Province Pizza is a new sports bar in Portage Park specializing in both tavern-style thin crust and wood-fired Neapolitan pizza. The menu has varieties like margherita, fig and bechamel, and spicy sausage with giardiniera.

Also opening in Portage Park is the new location of Hot Dog Box. Formerly a carryout-only pop-up in Bronzeville, this hot dog spot will now have a dining room. Along with the usual suspects, the menu has specialty items like a salmon or filet mignon dog topped with bacon, bbq sauce, and sport peppers.

The X Pot is a futuristic new hot pot restaurant that just opened in the South Loop. What makes it futuristic? Robot servers, along with elaborate light projections and thematic soundscapes. While the robots will bring you the majority of your hot pot ingredients, humans are on hand to take orders and help you with any questions you might have. And, presumably, to rescue you from the robots should the need arise.

This bakery started out as a pop-up in 2020, and now has a carryout- and delivery-only brick and mortar in Ravenswood. R&A specializes in sourdough bagels, and their menu also includes house-cured lox, bialys, bagel dogs, and deep dish pizza bagels.

This is a new Italian restaurant in Little Italy from the owners of Tempesta and Coalfire. Peanut Park’s menu has a variety of antipasta, pastas (like rigatoni with pomodoro and linguine vongole), and mains like chicken parmesan.

Bazaar Meat is a new steakhouse in the loop from the same team as Jaleo. Bazaar has several locations in the U.S. and the one in Chicago has dishes like cotton candy foie gras, caviar service, jamon iberico, and just a whole lot of meat in general.

Bar Mar is the upscale seafood-focused cocktail bar located on the first floor of Bazaar Meat. Along with cocktails, the menu has elaborate small plates like fish-shaped bagels filled with cream cheese espuma and topped with smoked salmon, and a “not so po boy” made with fried oyster and caviar.

This food truck now has a brick and mortar space in Humboldt Park. Aztec Dave’s Cantina has tacos, burritos, tortas, and quesadillas.

We miss Fat Willy’s, the now-closed barbecue spot in Logan Square. But a new BBQ spot has taken over: Joker’s Cajun Smokehouse. The menu has things like brisket and ribs, along with dishes like jambalaya and crawfish etouffee.

This is a new natural wine bar opening in the former Cafe Bonhomme space in the Loop. Good Funk overlooks the river, and along with wine also serves snacks like duck rillettes, salmon crudo, and pork pate.

Gordon Ramsay Burger opened its second location in River North (the first is in Las Vegas). As the name suggests, the restaurant specializes in burgers, but you’ll also find hot dogs, wings, salads, and cocktails.

Zaza’s is a New York-style pizza shop that just opened in Lakeview. The long menu has options like bacon jam, soppressata, a white pie, vegan bruschetta, plus salads and appetizers. The restaurant is BYOB, and luckily there’s a Binny’s right across the street.

This is a new cocktail bar in Portage Park. Moonflower’s drink menu has creative options like the Seeing Green (matcha, condensed milk, soju, and vodka) along with classics like Manhattans. Plus, they have a food menu with stuff like fries topped with bolognese, grilled cheese and tomato soup, and patty melts.

Regalia is a new Italian restaurant in Edgewater that’s located in the former Income Tax space. The menu has appetizers like fritto misto, fried artichokes, and meatballs, along with pastas, salads, and entrees like veal parmigiana.

We’re excited about this one. After operating as a takeout pop-up over Instagram, this wonderful Chinese restaurant now has a brick-and-mortar space in Humboldt Park. Now you can walk right into 3 Little Pigs and order their pork fried rice, char siu ribs, and crab rangoon whenever you want.

This is a new Italian restaurant that opened in the former Cafe Marie Jeanne space in Humboldt Park. Segnatore’s menu has pastas like cappellini, ravioli, and mafaldine, along with entrees like porchetta and roasted whole fish.

Cultivate is a spinoff of Forbidden Root, the West Town brew pub. Cultivate is in the former Band of Bohemia space in Ravenswood, and along with their botanical beer, they serve food like short rib with sweet potato coleslaw and porchetta.

