My 7 Favorite Restaurants in Lincoln Park (And a Few More I Love)
Lincoln Park has become a pretty good foodie spot after years as only being the Charlie Trotter destination! People ask me for restaurant recommendations almost as often as they ask me about the market, which makes sense, since a big part of falling in love with a neighborhood is falling in love with where you eat in it. After years of walking clients through Lincoln Park block by block, here are my seven go-to spots, plus a handful of local favorites that deserve a mention too.
1. Armitage Ale House
This is my pick when I want a room that feels like it's always been there. Armitage Ale House is an old-world gastropub from the Hogsalt team (the group behind Au Cheval and Bavette's), tucked into a space with 1920s details, a fireplace, peacock feather wallpaper, brass lamps (thank you @Summerthornton) that make it feel timeless the moment you walk in. The menu blends British and Indian influences, and the chicken pot pie and burger are both regularly called some of the best in the city. It's cozy enough for a weeknight dinner and special enough for a celebration. Please order the Delice de Bourgogne cheese if you like cheese-it's ridiculously good.
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2. Galit
If you want a meal you'll still be talking about weeks later, this is it. Galit is a Michelin-starred modern Middle Eastern restaurant from chef Zach Engel, built around a seasonal, produce-forward tasting menu, house-baked pita, and charcoal-roasted meats. It's the kind of place I send clients when they want to be genuinely wowed, the room is warm and colorful rather than stiff, and the food more than lives up to the reservation difficulty.
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3. Dimmi Dimmi
The newest addition to my list, and already a favorite. It's often the Wong's Sunday night order in. Dimmi Dimmi is a red-sauce Italian American spot from the team behind Michael Jordan's Steakhouse, led by a chef with roots at Carbone in New York. Think handmade pastas, tavern-style pizzas, and a genuinely fun cocktail and spritz program, all inside a cozy, tufted-booth room that channels an old-school Chicago tavern. It's become my go-to for a lively dinner with friends. Shout out to one of my favorite chef-Owners Bill Kim! Nice job!
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4. Butcher & The Burger
For something more casual, this build-your-own-burger spot is a neighborhood institution. It's part butcher shop, part burger counter, with an old-fashioned meat locker and a genuinely impressive range of proteins, grass-fed beef, elk, fresh salmon, even house-made vegan patties, plus thick-cut Kennebec fries and frozen custard for dessert. It's unpretentious, quick, and exactly what I want when I'm craving a great burger done properly. The Shrimp burger on lettuce with Asian glaze and wasabi mayo is my fav!
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5. Sushi-San
This is my pick for a fun night out with good food and a fun vibe. Sushi-San blends elevated Japanese cuisine, sourced with daily deliveries from Tokyo's Toyosu Fish Market, with a soundtrack of golden-era hip-hop and one of the city's largest Japanese whisky collections. The signature maki and San-Sets are great for sharing, and it works equally well for a lively date night or a group celebration. My favorite is the Duck rice bowl-don't miss it!
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6. S.K.Y.
For a quieter, more intimate dinner, plus great outdoor dining, I go to S.K.Y. on the ground floor of the Belden-Stratford. (BTW-the Belden Stratford was the first place I lived umpteen years ago when I was the caterer at Jermome's Restaurant on Clark Street. The globally minded menu moves comfortably from lamb meatballs with tikka masala butter to bibimbap with charred vegetables, and the room's tall ceilings and dim lighting make it feel like a proper night out without being fussy about it.
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7. Fry the Coop
And for the days when only fried chicken will do, Fry the Coop's Lincoln Avenue location is my go-to. It's Nashville-style hot chicken with a dry-rub approach rather than a heavy sauce, with heat levels ranging from a gentle "country" all the way up to the infamous "insanity." It's fast, casual, and genuinely great, the kind of place I recommend to anyone craving comfort food without the wait.
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Local favorites that deserve a mention
A neighborhood this good has more than seven great restaurants, so here are a few more that are always in my rotation: Summerhouse, Blue Door Tavern, DeNucci's, Gemini, Parsons, Small Cheval, Mon Ami Gabi, Willow Room and Ramen San. Any one of these is a great answer to "where should we eat tonight?"
The bottom line
One of my favorite parts of working in Lincoln Park is that the food scene keeps getting better right alongside the neighborhood itself. If you're considering a move here, restaurants like these are a big part of what makes it feel like home, and I'm always happy to talk through what a day-to-day life in the neighborhood actually looks like, dinner reservations included.
— Emily Sachs Wong
