I love Valentine's Day...the holiday of love, good food, and sweets. It's also a great opportunity to check off that special occasion restaurant you've had on your list. I think Chicago has many restaurants perfect for a special occasion dinner.
I decided to make a list of 10 restaurants in the city that I think would be perfect for Valentine's day. The list is comprised of restaurants I have been to and a few new restaurants that I would want to try soon, too!
1. Mako - West Loop: I have talked about my experience at Mako in this blog and to many of my close family and friends. Mako is a Michelin starred omakase restaurant located in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood. The restaurant is tucked into the corner of Halsted and Lake Street, and Mako blends right into the street corner. Behind the door is where I had one of my favorite dining experiences in Chicago so far. Each piece of food was plated perfectly and with care. The fish tasted really fresh and I think it's a great omakase deal for the quality and service we received. For the perfect Japanese-themed night, across the street is Kumiko where we headed after our dinner at Mako. Kumiko is ranked as one of the best cocktail bars in the world and was an ideal nightcap to a great meal.
Hours + Reservations
2. Atsumeru - West Town: I came across Atsumeru while researching omakase restaurants in Chicago and it really grabbed my attention. The restaurant is a blend of Nordic and Japanese cuisines and the photos of the food truly speak for themselves. Everything looks like it is made with such precision and thought. The menu is 10-12 courses with a lot of seafood dishes. I'm very excited to eventually try this tasting menu in West Town.
All photos from Atsumeru Website
3. Le Petit Marcel - Lakeview: This French bistro in Lakeview keeps coming up in conversations I have with people for good reason. The restaurant truly looks like it was picked straight from a Parisian side street with a classic, moody ambiance. The menu features typical French dishes like Escargot de Bourgogne and Steak Frites. It seems like a great restaurant to celebrate a special occasion and has tasty food.
4. Mirra - Bucktown: I loved Mirra in Bucktown. Before going, the cuisine combination caught me by surprise but really intrigued me...Indian and Mexican. If you love both cuisines and have a desire to try a great combination of the best flavors of each cuisine, Mirra is the perfect spot for you and your significant other. It's an intimate restaurant with limited seating, a beautiful bar, and dimly lit. It's a perfect place to share some dishes and try new things, and the cocktails are delicious. Some of the standout dishes for me were the Lamb Barbacoa Biryani and the Tacos Arabes.
5. Boefhaus - West Town: Boefhaus has been a steakhouse on my list of restaurants to try for a while now. The menu is centered around a variety of meats but also offers other dishes like Hamachi Crudo and Escargot. The menu seems to be simple, but packed with a lot of interesting flavor combinations. It also seems to be a more intimate restaurant and a good spot if you are looking for a more casual atmosphere that delivers on quality and is outside of the normal Chicago steakhouses.
6. Noriko - Fulton River District: Noriko is a Japanese speakeasy-esque hand roll bar located below Perilla in the Fulton River District. The hand roll bar is beautiful, dimly lit, and ideal for a date night. We loved our experience at Noriko. The service was great, and all of the food was delicious. There are a variety of appetizers and a few different hand roll sets to choose from. We did the signature set and thought all of the hand rolls were well done.
7. Trino - West Loop: If you are close to me, you've probably heard me rave about Trino quite a bit. Trino is a relatively new Latin-inspired steakhouse in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood. The restaurant is the creation of Chef Stephen Sandoval, a fantastic chef that is behind spots like Diego and the old Soho House pop-up, Sueños. Trino's menu deserves major points for creativity and quality. Everything we ordered was fantastic. Highlights of the menu for me were Wagyu Beef Tartare, Pulpo a la Gallego, and of course the Dry-Aged Ribeye. One of the best parts of the meal was the Tres Leches Tiramisu we ordered, and that dessert absolutely blew me away. Read more in depth about my experience at Trino here: https://thetastearchives.com/chef-sandoval-strikes-again-this-time-with-a-new-steakhouse-in-west-loop/
8. Cellar Door Provisions - Logan Square: Cellar Door Provisions made Michelin's Bib Gourmand list in 2025 and deemed by Michelin as "an honest restaurant with unfussy, no-nonsense cooking where the seasoning is spot-on and the flavors are clear. No tweezers, no fancy wine glasses, no military-grade kitchen brigade— just good eats." I really liked that description because at the end of the day, focussing on the food and the quality is what matters. The restaurant's been on my list and seems like a great, cozy and more casual spot to get a great Valentine's day meal. Bib Gourmand article linked below!
9. Elina's - West Town: I've mentioned Elina's quite a few times on this blog, too. It's a very moody, dimly lit restaurant and home to a very good spicy rigatoni vodka pasta that's reminiscent of the Carbone spicy rigatoni vodka. It's a pretty small restaurant and a good spot for a date night. The pasta and the calamari were two of my favorite dishes we ordered.
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10. Mon Ami Gabi - Lincoln Park: Mon Ami Gabi has been a Lincoln Park staple for many years and for good reason. It's a classic French restaurant with a cozy and inviting interior and delicious French food. I loved the Steak Frites, and even though its been a while since I've been back, it's still a meal I remember and think about. I think this is a great spot for a more elevated Valentine's Day dinner without being over the top.
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