In Chicago, there’s no better time to experience the city’s acclaimed dining scene than Chicago Restaurant Week. This year’s edition of the annual foodie fest offers more dining options than ever before, with 400-plus restaurants offering special prix-fixe menus from Jan. 24 – Feb. 9, 2020.
Plus, the 17-day event is the perfect opportunity to explore the newest additions to the city’s culinary scene — more than 80 restaurants are making their Chicago Restaurant Week debut in 2020. To help you get started, we’ve highlighted nine new Chicago restaurants worth a reservation.
Pizzeria Portofino
This riverfront restaurant feels like you’re dining in the Italian Riviera. The always-sunny Pizzeria Portofino, one of the most highly anticipated openings of 2019, is offering lunch and dinner menus for their first ever Chicago Restaurant Week. Choose from crispy thin-crust pies, authentic pizzas, and other Italian specialties. And of course, save room for dessert: double chocolate tiramisu or vanilla bean panna cotta, anyone?
Menus: Lunch: $24/person, dinner: $36/person
Address: 317 N. Clark St., riverfront
Hours: Monday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Make a reservation
TZUCO
Experience Mexican flavors like you never have before at TZUCO, a much-anticipated new addition to River North. Chef Carlos Gaytán fuses the flavors of his native Guerrero, Mexico with the haute French technique he honed in the city’s finest kitchens. You’ll see that influence on his Restaurant Week menu, which features traditional dishes like chile relleno and guacamole all given a signature Gaytán spin.
Menu: Dinner: $48/person
Address: 720 N. State St.
Hours: Monday – Thursday, 5 – 10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 5 – 11 p.m.; Sunday, 5 – 9 p.m.
Make a reservation
CEBU
A lot of restaurants tout their family-style cooking, but CEBU takes it to another level. After their childhood in Cebu, Philippines, three siblings eventually landed in Chicago, where they opened up this regional Filipino restaurant in Wicker Park. Their debut Restaurant Week menu is the perfect introduction to Filipino classics like crispy lumpia and seared duck inasal. Plus, who can resist dark chocolate mousse with jackfruit compote?
Menu: Dinner: $36/person
Address: 2211 W. North Ave.
Hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 5 – 9 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 5 – 10 p.m.; Monday, closed
Make a reservation
ROOH
If you’re looking to explore the spirit of India without leaving Chicago, ROOH is just the destination. The name of this West Loop restaurant actually means spirit, and it’s reflected in every aspect of the beautifully plated food and delicate cocktails. The Chicago Restaurant Week menu includes familiar dishes like butter chicken as well as intriguing choices like monkfish with curry and a paneer pinwheel.
Menu: Dinner: $48/person
Address: 736 W. Randolph St.
Hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 5 – 10:30 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 5. – 11:30 p.m.; Sunday, 5 – 9:30 p.m.; Monday, closed
Make a reservation
Galit
Galit opened in 2019 to resounding acclaim from the city’s food critics and discerning diners alike, who couldn’t get enough of the modern Israeli fare (like the much-Instagrammed hummus drenched with olive oil). The intimate Lincoln Park dining room will offer a sampling of its most popular dishes for Restaurant Week, kicking things off a spread of warm pita and traditional dips, including that oh-so-popular hummus.
Menu: Dinner: $48/person
Address: 2429 N. Lincoln Ave.
Hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 5 – 10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 5 – 10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 5 – 10 p.m.; Monday, closed
Make a reservation
Café Cancale
With its abundance of seafood, wine, and cocktails, newcomer Café Cancale brings coastal dreams to life with its self-described “French-ish” cuisine. This Wicker Park restaurant, inspired by chef Paul Kahan’s trip to Cancale, France, offers a selection of its greatest hits for its Restaurant Week debut. Choose from trout amandine, scallop crudo, or oysters — or, for the carnivores, beef tartare.
Menu: Brunch: $24/person, dinner: $48/person
Address: 1576 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Hours: Monday – Thursday, 4 – 10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 4 – 10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 4 – 9 p.m.
Make a reservation
Il Culaccino
This new restaurant, just a few blocks from McCormick Place, serves up Italian classics in a warm, inviting space. Visit Il Culaccino for lunch to try Nonna’s meatballs atop a bed of greens or the chicken giardiniera with roasted potatoes. If you do dinner, the halibut Vesuvio shouldn’t be missed. Either way, the seasonal gelato is the perfect way to cap your meal.
Menus: Lunch: $24/person; dinner: $36/person
Address: 2134 S. Indiana Ave.
Hours: Daily, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Make a reservation
Offshore
Escape the winter blues at Offshore, billed as the nation’s largest rooftop bar. Even the January chill won’t reach you in the all-seasons spot atop iconic Navy Pier, where you can experience California cuisine surrounded by stunning city views. Whether you choose Veracruz-style shrimp cocktail at brunch or carnitas deviled eggs at dinner, you won’t go wrong.
Menus: Brunch: $24/person, dinner: $36/person
Address: Third floor of Festival Hall, Navy Pier, 1000 E. Grand Ave.
Hours: Monday – Wednesday, 4 – 11 p.m.; Thursday, 4 p.m. – midnight; Friday, 4 p.m. – 1 a.m.; Saturday, 11 – 1 a.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Make a reservation
Papa Cenar
The wood grill at Papa Cenar is the heart of this new Mediterranean restaurant in Logan Square, and it’s abundantly used across their first Chicago Restaurant Week menu. Each dish will transport you to a European cafe, from the patatas bravas, to the chicken with salsa verde, to the sweet empanada for dessert.
Menu: Dinner: $36/person
Address: 2445 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 4 – 10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 4 – 11 p.m.; Sunday, 4 – 9 p.m.; Monday, closed
Make a reservation
