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A pair of hands shaves truffle on a microplane onto a plate of pasta.
Spiaggia continues to draw celebrities, politicians, and Chicagoans to the Magnificent Mile.
Spiaggia [Official Photo]

Where to Eat and Drink Near the Magnificent Mile in Chicago

Tourists can eat well too

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Spiaggia continues to draw celebrities, politicians, and Chicagoans to the Magnificent Mile.
| Spiaggia [Official Photo]

In addition to locals, many visitors to Chicago spend the bulk of their time on Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile. While some Chicagoans view the area as full of chain restaurants, big-box retail stores, and generally as a tourist trap they avoid at all costs, there is some fantastic food and drink to be found.

Here are 15 great spots to eat and drink on the Mag Mile for tourists making a trek to the Windy City, Chicagoans entertaining out-of-town guests, or simply partaking in touristy activities. New additions for 2019 include the world’s largest Starbucks, Spiaggia, Michael Jordan Steak House, and Labriola.

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Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.

1. Spiaggia

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980 N Michigan Ave Suite 1
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 280-2750
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One of Chicago’s finest Italian restaurants, Spiaggia has drawn celebrities, politicians, and Chicagoans to its dining room for 35 years. Founded as a partnership between legendary chef Tony Mantuano and Levy Restaurants, the restaurant features top-notch pastas, sweeping views of downtown, and a Michelin star. Mantuano is ceding the helm to executive chef Eric Lees, but said he feels confident in Lees’s ability to keep standards high and diners happy. While the restaurant is expensive, budget-conscious diners can choose to eat inside its more affordable sibling, Cafe Spiaggia.

2. Aster Hall

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900 N Michigan Ave 5th & 6th Fl
Chicago, IL 60611

This essential food hall from Hogsalt Hospitality is located on the fifth and sixth floors of the 900 North Michigan Shops. It offers 16 different “vaults,” or stalls, each featuring a different type of cuisine. Options include Small Cheval’s popular burgers, chopped brisket and pulled pork from Green Street Smoked Meats, and pasta and Italian subs from Lil Boots.

Aster Hall features 16 food “vaults”
Aster Hall [Official Photo]

3. The Signature Room at the 95th

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875 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL
(312) 787-9596
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High atop the John Hancock Center, Signature Room is a classic Chicago restaurant with perhaps the best city’s views from its 95th floor. Food at the fine-dining restaurant can be pricey, so those not willing to shell out big bucks can head to the bar for a drink and those views.

4. NoMI

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800 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 239-4030
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NoMI, the seasonal, French-inspired restaurant on the seventh floor of the Park Hyatt Chicago, is ideally located for hungry downtown visitors seeking a fine dining experience. The space includes a restaurant, lounge, and rooftop bar with views of the city and bustling Michigan Avenue below.

A restaurant’s dining room full of windows that show downtown Chicago skyline views.
NoMI offers terrific downtown views
NoMI [Official Photo]

5. Starbucks Reserve Roastery

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646 Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 283-7100
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This five-tiered 35,000 square-foot coffee wonderland, now the largest Starbucks on the planet, resides on the prominent corner of Michigan and Huron. Fans can try rare coffees, specialty chocolates, cocktails designed by Chicago pros, and more. They can also take a ride (or several) on the space’s curved escalator, one of 18 in the entire country.

Two bartenders make drinks while bar patrons sit in the background.
Bartenders get a workout at the Mag Mile’s Starbucks Reserve Roastery.
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

6. Portillo's

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100 W Ontario St
Chicago, IL
(312) 587-8910
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A Chicago-style hot dog is a can’t-miss while visiting the Windy City, and eaters don’t have to leave downtown to check out the most beloved local chain in the area for dogs, Italian beef, addictive milkshakes, chocolate cake, and much more for cheap. It’s not actually on the Magnificent Mile itself, but is worth a brief detour to refuel.

7. Eataly

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43 E Ohio St
Chicago, IL
(312) 521-8700
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The only Midwest location for Joe and Lidia Bastianich’s Italian food wonderland, the Chicago spot includes two floors full of restaurants focusing on an array of dishes, grocery and retail items, a microbrewery, a Nutella bar, gelato, and much much much more. Though it’s two blocks off of the Mag Mile itself, a little side trip will lead to serious payoff. Former partner and disgraced celebrity chef Mario Batali sold his shares and stepped away from the business in 2017.

