Setting a restaurant within the Art Institute of Chicago's Modern Wing leads to heightened aesthetic expectations, and Terzo Piano meets every one. A bright white room with clean lines befitting a Malevich composition is comfortably scattered with ta..

In a sprawling set of historic buildings directly opposite Millennium Park, The Gage provides refuge from the teeming Michigan Avenue crowds—and has abundant room to hold them all. Clubby leather booths and celadon-tiled columns bring decorum to this..

A restaurant with prime Michigan Avenue real estate likely doesn't need to fuss too much since foot traffic is guaranteed, but Henri has established itself as an elegant and charming hideaway on this otherwise tourist-clogged stretch. Charcoal walls ..

Class and elegance drift through the striking bi-level dining space, where luxurious rose banquettes, soaring ceilings, and a gorgeous mezzanine create an air of sophistication. Knowledgeable, tuxedo-clad servers rapidly fire off daily specials, thou..

Gold-curtained windows, sculptural sconces, and warm wood accents leave a striking impression at Atwood Café. The refined setting plays up its location in the Reliance Building-one of the first modern skyscrapers that now houses the Hotel Burnham-wit..

Within the venerable Italian Village restaurant family, Vivere is the relative spring chicken of the group, with only two decades on the job compared to its sibling's 85 years of tradition. The third-generation owners keep the experience as sparkling..

Pick up the phone before stepping in to Trattoria No. 10, since reservations are an absolute must at this clubby, cozy, and inviting spot. Located below street level, this charming place feels a world away from the hustle and bustle, but take a look ..

Urban and rustic come together in a cool marriage at Custom House Tavern, conjuring a modern, minimalist lodge on the ground floor of the Hotel Blake in the South Loop. Stacked gray stone, multiple levels of banquette seating, and polished woods crea..

Inside the Blackstone Hotel, find this colorful Catalan eatery. The sweeping dining space features orange banquettes, mosaics, a brightly tiled open kitchen, and tables facing large windows that bring Grant Park views by day, sultry twilight by night..

Forget you're entering a JW Marriott and pretend you're living la dolce vita instead, while ascending a grand double spiral staircase to the second floor of the historic Continental & Commercial National Bank Building. A spacious, high-ceilinged r..

The name makes perfect sense, once you have ascended the forty floors of the Chicago Stock Exchange to this dramatic view of the city skyline. But, regardless of how the market performs, Everest is always up. Naturally, on a clear night window tables..

Well-heeled business executives and informal tourists flock to this chic and urbane penthouse bistro in the new Lakeshore East development on the north end of Grant Park. Under a pale arched ceiling and dangling lacy black umbrella lampshades, full-l..

Elegant but unpretentious, Brasserie by LM-the casual sibling of LM, the long-loved and relocated Lincoln Square darling-aims to comfort and please. Traditional bistro décor goes modern here with persimmon walls, stylized chalkboard wall menus, and c..

Deep-dish, thin-crust, or stuffed, Chicagoans love their pizza no matter how it is sliced and Bella Bacinos, one of four in the city, dishes up some fantastic pizza with top ingredients. It all started over 30 years ago when Dan Bacin decided to thro..

While mighty steakhouses may be a favorite among Chicagoans, this babe (of the famed national chain) sits gorgeously on the Chicago River bank, and thus, lures all. Inside forever loved Smith & Wollensky, find handsome décor details like dark wood fu..

If you've got curry on your mind but not a lot of money in your wallet, make your way to Chicago Curry House for an affordable and satisfyingly spicy Indian and Nepali lunch buffet in a white tablecloth setting, just a few blocks west of Grant Park. ..

Besuited business lunchers-those harried denizens of the FiDi-pile into this corporate echo chamber and hunch around white linen-topped tables to chow down and shrug off work worries for a brief hour. When the weather behaves, the cubicle-bound rush ..

As the signature restaurant of the Trump International Hotel & Tower, Sixteen spares no expense in creating a dramatic impression. Propitiously, all elements unite sumptuously and effortlessly. Gracious hosts glide guests past the 900-bottle glass-en..

It's a wine store! It's a cheese shop! It's a restaurant! No, it's all three and much more inside this perennially popular downtown spot. The entrance of the cavernous multi-level space doubles as a specialty market with affordably priced bottles and..

Take the elevator by the Clark Street bridge down to this riverside dwelling. When the sun is warm, Chicagoans clamor for Bridge House Tavern's spectacular tree-lined patio, exquisitely defined by the hum of cars crossing the bridge above and its com..