The Time Out Chicago blog team

Two of Chicago’s most celebrated chefs just brought a splashy new seafood-focused restaurant to one of the city’s architectural landmarks. RECOMMENDED: These four Chicago bars were just named some of the best in all of North America On May 6, chefs Rishi Kumar and Zubair Mohajir—the duo behind Bucktown favorite Mirra—opened Mariela inside the Reliance Building in the Loop, bringing an ambitious, all-day coastal menu to the ground floor of the Staypineapple hotel. The restaurant pulls inspiration from coastal cuisines around the world, weaving together flavors from Southeast Asia, Mexico, the Mediterranean and beyond. That globe-spanning approach mirrors the chefs’ own backgrounds: Kumar grew up in Singapore, while Mohajir was born in Chennai and raised in Doha before building a string of acclaimed Chicago restaurants. If Mirra fused Indian and Mexican cooking into one of the city’s buzziest dining rooms, Mariela lo oks to do the same for seafood on a global scale. The menu includes dishes like seafood arroz negro with octopus and scallops, tom yum aguachile with poached prawns, seafood kebab tacos layered with grilled octopus and seafood chorizo, plus chili crab agnolotti topped with smoked trout roe. The restaurant also serves breakfast and lunch, with offerings ranging from saffron-cardamom French toast to lamb shawarma wraps and fried cod sandwiches. Beverage director David Mor (Mirra, Lilac Tiger) has built a cocktail list inspired by coastal regions and classic hotel...

The nostalgic charm of the Northwoods is officially arriving in River North. Episcope Hospitality, the powerhouse team behind local favorites like Layla & Ringo’s and Marshall’s Landing, has announced the reopening of the iconic Motel Bar at 600 West Chicago. It's going to look a little different, however, as the space is being reimagined as a classic Wisconsin-style supper club. Drawing inspiration from the "dependable menus and nostalgic rituals" of the Dairy State, the new Motel Bar aims to be a sanctuary of comfort in the heart of the city. The design prioritizes a lived-in feel, featuring low lighting, rich wood tones and vintage Midwest photography that evokes the spirit of a lakeside lodge. Whether you're tucked into a cozy booth or sitting at the lively central bar, the atmosphere is unpretentious, complete with a standing piano and dart boards to add a social vibe. The menu is designed as a love letter to supper club traditions. You'll enjoy the quintessential hospitality of complimentary relish trays before diving into hearty traditions like slow-roasted prime rib carved to order, a garbage salad and a Friday night fish fry. Of course, no supper club experience is complete without a specific brand of mixology. The beverage program leans heavily into Wisconsin nostalgia too, with a spotlight on the Brandy Old Fashioned. For those with a sweet tooth, the bar will serve boozy, blended ice cream cocktails like the Grasshopper and Brandy Alexander—the perfect...

If you’ve ever tried to make sense of Chicago’s skyline from street level by craning your neck between glass towers and historic facades, you already know it’s a lot. Which is exactly why one particular river cruise keeps topping “best of” lists—and now it has the official bragging rights to prove it. The Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise aboard First Lady has just been named one of the best experiences in the U.S. in Tripadvisor’s 2026 Travelers’ Choice “Best of the Best” awards, a ranking based on millions of real reviews from travelers. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a 90-minute trip down the Chicago River, past more than 50 landmark buildings, narrated by architecture obsessives. The guides are trained docents from the Chicago Architecture Center and get into the why behind the skyline: why the buildings look the way they do, who designed them and how the city rebuilt itself (and then kept reinventing itself). You’ll pass heavy hitters like the Willis Tower, the hulking Merchandise Mart and the twin corn-cob towers of Marina City. There’s an open-air deck if you want the full wind-in-your-hair moment, plus a climate-controlled cabin for when Chicago weather inevitably does its thing. Either way, you’re not stuck squinting from the sidewalk—you’re right in the middle of it. Travelers seem to agree this is the move. The tour holds a near-perfect rating, with reviewers repeatedly calling out the guides for being both deeply knowledgeable and unexpectedly...