Best restaurants in Chicago 2026: 15 tables worth booking

The best restaurants in Chicago in 2026 come down to 15 addresses, from the city's only three-star dining room to a US$68 Vietnamese tasting menu in Pilsen. If you book one table first, make it Smyth, which topped North America's 50 Best Restaurants in May.

Chicago eats in two registers. There is the tasting-menu city of the West Loop and Lincoln Park, where the Michelin Guide counted one three-star, four two-star and more than a dozen one-star restaurants in its 2025 selection, and there is the neighbourhood city of beef stands, taquerias and pizza that we mapped in our guide on what to eat in Chicago. This list of the best restaurants in Chicago covers the first register and borrows from the second where a cheaper table deserves the booking.

Prices are per person for the main menu, before drinks. In the United States tax and a tip of around 20 % usually come on top, so budget accordingly.

In Chicago, the best-value star is a US$115 Middle Eastern menu, not a US$495 show.

Best restaurants in Chicago to book first: Smyth, West Loop

John Shields and Karen Urie Shields hold Chicago's only three Michelin stars, and in May 2026 Smyth was named No. 1 on North America's 50 Best Restaurants, up from fourth place on the first edition in 2025. The cooking leans on a partner farm and an in-house lab for sprouted grains and vinegars.

The Smyth menu costs US$420 and the longer chef's menu US$550. The kitchen has a new head chef, as we reported when Smyth named Conor Dalton. Bookings open on Tock.

Alinea, Lincoln Park

Grant Achatz's restaurant, open since 2005, lost its third star in November 2025 and is still the most theatrical meal in the city. Three formats run in parallel: the Salon from US$365, the Gallery at US$435 and the Kitchen Table at US$495, all prepaid on Tock.

Oriole, West Loop

Noah Sandoval's two-star room turns ten in 2026, and you still reach it through a former freight elevator. The dining-room menu costs US$325 and the kitchen table US$375. It is the most consistent of Chicago's long tasting menus and books on Tock.

Ever, Fulton Market

Curtis Duffy's two-star restaurant at 1340 W Fulton serves an eight-to-ten-course menu for US$325 in a dark, quiet room that feels a long way from the Fulton Market bars outside. Precise, almost austere cooking: book it for technique rather than spectacle.

Kasama, Ukrainian Village

Tim Flores and Genie Kwon moved up to two stars in 2025 with a Filipino tasting menu at US$325, plus US$195 for the pairing. By day the same address works as a bakery and café, which is the cheapest way to taste why it is on every list of the best restaurants in Chicago.

Feld, Ukrainian Village

Jake Potashnick opened Feld at 2018 W Chicago Ave in June 2024, won a star and a green star in 2025 and the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes in June 2026. Diners sit at a communal counter over the kitchen; the menu costs US$225 on Tock.

Topolobampo, River North

Rick Bayless's fine-dining room at 445 N Clark has held a star for years and, after a spell in the test kitchen, brought its Yucatán tasting menu back into the main dining room at the end of August. Menus ran at US$165 to US$185 in late 2025; check the current price when you book.

Cariño, Uptown

Norman Fenton opened Cariño at 4662 N Broadway in December 2023 and earned a star with Latin American cooking built around masa, chiles and Midwestern produce. The 12-to-14-course menu costs US$200 and the chef's counter US$225. Fenton was a James Beard finalist in 2026.

Esmé, Lincoln Park

Jenner Tomaska and Katrina Bravo run a one-star room that works with local artists on each menu. Eight to ten courses cost US$265 midweek and US$295 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Indienne, River North

Sujan Sarkar's starred Indian tasting menu at 217 W Huron costs US$135 in its vegetarian or vegan version and US$155 with meat or fish, for seven courses. One of the few starred menus in the city designed for vegetarians first. Book on Resy.

Galit, Lincoln Park

Zach Engel's Middle Eastern restaurant at 2429 N Lincoln Ave keeps its star with a family-style four-course menu at US$115: salatim and hummus first, then shared mains, with a list of Middle Eastern wines. The best value among the starred tables.

Elske, West Loop

David and Anna Posey opened Elske at 1350 W Randolph in December 2016. The one-star tasting menu costs US$140, and the courtyard fire pit makes it the obvious booking on a cold night.

Mako, West Loop

B.K. Park's starred omakase at 731 W Lake St costs US$225, with a US$100 deposit credited to the bill and a US$110 wine and sake pairing. Book on Tock; seats go fast.

Daisies, Logan Square

Joe Frillman's pasta and vegetable restaurant at 2375 N Milwaukee holds a Bib Gourmand and a green star. The set menu costs US$45 for three courses or US$60 for four, the best price-to-quality ratio on this list.

HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen, Pilsen

Thai Dang serves a three-course family-style tasting menu of up to nine dishes for US$68, with a US$42 drinks pairing. No star, but proof that the best restaurants in Chicago are not all in the West Loop.

Frequently asked questions about the best restaurants in Chicago

Which restaurant in Chicago has the most Michelin stars? Smyth, with three, is the only three-star restaurant in the city. Alinea, Ever, Kasama and Oriole hold two each.

How far ahead should I book? Smyth, Alinea and Kasama release tables on Tock and fill quickly; plan three to four weeks ahead. Galit, Elske and Daisies can often be booked the same week.

Is there a good starred meal under US$150? Yes: Galit at US$115, Indienne from US$135 and Elske at US$140, all before tax and tip.

Where are the newest openings? Fulton Market, where we have covered AMARA's Balkan mezze and Black Briar this year.

How we chose

We started from the Michelin Guide Chicago 2025 selection and North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2026, dropped places that have closed since, such as Atelier in Lincoln Square in May 2026, and added two cheaper tables that earn their place. Prices and addresses were last checked against restaurant and booking pages on 30 September 2026.