2026 Infatuation Top 25 Restaurants in Chicago

Oriole is a restaurant on West Walnut Street in Chicago.

Kasama is the world's first two-Michelin-star Filipino restaurant, operating as a daytime café and a 13-course tasting menu in Chicago's East Ukrainian Village. The tasting menu books 45 days out and earns its $$$$ price with James Beard and Opinionated About Dining credentials. Plan at least two visits: one for the daytime pastry program, one for the evening tasting menu.

Cariño is a Michelin-starred Mexican tasting menu in Chicago's Uptown neighbourhood, opened in December 2023 and recognised within its first year. Chef Norman Fenton runs approximately 12 courses that reframe Mexican cooking through technically demanding preparations, huitlacoche ravioli, lamb tartare tostada, Michelada-as-oyster, at a $$$$ price point. Book the counter seats, and plan several weeks ahead.

Kyoten Next Door works for a focused Logan Square dinner when sushi technique matters more than a broad, casual menu. The 2026 Michelin Plate is the main trust signal, and the easy booking profile makes it less stressful than many serious Japanese counters in Chicago.

Bright, compact, and counter-service casual, Xocome Antojeria is the right call for low-cost Mexican food in Archer Heights when handmade masa is the priority. Go for tlacoyos, pambazo, tamales, and tacos, not for a formal night out or wine-driven meal.

Alinea is Grant Achatz's modernist restaurant in Chicago.

Sarah Grueneberg's West Loop Italian restaurant earns its OAD top-400 ranking and Michelin Plate through consistent, technically precise regional cooking at the $$$ price point. The pasta station counter is the best seat in the house. Book two to four weeks ahead for dinner; lunch is more accessible and delivers the same kitchen quality.

A strong Pilsen choice when seafood is the reason for dinner, not a side preference. Mariscos San Pedro is worth planning ahead for first-timers, especially for prime weekend slots, but groups wanting a looser night may be happier at Pilsen Yards or Honky Tonk BBQ / The Tonk.

Galit holds a 2024 Michelin star and an OAD Casual North America top-100 ranking, making it one of Chicago's strongest cases for quality without ceremony. Chef Zach Engel's prix-fixe Middle Eastern menu, generous, plant-forward, and backed by a regionally coherent wine list, earns its $$$$ price point. Book at least three weeks ahead; this one fills fast.

J.P. Graziano Grocery & Sub Shop appears at No. 10 in 2026 Infatuation Top 25 Restaurants in Chicago.

Akahoshi Ramen earned OAD's 2025 Cheap Eats in North America recognition for good reason: everything, from noodles to broth to toppings, is made in-house by chef Michael Satinover's kitchen. It is the most cooking-focused ramen option in Logan Square, easy to book, and low-cost enough to anchor any Chicago dining itinerary without stretching the budget.

Obélix serves French lunch, weekend brunch and dinner at 700 N Sedgwick Street. Reservations open 30 days ahead on OpenTable; check the current menu for seasonal dishes.

PIZZ'AMICI opened on West Grand Ave in 2024, building a brick-and-mortar home out of a Ukrainian Village apartment pop-up that gave away free tavern-style pies on Instagram. The cracker-thin, square-cut pizza is the whole point. Easy to book, casual in tone, and suited to groups or low-key dates rather than formal occasions.

Beaumont's American Tavern is a low-friction Chicago pick for familiar American dining rather than a high-stakes destination meal. It is easiest to recommend for casual dinners, flexible group plans, and convenience-led nights; choose dine-in over takeout if the room and pacing matter to the experience.

NADU is Chef Sujan Sarkar's more accessible follow-up to his Michelin Star work, bringing contemporary regional Indian cooking to Lincoln Park in a sharing-plate format. Named to Resy's Best of the Hit List for 2025, it is a strong booking for groups who want serious Indian food without a prix-fixe commitment. The bar takes walk-ins, keeping it flexible for spontaneous visits.

Maxwells Trading earns its Michelin Plate and Esquire Best New Restaurants recognition with confident contemporary fusion cooking: Japanese, Chinese, and Thai techniques delivered without ceremony in a converted West Loop warehouse. At $$$, the service holds up under volume better than most rooms at this price, and the reflects that consistency. Book two to three weeks out for weekends.

Bavette's Bar & Boeuf is the Chicago steakhouse to book when atmosphere matters as much as the cut. A Michelin Plate holder, it delivers French-inflected cooking, steak frites, crab cake, short rib stroganoff, in a speakeasy-style room. Reservations are hard: book well in advance.

Valhalla is one of Chicago's harder tasting menu reservations to land, and it earns the difficulty. Chef Stephen Gillanders runs a single chef's counter in Wicker Park with a multi-course menu spanning Filipino, Mexican, Chinese, and Indian influences. Michelin Plate (2024), OAD Top 400 North America (2025). Book four to six weeks out for weekends.

Santa Masa Tamaleria appears at No. 19 in 2026 Infatuation Top 25 Restaurants in Chicago.

JM Seafood appears at No. 20 in 2026 Infatuation Top 25 Restaurants in Chicago.

Book Daisy's Po-Boy and Tavern when the plan is casual, food-led, and centered on Louisiana-rooted comfort rather than a formal night out. Repeat visitors should move beyond the obvious order and build around fried green tomatoes with remoulade, blackened cauliflower, and fried alligator if sharing makes sense.

Anelya brings Eastern European cooking to Chicago's Avondale neighbourhood at a $$ price point, earning a Michelin Plate in 2024. The zakusky cart, horseradish vodka, green borsch, and stuffed cabbage make this one of Chicago's most accessible chef-driven dining experiences. Book the bar first: it's where the meal properly begins.

avec has been one of Chicago's most consistent casual kitchens for over two decades, and at $$ it still earns that reputation. Michelin Plate-recognised and ranked by Opinionated About Dining in both 2024 and 2025, this West Randolph fixture serves bold, seasonal Mediterranean cooking in a wood-lined room that rewards counter seating. Lunch is the overlooked sweet spot: strong value, quieter room, and the same sharp kitchen.

Omarcitos is worth choosing for casual Latin American café food, especially jibaritos, ropa vieja, fried catfish, and garlic mojo chicken. It works well for takeout, family meals, and lively group dinners, with counter-service ease and patio/social-room energy. Skip it if the night calls for quiet conversation or a formal tasting-menu experience.

Milly’s Pizza In The Pan appears at No. 25 in 2026 Infatuation Top 25 Restaurants in Chicago.