Eataly’s sole location in the Midwest
Marc Much/Eater Chicago

8. Labriola Chicago

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535 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 955-3100
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This three-prong operation from a partner in the popular Stan’s Donuts chain includes a restaurant, cafe, and bakery featuring Italian favorites such as baked ziti, chicken vesuvio, and more. Some believe its pizzas are among the best in the city.

Tonight is the perfect night to stay home and have Chicago's Best Pizza delivered. Call us to order (312) 955-3100

Posted by Labriola Chicago: Ristorante and Cafe on Tuesday, November 12, 2019

9. Michael Jordan's Steak House Chicago

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505 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 321-8823
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Though his days playing for the Bulls are long gone, Michael Jordan is still a Chicago icon and the steakhouse that bears his name continues to reign as one of the city’s best. Popular with both locals and tourists, the restaurant inside the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile hotel features winning cuts such as a 16-ounce prime Delmonico. Superfans can kick the experience up a notch by reserving his airness’s corner booth, Table 23, which includes a special prix-fixe menu and drink pairings. The hotel is also home to vino bar Eno Wine Room.

10. The Purple Pig

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444 Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 464-1744
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Many diners regard this Mediterranean small plates favorite to be the best restaurant on the touristy shopping-driven Magnificent Mile. Known for its meaty bites and outstanding wines, the always-bustling Purple Pig recently moved from its longtime home to a larger location slightly south of the original. It reopened in late June with a new food menu and more seats.

A dining room filled with patrons eating.
The Purple Pig’s new digs just south of the original location
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

11. Frontera Grill/Bar Sótano/Topolobampo/XOCO

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445 N Clark St
Chicago, IL
(312) 661-1434
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The epicenter of Rick Bayless’s Mexican empire, the building is home to all three of the celebrity chef’s landmark restaurants. The original, Frontera Grill, is still an extremely tough table with long waits nightly for groundbreaking mid-priced food; Topolobampo is Michelin-starred fine dining that won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant; and XOCO is casual counter service for outstanding tortas, churros, hot chocolates, and more. In addition, Bayless and daughter Lanie opened speakeasy-style spot Bar Sótano in 2018 right underneath Frontera Grill. None bear a Michigan Avenue address, but Bayless’s acclaimed spots are close enough to the Mag Mile that it would be a shame to neglect them.

Frontera Grill
Frontera Grill remains one of the hottest near-Mag Mile destinations
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

12. Billy Goat Tavern

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430 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL
(312) 222-1525
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The legendary bar and grill behind the since-broken curse on the Chicago Cubs, Billy Goat Tavern is a must-visit for any out-of-towner hoping to soak up Chicago food and drink history. The no-frills subterranean spot, accessible via staircases from Michigan Avenue above, serves burgers, breakfast, a full bar, and just two beers on tap: Billy Goat Light and Billy Goat Dark.

Billy Goat Tavern
The original Billy Goat Tavern opened in 1934
Marc Much/Eater Chicago

13. LondonHouse Chicago

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85 E Wacker Dr
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 357-1200
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Trendy hotel LondonHouse offers three spots to eat and imbibe — lobby space Bridges, indoor lounge LH on 21, and perhaps the busiest rooftop bar in town, LH Rooftop. Bridges also offers afternoon tea service with sweet and savory small plates. The building is also home to stylish steakhouse Ocean Prime.

LH Rooftop at LondonHouse Chicago
LondonHouse Chicago [Official Photo]

14. Chicago Athletic Association

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12 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL
(312) 940-3552
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The gorgeously reborn hotel across from tourist-magnet Millennium Park is home to multiple terrific restaurants and bars. There’s a multiple-course cocktail experience like no other (Milk Room), a gorgeous throwback restaurant serving American classics (Cherry Circle Room), a bar and eatery with bocce and other parlor games (Game Room), a Shake Shack on the ground floor, and the biggest draw of them all — perhaps Chicago’s best rooftop bar and restaurant, Cindy’s on the top floor.

