Few events on the Chicago calendar have the impact of Chicago Restaurant Week. This 17-day celebration of the best this city’s iconic culinary scene has to offer enters its 17th year in 2024 and 400 restaurants across the city are participating. With options for brunch, lunch, and/or dinner, diners can explore new restaurants with a prix-fixe menu for a set price at participating restaurants from January 19th through February 4th.
Now, 400 restaurants can feel overwhelming. Where do you start? What do you eat? Do you double down on some of your familiar favorites or use this as a chance to explore a restaurant or neighborhood you have on your list? That’s where we come in. We’ve narrowed down the list to 10 of our favorites.
Take a gander and reserve your time now at one of UrbanMatter’s choices for the 10 best deals for Chicago Restaurant Week 2024.
Frontier
West Town | 1072 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
Chef Brian Jupiter’s West Town concept, Frontier, is bringing their game-meat forward smoke & fire concept to CRW with a three-course menu for $59/pp that features smoked wagyu ribs, lamb empanadas, and a delicious peach pie jar with a spiced oat crumble. If you’ve ever experienced a Chef Jup special then you know your taste buds are in for a flavor-packed meaty treat.
Le Sud
Roscoe Village | 2301 W Roscoe St, Chicago, IL 60618
Le Sud is the hidden gem of Roscoe Village and this year they’re presenting a three-course mediterranean dinner for $42/pp. Diners can choose one small plate, one large plate, and a dessert for their Chicago Restaurant Week 2024 experience; and our suggestion is to make sure you get yourself the moroccan lamb meatballs and thank us later.
Lost Reef Lounge
Lakeview | 964 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
Lost Reef is a dominant cocktail bar with some pretty damn good food. Now, normally that wouldn’t make for a must-try for Chicago Restaurant Week, but hear me out — their $25/pp brunch option is offering a Mezcal-cured Lox & Bagel and that has me immensely interested. Not to mention, their lobster roll is delightful and is offered on both the brunch and dinner menus.
Segnatore
Humboldt Park | 1001 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
Segnatore offers a four-course prix-fixe menu for $59/pp that includes their unique spin on arancini with the cacio e pepe arancini loaded with delicious pecorino. This Humboldt Park eatery is cozy and delicious and offers a wonderful menu of wines to pair with your restaurant week experience.
Cedar Palace
Lincoln Park | 655 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
Situated right across the street from Lakeview High School and Oz Park, Cedar Palace is a cozy, yet incredibly authentic Mediterranean restaurant serving up home cooked family recipes. This is a restaurant we recommend for both restaurant week and, well, just about every week.
Mercat a la Planxa
South Loop | 638 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605
Mercat a la Planxa is offering a $25/pp brunch option or a $59/pp dinner option featuring their Catalan-inspired tapas with a view that overlooks Grant Park. Looking for a restaurant week option with a few friends coming in town that are looking for a full Chicago-type experience? This one is for you.
Barcocina
Lakeview | 2901 N Sheffield Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
West Town | 1814 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
Barcocina’s locations are offering the same $42/pp deal for CRW this year and there’s one reason (well, many but one that I want to highlight) for its inclusion in this list — their Bang Bang Shrimp Taco is available for Restaurant Week. It’s the freakin’ good and I’ll bang bang (full pun intended) the drum for it whenever I have that chance.
Rose Mary
West Loop | 932 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60607
Rose Mary exploded onto the scene a few years ago and has never looked back. It’s a love story told by former Top Chef-winner Chef Joe Flamm and is an ode to his Italian roots. The stracciatella alone is worth coming for. There isn’t much to be said about Rose Mary that hasn’t already been said, but it’s forever a recommendation for those who haven’t had the chance to try it yet.
Parachute
Avondale | 3500 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
Parachute’s offerings for Chicago Restaurant Week 2024 are a bit different than what you might be familiar with. It is still $59/pp for dinner, but dishes are shared family style. Normally, that might throw people off given the price point but Parachute is the preeminent restaurant in the city when it comes to Korean-American cuisine and when you take a look at the CRW menu, you’ll understand quite quickly that you’ll get more than your money’s worth in food.
Demera
Uptown | 4801 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
Ethiopian food. Let me say that louder for the people in the back — ETHIOPIAN FOOD. You don’t see much Ethiopian cuisine and for that I say, “FOR SHAME!” Demera in Uptown is hands down one of the best restaurants in the city and with $25, $42, and $59/pp options; they are giving you a full canvas of opportunities to try something new. I suggest you take them up on that or forever regret not taking the little Uber to Uptown.
Virtue
Hyde Park | 1462 E 53rd St, Chicago, IL 60615
Virtue is a giant. From Chef Erick Williams, this Hyde Park restaurant has been serving up critically acclaimed Southern-American cuisine with a smile and it should be at the top of any self-respecting Chicagoans “must eats” list. At $59/pp, Virtue is the perfect restaurant week addition because each bite of food is packed with flavor and the environment is welcome and warm.
Asador Bastian
River North | 214 W Erie St, Chicago, IL 60654
Asador Bastian isn’t your everyday chop house. This “speakeasy” type dining experience sits in an old renovated townhouse on Erie St. and is completely unassuming from the street. Inside, you’ll be treated to delicious bites and tasty libations with Basque influences. And given the relative newness of the establishment, this restaurant week option is the perfect way to try a restaurant that everyone seems to be talking about.
Featured Image via Choose Chicago – Chicago Restaurant Week