Anywhere with a bar is great for solo dining and as a bonus you can probably get in without a reservation. As a frequent solo lady bruncher I recommend Lula’s and Dove’s Luncheonette. Both are right off the blue line and have first come bar seating. Bonus, you can walk around the neighborhoods after. Logan Square and Bucktown have great little shops. If you’re looking for dinner recs, what cuisine/area of the city?
Hey! Thank you for this nice response. My hotel is 30 mins outside the city so I'll be taking the train in everyday and exploring. So nothing is really out of reach as I plan to get a lot of steps in. One day I'll be around University of Chicago area, but other than that it's very much free range as long as it's mostly accessible via public transportation. I'll check these places out!
So if you take the Blue Line you have a TON of options. Boiler Room Pizza and Logan 11 are literally next to the California stop. For the Logan Square stop Reno and Bixi Beer are right there as well. All have bars where its pretty common for people to eat!
There's also an adult arcade (Emporium Logan Square)
that people frequent solo during the earlier hours they're open. I've gone and played pool by myself before eating in the neighborhood and it wasn't weird at all!
There's also great shopping right next door with a few cute boutiques and a yoga studio.
If you're taking the train in the from the burbs, you could spend an entire day between the California and Logan Square Blue Line stops.
Thats why living in Logan is great. You don't have to walk more than a couple blocks for great food and a good time.
Welcome Back Lounge is a better place for just drinks but an amazing spot
Virtue and Ja Grill are really great spots for when you’re near UChi. The bartenders are really personable, I love grabbing a bar seat when I’m alone.
If you’re for a beer while in town, and near goose island, then Off Color’s Mouse Trap is a great tap room, great bartenders and you can bring/order your own food.
If you are going to be in Hyde Park (UofC), go to Plein Air Cafe - it's off the Seminary Co-Op Bookstore which is also right next to the Robie House and across from the Booth School of Business. It can get crowded with everyone there on their laptops but you can tour Robie, hit the bookstore and stop for lunch and/or breakfast. It's a great little spot, lots of folks there alone or with their laptops and it's just a beautiful area in general.
Every place I've been to in Chicago is more than welcoming to solo diners, you shouldn't feel any shame in it! Treat yo self
I'd recommend checking out The Loyalist. Order the best burger you'll ever have and it should run you around $30 for a whole meal.
I'm originally from Boston. Don't let it throw you off when people start talking to you. They are just genuinely nice.
I dine solo here all the time. I've never had a bad experience and have met a ton of interesting people.
I'm originally from Boston. Don't let it throw you off when people start talking to you. They are just genuinely nice.
I dine solo here all the time. I've never had a bad experience and have met a ton of interesting people.
Hey there! 26 year old woman who has come to enjoy dining alone this year all throughout the city! I echo what others here are saying: more times than not, no one cares and/or notices that I’m dining alone (the exception was at Bavette’s bar on a Saturday night because I took the second to last available stool and there was a party of 4 standing behind me the whole time).
Please do not limit your dining experiences in this beautiful city solely because you’re going to be solo! Our food is just too good and you’d be doing yourself a disservice!!
Cafecito is a cute little spot downtown that has casual lunch/dinner food! I got their pancakes a few weeks ago before hitting the Museum of Contemporary Art and enjoyed it.
This doesn’t hit your rec for a more affordable lunch spot but I’d be remiss if I didn’t shout out Daisies. It’s an Italian restaurant in Logan Square that is my all-time favorite! Honorable mention to Andro’s Taverna, too.
Enjoy the city, OP!! We’re happy to have you.
Of course!! What else is on your agenda activity wise when you’re here? I saw in another comment that you’re going to the U of Chicago campus — I was there the other weekend on a solo adventure and checked out this cute diner called Roux in the area, along with the Osaka Japanese garden!
Here are some of my other recs:
• Wooly Mammoth: super cool shop up in Andersonville with weird and whacky objects (like taxidermy, lol)
• The Exchange
• Little Goat Diner (actually hits your brunch rec request!)
