Chicago's Top 50 Restaurants

This is a subjective web resource that is the opinion of one(chef and food lover who lives and works in Chicago).  Chicagoans and visitors alike may use it to sift through the literally hundreds of great restaurants in Chicago. 

50 Top Chicago Dining Destinations:

• Alinea
  
• Anteprima
  
• Arun's
  
• Avec
  
• Avenues
  
• Bistro Champagne
  
• Blackbird
  
• Boka
  
• Cafe des Architectes
  
• Cafe Spiaggia
  
• Charlie Trotters
  
• Crofton on Wells
  
• Everest
  
• Frontera Grill
  
• Graham Elliot
  
• Green Zebra
  
• Hot Chocolate
  
• Japonais
  
• L2O 
  
• Les Nomades
  
• Lula Cafe
  
• Mado
  
• MK
  
• Mixteco Grill
  
• Mirai Sushi
  
• Moto
  
• Naha
  
• Nightwood
  
• Nomi
  
• North Pond
  
• One Sixty Blue
  
• Perennial
  
• Province
  
• The Publican
  
• Schwa
  
• Seasons
  
• Sepia
  
• Shanghai Terrace
  
• Sixteen
  
• Sola
  
• Spiaggia
  
• Spring
  
• Table 52
  
• Takashi
  
• Taxim
  
• Terragusto
  
• Topolobampo
  
• Tru
  
• Urban Belly
  
• Zealous

Here are a few more notable eateries listed under categories of interest. Many of them are regular dining destinations for Chicago chefs and food industry workers. All of them are Chicago originals.

Top Suburban Chicago Dining Spots:

• Carlos
  
• Courtright's
• Gabriel's
  
• June
  
• Tallgrass
• Vie
  

Sandwiches and Dogs Like No Other:

• Belly Shack
  
• Hot Doug's
  
• Xoco
  

Awesome Bar Food:

• Hopleaf
  
• Paramount Room
  
• Rootstock
  
• Kuma's Corner
  

Beer, Wine, and Cocktails

• Clark Street Ale House
  
• Goose Island
• Map Room
  
• Juicy Wine Co.
  
• The Violet Hour
  

Some of My Ethnic Favorites:

• Chickpea
  
• La Pasadita
• Los Caminos de Michoacan
• San Soo Gab San
• Thai Pastry

Chicago Style Pizza Temples:

• Gino's East
  
• Giordano's
• Lou Malnati's
• Pizzaria Uno

Chicago Street Food Temples

• Mr. Beef
• Philly's Best
• Portillo's
• Superdawg Drive-In
• The Weiner Circle

Truth be told, listing the top 50 restaurants in Chicago is next to impossible. Not everybody is going to agree with my list, but they should recognize that every restaurant on it, has earned the right to be considered for it. I hop that you find it useful, and If you own or work at a restaurant in Chicago and I've missed you, please don't take it personally. Give a shout out and I will do a whole blog post about your restaurant.