This is the more casual walk-in bar attached to the tasting menu restaurant Esme in Lincoln Park. Bar Esme focuses on cocktails, and has an a la carte food menu based on whatever is happening over at Esme - so you can get bites like the Cheeto canape, oysters, or an upside-down cake.

Ayo is a new cafe and pizza spot in Lincoln Park. They specialize in whole tavern-style pies (with options like sausage, caramelized onions, and roasted red pepper) and Sicilian slices - like cheese, pepperoni, and veggie.

Why is a bowling alley in our Openings Guide? Because this Hyde Park spot is also serving food from Lillie Q’s BBQ. The menu has things like wings, fried chicken sandwiches, a wagyu smashburger, and boozy milkshakes.

The Wolfhound is an Irish restaurant that just opened in Avondale. The menu has bar food like burgers and sandwiches, along with entrees like braised pork shoulder and the full Irish - bangers, bacon, black and white pudding, fried eggs, tomato, mushroom, beans, and toast.

This is the second location of West African restaurant Iyanzé in Uptown. Iyanzé Bronze is in Bronzeville (hence the name) and the menu has things like fufu, soups, and jollof with oxtail and plantains.

We’re fans of the original Chengdu Impression in Lincoln Park, so we’re delighted that they just opened a second location in Wicker Park. The specialty here is Sichuan food, so you can expect dishes like cold noodle salad, dry chili chicken, mapo tofu, and mala fish filet.

In other second location news, Chiya Chai Cafe, and Indian and Nepali restaurant in Logan Square, just opened another spot in the Loop. Their menu has dishes like momos, chaat, curries, savory pies, and (naturally) a lot of chai.

Armitage Alehouse is a new Anglo-Indian spot in Lincoln Park from the team behind Gilt Bar and Bavettes. The menu has dishes like lamb samosas, tikka masala, and pot pies along with staples from their other restaurants, like truffle bucatini, steaks, and a prime rib sandwich.

This South Asian-inspired spot began as a pop-up, moved into Politan Row, then was in a virtual kitchen, and now finally has a permanent home in Wicker Park. Here, you’ll find dishes like the THC Sando (fried tandoor chicken, gochujang aioli, and honey), vada pav, mushroom korma, and more. Wazwan also has a tasting menu concept in the same space called Aman. It’s only available on Friday and Saturday, and you can make reservations for that here.

Another location of Ranalli’s has opened in the West Loop. And this pizza spot has the same menu as the original in Lincoln Park, with dishes like their hot honey soppressata pie and appetizers like toasted bolognese ravioli. It also functions as a sports bar thanks to 33 TVs inside, which we can agree is a lot of TVs.

Rubi’s used to ​​only exist on Sundays at the Maxwell Street Market, but now they have a permanent home in Pilsen. They make their tacos and quesadillas on large handmade tortillas, and (for right now) are open on Saturdays and Sundays.

This is a new fried chicken spot in a former Harold’s space. Hot Chi is halal, and serves a sandwich called “Popeye’s ain’t Shit,” with harissa-glazed thigh and whipped garlic sauce. There’s also Nashville hot chicken wings, tenders, and mac and cheese.

Another Bite is a new BYOB brunch spot in Roger’s Park. This casual place has dishes like waffles, omelettes, pancakes, and French toast - and you can customize your order with sweet and savory mix-ins.

This is a speakeasy bar in River North that’s located in the basement of the Spanish restaurant Jaleo. Pigtail serves food and drinks (every dish has some form of jamón in it, hence the name) with dishes like béchamel fritters and jamón, or fried pig snout with jamón cheese foam. Some cocktails feature pork too, like a negroni made with fat-washed gin.

Chalet is a ski-resort-themed bar and restaurant in River North. This means a lot of dishes that you probably want to eat when it’s cold and snowy out, like duck confit poutine, honey braised short ribs, and a wagyu and bison smashburger.

Sushi Boutique is a new spot in the Claridge Hotel in the Gold Coast, and it’s from the same team as omakase restaurant Sushi Suite. But unlike its sister restaurant, Sushi boutique is a bit more casual, and has an izakaya menu with things like pork buns and tori karaage. There’s also a separate sushi menu where you can get maki, handrolls, and omakase boxes that range in price from $50 to $250.