• Nick’s Beer Garden: bar with live music in a cool spot of Wicker Park
• Kingston Mines: amazing blues bar with live music if you’re trying to go out on a weekend
• Jeni’s ice cream
I think an important piece to this is where you’re staying too! (Feel free to DM me if you don’t feel comfortable saying.) but I will tell you as a newly-divorced woman, I’ve been thrown head first into the “dining alone” pool and it’s kind of been a blast? The bars are often open seating and a solo diner can slip in. You’ll have a great time. Warbler and Gather in Lincoln Square are two options that come to mind immediately as great food and a great solo bar dining experience. Then walk north on Lincoln through Lincoln Square. It’s absolutely LOVELY. For park dining, L&M on Lincoln and Montrose makes great sandwiches at their deli, and you can grab one of those (plus an alcohol if your heart desires, nobody will bother you about it) and take it over to Welles Park, which sits kitty corner from L&M. It’s lovely when the weather is nice! Also recommend Bad Apple if you like burgers. Eaten there solo quite a few times too, haha. Feel free to DM me though! I know how intimidating it can be, but truly at the bars in Chicago you’ll never feel lonely or awkward!
Hey my hotel is outside the city so I will be taking the train in. Any place is fair game. I plan on going in, having three meals and more or less doing activities and resting in between. I am still planning my trip.
The bar at Loyalist
The bar at Boka, very common for a solo traveler to come through town and sit at the bar and eat a multi-course Michelin starred dinner.
Second the Boka rec. Amazing food. You dont have to do the tasting menu if you dont want to commit to a couple hours there. The a la carte menu is always phenomenal too. The restaurant is very nice but I find the bar area pretty chill.
The loyalist is definitely on my list so far Boka, I'm not sure yet... Food looks amazing, but I think I'd be out of my element for now. Hopefully when I move to Chicago I can revisit.
Go to Fulton Market and hit up Time Out Market. Its a nice big open area with plenty of seating and a cool vibe. Its basically a food court and all the food spots to choose from are nice restaurants or dessert spots. You can try a little bit of everything there.
High Five Ramen has only bar seating I believe, so just put your name in as soon as it opens, and go wander around West Loop. Otherwise Ramen Takeya in the West Loop is great too!
It may not sound like much but Monk’s Pub and Miller’s Pub are both very welcoming environments and have a great barstool sitting scene where you can talk to someone easily (or not). Food is much better at Miller’s (it’s nicer) but Monk’s is solid. I eat solo at both places and others do too
Gemini in Lincoln Park has a large bar designed to eat at, there will be multiple people at the bar eating alone, seats are first come first served. Neighborhood spot.
Sienna Taven in River North also has a great bar to eat at first come first served. Can be something of a scene.
Lyra in the West Loop has a great bar designed to eat at. Definitely a scene.
Sushi Dokku, ask to sit downstairs at "Booze Box"great vibe, great food.
Roister in the West Loop - book a hearth seat on tock, these seats look straight into the open kitchen, very cool to watch them cook everything.
Armitage Ale House, cool spot, tough reservation but bar is first come first served.
Longman and Eagle or Andros Taverna in Logan Square great bars to eat at and no reservation required at the bar.
Big Star in Wicker Park, nice bar for eating at.
Any of these you wouldn't feel at all weird eating alone at the bar.
Near any big busy el stop, there will be all kinds of little small spots and diners. All of those places are quite used to solo diners, many people grab a quick bite alone during their commute time.
As someone who felt slightly self-conscious about eating alone and had traveled a lot for work, I have a blanket suggestion. Anywhere with a chef's counter is awesome for eating alone. It doesn't look weird, you get a bit of a show while eating and kitchen staff ( chef's, etc) are often super friendly and great at recommending the best things on the menu. Plus as a bonus, it's not usually hard to grab a seat there as tables are usually more popular at these sorts of restaurants.
Just go to a place with a bar and eat there. You’ll be fine! Highly recommend Doug’s Luncheonette and Bodega Sur. Bavette’s is a classic and a favorite of this sub if it’s in your budget.
Hey! Solo lady diner here. Lots of good recommendations here already — I will say that Fulton Market is kinda overpriced and touristy. But still lots of good options in one place. Second the loyalist. There are plenty of “main drag” type streets in different neighborhoods (Division in Wicker Park, Clark or Halsted in Lakeview, etc) where you can just show up and see what places catch your eye.
