Chicago Restaurants in Chicago with Pre-theater

Aster Hall

Lettuce Entertain You's former food court has been transformed into a trendy food hall, courtesy of Brendan Sodikoff's Hogsalt Hospitality (Au Cheval, Maude's Liquor Bar, Doughnut Vault).

Haymarket Pub & Brewery

The pub and brewery date to 2010, but the building is 100 years old, at the exact location of the Haymarket Riot of 1886. The bar offers 32 brews on tap including at least 10 of Brewmaster Pete Crowley's house-brewed varieties. House-made sausages, pizzas, burgers and rotisserie chicken feature on a pub menu served until late night.

Chief O'Neill's Pub & Restaurant - Chicago

Opened in the fall of 1999 by All-Ireland musicians Brendan and Siobhan McKinney, Chief O'Neill's celebrates the Celtic music preserved by its namesake. An Irish and American menu features in the dining room and the extensive outdoor cafe.

Summer House Santa Monica

A popular brunch destination for those who work and/or live in Lincoln Park, Summer House Santa Monica is adjacent to Stella Barra Pizzeria. Both are owned by Lettuce Entertain You, and the original Summer House Santa Monica opened in Southern California.

Italian Village

Porter Kitchen & Deck

You can't beat a view like this. Located in the new 54-story skyscraper on the edge of the Chicago River, Porter Kitchen & Deck features classic American cuisine in an elegant and relaxed setting. The expansive lunch, dinner and bar selections include entrées, fresh seafood, salads and sandwiches ― including some signature items from the Four Corners restaurant group. Additionally, the bar serves craft beers, wines and classic cocktails that pair perfectly with the cuisine.

Townhouse Chicago

With its Mosaic tiling, alluring wine wall and floor to ceiling windows, this Contemporary American restaurant provides an elegant and casual feel that is ideal for lunch, dinner and cocktails.

Bistronomic, 840 N. Wabash Ave.

Paris-born chef Martial Noguier is behind this award-winning bistro showcasing the best from his homeland. Bistronomic is one of the trendy Gold Coast neighborhood's most sophisticated, under-the-radar restaurants in an area teeming with such gems.

Fireplace Inn

Since 1969, this Old Town stalwart has been serving fall-off-the-bone ribs, steaks and other American fare.

Rittergut Wine Bar & Social Club

The specialized wine lounge attracts mostly an after-work crowd looking to wind down. One of its best features is the "tasting room" where guests may sample a variety of wines and small-plate dishes.

Wow Bao - Water Tower Place

Bao, or Chinese-style steamed buns, are the focus at this Lettuce Entertain You stand, which offers the portable snacks with fillings like Kung pao chicken, Thai curry chicken, green vegetable, chicken teriyaki, spicy Mongolian beef and BBQ beef, plus a special flavor.

Nobu

Nobu Hospitality Group, which is owned in partnership by famed actor/producer/director Robert DeNiro, opened its signature restaurant as well as a boutique hotel on 12,000 square feet of property in summer 2020. The high-end, Japanese-influenced eatery boasts locations in New York, as well as Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Capetown, South Africa.

Navy Pier

Year-round family attraction on Lake Michigan features entertainment, cruises, special events, shops, restaurants, a food court, more than 50 acres of parks, gardens, rides and more.

Wow Bao - Theatre District

Bao, or Chinese-style steamed buns, are the focus at this Lettuce Entertain You stand, which offers the portable snacks with fillings like Kung pao chicken, Thai curry chicken, green vegetable, chicken teriyaki, spicy Mongolian beef and BBQ beef, plus a special flavor. Also available: rice and noodle bowls, salads and soups. Beverages include a zesty house-made ginger ale made with fresh ginger.

Waterfront Cafe

Lakefront cafe at Berger Park offers salads, sandwiches and hot dogs, with regular live music and proximity to the Coach House Theater.

Tutto Fresco Trattoria

A nice new addition to a Lakeview neighborhood that is starving for more restaurants for the locals to enjoy.

Fish Bar

The guys behind DMK Burger Bar have opened a seafood-focused eatery adjacent to DMK. The market-price Maine lobster roll and oyster po' boy sandwich are the stars of the menu at Fish Bar.

