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Between the river and Chicago Avenue
River North is where downtown goes out: the after-work crowd lands here first, and the night runs late. Its best rooms are the old steakhouses, the red-sauce Italian and the bars hidden under other restaurants.
Where to eat
Ciccio Mio
Hogsalt's tiny, low-lit red-sauce room off Kinzie, a Michelin Bib Gourmand pick with a short list of Italian-American classics done well. Save room for the cannoli-style cannocini or soft-serve gelato.
Gene & Georgetti
Chicago's oldest steakhouse (1941), in a wood-frame house beside the Brown Line tracks: Tuscan-leaning chophouse cooking and career waiters. Order the garbage salad or shrimp de Jonghe with the steak. Valet is cash only.
Asador Bastian
Doug Psaltis's Basque asador in a River North townhouse, grilling aged Galician beef over fire; ranked North America's best steakhouse for 2025. The ground-floor Bar Room opens daily at 4 with the full menu.
Sifr
Indienne's Sujan Sarkar and Sahil Sethi cook Middle Eastern dishes over a wood-fired hearth in River North, a Michelin Bib Gourmand with an all-season heated rooftop.
Mr. Beef
The River North counter where The Bear shoots its outside scenes, an old-school room of shared tables in a neighborhood of clubs. The beef is lightly spiced and soaked through; order it dipped, with hot giardiniera plus sweet peppers.
Sushi-san
Chicago Reader readers voted it the city's best sushi in 2024. Go for nigiri and maki at the bar, with meats roasted over binchotan on the side; lunch and late-night hours make it an easy drop-in.
Crying Tiger
Thai Dang's River North restaurant for Thai and Vietnamese dishes made for sharing, from a lobster version of pad thai to duck confit in panang curry, with Kitty's lounge downstairs.
Gilt Bar
Hogsalt's jazz-age room on Kinzie: bone marrow from the wood oven, steak frites and a strong cocktail list. A daily 4-to-5 happy hour brings sliders.
Il Porcellino
Lettuce Entertain You's River North red-sauce spot with checkered tablecloths: baked burrata, rigatoni alla vodka and four takes on the Negroni. Weekdays 4 to 6, bar snacks drop to a few dollars.
Frontera Grill
Rick Bayless's first restaurant, on Clark since 1987, for regional Mexican cooking like Oaxacan black mole and golden carnitas, with a heated patio. Favorites ship nationwide through Goldbelly.
Shaw's Crab House
A downtown seafood institution since 1984, with a clubby oyster bar beside the main room.
Where to drink
Three Dots and a Dash
An underground tiki bar reached down an alley off Hubbard, pouring rum drinks in elaborate mugs alongside pupu snacks. Bring a crowd for the Treasure Chest, a giant shared rum punch. The Bamboo Room inside is a separate tasting bar.
Gus' Sip & Dip
Lettuce's 1950s-style River North tavern, opened in 2025: 30 classic cocktails at fair prices and dipped sandwiches. A weekday 4-to-5 cocktail of the day is a steal.
Bar Sótano
Rick Bayless's underground bar off the alley behind Frontera, pouring mezcal cocktails with Mexican small plates.
Kitty's Cosmopolitan Club
Lettuce Entertain You's lounge beneath Crying Tiger: classic cocktails made with modern technique, tableside service and luxe snacks like Dungeness crab cocktail.
The Drifter
A genuine 1920s speakeasy in the basement of Green Door Tavern: each night the bartenders draw tarot-card cocktails at random, with burlesque and variety acts. Wednesday to Saturday from 5. You could come every week for a year and never draw the same drink twice.
Clandestino
The red-lit lounge hidden beneath Matilda on Wells, pouring pisco and mezcal drinks. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 6 (5 on weekends).
The Library at Gilt Bar
The candlelit basement lounge beneath Gilt Bar, with leather couches, a fireplace and classic cocktails; far calmer than the dining room upstairs.
The Redhead Piano Bar
A basement piano bar off State Street with live music every night, cozy booths, a heated covered patio and a walk-in humidor of 150-plus cigars.
Getting there
Take the Brown or Purple Line to Merchandise Mart, or the Red Line to Grand.
Common questions
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