The best restaurants Chicago

Timetable

A large number of restaurants remain open all day without interruption, in Chicago as well as in all major cities in the region. They usually close around 10:00 p.m., later on Friday and Saturday nights. You'll have no trouble finding a place to eat at any time of day. Once the sun goes down, it's in the diners, restaurants that serve tacos or hot dogs, such as The Wiener Circle (www.wienercircle.net), which is open until 4 a.m., that you can satisfy your little (or big) hunger pangs. On the other hand, gastronomic establishments tend to close between lunch and dinner, or open only for dinner

Budget & Tips

Food is not cheap in Chicago. In a typical restaurant, you can hardly get by for less than US$30 per person if you have an appetizer and a main course. However, the options for small budgets are still quite numerous: pizzas, hot dogs, Asian restaurants and local cafés... Salad bars, which are very numerous especially in the downtown areas, are the healthiest and cheapest options.
Moreover, even in the case of expensive dishes, you will rarely be disappointed by the quantity. And here, asking for a doggy bag (to go) is really part of the culture. In a country where lunch time is quite short compared to Europe, you won't be blamed. Moreover, you can even find local restaurants that serve smaller portions than in the evening for lunch.

Finally, at the time of payment, it is very rare that you are brought a terminal. So don't be offended if the waiter leaves with your card: he will make the debit without your help! And of course, he will bring it back to you with the bill, not without interest...

What costs extra

A thorny subject if ever there was one, the tip deserves some explanation! To begin with, you should know that in the United States, service is never included in a restaurant (with rare exceptions, in which case the mention " gratuity included " is displayed on the menu). If you don't want to pay a double tip, before putting your hand in your wallet, make sure that there is no "Auto Gratuity" indicated on the bill! It happens, rather in the establishments making bar or cocktaillerie, very often up to 20 % of the note, which is the basic tip in their culture.

Whatever the quality of the service, it is therefore recommended to leave the equivalent of 15 to 20% of the bill as a tip. All "suggested tips" start at 20%: 20%, 21%, 22% suggested in reasonable places, 20% 25% 30% for the more daring or optimistic..

To simplify the calculation, multiply by 2 the amount of the local tax written on your bill. Even simpler, if you don't already use Tricount to split the cost of the trip between several people: use the Tip N Split mobile application, which will calculate the tip for you. In any case, the reputation of the French is so well established that, once someone guesses your country of origin, you may see the "Tip" box already filled in at the customary rate! Even if you pay by credit card (we see you coming...), you will not escape the tip. In this case, don't forget to write the amount of the tip in the "Tip" box of the receipt you will be given, and the total amount of the bill, otherwise you will have bad surprises later

Finally, you should also know that the prices in restaurants are displayed without tax. In addition to the tip, the local tax (10.75% in Chicago) is added to the total amount. After all this, the final bill has little to do with the menu prices.

The local way

A large glass of water filled with ice cubes is served in all restaurants, from diners to Michelin-starred establishments. Europeans are often surprised by this, but it is part of the basic service in the United States! The other thing that may surprise you is the service: American waiters are particularly friendly, so don't be shocked if they ask you if you are okay and if they give you their first name, it's like that in almost all restaurants! As tips are generally not included, the service is very diligent, if a little overzealous

Kids

Children are welcome in most Chicago restaurants, with the exception of some fine dining establishments that are not kid-friendly anyway. In almost all other places, you'll have no trouble asking for a high chair to sit your child. Some places are more kid-friendly than others, so just take a look inside to see if a restaurant is family-friendly or not! On the other hand - downtown Chicago being quite gentrified, there are paradoxically more openly dog-friendly places!

Smokers

Smoking is prohibited in enclosed public areas, including restaurants. If you're eating on a terrace, don't light a cigarette either: even if there's no explicit ban, it's highly frowned upon and so unusual that your table-mates are likely to roll their eyes at you. If you wish to smoke before the end of the meal, leave the restaurant and move a few metres away so as not to inconvenience the customers on the terrace.

Tourist traps

American restaurant chains in tourist areas often charge too much for the quality of the food they serve. The Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen are good examples. Prefer a small, well-stocked neighborhood restaurant or an authentic deep-dish pizza at one of the restaurants in our selection.