The 10 best restaurants in River North
This guide covers 10 River North restaurants, from an Italian beef counter on Orleans Street to a Michelin-starred Indian tasting menu on Huron Street. It is written for people who live or work between the Chicago River and Chicago Avenue, and for visitors staying in the hotels west of Michigan Avenue who want a good meal within walking distance.
The picks lean toward places with a long run in the neighborhood or steady praise from local critics, and they cover a wide spread of prices. Lunch at the beef counter or the family Italian room sits at the cheap end. The top end is a $155 tasting menu before drinks, or a dry-aged steak priced by the pound. Most dinners fall in between, with entrees and shared plates mostly in the $20 to $50 range.
How we chose
A restaurant earned a spot with steady praise from independent local outlets plus either a long run in River North or a dated honor, such as a Michelin star or a James Beard Award. Every pick was confirmed open in November 2026 through the restaurant’s own site or city inspection records, along with recent local coverage, and every address sits between the Chicago River and Chicago Avenue, west of Michigan Avenue. National chains are out, and no restaurant group has more than two places here. The list is unranked and runs in alphabetical order.
Hours and prices below come from each business and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.
Asador Bastian
Chefs Doug Psaltis and Hsing Chen cook over live fire at Asador Bastian, a Basque-inspired steakhouse in the 1883 Flair House on Erie Street. Steaks are listed by breed and origin, dry-aged and sold by the pound or by the cut, and the grill also handles fish such as turbot al pil-pil at $86 a pound. Pintxos cost less: tortilla española is $16 and the black truffle beef tartare is $34. When the dining room is full, try the bar room, open daily from 4 p.m. to midnight.
Hours: Dining room Sun-Wed 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Thu-Sat 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.; bar room daily 4 p.m. to midnight
Address: 214 W Erie St, Chicago, IL 60654
Why they made the list
- The World’s Best Steak Restaurants named Asador Bastian the top steak restaurant in North America for 2025, ABC7 Chicago reported.
- The San Miguel, a hand-cut bone-in steak just under a pound, is $73.
- Burnt Basque cheesecake is $17 on the dessert menu.
See the full directory listing
Club Lago
Printers and paper salesmen in the Smokey Hollow warehouse district were the crowd Gus and Ida Lazzerini set out to feed when they opened Club Lago at Superior and Orleans streets in 1952. The menu still runs on red-sauce and Northern Italian standards: spaghetti with meatballs or meat sauce, baked mostaccioli, chicken Marsala and veal saltimbocca. Seventy-four years with one family in charge is the reason for the spot here. For a faster lunch, the panini list includes an Italian beef or sausage sandwich and a sub called The Gus.
Hours: Mon-Thu 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; call for Sunday hours
Address: 331 W Superior St, Chicago, IL 60654
Why they made the list
- Francesco Nardini, the founders’ son-in-law, took over in 1980, and his sons GianCarlo and Guido run the restaurant now.
- A neighboring building’s chimney crashed through the roof in March 2009, and the restaurant reopened that October, Barga News reported in 2010.
- Reservations are booked through the restaurant’s website, which also handles catering requests.
Crying Tiger
A golden tiger over a dark green tiled wall greets diners at Crying Tiger, the Southeast Asian restaurant chef Thai Dang opened with Lettuce Entertain You in October 2025 at Hubbard and Dearborn streets. The menu ranges across the region, with prawn toast at $21, wagyu short rib khao soi at $28 and a 45-day dry-aged ribeye for two to four people at $125. Time Out Chicago’s reviewer suggested the main dining room for a kitchen view and the bar for a more intimate meal.
Hours: Mon-Thu 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.; call for Sunday hours
Address: 51 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60654
Why they made the list
- Time Out Chicago gave the restaurant five out of five stars in an October 16, 2025 review.
- Clay pot lobster pad Thai is $48, and grilled sticky rice is $5 on the sides list.
- A 3.5% surcharge is added to every check, and staff will remove it on request.
Ēma
Hummus and spreads anchor the menu at Ēma, a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant where chef partner CJ Jacobson cooks Mediterranean small plates in what the company calls a lighter California style. The menu is built for sharing: a table can start with spreads and a raw dish such as hamachi with almond and fresno chili ($23.95), then move on to kebabs served with basmati rice. Lettuce also runs Ēma locations in Glenview and Austin, Texas. Doors open at 11 a.m., so the Illinois Street room works for a weekday lunch.
Hours: Mon-Thu 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; call for Sunday hours
Address: 74 W Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60654
Why they made the list
- Classic hummus with paprika and vegetable crudité is $13.95, and the lamb ragu hummus with spicy harissa is $21.95.
- Kebabs run from $19.95 for grilled halloumi to $32.95 for grilled Oishii shrimp.
- The restaurant’s page links to a service for reserving a nearby parking spot ahead of time.
