Solo dining, downtown

I'm going to be in Chicago later this month, and it may turn out that I'm on my own for a night or two. I'm staying somewhere downtown, south of the river, near Millennium Park. Can folks suggest a place within an easy taxi/uber ride that would be good for solo dining? I'm thinking of an eat-at-the-bar kind of place, not so much a solo table. I've done it at Frontera before, but would like to try someplace new. Not so much worried about money, just want good food/good drinks/comfortable for solo dining.

Hi would suggest The Dearborn or The Gage.

No need for a taxi. Lots of places to walk to in that area.

Hotel restaurants are used to solo diners, for obvious reasons; and Atwood in the Burnham Hotel, Lockwood in the Palmer House, and Cindy's in the Chicago Athletic Association are all highly-regarded restaurants in their own right.

Bars are used to solo diners too: try Miller's Pub, been around forever, solid food, real atmosphere (yes, there is such a thing as fake atmosphere).

I wouldn't recommend Cindy's for one person. It's really designed for group dining. See viewtopic.php?p=499622.

But, in the same hotel, the Cherry Circle Room is excellent.

The Dearborn or Cochon Volant are a few blocks away.
Publican and Little Goat are an easy Uber or Divvybike into the west Loop.

Purple Pig was my first thought. I had a great time there sitting at the bar as a solo diner.

Of course, you can eat solo anywhere - at the bar, or at your own table (other than places that only have communal seating).

However, if you're looking specifically for a place where they have a bar/counter that faces the kitchen so you can watch some of the prep, I recommend tesori, which is nearby and has excellent Italian cuisine.

The Purple Pig is a little further away, and has a similar setup. However, they usually have horrendous waits to be seated (90-120 minutes or more). And in my experience it's pretty rare that you can find seating any quicker just because you're a solo diner. OTOH if you're going at an off hour - say, mid afternoon or after 10 pm - you might be seated immediately. The food there is great.

One note about reservations for dining solo - a lot of restaurants don't accept solo reservations on Opentable.com but are happy to do so if you phone them. I suspect this is so they avoid the Opentable fees when there's only one cover. So don't be afraid to try calling a place if it shows no availability for a solo seat on Opentable. And if you know there's a specific area you'd like, whether it's the counter that faces the kitchen, the regular bar, or a table, you can mention that when making your reservation. (tesori accepts reservations including on Opentable, Purple Pig doesn't accept them at all.)

Oh, and both of these, as well as many many other restaurants, are within walking distance, no need for a taxi/uber.

My first thought was the Gage for ease of location. Lately, I've really liked Lena Brava, though it's a short uber away, and though it is another Bayless concept, I think it's significantly different enough from Frontera that you won't find it repetitive. A bar upstairs and down (I prefer down). The only thing I would mention, trivial, is that if you sit at the far end of the downstairs bar things can get a little hot from all the ovens and seemingly open fires. I've seen Rick there 2 out of 3 times, so I think they're taking care of the project.

I'd also suggest Eataly for solo dining. They feature separate areas focusing on vegetables, pasta, pizza, fish, cheese-salami, rotisserie meats and a brewery room. Most of these have bar seating where you can watch the food being made. It's pretty cool place to hang out solo.

Im assuming you're familiar with Eataly, which is totally amazing, but if not, please check the website to get an idea of what it's all about. Its walking distance from your hotel or a couple stops north on the Red Line at Grand.

https://www.eataly.com/us_en/stores/chicago/

Hey there, I'd like to recommend two places.

Bernie's Lunch and Supper
http://bernieslunchandsupper.com/
A little but of a walk to River North-Westish but worth it, in my opinion. Ate at the bar with friends and service, drink specials, and food were fantastic.

Closer to you, I suggest Remington's.
Www.remingtonschicago.com
The menu may not wow you, but the service and food should. Each time I've visited the service is 5 stars, and the sushi/salad/appetizers/sandwiches have all been excellent.


-Zach

chunker wrote:Hi would suggest The Dearborn or The Gage.

I second this. Same ownership/family. The mussels app at The Gage is one of my favorite dishes around (I've been known to take the leftover liquid home) and, while it may not sound like much, the house-made sausage platter is delicious.

I suggest Tavern at the Park at 130 E. Randolph St.
I've eaten there a couple of times. These images are from a late lunch I had back in July. The sandwich is the Sicilian Hoagie. The beer selection is quite good.