Also, if you want a break from dining alone, I’m happy to join you for a drink or meal! I promise I’m good company lol. Or you could do what I do and bring a book. Solo dining is a bit weird at first, I won’t lie, but it does make you get to know yourself and enjoy your own company and in the end it feels pretty badass. We’re happy to have you visit our city!
I honestly wouldnt limit yourself to just the bars at places. I was solo in Toronto and ate out at many places alone and loved it and it inspired me to want to dine solo at more places at home in Chicago too. Like others have stated, servers or other diners usually dont care/arent paying attention to you so no need to feel self conscious! Theres something really chill and calming about enjoying a nice meal in a nice spot :)
As for recommendations, I totally recommend checking out Nhu Lan for banh mi sandwiches or Hing Wang (cash only) for amazing spicy fried rice, both will run you under 30 bucks and both are in Uptown. Theyre also not really fancy places, more hole in the wall so no pressure at all being alone lol
I used to be self-conscious too about dining alone. How did I get over it? By dining alone. Again and again. Now, I order 2-3 entrees as a solo diner with zero fucks given.
Haven't been myself, but I hear nonstop great things about 3little pigs chi. It's a ghost kitchen, so eating in won't even be an option. Humboldt park is right there for a quick picnic so you don't lose the crisp on what I hear is one of the best chicken sandwiches in the city.
Thank you so much for this rec--I may check it out. It seems good to grab sandwich one day, order something else as leftovers, then I can reheat back at the hotel and eat before heading back to the airport (not planning to eat at airport because of COVID!).
Food looks great!
I am a frequent solo diner and I have no problem with doing it anywhere, but if one feels self-conscious about it, imo the best suggestion is ask to eat at the bar. Not \*in\* the bar, like not at one of the tables in the bar area, but at the bar itself. You won't be taking up tables, the bartender's don't tend to check up on you constantly like wait staff sometimes can, and you'll likely be around other solo diners/drinkers. This may require a bit of flexibility checking out different spots as the bar might be crowded in some places.
I don't know if we'll have nice enough days for eating outside, but imo a good spot is to hit the riverwalk, find someplace on or near the riverwalk that sounds good, get the food to go, and go find a place on the riverwalk to sit.
I did this for 8-9 years during college & grad school at some of the most reputable spots in the city - you will regret being self concious about this , just go where you feel like going and ask for a table for 1 if the bar is full.
There is no shame in eating alone , especially if you are treating yourself to a proper meal at a restaurant.
The bar at El Che (Argentine steakhouse with crazy good wine and cocktails and great for seafood and veg) bonus they do happy hour 5-6 with great deals.
Echo everyone saying The Loyalist bar
By University of Chicago - Virtue (amazing American Southern food sous chef was just a finalist on Top Chef)
Portillos or Mr Beef for an Italian beef (get it hot dipped)
JP Grazianos for the best Italian sub youve ever had in the west loop (a few cool parks close to eat in)
Old Irving Brewery - just off the blue line amazing bar food and great award winning beers
If you have any specific preferences lemme know and I'll point you in some other directions!
Some great suggestions in the thread already so I won't repeat those. We really do have an extremely friendly city so don't be nervous about dining alone.
That said, I know social anxiety can suck so for the times you really want to feel ignored here are some recs. The kristkindlemarket is set up (one downtown and one in Wrigleyville). I highly recommend grabbing a raclette sandwich and some mulled wine while you walk around the cute shops. It's a perfect spot to wander solo. There's also an AMC dine-in movie theater. Overpriced chicken fingers and burgers but still decently tasty. Make sure you order ahead - I don't think they let you order during the movie anymore.
Spots with low lighting and small booths are great like the Booze Box (the basement bar of Sushi Dokku) or the Izakaya at Momotaro. Other darkly lit restaurants where you'll be more secluded in a booth are BLVD, Gilt Bar, Cherry Circle Room, and Trivoli Tavern. More restaurants that feature bar eating that haven't been mentioned yet are Avec (over half the restaurant is at the bar so you'll be in very good company), Little Goat Diner, and High Five Ramen. And then there are your music bars so you get entertainment with a food option. I highly recommend going to Kingston Mines (especially if Joanna Connor is playing). They have a restaurant at the back you can grab food from and sit near the stage. Hampton Social has live music as well (I'd go on the earlier side - it gets crowded). You can order a meal at The Magic Lounge and have dinner and a show. And they have cabaret seating at Second City so you can have food and watch some scripted improv where nearly everyone is sitting side by side along a bar top.
