A guide to the best restaurants in the Gold Coast. The neighborhood has some of Chicago’s most beautiful restaurants and several steakhouses. Many of these restaurants are ideal for a date night.
The Gold Coast is a smaller neighborhood located along Lake Michigan between River North and Lincoln Park. This part of Chicago is known for being the best place for high end shopping, and in line with that, the restaurants in this neighborhood are chic stylish places to see and be seen.
Last updated: March 2022
Restaurants in the Gold Coast:
Somerset
American, Breakfast/Brunch, Lunch
Somerset is located in the Viceroy Hotel but it doesn’t feel like a hotel restaurant. The restaurant serves breakfast/brunch, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. In the summer, there is a large sidewalk patio. The menu has a balance of pastas, seafood, and meat inspired by country club culture. A four-course tasting menu is offered at dinner for $75.
3 Arts Club Café
American, Breakfast/Brunch, Lunch
Within Restoration Hardware’s Chicago flagship store, you will find an elegant sunlight courtyard with a glass ceiling and exposed brick walls. It’s a formal space with a casual atmosphere and a menu serving salads, truffled grilled cheese, lobster rolls, steak, salmon, and an exceptional burger. The restaurant has started to take reservations.
Nico Osteria
Italian, Breakfast/Brunch, Lunch
A seafood focused Italian restaurant with homemade pastas and whole roasted fish. Nico Osteria serves breakfast/brunch, lunch, and dinner seven days a week.
Adalina
Italian, Romantic
An upscale modern Italian restaurant with caviar service, shellfish towers, and oysters in addition to handmade pastas and steaks. For an even more romantic setting, visit the restaurant’s Rose Lounge.
Esquire by Cooper’s Hawk
American, Winery
Located in a stunning space with a three-story wine tower holding one of Chicago’s most impressive wine collections, a tasting room, full bar, and a large dining room, Esquire features limited-time menus from Visiting Chefs. Through May 21, James Beard Award-Winning Chef Tom Colicchio’s seasonal menu is available. Menu highlights include citrus cured hamachi, peeky toe crab and sea urchin fondue, and Rohan duck. In addition to the Visiting Chef menu, Equire’s menu features American steakhouse fare.
Maple & Ash
American, Steakhouse
Maple & Ash is a white tablecloth restaurant serving wood-fired steaks and seafood. The restaurant has a patio serving a separate menu featuring sushi and a selection of items from the dining room menu. The menu served inside the restaurant has salads, starters, seafood, and a wide variety of steaks and side dishes.
Blue Door Kitchen & Garden
American, Southern, Romantic
Blue Door Kitchen has a charming rustic dining room and a large garden patio. While the space feels formal, the cuisine is casual. The dinner menu includes fried chicken, shrimp and grits, steak, and salmon en croute.
Tavern on Rush
American, Steakhouse, Lunch
A restaurant in the heart of the Gold Coast with a large sidewalk patio that provides the perfect viewpoint for people watching. The menu features steakhouse classics including ten different steaks and fifteen different side dishes. There are also several seafood options. Tavern on Rush serves weekday lunch, weekend brunch, and dinner every night.
Chicago q
American, Barbecue
An elegant restaurant serving traditional barbecue. The stars of the menu are the meats that are cooked low and slow, including the brisket, ribs, and pulled pork. In addition to barbecue, the menu has Southern classics like shrimp & grits, fried chicken, and macaroni and cheese.
Gibsons
American, Steakhouse
One of Chicago’s most iconic steakhouses, Gibsons is the place to go for the classic steakhouse experience. The steaks are the centerpiece of the menu but there are plenty of seafood options as well. Save room for dessert, Gibsons serves giant slices of their indulgent (but worth very calorie) cakes and pies. Gibsons serves both lunch and dinner daily.
Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House
American, Seafood
Located next door to sister restaurant Gibsons, Hugo’s focuses on seafood and has a slightly more laid back atmosphere. In addition to shellfish and fresh fish, the menu includes a selection of Gibsons steaks.
La Storia
Italian, Mediterranean, Romantic
Located in a former Gold Coast home, La Storia opened as an Italian restaurant and over time the menu has embraced more Mediterranean influences. The menu has a variety of pastas including gnocchi genoese, lasagna all bolognese, tagliolini Neri frutti di mare, and goat cheese agnolotti plus meat and seafood dishes like swordfish in trapanese sauce and a rack of lamb. The courtyard patio with twinkle lights is one of most romantic places to dine in Chicago.
The Brasserie
French, Breakfast/Brunch
Formerly called Margeaux Brasserie, this stunning restaurant is located within the Waldorf Astoria. Breakfast/brunch and dinner are served daily. As of March 2022, the restaurant is serving a small menu with starters like French Onion Soup, steak tartare, and grilled octopus, and main courses including a burger, roast chicken, and steak frites.
Le Colonial
Vietnamese, Romantic, Lunch
Le Colonial is an upscale Vietnamese restaurant with French influences that serves lunch and dinner. The menu has an even mix of meat and seafood dishes. The restaurants signature dish is Ca Chien Saigon, crispy whole red snapped with a spicy garlic glaze. Meat dishes include chargrilled Berkshire pork ribs, roasted duck, and caramelized filet mignon.
Luxbar
American, Gastropub, Lunch
A sister restaurant to Gibsons and Hugo’s, Luxbar is a bar with formal appearance, a casual atmosphere, and a large sidewalk patio. The restaurant serves elevated bar food including a selection Gibsons steaks, burgers, and pan pizza. We recommend the Lux Royale Burger and a side of truffle fries.
Velvet Taco
Mexican, Fast-Casual, Vegetarian
Velvet Taco is the place to get a quick bite in the Gold Coast. This taqueria also has locations in Lincoln Park and the West Loop and is known for their inventive tacos. Try buffalo chicken, spicy tikka chicken, chicken and waffle, fried paneer, Korean fried rice, or a fish and chips taco.
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Wednesday 30th of March 2022
[…] Restaurants in the Gold Coast […]
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[…] This light filled restaurant serves seasonal American cuisine. The Brussels & kale salad is one of the most popular salads in Chicago; it comes generously topped with Parmesan, bacon, and toasted almonds. The lunch menu also includes some brunch items and sandwiches. At dinner, a handful of larger entrees are served in addition to sharable snacks, soups, and salads. Blue Door Farm Stand serves weekend brunch, weekday lunch, and dinner nightly. This is a sister restaurant to the more formal Blue Door Kitchen & Garden in the Gold Coast. […]