Park Grill

A full-service restaurant in Millennium Park, Park Grill offers fresh takes on American classics and a view of ice skaters all winter. In warmer weather, its al fresco counterpart, The Plaza at Park Grill, features an outdoor international grill and 350 seats out in the park. Park Cafe, meanwhile, serves up sandwiches and other grab-and-go fare.

Raised: An Urban Rooftop Bar

In 2016, the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel unveiled a cool little indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge called Raised. It's named as such for a couple of reasons. It draws inspiration from the "raising" of the iconic bridges lining the Chicago River as well as the concept of urban gardens, utilizing "raised" garden beds to grow their harvest in an urban environment.

The Promontory

The guys behind Michelin-starred Dusek's and Longman & Eagle bring their magic touch to the South Side. The Promontory is their contribution to the Hyde Park neighborhood, and it's located in the center of the area's action at 53rd Street.

Tack Room

Drawing inspiration from the 1890’s, when every local Czech tavern owner had a carriage house, John Dusek had one of his own at Thalia Hall.

Bar at the Peninsula Chicago

Located on the terrace level of Peninsula Chicago, Z Bar overlooks the Magnificent Mile. The cocktail lounge is a luxurious experience, offering upscale, unique cocktails, a raw bar and an occasional celebrity sighting.

Schubas Tavern

This brick and masonry neo-Gothic tavern was built in 1903 by Schlitz Brewery. Chris and Michael Schuba bought the building in 1988, and undertook extensive renovation including restoring the 30-foot Brunswick mahogany bar, tin ceilings and walnut wainscotting in the bar room, and a full makeover of the back music hall where today Schubas presents a diverse line-up of live music seven nights a week.

Acanto

Located next door to his highly regarded The Gage restaurant, Billy Lawless' Acanto is a completely different concept from its predecessor. It's Italian focused for one (The Gage is Irish inspired), and the wine selections are much more curated for a well-defined list.

Francesca's Bryn Mawr

Traditional Italian fare such as pastas, pizzas and roasted meats served in comfy but polished digs.

Trattoria Gianni

Location, cuisine and atmosphere just are not enough to save this place. If the theater's moved this would be the first corpse. Am I being clear... THIS PLACE SUCKS!

Proxi

Through a fresh and innovative American lens, Proxi, a sister restaurant to Partner and Executive Chef Andrew Zimmerman’s Sepia, scours the most culinary-rich corners of the globe to inspire a menu that celebrates the bold flavors of multicultural street foods through pristine ingredients.

Café Ba-Ba-Reeba

Chicago's first tapas bar is still going strong. Drop in for sherry and a pre-theater nibble at happy hour or stay for a wide variety of tapas or larger meals, including paella. A variety of special events, such as flamenco dancing and art talks, feature regularly.

Boleo

There's a hot Latin party popping off in the bustling Financial District. That's at Boleo, the yearround rooftop South American-inspired cocktail lounge at the Kimpton Gray Hotel.

Foodease Market

It's a wine bar, retail store and everything in between. FoodEase also offers an expansive list of wines by the glass, including red and white on tap.

Lyric Opera: Florian Opera Bistro

Lyric Opera Chicago ticketholders can stop into this casual, a la carte eatery in the opera house for pre-opera dining, post-show drinks and desserts, and nibbles at intermission. No reservations required.

Hutch

Hutch was conceived based on two ideas; people want to be comfortable where they eat and what they eat and drink has to be cravable.

Petterino's

Harry Caray's Tavern - Navy Pier

Opened in March 2010, this is the newest tribute to the late Cubs sportscaster, who reigned over Chicago's airwaves for more than 30 years. Diners can enjoy favorites from Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse as well as Harry's signature Holy Cow! Burger

The Palm Court

The elegant Palm Court is at the heart of the historic Drake Hotel, which is located in the pristine Streeterville neighborhood on Chicago's Near North Side. The highlight of the space is a limestone fountain with a 275-year-old giant bronze urn as its centerpiece. Most locals head here for the daily high tea offering, but there's so much going on at this venue throughout the year.

The Walnut Room

In the Iate 1890s, the very first restaurant in a department store was opened. The Walnut Room was born to feed the hungry shoppers who needed to fuel up between power shopping. One employee's famous chicken pot pie helped launched the phenomenon, and it can still be found on the menu today with its original recipe.

