Plan the Ultimate Trip to Chicago With the Best Food Destinations, Hotels, and Activities

If you think Chicago’s food is all about Italian beef sandwiches, deep-dish pizza, steakhouses, and hot dogs, you are underestimating one of the world’s best food destinations. This Midwestern hub of more than 75 community areas and 200 distinct neighborhoods is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the country. Here, you’ll find the largest Polish population outside of Poland, sizable Mexican and Puerto Rican communities, and other neighborhoods created by immigrants from the Ukraine, Greece, Italy, Germany, and India, among other countries. In the last several decades, the boundaries to those neighborhoods and cuisines have softened, which is why you can find chefs offering Polish-Korean snacks, a diner serving burgers and Jordanian food, and Japanese touches on Mexican menus. Chicago is known for its Midwest-nice hospitality and chefs who celebrate the flavors of their city in wildly creative restaurants where you’ll feel welcomed, entertained, and well-fed.

Here are some of the best ways to experience Chicago’s diverse and exciting food scene as you eat, sleep, shop, and wander the city in search of the next great bite.

Essential Chicago restaurants

Creepies

French bistro dishes take on Midwestern sensibilities for the creative and delicious menu at the popular West Loop restaurant Creepies, founded by chefs David and Anna Posey. Don’t miss chef de cuisine Tayler Ploshehanski’s takes on bistro classics like the Brie-stuffed gougères, sweetbread schnitzel, leeks vinaigrette, and decadent cheese-dusted Parisian gnocchi, not to mention the classic roast chicken with a wine sauce enriched with chicken liver. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with the housemade sorbet (apple cider this fall) and soft serve.

Black Briar

With its low lighting and vintage rock art, chef Jimmy Papadopoulos’s Black Briar might be the sexiest tavern you’ve ever walked into. Snag a spot at the centerpiece bar or in a cozy deep booth and start with cocktails and snacks like the deviled eggs drizzled with prosciutto chili crisp and sourdough toast topped with wild Burgundy snails braised with fermented garlic and porcini mushrooms. The Josper grill adds smoky complexity to options like pork collar with a coal-roasted sweet potato and the improbable-sounding grilled rice, while homemade sourdough cavatelli is another standout, made with a sourdough starter that originated at The French Laundry.

Lilac Tiger

When you want to try 2026 F&W Best New Chef Zubair Mohajir’s food but also enjoy a more casual night, head to Lilac Tiger. The menu was born out of his original pop-up supper club, Wazwan, and includes longtime favorites like Tiger Fries dusted with bonito flakes and furikake, and the Tandoori Hot Chicken he prepared on Season 22 of Top Chef. Cocktails like the Chai Manhattan and Coffee Negroni are perfect accompaniments to the spice-fueled food.

Rose Mary

Joe Flamm was the chef at the renowned Italian restaurant Spiaggia when he won Season 15 of Top Chef, but when it came time to open Rose Mary, his first restaurant, he broadened his focus to the Croatian and Italian coasts. The menu features what he calls “Adriatic drinking food,” including cevapi and grilled clams with saffron butter, plus housemade pastas, grilled meats, and more seafood. Don’t miss the mafaldine with lamb ragu d’Abruzzo, Croatia’s famous squid ink Crni risotto, and the pork ribs with Calabrian chile agrodolce.

Kasama

You have options when it comes to Kasama, 2022 F&W Best New Chefs Genie Kwon and Tim Flores’ counter-service cafe and fine-dining restaurant. You can brave the long line for breakfast and lunch to get a crack at pastries, Italian beef egg rolls, chicken adobo, a kare-kare meatloaf, and the famous breakfast sandwich filled with eggs, hash browns, and longanisa sausage. Or, make a reservation for dinner, when the restaurant offers a fine-dining tasting menu with upscale versions of kinilaw and other classic Filipino dishes, including the famous ube-filled Basque cake. Either way, you win.

