14 Sceney Restaurants That Actually Serve Good Food

You can try and hate Sunda all you want because it’s always expensive and everyone there looks prettier than you, but look: the food is good. From the sushi rolls to crispy duck egg fried rice, we always enjoy our meals here.

There are a few places to get good Peruvian food in town, but Tanta stands alone as both a fun and upscale place to do it. Don’t forget to order cebiches on their rooftop in the summer.

We’ve seen “Fashion Police” on E before. No way you’re going to catch us walking into one of Giuliana Rancic’s restaurants looking like a schlub so she and her cronies can make fun of our last season’s jeans. But we have no problem being judged like that if it means eating all the pastas at RPM.

Is it possible to out-scene RPM Italian? Possibly, but only by its sister steakhouse restaurant, RPM Steak. There’s even a 14Kt Chocolate Cake sprinkled with gold flakes for dessert - ridiculous, yet delicious.

Momotaro is basically the Japanese restaurant version of a three-level club, and most of the people are packed into the main floor that serves great sushi and small plates. There’s also a VIP area private room upstairs, and a more lounge-like izakaya in the basement. You should look like you’re hitting the club after dinner, even if deep-down you know you’re heading straight to bed.

Swift & Sons is everything we like about a traditional steakhouse combined with everything we like about Fulton Market. That means great food and service in a revamped warehouse space. Everyone knows the key to being cool is not trying too hard to be cool, and Swift & Sons does exactly that.

Daytime trendy is a different thing than nighttime trendy, but nowhere is a bigger scene during the day than Big Star. You might want to get out more if you haven’t experienced Big Star on a warm summer afternoon, but the guacamole, tacos, and margaritas make it all worth it.

Gilt Bar is good though, so go for a night out, date night, or just when you’re in the mood to eat something delicious.

Bavette’s is the type of take on a classic French steakhouse that only Brendan Sodikoff could come up with. It’s retro, cool, dark, and consistently serves great food. Of course, a steakhouse that isn’t so stuffy will be the kind of place people who think they’re pretty cool hang out, but it’s good enough to keep us continuously coming back for more.

On the surface, Siena Tavern is everything we tend to hate about River North, so we could understand you expecting overpriced dishes and sub-par food. You might have to put up with the usual River North crowd, but the food makes up for it. Make sure to start with the giant wagyu beef meatball.

The 3 Arts Club Cafe at Restoration Hardware is such a scene it honestly intimidates us on a Saturday afternoon. Particularly because the space is beautiful and everything from the salmon plate to the burger are great.

A sister restaurant to Girl & The Goat, Duck Duck Goat does some interesting twists on Chinese food, all with Stephanie Izard’s goat-centric flair. In other words, expect goat in your slap noodles. It’s a fun environment, with some really tasty food.

How do you get us to eat at a glitzy steakhouse in the Gold Coast without wanting to kick our own *ss? By serving excellent steaks in a modern version of an old glamorous steakhouse.