Neighborhood Drinking and Dining

Chicago neighborhoods are packed with hot spots for a fun night out. Meet new people, try different cuisines and share in the fun that lies beyond downtown.

Ethnic Cuisine

Our ethnic neighborhoods offer a virtual United Nations of dining choices.

• Chinatown is just five minutes south of downtown on the CTA Red Line.
• Greektown is a 15-minute walk west of the Loop.
• 18th Street, the heart of the Pilsen neighborhood, is lined with high-quality Mexican restaurants.
• Along Devon Avenue in Rogers Park, you’ll find Jewish delis and some of best Middle Eastern and Indian restaurants in town.
• Great Italian restaurants are all over the city, but some of the biggest concentrations are near the UIC campus along Taylor Street in Little Italy and on Oakley Avenue near Cermak Road in Little Village.
• Polish restaurants abound along Milwaukee Avenue in the Logan Square and Jefferson Park neighborhoods.
• Excellent soul food is available at South Side restaurants such as Army & Lou’s, 422 E. 75th St. in Chatham, and West Side restaurants such as Edna’s, 3175 W. Madison St., in Garfield Park. 

In Chicago you can find Afghan, Ethiopian, Cajun, Persian, Vietnamese, Guatemalan, Peruvian, Bohemian and Lithuanian food – and much more.

Neighborhood Dining

Of course, not all neighborhood restaurants feature ethnic food. Many of them offer outstanding “American contemporary” fare that receives high marks from the city’s hard-to-please reviewers. You can easily run up a $100 tab for two at places like Sola, (3868 N. Lincoln Ave.), in Lincoln Square, and Spring, (2039 W. North Ave.), in Bucktown, and it’s well worth it.

On the other hand, Chicago’s neighborhoods have plenty of high-quality, low-cost eateries that have been popular for decades, like Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap (1073 W. Vernon Park Pl.), Gio’s Café & Deli (2724 S. Lowe St.), Top Notch Beefburgers, (2116 W. 95th St.), and the Gale Street Inn, (4914 N. Milwaukee Ave).

Bars and Clubs

As for socializing – Chicagoans like to have a good time, and our neighborhoods have a bar or club for every taste.

•  Wrigleyville, near Clark and Addison streets, is full of sports bars, along with some funky lounges and clubs.
• Just to the east, around Halsted and Roscoe streets in Boystown, is a lively gay scene. 
• Bucktown and Wicker Park attract a chic younger crowd who keep up with current trends in music, cocktails and fashion.
• Roscoe Village has a lively party scene, as well.
• Rhythm & blues fans will be attracted to the clubs around 87th Street and Stony Island Avenue in South Chicago.
• And if you’re just looking for a comfortable place to have a beer, a sandwich and some conversation – there are great places all over Chicago, from the Hopleaf Bar (5148 N. Clark St.) in Andersonville to Chief O’Neill’s Pub (3471 N. Elston Ave.) in Avondale to Cork & Kerry (10614 S. Western Ave.) in Beverly.
• Other bars with great beer lists include:
  • Kuma's Corner (2900 W. Belmont Ave.) in Avondale
  • Map Room (1949 N. Hoyne Ave.) in Bucktown
  • Cooper's (1232 W. Belmont Ave.) in Lakeview
  • Mitchell's Tap (3356 S. Halsted St.) In Bridgeport

A reminder: Parking is at a premium in many of these neighborhoods. So for your convenience as well as your safety, we urge you to take advantage of our excellent public transportation system and our many taxicabs.

Featured NEIGHBORHOOD

 Hyde Park & Kenwood

Home to the prestigious University of Chicago and the Obama family, the south side’s Hyde Park and Kenwood neighborhoods are dotted with the historic architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe. The neighborhood also includes a few of the city’s best southern comfort and soul food restaurants—some frequented by the President-elect himself.

Chicken pot pie and macaroni and cheese are among the home-cooked delicacies served at Valois Cafeteria (1518 E. 53rd St.), where regulars like Obama go to get a hearty meal for under $8. Rajun Cajun (1459 E. 53rd St.) may be the only soul food/Indian restaurant in the nation—pair your fried chicken with a side of saag paneer for an unexpectedly delicious combination.

When you’re in the mood for gourmet pizzas, fresh-baked pastries, or a fudge-banana-nut milkshake, stop by the largest restaurant in Hyde Park, The Medici on 57th (1327 E 57th St), where guests are invited to scrawl their names across the walls.  More formal menus can be found at the classic French La Petite Folie (1504 E. 55th St.), featuring an all-French wine list. Piccolo Mondo (1642 E 56th St.) serves traditional Italian fare at reasonable prices, while Cedars Mediterranean Kitchen (in Kimbark Plaza, 1206 E. 53rd St.) offers both vegetarian favorites like eggplant stew and flavorful meat specialties like pomegranate ribs.