Virtue

A visit to Erick Williams and 2022 F&W Best New Chef Damarr Brown’s stylish restaurant is a celebration of the food of the American South and the Great Migration to Chicago, as well as a tribute to hospitality, kindness, and gratitude. Virtue’s menu changes with the seasons — be sure to order fried green tomatoes with shrimp, dirty rice with gizzards, blackened catfish with Carolina Gold rice, collards and smoked turkey, and the banana pudding that will have you questioning every other version you’ve ever had.

John’s Food & Wine

It might sound wild to say that when you visit Food & Wine’s 2026 Restaurant of the Year, you can’t miss the french fries. But hear me out. The fries at John’s are cut from Kennebec potatoes that are blanched, frozen, then fried again in beef tallow before they are served with housemade melted leek aioli. They make up the restaurant’s “Chicago Happy Meal” (topped with caviar and served with two Martinis) and are part of the tasting menu. If you get the fries, the lobster salad, and a charred sweet potato, you’ve already hit three of the most popular dishes. Add pasta and dessert, and you are set.

Daisies

Some people go to Daisies for dinner, to indulge in chef Joe Frillman’s fritto misto, rigatoni tossed with nduja, roast pork collar, and pierogi cooked in “the Champagne of beers.” Others go for lunch, for a smoked whitefish or chicken parmesan sandwich. Regardless of the time of day, very few people can resist executive pastry chef and partner Leigh Omilinsky’s pastries and desserts, especially her kouign amann and budino (pear this fall). Whatever time it is at Daisies, you can’t help but leave full.

Maxwells Trading

When Erling Wu-Bower and Chris Jung opened Maxwells Trading, they pooled the memories from their Cajun, Chinese, and Korean upbringings to inspire a menu that represents how Chicago’s food crosses cultural lines. And so, the griddle bread (a hybrid of naan and bao buns) gets dunked in creamy truffled onion dip, the clay pot mushroom rice is both tender and crispy, the blackened redfish is paired with pickled cipollini onions, and the brownies for the sundae are made with red beans and dressed with peanut fudge, bananas, and rum. In lesser hands, this kind of creativity feels messy; here, it’s just what you want to eat.

Mariscos San Pedro

Mexican seafood is the core of the menu at this playful, colorful restaurant amid the Mexican-American community in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. Chefs Oliver Poilevey, Marcos Ascencio, and Antonio Incandela welcome global influences on the menu at Mariscos San Pedro, so don’t be surprised to find crab rangoon empanadas, a Sonoran-style octopus hot dog, and a French-Mexican cassoulet filled with pork belly, chorizo, roast octopus, and tuna morcilla. Desserts like the Basque cheesecake should not be missed, and the San Pedro Carajillo, with tequila coffee liqueur, Licor 43, orange liqueur, and espresso, is an excellent way to wrap up your night.

Chicago hotels

Chicago Athletic Association

Chicago Athletic Association dates back to the 1890s and offers rooms with a boutique feel, plus seven cafes, restaurants, and bars. Get a coffee at Fairgrounds or a burger at Shake Shack, snack on chicken wings while playing pool in the Game Room, or graze on crab dip and a grain bowl as you relax by one of the fireplaces in the lobby Drawing Room. Later, hit one of the acclaimed restaurants: Options include made-to-order Japanese handrolls at Midōsuji, dining with a view at the rooftop restaurant Cindy’s, and a classic grill room meal at The Ives, where the Champagne, prime rib, and desserts are finished and served tableside.

The Hoxton

This scene-y hotel in the middle of the Fulton Market district offers multiple options for travelers ready to enjoy the neighborhood’s hot eating and drinking options. The 182 guest rooms at The Hoxton feature mid-century furnishings and floor-to-ceiling windows to help guests take in the city. Hit Cabra, 2011 F&W Best New Chef Stephanie Izard’s rooftop restaurant, for Peruvian-inspired food and drink. Cira, in the hotel lobby, offers a Mediterranean all-day menu, while Lazy Bird, tucked in the basement level of the hotel, is a sultry cocktail lounge that’s just right as the last stop for the night.

