Chicago Restaurant Week 2026 Recap
We’re back with another Chicago Restaurant Week recap, my friends! I kept it a bit more chill in 2026 with only three restaurants – I really wanted to try more spots (and I have an insanely long spreadsheet to prove it), but alas, I had to be somewhat responsible with my bank account this winter. Regardless, we got some good meals out of this year’s lineup, so I’m breaking them all down for you below!
If you’re unfamiliar, Restaurant Week is actually a two-week period where tons of restaurants in Chicago serve prix fixe menus at different price points. Many big cities do this, like NYC, LA, Houston, DC, and more – but Chicago being such a renowned, food-centric city makes their Restaurant Week particularly anticipated. This year, they once again offered $30 brunches and lunches, $45 dinners, and $60 dinners (per person). It’s a great chance to treat yourself to a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant, try out some new spots you haven’t been to yet, or just book a fun brunch with your friends for a great deal – basically, it’s a food lover’s dream.
This was my second Chicago Restaurant Week, so I definitely had a better eye for what deals were worth it and which ones to stay away from. Still looking at you, Alla Vita – why are we serving infinitely smaller RW portions of the same prix fixe lunch that’s on the normal menu for the same price (that was increased by $5 since last year, too)? Anywho, there was definitely a standout meal this year, and unfortunately a kind of blah one, too, but overall I’m still pretty happy with this year’s experience considering I kept it a bit lighter this year.
Here’s a recap of everywhere I ate this Chicago Restaurant Week, from menu items to typical pricing and everything in between. All of these restaurants offered multiple options for (almost) every course, some offered specific add-ons while others didn’t – I’m breaking it all down in detail below.
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CIRA
Neighborhood: Fulton Market
Cuisine: Mediterranean/American
Menu Option: $30 Lunch
Guests: 1
Cira was a spot that I’d always meant to visit, but I just never got around to it until this year’s Restaurant Week when I booked myself a solo lunch. Sadly, the food was just okay for me! I loved the space, though. Cira makes up almost the whole first floor of the Hoxton hotel, and it has a bar, huge lounge, and dining room all in one. People go there to work, drink, eat – I’d definitely consider going back to work remotely in the morning and try out their breakfast/cafe options! It was just a little lackluster for RW specifically, and that might be because I chose some dishes that aren’t normally on their menu.
THE MENU
WHAT I ORDERED:
FIRST COURSE
A Taste of Cira (normally $18)
SECOND COURSE
Artichoke Barigoule Ravioli (similar $20)
THIRD COURSE
Double Chocolate Tart (similar $12)
The starter was pretty basic but pretty good! The presentation could have been a bit more intentional, but I really liked each different hummus & spread, and the pita was fantastic. The ravioli was what lost me – it looked beautiful, but the pasta was undercooked and too hard, and the flavors were a bit too acidic and just didn’t mesh well with the whole dish. In retrospect, I should have gone with the Tunisian rice bowl that’s already on their normal menu. It probably would have given me a better chance of getting a trusted meal rather than an experimental one, but that’s on me. The chocolate tart was great, though! Another rogue menu item that isn’t normally served, but it was really yummy and rich. I think it would have been even better if the ice cream had more of an orange/citrus flavor actually in it, rather than just the small piece of candied peel on top, but it didn’t take away from the dish at all.
Since two of the dishes I ordered aren’t on Cira’s typical menus, I used the prices of similar items to gauge how good this deal was. At around $50 for a normal dining experience, their RW deal is great (in theory) at a $20 discount! However, the food was mostly just okay, so that definitely brings down the score a bit for me. The service was really great, though, so I’m bumping it up a bit for that. I think they might do better with breakfast options (I’ll have to test that theory), but I’d say this one is pretty hit or miss.
Normal Price PP: $50 (before tip and taxes)
RW Price PP: $30 (before tip and taxes)
My Overall Rating: 6/10
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Alpana
Neighborhood: Gold Coast
Cuisine: Global-Inspired
Menu Option: $45 Dinner
Guests: 3
Alpana has been on my list for ages, and not just because it was featured in The Bear (but that did definitely help influence me when choosing my RW spots)! This was by far the best meal of the week for me, and I’d absolutely go back on a normal day to try more of their menu. Big ups for the team at Alpana for serving some truly unique dishes inspired by not only wine pairings, but a number of different global cuisines – every single thing sounded delicious, and (spoiler) every single thing we ate was also delicious.
THE MENU
WHAT WE ORDERED:
FIRST COURSE
Winter Citrus Salad (normally $15.95)
Beets & Burrata (normally $21.95)
Butter Chicken Meatballs (normally $21.95)
SECOND COURSE
Short Rib Bucatini (normally $25.95)
Faroe Islands Salmon (normally $34.95)
Chicken Roulade (similar $26.95)
THIRD COURSE
All 3 Desserts (no prices listed)
ADD-ONS
Sauvignon Blanc (bottle $60)
Truffle Mac and Cheese ($8.95)
Brussels Sprouts ($14.95)
House-Baked Focaccia ($10.95)
This menu rivals Daisies’ RW menu from last year, and that’s saying a LOT. It’s clearly a great deal considering just an app and an entrée at normal price puts you over $45, but the lovely desserts and the incredible quality of literally every dish was just insane. The truffle mac? Mind-blowing. The short rib bucatini? To die for. Everything was truly stunning. My one note would be that we probably didn’t need the focaccia just because we ordered SO much – but it was still delicious and I definitely recommend it!
