As always, eating at restaurants in one of the greatest food cities in the world, is simply a privilege and a blessing that I do not take for granted. Standards for food and service in this city are high, and it often feels like any place you go is vying for relevance and trying extra hard to impress. There are plenty of places that fall short, and they don’t last long, but this year’s list includes some relative newcomers that I hope stick around for a long time, as well as a handful of Michelin-starred stalwarts leading the pack.

5. Daisies

Daisies was a super surprising delight to dine at this year. With a very chill, minimalist vibe, and lovely service, the restaurant is inviting and easygoing. The prices are reasonable, and their cocktails are unusual and outstanding. I declare that extraordinary Italian-inspired cuisine is making a comeback in Chicago, and Daisies really lived up to its many accolades. The pasta was fresh and the sauces divine. Appetizers were whimsical and tasty. I had a great time eating here, and I know you will too! I only wish that it wasn’t such a journey to get here from the south side! Check out everything we ate in my full review here!

4. Asador Bastian’s Bar

OK, so listing Asador Bastian on my Top 5 list for a second time in a row may be a bit of a cop-out, but this last summer, we ate not in the main dining room, but in the bar, and it was surprisingly almost better than eating upstairs! The bar takes reservations, but it’s pretty likely that you can walk in and just get a table almost anytime apart from maybe a busy weekend night. Also surprising was that, at the bar, you have access not only to the full dining room menu, but a super special bar menu with additional items not actually available upstairs like the Jamon Iberico/queso plate. Asador Bastian continues to claim all sorts of accolades landing on a ton of “best of” lists, and it continues to deserve all the praise. But at a place where reservations are tough to get, the biggest secret in Chicago is grabbing a seat at the bar here. Check out our full experience here.

3. Tre Dita

Tre Dita was one of our most recent dining experiences in Chicago, and I can still taste the incredibly fresh pasta. This restaurant is very hyped, difficult to get a reservation for, and very popular, but it, too, deserves all of the hype. I was absolutely stunned by the reminder that pasta itself can have flavor, not just the sauce you put on it, or the stuff that you stuff inside of it. Made with flour imported from Italy, the handmade pasta is delicious in its own right, and honestly we probably should’ve ordered another pasta dish instead of the steak it was just that extraordinary. That said, if you are looking for a special steak night, their cuts are well prepared and delicious, and the sides are super yummy as well – don’t skip the smashed potatoes! I can’t wait to return here to check out more from their pasta menu! Tap here to check out more details about this delicious newcomer!

2. El Ideas

I’ve been to El Ideas more times than any other Michelin-starred restaurant in Chicago, and this year, I finally was able to go back and write a review. Check it out here! This restaurant has been around since 2011, with Chef Foss hosting a dinner party for 20 of his closest friends every night for the last 15 years. El Ideas continues to fly under the radar of being one of the absolute best restaurants in this city, and I am pretty sure that they prefer it that way. It received its first Michelin star in 2013 and has maintained it ever since, which is quite a feat for such a tiny, out of the way, BYOB restaurant. It really is all about the food here, and every single dish that you will eat will be stunningly beautiful and delicious. The vibe is fun and intimate, and you really feel like something magical is happening when you’re dining here. I can’t wait to go back!

1. Smyth

Smyth was the easy winner for best restaurant experience in Chicago this year, and is quite possibly the best dinner I’ve ever had in my life to date. Recently, Brian and I were talking about our top dinner experiences of all time, and Smyth kept coming up as, if not the best, then top three for sure. Smyth is the only three-starred Michelin restaurant left in Chicago, and it’s everything that you would imagine a three star experience would be. The food is innovative and fun, the service is easygoing, yet absolutely perfect, and they go well out of their way to ensure a special experience.

I was thinking recently about an assumption that at least half of the folks who eat at these extremely expensive restaurants are probably celebrating something, and that, even with such a large number of celebrations, restaurants like Smyth are still able to go well out of their way to make each person, couple, or group feel extra special. This is truly an astonishing feat. We celebrated our anniversary here in February of 2025, and there were so many inimitable moments – a special bottle of Cognac, an extra glass of wine because they knew I liked it, an anniversary-year vintage wine – that made us feel unique, almost like celebrities.

As with so many restaurant experiences, it’s not just the extraordinary food that makes it great, but also how they make you feel. Each element adds up to combine for an out-of-this-world memory. There’s just something about unreasonable hospitality that makes the price tag of this restaurant totally worth it. Click here to read about every wonderful moment of this experience!