IL · Fancy
The 10 best fancy restaurants in Chicago.
The birthday restaurant is the one people cite for years. That is the bar. Not the balloon. Not the complimentary dessert. The meal. Harry's list is ranked by Harry Score, and when you're paying for the scene, the card says so.
Chicago has no anxiety about being fancy. The West Loop tasting-menu circuit is genuinely competitive with anywhere in the country — Randolph Street alone has changed what Americans expect from a restaurant meal. Alinea is the obvious reference. What surrounds it is equally serious.
What earns the price
Expensive ≠ good. Harry has opinions.| Top two price tiers | Only restaurants priced in the top two tiers. The price tier Harry falls back to when a source says nothing is the second-lowest, so every place here is priced high by a real source. |
|---|---|
| Harry Score 75+ | A higher floor than Harry's other lists: at these prices the room has to be clearly better than fine. Critic coverage feeds the score, so a Michelin or broadsheet trail counts. |
| No warnings | Anything Harry rates a tourist tax or a false economy is out. A room that's mostly paying for the scene can stay if the food scores, and its card carries that verdict. |
Harry's ten — Chicago
Ranked by Harry Score.- 01Oriole
american · modern-european — 661 W Walnut St, Chicago
4.8 across 654 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; named by Michelin Guide and World's 50 Best.
Occasion WorthyHarry
98
Worth It
80
- 02Ever Restaurant
1340 W Fulton St, Chicago
4.8 across 483 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; named by Michelin Guide and World's 50 Best.
Occasion WorthyHarry
95
Worth It
78
- 03Alinea
american · modern-european — 1723 N Halsted St, Chicago
4.6 across 3.0k Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; named by Michelin Guide and World's 50 Best.
Occasion WorthyHarry
94
Worth It
78
- 04Boka
american · modern-european — 1729 N Halsted St, Chicago
4.7 across 2.1k Google reviews; named by Michelin Guide and World's 50 Best.
Occasion WorthyHarry
93
Worth It
77
- 05EL ideas
american — 2419 W 14th St, Chicago
4.8 across 416 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; named by Michelin Guide and James Beard Foundation.
Occasion WorthyHarry
93
Worth It
77
- 06Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio
italian — 1020 W Madison St, Chicago
4.7 across 2.8k Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; named by Michelin Guide and World's 50 Best.
Occasion WorthyHarry
91
Worth It
78
- 07Sepia
american · modern-european — 123 N Jefferson St, Chicago
4.5 across 3.5k Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; one Michelin star.
Occasion WorthyHarry
90
Worth It
76
- 08Girl & The Goat
american · seafood — 809 W Randolph St, Chicago
4.5 across 11k Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide.
Occasion WorthyHarry
89
Worth It
77
- 09Indienne
indian — 217 W Huron St, Chicago
4.6 across 816 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; named by Time Out and Michelin Guide.
Caveat: You're getting an experience. Whether you needed it is up to you.
Paying for the SceneHarry
88
Worth It
75
- 10Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
seafood · steak-house — 60 E Grand Ave, Chicago
4.8 across 5.9k Google reviews, and Tripadvisor lands in the same place; praised by Travelers Choice (Tripadvisor Travelers Choice 2025).
Occasion WorthyHarry
88
Worth It
75
How this list is built Restaurants across Chicago in the top two price tiers with a Harry Score of 75 or more. Nothing Harry rates a tourist tax or a false economy. Chains with several branches get one entry. Ranked by Harry Score. No restaurant pays to appear. Scores last recomputed .