This Old Town restaurant is the third location of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Meat (the others are in Hyde Park and Orland Park). As you might have deduced from the name, it’s a plant-based restaurant with vegetarian versions of things like buffalo shrimp, hoagies, cheesesteaks, and pizza puffs.

Izakaya Mita in Bucktown had been closed for 19 months, but just reopened with an updated menu and newly-decorated space. The new menu is extensive, with things like soba, okonomiyaki, rice sliders, sushi, yakitori, and there’s a long sake list, too.

Bar Goa is a new cocktail bar in River North from the folks behind Rooh. The food is Indian with Portuguese influences, and includes dishes like chicken cafreal stew, a pork vindaloo “poi-wich,” and prawn and chorizo fried rice. They also have an interesting cocktail menu that includes drinks like the “sunburn,” which has whiskey, China-China amer, hibiscus grenadine, and emulsified egg white.

Komo is an upscale Japanese tasting menu restaurant that just opened in the West Loop, and it’s from the chef of Macku in Lincoln Park. The eight-course dinner is a combination of kaiseki and omakase (with dishes like nigiri and foie gras with mochi ice cream) and costs $160 per person.

The original Kitchen + Kocktails is in Dallas, and the one that’s in River North is the second location. This upscale restaurant serves Southern dishes like pork chops, blackened fish, gumbo, and crab cakes. Just be aware, there is a dress code, which you can see here.

Provaré is a Creole and Italian spot that just opened in West Town. The menu is short, with dishes like crab cakes, salmon egg rolls, and shrimp Hennessy scampi with handmade pasta.

This is a new food hall in the Loop that’s based out of New York. Urbanspace is launching with 12 restaurants and vendors include local classics like Edzo’s and Isla Pilipina (which closed in Logan Square last year). There are also new vendors like Bhoomi Indian Grill, and the first Chicago location of Roberta’s Pizza.

Elina’s is a new Italian restaurant in West Town. You’ll find pasta like rigatoni a la vodka and linguine and clams, along with dishes like chicken parmesan and Dover sole piccata.

Ocasa Kitchen Bar is a new Logan Square Mexican restaurant located in the former Masa Azul space. The menu has a selection of tacos (with options like cochinita pibil or al pastor) and entrees like quesabirria, enchiladas, and chuletas con arro. For right now, they’re BYOB.

If you’re looking for bars with activities other than drinking, you’ll be interested in Mission Control. This arcade bar is opening in Roger’s Park this week, and has a ton of vintage video games, pinball machines, board games, and more. There will also be a food menu filled with pierogies.

This is a new Italian restaurant in the West Loop located in the former Bellemore space. Alla Vita is from the same chef as Boka and GG’s Chicken Shop. The menu has pasta, a variety of pizza, and entrees like chicken parmigiana.

Fame is a two-story restaurant and nightclub that just opened in River North. The first level is an upscale restaurant, where you can get dishes like a tomahawk ribeye, cacio e pepe, and lamb chops scottadito. The second level will be a nightclub and private event space, which will open later this fall.

The Huettebar, which closed in 2020, has reopened as the Lincoln Square Taproom. This casual bar has beer from local breweries like Eris Brewery and Cider House, Maplewood, and Old Irving Brewing Company.

This is a new restaurant operating in Wicker Park. Salt specializes in smashburgers and loaded fries topped with things like cheese, grilled onions, hot peppers, and more.

Medi is a new Mediterranean and Lebanese restaurant in Lincoln Park. The menu has dishes like soujek, shish tawook, and kabobs. Plus, there’s a fun cocktail list with things like a saffron sazerac and cold brew Old Fashioneds.

Sunny Bowls is a new fast-casual lunch option in River North. It’s in the Merchandise Mart and specializes in soup. The menu has options like Thai chicken and sweet potato lemongrass, along with a selection of salads and spreads like hummus.

Continuing the restaurants-designed-for-downtown-workers theme, a new location of sushi-san has opened in the Willis Tower. It’s primarily grab-and-go, with nigiri and maki, bento boxes, and small plates like edamame hummus and Szechuan tofu. There is also a handroll bar that will be opening soon.

