5 Chicago Restaurants For Winter 2018
Each of these places has it all: a great menu, warm ambiance and a view to boot
Winter in Chicago is volatile. One minute it's 50 degrees; the next, you're stuck in a snowstorm. It can be easy to write off the season and enter hibernation, but cabin fever is real, and there are places worth braving the elements for.
You'll look forward to venturing out if you know a cozy spot is waiting for you at the end, so keep this list handy for the next time the weather turns—which we know it always will.
Baptiste & Bottle
The bourbon-centric bar might be the city's best-kept secret. Found on the 20th floor of the Conrad hotel, Baptiste & Bottle offers a nearly wraparound view of the city and a crowd-pleasing menu. Just steps away from Michigan Avenue, it provides a quiet reprieve from the frantic pace of the city, and the floor-to-ceiling windows create a scene made only more beautiful when accented with snow.
3 Arts Club Café
You'll find this hideaway inside Restoration Hardware's flagship store. The garden restaurant, built inside a glassed-in courtyard, mimics the feeling of dining outside in spring. Complete with rows of olive trees and a running fountain, its glass ceiling and window-lined walls are the only reminders it's winter. The menu is designed by Brendan Sodikoff (who brought the city Au Cheval) and is full of American classics with a twist.
North Pond
Getting to North Pond is part of the fun, as you start by leaving the city behind and walking under a cobbled bridge. To your right, you'll be greeted by a pond spanning four blocks where the city skyline serves as the backdrop. This is the view diners enjoy while visiting the French farm-to-table locale. The Michelin-star-rated restaurant comes complete with a roaring fire, and with its isolated location, it's easy to forget you're in the heart of Chicago.
The Robey
The Robey's Up Room provides a vantage point rarely seen on Chicago's West Side. Located on the 13th floor of the triangular Art Deco building, the cocktail lounge offers the perfect place to settle in and watch the snow fall. No food is served at the Wicker Park hangout, but luckily, Dove's, Big Star and Piece are all steps away.
Beatnik
Get to Beatnik if you're looking for something off the beaten path. The boho-inspired haunt plays up its indie roots with colorful decor and a mosh posh of textiles, transporting you from the gray of winter to a place where you half expect Hemingway to be writing in the corner.
Ximena N. Larkin is a writer and communication strategist based in Chicago. Find her at @XimenaLarkin on Instagram and Twitter.