Top, Best & Fun Rooftop Bars in Gold Coast

"Beatrix is a favourite spot of ours for an early morning take away coffee and pastry on the way to work, and offers a menu that’s about ‘taste over trend’, featuring an array of interesting options that lean towards the mindful eating end of the spectrum. Coffee is one of the highlights here – the coffee bar at Beatrix serves up quality coffee using locally roasted Intelligentsia and Metropolis beans. If you’re after something more substantial than a pastry, then the dine in menu features a range of healthy, creative dishes such as quinoa cakes with poached eggs, cauliflower grits and eggs, and ten-grain oatmeal."

"One of the best ways for families to experience Beatrix is via its coffee and pastry bar, which is a full-fledged bakery inside the restaurant. The selection offers an overwhelming array of muffins, breads, cakes, scones and more. Something Beatrix does exceptionally well is cookies, particularly the chocolate chunk cookie."

"American , Bakery/Cafe"

"The duck feast at this James Beard Award-winning spot in Uptown includes a whole roasted duck to feed a family, carved tableside, and served with steamed bao, hoisin sauce, and crispy garnishes. You’ll also get a delicate duck soup, and duck fried rice. As with most Chinese cuisine, not a morsel goes to waste."

"West LoopThis long-revered Mediterranean-influenced fixture from One Off Hospitality has held it down as one of the area’s go-to date night spots since opening its minimalist doors back in 2003, well before many of us could even define romance. And not much has changed -- the wine list is still spectacular, the chorizo-stuffed medjool dates are still iconic, and a reservation for the intimate front patio is still highly coveted."

"Restaurants Contemporary American West Loop. After more than 20 years in the West Loop, this iconic kitchen is still one of the city's best. In 2019, chef-partner Paul Kahan handed over the keys to the kitchen to executive chef Ryan Pfeiffer, who aims to revive the restaurant's rock 'n' roll soul."

"(Primary Neighborhoods: Various events and locations, city and suburbs). If you’re looking for the boss on a Chicago street, it’s decked out like a giant Italian flag. The menu changes constantly on this truck, but you can still request your favorite pie if it has rotated off (a boss move by itself)."

"A lot of the restaurants on this list tend to lean toward the fancier end of things, as is often the case with restaurants with super views. If you want to find an unbeatable view but with a totally laid-back vibe, check out Caffe Oliva located at Ohio Street Beach. As you eat and drink at Caffe Oliva, toes dug into the sand and staring out at the blue of the lake, you could almost picture yourself transported away to a beach in the Mediterranean."

"Tucked away on the calm shores of Oak Street Beach, Caffe Olivia offers a casual menu and sweeping lake views in a charming atmosphere. Food options include fresh salads topped with grilled calamari, fish tacos, coconut shrimp, burgers named for different Chicago locales, and more. The patio welcomes dogs and even serves a burger patty just for your furry companion."

"Located right on the lakefront, you can stick your toes in the sand as you admire the soaring skyline before you. It’s the perfect place to grab a bite while you’re hanging out at the tiny but less-crowded-than-North-Ave Ohio Street Beach, and there is no shortage of perspective of our vastly diverse Chicago architecture."

"Indulge in some shopping, veer off a couple blocks to grab an espresso at the beloved Italian market Eataly, or continue to the DuSable Bridge for a fantastic photo-op of the emerald green Chicago River surrounded by sparkling skyscrapers. The most iconic spot in the entire city is just a couple blocks further: Millennium Park, a sprawling downtown green space that’s home to Cloud Gate, more commonly known as ‘The Bean.’ The stainless steel plates reflect the surrounding city skyline which makes for some epic shots–especially if you make it there first thing in the morning before the throngs of tourists arrive. Be sure to walk below Cloud Gate’s 12-foot-high arch to snap some cool perspective pics from underneath."

"Order delivery and curbside pick-up from a local Chicago classic known for their grilling legacy. Weber Grill's delivery partner DoorDash will be live to accept your orders. If you want to stay home and enjoy, Weber Grill offers Grill-Out Packs to toss on the grill."

"There's no bad seat in El Ideas—every vantage into the tiny space breaks down the fourth wall between chef and diner, allowing guests a front row view of the magician-scientists in the open kitchen. From liquid nitrogen French fries-and-ice-cream to inventive caesar salad (with regular anchovies and romaine, plus caviar and, um, gold leaf). Chef Philip Foss and his team rethink the modernist aesthetic, allowing diners to witness the method and the madness."

