Cariño

Verdict

Cariño earns its 2024 Michelin star honestly. This is one of the most technically ambitious Mexican tasting menus in the United States, and at a $$$$ price point in Uptown Chicago, it delivers enough invention and precision to justify the commitment. If you have been once and are weighing a return, the answer is yes — the format rewards repeat visits, and the 10 PM taco omakase alone is reason enough to come back. Book well in advance: this is a hard reservation to land.

The Room and the Experience

Cariño sits at 4662 N Broadway in Uptown, a neighbourhood where the refined train runs overhead and the dining scene skews casual. That contrast is part of what makes the room work. The space is small and close, and the counter seats are the ones to request. From the counter, you get an unobstructed view of Chef Norman Fenton and his team moving through 12 or so courses at an energetic pace, explaining, engaging, and clearly enjoying the work. It is an interactive format — closer in feel to a chef's table at Lazy Bear in San Francisco or Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg than to the white-tablecloth remove of somewhere like The French Laundry in Napa. The intimacy is a feature, not a compromise. If you came once and sat at a table, try to get the counter on your next visit.

Cariño opened in December 2023, and the Michelin recognition came quickly , within its first year of operation. That speed of credentialing is worth noting: the kitchen did not take time to settle into its identity. The tasting menu format was the concept from day one, and the cooking reflects a program that knows exactly what it is doing.

What the Menu Delivers

The tasting menu runs approximately 12 courses and opens with a reframed version of chips and salsa , salsa verde jelly alongside a tortilla crumble , that signals immediately how Fenton approaches the format. He is working with the grammar of Mexican cuisine rather than simply replicating it. Dishes like a huitlacoche ravioli filled with earthy corn fungus, finished with sweet-corn foam and fried corn silk, or a lamb tartare tostada seasoned in the style of al pastor, show the same logic: the reference point is legible, the execution is technically demanding, and the result is something that could not exist anywhere else in the city.

The creative range is wide. A pumpernickel quesadilla with black garlic and a chicken liver taco dorado both retain the elemental appeal of their source material while operating at a different technical register. A Michelada arrived as an oyster topped with Clamato pearls and beer foam , the flavour logic of the drink translated into a bite. Spherification and nixtamalization both appear across the meal, deployed with purpose rather than for display. If you compared this kitchen's approach to Mexican fine dining against what Pujol in Mexico City does, the shared instinct is clear: deep respect for the tradition, zero interest in nostalgia as a ceiling.

For diners who have eaten at Topolobampo or the more relaxed Mexican formats around the city , Big Star, Birrieria Zaragoza, Chilam Balam , Cariño operates in a different register entirely. It is not a replacement for those places; it is a different kind of outing. The decision is not which is better but which format you want on a given night.

One note on timing: the kitchen offers a taco omakase available only at 10 PM. If you are returning and have not done this, that is the version to book. It is a late-night extension of the same kitchen's logic, and it is not available at the regular service time.

Practical Details

Reservations: Hard to book , plan at least several weeks ahead and check consistently for cancellations. Address: 4662 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640 (Uptown). Price tier: $$$$ , tasting menu format, so budget accordingly for a full evening spend including beverages. Format: Tasting menu, approximately 12 courses. Counter seating recommended. 10 PM taco omakase available separately. Awards: Michelin 1 Star (2024). Google rating: 4.8 from 108 reviews. Getting there: The Red Line runs overhead in Uptown; the Broadway address is walkable from the Wilson stop.

For a broader look at where Cariño fits in Chicago's dining options, see our full Chicago restaurants guide. If you are planning a full trip, our Chicago hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide cover the rest. For Mexican tasting-menu comparisons beyond Chicago, Alma Fonda Fina in Denver is the closest regional peer worth knowing about. For the broader US fine dining conversation, Le Bernardin in New York City and Providence in Los Angeles anchor what Michelin-starred cooking at this price tier looks like in other markets.

How It Compares

FAQ

• Is the tasting menu worth it at Cariño? Yes, at $$$$ for a Michelin-starred 12-course tasting menu in Uptown Chicago, the value holds relative to peers. The cooking is technically demanding and the format is genuinely engaging rather than processional. If you are comparing this to Chilam Balam or other creative Mexican formats in the city, Cariño is operating at a different level of ambition and price. Compare it instead to Alinea or Smyth in terms of the commitment required.
• Is Cariño worth the price? For what you get , Michelin 1 Star cooking, a 12-course menu with genuine technical depth, and counter seats that put you inside the kitchen's energy , yes. The $$$$ tier is justified by the experience density. If you want Mexican food at a lower price point, Big Star or Birrieria Zaragoza are excellent, but they are a different category of outing.
• Is Cariño good for a special occasion? Yes , the counter format, the engaged service, and the 12-course structure make it well-suited to a celebratory dinner for two. For a party larger than four, check whether the room can accommodate your group before booking; the space is small and the format is intimate by design.
• Can I eat at the bar at Cariño? The counter seats are specifically recommended and offer a direct view of the kitchen team at work. If you have visited before and sat at a table, requesting counter seats on your next booking is the single most useful upgrade you can make.
• Is Cariño good for solo dining? Yes , the counter format is particularly well-suited to solo diners. You will be part of the kitchen's conversation throughout the meal, and the tasting menu structure means there is no awkward ordering dynamic. In Chicago's $$$$ tasting menu category, Cariño is one of the more comfortable solo experiences available.
• Can Cariño accommodate groups? The room is small, which means large groups are likely difficult to accommodate. For groups of more than four, contact the restaurant directly before booking. If you need a $$$$ Chicago option that works more easily for larger parties, Topolobampo is worth considering as an alternative.
• Does Cariño handle dietary restrictions? Tasting menu formats at this level typically work with guests on dietary needs, but given the intricate, course-by-course nature of the menu , including spherification techniques and ingredient combinations like huitlacoche, lamb tartare, and chicken liver , it is worth flagging restrictions at the time of booking rather than on arrival. Contact the restaurant directly to confirm what can be accommodated.

Pearl Picks , If You Like Cariño

• Pujol , Mexico City: The reference point for Mexican fine dining at a global level.
• Alma Fonda Fina , Denver: The closest regional peer for ambitious Mexican cooking in the Mountain West.
• Dove's Luncheonette , Chicago: A more relaxed, lower-price Chicago option for Mexican-influenced cooking.
• Lazy Bear , San Francisco: Counter-format tasting menu with similar kitchen-forward energy.
• Emeril's , New Orleans: For comparison on what chef-driven American fine dining looks like at this price tier in another market.