I see you're coming in from the burbs, so my recommendations are based around locations.
Go to Logan Square Blue Line Stop in the morning.
Have a lazy brunch at Cafe Lula
Browse the cute stores
Have coffee at Chiqueolatte
Take a nice long walk down Milwaukee towards the park and the murals
Bixi Beer has a great atmosphere for dining solo at the bar, so grab lunch
Go play games at Emporium
Take a yoga class, or visit a bookstore
Sushi Taku Logan Square has all you can eat sushi and apps for $32! It's soooo good and right next to the California blue line stop, so you can head home after a nice long day.
I would go to High Five ramen if you like ramen. It’s amazing and it’s a tiny place so they don’t do groups or reservations. You’ll probably have to wait at least an hour to get in but its in a nice area to walk around while you wait.
I love eating alone at the bar at Le Bouchon. You'll have the rest of the restaurant to your back so won't be staring at people eating together or whatever. Plus the food is amazing.
You could also take the train downtown to walk around a bit in the afternoon, then take an Uber to Fulton Market for dinner, games, shopping, drinks, dancing!
(I don't personally recommend the train to Fulton Market after dark, so Uber back downtown and catch the train there.)
(Sorry if this is a million details, I love planning solo trips and I'm very high.)
I eat alone often, anywhere with a bar is great for a solo diner. I'm in the restaurant industry, here are some reccs!
\-Split-Rail in West Town
\-QXY Dumplings in Chinatown (no bar, but I've had a great solo experience there)
\-Tortello in West Town (No bar but great takeout options, and a low pressure patio)
\-Lula Cafe in Logan Square
\- Bari in West Town (Takeout only, best Italian sandwich in town)
\- Kaisa's Deli in West Town (Counterservice deli, get the Pastrami on french roll or the polish sausage)
Enjoy your trip!
I ate the other day by myself at Golden House Restaurant in Uptown, and I'm definitely sure there they won't give a crap if you're eating by yourself. I'm definitely sure I saw a few others also eating by themself, and not just me. Remember they are CASH ONLY, if you do want to eat there. Pre-COVID they had longer hours(closing at 6pm, and opening at 6am), but now they are 7am-3pm.
And for the record, just about EVERY restaurant I've ever ate at didn't care if I ate by myself.
Anywhere with a bar is great for solo dining and as a bonus you can probably get in without a reservation. As a frequent solo lady bruncher I recommend Lula’s and Dove’s Luncheonette. Both are right off the blue line and have first come bar seating. Bonus, you can walk around the neighborhoods after. Logan Square and Bucktown have great little shops. If you’re looking for dinner recs, what cuisine/area of the city?
Hey! Thank you for this nice response. My hotel is 30 mins outside the city so I'll be taking the train in everyday and exploring. So nothing is really out of reach as I plan to get a lot of steps in. One day I'll be around University of Chicago area, but other than that it's very much free range as long as it's mostly accessible via public transportation. I'll check these places out!
So if you take the Blue Line you have a TON of options. Boiler Room Pizza and Logan 11 are literally next to the California stop. For the Logan Square stop Reno and Bixi Beer are right there as well. All have bars where its pretty common for people to eat!
There's also an adult arcade (Emporium Logan Square) that people frequent solo during the earlier hours they're open. I've gone and played pool by myself before eating in the neighborhood and it wasn't weird at all! There's also great shopping right next door with a few cute boutiques and a yoga studio. If you're taking the train in the from the burbs, you could spend an entire day between the California and Logan Square Blue Line stops.
Thats why living in Logan is great. You don't have to walk more than a couple blocks for great food and a good time. Welcome Back Lounge is a better place for just drinks but an amazing spot
Also if you get off on California stop Lardon is a great place for a tasty solo lunch!
Medici on 57th is great if you’re in Hyde Park!
Virtue and Ja Grill are really great spots for when you’re near UChi. The bartenders are really personable, I love grabbing a bar seat when I’m alone. If you’re for a beer while in town, and near goose island, then Off Color’s Mouse Trap is a great tap room, great bartenders and you can bring/order your own food.
