Restaurant Review: It’s here! Chicago Restaurant Week offers prix fixe menus, Michelin-starred excellence starting this week
From January 23 to February 8, in the true ‘dead zone’ of winter…Chicago’s diverse restauranteurs and award- winning chefs are inviting everyone to taste the world — all within one city — during the 19th Annual Chicago Restaurant Week.
As Choose Chicago notes, more than 500 restaurants from Rogers Park to South Shore are participating in the 2026 fest, from Michelin -starred and James Beard Award-winning restaurants to local family-owned storefronts. And if you live in the city or travel in from the suburbs, diners can enjoy special prix fixe menus for brunch and lunch ($30), and dinner ($45 and/or $60) at a record-breaking 550+ restaurants across the city.
Take, for example,Wolf & Company, 1752 N. Western Avenue. This new restaurant along the 606 trail in Bucktown is offering options like Beef Tartare, Steak Frites, Poached Salmon, the ‘Dirty Martini Salad’, and Italian Penicillin Soup for $60 per person. Does the soup cure all that ails you? I’d bet on it…especially the chill of winter. To make reservations, click here.
River North’s Matilda, 535 N. Wells Street, celebrates the vibrant flavors of Mexican-Peruvian fusion cuisine in a lively, modern setting. Co‑founded by Michelin‑recognized Chef José Luis Chávez, their Mexica-Peruvian fusion $30 Lunch and $60 Dinner includes Slow-braised Beef Cheeks, Pork Shoulder in Banana Leaf, Sweet Plantain Tacos, and more. To reserve, click here.
For Chicago Bears fans everywhere, you can extend the glow of the 2025-26 season at The Staley in the South Loop, 1736 S. Michigan Avenue. Founded by former Bear Israel Idonije, The Staley blends the citys deep-rooted love of sports with a hearty, upscale menu. During Restaurant Week, their $45 dinner menu includes choices like the Staley Birra Nachos, Smoked BBQ Mac n’ Cheese, and for dessert, a Skillet Cookie or Doughnut Bites. To reserve, click here.
In Logan Square, Lula Café, 2537 N. Kedzie Boulevard, three-time James Beard nominee Chef Jason Hammel is offering a $60 per person dinner featuring cozy winter dishes like Squash Soup with Black Truffle, Pappardelle with Mushroom-Walnut Bolognese, Cider-braised Pork Shoulder with Miso Butter, and Toasted Rice Pudding withlocal cherries, sabayon and sherry. For reservations, click here.
In Albany Park, Maman Zari, 4639 N. Kedzie Avenue, one of Chicago’s Best New Restaurants in 2024, as Choose Chicago notes, is offering a $60 dinner that includes decadent mains like Lamb Ragù Makaroni or Buttery Sturgeon. The sweet finale features velvety tiramisu or ice cream, both infused with pistachio and saffron. For reservations, click here.
At Irving Park’s Mima’s Taste of Cuba, 2925 W. Irving Park Road, owners Jamie and Billy Alvarez offer a taste of the Caribbean with its festive décor. During Restaurant Week, it’s also unique in including beverages in its $30 lunch and $45 dinner offerings during Restaurant Week. Lunches include your choice of a Chicken, Beef or Vegetable Empanada, a Cubano Sandwich or a Chicken, Shrimp, Beef or Vegetable Jibarito, a seasonal dessert, and your choice of a cocktail or beer. To find a table, click here.
In Andersonville, Minyoli, 5420 N. Clark Street, the Taiwanese restaurant offers a $30 Brunch, $30 Lunch, or $45 Dinner with a five‑course tasting menu featuring a veggie starter, fried snack, rice dish, noodle bowl, and sweet finale, with choices such as Sour Plum Powder Sweet Potato Fries and Taiwanese Fried Chicken. For reservations, click here.
For a complete list of participating restaurants, click here! And Happy Restaurant Week to all who will celebrate in 2026!
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
