Chicago’s Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings of 2026

2026 is right around the corner and with it, a new crop of restaurant openings. There’s a lot to look forward to in the new year, including projects from some of the city’s biggest hospitality groups and a massive magic venue, and we’ve compiled a list below. Keep an eye out for these spots in the coming months and remember: Delays can, and inevitably will, happen.

Address: 2013 W. Division Street

Key Players: Derrick Tung, William Ravert, and Tony Dezutter

The team behind Paulie Gee’s is stepping away from the ovens to debut a West Town dive bar. the Alley Cat, a new project from hospitality group Tung & Cheek (Derrick Tung, William Ravert, and Tony Dezutter), will feature a drink menu with batch cocktails, beer-and-shot specials, canned beers, and nonalcoholic wines. For food, the bar will serve snacks like potato wedges topped with chives and a playful “Girl Dinner” spread of pickled veggies with sliced bread, whole-grain mustard, and a dirty martini. Housed in the former Takito Kitchen space, the Alley Cat will be decorated with vintage bookcases and a repurposed Chopin Theatre chandelier, with a plant-lined Green Room in the back for private events.

Address: 2545 Prairie Avenue in Evanston

Key Players: Thomas Carlin and Rachel Canfora-Carlin

Evanston is set to welcome Burl, a new restaurant opening in the old Coast Sushi & Sashimi space near the Central Street Metra station. Led by Thomas Carlin, formerly of Galit and Dove’s Luncheonette, and his wife, Rachel Canfora-Carlin, the project will focus on seasonal and globally influenced cooking that’s centered around a wood-fired grill. Diners can expect dishes that highlight meat and seafood sourced from local purveyors, reflecting Carlin’s strong relationships with regional farmers.

Address: 1615 N. Damen Avenue

Key Players: Andrew Dana and Dani Moreira

Hit bagel shop Call Your Mother is opening its first Midwest location in Wicker Park. Founded in Washington, D.C., the chain is famous for its Montreal-New York hybrid bagels and Jewish deli staples reimagined with creative twists. The menu is anchored by sandwiches like the Jetski (brisket, pastrami, sofrito, jalapeño, and cheeses) and Hidden Cove (smoked salmon, mashed avocado, Korean-style cucumbers, seaweed flakes, and shredded carrots). Complementing them are seasonal items, as well as muffins, latkes, and cookies. The restaurant’s design will reflect the look of other Call Your Mother outposts with striking pink and teal accents, accompanied by a playlist of late ’90s and early 2000s tracks.

DineAmic Hospitality Riverfront Project

Address: 300 N. LaSalle Street

Key Player: DineAmic Hospitality

DineAmic Hospitality is planning a major expansion to the riverfront in 2026, with a trio of venues opening as part of a $37 million renovation project at 300 North LaSalle. It will introduce a Mediterranean restaurant situated beneath Chicago Cut Steakhouse, along with an adjacent private lounge available for meetings, events, and dining. Additionally, the main lobby will have a coffee shop with Greek influences.

Address: 919 W. Fulton Street

Key Player: Gibsons Restaurant Group

Gibsons Restaurant Group is headed to Fulton Market with Gibsons Tavern, a vintage-themed restaurant offering refined takes on classic American cuisine. The space will capture the aesthetics of the early 20th century and feature vaulted ceilings, while the menu will include Gibsons’ signature steaks, seafood, and desserts. Beverages will nod to the Prohibition era with modern renditions of classic cocktails.

Address: 701 N. Wells Street

Key Players: Brian Lockwood and Boka Restaurant Group

Boka Restaurant Group shuttered River North steakhouse GT Prime in December 2024, intending to replace it with Gingie. The new restaurant is described as “combining thoughtful European techniques with Japanese-inspired flavors” and will be helmed by Brian Lockwood, who’s also behind Midōsuji in the Chicago Athletic Association. The menu will be divided into three sections — sharables, specialties, and pastas — and feature dishes like baked gnocchi with Wisconsin cheddar, summer truffle, and chive blossom.

Address: 100 E. Ontario Street

Key Players: Glen Tullman, Levy Restaurants, and Rockwell Group

River North’s historic McCormick Mansion will house the country’s largest magic venue when the Hand & the Eye debuts in 2025. A $50 million transformation project will turn the 19th-century building into a place for spellbinding shows. The five-story, 36,000-square-foot space will have multiple theaters, a restaurant, a members-only dining room, and a rooftop bar, all designed with ornate furnishings and elements evoking bygone eras. The dramatic setting will play host to performances by some of the world’s top magicians.

Address: 1101 W. Lake Street

Key Players: Diego de la Puente, Diego Herrera, and MCK Hospitality

Peruvian Japanese restaurant Osaka Nikkei will open its second U.S. location in Fulton Market, bringing a fusion menu of ceviches, tiraditos, and nigiri to a century-old building along the L tracks on Lake Street. Founded in Lima, Peru, in 2001 by Diego de la Puente and Diego Herrera, the restaurant combines the techniques of Japanese cooking with the flavors of Peruvian gastronomy to create dishes like wasabi ceviche — scallops and white fish bathing in citrusy wasabi sauce. The 180-seat space will include a sushi bar and the Kero Bar, a lounge for globally influenced cocktails, DJ sets, and late-night service.

Address: 5311 S. Lake Park Avenue W

Key Player: James Sanders

Beverly’s barbecue hot spot Sanders BBQ Supply Co. will open a new restaurant in the space currently occupied by the Promontory, which is closing at the end of 2025. Sanders BBQ Prime will build on the original with a menu filled with twists on barbecue classics, as well as steaks and items like beef tallow-smoked popcorn. Owner James Sanders describes the new spot as his “signature restaurant,” and it will offer sit-down service.