Chicago’s Most Delicious Lake View Restaurants
Mia Francesca
3311 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 281-3310
Mia Francesca was founded in 1992 and is run across 23 locations in two states with six restaurant concepts. They specialize in pizza and Italian cuisine. Their menu also caters to special diets, incorporating gluten-free, vegetarian-friendly, and vegan options. The restaurant provides catering services and also hosts private events in their dining room. Open every day of the week, we indulged in calamari fritti, Insalata Alla Fancesca, and the Pizza Verde with a glass of sweet white wine. The outlet’s ambiance is casually sophisticated. The service is friendly, and the prices were quite appealing even though the food was incredible – we had expected a higher price for that quality.
Farm Bar Lakeview
1300 W Wellington Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 281-2599
We were pretty impressed with Farm Bar. This quintessential spot gave us an experience of Midwest culture right down to the generosity of cheese and butter. The curds were out of this world. The food is made of freshly sourced ingredients, and the beef is sourced from pasture-raised cattle. The fries (and homemade tasting ketchup) were tasty, the ribs excellent, the fish sandwich delicious, and the Bavarian pretzel was perfectly toasty and soft – out and in. The restaurant offers a taste of nature – it’s built from Wisconsin black walnut and barn wood. Additionally, they have a loyalty rewards program – we earned 1 point for each dollar we spent.
Carnivale
702 West Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 850-5005
Carnivale provides a blend of Latin American cuisine. The ambiance here is colorful and eccentric, the atmosphere eclectic and vibrant, the cocktails exotic, the desserts unique, the dishes flavorful and tasty, and their service was phenomenal. It’s the kind of place that would brighten you up after a dull day. We relished the gaucho steak, Chuleta Asada, coconut shrimp, and crispy calamari. For dessert, we had the chocolate cigar, and it was terrific. The award-winning restaurant provides a suitable atmosphere for hosting events. It is undoubtedly one of the best Lake View restaurants in Chicago. They were among Trip Advisors’ Travelers’ Choice Winners in 2020.
The Chicago Diner
3411 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 935-6696
The Chicago Diner is purely vegetarian and prides itself on being meat-free since 1983. That does not in any way compromise the quality of their food! We enjoyed their signature Radical Reuben (their flagship sandwich), poutine, smoked tofu club, seitan meats (for wings, gyros burgers, etc.), Caprese burger, and their absolutely remarkable milkshakes (some are gluten-free). Plus, they are more than happy to share their unique recipes, and we got ourselves one of the cookbooks. The spot is child-friendly and is perfect for Brunch. The original version of this restaurant is on Broadway with another branch in Logan Square.
Lowcountry Lakeview
3343 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657
(312) 866-6161
The restaurant has a lovely interior design. The setting is comfortable, the environment is backyard-like, the service is brilliant, and we didn’t need to wait for long for our food to be served, despite quite a crowd. The Buffalo flavored wings were delicious, the cornbread was flavorful, the shrimp combo was tasty and plentiful, and the snow crab was nice and juicy. The Cajun aioli sauce that accompanies the fried shrimp was amazingly delicious. The Seafood was tremendous, and their portions are considerably generous. The food is spicy to an exciting level – not too much but just right.
Swift & Sons
1000 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 733-9420
We searched for premium steaks and came across this swanky outlet that serves traditional American cuisine and Seafood. Their rock shrimp appetizer was great, they perfectly did the hanger steak Frites, and the pretzel bites and provolone dip were terrific. The onion soup was delicious, and so were the oysters. There’s a house concierge and a bi-level bar. The tavern spritz cocktail was charming. They also have unique in-house beverages. Swift & Sons offers delivery, dine-in, and curbside pickup options. It gets pretty busy around 7:00 p.m. There is outdoor seating on the patio (heated) and indoor dining.
Saigon Sisters
567 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 496-0090
Saigon Sisters is an ideal place to experience an interesting blend of Asian and Vietnamese cuisine. The atmosphere is warm, and they provide personalized service. The outlet currently only offers takeout or delivery options. The food is fantastic, the service is outstanding, and the mouth-watering Vietnamese spices blew us away! The food really was authentic, and it was a great experience – it matched in presentation and taste. We devoured the rice and fried chicken (sweet and spicy), curry chicken (infused with turmeric), seared Branzino (fish), and the Banh Bao pork belly. Barbecued Jackfruit was an intriguing addition. For dessert, we had their bread pudding with cinnamon whipped cream – Vietnamese style, which was flavorful. This is one of the best Lake View restaurants in Chicago serving Vietnamese food.
Strings Ramen Shop
919 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 661-6442
Strings Ramen Shop delightfully brings Japanese culture and cuisine to Chicago. It has been voted the best Ramen restaurant in Chicago and has two other locations in the city aside from this one in Lakeview. Unlike other ramen restaurants that offer other entrees, Strings focuses purely on ramen and is very good at it. The noodles were epic. They use high-end ingredients to make all their servings scrumptious. The spices are available in five levels, so you can have fun teasing your taste buds and exploring your sense of adventure. The customer service here is superb despite the restaurant being quite busy. As a result, they do not accept reservations.
MFK
432 W Diversey Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 857-2540
Undoubtedly one of the best Lake View restaurants in Chicago serving coastal Spanish and Seafood cuisine, MFK stands out. It’s located below street level, has a comfy ambiance and a relaxed, intimate atmosphere, and serves some of the simplest yet best, seafood dishes in Lake View. We found the place quite suitable for a polite evening after work to wind down and indulge in light hors d’oeuvres and drinks at the bar. We enjoyed the Suzuki Crudo, charred romaine salad, roasted maitake mushrooms, and the potato and smoked piquillo croquettes, all of which were amazing. Since it opened its doors in 2016, the restaurant has continued to receive the Michelin Bib Gourmand Award each year.
DMK Burger Bar
2954 N Sheffield Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 360-8686
DMK is a fun place to be with superb burgers, a friendly atmosphere, and excellent service personnel. We found a tempting array of burger options, some of which were quite exotic. The outlet is renowned for its beef patties which come from 100% grass-fed cattle. It has been highlighted and featured on several platforms, making it one of the best Lake View restaurants in Chicago. They’ve even been featured by Eater as one of Chicago’s most iconic burger and Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives!
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