Your Chicago Restaurant Week 2023 guide to the best deals

The first restaurant in the Boka Restaurant Group empire hasn’t lost a step since opening almost 20 years ago. While the Michelin-starred experience typically comes with a high price tag, you can enjoy a four-course dinner for $59 during Restaurant Week. The meal will start with a choice of hot and cold appetizers, such as dry-aged beef tartare and duck leg ravioli, before transitioning to entrees like Icelandic cod and grilled pork collar. Desserts include a winter citrus creation with coconut yuzu sorbet and almond, and guests can tack on wine pairings for an extra $40.

Lettuce Entertain You’s Aba is always a bustling spot and its Restaurant Week brunch menu should only bring in more crowds. For $25, you’ll begin your day with a cocktail or glass of wine. Pick a spread or mezze to snack on as you await your main, which includes options like short rib shakshouka and grilled chicken kebabs. It’s the perfect way to leave the Chicago cold behind and escape to the Mediterranean region for a few hours.

Many folks visit this iconic and longstanding Chicago spot for its steaks, but don’t let the absence of beef deter you from the great deal that’s offered during the day. Priced at $25, Gene & Georgetti’s lunch menu boasts some of the restaurant’s signature dishes, such as the garbage salad and the boneless chicken alla Joe. You’ll also get a sweet treat like tiramisu or Italian cookie gelato to cap off the meal.

This sleek new spot has become a haven for oenophiles and those seeking an elevated experience on the South Side. The $59 Restaurant Week dinner menu is a good opportunity to see what all the buzz is about—you’ll get to try Spanish cod fritters, a winter beet salad, skirt steak or watermelon steak that’s been cured, smoked and seared, plus affogato sorbet with sparkling wine for dessert.

Chef Jenner Tomaska and his wife Katrina Bravo blend art with fine dining at their lauded Lincoln Park restaurant Esmé. But for a more relaxed and affordable experience, diners can drop into Bar Esmé and sit down to a $59 dinner that presents housemade Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and elevated plates like wagyu pithivier.

Don’t want to make any decisions at all? Then let Thai Dang and the team at HaiSous feed you a Vietnamese feast. The celebrated Pilsen restaurant will offer a family-style menu that commences with jicama salad and chopped chicken served with toasted rice crackers. The main dishes include braised chicken, rice noodle salad and roasted wild mushrooms, while whipped banana cream serves as the sweet ending.

Lincoln Park’s Geja’s Cafe has been one of the most intimate and romantic spots in town for more than 57 years. So if you want a special night out without breaking the bank, the fondue restaurant’s $59 dinner menu should definitely be on your radar. Kick things off by dipping breads, fruits and veggies into a pot of gruyere fondue. The entree course features beef tenderloin, chicken breast or gulf shrimp with assorted veggies, followed by a dark Belgian chocolate fondue to finish.

Most Restaurant Week menus are pretty limited so if it’s options you’re looking for, head to Piccolo Sogno. The Italian standout offers at least four choices per course on its lunch and dinner menus. You can feast on nonna’s meatballs swimming in tomato sauce, pappardelle with wild boar ragu, four-cheese ravioli, flaky millefoglie and much more.