Soho House

Located in a historic building that was once a belt factory, Soho House Chicago’s decor balances industrial lines with warm colors, leather and velvet furniture, and an art collection that includes works from Damien Hirst, Theaster Gates, and Hilary Lloyd. The rooftop pool and cafe offers views of the surrounding West Loop and Fulton Market neighborhoods, and you can get a casual bite or full British afternoon tea at The Allis bar. The real culinary draw is Berenjak, the hotel’s Persian restaurant. Here, amid candlelit tables, you can enjoy housemade flatbreads and dips, grilled meat kebabs, and a gently spiced lamb and bean stew that promises to warm you up.

Sofitel

The striking modern structure in Chicago’s luxurious, tree-lined Gold Coast neighborhood is home to Sofitel. Start your day with a Parisian breakfast of pastries at CDA, and enjoy the best people-watching on the terrace if weather permits. The fireplace in the library cocktail lounge is an excellent spot from which to sip a cocktail and eat your way through a relaxed meal of steak frites, mushroom flatbreads, and macarons.

Nobu Hotel Chicago

Japanese minimalism and stunning design come together at the Nobu Hotel Chicago, where attentive service comes from a mission to share omotenashi, the Japanese spirit of hospitality. The rooftop lounge is a relaxing spot to get away from the hustle of the surrounding West Loop dining and shopping district with a glass of Japanese whiskey or other drinks and a few bites. Of course, you can and should eat at Nobu, and savor chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s tasting menu, or a few signature dishes like his famed Miso Black Cod, Wagyu Dumplings, and fluke sashimi.

The Emily Hotel

Tucked on the edge of Fulton Market within walking distance of the district’s many restaurants and bars, The Emily Hotel’s location is a particularly good one, and you don’t have to leave the hotel to eat and drink well. Sushi by Bou offers 12- and 17-course omakase service in a tiny space designed to celebrate Chicago’s legacy of 90s hip hop music. Or head to Fora for truffle arancini, spaghetti alla chitarra with a short rib ragu, and crispy chicken drizzled with spiced maple syrup.

The St. Regis Chicago

Its location at the intersection of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan gives The St. Regis Chicago unbeatable views of both waterways and a break from the sounds of the city below. Enhance that feeling of serenity by spending time in the hotel’s award-winning spa or with a pilates class. Or, find peace in acclaimed chef Evan Funke’s restaurant, Tre Dita, with a bite of pillowy focaccia or buttery grilled rib eye. Save room for Funke’s famous pastas, which you can watch cooks roll out and cut in the glass-enclosed pasta lab.

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

Just off Michigan Avenue in the middle of Chicago’s classic Magnificent Mile shopping area, the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago ensures luxurious moments at each turn. Book a table at Adorn, the hotel’s main restaurant for a quiet and personal meal; Chicagoans go for the caviar service created by local specialty food purveyor Rare Tea Cellar, and featuring caviar, chopped hard-boiled egg, housemade potato chips, crème fraîche, pickled shallots, and chives. Then, hit the late-night spa for a treatment, or request that the Martini cart stop by your room for a private cocktail experience.

The Robey

Chicago’s trendy boutique- and restaurant-filled Wicker Park neighborhood is rarely not buzzing with energy, and The Robey hotel at the center reflects that energy. This sophisticated, Art Deco-meets-industrial hotel in a landmark building that dates back to 1929 wants guests to enjoy themselves and look good while doing it. The rooftop pool and Solana, the pool bar, offers views of skyscrapers downtown and the surrounding neighborhood, as does The Up Room cocktail lounge on the 13th floor. Closer to the ground, sip tropical drinks and play games at Clever Coyote, and enjoy the all-day brunch at Cafe Robey before or after hitting one of the neighborhood restaurants.

