Travel+Leisure

A first-rate visit to Chicago, America’s second city

From the towering Art Deco skyscrapers to the tight-knit neighborhoods with their own distinctive communities, histories, and cuisines, make the most of your time in the Windy City.

Chicago Illinois

November 10, 2022

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5 Minute Read

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Chicago? Perhaps it’s the towering Art Deco skyscrapers, the world-class museums and cultural institutions, or the tight-knit neighborhoods with their own distinctive communities, histories, and cuisines. Whatever your impetus is for planning a visit, local restaurateurs Thai and Danielle Dang have recommendations for making the most of your time in the Windy City.

Chicago is a city with a deep appreciation for bold optimism and grand gestures. And a healthy appetite, too. Chicago offers opportunities for cutting-edge culinary exploration: cuisines from the world over, hearty traditionally-inspired meals, and meat—lots of meat, from high-end steakhouses to down-home barbecue joints.

The city also has a refined sense of elegance and sophistication when it comes to accommodating visitors, with some stunningly beautiful and history-steeped hotels offering incredible views of an architecturally unique skyline—and indulgent guest experiences, too.

Explore Chicago through the eyes of Thai and Danielle Dang, local restaurateurs and owners of the award-winning HaiSous, where eligible cardholders can book cardholder-only reservations with Capital One Dining. They’re sharing some of their favorite spots for dining, lodging, and exploring, to make your time in Chicago a one-of-a-kind experience.

Where to eat

HaiSous

1800 South Carpenter St.

Thai and Danielle Dang’s restaurant is a culinary showcase for the best of Vietnamese cuisine. It offers family-style dining and multi-course menus spotlighting the vibrant flavors of Southeast Asia, with starters such as Chim Cút Nướng Mật Ong (grilled quail with honey and vinegar, scallion confit) and main courses like Thịt Heo Sườn Nướng (claypot grilled pork chop, a favorite in Saigon).

Gibsons Italia

233 N Canal St.

Gibsons Italia is built on a tradition and elegance that is relentless in the pursuit of the very best. Chef-driven tastes of Italy are paired with the superiority of Gibsons Steakhouse, creating a restaurant that makes the familiar exceptional. Try the Cacio e Pepe or Spicy Rigatoni and the Roasted Mediterranean Branzino.

Virtue

1462 East 53rd St.

Erick Williams, owner and executive chef, created Virtue Restaurant & Bar as an expression of Southern hospitality and homespun elegance. The Hyde Park hotspot draws raves for its farm-to-table approach and exacting attention to service. Its seasonally inspired menu includes refined takes on old favorites such as gizzards, green tomatoes, shrimp and crawfish, short rib, and smoked turkey.

Bazaar Meat

120 North Wacker Dr.

This boundary-pushing steakhouse from esteemed chef José Andrés (a Capital One Dining culinary partner), serves up hefty plates heavy with vaca vieja, ohmi wagyu striploin and other carnivorous indulgences from across the globe. If beef isn't to your taste, try the Catalan-style pork sausage, Amish chicken thighs, or “meats from the sea,” such as Spanish octopus or Peruvian bay scallops.

TIP: Reservations can be difficult to secure, so Capital One Dining helps Capital One rewards cardholders book exclusive reservations at a variety of Chicago restaurants like HaiSous, Gibsons Italia, Virtue, and Bazaar Meat.

Lost Larson

5318 North Clark St. and 2140 West Division St.

This beloved brother-and-sister-owned bakery offers dine-in and carryout at two locations in Andersonville and Wicker Park. Considered one of the best artisanal shops in the country, its commitment to freshly milled whole grains and seasonal ingredients shows through in its sunflower rye bread, lingonberry almond cake, chocolate spelt cookies, and cardamom buns.

Where to stay

The Langham, Chicago

330 North Wabash Ave.

Not many hotels can claim their home as a Mies van der Rohe-designed skyscraper, but The Langham can. And in a city world-renowned for its soaring architectural treasures, this one stands out—not just for the building itself but for the breathtaking views it offers of its neighbors. With nearly 270 guest rooms and four-dozen suites, the hotel’s floor-to-ceiling windows offer dramatic and sweeping views of Lake Michigan, the Chicago River, and the bustling Magnificent Mile below. Amenities here include a spa specializing in traditional Chinese medicine, a toy-and-game-stocked Kid's Suite, an afternoon tea (see “Where to Explore,” below) and a rentable 12-seat cinema for private movie nights.

Pendry Chicago

230 North Michigan Ave.

Pendry Chicago is part of Chicago's impressive architectural history. The building is set within the iconic 1929 Art Deco Carbide & Carbon Building in Chicago’s Loop neighborhood. Shaped like a champagne bottle, the hotel pays tribute to the sleek and glamorous design of the Roaring Twenties while maintaining a 21st-Century elegance. The stylish design extends to Pendry Chicago’s onsite culinary spots, including The Venteux restaurant, specializing in Nouvelle French cruising, and Bar Pendry.

Blackstone Hotel

636 South Michigan Ave.

With its commanding views of Grant Park and the lake, The Blackstone Hotel is another grand accommodation with bold architectural flair. The Blackstone lives up to its motto of “past meets present.” Named for the pioneering Chicago railroad executive Timothy Blackstone, the hotel, built over two years starting in 1908, has a design that combines elements of Second Empire and Beaux-Arts. Over the years, a dozen U.S. presidents have stayed here, and numerous Hollywood movies have been filmed on location at the property. When you visit, you'll want to dine at the hotel's modern, Barcelona-style Mercat a la Planxa, specializing in small plates and sangria.

TIP: Eligible Capital One cardholders can book their stay with Capital One Travel, where they match hotel prices before and after you book so you don’t overpay.

Where to explore

Wendella Tours & Cruises

400 North Michigan Ave.

Since 1935, this unique boat tour has been showcasing the Windy City's architectural crown jewels from a lazy drift down the Chicago River. Its guides offer a detailed century-plus history of the cityscape's construction and evolution, and how it ties into the modern history of the capital of the Midwest. Choose from a 45- or 90-minute tour, with another option including a loop around Lake Michigan. Drinks and snacks are served.

The Langham Afternoon Tea

330 North Wabash Ave.

Delicious, piping hot teas are part of this classic hotel tradition from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. But you might be more tempted by some other fare on the menu from Executive Chef Damion Henry: pink shrimp toast, beet and cauliflower panna cotta, milk chocolate berry cheesecake—and a list of Champagnes and Proseccos if you prefer your refreshments on the bubblier side.

Art Institute of Chicago

111 South Michigan Ave.

One of the largest, oldest, and most prestigious museums in the world, the Art Institute is replete with fine works and cultural treasures from countless countries and historical eras. Founded in 1879, and still among the city's most enduringly popular attractions, the downtown museum boasts an impressive collection of exhibits in both its main building—which dates from the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893—and its Modern Wing. AIC is home to multi-millennia-old works from Greece and Rome, well-curated collections of Asian and African works, Medieval and Renaissance art, Impressionist classics, homegrown Midwestern favorites (Grant Wood's American Gothic, to name one), and leading-edge modernist masterworks.

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