CHIGuide
The Best Restaurants In Fulton Market
photo credit: Christina Slaton
Fulton Market has a disorienting number of great places to get food, and it’s hard to not just list every restaurant in the area and tell you to try each one. But we’re here to help you sort through it all. From casual ramen shops to fine dining, here are the best spots for every occasion. And if you're looking for a full list of spots in the West Loop, check out our guide to the best restaurants in the West Loop.
THE SPOTS
La Serre is relaxed and chic, buzzy but never too loud, and the French-Mediterranean menu is thoughtful despite the presence of big mirrors that say corny things like “Merci Beaucoup.” Dishes like creamy angel hair pasta pair perfectly with 15g of caviar on top, warranting the $55 price. But there are more-than-satisfying takes on less-pricey classics, like a juicy filet mignon and other plates that don’t demand La Serre’s favorite add-on of tiny scoops of fish eggs. And the greenhouse decor has just the right amount of flowers and pink and red everywhere. It’s not tacky, it’s romance.
How into expensive and fancy dinners are you? If the answer is very, then you’ll really like Oriole. The $285 tasting menu at this West Loop spot changes regularly, but you can expect everything on it to be both simply presented and delicious. Another thing you can expect at Oriole is service that’s highly attentive without ever feeling overbearing. Come here for a special occasion that makes it worth eating Cup Noodles for a week (or three).
The West Loop has more restaurants run by former Top Chef contestants than any other neighborhood in Chicago. Our last count was eight, and they’re all operating within two blocks from each other. And, despite our trust issues with reality shows, they’re all really good. Rose Mary, a Croatian spot, is another one of those restaurants. They have things like a refreshing and flavorful salad with tomato, farro, and asparagus, a delicious crni rizot that tasted like it was made with stock from the tears of a hundred lobsters (that’s a compliment), and incredible pastas. Most dishes range from $15-$25, and it works for a casual date or a fun night out with friends.
This Italian steakhouse on the edge of the neighborhood is channeling mid-century-era glamour, complete with bartenders in waistcoats and a checkered marble floor. But instead of men in power suits flagging down a dessert trolley in a stuffy dining room, diners wearing tech vests order the tableside Caesar salad cart at the bar. There are excellent steaks on the menu—like an olive-fed wagyu New York strip that will make you wonder whether that cow had its own personal masseuse. There are also tasty 4oz plates of housemade pasta if potatoes aren't special enough to accompany your $165 steak.
The Publican is like a fancy European beer hall that serves a whole lot of meat, but also shows its softer side with a quality selection of oysters and a whole section of the menu devoted to vegetables. Sit at the giant U-shaped table with friends, and make sure to order a bit of everything.
Momotaro is an upscale Japanese restaurant from the Boka team, with great sushi, small plates, and robata. And if you're looking for something a little more casual or want a nightcap without having to get too many steps in, make your way to their basement. That's where you'll find their buzzier izakaya—a 30-seat dimly lit bar with its own menu and dishes like sweet soy-glazed wings and a burger on a fluffy bao bun.
For a long time, the West Loop was missing a steakhouse. But then along came Swift & Sons to fill that void. It has everything we like about a traditional steakhouse—meaning great food, service, and a rolling dessert cart. It’s a great combination, and it’s one of our favorite steakhouses in the city.
photo credit: Daniela Balaeva
There aren’t many options for a casual lunch or dinner in the area besides Time Out Market, which is why Italian Homemade Company is a welcome addition. This counter-service spot opens at 11am, serves wine by the glass or bottle, and makes good pasta from scratch. The dishes hover around $15 and you can mix and match sauces, or get things like salads and meatball platters. Stay for a low-key meal or get your gnocchi with pesto to-go for a non-sad desk lunch.
Even by West Loop standards, this place is a scene. The good news is that Aba is a scene that comes with fantastic food. It’s always crowded, but the space is beautiful, and there’s a huge rooftop patio that’s perfect for hanging out over drinks (even during the winter). And as with its sister restaurant, Ema in River North, a lot of things on the Mediterranean menu are meant to be shared.
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PQM is a butcher shop, cafe, bakery, and mini market. Come here for cheese, fresh-baked bread, delicious sandwiches, charcuterie, and more. This is the kind of place where seemingly simple-sounding things (like a chicken parm or falafel sandwich) taste way better (and more complex) than you expect.
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This is the Chinese restaurant follow-up to Girl & the Goat and Little Goat. Like everything in the goat empire, Duck Duck Goat is a fun spot with good food. Here, you’ll find Chinese food with twists—like glass noodles with blueberries. Of course, several dishes have goat in them (like the duck and goat spring rolls). Also worth noting is that this spot does a great job with takeout.
Some food halls are worth knowing about because of a specific restaurant and some are great because of the sum of their parts—like Time Out Market. It has a bunch of restaurants that are all pretty good, and most are locations of successful places that already exist—like Evette's, Demera, and Lil' Amaru. The industrial-feeling space is huge, with two levels (including three separate bars) and lots of communal tables. Basically, when the human race has to flee to outer space, this is what we want our spaceship’s food court to be like.
Most of the good fried chicken spots in town aren’t really places you sit and eat. They’re more carry-out or delivery situations. Not Gus’s. At Gus’s, you want to take a seat, dine in, and enjoy your fried chicken and sides in the big Fulton Market space. Make sure to utilize the full bar and get some pie for dessert, too.
