Great Mediterranean Restaurants in Chicago
Mediterranean food is known for its ingredients from countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, such as Italy, Greece, Spain, and Middle Eastern countries, including Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, and others. There is no shortage of Mediterranean Restaurants in Chicago. If you are looking for kebabs, a shawarma wrap or any other Mediterranean dish prepared authentically. This list often has some of the best restaurants in Windy City.
Photo Credit: Facebook
Ema
74 W. Illinois St. (Clark), Chicago, IL
(312) 527-5586
Ema is a small restaurant that serves good food in an enjoyable environment with quality service. The food is served on small plates, and to get filled, have a mix of small and large plates. The hummus, falafel, pita and feta, smoky charred eggplant spread, and a variety of kebabs are big hits in this restaurant because they are fresh and lightly cooked.
The grilled octopus was tasty, and the pan-seared sea bass, which came with cherry tomatoes, baby arugula, petite herbs, and green garlic, was delicious. The roasted Romanesque cauliflower was perfect. The outdoor seating is relaxed, and the service is attentive.
Photo credit: zaytunegrill.com
Zaytune Mediterranean Grill
3129 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60608
(773) 254-6300
Zaytune takes traditional Mediterranean dishes and prepares them with a delicious modern twist. The hummus is exceptional with fresh herbs and vegetables, while the falafel is creamy and tasty and made with fresh ingredients. The bread is freshly baked in the restaurant, and the pita was warm, soft, and doughy.
The meat-heavy menu serves some flavorful dishes such as the shrimp wraps, which are fresh and spicy, the grilled wraps are always perfect, and the herb fries and baba ganoush were seasoned perfectly. The servers were helpful and offered suggestions on the best dishes to try and answered our questions.
Photo credit: Facebook
Taste of Lebanon
1509 W Foster Ave Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 334-1600
Taste of Lebanon serves great vegetarian meals in addition to the meat dishes available. The lentil soup is exquisite with the right amount of spice and seasoning, and we always have it when we visit. The small restaurant is one of the best Mediterranean Restaurants in Chicago and also serves excellent chicken shawarma and fresh-baked pita bread, which is light and dense at the same time.
The hummus, Tabbouleh, falafel, and other generously filled wraps, baba ganoush, stuffed grape leaves, lamb, and beef shawarma are all made with fresh ingredients. The restaurant does not accept cards, so ensure that you carry cash when going there.
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The Purple Pig
444 Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 464-1744
The Purple Pig has an expansive menu of small plates of Midwest and Mediterranean dishes. The pork dishes are exceptional, with the crispy pig’s ear and the pork neck bone gravy being among the best meat meals we tried. The Greek-style chicken was also good, and the appetizers are generous.
The potato appetizer was savory with a hint of garlic and parmesan sauce, and the tuna tartare was delicately marinated and fresh. Other dishes such as the taramasalata, octopus are delicious, and pesto sauce is an excellent addition to the meals. The circular cracker is made fresh and is rich and buttery, and flaky. There is a great drinks menu as well.
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Diwali Mediterranean Kitchen
319 S Jefferson St, Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 944-5800
Diwali Jerusalem Mediterranean Kitchen serves Mediterranean dishes with fresh ingredients and is full of flavor. The baba ganouj was light with the eggplant cooked to perfection with a hint of garlic. The shawarma is a tasty pita pocket with tender meat, lettuce, and tomato with tahini on the side.
The mixed kabob platter of lamb and shrimp has hearty flavors. The lamb galaya is another savory dish cooked to perfection. The portions are generous, and the service is helpful. They also serve Arabic coffee, which is a perfect accompaniment to the meal. The dessert menu also has some good options like baklava, which was tasty and sweet.
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Sultan’s Market
2057 W North Ave Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 235-3072
The Middle Eastern Mediterranean cuisine offers quick delicious meals that are fresh and seasoned with exotic spices. The falafel sandwiches are generous and filled with perfectly seasoned chickpeas, while the exterior is nice and crispy. The pita is fresh with the sandwich with hummus, Jerusalem salad and tomatoes. The lentil soup is also pretty good and filling and comes hot and fresh.
The menu has many vegetarian options with a wide range of salads. The shawarma is lightly spiced with chicken, beef and lamb options. The outdoor seating is relaxed, and you can bring a bottle of your favorite drink.
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Turquoise Cafe and Restaurant
2147 W Roscoe St Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 549-3523
The Turkish-inspired Mediterranean menu is delicious with Mediterranean classics such as the grandfather kebab. This kebab has lamb and NY strip steak, which is perfectly seasoned, and the mixed kebab platter comes with scalloped potatoes, shrimp, chicken, beef and salmon, which are all well marinated and all tender to the taste.
The salmon was incredibly fresh and perfectly made. The godfather platter was delicious with the freshly baked bread soaked in a tasty tomato sauce and succulent meat with a side of yogurt. The Turkish pizza is a thin crust pizza with a savory marinated lamb with garlic and a memorable one.
Cairo Kebab
1524 W Fullerton Ave (Ashland), Chicago, IL
(773) 687-8413
The Egyptian-inspired cuisine in Cairo Kebab is freshly prepared and delightful. The kebabs are juicy and well-spiced, and the shawarmas are tender chicken, lamb and beef options. The Tabbouleh was exceptional and was fresh and light. The salads are made with fresh vegetables and are filling.
All the food is well prepared and tasty, but special mention goes to the creamy lentil soup and seasoned with the right amount of spice. The dolmas, hummus and baba ganoush were delightful, and the pita bread was doughy and tasty. There is a broad vegetarian menu, and the servers are friendly and knowledgeable.
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Fig And Olive Restaurant
104 E Oak St, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 445-0060
Fig and Olive Restaurant stands out for using exotic ingredients, herbs and spices to make its Mediterranean dishes. Previously, we have had the shrimp and salmon salad and grilled lamb chops, which were delicious and superbly prepared with olive oil from the Mediterranean regions, making the dishes that much better.
All these dishes contain the best herbs and appealing finishing touches. The Spanish octopus, Burrata di Bufala, Seafood Risotto, Halibut, and the Hanger steak are tasty with delicately cooked and lightly spiced fish dishes. The risotto was creamy and flavorful. This is one of the high-end Mediterranean Restaurants in Chicago.
Photo credit: thegundis.com
The Gundis
2909 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 904-8120
Gundis is one of the best Mediterranean Restaurants in Chicago. It is a Kurdish-inspired restaurant with grilled octopus, lamb shank, sac tava (traditional stir fry) and eggplant stew. We tried the Gundi salad with the grilled chicken, tomato, onion, banana peppers, cucumber, mixed greens, sumac, and purple cabbage pickled and isot.
The salad comes with a sprinkling of lemon and olive oil. The ingredients were fresh with the perfect seasoning, and it was filling, especially when combines with the spicy red lentil soup, which was excellent. My companion had the eggplant stew with lamb, and it was tasty and filling.
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