Best Fine Dining in DuPage County

"The cuisine is a lesson in mastery, but also a blend of modern science and practical magic. Air-filled balloons are edible, senses of taste, touch, smell are tested, mental and emotional boundaries are pushed. The menu, an ever-shifting chameleon, is a reflection of the wizards in the kitchen, led by chef Grant Achatz himself—no two meals are ever alike."

"Chicago's lone three-Michelin-starred restaurant, helmed by the great chef Grant Achatz. Why we love it: Arguably Chicago's finest fine dining restaurant, Alinea is as focused on the experience of having a meal as it is about what you consume. Settle in for an evening of deconstructed dishes, billowing dry ice and edible balloons filled with helium."

"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"

"Shanghai Terrace is a top-voted principal Chinese Restaurant in Chicago according to Zagat Survey. The restaurant in the premises of hotel ensures to provide and serve freshly made Cantonese sandwiches aboard the 1930s supper club décor, or out on The Terrace with spectacular skyline views and beverages. Diners can measure into the enchanting surroundings of this restaurant and savor identifying cookery, always honored together with the AAA Four Diamond Award."

"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."

"Along with promising some of the best Chinese food in Chicago, Shanghai Terrace also boasts some of the best views. From both the seasonal terrace and main dining room on the fourt..."

"Restaurants Contemporary American West Loop. Situated off the beaten path of Restaurant Row, just east of the Kennedy Expressway, Oriole didn't fall for the traditional trappings of a Michelin-starred restaurant. The cozy, understated dining room is just as welcoming of suits and LBDs as it is of T-shirts and jeans."

"It’s one of only two restaurants in Chicago to receive the 2-Michelin star designation. It also boasts a AAA 5 Diamond rating. Oriole is located in Chicago’s bustling West Loop neighborhood."

"Restaurants Eclectic West Loop. To dine at Grant Achatz’s followup to Alinea is a rare—and rarefied—opportunity to submit yourself to a very specific vision of what great dining might look like. That vision changes every three months, from French fare to Italian staples to modern plates that don’t even look like food."

"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."

"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..."

"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."

"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."

"Southern comfort at this Burbank Cafe ranges from barbecue to Tex-Mex, including ribs, po' boys and fried chicken, but the pulled pork is one of the true standouts. It cooks for 12 hours in a garlic-infused achiote paste before spending another hour in the smoker. After being shredded and getting doused in pan juice, it's ready to be served."

"Flub A Dub Chub's Hotdog Emporium is a small, family-owned, good ol' Chicago dog shop. Customers can get fries or tots with their Flubby (100 percent Vienna Beef) or Chubby (quarter-pound grilled Vienna Beef) dog. Not much beats the perfect simplicity of this hole-in-the-wall spot."

"Most Popular: The Flub BLT ($7) or Chicago’s Best BBQ Pulled Pork Hot Dog ($9). Here’s a confession. Flub’s is probably the most overlooked, best-kept secret in all of Chicago."

"Probably the most modernized bakery on this list, Floriole quickly rose to the top after its inception. This Lincoln Park bakery in Chicago is beautifully designed and even features a relatively large cafe area where you can sit and enjoy your pastry. The bakery is specifically European-style, featuring wines and beers to accompany your sweets, and plenty of coffee."

"The Edison Park neighborhood bistro Café Touche serves generous portions of authentic French cuisine in a light, bright space. Its lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch menus cover the c..."

"Chicago locals with a taste for Polish cuisine – or for great cuisine in general – love Staropolska for its hearty Eastern European classics. The Logan Square venue is a bright spa..."

"This Irish stalwart in prime real estate downtown is where it's at for people in the Loop or walking down Michigan Avenue. Impeccably run with a beautiful design, the Gage is always a massive hit for after-work drinks and great Irish food, and a mix of tourists, professionals, and people taking in downtown attractions."

"Ask anyone for recommendations and they’ll likely already have a list of their favorites locked and loaded. That’s what makes narrowing down the best brunch spots in the city so hard. It’s nearly impossible, but you’ll never go wrong with these classics."

"But I would recommend stopping by here after a long day of shopping for a drink and the crab cake!"