Park Hyatt Chicago

The luxe experience at the Park Hyatt Chicago starts as soon as you enter the building, and carries through to the guest rooms, intimate lounge and sushi bar, as well as the French and Asian-influenced menu at NoMi, the elegant restaurant overlooking Michigan Avenue and Lake Michigan. If weather permits, sip Champagne or a cocktail in the garden on the hotel’s 7th floor after enjoying an afternoon in the hotel’s memorable spa.

Culinary outings and activities

Pizza City USA

James Beard Award–winning journalist Steve Dolinsky ate his way through 185 pizzas in the city and suburbs while writing his book, The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide. He is an enthusiastic guide, transporting us through the 10 distinct styles of pizza and where to eat them in Chicago. Join him and his team for a Pizza City USA tour either by bus or on foot, where you’ll spend 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours learning about what makes a pizza great and then tasting several just to drive the point home.

Related: Chicago Is the Home of 3 Pizza Styles and 1 Undisputed Topping

Chopping Block cooking classes

Whether you want to brush up on your basic knife skills, learn the art of making fresh pasta, or tackle pie dough, a cooking class at The Chopping Block is a fun way to take a Chicago food trip to the next level. Try the Chicago Neighborhood Tour cooking class, during which you’ll learn how to prepare Swedish meatballs, spanikopita, and other food specialties from the Greektown, Andersonville, Pilsen, and Little Italy parts of the city.

Violet Flame chocolate tastings

Sure, you’ve eaten all kinds of chocolate. But have you ever considered it as a wellness ritual and thought about how cacao can calm your nerves, clear your imagination, and reconnect you with yourself? Renowned chocolate expert Katrina Markoff created Violet Flame, a follow-up to her famed Vosges Chocolate, as an exploration of the connection between plants, botanicals, and the human body. Join her for a guided tasting at The Peninsula Chicago to help you align your palate with your inner purpose, and follow up on the experience with a subscription to her monthly Cacao Spiritus Club.

Cheese classes at Beautiful Rind

With its extensive retail selection and series of tastings and classes, the cheese shop Beautiful Rind is a destination for curd nerds. Join the experts here for a young versus aged cheese vertical tasting, an afternoon of pairing orange wines with orange rinds, or a deep-dive into Alpine cheeses. Or, just get advice as you decide from the menu of snacks, cheeses, salads, sandwiches, pickles, charcuterie, conservas, and breads, whether you want to eat in the cafe or take everything with you for a picnic. Beautiful Rind also offers wine, beer, cider, and canned cocktails, and expertise on how to pair cheese with any and all of those beverages.

Chicago food markets

Argyle Night Market

Thursday evenings throughout July and August are when to head to the Argyle Night Market on Chicago’s north side, in the heart of the city’s Vietnamese and Thai communities. Head to Argyle Street, between Kenmore and Sheridan, to find the weekly street festival with live music, dance performances, crafts, and bites from local restaurants like Immm Rice & Beyond and Da Nang Kitchen.

Maxwell Street Market

Maxwell Street Market, Chicago’s oldest street market, is where you can spend Sunday mornings shopping for everything from housewares to cowboy boots and crafts, and it’s home to some of the city’s best Mexican street food. The market, which dates back to the 1880s, began as a home for Polish and Jewish immigrant vendors, and has evolved to become largely Mexican and Latino. Try the Oaxacan-style red mole chicken tamales at Mi Tia Maria’s Tamales and tacos at Rubi’s, then stroll the market, picking up a horchata, chocolatey champurrado, or on a hot day, a Mexican Coke sweetened with cane sugar.

Joong Boo Market

Make sure you go to Joong Boo Market hungry, because aside from the grocery and housewares, there are plenty of snacks to be had. Pick up some Korean mandoo dumplings, ramen, chicken wings, and squid salad from the Snack Corner restaurant, then stroll the aisles to peruse Asian snacks, pickles, sauces, dumplings, seafood, and produce.