Harry Caray’s 7th Inning Stretch/Chicago Sports Museum

This Harry Caray's location sets itself apart from the others--and it's not just because it's located on the seventh floor of Water Tower Place. Half of the venue is dedicated to the Chicago Sports Museum-

Russian Tea Time

This old out of date Chicago restaurant has stopped impressing locals and international tourists alike. In fact it needs to go the way of the USSR.

CH Distillery

Chicago's first distillery/cocktail bar hybrid can be found in the West Loop. As guests sip on cocktails made with CH Distillery's own gin, vodka and whiskey, they will be able to watch as workers make the products.

Vol. 39

Overlooking the bustling foot traffic in the Financial District, Vol. 39 positions itself as an upscale cocktail lounge to wind down in after a hectic day at the office. Its vibe is meant to resemble a traditional law library, with plenty of leather-bound books throughout the space and low-slung leather chairs and banquettes on which to settle down.

Cindy's Rooftop

The scene-y rooftop lounge and restaurant is located on the 13th floor of the Chicago Athletic Club Hotel. Its biggest draw is the view, of course, which includes Millennium Park, Grant Park, Michigan Avenue and Lake Michigan.

SteakBar

A collaboration between Four Corners Tavern Group & Brendan Sodikoff's Hogsalt, SteakBar is located in Old Town. The multi-level restaurant is on the more casual side opposed to the higher end steakhouse options that have opened around town of late, with cocktails on draft, steak nachos and Fireball-infused Old Fashioneds.

Tesori

Adjacent to Chicago Symphony Center and across the street from the Art Institute, Tesori highlights Mediterranean cuisine with a strong focus on Italian ingredients and French technique.

Andies Restaurant

Mediterranean dishes are some of the most flavorful, fresh and varied cuisines in the culinary canon and one of the most healthy styles of eating in existence.

Revival Food Hall

This massive collective from the team behind 16" On Center (Longman & Eagle, The Promontory, Punch House, Moneygun) plays up some of Chicago's top original concepts. Miniature versions of 15 restaurants are situated in a 24,000-square-foot marketplace called Revival Food Hall, which is on the ground floor of The National, a restoration of a historic 1907 Daniel Burnham-designed 20-story building.

Salero

Modern Spanish cuisine is re-interpreted at the sparkling Salero by the team behind popular Lakeview eatery Wood. Guests will find an extensive selection of pinxtos--the Basque region's equivalent of tapas--plus sherry, Spanish wines, gins, sangria and more behind the bar.

Niu Japanese Fusion Lounge

This expensive club like sushi bar opened in August 2007, this spacious pan-Asian eatery in the River East right next door to the AMC Theatres

Lyric Opera: Sarah and Peer Pedersen Room

Lyric Opera of Chicago ticketholders can dine before the opera at this prix-fixe restaurant offering an American contemporary menu from George Jewell.

Cherry Circle Room

Rooftop bar Cindy's gets all the attention because it overlooks Millennium Park, but Cherry Circle Room is the true star of Chicago Athletic Association Hotel. It's tucked away on the second level of the restored property, which was a men's only club for a number of decades after opening at the turn of the 20th century.

BOKA

Contemporary American fare with seasonal ingredients are at the forefront of this Lincoln Park stunner, the restaurant that put Boka Restaurant Group on the map.

Steadfast

Steadfast brings an innovative, ultra-seasonal, chef-driven restaurant concept from The Fifty/50 Group to The Kimpton Gray Hotel. Through collaboration between Executive Chef Christopher Davies and Executive Pastry Chef Christopher Teixeira, an adventurous menu blends seasonality and creativity with balanced characteristics of the two talented chefs.

Atwood

Contemporary interpretations of classic American cuisine, served in a richly decorated Art Deco room inside the Loop's Hotel Burnham. The structure, the 1895 Reliance Building, designed by architects Danial Burnham,

Formento's

Gone is the throwback southern Italian-focused menu in favor of modern, northern Italian fare at this cheery eatery in the heart of the West Loop neighborhood.

