It’s no secret that Chicago restaurants boast delicious food, signature drinks and premier customer service. In late 2019, several Chicago restaurants finally got the recognition they deserve. We are pleased to bring you details about Chicago restaurants who earned Michelin stars. Now is the time to reserve your seat for these Chicago hotspots that know how to serve up the best eats in Chicago.
Alinea
Creativity is one of the many reasons this popular Chicago restaurant has maintained Michelin star status for years. Drawing in foodies with its New American tasting menus, Alinea in Chicago takes creativity to the limit with its presentation and taste. What makes this Chicago restaurant unique is that diners can experience three different experiences. From the Kitchen Table that offers a high-end Chicago dining experience to the Gallery Menu that features a 16-18 course menu and the Salon Menu with 10-12 courses, you can expect to leave Alinea amazed and full.
Oriole
Boasting the need for though-provoking dining experiences, Oriole in Chicago delivers just that. This Michelin star Chicago restaurant in the West Loop takes the Chicago fine dining experience to the next level. With a menu that offers delicious varieties and pairings of royal oestra caviar, sablefish, capellini and mangalica, you can expect to find the Chicago dining experience both high end and scrumptious.
Smyth
Combining a rustic-chic venue with high-end wine and New American fare pairings, Smyth has gained popularity as “the” Chicago restaurant. This fine-dining Chicago restaurant strives to express ‘farm on a plate’ with three distinct menu options that vary based on daily visits to the farm.
Blackbird
Located at 619 West Randolph Street, Blackbird is known for its elegant and imaginative midwestern cuisine. It’s no wonder this Chicago restaurant earned a Michelin star with its chef selections that include chanterelle mushroom porridge, dry aged squab and bar harbor mussels. From crumbed skate wing and chicken sausage to whole wheat tortellini and prairie breeze cheddar, prepare to be impressed with the presentation and taste at Blackbird, a fine dining Chicago restaurant.
Yugen
2019 was a first for Yugen, a contemporary Asian, high-end Chicago restaurant, receiving its first Michelin star. Located at 652 W. Randolph Street, Yugen has built a reputation as a fine dining restaurant in Chicagooffering 5- and 10-course tasting menus that include scrumptious dishes such as crab rice, seaweed salad, okara agnolotti and miyazaki wagyu. Make your reservation now at this popular Chicago restaurant to experience the taste of high-end Chicago cuisine.
The honor of earning one, two or three Michelin stars in Chicago is quite an accomplishment. Most notably is that in 2019, many of the chefs at these high-end Chicago restaurants were locals. You can’t go wrong with many Chicago eateries, but when you want to see the best of the best, stop in at one of these Chicago Michelin star restaurants. Check back often for even more Chicago dining establishments.
Note: Blackbird and Yugen recently closed their doors, victims of the pandemic. We are sad to see them go.