European inspired place. The salon is made even more cozy with the installation of marble fireplaces and a roomy patio."
"Restaurants French North Center. Robert et Fils sends us time-traveling into the depths of chef-owner Rob Shaner's childhood, when his late father's job took the family to Paris when Shaner was a teenager. In addition to falling in love with the food and culture, father and son (Bob and Rob) dropped their American names in favor of the more French-sounding Robert."
"The Loop isn’t quite rife with French cuisine so this casual steakhouse, attached to the Hyatt Centric and run by WellDone Hospitality Group, has been a welcome addition to the area since opening two years ago. Whether guests stop in during lunch for a beef dip sandwich or treat themselves to a nice hunk of dry-aged beef at dinner, there are plenty of delicious choices that’ll evoke visions of Paris."
"Kick off the last day of your Chicago itinerary with brunch at Cochan Volant, a French bistro in the Loop that is basically a brunch-lovers paradise."
"Only in Chicago could a joint that blasts heavy metal music, refuses to carry Budweiser, and stirs a controversy with the Catholic Church, be adored. Kuma’s Corner has become a destination in every food lover’s pilgrimage. Depending on what you order, your burger may include bourbon poached pear, roasted poblano peppers, avocado mash and other inventive ingredients."
"Music is never far from mind at this bar: In addition to a rocking soundtrack, nearly all the burgers are named for bands. Try the Slayer: a bunless patty on a pile of fries, topped with chili, andouille sausage, cherry peppers, onions and cheese. Watch the Video: The Slayer Burger"
"Upton’s Breakroom is a casual café that serves light vegan fare in a bright, modern setting. Located next to Upton's Naturals seitan factory, the charming little restaurant offers a small menu with a variety of seitan-based dishes such as chick seitan Korean tacos, pastrami seitan sandwiches, bowls of rice, kale, warm seitan chunks, and bright-green nut pesto, and vegan soft serve. Blending natural textures and flavors to create an innovative and satisfying menu, Upton’s Breakroom is the ideal spot for a quick lunch or a languid dinner of exotic vegan fare."
"Restaurants Vegan River West/West Town. House-made seitan is the base for most menu items at Upton’s Breakroom, a bright little café attached to Upton’s Naturals, a company that makes seitan and sells it in stores across the country. The café has a plentiful menu, including a tofu-seitan banh mi, a BBQ jackfruit sandwich and Korean tacos with housemade kimchi."
"Upton's Breakroom sits below Upton's Naturals, a natural-based food business out of Chicago. The company's focus is on vegan diets and meat alternatives, so it's only fitting that the Breakroom's menu would be completely vegan. Fried bacon mac and burgers (all meat-and-cheese free!) await you in West Town!"
"Restaurants Jewish Uptown. Traditional Jewish delis are synonymous with carnivorous delights, from pastrami and corned beef to lox. Imagine our surprise, then, when a Jewish vegan deli opened in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood."