48 Best Restaurants in Near North and River North, Chicago

Devotees of chef Rick Bayless queue up for the bold flavors of his distinct fare at this casual restaurant brightly trimmed in Mexican folk art, where the menu changes monthly. Bayless visits Mexico frequently, updating his already extensive knowledge of regional food and cooking techniques, and he frequently takes his staff with him, ensuring that even the servers have an encyclopedic knowledge about the food. Bar Sótano, in the Frontera Grill basement, serves mezcal and agave, alongside modern Mexican bar food including Oaxacan drinking snacks.

Formerly located around the corner on North Rush Street for more than two decades, Le Colonial continues to deliver delicate and sophisticated and French-Vietnamese fare in its new location. The atmosphere is relaxed and comforting and the service is simply top-notch. 

The Magnificent Mile isn’t usually known for dining, but locals and tourists alike love the Purple Pig, a Mediterranean wine bar with an extensive wine list and many affordable wines by the glass. Adventurous eaters will revel in chef Jimmy Bannos Jr.’s offal-centric dishes, though there’s plenty for tamer palates and vegetarians here as well, along with an array of notable Mediterranean-styled desserts.

Chef-owner Rick Bayless wrote the book on regional Mexican cuisine—several books, actually—and here he takes his faithfully prepared regional food upscale. Next door to the more casual Frontera Grill, Topolobampo shares Frontera's address, phone, and dedication to quality, though it’s a higher-end room, with a more subdued mood and a menu of tasting options. 

The oldest coffeehouse in the Gold Coast pleases just about everyone with breakfast all day and nightly dinner specials.

Chef Richie Farina explores ingredients from close to home while preparing global cuisine at this sleek restaurant on the seventh floor of the Four Seasons Chicago. A six-course tasting menu is available Thursday through Saturday, and diners may choose to include a wine pairing or zero-proof pairing at an additional charge. 

If you’re finding it difficult to accommodate everyone’s cravings, Beatrix is the ultimate crowd pleaser. The restaurant offers comfort food with a healthy twist for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch; options include salads and burgers as well as larger entrées. Open early until late, the bakery churns out fresh pastries and specialty coffees in the morning before the bar crowd swings in around happy hour to sip on fresh-squeezed-juice cocktails, wines, and craft beers.

Behind and a level down from the Wrigley Building is the inspiration for Saturday Night Live's classic "cheezborger, cheezborger, cheezborger, cheeps, no fries, no Pepsi, Coke" skit. Grab a greasy burger at this no-frills grill, or just have a beer and absorb the comic undertones.

The late comedian John Belushi immortalized the Goat's short-order cooks on Saturday Night Live, barking their signature, "No Pepsi, Coke!" and "No fries, chips!" at customers, and you can still hear the shtick at this subterranean spot. The diner food is cheap and tasty, the staff is super friendly, and people-watching is a favorite sport—pop by during a break in sight-seeing or head by late-night to check out the bar.

Classic French dishes using local and sustainable ingredients have been the ethos of Bistronomic (Bistro-Economic) since it opened in 2011. Escargots, onion soup, and mains like a coq au vin served with organic Amish chicken are highlights at this cozy but elegant neighborhood favorite.

A Spanish expat from Galicia runs this tapas restaurant beloved by visiting Spaniards, local families, dating couples, and bargain chowhounds for the selection of shareable classic and creative small plates, most for under $10 and featuring a range of meat, seafood, and veggie options. This is a loud and boisterous spot, so be prepared for conviviality—but sometimes on weekends waits can stretch to hours.

There are a lot of good things to come when you enter this Tuscan-inspired restaurant, namely richly flavored pastas, an antipasto table, impeccable seafood, and meats from the wood-fired oven. The discreet, professional service softens the rustic, open-loft setting of exposed-brick walls and wood floors, while the seasonal menus keep customers coming back again and again.

Gaucho-clad servers parade through the dining room brandishing carved-to-order fire-roasted meats at this Brazilian churrascaria. Start at the lavish Market Table with an array of seasonal salads, antipasti, and charcuterie; then, using a plate-side disc, signal green for "go" to bring on the selection of meats.

Chicago movers and shakers mingle with conventioneers at Gibsons, a lively, homegrown, Gold Coast steak house renowned for overwhelming portions, good service, and celebrity spotting. Generous prime steaks and chops are the focus of the menu, but there are plenty of fish options, too. Save room for the excellent desserts and be prepared to share, since the portions could feed a table of four.

Grab a seasonal brew and watch a game on the big screen, fill up on yummy Chicago deep-dish pizza, or catch a nightly stand-up comedy act at the graffiti-covered Gino's East.

Famed Cubs announcer Harry Caray died in 1998, but his legend lives on as fans continue to pour into the namesake restaurant—where Harry frequently held court—for Italian-American specialties, prime steaks and chops, and ice-cold martinis. If you're looking for a classic Chicago spot to catch a game, the generally thronged bar serves items off the restaurant menu. You can also follow the summer crowds to Navy Pier and the Harry Caray's outpost there.

Chef Sujan Sarkar offers Chicago's only Indian tasting menu, blending French cooking techniques with the bold, beautiful flavors of India. Expect a fresh menu of playful, flavor-packed interpretations every few months challenging the way people think about Indian cuisine in America. Welcoming all appetites, the prix fixe is available in non-vegetarian, vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian menus. The sophisticated setting features pink velvet banquette and colorful artwork, while pours from around the world showcase how Indian food can be perfectly paired with a variety of wines.

Intimate and elegant doesn't make headlines, but Les Nomades quietly serves some of Chicago’s best French food in the warm dining room of this Streeterville brownstone, which has wood-burning fireplaces and original art. The carefully composed menu includes the usual suspects along with more contemporary fare—you compose your own prix-fixe dinner from the menu.

This high-end, innovative take on the traditional steak house is a natural fit for the Gold Coast. Chef Danny Grant crafts decadent dishes that appeal to high rollers, groups of friends, and date nights. Select a cut of steak or seafood cooked in the wood-fired hearth, or try the $200 “I Don't Give a F*@k” menu for a tour of the restaurant’s top dishes without having to make any decisions.

The views of Michigan Avenue from the floor-to-ceiling windows are breathtaking at the Park Hyatt’s NoMI Kitchen, a seventh-floor lifestyle-focused concept that goes along with NoMI Lounge, NoMI Garden, and NoMI Spa. The open kitchen features a locally sourced menu of modern twists on Midwestern classics, though the sushi is some of the city’s best (with fresh wasabi grated on the side).