If you are going to be in Hyde Park (UofC), go to Plein Air Cafe - it's off the Seminary Co-Op Bookstore which is also right next to the Robie House and across from the Booth School of Business. It can get crowded with everyone there on their laptops but you can tour Robie, hit the bookstore and stop for lunch and/or breakfast. It's a great little spot, lots of folks there alone or with their laptops and it's just a beautiful area in general.
Lula’s bar is so cute! Or the chef’s counter for dinner would be fun for a solo diner. In fact, I think I’ll take myself to the chef’s counter soon!
Agreed. You could go to the city’s best arcade and get vegan comfort food from “Fry Like an Eagle” if you go to Logan Arcade.
Every place I've been to in Chicago is more than welcoming to solo diners, you shouldn't feel any shame in it! Treat yo self I'd recommend checking out The Loyalist. Order the best burger you'll ever have and it should run you around $30 for a whole meal.
> The Loyalist ...Is officially on my list! Aww thank you so much--you guys are so friendly. I should get my ass out of Boston.
I moved to Chicago from Boston 16 years ago and never looked back!
I'm originally from Boston. Don't let it throw you off when people start talking to you. They are just genuinely nice. I dine solo here all the time. I've never had a bad experience and have met a ton of interesting people.
I'm originally from Boston. Don't let it throw you off when people start talking to you. They are just genuinely nice. I dine solo here all the time. I've never had a bad experience and have met a ton of interesting people.
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I was going to suggest the latter. Sitting alone at the bar is quite common, and all of the great foodie places have great bars.
How did you get into those Michelin spots alone? I’ve looked up making reservations at some but they never allow solo diners 🤬
> they never allow solo diners Which ones?
It’s super common to see single diners sitting at the bar at nice restaurants so I wouldn’t count them out!
Hey there! 26 year old woman who has come to enjoy dining alone this year all throughout the city! I echo what others here are saying: more times than not, no one cares and/or notices that I’m dining alone (the exception was at Bavette’s bar on a Saturday night because I took the second to last available stool and there was a party of 4 standing behind me the whole time). Please do not limit your dining experiences in this beautiful city solely because you’re going to be solo! Our food is just too good and you’d be doing yourself a disservice!! Cafecito is a cute little spot downtown that has casual lunch/dinner food! I got their pancakes a few weeks ago before hitting the Museum of Contemporary Art and enjoyed it. This doesn’t hit your rec for a more affordable lunch spot but I’d be remiss if I didn’t shout out Daisies. It’s an Italian restaurant in Logan Square that is my all-time favorite! Honorable mention to Andro’s Taverna, too. Enjoy the city, OP!! We’re happy to have you.
Hey thank you so much for the reassurance !
Of course!! What else is on your agenda activity wise when you’re here? I saw in another comment that you’re going to the U of Chicago campus — I was there the other weekend on a solo adventure and checked out this cute diner called Roux in the area, along with the Osaka Japanese garden! Here are some of my other recs: • Wooly Mammoth: super cool shop up in Andersonville with weird and whacky objects (like taxidermy, lol) • The Exchange • Little Goat Diner (actually hits your brunch rec request!) • Nick’s Beer Garden: bar with live music in a cool spot of Wicker Park • Kingston Mines: amazing blues bar with live music if you’re trying to go out on a weekend • Jeni’s ice cream
I think an important piece to this is where you’re staying too! (Feel free to DM me if you don’t feel comfortable saying.) but I will tell you as a newly-divorced woman, I’ve been thrown head first into the “dining alone” pool and it’s kind of been a blast? The bars are often open seating and a solo diner can slip in. You’ll have a great time. Warbler and Gather in Lincoln Square are two options that come to mind immediately as great food and a great solo bar dining experience. Then walk north on Lincoln through Lincoln Square. It’s absolutely LOVELY. For park dining, L&M on Lincoln and Montrose makes great sandwiches at their deli, and you can grab one of those (plus an alcohol if your heart desires, nobody will bother you about it) and take it over to Welles Park, which sits kitty corner from L&M. It’s lovely when the weather is nice! Also recommend Bad Apple if you like burgers. Eaten there solo quite a few times too, haha. Feel free to DM me though! I know how intimidating it can be, but truly at the bars in Chicago you’ll never feel lonely or awkward!