"Book a reservation at this fine-dining spot or try its adjacent restaurant Boxcar BBQ for curbside ordering and a more casual night at home."

"McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks is located in the Loop on Wacker Drive within minutes of the Oriental Theater, the Chicago Theater, shopping, Millennium Park and some of the best hotels in Chicago. The restaurant offers some of the best seafood in the city featuring fresh seafood and shellfish, aged steaks, and garden-fresh salads. The menu features standard steak and seafood fare along with signature seafood items, a wide variety of classic drinks, trendy cocktails, wines, and beers."

"Restaurants Italian Streeterville. Nestled on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Oak Street, this Michelin-starred Italian restaurant is best known for its impeccable wine list and next-level dishes. But no one's complaining about the dining room's epic views either."

"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."

"The Lincoln Park Conservatory is a conservatory and botanical garden in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. The conservatory is best known for its horticultural collections, community work, and educational programming. It is also housed in a glass house from the Victorian Era that is stunning to view on its own."

"For a big city, Chicago has a surprising number of places dedicated to all things green. For example, the Lincoln Park Conservatory, on the shores of Lake Michigan, has a botanical garden teeming with ferns, tropical flowers, and palms."

"West Loop’s Union Park, located on 13.46 acres in the Near West community area, is the site for two of the city’s biggest music festivals: Pitchfork and North Coast Music Festival. The park has several large fields, often used for various outdoor sports. The history of Union Park is also quite remarkable—it’s the site of several political protests and demonstrations since the early 1900s, most notably the Great American Boycott and the 2006 Immigration Reform protests."

"Union Park is a 13.46-acres park created in 1853 and became well known between the 1920s and 50s for cultural and social events. Today, the park features a field house with a theater room with stage, and a building with a gym, fitness center, and locker rooms. Outside facilities include tennis courts, swimming pool, playgrounds, an athletic field, and more."

"Chicago summer is here, which means it’s time to roll up your sleeves, put your hair up, and eat accordingly—we’re talking ice cream, of course, that frosty refresher that is wildly hard-earned after every Chicago winter. Luckily, our fine town is continuing to up its scoop game in big, memorable ways each year, serving up enough sundaes, fro-yo, gelato, and soft serve to keep you cool all season long. From ice-cold curls and koala-inspired cones to avocado scoops and vegan soft serve, here are this summer’s most scream-worthy ice cream shops."

"This ice cream shop and its stacks of chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House (vanilla with walnuts plus cherries), pistachio, and orange sherbet have been a total staple of summer in Chicago for more than 80 years now. This year, the Original Rainbow Cone is spreading some love all across Chicago with its brand spanking new van, complete with ice cream paint job, so make sure to follow the rainbow (van)!. You can find the Original Rainbow Cone at 9233 S Western Ave or Navy Pier."

"Restaurants Ice cream parlors Andersonville. Scooping ice cream for more than a decade, George's has long been considered a community gathering place for fans young and old. There are many reasons to love this sweet, family-owned shop, and among them is the Geor-Gantic, a five-scoop masterpiece that's loaded with brownie bits, waffle chips, chocolate pretzels, hot fudge, caramel and rainbow sprinkles."

"A post shared by George's Ice Cream and Sweets (@georgesicecream) on Aug 11, 2018 at 1:38pm PDT. A tub of ice cream is a fail-safe friend. You can rely on it to lift your spirits, calm your sweet urge, and refresh you."

"Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by George's Ice Cream and Sweets (@georgesicecream)"

"Evanston & Navy PierAfter relocating to the States from Buenos Aires, cousins Sebastián Koziura and Enrique Schcolnik missed the moments they shared indulging in dulce de leche gelato with their grandmother. Thus, they decided to transport the sweet treat to Chicago with FRIO, a family-owned gelatería featuring Argentine favorites like Sambayon, Malbec Wine with Berries, Tramontana, and, of course, Dulce de Leche. The offerings range far beyond these, though, with up to 36 flavors in the portfolio including hyper seasonal musts like avocado, pumpkin, and white chocolate.How to book: Stop by for counter service or order delivery via GrubHub, DoorDash, or UberEats."

"Must Try: Fragola Camarosa This boutique gelato shop off State Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood boasts exotic, European flavors. They serve gelato in ice cream sandwiches, cones, and there are even dishes where the ice cream is scooped and molded into the shape of a rose served with a mouth-watering macaron on top. This popular spot just opened a brand new shop in Water Tower Place making gelato a perfect snack to grab after an afternoon of shopping along the Magnificent Mile."