As of April 2022, more than 20 Michelin-starred restaurants call Chicago home, and if you haven’t tried one, you’re missing out on an unmatched culinary experience.
The original French guidebook that launched in 1889, Michelin rates fine dining establishments all over the world and awards between one and three stars to those lucky few restaurants that meet its sky-high standards. Restaurants are rated solely on cuisine (not decor, for example) and on five key criteria: quality of products, mastery of flavor/cooking techniques, personality of the chef, value for money, and consistency.
In Chicago, only one restaurant currently has a three-star rating: Alinea. As of April 2022, the restaurant has held its rating for 12 years.
Regarding Alinea’s long-held honor, the Michelin Guide chief inspector for the U.S. said via email in 2022: “The Michelin Guide defines a restaurant at the 3-star level as one offering cuisine that is exceptional and worth a special journey. The team at Alinea offers a 3-star dining experience that features great product treated with technical excellence and bearing a distinct, fully realized personality.”
Ready to sample some of the highest-rated food in the city? Check out our map below of Michelin-starred restaurants and start making those reservations.
Key: 3 stars - orange; 2 stars - navy; 1 star - purple.