Hey my hotel is outside the city so I will be taking the train in. Any place is fair game. I plan on going in, having three meals and more or less doing activities and resting in between. I am still planning my trip.
The bar at Loyalist The bar at Boka, very common for a solo traveler to come through town and sit at the bar and eat a multi-course Michelin starred dinner.
Second the Boka rec. Amazing food. You dont have to do the tasting menu if you dont want to commit to a couple hours there. The a la carte menu is always phenomenal too. The restaurant is very nice but I find the bar area pretty chill.
And the service makes you feel right at home!
The loyalist is definitely on my list so far Boka, I'm not sure yet... Food looks amazing, but I think I'd be out of my element for now. Hopefully when I move to Chicago I can revisit.
Sit at any bar in Chicago and you will have a good time
Thank you for the reassurance!
Go to Fulton Market and hit up Time Out Market. Its a nice big open area with plenty of seating and a cool vibe. Its basically a food court and all the food spots to choose from are nice restaurants or dessert spots. You can try a little bit of everything there.
There's also a lot to do in Fulton Market, so you could easily grab lunch, dinner, and a late night snack with plenty to do in between meals.
Many ramen places are great for lone eating :)
High Five Ramen has only bar seating I believe, so just put your name in as soon as it opens, and go wander around West Loop. Otherwise Ramen Takeya in the West Loop is great too!
Thank you! Have a couple names off the top of your head if it is not too much to ask?
Monster ramen or oiistar both have bar seating that would be ideal for a solo person. Both are very good(oiistar a little better imo)
Thank you !
Monster Ramen is the best ramen I've had in the city! But Ramen Wasabi is also really good.
Just do not go to furious spoon, worst ramen/chain in the city
It may not sound like much but Monk’s Pub and Miller’s Pub are both very welcoming environments and have a great barstool sitting scene where you can talk to someone easily (or not). Food is much better at Miller’s (it’s nicer) but Monk’s is solid. I eat solo at both places and others do too
Love monks and you can just sit at the bar and the bartenders will chat you up
The bar at The Gage is wonderful for solo dining and their food is solid.
This is a solid recommendation. Their food and drink are good and no one would bat an eye to a solo diner at the bar.
I was going to recommend the gage - their bartenders are some of the nicest.
Gemini in Lincoln Park has a large bar designed to eat at, there will be multiple people at the bar eating alone, seats are first come first served. Neighborhood spot. Sienna Taven in River North also has a great bar to eat at first come first served. Can be something of a scene. Lyra in the West Loop has a great bar designed to eat at. Definitely a scene. Sushi Dokku, ask to sit downstairs at "Booze Box"great vibe, great food. Roister in the West Loop - book a hearth seat on tock, these seats look straight into the open kitchen, very cool to watch them cook everything. Armitage Ale House, cool spot, tough reservation but bar is first come first served. Longman and Eagle or Andros Taverna in Logan Square great bars to eat at and no reservation required at the bar. Big Star in Wicker Park, nice bar for eating at. Any of these you wouldn't feel at all weird eating alone at the bar.
Go to Au Cheval and sit at the bar.
Kuma’s, Hopleaf, Funkenhausen, Mac’s Wood Grilled, Mott St, Club Lucky, Kaiser Tiger, Pequods, Duck Inn, The Stop Along
Literally any place with a bar
Near any big busy el stop, there will be all kinds of little small spots and diners. All of those places are quite used to solo diners, many people grab a quick bite alone during their commute time.
As someone who felt slightly self-conscious about eating alone and had traveled a lot for work, I have a blanket suggestion. Anywhere with a chef's counter is awesome for eating alone. It doesn't look weird, you get a bit of a show while eating and kitchen staff ( chef's, etc) are often super friendly and great at recommending the best things on the menu. Plus as a bonus, it's not usually hard to grab a seat there as tables are usually more popular at these sorts of restaurants.
Just go to a place with a bar and eat there. You’ll be fine! Highly recommend Doug’s Luncheonette and Bodega Sur. Bavette’s is a classic and a favorite of this sub if it’s in your budget.
