The Windy City is buzzing with new restaurant activity. And while the jury is still out out on what new restaurants in Chicago will make the biggest mark on this city of foodies, there are several worthy contenders. If you’re looking to reserve a table at one of the better restaurants to open in Chicago in the last six months, consider these fashionable new eateries.
Barrio
The hospitality group responsible for Bar Siena and Siena Tavern opened this River North restaurant in July 2017. DineAmic‘s decision to work with “Top Chef” contestant Fabio Viviani proved a wise move for its Italian ventures. The same strategy seems to be working for Barrio, where “Top Chef” contestant Katsuji Tanabe runs the kitchen. Mexican cuisine with Japanese flair is what you’ll find at Barrio, a block south of AMLI River North.
Devereaux
The views from Devereaux’s 18th-story Viceroy space are reason enough to visit the new Gold Coast rooftop bar and restaurant. According to early reviews, Devereaux’s cocktails and bites are as impressive as its vistas. The new lounge’s luxurious pool is seasonal, but the rooftop bar and restaurant are open year-round. Devereaux, which opened in September, is one mile from AMLI’s River North apartments.
Forum 55
The Loop’s Forum 55, open since late October, is the latest arrival on Chicago’s trending food hall scene. Forum 55 features a mix of established and up-and-coming vendors, most with permanent eateries. These include Butcher & Larder, Flo & Santos, Friends Sushi & Ramen, Mercadito, Pork & Mindy’s, Prelude, and The Sandwich Shop.
The food hall also has two rotating vendor stations. The Apron Exchange, designed to support minority and female restaurateurs, features a new vendor each week. The other, operated by Eurest, features a different cuisine each week. Forum 55, a cash-free operation, is using a modern ordering process involving computer kiosks and patrons’ cell phones. You can also order online. Forum 55 is within 20 minutes walk’ of AMLI’s River North and South Loop apartment rentals.
Gibsons Italia
The restaurant group behind iconic steakhouse Gibsons is trying its hand at Italian cuisine in the West Loop. Gibsons Italia opened in late October, and early reviews are outstanding. Fresh pasta and Gibsons famous steaks are two reasons to visit. The three-story restaurant’s sleek atmosphere and stellar views are two others. Gibsons Italia is a 15-minute walk from AMLI River North.
HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen
The long wait for Thai and Danielle Dang’s authentic Vietnamese street food ended in July, when Haisous opened in Pilsen. Ca Phe Da, the couple’s all-day cafe serving Vietnamese coffee, bahn mi, and Danielle’s cocktails, opened next door in October.
Katana
Imported from Hollywood, Katana served its first sushi and robata-grilled fare in the Windy City in September. The upscale Marina City restaurant, celebrated for its cocktails and sake as much as its food, is a three-minute walk from AMLI River North.
Lobo Rey
Chef Daniel Espinoza started serving his signature modern tacos, tamales, fajitas, and pig trotter tostadas at Lobo Rey in September. The South Loop restaurant offers a fun patron experience in its flattop grill tables, which are ideal for fajitas and tamales. Lobo Rey is a ten-minute walk from AMLI 900 and AMLI Lofts.
Luke’s Lobster
Known for its sustainable, traceable seafood, this NYC-based lobster shack opened its first Chicago restaurant in the Loop in 2015. Luke’s Lobster’s second Chicago location, in the Merchandise Mart, opened just in time for National Lobster Day in September. The lobster shack’s standout rolls and chowder are now available just five minutes’ walk from AMLI River North.
Margaeux Brasserie
Inspired by 1920s Parisian dining, James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Mina opened the Waldorf Astoria Chicago’s newest restaurant with a bang in July. Reserve a table at Margaeux Brasserie for a dress-code-required, fine French dining experience. For a more casual experience featuring many of the same flavors, try Petit Margaeux. Both are housed in the Gold Coast’s shimmering Waldorf Astoria, less than 20 minutes’ walk from AMLI River North.
Marisol
If good food is a fine art, then Marisol fits right in at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art. The brainchild of Lulu owner and chef Jason Hammel, the gastropub has garnered rave reviews for its seasonal fare since opening in September.
Porter Kitchen & Deck
This new Loop dining destination offers first-rate cocktails and quality New American cuisine in a spacious, well-designed setting. Porter Kitchen’s dining room seats 260, while the deck has room for another 75. Porter Kitchen & Deck, a 15-minute walk from AMLI River North, opened in September.
Proxi
James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern is known for eating his way around the world on the Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods”. Proxi, a follow-up to Emmanuel Nony’s Sepia inspired by global street food, seemed a natural project for him. The long-anticipated eatery opened to favorable reception in June, and has remained one of the hottest new restaurants in Chicago. Visit for tastes of Thailand, India, Mexico, Malaysia, and the Middle East.
The Press Room
The West Loop’s hottest new wine bar offers more than an exceptional wine menu and splended, cellar-like tasting room. The Press Room’s globally-inspired food menu, curated by esteemed chef Jeff Williams, makes the bar a worthwhile dining destination. Lamb meatballs, meat pie, roast pork, and caviar complement an assortment of cheeses and charcuterie.
Somerset
The more formal counterpart to Boka Restaurant Group’s Deveraeux, Somerset opened its grand, bi-level dining room in September. The upmarket restaurant, adjacent and attached to the Viceroy Hotel, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Steak, several seafood dishes, and homemade duck leg gnochetti are among Somerset’s dinner entree offerings.
Steak 48
Chicago has its fair share of quality steakhouses. Still, the arrival of Houston-based Steak 48 this past July was enthusiastically welcomed. Its 28-day wet-aged steaks are some of the most exquisite in the city. And they’re only the star item on this new River North establishment’s inventive, broad-ranging menu. In addition to beef steaks, Steak 48 serves savory pork, lamb, veal, and seafood. Steak 48 is located next to Pizzeria Due, a ten-minute walk from AMLI’s River North apartments.
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