Dine with Cindy herself ✨ Playing hostess or party planner this spring? We'd love to have you. Drop us a line at cindysevents@chicagoathletichotel.com to learn more.

Posted by Cindy's Rooftop on Thursday, April 11, 2019

15. The Gage

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24 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL
(312) 372-4243
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An upscale Irish pub and restaurant, the Gage is consistently one of Chicago’s best-executed and best-run bars and eateries year in and year out. Right on Michigan Avenue across from Millennium Park, it’s a perfect pit stop for a drink and a snack while doing touristy things, for a full dinner, or for drinking.

The Gage across from Millennium Park
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

1. Spiaggia

980 N Michigan Ave Suite 1, Chicago, IL 60611

One of Chicago’s finest Italian restaurants, Spiaggia has drawn celebrities, politicians, and Chicagoans to its dining room for 35 years. Founded as a partnership between legendary chef Tony Mantuano and Levy Restaurants, the restaurant features top-notch pastas, sweeping views of downtown, and a Michelin star. Mantuano is ceding the helm to executive chef Eric Lees, but said he feels confident in Lees’s ability to keep standards high and diners happy. While the restaurant is expensive, budget-conscious diners can choose to eat inside its more affordable sibling, Cafe Spiaggia.

980 N Michigan Ave Suite 1
Chicago, IL 60611

2. Aster Hall

900 N Michigan Ave 5th & 6th Fl, Chicago, IL 60611
Aster Hall features 16 food “vaults”
Aster Hall [Official Photo]

This essential food hall from Hogsalt Hospitality is located on the fifth and sixth floors of the 900 North Michigan Shops. It offers 16 different “vaults,” or stalls, each featuring a different type of cuisine. Options include Small Cheval’s popular burgers, chopped brisket and pulled pork from Green Street Smoked Meats, and pasta and Italian subs from Lil Boots.

900 N Michigan Ave 5th & 6th Fl
Chicago, IL 60611

3. The Signature Room at the 95th

875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL

High atop the John Hancock Center, Signature Room is a classic Chicago restaurant with perhaps the best city’s views from its 95th floor. Food at the fine-dining restaurant can be pricey, so those not willing to shell out big bucks can head to the bar for a drink and those views.

875 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL

4. NoMI

800 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
A restaurant’s dining room full of windows that show downtown Chicago skyline views.
NoMI offers terrific downtown views
NoMI [Official Photo]

NoMI, the seasonal, French-inspired restaurant on the seventh floor of the Park Hyatt Chicago, is ideally located for hungry downtown visitors seeking a fine dining experience. The space includes a restaurant, lounge, and rooftop bar with views of the city and bustling Michigan Avenue below.

800 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611

5. Starbucks Reserve Roastery

646 Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Two bartenders make drinks while bar patrons sit in the background.
Bartenders get a workout at the Mag Mile’s Starbucks Reserve Roastery.
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

This five-tiered 35,000 square-foot coffee wonderland, now the largest Starbucks on the planet, resides on the prominent corner of Michigan and Huron. Fans can try rare coffees, specialty chocolates, cocktails designed by Chicago pros, and more. They can also take a ride (or several) on the space’s curved escalator, one of 18 in the entire country.

646 Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611

6. Portillo's

100 W Ontario St, Chicago, IL

A Chicago-style hot dog is a can’t-miss while visiting the Windy City, and eaters don’t have to leave downtown to check out the most beloved local chain in the area for dogs, Italian beef, addictive milkshakes, chocolate cake, and much more for cheap. It’s not actually on the Magnificent Mile itself, but is worth a brief detour to refuel.

100 W Ontario St
Chicago, IL

7. Eataly

43 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL
Eataly’s sole location in the Midwest
Marc Much/Eater Chicago

The only Midwest location for Joe and Lidia Bastianich’s Italian food wonderland, the Chicago spot includes two floors full of restaurants focusing on an array of dishes, grocery and retail items, a microbrewery, a Nutella bar, gelato, and much much much more. Though it’s two blocks off of the Mag Mile itself, a little side trip will lead to serious payoff. Former partner and disgraced celebrity chef Mario Batali sold his shares and stepped away from the business in 2017.

