Chicago’s newest restaurants are giving diners plenty to talk about, from crispy pizza in Fulton Market to Persian kebabs, French-style rotisserie chicken, and a steakhouse that makes a big dinner feel surprisingly approachable.
These eight spots have already earned positive attention from local restaurant critics, and each brings something different to the table. Whether you’re looking for a casual slice or a full evening out, here’s what makes them worth checking out.
1. Pizzeria Gabbo
Fulton Market has a new pizza destination, and it isn’t forcing diners to choose between Chicago and New York. Pizzeria Gabbo, located at 834 W.
Fulton Market Street, serves two styles under one roof: Chicago Thin & Crispy and New York Crispy.
The Chicago-style menu includes a fennel sausage and giardiniera pizza, combining savory sausage with the tangy, spicy kick of Chicago’s signature pickled vegetables. On the New York side, the Italian Butcher features soppressata, while other options include spicy vodka sauce and pepperoni with hot honey.
The restaurant comes from Lettuce Entertain You, with chef Andrew Ashmore leading the kitchen. Beyond pizza, the menu includes whipped ricotta, pasta, salads, and soft-serve gelato.
With its two distinct pizza styles and a broader Italian menu, Pizzeria Gabbo gives Fulton Market a new option for a relaxed dinner that doesn’t have to end after the last slice.
2. Berenjak
London’s acclaimed Persian restaurant Berenjak has arrived in Chicago, bringing its charcoal-grilled kebabs and richly flavored dishes to Soho House at 113–125 N. Green Street.
The restaurant’s menu draws inspiration from traditional Iranian cooking, with tender kebabs as one of its main attractions. Another standout is black chickpea hummus, served with taftoon, a Persian flatbread that makes an ideal companion for the creamy dip.
Berenjak already has a following in London and Los Angeles, but its Chicago location gives West Loop diners a new opportunity to explore the brand’s approach to Persian food.
The setting is relatively intimate, keeping the focus on the dishes rather than an elaborate dining room. For anyone interested in charcoal-grilled meats, flavorful dips, and Persian breads, Berenjak is a notable new addition to the neighborhood.
3. Hooligan
Chef Christian Hunter is bringing his own interpretation of Midwestern comfort food to Logan Square. Hooligan, located at 2528 N.
California Avenue, combines ingredients associated with the Midwest and Great Lakes region with techniques influenced by French cooking.
Hunter previously earned a Michelin star at Atelier, and his new restaurant takes a more relaxed neighborhood-bistro approach without abandoning ambitious cooking.
The menu includes chicken liver parfait served with hush puppies, creating an unusual combination of refined French-inspired preparation and a familiar American comfort food. Butcher’s steak with bordelaise sauce is another highlight, while oysters with barbecue-inspired accompaniments add a different direction.
Hooligan’s appeal comes from that contrast: familiar ingredients and comforting ideas presented with more technical attention than diners might expect from a casual neighborhood restaurant.
4. Gingie
River North’s Gingie is making a strong impression with inventive New American cooking and a dining room full of playful details. Located at 701 N.
Wells Street, the restaurant comes from the Boka Restaurant Group and brings Japanese influences into several parts of its menu.
Shrimp tempura handrolls and chicken seasoned with sansho pepper are among the dishes that reflect that influence. More elaborate creations include tofu rice covered with mushrooms and a lobster-stuffed tomato prepared in three different ways: fresh, roasted, and pickled.
The dining room has its own personality, with illustrations inspired by Chicago landmarks and a phoenix mural marking the restaurant’s return after a fire disrupted its original opening plans.
Between its detailed cooking and imaginative setting, Gingie offers more than a standard upscale dinner. It’s a restaurant where the food and the surroundings both give diners something to discover.
5. Chez Poulet
Bucktown’s Chez Poulet is proving that a restaurant doesn’t need an enormous menu to stand out. Located at 2234 N.
Western Avenue, the French-inspired spot comes from the team behind Le Bouchon and focuses on rotisserie chicken.
The birds are prepared over several days before roasting, then served in half- or whole-chicken portions. Customers can choose from sauces including chimichurri, garlic toum, and salsa macha, adding different flavor profiles to the same central dish.
Sides make the meal more substantial, with options such as chicken-fat potatoes, curry-spiced corn, and papas bravas. Bread from Mindy Segal is another part of the experience, particularly when there are flavorful roasting juices and sauces to enjoy.
The restaurant combines a takeout-friendly setup with casual seating and a patio. Its straightforward focus on carefully prepared chicken has already made Chez Poulet one of Bucktown’s more talked-about recent openings.
6. Lenci’s Greek Pita
Chicago has plenty of gyro shops, but Lenci’s Greek Pita is getting attention for a version that’s less common around the city. Located at 3958 N.
Narragansett Avenue in Dunning, the restaurant specializes in Greek-style pita sandwiches, including pork gyros.
The pork is shaved into thin slices and served in pita bread, offering an alternative to the beef-and-lamb gyro combination many Chicago diners know best. That doesn’t mean traditional gyro fans are left out, though, since the restaurant serves a beef-and-lamb version as well.
Other menu options include chicken souvlaki and burgers, giving customers several choices beyond the signature pork pita.
Lenci’s works for a quick takeaway lunch, but it also has a dining room for customers who want to sit down. Its pork gyros are the main reason this neighborhood spot is earning attention.
7. Bucktown Pizza
A small pizza shop near the Western Blue Line station is giving Chicago diners another reason to stop in Bucktown. Bucktown Pizza, located at 1912 N.
Western Avenue, opened in July 2026 with a menu focused on thin-crust slices and whole pies.
The shop keeps its approach relatively simple, but some of the flavor combinations go beyond a standard cheese or pepperoni slice. One standout brings together vodka cream, pesto, and pizza sauce, while other varieties use whipped ricotta with sausage or pepperoni.
Owner Joe Smith has operated pizzerias outside Chicago, but Bucktown Pizza marks his first restaurant within the city. The shop’s counter-service format makes it an easy stop for a quick lunch or a casual pizza dinner.
With handmade dough and a growing selection of slices, Bucktown Pizza has already caught the attention of local critics despite its modest size.
8. The Bull Moose
Lincoln Park’s The Bull Moose brings a more intimate approach to the Chicago steakhouse experience. Located at 2020 N.
Halsted Street, the restaurant occupies an upstairs space above Beaumont’s and focuses on classic steakhouse cooking without the oversized dining room.
The menu centers on substantial cuts of beef, including an 18-ounce ribeye. Rather than requiring diners to order every accompaniment separately, steak orders include soup or salad and mashed potatoes.
French onion soup is another standout, giving the menu a familiar steakhouse favorite alongside the main attraction.
The dining room is relatively small and wood-paneled, creating a different atmosphere from the grand, bustling steakhouses found elsewhere in Chicago.
For diners who want a serious steak dinner in a more intimate setting, The Bull Moose is one of the city’s noteworthy new arrivals.
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