Yoshi's Cafe

Opened in 1982, Yoshi's remains a local favorite for its creative, globally influenced fare and friendly atmosphere.

Bellemore

Another notable product of Boka Restaurant Group (Boka, Girl & The Goat, GT Prime, etc.), Bellemore aims to be yet another shining star in the West Loop corridor.

Oyster Bah

One daily happy hour event that's for the entire family is at Oyster Bah, which offers free meals for children when adults purchase discounted oysters. That occurs 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

Offshore

Marisol

The Gage

Steps from Millennium Park, The Gage serves upscale comfort food, fine wines, boutique beers and whiskeys amid a vintage decor. The tavern is situated in a group of three buildings collectively known as the Gage Group that were built in 1889–1890 by Holabird & Roche for the millinery firms of Gage Bros. & Co., Theodore Ascher & Co. and Edson Keith & Co.

Duck Duck Goat

Before celebrity chef Stephanie Izard opened her third restaurant, she extensively traveled throughout China so she could properly pay homage to one of her favorite cuisines. The executive chef/partner of Girl and the Goat and Little Goat had already found much success in her previous projects with the Boka Restaurant Group, so she already had a built-in audience.

Adobo Grill (Old Town)

Beginning with a choice of dozens of tequilas and tableside guacamole, these lively restaurants feature carefully researched regional dishes from all over Mexico, creatively prepared by Freddy Sanchez

Rivers

The Kitchen American Bistro

The Kitchen American Bistro aims to take the communal-dining concept one step further in what they've dubbed "community through food." The downtown Boulder, Colo.-based restaurant opened in 2004 and brought an outpost to Chicago in 2014.

Nonnina

From the talented team behind Chicago’s acclaimed Piccolo Sogno comes Nonnina, featuring classic and modernized takes on beloved family recipes. Partners Tony Priolo and Ciro Longobardo brought in Executive Chef/Partner Chris Macchia and longtime Piccolo Sogno team member Ricardo Brizuela as General Manager/Partner.

Sepia

Sepia’s approach to modern American cuisine is unpretentious and understated. There are three areas in which to dine: in the main dining room, a circular, semi-private dining section for about 14, and the spacious front-room lounge.

DMK Burger Bar

Michael Kornick and David Morton's eco-friendly eatery features a number of chef-driven burgers made with grass-fed beef, naturally raised turkey and veggie patties promising to actually taste good.

Utopian Tailgate

The restaurant group behind The Fifty/50, Roots Pizza and a growing list of neighborhood favorites has opened Utopian Tailgate in Old Town. It's in the same building as Second City, making it an ideal dining and drinking destination before and after shows at the iconic improv comedy venue.

Pizza Capri - Lincoln Park

Fast casual Italian food. Made fresh to order. Available for pick up and delivery. Catering also available all over Chicagoland!

The Dearborn

The Lawless family is quietly building a restaurant empire in Chicago. First came The Gage, which paid tribute to their deep Irish roots. Then The Dawson, Acanto, The Dearborn, Beacon Tavern and Coda di Volpe.

Orso's

Old-world, old-school Italian fare is the specialty at this over-sized restaurant in the Old Town neighborhood. Summers are Orso's busiest months as its massive patio is a big draw during warmer months.

Grafton Pub and Grill

Traditional Irish pub offering signature burgers, a big whiskey menu & Irish-American folk music.

One North Kitchen and Bar

One North Kitchen & Bar puts a new spin on the downtown brasserie and wine bar. Mahogany and slate flooring, deep leather booths, flagstone walls, floor to ceiling windows and an open kitchen come together to welcome you into a sophisticated, yet casual atmosphere.

Ramova Grill & Taproom

The original Ramova Grill opened in 1929; in 2012,it closed; in 2024, it was reborn as Ramova Grill & Taproom.

Cervecería Cruz Blanca

The West Loop lays claim to more celebrated chefs than any neighborhood in Chicago. There's Grant Achatz, Stephanie Izard, Curtis Duffy, Bill Kim, John Manion, Paul Kahan and Sarah Grueneberg. And most recently, in 2016, Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo) opened not one, but two restaurants in the area.

La Cantina Italian Chophouse

Italian Village dining room with a large wine cellar & fish tanks, plus steak, seafood & pastas.