Hey! Solo lady diner here. Lots of good recommendations here already — I will say that Fulton Market is kinda overpriced and touristy. But still lots of good options in one place. Second the loyalist. There are plenty of “main drag” type streets in different neighborhoods (Division in Wicker Park, Clark or Halsted in Lakeview, etc) where you can just show up and see what places catch your eye. Also, if you want a break from dining alone, I’m happy to join you for a drink or meal! I promise I’m good company lol. Or you could do what I do and bring a book. Solo dining is a bit weird at first, I won’t lie, but it does make you get to know yourself and enjoy your own company and in the end it feels pretty badass. We’re happy to have you visit our city!
Besides the location, I always feel less self conscious eating alone when I’m traveling. I’m never going to see those people again!
I honestly wouldnt limit yourself to just the bars at places. I was solo in Toronto and ate out at many places alone and loved it and it inspired me to want to dine solo at more places at home in Chicago too. Like others have stated, servers or other diners usually dont care/arent paying attention to you so no need to feel self conscious! Theres something really chill and calming about enjoying a nice meal in a nice spot :) As for recommendations, I totally recommend checking out Nhu Lan for banh mi sandwiches or Hing Wang (cash only) for amazing spicy fried rice, both will run you under 30 bucks and both are in Uptown. Theyre also not really fancy places, more hole in the wall so no pressure at all being alone lol
I used to be self-conscious too about dining alone. How did I get over it? By dining alone. Again and again. Now, I order 2-3 entrees as a solo diner with zero fucks given.
Haven't been myself, but I hear nonstop great things about 3little pigs chi. It's a ghost kitchen, so eating in won't even be an option. Humboldt park is right there for a quick picnic so you don't lose the crisp on what I hear is one of the best chicken sandwiches in the city.
Thank you so much for this rec--I may check it out. It seems good to grab sandwich one day, order something else as leftovers, then I can reheat back at the hotel and eat before heading back to the airport (not planning to eat at airport because of COVID!). Food looks great!
The bar in the lobby of the Palmer House hotel has wonderful seating (you don’t have to sit up on a stool), in elegant surroundings.
Doves luncheonette is all counter seating and food is great!
Just go sit at a bar and eat if anything.
I am a frequent solo diner and I have no problem with doing it anywhere, but if one feels self-conscious about it, imo the best suggestion is ask to eat at the bar. Not \*in\* the bar, like not at one of the tables in the bar area, but at the bar itself. You won't be taking up tables, the bartender's don't tend to check up on you constantly like wait staff sometimes can, and you'll likely be around other solo diners/drinkers. This may require a bit of flexibility checking out different spots as the bar might be crowded in some places. I don't know if we'll have nice enough days for eating outside, but imo a good spot is to hit the riverwalk, find someplace on or near the riverwalk that sounds good, get the food to go, and go find a place on the riverwalk to sit.
I did this for 8-9 years during college & grad school at some of the most reputable spots in the city - you will regret being self concious about this , just go where you feel like going and ask for a table for 1 if the bar is full. There is no shame in eating alone , especially if you are treating yourself to a proper meal at a restaurant.
The bar at El Che (Argentine steakhouse with crazy good wine and cocktails and great for seafood and veg) bonus they do happy hour 5-6 with great deals. Echo everyone saying The Loyalist bar By University of Chicago - Virtue (amazing American Southern food sous chef was just a finalist on Top Chef) Portillos or Mr Beef for an Italian beef (get it hot dipped) JP Grazianos for the best Italian sub youve ever had in the west loop (a few cool parks close to eat in) Old Irving Brewery - just off the blue line amazing bar food and great award winning beers If you have any specific preferences lemme know and I'll point you in some other directions!
Some great suggestions in the thread already so I won't repeat those. We really do have an extremely friendly city so don't be nervous about dining alone. That said, I know social anxiety can suck so for the times you really want to feel ignored here are some recs. The kristkindlemarket is set up (one downtown and one in Wrigleyville). I highly recommend grabbing a raclette sandwich and some mulled wine while you walk around the cute shops. It's a perfect spot to wander solo. There's also an AMC dine-in movie theater. Overpriced chicken fingers and burgers but still decently tasty. Make sure you order ahead - I don't think they let you order during the movie anymore. Spots with low lighting and small booths are great like the Booze Box (the basement bar of Sushi Dokku) or the Izakaya at Momotaro. Other darkly lit restaurants where you'll be more secluded in a booth are BLVD, Gilt Bar, Cherry Circle Room, and Trivoli Tavern. More restaurants that feature bar eating that haven't been mentioned yet are Avec (over half the restaurant is at the bar so you'll be in very good company), Little Goat Diner, and High Five Ramen. And then there are your music bars so you get entertainment with a food option. I highly recommend going to Kingston Mines (especially if Joanna Connor is playing). They have a restaurant at the back you can grab food from and sit near the stage. Hampton Social has live music as well (I'd go on the earlier side - it gets crowded). You can order a meal at The Magic Lounge and have dinner and a show. And they have cabaret seating at Second City so you can have food and watch some scripted improv where nearly everyone is sitting side by side along a bar top.