My sleeper item on this menu is probably the salmon – the skin was so crispy, the fish was tender, and the carrot puree was such a delicious and unique addition to the dish. I also have to shout out the mashed potatoes that came with the chicken roulade – truly top tier potatoes, guys. If I had to nitpick, I think the meatballs could have come with three instead of two without an up-charge, but with how much food we ordered, it was definitely not a big issue (and the naan that came with them was insanely good). I ended up dipping the focaccia in the leftover curry and that was almost unfairly yummy as well. I also think it’s rare for a restaurant to get all three desserts as good as these ones were – there’s usually an outlier that I think could taste a bit better, but I really loved all three here! The tiramisu was classic, the mousse was super rich but not overly sweet, and the sorbet was the refreshing palate cleanser that the trio needed.
If Alpana does RW again next year, I 1000% recommend – but I also recommend just going anytime! The interior is stunning but still somewhat laid back, the service was incredible, and it was overall a pretty perfect meal. I’m going to share the final prices without the add-ons to stay true to the basic Restaurant Week experience, and I’m going to use $14 as a guesstimate dessert price since they don’t have those listed on their website. Truly anything listed here is so worth getting, though, and I’ll definitely be back!
Normal Price PP (excluding add-ons): $63 (before tip and taxes)
RW Price PP (excluding add-ons): $45 (before tip and taxes)
My Overall Rating: 9.5/10
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Robert’s Pizza and Dough Company
Neighborhood: Streeterville
Cuisine: Italian American
Menu Option: $45 Dinner
Guests: 3
Another long-awaited restaurant trip was Robert’s, and this was a great one! I think this was the best deal by far, with four full-sized courses (including a full large pizza per person) for $45. Considering their normal prices for pizzas alone are upwards of $30, you can’t beat Restaurant Week at Robert’s. It’s a great casual spot, and I’m sure it’s lovely in the summer when it’s warm out and they open up their huge windows onto the patio right on the river! They had some fun drink specials (which I forgot to take a photo of, oops), and the service was great, too – albeit maybe a bit too over-accommodating… I’ll explain more on that below.
THE MENU
WHAT We ORDERED:
FIRST COURSE
Burrata x2 (normally $20)
Mussels (normally $22)
SECOND COURSE
Apple Hazelnut Salad (normally $17)
Beet & Kale Salad (normally $17)
Mediterranean Salad (normally $19)
THIRD COURSE
Funghi Pizza (normally $29)
Cup & Char Pepperoni Pizza (normally $28)
Brussels Sprouts & Bacon Pizza (normally $28)
FOURTH COURSE
Tiramisu x2 (normally $12)
Fruit Platter (no price)
The apps were pretty solid here – I was hoping the burrata would be a bit bigger because it ended up being mostly salad, but the crostini was a great addition. My photo-taking got a bit sparse once we got to the salad course because of the over-accommodation I mentioned above. I told our server that I’m allergic to honey, and I think there was a bit of a misunderstanding/mistranslation, because he kept saying sugar instead of honey and introducing dishes as “sugar free”. I was hoping to try all of the salads because we got one of each, but the server told me two of the three weren’t safe, but the dressings on them weren’t overtly sweet ones that you’d expect honey to be in (and my friends couldn’t taste honey in them either). The same thing happened when dessert came out – my friends got gorgeous looking tiramisus, and I got a “sugar free” plate of fruit. It was still yummy, but I tried a bite of the tiramisu and there was definitely no honey in it. So maybe they just misunderstood me and were being extra careful, or maybe they assumed I was on a sugar-free diet (I would never). Who knows! I definitely appreciated the extra effort though.
On another note, the pizzas were delicious! I love a fun pizza but you can’t beat the classics, so I went with the pepperoni and let my friends get the more unique ones, and all of them were delicious. They taste almost as good reheated from frozen the next day, too. And the tiramisu was also delicious, for the record. Though I didn’t get photos, the mediterranean salad was great, and for drinks we tried the Fig & Fable cocktail, the Hibiscus Mule mocktail, and a chocolate/strawberry cocktail I can’t remember the name of – all very good!
Normal Price: $79 (before tip and taxes)
RW Price: $45 (before tip and taxes)
My Overall Rating: 8.5/10
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I’ll always stand by my belief that the best way to experience a city is through their food, and this year was another great opportunity for me to do that! Truly, what’s better as a foodie in an iconic culinary city like Chicago than two weeks full of great deals and excuses to dine out with your friends more than you probably should? Until we meet again, Chicago Restaurant Week!
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