The best restaurants in the Loop

On the surface, Chicago Athletic Association is a stunning historic hotel conveniently located across the street from Millennium Park. But once inside, you'll realize the building is home to some stellar restaurants and bars. Looking for sprawling views, family-style plates and top-notch cocktails? Head upstairs to rooftop restaurant Cindy's. If it's a steak and martini you're after, book a table at Cherry Circle Room. There's even a Shake Shack located on the first floor of the hotel for all your late-night burger cravings. Better yet, book a room and stay a while.

Soak in the beautiful views from an oasis decorated with more than 600 living plants and antique furniture to create a lively space inspired by the styles of France, Morocco and Italy. DJs add to the vibe by playing music from around the globe. The adventurous spirit extends to the menu, which includes Lebanese-style roasted lamb with pickled seasonal vegetables and scallop crudo, plus bottles of sangria and natural wine.

Consider this expansive Loop food hall a collection of the city's best neighborhood eats under one roof. An impressive 16 food vendors include Dimo's Cafe with pizza, The Fat Shallot with stacked sandwiches, Aloha Poke Co. with fish-filled bowls and Gemma Foods with pasta. Stop by for the Off the Record happy hour at Revival Bar featuring DJs, specials and giveaways. The space also regularly hosts pop-up activities including yoga classes, wine tastings and vintage shopping.

If you're looking to impress a client or take advantage of having mom and dad in town for the evening, Prime & Provisions is worth your consideration. The posh, new-age steakhouse specializes in beef, hearty sides, decadent desserts and strong drinks, though there are plenty of salads and a blackened cauliflower “steak” with roasted garlic so vegetarians don’t feel left out. If you really want to splurge, the restaurant offers three cuts of Wagyu.

José Andrés’ globe-trotting interpretation of a steakhouse pulls out all the stops to impress, making it the perfect spot for a special occasion or if you’re looking to close a deal. Boasting beautiful views of the Chicago River and a menu that you'll have to take some time to pore over, this collaboration with the Gibsons Restaurant Group will make carnivores very happy. From steaks sold by the pound to whole suckling pigs (available with a 24 hour notice), the menu at Bazaar Meat goes big. Try to save some room for the unique delicacies on offer, including fluffy cotton candy foie gras and a “taco” made with jamón ibérico, caviar and gold leaf. Paralyzed by indecision? Treat yourself to the tasting menu.

Whether you’re in the mood for dim sum—let’s face it, we’re always in the mood—or mouthwatering Chinese barbecue, MingHin Cuisine satisfies. Stop by the restaurant’s Loop location for dim sum favorites like siu mai, shrimp dumplings and barbecue pork buns all day long, but leave room for the cracklin’ Macau-style pork belly and fresh seafood offerings.

A classy choice for the symphony set and couples looking to indulge, this institution proves excess is best. Slide into a cozy booth and start the assault with classic borscht, sour cream-slathered dumplings and caviar blini. Follow up with creamy beef Stroganoff or oniony, nutmeg-laced, ground beef-stuffed cabbage rolls. Finish up with honey cake accompanied by a superb selection of teas. Be sure to order a flight of house-infused vodkas (horseradish, black currant tea, coriander and more). 

Former food truck chefs Amy Le and John Keebler blend their childhood food memories at this Asian-Latin fusion restaurant in the Loop. The lunchtime favorite serves imaginative dishes like the chorizo egg rolls, which are stuffed with chihuahua cheese and served with jalapeno aioli. No order is complete without a few Bacos (a.k.a. bao tacos): Choose from flavors like guajillo pork, panang chicken curry and soy-ginger tofu.

Billy Lawless nailed the gastropub with this Michigan Avenue hit. The whiskey list is lengthy, beer options reach beyond the basics, and wines are accompanied by clever, straightforward descriptions. The food is rich and aggressively flavorful, from the perfect-for-snacking Scotch egg to the Gage venison burger, served a juicy medium-rare and dripping with melted onions, fire-roasted jalapeno and white cheddar.

Sure, Cafecito's sides of black bean soup, tostones and croquettes de jamon are flavorful, but there’s no confusion over the star of the show: The Cubano’s crusty bread is toasted just right, its roast pork juicy, its pickles thick, and its mustard and gooey cheese plentiful. And once it’s devoured, only a potent café con leche will keep you from calling the café’s comfy couch home for the day.

There are plenty of places for hot pot in the city, but none are as luxurious as Wagyu House by the X Pot. The immersive, all-you-can-eat experience features imported seafood and purebred A5 wagyu beef flown in fresh from Japan daily, in a space with 360-degree projections, thematic soundscapes, robot servers and a 5D spectrum dining room that engages all five senses. The restaurant also offers yakiniku, traditional Japanese barbecue that involves grilling meats tableside.