43 E Ohio St
Chicago, IL

8. Labriola Chicago

535 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

This three-prong operation from a partner in the popular Stan’s Donuts chain includes a restaurant, cafe, and bakery featuring Italian favorites such as baked ziti, chicken vesuvio, and more. Some believe its pizzas are among the best in the city.

535 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611

9. Michael Jordan's Steak House Chicago

505 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Though his days playing for the Bulls are long gone, Michael Jordan is still a Chicago icon and the steakhouse that bears his name continues to reign as one of the city’s best. Popular with both locals and tourists, the restaurant inside the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile hotel features winning cuts such as a 16-ounce prime Delmonico. Superfans can kick the experience up a notch by reserving his airness’s corner booth, Table 23, which includes a special prix-fixe menu and drink pairings. The hotel is also home to vino bar Eno Wine Room.

505 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611

10. The Purple Pig

444 Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
A dining room filled with patrons eating.
The Purple Pig’s new digs just south of the original location
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

Many diners regard this Mediterranean small plates favorite to be the best restaurant on the touristy shopping-driven Magnificent Mile. Known for its meaty bites and outstanding wines, the always-bustling Purple Pig recently moved from its longtime home to a larger location slightly south of the original. It reopened in late June with a new food menu and more seats.

444 Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611

11. Frontera Grill/Bar Sótano/Topolobampo/XOCO

445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL
Frontera Grill
Frontera Grill remains one of the hottest near-Mag Mile destinations
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

The epicenter of Rick Bayless’s Mexican empire, the building is home to all three of the celebrity chef’s landmark restaurants. The original, Frontera Grill, is still an extremely tough table with long waits nightly for groundbreaking mid-priced food; Topolobampo is Michelin-starred fine dining that won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant; and XOCO is casual counter service for outstanding tortas, churros, hot chocolates, and more. In addition, Bayless and daughter Lanie opened speakeasy-style spot Bar Sótano in 2018 right underneath Frontera Grill. None bear a Michigan Avenue address, but Bayless’s acclaimed spots are close enough to the Mag Mile that it would be a shame to neglect them.

445 N Clark St
Chicago, IL

12. Billy Goat Tavern

430 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL
Billy Goat Tavern
The original Billy Goat Tavern opened in 1934
Marc Much/Eater Chicago

The legendary bar and grill behind the since-broken curse on the Chicago Cubs, Billy Goat Tavern is a must-visit for any out-of-towner hoping to soak up Chicago food and drink history. The no-frills subterranean spot, accessible via staircases from Michigan Avenue above, serves burgers, breakfast, a full bar, and just two beers on tap: Billy Goat Light and Billy Goat Dark.

430 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL

13. LondonHouse Chicago

85 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601
LH Rooftop at LondonHouse Chicago
LondonHouse Chicago [Official Photo]

Trendy hotel LondonHouse offers three spots to eat and imbibe — lobby space Bridges, indoor lounge LH on 21, and perhaps the busiest rooftop bar in town, LH Rooftop. Bridges also offers afternoon tea service with sweet and savory small plates. The building is also home to stylish steakhouse Ocean Prime.

85 E Wacker Dr
Chicago, IL 60601

14. Chicago Athletic Association

12 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL

The gorgeously reborn hotel across from tourist-magnet Millennium Park is home to multiple terrific restaurants and bars. There’s a multiple-course cocktail experience like no other (Milk Room), a gorgeous throwback restaurant serving American classics (Cherry Circle Room), a bar and eatery with bocce and other parlor games (Game Room), a Shake Shack on the ground floor, and the biggest draw of them all — perhaps Chicago’s best rooftop bar and restaurant, Cindy’s on the top floor.

12 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL

15. The Gage

24 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL
The Gage across from Millennium Park
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

An upscale Irish pub and restaurant, the Gage is consistently one of Chicago’s best-executed and best-run bars and eateries year in and year out. Right on Michigan Avenue across from Millennium Park, it’s a perfect pit stop for a drink and a snack while doing touristy things, for a full dinner, or for drinking.

24 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL

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