This is a New Orleans-inspired restaurant and cocktail bar in River North. Storyville’s menu has starters like catfish nuggets and boudin balls, sandwiches like mini po’ boys, and entrees like gumbo and fried redfish. They also serve late-night bites (they’re open till 2am), and weekend brunch.

Esmé was supposed to debut last March, but after some delays, this fine-dining restaurant has finally opened in Lincoln Park. It’s a 12-15 course tasting menu spot from a former Next chef, and tickets start around $185 depending on the day of your seating.

What’s Krackin is a new seafood spot in Hyde Park. The menu has things like lobster, crab, shrimp, and oysters served at a variety of spice levels, along with po’boys and sides like mac and cheese.

This is a new Vietnamese restaurant in Lakeview. MK has a long menu filled with dishes like pho and bahn mi, and also has dishes like pad see ew and crispy chow fun. It’s open for dine-in, but they also offer carryout.

The Cocktail Club is a new bar in River North in the same building (and from the same team) as The Underground. It’s an upscale, 1920s-inspired venue that has live music and serves classic cocktails.

This is a brand new vegan restaurant in Lincoln Park from the team behind Fancy Plants Cafe. Fancy Plants Kitchen has dishes like mushroom pate, grilled artichokes with chimichurri, and tamales filled with braised yuba.

A brand new spot just opened in Little Italy - Brunch N Burgers, which focuses on (you guessed it) burgers and brunch. You’ll find a variety of burgers and brunch dishes like breakfast sandwiches, oatmeal, and chilaquiles.

Taco Boom started out as a food truck, but now this Mexican restaurant has a permanent location in Lincoln Square. Taco Boom specializes in quesabirria tacos, but the menu also has things like birria ramen and a birria pizzadilla - a hybrid of pizza and a quesadilla.

This is a new Spanish restaurant and market in Lincoln Park. During the day Bocadillo serves snacks and sandwiches, and for dinner they have dishes like paella. You can also shop for things like ceramics.

We’re big fans of Amaru, so we’re excited about Bloom, a brand new vegan restaurant from the same team. This Wicker Park spot has dishes like beet dumplings, cashew e pepe (made with kelp noodles and cashew cheese), and an almond cheese board.

Is Radio Room a new restaurant? Technically. This River North spot is from the same team as Bandit and Siena Tavern, and used to be The Public House. It’s been overhauled, and now it’s basically Bandit 2.0, with a similar design and the same y2k theme (for example, there’s a cocktail called Sparkle Motion from Donnie Darko.) The menu is mostly bar food and has things like Nashville hot fries, burgers, and mac and cheese. They also plan on having DJs and live music.

Velvet Taco is a national chain, and their third one in Chicago just opened in the West Loop. The menus vary depending on the location, and here they have taco options like chicken and waffles (on a waffle tortilla), fried paneer, and a shrimp and grits version. You can also get cocktails and sides like queso blanco and elotes.

Parkside is a new restaurant in Lincoln Square, and is the kind of place that grows its own herbs. The menu is full of seasonal dishes, and right now that means things like oysters, tea-smoked Cornish hen, peaches and ham, and summer squash with buckwheat and tomato.

Jaleo is a Spanish restaurant with four locations all over the country, and now we have one in River North. The menu includes tapas, paellas, sangrias, and a long list of Spanish wines.

This is a new Logan Square salumeria. The Lardon sells charcuterie, salumi, and various other meats that they cure in house. Along with lots of sliced meats, they also have sandwiches, salads, boards, and other things like pork pate and cornichon mayo.

The Diver at the Park is a Tulum-inspired restaurant in Wrigleyville. This place has a huge dog-friendly patio with a vintage camper bar, and serves food like tacos, nachos, and ceviches. They also do a bottomless brunch on the weekend.

A former food truck, this Hawaiian restaurant now has a permanent location in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood. The menu has plate lunches like spam loco moco and kalua pork, a variety of burgers, and side dishes like spam musubi.