A contemporary brasserie set within the Pendry Chicago hotel (inside the famed Carbide & Carbon building), Venteux turns out traditional French delicacies such as steak frites and French onion soup alongside less conventional options like duck and waffles. During the day, a cafe with 40-foot windows looking out on Michigan Avenue serves a smaller menu of elevated breakfast and lunch offerings to hotel guests and passersby.

Whether you're looking for a pre-theater snack at the bar or a new weekend brunch option, The Dearborn has you covered with its versatile menus and sprawling dining room. Go casual with a burger and fries or turn things up with rich options like foie gras curry poutine, porcini-crusted ribeye or house-made Parmesan gnocchi. Try to save room for dessert or grab an order of triple chocolate chip cookies to bake at home.

Owner Brad Rubin scoured the country to research this Jewish deli/diner. His pastrami is tender, fatty and full of flavor; the milkshakes are thick and oversized; matzo balls are enormous; and the brisket is good enough that any grandmother would want to claim it, Jewish or not.

Sibling spot to The Gage and The Dawson, Acanto offers excellent Italian fare just steps from Millennium Park. Start with a cheese plate, which comes with an array of accompaniments, before moving onto well-executed pastas, fritto misto and bistecca. End with the smoothest, creamiest gelato in town.

This casual Mediterranean spot showcases an impressive array of dishes that cater to both meat lovers and vegetarians alike. From succulent kebabs—the iskender is a standout–-to crisp falafel and creamy hummus, everything that hits the table at Bereket is a delight. Make sure to complement your meal with some bread, whether it be the lamb-topped lahmacun or a pide.

Set inside an old Chicago Fire Department firehouse, this steakhouse is steeped in history. The menu leans on classics like jumbo shrimp cocktail, wedge salad and Prime cuts of beef, all of which are best enjoyed with an old fashioned. The space boasts multiple rooms, including a solarium and patio, making it an ideal place for private parties.

Lunch isn't a snore at Brightwok Kitchen, where build-your-own bowls are the main attraction. Simply choose your sauce (Thai basil, creamy cashew, chili coconut curry and more), base (rice, noodles, greens), protein (chicken, steak, tofu, veggies) and vegetables and top it off with 'shrooms, a crispy egg or housemade sweet potato fritters. The menu is gluten-free, dairy-free and peanut-free, making it a vibrant option for health-conscious folks who don't want to sacrifice taste.

There's something about a homemade grilled cheese sandwich that takes us back to simpler times, which might be why we're constantly flocking to Gayle Voss's restaurant inside Block 37. Order from a menu of cheesy creations, including our personal favorite, the Southport, which is crammed with Prairie Pure butterkase cheese and smoked onion marmalade from Southport Grocery and Cafe.

Prepare to get messy at this seafood boil spot where you can design your own bag packed with shrimp, mussels, crawfish, snow crab, sausage, corn and potatoes and customized based on your preferred heat level and flavor profile. Cool your mouth with a side of garlic noodles or just add them to the pile and cover them with more of the thick “everythang” sauce made from butter, garlic and Cajun seasoning. Lowcountry also has locations in Lakeview and Chinatown.

Channel the East Coast over your lunch hour at Luke's, where the menu includes sea-kissed delights like creamy clam chowder and a killer lobster roll. Sample a little bit of everything when you order Luke's Trio, which includes a half lobster roll, half crab roll and half shrimp roll.

Explore Catalan fare in this gorgeous Michigan Avenue space, which is popular for date nights, happy hours, and big group celebrations. Tasting menus for $60-$75 per person offer eight or 10 courses ranging from simple pan con tamate to mussels steamed in Spanish beer. Add on a pitcher of sangria or a gin & tonic made with hibiscus syrup. The restaurant offers a “valet and play” package where you can stash your car for hours after your meal, giving you the day free to explore downtown.

With a falafel joint on every corner, the Loop is competitive territory in which to open a Middle Eastern restaurant. Fortunately, Naf Naf is a veritable lion, a place whose creamy falafel, juicy chicken shawarma or crispy chicken schnitzel can easily go head-to-head with any existing quick-serve spot in the city. The secret to the success: exceptional condiments and the just-out-of-the-oven pitas (rolled and baked on site).

Leather booths and chandeliers bring old school elegance to this Theater District staple located within the historic Roanoke Building. The menu centers on rotisserie and hearth-roasted fare like prime rib with horseradish while the drink list emphasizes old fashioneds and flights of bourbon and Scotch. Come for boozy brunch and enjoy blood orange mimosas paired with a prime rib hash skillet.