Now on Resy: Duck Sel, Eleven City Diner, Tacombi, and More Local Favorites
From a buzzed-about pop-up from a lauded chef to a standout old-school diner, these are just a few of the beloved Chicago spots that are now bookable on Resy. Right this way.
Note: This list will be updated regularly with new additions each month, so be sure to check back often. For Chicago’s newest restaurant openings, head here.
Duck Sel Chicago
Newly added!
Don’t miss the chance to book a seat at this extraordinary, high-end pop-up — location to be announced — from chef Donald Young, who won a Michelin star at Temporis. Now he’s offering special 15-course feasts to a small number of diners at a time, creating modern American fare with Midwestern ingredients — and yes, there will definitely be duck.
Eleven City Diner South Loop
Newly added!
Because Eleven City Diner is like a throwback to simpler times, where the menu goes on for days and sandwiches are as tall as skyscrapers. Matzo ball soup tastes as good as bubbe’s, the meats are thin, the shakes, thick (and boozy, if you like). Floats with housemade, barrel-aged root beer are a must.
Sushi By Bou West Loop Chicago
Newly added!
It’s like an omakase speakeasy hidden inside the Emily Hotel. Known for fast, fresh, and budget-friendly omakase — a full meal takes about 60 minutes — in a room that you’d never know was a sushi bar from the outside. The fresh fish, creative offerings, and sake selection supersedes the price. If you like your sushi with hip-hop vibes, this is your spot.
Sushi | Bar Chicago Chicago
Newly added!
Unconventional is one way of putting the experience at this 12-seat sushi experience hidden behind an unmarked door inside Lady May. All 17 courses come with surprises, whether it’s everything bagel spice sprinkled on aged bluefin akami, or shaved coconut on top of kanpachi. Get the wine and sake pairing and enjoy the ride.
EvaDeans Bakery & Cafe Wilmette
Is this Wilmette gem a full-service croissant-to-carrot-cake bakery, or a bright and homey restaurant serving everything from breakfast to late lunch, with a saucy cocktail program on the side? Yes to both. Chefs Garrett VanBergen and Jory Downer and pastry whiz Jordana Downer combine their excellent talents, and as a result, EvaDeans is a must.
Lady Dahlia Tequila Bar Mt. Prospect
Birdcage lampshades, bright flowers cascading from the ceiling, acres of natural wood, a sleek white bar — and almost a hundred premium Tequilas and mezcals … What more could you ask for? How about a menu offering three kinds of guacamole plus an array or tacos, fajitas, and Oaxacan-style pizzas — perfect foils for all that agave? Yes, please.
Niche Geneva
A cozy and comfortable place, Niche couldn’t have found a better name for itself. This warm Geneva standby’s rightly celebrated for its internationally accented American menu, its encyclopedic list of whiskeys from no less than three continents, and its prestige wine list — and did we mention all the cotton candy you can eat at the end of your meal?
Tacombi – Fulton Market West Loop
It’s tacos and quesadillas, cervezas and aguas frescas, and a Yucatán beach-bar feel at this lively West Loop sensation — part of a 20-plus-unit, multi-state chain born out of a mobile taco stand in a repurposed VW bus in Playa del Carmen. Pro tip: Double your pleasure every Tuesday, with two tacos for the price of one.
Tapas Barcelona Evanston-Downtown
This longtime Evanston favorite never disappoints with its abundance of little plates both cold and hot, its paellas, Spanish-themed pizzas, and its mostly Spanish wine list — including some rare sherries that you really shouldn’t overlook.
DIEGO West Town
The colorful, casual digs belie just what chef Stephen Sandoval is throwing down here. The Baja vibe is real at the West Loop neighborhood spot, from the street-art graffiti to faded yellow walls and blue tiled floors. Beach shack bites like shrimp and octopus tostadas and fish tacos go swimmingly with excellent cocktails, like a Mexican Negroni.
About Last Knife – Arlo Chicago Chicago Loop
Tucked inside the Arlo, About Last Knife is one of those places you’re happy to stumble across at the exact moment when you need a shrimp cocktail and, um, a cocktail. But don’t stop there: A slice of beef Wellington, a bowl of cheesy French onion soup, and a classic Caesar are just the right speed.
Kizami Sushi Lincoln Park
A quality neighborhood sushi spot doesn’t need a lot of bells and whistles, just fresh ingredients, a welcoming space, and both traditional and creative offerings. This Lincoln Park spot has all of that, plus a large sake list worth exploring.
One North Kitchen and Bar The Loop
This spacious restaurant, with its long, gently curving bar, its floor-to-ceiling windows, and its sidewalk patio ticks all the boxes with its all-day, hummus-to-burgers-to-whitefish menu. Pro tip: Sample the abbreviated (but still abundant) pre-theatre menu if you’re heading across the street to the Lyric Opera House.
Marisol Chicago Streeterville
Jason Hammel, whose Lula Café has been a Logan Square favorite for almost 25 years, brings his market-driven American-international cuisine to this sleekly contemporary restaurant at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Pro tip: Watch for the lunch specials created by guest chefs — there’s some of the city’s best talent there.
SPACE 519 | The Lunchroom Gold Coast/Streeterville
Here’s a place worth visiting often — a bright, 40-seat breakfast-brunch-and-lunch Gold Coast hideaway inside a chic Chestnut Street shop selling apparel, accessories, and home goods. The menu is vegetable-forward (though not vegetarian) and everything is mighty fresh.
Happy Camper Old Town Old Town
It’s impossible not to have a good time at Happy Camper (Old Town or Wrigleyville). Sure, there’s an actual camper, tire swings, and swaths of twinkle lights that make you think you’re partying under the stars. But the pizzas — neither thick nor thin, but just right — never disappoint, the ornately garnished cocktails are fun, and an afternoon on the patio can fix many ills.
Homeslice Pizzeria and Patio Lincoln Park
You have to love a spot that reminds you to just be awesome (via a big brightly lit sign). From the same group as Paradise Park and Happy Camper, Homeslice is a pizza paradise with every type of topping combo imaginable. And thanks to a bevy of apps, like jalapeño poppers, wings, and elote dip, it’s the perfect spot for a group who just wants to eat, drink, and be merry.