Chicago has a beautiful skyline, so we’re never upset when a new rooftop appears on the scene. And Chateau Carbide is an upscale rooftop bar that just opened on the 24th floor of the Pendry Hotel. The wine list is rosé focused (they have rosé and champagne bottle service) and they also offer small bites like charcuterie and caviar. And when you come here at night, the vibe here gets clubby with Djs spinning French house music.

Sweet Bean is a new Taiwanese and Japanese cafe in the South Loop. Right now they’re focusing on coffee and pastries (like egg tarts and sesame balls) but plan on having a full full food menu soon.

The Listening Room is a new bar and listening cafe in the Loop. What’s a Listening Cafe you ask? Taken right from their website, it’s “a clubby dining experience with a state-of-the-art audio experience”. In other words, you listen to music while eating things like ricotta and honey, filet mignon, and mushroom rigatoni. The music genre changes, so check their Instagram for updates.

After a fire forced them to close back in 2017, Art of Chicken in Logan Square has finally reopened. And as you might have deduced from the name, the specialty at this counter-service spot is chicken. Specifically grilled chicken that you can get by the quarter, half, or whole, served with fresh pita and salsa. They also offer a pulled chicken sandwich, and a variety of sides (like elotes or mac and cheese).

Gioia is an upscale new Italian restaurant in the West Loop. The focus here is on handmade pastas, which include things like bucatini cacio e pepe, seafood tagliatelle, and paccheri mancini prepared tableside. Along with pasta, you’ll also find a bunch of antipasti and mains like veal Milanse.

Adalina is an upscale Italian restaurant that just opened in the Gold Coast. The menu has dishes like arancini, housemade pastas, and entrees like salmon Vesuvio.

After being closed since last summer, Time Out Market in Fulton Market reopened with new additions to its vendor lineup - like Soul & Smoke, Cleo’s Southern Cuisine, Pisolino, Shawn Michelles, Bittersweet Pastries, and Candelite pizza (to name a few). The industrial-feeling space is huge, with two levels, three separate bars, a rooftop, and a sidewalk patio.

This is a new Logan Square taproom from Solemn Oath Brewery in Naperville. Along with beer, they also serve hard seltzer and spritz cocktails.

Chikatana, a new Mexican restaurant from a former chef of Mi Tocaya (one of our favorite spots in the city) just opened in the West Loop. The dinner menu has dishes like elotes, king crab chili relleno, and pato en mole. They also have a late-night tlayudas menu starting at 10pm.

Lure Fishbar is originally from NYC, but now this upscale spot has a brand new location in the Gold Coast. And as the name suggests, the focus here is on seafood. But along with all the seafood options, you’ll also find steaks, chops, and a burger on the menu, too.

A fourth location of Parson’s just opened in Andersonville. Like the others, you can expect fried chicken, fish, hush puppies, and negroni slushies - just in time for summer.

The original Shang Noodle is in Evanston, but a Streeterville location just opened in Chicago. The menu has a variety of things like mapo tofu, har-gau dumplings, hot and dry pot, and a list of housemade noodle dishes.

This is an upscale French restaurant that just opened inside the Pendry in the Loop. You’ll find things like caviar, steak tartare, and escargot, along with entrees like coq au vin and dover sole. And because it’s a hotel restaurant, it’s open seven days a week.

Sochi is a new Vietnamese restaurant in Lakeview. The menu has bánh mì, phở, salads, and dishes like cơm chiên cá. They also serve cocktails, beer, and wine, and are open only for dine-in service.

The original Dr. Bird’s opened in Buffalo in 1981, and now this Caribbean spot has a location in Wicker Park. Their specialty are Jamaican patties, which are filled with either chicken, beef, or spinach. But the menu also has things like jerk chicken, jerk tacos, pasta, and a variety of sides.

This is a new vegan soft serve shop in Wicker Park. Vaca’s ice cream is made from oat milk, and they’ll have shakes and sundaes with toppings like confetti cookie dough and dulce de leche with a candy shell.

The Duplex, a new restaurant in Logan Square, features different chefs and restaurants every six months. First up are fried chicken sandwiches from The Kluckerz and Latin American and Mexican food from Lime and Radish.