A taste of tomorrow: Chicago’s top restaurant openings in 2024

As the culinary landscape of Chicago continues to evolve and expand, 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the city's food scene. This year, the city's vibrant food scene will offer a variety of unique dining experiences that promise to excite the taste buds and cement Chicago's status as a culinary hotspot. Here are the most eagerly awaited restaurant openings set to redefine dining in the Windy City in 2024.

Steingold’s Wrigleyville

The American Jewish community's love for baseball makes the opening of Steingold’s of Chicago, a modern Jewish deli, near Wrigley Field seem destined. Founded in 2017 by baseball enthusiast and chef Aaron Steingold, the new location will offer popular bagels, deli sandwiches, latke-tot poutine and bagel dogs on sticks. In the former West Town Bakery space inside Hotel Zachary, Culinary Director Cara Peterson will introduce creative soft-serve flavors, such as baklava with honey and salted caramel.

Projected opening: Thursday, March 28

Address: 3630 N. Clark Street

Bayan Ko Diner

The Bayan KO restaurant is transitioning from its Cuban-Filipino casual dining to a more upscale five-course tasting menu, leaving behind its popular Cuban sandwiches and lumpia. The team will open a new diner nearby, continuing to offer their original casual Cuban and Filipino dishes, along with beer, wine, and cocktails. This new diner taking over the space of the former Glenn's Diner, aims to be an inclusive community hub, blending heritage dishes, family recipes, and contemporary American cooking.

Projected opening: Mid-February

Address: 1820 W. Montrose Avenue

Hawksmoor

Hawksmoor has been acclaimed as the "#1 Best Steak Restaurant in the world in 2022," and renowned for its ethically sourced steaks, sustainably harvested seafood, and unique cocktails. Luckily for Hawkmoor’s fans, the restaurant is opening a flagship location in downtown Chicago. The team behind it plans to revive the LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse, a stunning landmark first launched in 1887 during Chicago's cable car era. They also aim to restore the building's original features while infusing new vitality into the three-story structure.

Projected opening: Mid-summer

Address: 500 N. LaSalle Street

Brasero

Brasero, a new restaurant by chef-restaurateur John Manion, centers on wood-fired Latin American cuisine. Manion is known for his Wine Spectator Award-winning El Che Steakhouse & Bar in Chicago, and he has significantly influenced the city's Latin American culinary scene, introducing Argentine and Chilean flavors to everyday people. This latest venture will emphasize Brazilian culinary traditions alongside a specially curated wine list.

Projected opening: February

Address: 1709 W. Chicago Avenue 

Feld

Chef Potashnick was inspired by his past experience at an omakase restaurant in Berlin, and seeks a more direct interaction with customers at this new venue. To create a theater-like dining experience, the restaurant is designed with two long banquettes facing the center, where staff will prepare and plate dishes in full view of guests, complemented by an open kitchen at the back. Feld will feature a unique farm-to-table fine dining tasting menu, with daily changing dishes based on fresh produce from direct partnerships with farmers and artisans, including custom ceramics and steak knives, supporting local creators.

Projected opening: May

Address: 2018 W. Chicago Avenue

Sunda Fulton Market

Sunda, a Southeast Asian restaurant by Chicago nightlife luminary Billy Dec, is rejuvenated 15 years after its River North debut. Inspired by the rise of Filipino eateries like Kasama, Dec plans to open a second location in Chicago's Fulton Market. Dec’s menus boast a wide influence of flavors of the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Japan, including sushi, dim sum variations, noodles, and rice dishes, complemented by specialty cocktails and Japanese whiskies.

Projected opening: February

Address: 333 N. Green Street

Tre Dita

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises is set to unveil Tre Dita inside the St. Regis Chicago, featuring regional Tuscan cuisine with an emphasis on "cucina Toscana" including wood-fired grill items and handmade pasta. The restaurant, a collaboration with renowned LA chef Evan Funke of Felix, will also feature a pasta lab dedicated to traditional Tuscan pasta shapes.

Projected opening: Early February

Address: St. Regis Chicago, 401 E. Wacker Drive

Perilla Korean American Steakhouse

Chicago’s culinary scene prides itself on its diversity and creativity, including a vibrant Korean culture. Perilla, a renowned Korean American restaurant in River West, is collaborating with the global giant Lotte Group to open a new restaurant in Lotte's forthcoming downtown hotel. This venture aims to celebrate the richness of Chicago's culinary scene, blending the steakhouse concept with Korean influences.

Projected opening: Spring

Address: 225 N. Wabash Avenue