Best Fine Dining in Countryside

"It’s interactive performance art — think an apple-flavored balloon that actually floats and gelatin bites that taste like a Chicago-style hot dog. Chef Grant Achatz has led the famed Lincoln Parkestablishment since 2005, earning the most elite accolades in the culinary world. Today, it’s one of 15 restaurants to hold three Michelin stars and is frequently named among the best restaurants on the planet."

"This is one of the most famous restaurants in the world, and its tasting menus can cost anywhere between $200 and $400 per person. So you definitely need to plan ahead if you want to come here. Your meal won’t just be expensive - it’s also guaranteed to be pretty dramatic (expect lots of theatrics, like edible balloons and fog machines)."

"Believe the hype and secure tickets—yes, tickets—well in advance. Chicago's most exciting restaurant demands an adventurous spirit and a serious...Read More"

"Chinese is perched curiously atop the list of cuisines that seem to resist the high-end treatment. Maybe it’s the long association with greasy delivery dishes and Chinatown dives, who knows, but it’s a shame, because the bevy of flavors seem like they would be perfect in the hands of a sophisticated chef. At least Chicago has Shanghai Terrace, which sports a luxurious atmosphere atop the Peninsula Hotel with a sublime view of city."

"Shanghai Terrace is located along the Magnificent Mile at Chicago’s premier Peninsula Hotel. This is a great Chicago restaurant for dates, especially during the summer, the outdoor patio features awesome views of the downtown skyline. It’s a pricey spot, but the food is fabulous."

"Head to Shanghai Terrace, Chicago's best spot for Chinese food in the heart of downtown. The atmosphere at Shanghai Terrace is fun and festive, ..."

"With two Michelin stars to its name, Oriole can rightly claim to be one of the finest dining establishments in the US. But you would be forgiven for not knowing that as you approach its unassuming location down an alley-like street in Chicago’s West Loop. Go inside, however, and you are introduced to a world of wonder by Executive Chef and Owner Noah Sandoval."

"West LoopThis ever-evolving fine dining experience from the muti-Michelin-starred Alinea Group has all the makings of a special night out. Always creative and dependably delicious, the ticketed prix-fixe menus highlight culinary traditions, trends, and curiosities from around the globe. The current season’s theme is Mexico City, so expect cleverly arranged plays on street food staples like tuna tostadas, shrimp aguachile, pork butt al pastor, roasted plantain cake, and more."

"Steak 48 on North Wabash Ave in River North, is a restaurant from Jeffrey and Mike Mastro of the Mastro’s Ocean Club restaurants. They are no strangers to great restaurants and thi..."

"By law, no building in Chicago can be built on the lake side of Lake Shore Drive. However, one developer found a loophole and built Lake Point Tower, one of the tallest residential buildings in the world. Up at the top, on the 70th floor, Cite’ serves up excellent French-inspired American haute cuisine."

"The french-influenced restaurant does fare a little on the pricey side, but the views of Navy Pier at night are incomparable to any other nighttime aerial view. The popularity of bookings spike on the nights when Navy Pier has fireworks."

"LoopA Chicago steakhouse with enticing vegetarian optionsYou’re probably thinking a steakhouse is no place for a plant-based diner, but Prime & Provisions offers a variety of hearty starters like the butternut squash soup or shaved Brussels sprouts salad with butternut squash, wild rice, fresno chilis, ricotta salata, and tahini vinaigrette. Opt for the blackened cauliflower steak with roasted garlic for your main course. It’s given the same TLC as the other steaks on the menu."

"McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks is located in the Loop on Wacker Drive within minutes of the Oriental Theater, the Chicago Theater, shopping, Millennium Park and some of the best hotels in Chicago. The restaurant offers some of the best seafood in the city featuring fresh seafood and shellfish, aged steaks, and garden-fresh salads. The menu features standard steak and seafood fare along with signature seafood items, a wide variety of classic drinks, trendy cocktails, wines, and beers."

"Restaurants Italian Streeterville. Nestled on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Oak Street, this Michelin-starred Italian restaurant is best known for its impeccable wine list and next-level dishes. But no one's complaining about the dining room's epic views either."

"Restaurants Contemporary American Near South Side. Chef-owner Ryan McCaskey’s South Loop fine-dining respite is a study in rich whites, a rare exercise in the restaurant as a space of tranquility and elegance. The service is perfectly orchestrated, too, with staff seamlessly ushering in each course, explaining the chef's vision and refilling water glasses."

"Restaurants Contemporary American Near South Side. After he graduated from Kendall College, chef Ryan McCaskey took a gig as a pastry chef at an acclaimed Wisconsin restaurant. These days, he's the head honcho at two-Michelin–starred Acadia in the South Loop, where dessert is an important part of his 10-course tasting menu."

"Acadia managed to retain its second-star rating despite being temporarily closed. While chef and owner Ryan McCaskey has expressed interest in reopening, the South Loop restaurant features a tasting menu and a la carte bar."

"As you wade through the sea of mediocre Chinese offerings in Chicago, it really makes you appreciate when a place can just deliver the goods, no questions asked. Anyone who has gotten too many bland limp orders of General Tso’s chicken will light up when they open up their order from House of Wah Sun: fresh, high-quality chicken in sauce that is perfectly spicy and packed with flavor. The thick hearty noodles are heaven for lo mein junkies."