I will be in Chicago overnight with my daughter (15 years old). We're not city folks so I'd like to take her to dinner somewhere nice that has a great view of the city. She's a pretty mature 15 (so don't recommend the Hard Rock Cafe!) but some of the restaurants with views (Everest, NoMI) sound a bit slow and stuffy.

I'm leaning towards Spiaggi but if there are non "haute cuisine" restaurants that have great city skyline views, I'd love to hear of them. Among the others, are there some that are a little less stuffy/slow than others? 1-2 hours for dinner is fine, but I've seen references to 3-4 hours, a bit much for us...

Although it doesn't always get great reviews, I always have a great time at Cite in Lake Point Tower. The views are amazing and the food, although relatively expensive, is good. The Signiture Room in the John Hancock is also good, and has comparable views with Cite.

The Signature Room on the 95th floor of John Hancock building would be my choice. You could come early and wait in The Signature Lounge at 96th. Have a drink (a virgin daiquiry for your daughter) and enjoy all around view of the city. The food is better than Cite, just make sure you pick a nice clear evening. The views will be magnificant on a clear evening.

Here is a link:

http://www.signatureroom.com/lounge.html

I would also recommend the Signature/95th restaurant for the view. Spiaggia's view is much more limited, and the prices are higher.

Sunset is currently about 6:30 p.m.; try to get a reservation for 5:30 or so to enjoy the view before and after.

Signature room or even Riva's on Navy Pier.

I'd go to the signature lounge for the view (which is hard to beat), but my dining experiences there have been just okay.

Signature Room/95th Floor is probably your best bet as a tourist. The observatory is a couple of floors away with a better view than at the top of Sears Tower, in my opinion. You'll also be walking distance to Navy Pier. Speaking of Navy Pier, I much prefer the Signature Room's atmosphere over Riva's.

NOMI, in the Park Hyatt, has a great view overlooking the Water Tower and North Michigan Avenue. The tables in the bumpout window are especially good. Contemporary French with Asian accents.