Chicago Spots For When You Want To Feel Like a Movie Star
via Bonyeon
Sometimes it’s all about a fancy night out on the town. Maybe you’re celebrating a birthday or an anniversary, or perhaps you just want a memorable meal with friends or family. Either way, we’ve rounded up a few restaurants that will elevate your dinner experience in Chicago from an average dinner into a night that makes you feel like you’re an actual celebrity dodging the paparazzi to make it to a phenomenal dining experience.
Bonyeon {651 West Washington Boulevard, Chicago; 872.318.2194}
To really feel like you’re an A-List movie star, you must try Bonyeon, Chicago’s first steak omakase experience. Chef Sangtae Park, the owner and Executive Chef of Chicago’s Omakase Yume, decided to create this new venture exploring beef in a myriad of ways. Bonyeon, which means “original” in Korean, explores beef and all its diverse flavors and textures through tastes of different cuts and preparations. The restaurant promises diners will be “transported to a world of elegance and sophistication,” which sounds like a perfect way to learn about all the factors that go into an unforgettable beef dish. Each bite is better than the next! You’ll leave with a full stomach and a new appreciation for beef and all the ways it can be enjoyed. Treat yourself to of a kind dining experience!
via The Omakase Room
Omakase Room {63 West Grand Avenue, Chicago; 312.766.7899}
If you’re looking for an intimate, high-end dining experience, be sure to make a reservation at the Omakase Room at Sushi-San. The ten-seat space is tucked away in a private, stunning space. In fact, they won the 2024 Jean Banchet Award for Best Restaurant Design! Plus, the world-class menu is created nightly based on the availability of wild line-caught fish. Every bite is fresh and unique (have you ever tried shaved compressed caviar?). It’s curated by Master Sushi Chef Kaze Chan, who has received high praise from Michelin Guide. Don’t forget to have the chef sign the menu when you leave for a real celebrity experience!
NoMI x Moody Tongue at the Park Hyatt Chicago {800 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago; 312.239.4030}
For those with a weakness for unique dining experiences, you need to head to NoMI for their collaboration with Moody Tongue (the Chicago brewery with two Michelin stars)! This gourmet dining adventure includes a four-course tasting menu (hello, Truffle Fried Chicken!) paired with Moody Tongue’s award-winning beverages. We have our eye on the White Coffee Mousse paired with Moody Tongue’s Caramelized Chocolate Churro Porter. And don’t procrastinate! The last day to secure a reservation for this collaboration is December 28, 2024.
Lyra {905 West Fulton Market, Chicago; 312.660.7722}
Night owls, we have the perfect spot for you to make your next movie star-like dinner reservation. Lyra, a Greek restaurant in the Fulton Market District, has a fun set up on Friday and Saturday nights after 11pm. Yes, you read that right! If you reserve dinner after 11pm on a weekend night, you’ll be in for a memorable experience with table-side mixology, a live DJ and even some sparklers. You’ll really feel like a VIP at a late-night party paired with a delicious dinner, thanks to Award-winning Chef Athinagoras Kostakos. The menu focuses on authentic Mediterranean dishes, designed to share, cooked over charcoal and wood-burning grills to really add some smoky flavor and depth. We recommend the Wagyu Beef Souvlaki or the Grilled Octopus, but you won’t go wrong with anything on the menu!
via DISCO at Celeste
DISCO at Celeste {111 West Hubbard Street, Chicago; 312.828.9000}
Ready for a memorable night out in the Windy City? You really can’t go wrong with a visit to DISCO, located on the third floor of Celeste in the River North neighborhood. You’ll feel like you’ve been transported back to the 1970s disco era with DJs spinning classic tunes with some top hits mixed in. DISCO has a wall-to-wall LED dance floor, along with some plush booths where you can order bottle service and enjoy dancing the night away under disco balls to really get the high brow movie star vibes.
Swift & Sons {1000 West Fulton Market, Chicago; 312.733.9420}
Nothing screams luxury like a personalized dining experience on your birthday, which is exactly what you can get at Swift & Sons. Go celebrate another lap around the sun with your favorite mouth-watering steak and pair it with a vintage bottle of wine from your birth year to really make it special! They have a whole menu of vintage wines listed out by year, with the ultimate goal to encompass every year from 1964 until 2000. We’re pretty sure the rich and famous would also make their birthdays extra special with a glass (or bottle) of wine from the year they were born!
By Kerry Leary | Special Correspondent