Twenty-three Chicago eateries earned Michelin’s hallmark stamp of culinary excellence, as the starred list was announced this week.
Michelin’s coveted designation is based on a number of factors, from the restaurant’s cuisine to the chef’s techniques.
Of the bunch that garnered stars, Alinea topped the list with three — the highest ranking possible — for the 12th consecutive year. Chef Grant Achatz’s Lincoln Park eatery stands as the only three-starred restaurant in the city.
The roster also welcomed four newcomers to the one-star scene: Claudia, Esmé, Galit and Kasama.
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“MICHELIN Guide inspectors found that Chicago chefs and restaurant teams still maintain a high level of quality and creativity in fine dining experiences, even as pursuing their activity has been an unprecedented challenge during the past year,” Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides, said in a release.
The following restaurants earned “excellent cuisine, worth a detour” status with two stars:
- Ever, 1340 W. Fulton Market
- Moody Tongue, 2515 S. Wabash Ave.
- Oriole, 661 W. Walnut St.
- Smyth, 177 N. Ada St.
The following restaurants earned “high quality cooking, worth a stop” status with one star:
- Boka, 1729 N. Halsted St.
- Claudia, 1952 N Damen Ave.
- EL Ideas, 2419 W. 14th St.
- Elizabeth, 4835 N. Western Ave.
- Elske, 1350 W. Randolph Ave.
- Esmé, 2200 N Clark St.
- Galit, 2429 N Lincoln Ave.
- Goosefoot, 2656 W. Lawrence Ave.
- Kasama, 1001 N Winchester Ave.
- Mako, 731 W. Lake St.
- Next, 953 W. Fulton Market
- North Pond, 2610 N. Cannon Dr.
- Omakase Yume, 651 W. Washington Blvd.
- Porto, 1600 W. Chicago Ave.
- Schwa, 1466 N. Ashland Ave.
- Sepia, 123 N. Jefferson St.
- Temporis, 933 N. Ashland Ave.
- Topolobampo, 445 N. Clark St.
Seven Chicago restaurants landed a spot on Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand lineup for their affordability and culinary excellence earlier this week.
Here are the restaurants that earned Bib Gourmand status:
- Apolonia
- Bloom Plant Based Kitchen
- Dear Margaret
- Lardon
- Sochi Saigonese Kitchen
- Superkhana International
- Tortello
Michelin Guide Chicago also plucked 23 restaurants from a variety of popular eateries across the city, leaving them esteemed reviews from acclaimed culinary inspectors.
