CHIGuide

Where To Have Dinner With Clients

14 places to take clients when you need something impressive.
Where To Have Dinner With Clients image

photo credit: sandy noto

Clients are like plants - except instead of watering them and placing them in direct sunlight, you need to take them to dinner sometimes. But you can’t just take them to any restaurant. You need someplace that’s nice but not awkwardly formal, and trendy while still being quiet enough for a conversation. It should also have food options that will appeal to just about everyone. Here are 11 corporate-card-worthy spots that meet all these criteria.

The Spots

Mediterranean

West Loop

$$$$Perfect For:BreakfastBrunchBusiness MealsDinner with the ParentsDrinking Good CocktailsSmall Plates
RESERVE A TABLE

POWERED BY

OpenTable logo
Earn 3x points with your sapphire card

Despite being a neighborhood filled with subjects in Mad King Google’s realm, the West Loop doesn’t have the same corporate feel as River North or the Loop. That makes it harder to find an upscale spot to have a business dinner, but Cira in the Hoxton is a great option. This large Mediterranean restaurant has comfortable booths with enough distance between the tables so no one can overhear you negotiating plans to throw the office’s championship softball game over hummus and lamb shank.


Cabra definitely falls more into the “fun” than “business-y” category, but this rooftop restaurant on top of the Hoxton is still great for a client dinner. It has an impressive view of the West Loop (and King Google’s castle), great Peruvian-inspired food, and a patio that’s perfect for after-dinner drinks. Also, it’s from the same chef as Girl & the Goat, and everything that team touches is destined to explode into a unicorn rainbow ride filled with money and applause. So, honestly, you can’t afford not to come here.


Your out-of-town client might appreciate a good-natured, old-timey Chicago stereotype. If this is the case, they’ll enjoy being taken to La Storia in the Gold Coast. This upscale Italian spot is decorated with huge murals of Prohibition-era gangsters doing gangster-y things in the city. But more importantly, this place also has delicious housemade pastas and entrees like chicken cacciatore. And as a bonus, it’s a quiet space with white tablecloths and puffy leather seats that make it great for a business meal.


Going to Chicago Cut is like taking a field trip to a corporate zoo. Mainly because this steakhouse is at the bottom of an office building, and full of successful-looking people in power suits who may or may not be selling Senate seats. But the food is excellent, the space has an impressive view of the Chicago River, and you don’t need a permission slip to eat here. Except maybe from the accounting department.


photo credit: Sandy Noto

RESERVE A TABLE

POWERED BY

OpenTable logo

Because Chicago is known for steakhouses, there’s a 99% chance that an out-of-town client will want to go to one. And thanks to its great food and The League, Gibsons is the most iconic and well-known. It’s perfect for experiencing all the things people love about this city - not only does it have fantastic steaks and sides, but it also has a relaxed atmosphere that will lull clients into a sense of security. They are having dinner with a nice Midwesterner (you), after all.


This is the Italian counterpart to Gibson’s Steakhouse, and it looks and feels more expensive. It has giant leather booths, plus floor to ceiling windows with a fantastic view. Don’t let the “Italia” in the name prevent you from ordering a steak - this place has the same delicious steaks you’ll find at the original, and they’re actually better than the Italian dishes on the menu. The space is huge and has multiple levels, so after dinner, head to the third floor bar where you can sit around a fireplace and discuss important topics like Q4 projections and what to order for second dessert.


RPM Italian has everything you want in a big, sceney River North restaurant. It’s modern and trendy without being obnoxious, and it has fantastic pastas (like the bucatini), along with attentive service. Even though it is an Italian restaurant, it has plenty of non-pasta things on the menu, too - so if you find out on the ride over that your client is keto and gluten-free, you won’t need to worry.


Since Chicago likes making Italian/steak companion restaurants, this is the steakhouse version of RPM Italian. But it’s a little bigger, and has two levels. So you can eat in the main dining room, or you can eat in the upstairs room overlooking the first floor of the restaurant. Wherever you sit, your client has a pretty good chance of using silverware previously touched by Justin Bieber or a Chicago Bear.


You might have noticed a pattern: there are a lot of steakhouses on this guide. But while Bavette’s is technically a steakhouse, we don’t treat it like one. The best things on the menu here aren’t steak, so go for the fantastic seafood towers, the mushroom stroganoff, and the pork chop. Plus, the dark speakeasy atmosphere with 1920s jazz music makes Bavette’s stand out from most of the spots in River North. (Speaking of darkness, take the opportunity to educate your clients about one of Chicago’s proudest restaurant traditions.)


If social media, Google, and LinkedIn have given you zero useful information about your clients’ eating habits, Somerset is still a good bet. This Gold Coast spot has a well-rounded menu that will work for just about anyone, and also happens to be one of the best restaurants in the whole city. You can order anything from beet tartare to a piece of fish to roasted chicken or a cheeseburger - and although this place is located in a neighborhood full of dogs in baby carriages, the atmosphere is actually low-key.


Don’t let conservative-looking suits and reasonable shoes fool you. Sometimes a client wants to party. When that’s the case, go to Aba in the West Loop. This place is a scene, but it’s 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. Most things on the Mediterranean menu are meant to be shared, so pay attention to your client’s share-plate habits - it might give you valuable insight for future negotiations.


Monteverde serves some of the best Italian food in the city, and dinner here is guaranteed to make everyone at the table happy. Every pasta dish here is fantastic - in particular the cacio e pepe, which is a menu staple. But the non-pasta (like the stuffed cabbage appetizer or the pork shank) is great, too, and what makes this place even better is that it’s not too expensive. Not that you’re paying for this meal, anyway. Just make sure to plan ahead - it’s hard to get a reservation.


This Argentinian spot is a good place go with the type of client who might get slightly drunk and/or talk about confidential information at a volume that makes you nervous. It’s a little loud, and the open kitchen and live fire grill will keep everyone distracted from your trade secrets. Everything that grill touches is worth ordering - from the steak and pork to the grilled oysters and vegetables.


Chase Sapphire Card Ad

Suggested Reading

The Best Cocktail Bars In Chicago image

The Best Cocktail Bars In Chicago

Where to go for all things shaken and stirred.

Rémy Martin

Not every great restaurant in Chicago—just the ones you should have on your list while you’re getting acquainted.

undefined

Nine places for when someone says they don’t care, and it’s probably a lie.

Where To Have Breakfast With Clients image

The 12 best restaurants for closing the deal over some eggs.

Infatuation Logo

Company

2024 © The Infatuation Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FIND PLACES ON OUR APP

Get it on Google PlayDownload on the App Store