Chicago food stores

Publican Quality Meats

The retail shop in 1999 F&W Best New Chef Paul Kahan’s empire, Publican Quality Meats is a food lover’s dream. Chef and butcher Rob Levitt leads a kitchen that produces housemade charcuterie, pâte, and rillettes, as well as breakfast and lunch menus of pastries, sandwiches, soups, and salads. PQM is a great spot to pick up sauces, chocolates, preserves and other cheffy food souvenirs, plus bread by acclaimed baker Greg Wade.

88 Marketplace

If shopping for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean snacks makes you hungry, head to 88 Marketplace on the edge of Chicago’s Chinatown. Here, at one of the largest food stores in the country, you can peruse tons of fresh seafood, produce, and packaged foods before hitting the food court to eat sushi at 312 Fish Market, dumplings from A Place in Northeast, and Hong Kong-style egg tarts and barbecue pork buns at Chiu Quon Bakery. If you’re still hungry after all of that, head to the first floor for a Chinese hot pot meal at Qiao Lin and a round of milk tea at Pure Tea.

J.P. Graziano Grocery

If biting into an over-the-top Italian sandwich, snacking on salami and olives, and capping things off with a cannoli is your kind of afternoon, J.P. Graziano is the spot. The Graziano family has run this business since Vincenzo Graziano emigrated from Sicily and opened the store in 1933. Get a sandwich, plus an Italian beef kit or jar of giardiniera to take home. Keep an eye out for chefs and cooks from restaurants in the surrounding West Loop neighborhood; the store is beloved by industry regulars who head here to pick up Italian groceries for their kitchens, plus sandwiches for their staff.

Food festivals and events

Green City Market Chef BBQ

Chicago’s farmers markets are indelibly intertwined with the city’s chefs and restaurants, and there’s no better example of that connection than at the Green City Market Chef BBQ (taking place on September 9, 2027). Here, you’ll find 1988 F&W Best New Chef Rick Bayless, Paul Virant, Stephanie Izard, and Zach Engel among dozens of the best chefs in the city serving dishes featuring tomatoes, peaches, corn, and other produce at the peak of the season.

Chicago Gourmet

If you want to sample food and drink from more than 150 chefs and beverage experts, this three-day culinary festival taking place September 23-26, 2027, is for you. Chicago Gourmet hosts events including the Hamburger Hop burger competition, a Grand Cru dinner, an Asian night market, a tacos and tequila festival, plus a festival featuring food and drink stations from the likes of Lorena Garcia, Thai Dang, 2019 F&W Best New Chef Kwame Onwuachi, Tony Priolo, Beverly Kim, and Diana Dávila.

Chicago food souvenirs

Local Style Chips

Laura Gardner asked herself how a food product line could capture the soul of Chicago and founded Local Style Chips, potato chips in hot dog, Italian beef, deep-dish pizza, hot giard (what locals call our beloved condiment), and plain salted flavors. The chips quickly became the house snack during the James Beard Foundation chef and restaurant awards and have quickly become a go-to for locals and souvenir for visitors wanting to crunch down on some classic Chicago flavors.

Pickled Prince

Chefs Brian Greene and Alex Skrzypczyk founded Pickled Prince during the pandemic as a passion project that has grown into a pickle and preserve business chefs and locals seek out. They source at farmers markets in Chicago and southern Michigan for their pickles, hot sauces, Bloody Mary mixes, and preserves like peach butter made with Michigan peaches. The giardiniera and watermelon rind are keepers, and if you spot Zickles, the much-sought-after zucchini pickles available for a limited time each season, grab them.

Lillie’s Q Sauces

When chef Charlie McKenna opened Lillie’s Q, a barbecue restaurant named for his grandmother in South Carolina, the barbecue champ and fine dining chef had no idea how popular his sauces and rubs would become. His retail line of Lillie’s Q Sauces products has expanded over the years, with standouts including an award-winning tangy Carolina sauce inspired by his South Carolina upbringing.

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