Lonely Planet Pocket Chicago

By Ali Lemer and Karla Zimmerman

Inside Lonely Planet's Pocket Chicago:

Up-to-date information - all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still open after 2020's COVID-19 outbreak

Full-color maps and travel photography throughout

Highlightsand itineraries help you tailor a trip to your personal needs and interests

Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots

Essential infoat your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices

Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss

Convenient pull-out Chicago map (included in print version), plus over 20 color neighborhood maps

User-friendly layout with helpful icons, and organized by neighborhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time

Covers the Loop, Navy Pier, Lincoln Park, Old Town, Lake View, Wrigleyville, Wickerpark, Bucktown, Ukrainian Village, Pilsen and more

The Perfect Choice:Lonely Planet's Pocket Chicago, an easy-to-use guide filled with top experiences - neighborhood by neighborhood - that literally fits in your pocket. Make the most of a quick trip to Chicago with trusted travel advice to get you straight to the heart of the city.

Looking for a comprehensive guide that recommends both popular and offbeat experiences, and extensively covers all of Chicago's neighborhoods? Check out Lonely Planet's Chicago city guide.

Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet's USA guide for a comprehensive look at all that the country has to offer.

eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones)

Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges

Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews

Add notes to personalize your guidebook experience

Seamlessly flip between pages

Bookmarksand speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash

Embedded links to recommendations' websites

Zoom-in maps and images

Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing

About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travelers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 12 international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day.

'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' – New York Times

'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveler's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' – Fairfax Media (Australia)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Release date: Mar 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781837581474

Book preview

Front CoverFull Page Samplerbutton

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Top Experiences

Dining Out

Bar Open

Treasure Hunt

Architecture

Museums & Galleries

Under the Radar Chicago

Comedy & Performing Arts

For Kids

LGBTIQ+

Four Perfect Days

Need to Know

Chicago Neighborhoods

Explore Chicago

The Loop

Near North & Navy Pier

Gold Coast

Lincoln Park & Old Town

Lake View & Wrigleyville

Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukranian Village

West Loop & Near West Side

Pilsen & Near South Side

Worth a Trip

Strolling Andersonville & Uptown

A Night Out in Logan Square

Museum of Science & Industry

Robie House

Survival Guide

Survival Guide

Before You Go

Arriving in Chicago

Getting Around

Essential Information

Behind the Scenes

Our Writers

COVID-19

We have re-checked every business in this book before publication to ensure that it is still open after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 will continue to be felt long after the outbreak has been contained, and many businesses, services and events referenced in this guide may experience ongoing restrictions. Some businesses may be temporarily closed, have changed their opening hours and services, or require bookings; some unfortunately could have closed permanently. We suggest you check with venues before visiting for the latest information.

Chicago’s

Top Experiences

Chicago’s Top Experiences

1 Explore Millennium Park

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Chicago’s Top Experiences

1 Marvel at the Masterpieces at the Art Institute of Chicago

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Chicago’s Top Experiences

1 Survey Chicago from a Lofty Height at Willis Tower

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Chicago’s Top Experiences

1 Enjoy Fun at the Fair at Navy Pier

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Chicago’s Top Experiences

1 Get High at 360° Chicago

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Chicago’s Top Experiences

1 Geek out at the Museum of Science & Industry

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Chicago’s Top Experiences

1 Meander through Lincoln Park

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Chicago’s Top Experiences

1 Cheer on the Cubs at Wrigley Field

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Chicago’s Top Experiences

1 See Sue at the Field Museum of Natural History

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Chicago’s Top Experiences

1 Admire Contemporary Art at MCA

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Chicago’s Top Experiences

1 Walk through Frank Lloyd Wright’s Famous Robie House

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Dining Out

Chicago is a chowhound’s hot spot. For the most part, restaurants here are reasonably priced and pretension-free, serving masterful food in come-as-you-are environs. You can also fork into a superb range of international eats, especially if you break out of downtown and head for neighborhoods such as Pilsen or Andersonville.

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Local Specialties

Foremost is deep-dish pizza, with crust that rises two or three inches above the plate and cradles a molten pile of toppings. One gooey piece is practically a meal. Also iconic is the Chicago hot dog – a wiener in a poppy-seed bun with myriad toppings (including onions, tomatoes, a dill pickle and neon-green relish – but never ketchup). The city is also revered for its spicy, drippy, only-in-Chicago Italian beef sandwiches.

Eat Streets

Chicago’s best and brightest chefs cook on Randolph St in the West Loop. Copious sidewalk seating spills out of hip bistros and cafes on Division St in Wicker Park. Mexican taquerias meet hipster hangouts along 18th St in Pilsen.

Best for Foodies

Alinea Molecular gastronomy at one of the world’s best restaurants.

Girl & the Goat Rockin’ ambience and dishes starring the titular animal.

Smyth Two Michelin stars for seasonal comfort food, with ingredients from the restaurant’s farm.