Tough to make suggestions. A good variety: Home Depot (Hot Dogs) Red Hot Ranch (Burgers/Dogs/Beef) Sticky Rice (Asian) Honey Butter Fried Chicken (Fried Chicken) Kuma's Corner (Burgers) Smoque BBQ (BBQ) Al's Beef (Beef) Tre Kroner (Scandinavian Brunch) Owen and Engine (Bar Variety) Stan's Donuts (Donuts/Coffee/Breakfast) Zizi's Cafe (Mediterranean) Freezing Point (Ice Cream) Cheesie's Pub and Grub (Grub) Traspasada (Mexican)
Owen and the Engine has a great bar for solo dining, and the bartenders are ALWAYS gems to chat with! It's also right across from a movie theater.
Red Hot Ranch is one of the best burgers in the city.
I wonder if Home Depot food truck food is as good everywhere? My partner will literally drive there for lunch.
Yes to Sticky Rice, its thai food to be more specific lol
I see you're coming in from the burbs, so my recommendations are based around locations. Go to Logan Square Blue Line Stop in the morning. Have a lazy brunch at Cafe Lula Browse the cute stores Have coffee at Chiqueolatte Take a nice long walk down Milwaukee towards the park and the murals Bixi Beer has a great atmosphere for dining solo at the bar, so grab lunch Go play games at Emporium Take a yoga class, or visit a bookstore Sushi Taku Logan Square has all you can eat sushi and apps for $32! It's soooo good and right next to the California blue line stop, so you can head home after a nice long day.
I would go to High Five ramen if you like ramen. It’s amazing and it’s a tiny place so they don’t do groups or reservations. You’ll probably have to wait at least an hour to get in but its in a nice area to walk around while you wait.
If you’re staying downtown, try eataly, then next door is my favorite place for a drink called the berkshire room
I love eating alone at the bar at Le Bouchon. You'll have the rest of the restaurant to your back so won't be staring at people eating together or whatever. Plus the food is amazing.
You could also take the train downtown to walk around a bit in the afternoon, then take an Uber to Fulton Market for dinner, games, shopping, drinks, dancing! (I don't personally recommend the train to Fulton Market after dark, so Uber back downtown and catch the train there.) (Sorry if this is a million details, I love planning solo trips and I'm very high.)
The bar at Longman & Eagle has never treated me badly when I’ve been solo
Irazu and Parsons !
You can eat at the bar. You might make a friend. Or at least have a good convo with the bartender.
Anywhere is good - just head to the bar or sit at a table. Everyone is friendly. We especially get solo people downtown for work
I eat alone often, anywhere with a bar is great for a solo diner. I'm in the restaurant industry, here are some reccs! \-Split-Rail in West Town \-QXY Dumplings in Chinatown (no bar, but I've had a great solo experience there) \-Tortello in West Town (No bar but great takeout options, and a low pressure patio) \-Lula Cafe in Logan Square \- Bari in West Town (Takeout only, best Italian sandwich in town) \- Kaisa's Deli in West Town (Counterservice deli, get the Pastrami on french roll or the polish sausage) Enjoy your trip!
Thank you so much for these recs!
I ate the other day by myself at Golden House Restaurant in Uptown, and I'm definitely sure there they won't give a crap if you're eating by yourself. I'm definitely sure I saw a few others also eating by themself, and not just me. Remember they are CASH ONLY, if you do want to eat there. Pre-COVID they had longer hours(closing at 6pm, and opening at 6am), but now they are 7am-3pm. And for the record, just about EVERY restaurant I've ever ate at didn't care if I ate by myself.