Hello.. my fiancé and i are coming the 3td week in July and staying at the Drake. He traveled to Chicago yesterday ago for work and loved it,but i have never been. We will obviously visit the river walk, navy pier, is Sears tower open? Milenium park? Looking for some restaurant suggestions near our hotel. Maybe a comedy club that you’d recommend and for obvious reasons lately want to confirm the area we are staying is safe. Thanks so much.
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102 helpful votes N.Michigan Ave / Magnificent Mile / River North / Streeterville and the Gold Coast area are very safe. Personally, I’m sorry that you have to worry about that. Chicago is not in the top 50 most dangerous cities in the US. Restaurants around the Drake may include, Doc B’s, Le Colonial, Ralph Lauren (RL), NoMI, Bistronomic, Gibson’s, Carmine’s, Tavern on Rush, Nico Osteria, Original Pancake House, Agave, Morton’s Steakhouse, Tempo Cafe, Shanghai Terrace, Benihana, Lou Malnati’s, Giordano’s, Jake Melnick’s, Ema, Roka Akor, Frontera, Topolobampo, Xoco, MingHin, Lao Sze Chuan, Joe’s Seafood, Shaw’s Crabhouse, Shake Shack, Eataly, Big Bowl, Cheesecake Factory, Grand Lux, McDonald’s, Hard Rock Cafe, Portillo’s, …. The parks are open. The Riverwalk is a nice retreat from street level hubbub. The Hancock Tower is a block away from the Drake and, in my opinion, has a more inclusive view sky deck overlook of the city than the Willis Tower. Zanies in Old Town is open and a long established comedy club..
Edited: 2 years ago
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64 reviews
142 helpful votes http://www.choosechicago.com for some inspiration for things to do here.
Shallow gave you quite a comprehensive list of restaurants in the area. One she forgot is The Purple Pig, a wine bar with good small plates. There's also a location of Avec restaurant at the corner of LaSalle and Ontario.
Also, FYI, the John Hancock Building is now known as 875 N.Michigan Ave.
Kay, there are literally 100s of restaurants within a half mile walk of the Drake and many more if you want to wander further than that. Give us a bit more guidance on your budget, the types of cuisine(s) that you like, and the atmosphere that you are seeking. E.g., if you are looking for a "fine-dining" meal, do you want a steakhouse, creative tasting menu, or something else? And if fine dining is of interest, please provide a budget -- you can spend upwards of $500pp for the most creative, Michelin starred restaurants in the city but there are "fine-dining" choices available for far less.
Or go over to the TA Review pages for Chicago restaurants and read over what locals and visitors recommend, https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g35805-Chicago_Illinois.html
I really like Spiaggia, very, very close to the Drake: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g35805-d429402-r751353348-Spiaggia_Restaurant-Chicago_Illinois.html
Enjoy!
Hunt
Thanks for the responses. We are thinking moderate price range. No steak house as I’m a pescatarian. I did look at Spiggaggia but it says it’s temporarily closed.
I'm not sure when Hunt last ate at Spiaggia. When Tony Mantuano was the executive chef there, it was amazing but it's not where I'd go now for 1-star Michelin Dining -- although it may be the closest Michelin-starred restaurant to the Drake. Here's a link to the most recent Spiaggia menus that I could find (but I don't think they are current): a la carte menu, https://spiaggiarestaurant.com/menus/spiaggia-main-menu; the tasting menu, https://spiaggiarestaurant.com/menus/spiaggia-tasting-menu.
(You didn't ask but if 1-star Michelin dining at similar prices are of interest, near the Drake, I'd recommend Topolobampo.)
Edited: 2 years agoWhoops, Kay, you put up your post no. 6 while I was still writing no. 7. Never mind. What's "moderate" for you? E.g., to some folks, that means $20pp all in; to others, it's $35pp before tax, tip & alcohol. Pescatarian won't be a problem; tons of fish available, including but not limited to sushi.
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24,752 posts
144 reviews
102 helpful votes Yes CV and MBA, I rattled off a few of the restaurants in the area, hopefully to let the OP know that so much civilization within walking distance of her hotel would show her that restaurants, the Drake, Four Seasons, Waldorf Astoria, Ritz Carlton and other fine hotels cannot and do not exist in an unsafe area. It’s sad that the last government in Washington DC was able to persuade so many potential guests that they are taking their lives into their own hands to visit us. @ Hunt, we abandoned Spiaggia 4 years ago.
Edited: 2 years agoHunt, from this morning’s Trib, Spiaggia is closing (as is its little sister restaurant, Cafe Spiaggia), https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-food-spiaggia-cafe-spiagga-shutting-down-20210709-ujrjf7bltbdbxa76sifp6gr3dm-story.html.
