Looking for an upscale dining experience for your group while meeting in Chicago? The city’s vast array of options, which include Michelin-starred restaurants and dining rooms helmed by celebrity chefs, guarantee a memorable culinary evening that attendees won’t soon forget.
Prime & Provisions
Groups ranging from an intimate dinner for 12 to a grand event for 800 will appreciate the food, impeccable service, and ambiance at Prime & Provisions. Several well-appointed private dining rooms, some with city and Chicago River views, evoke a 1920s supper club vibe. The restaurant combines traditional steakhouse fare with the clean-eating ethos, such as serving all-natural Linz Heritage USDA Prime Black Angus beef. An event’s three-course dinner menu might include a roasted beet or wedge salad, petit filet or wild salmon, and chocolate mousse tarts. Select side dish choices for the entire table include whipped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and grilled asparagus.
The Dining Room at Moody Tongue
While Moody Tongue Brewing Company creates exceptional handcrafted beer, its restaurant — The Dining Room at Moody Tongue — boasts two Michelin stars earned for acclaimed cuisine by 10-time Michelin honoree executive chef, Jared Wentworth. Reserve the intimate 28-seat space for an exclusive tasting menu experience. Twelve to 15 courses are paired with Moody Tongue specialty beers. Some of the seasonal menu items may include a spiny lobster cannoli paired with Zested Orange Wit, rabbit katsudon sided by Toasted Rice Lager, and roast squab with Oud Bruin. Other spaces at Moody Tongue can accommodate up to 250 guests for banquets and 400 for receptions.
Esmé
At Michelin-starred Esmé in Lincoln Park, the menu for the tasting experience changes every three months. First, book your meeting or event, whether it’s for a table of guests, a private room, or a full venue buyout. Then, customize a fine dining experience that’s sure to impress. Chef Jenner Tomaska creates the menus with seasonal fare in mind. The innovative dishes are often compared to artwork. The decor also regularly changes to showcase works by talented Chicago artists.
Girl & The Goat
Top Chef Season 4 winner Stephanie Izard serves bold global flavors in her lauded West Loop restaurant, Girl & The Goat. Up to 26 people can dine in style at the venue’s Underground Goat, a rustic private space that’s located downstairs from the bustling main dining room. Customize your group’s meal choices with a specially designed menu that includes seasonal dishes served family style in five courses. For larger groups, the main restaurant can fit 120 seated or 200 reception style.
Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley
The popular Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley in River North specializes in Southern comfort food with a twist. The restaurant surrounds diners with colorful murals, music, and vibrantly plated food. Menu choices include fried chicken, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, or dishes with a Cajun or Caribbean flair. Desserts include homey peach cobbler and bread pudding.
Sepia
Private Dining by Sepia offers Michelin-starred cuisine at its stylish restaurant, Sepia, which can accommodate everything from seated dinners for 60 to a cocktail reception for 100. Menus are created by James Beard Award-nominated executive chef Andrew Zimmerman. For dinner, opt for a three- or four-course meal or an array of items from the chef’s tasting menu. For receptions, options include passed hors d’oeuvres, passed small plates, and savory and sweet tables.
Kindling Downtown Cookout & Cocktails
James Beard Award-winning chef Jonathon Sawyer helms the exciting new Kindling Downtown Cookout & Cocktails in the iconic Willis Tower. The 17,000-square-foot restaurant specializes in wood-fired fare such as steaks, salmon, rotisserie chicken, and lamb chops. Discover the many options for parties of eight to 300 for private dinners, meetings, and social events. A second-floor terrace offers sweeping city views.
Jaleo
Celebrated chef and global activist José Andrés showcases the authentic, present-day flavors of Spain at Jaleo in River North. Private dining areas that can accommodate various group sizes — ranging from dinner for 10 to a full buyout for a 180-person reception — are available, along with specially curated menus. Selections include tapas, paellas, quesos, and cured meats. Adventurous chef’s tasting menus with Spanish wine or sherry pairings are a great option for smaller gatherings.
