<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=32XdGP_1Gwnc2w800" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=32XdGP_1Gwnc2w800" width="1200" height="1184" ><figcaption>Bad Butter made a permanent home in Bucktown in May 2026, and pastry fans have been lining up in droves ever since. Garrett Sweet/Eater</figcaption></figure>The best restaurants, bars, and bakeries of 2026, according to Eater editorsThe 2026 Eater Awards, presented by Capital One, brought some of the most memorable restaurants to the forefront. This year in Chicago, we honor the Best New Restaurant, Chef of the Year, Best New Bakery, Dish of the Year, and Best New Restaurant and Bar Combo. Here are the award recipients that made their mark on Chicago’s culinary scene in 2026.Eater is partnering with select Eater Award winners to offer special dining perks now through January 31, 2027. To access these exclusive perks, create an Eater account or download and create an account on the Eater app for iOS. (Terms apply)Tucked underneath Logan Square’s Lonesome Rose, a short stairway leading to an unassuming door brings visitors to Culebra, one of Punch’s 2026 Best New Bars. There’s no sign, but there is a logo — a snake entwined around a bottle. Culebra is an homage to Puerto Rican flavors and the history of its host neighborhood. The space is small, but the creativity behind the cocktail menu helps it balance the line between a neighborhood hangout and a swanky new cocktail bar. From sweet to savory concoctions, the menu leans toward rum and agave bases — the Boricua Handshake, a can of Medalla Light and a shot of Palo Viejo rum, encapsulates Culebra’s Chicago-Puerto Rico fusion. — Amy CavanaughPerk: Eater members receive a free order of tostones with the purchase of any two Cocteles Originales through January 31, 2027. (21+ | Terms apply)<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4XlTdx_1Gwnc2w800" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4XlTdx_1Gwnc2w800" width="1200" height="807" ><figcaption>Garrett Sweet/Punch</figcaption></figure>Pandemic Instagram sensation-turned Emily Hotel pop-up, Bad Butter, is now open in its own dedicated space in May. The Eater Award-winning bakery, founded by Daniel Koester, is attracting substantial (we’re talkin’ 60-plus-minute) lines — seemingly a feature, not an anomaly of Chicago bakeries lately — so plan to get there early before all the lavish croissants, Danishes, and breads disappear. And they do sell out. Don’t miss the savory monkey bread, which in recent months has appeared variously laced with harissa and salsa macha.An unassuming taqueria, Mazor occupies a storefront along an especially eclectic stretch of Milwaukee Avenue. With a kitchen led by chef Cristian Orozco, Eater Chicago’s 2026 Chef of the Year, options range from a crisp and generously dressed tostada de atun with lovely floral and microgreen garnish to an ultra-cheesy blue corn quesadilla with your choice of protein. Don’t overlook the guacasalsa, which provides a spicy kick on chips — or as an addition to whichever items you choose on the menu.Perk: Eater members buy one taco, get one free through January 31, 2027. Terms apply.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4SKMD7_1Gwnc2w800" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4SKMD7_1Gwnc2w800" width="1600" height="1056" ><figcaption>Noncreative Photo/Mazor Chicago</figcaption></figure>In tandem with Crying Tiger, this sublevel, 1920s-style lounge takes the 2026 Eater Award for Chicago’s Best New Restaurant and Bar Combo. Freezing cold martinis are served from a trolley for a cool $90 (there are more affordable versions, too), and raw bar delights enhance the cocktail experience. Cocktails include pre-prepared batches, made-to-order creations, and tableside trolley selections. Diners can opt in to the extravagant caviar service ($240), but the dim sum offerings of shumai and gyoza are great accompaniments to drinks like the mezcal margarita or rhubarb apple martini.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4b7TNY_1Gwnc2w800" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4b7TNY_1Gwnc2w800" width="1200" height="792" ><figcaption>Lindsay Eberly</figcaption></figure>For chef Thai Dang, Crying Tiger is a full-circle moment, having gotten his start in Chicago as a cook at Lettuce Entertain You’s L2O and now has partnered with the Chicago-based hospitality group at this River North restaurant. (In between, he opened HaiSous in Pilsen, which is still going strong.) By focusing on the culinary traditions of Southeast Asia, Dang has given himself culinary license to explore dishes from his birthplace, Vietnam, as well as Thailand and China. That means there’s clay pot lobster pad Thai as well as prawn toast. Fitting its buzzy location and lavish interior design — selfies are a thing here in the ladies’ room — there’s an emphasis on artful plating. This restaurant, along with neighboring Kitty’s Cosmopolitan Club, is a 2026 Eater Award winner for Best New Restaurant and Bar Combo.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1gvOOz_1Gwnc2w800" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1gvOOz_1Gwnc2w800" width="1200" height="792" ><figcaption>Lindsay Eberly</figcaption></figure>Since opening, Eater Chicago’s 2026 Best New Restaurant (also a winner nationally) has made national headlines as the restaurant to watch. The inconspicuous bistro, stripped of flashy signage and marked mostly by the striped exterior awning, mixes with a homey dining room of checkered tiles and playful artwork throughout. Creepies may be a newbie to West Loop, but it’s run by hospitality veterans; husband-and-wife duo David and Anna Posey started Michelin-starred Elske next door 10 years ago. Now, they’re setting out to intertwine “plenty of Midwestern charm” into a menu centered around French culinary technique. Start with warm Brie gougeres as you linger over the wine list full of intriguing offerings, before moving on to heartier dishes like steamed mussels with fennel, roasted chicken in a liver and wine sauce, and Parisian gnocchi. Save room for one of Anna’s desserts, including a rotating soft-serve sundae.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3Mimlq_1Gwnc2w800" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3Mimlq_1Gwnc2w800" width="1200" height="800" ><figcaption>Kim Kovacik/Eater</figcaption></figure>After three years as Noah Sandoval’s chef de cuisine at the two Michelin-starred Oriole, Larry Feldmeier partnered with the James Beard Award winner to open All Well in April. Located inside the former La Sardine space, the West Loop restaurant’s menu features a modern American five-course tasting menu ($145) and a la carte bar fare with Japanese and French inflections. A modest side to the Délice de Bourgogne pasta, All Well’s puffed grain toast is Eater Chicago’s 2026 Dish of the Year. Topped with nutty buckwheat butter sweetened with honey, the toast effectively offsets the creaminess and saltiness of the rest of the dish, but can stand on its own even without the accompanying pasta. Its subtle sweetness almost acts as a mid-meal dessert, a distinctive break in a seamless dinner you don’t quite want to end.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1y4BWR_1Gwnc2w800" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1y4BWR_1Gwnc2w800" width="1200" height="800" ><figcaption>Kim Kovacik/Eater</figcaption></figure></div></body>

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The best restaurants, bars, and bakeries of 2026, according to Eater editors. The 2026 Eater Awards, presented by Capital One, brought some of the most memorable restaurants to the forefront. This year in Chicago, we honor the Best New Restaurant, Chef of the Year, Best New Bakery, Dish of the Year, and Best New Restaurant and Bar Combo. Here are the award recipients that made their mark on Chicago’s culinary scene in 2026.

Every Chicago 2026 Eater Award Winner, Mapped

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The best restaurants, bars, and bakeries of 2026, according to Eater editors. The 2026 Eater Awards, presented by Capital One, brought some of the most mem

Every Chicago 2026 Eater Award Winner, Mapped

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