Frontera Grill
Regional Mexican cooking has filled the Clark Street dining room at Frontera Grill since 1987, when Rick and Deann Bayless opened the restaurant after a long stay in Mexico researching their first book. Moles and wood-grilled meats for tacos carry the menu. The Bayless restaurant site lists a 2007 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant and says most of the dining room is seated first come, first served, so arrive close to opening time.
Hours: Tue-Thu 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Sat 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Mon
Address: 445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
Why they made the list
- Enchiladas de mole are $28 and guacamole with chips is $20 at dinner.
- Happy hour starts at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and at 2:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
- Valet parking is available, and there is a heated patio.
See the full directory listing
Gene & Georgetti
The Georgetti half of the name belongs to Alfredo Federighi, nicknamed after an Italian cyclist, who opened Gene & Georgetti with Gene Michelotti on Franklin Street in 1941. The steakhouse still pairs steaks and chops with Italian-American plates such as sausage and peppers and spaghetti with meatballs, backed by a long wine list and a full bar. An 85-year run earns the place on this list. Book ahead, since reservations are required and tables are limited to an hour and a half.
Hours: Sun-Thu 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Address: 500 N Franklin St, Chicago, IL 60654
Why they made the list
- Valet costs $15, cash only, and starts at 3 p.m. daily.
- Italy’s Marche Ospitalità Italiana program certified the restaurant for service quality in 2022, according to the restaurant’s site.
- Lunch starts at 11 a.m. every day, and carryout runs until 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
See the full directory listing
Gilt Bar
Upholstered walls and low amber light set the tone at Gilt Bar, a Hogsalt restaurant that opened on Kinzie Street in 2010. The kitchen sticks to American classics meant for eating at the bar, and The Infatuation’s River North guide, updated in October 2026, points diners to the tenderloin steak tartare and the wood-roasted chicken. The drinks list runs to classic cocktails and wines from around the world. Walk-ins can order the full menu at the bar, a good bet on nights when reservations are gone.
Hours: Sun-Thu 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Fri-Sat 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Address: 230 W Kinzie St, Chicago, IL 60654
Why they made the list
- Reservations open 21 days ahead, with each new date released at 9 a.m.
- The Library at Gilt Bar keeps separate hours and opens at 5 p.m. daily.
- Valet parking starts at 3:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at 2:45 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Indienne
Modern Indian tasting menus earned Indienne a Michelin star in 2023, a year after chef Sujan Sarkar opened the restaurant on Huron Street. Dinner in the dining room is $155 for the non-vegetarian or pescatarian menu and $135 for the vegetarian or vegan one, with a $95 wine pairing or a $70 spirit-free pairing. Dishes change with each new menu; early 2024 brought a blackberry pani puri in a buckwheat tart. For a lower-cost visit, the bar takes walk-ins from 5 p.m. for small plates and drinks.
Hours: Mon-Thu 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Fri-Sat 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Sunday
Address: 217 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
Why they made the list
- The star made Indienne the city’s first Indian restaurant to earn one, Time Out Chicago reported on November 8, 2023.
- Online reservations cover parties of up to six, and larger groups book by email.
- There is no valet; the restaurant points diners to street parking and nearby lots.
See the full directory listing
Mr. Beef
Joseph Zucchero, a former grocery-store butcher, opened Mr. Beef on Orleans Street in 1979, and the counter still sells Italian beef, Italian sausage and hamburgers. Christopher Storer, a longtime customer and friend of Zucchero’s son, used the shop as the model for the beef stand in the FX series The Bear, and FX built a replica of the kitchen on a Chicago studio set. The Infatuation’s River North guide, updated in October 2026, lists the shop as cash only and closing at 4 p.m., so plan on lunch and carry bills.
Hours: Check current hours before you go.
Address: 666 N Orleans St, Chicago, IL 60654
Why they made the list
- Business picked up after The Bear premiered, Zucchero told NPR in 2022.
- Joseph Zucchero died on March 1, 2023, at 69, and his son Chris had co-owned the restaurant with him, TheWrap reported.
- A second counter under the Mr. Beef name opened in Concourse B at Midway International Airport in March 2026, ABC7 Chicago reported.
See the full directory listing
Tanta
Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio, whose group runs more than 70 venues in 10 countries, is behind Tanta, a Grand Avenue restaurant built around cebiche, with skewers and pollo a la brasa also on the order. Jesús Delgado has been executive chef since 2015. Both The Infatuation and Time Out Chicago include the restaurant in their River North roundups. For a cheaper visit, the bar runs a happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.
Hours: Mon-Fri 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Sat 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Sun 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Address: 118 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60654
Why they made the list
- Acurio received the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, according to Tanta’s team page.
- Delgado joined Acurio’s company in 2005 and moved to Chicago in 2012 as the restaurant’s executive sous chef.
- Reservations are taken by phone at (312) 222-9700 or online through the restaurant’s site.
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