Revival Food Hall A slew of all-local, hipster eats to choose from.

Best Budget

Lou Mitchell’s Route 66 diner where waitstaff call you ‘honey’ without irony.

Irazu Chicago’s lone Costa Rican eatery whips up distinctive, peppery fare.

Publican Quality Meats Beefy sandwiches straight from the butcher’s block.

Best Pizza

Giordano’s It’s like deep-dish on steroids, with awesomely bulked-up crusts.

Pizano’s Makes a great thin crust to supplement the deep dish.

Best Vegan

Chicago Diner Chicago’s long-standing all-veg linchpin.

Native Foods Cafe World-ranging plant-based menu accompanied by organic beers and wines.

Best Brunch

Sweet Maple Cafe Fresh-baked biscuits and banana pancakes.

Big Jones Dishes from New Orleans and the Carolina Lowcountry.

Best Sweets

Hoosier Mama Pie Company Supreme flaky goodness.

Margie’s Candies Gigantic hot fudge sundaes.

Best Mexican

Topolobampo/Frontera Grill Rick Bayless’ flavor-packed signature restaurants.

Don Pedro Carnitas Authentic Pilsen haunt for the city’s best tacos.

Best Hot Dogs

Hot ‘G’ Dog Goes beyond gourmet weenies, with a killer Chicago-style dog too.

Wieners Circle Char-dogs, cheddar fries and lots of unruly swearing.

Book Ahead

Make dinner reservations for eateries in midrange and upper price brackets, especially on weekends. Many restaurants let you book online through OpenTable (www.opentable.com). TH Forum (www.lthforum.com) has great local listings.

Bar Open

Chicagoans love to hang out in drinking establishments. Blame it on the long winter, when folks need to huddle together somewhere warm. Blame it on summer, when sunny days make beer gardens and sidewalk patios so splendid. Whatever the reason, drinking in the city is a widely cherished civic pastime.

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Dance Clubs

Clubs cluster in three main areas: River North and West Loop, where the venues tend to be huge and luxurious, with dress codes; Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village, where they’re typically more casual; and Wrigleyville and Boystown, where they fall somewhere in between. Most clubs use social media to provide discounts on admission, so check before heading out.

How to Find a Real Chicago Bar

To discover classic, character-filled bars on your own, look for the following: an Old Style or Hamm’s beer sign swinging out front; a well-worn dartboard and/or pool table inside; patrons wearing ballcaps with the logos of the Cubs, White Sox, Bears or Blackhawks; and sports on TV.

Best Vibes

Old Town Ale House Trendy tipplers and grizzled regulars sip under bawdy paintings.

RM Champagne Salon Twinkling West Loop spot that feels like a Parisian cafe.

Best Beer

Revolution Brewing Industrial-chic brewpub pouring righteous ales.

Centennial Crafted Beer & Eatery Warm beer bar with 50 taps.

Delilah’s Spirited punk bar with all kinds of odd ales (and whiskeys too).

Best Cocktails

Violet Hour Beard Award–winning cocktails in a hidden bar.

Sparrow Bespoke rum-based concoctions in a cozy retro bar.

Lost Lake Cool, refreshing tiki concoctions.

Best Wine

Press Room Reds and whites in a candlelit basement.

Best Views

Signature Lounge Ascend to the Hancock Center’s 96th floor and gawp.

Cindy’s Loop rooftop with vistas of Millennium Park.

Best Clubs

Smart Bar Intimate club that’s serious about its DJs.

Berlin Welcome-one, welcome-all space to dance your ass off.

Best Local Bars

Skylark Where Pilsen’s underground goes for cheap drinks and tater tots.

Innertown Pub Authentic kitsch and cheap drinks tucked away in Ukrainian Village.

Ten Cat Tavern Shoot pool, check out the art and swill beers by the fireplace.

Bar & Club Events

The Chicago Reader (www.chicagoreader.com) has bar and club listings. The drinking age is 21 years. Take your driver’s license or passport out at night: you will be asked for ID.

Treasure Hunt

From the glossy department stores of the Magnificent Mile to the indie designers of Wicker Park, Chicago is a shopper’s destination. It has been that way from the get-go. After all, this is the city that birthed the department store and traditions such as the money-back guarantee, bridal registry and bargain basement.

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Specialties

Music is big. Independent record stores flood Chicago’s neighborhoods, supported by the thriving live-music scene in town. Vinyl geeks will find heaps of stacks to flip through. Vintage and thrift fashions are another claim to fame. Folks here don’t throw out their old bowling shirts, pillbox hats, faux-fur coats and costume jewelry. Instead, they deposit used duds at vintage or secondhand stores, of which there are heaps. Art- and architecture-related items are another Chicago specialty.

Locally Made Wares

Several stores proffer handbags, pendants, dresses and journals that city artisans have stitched, sewed and glue-gunned themselves. You’re pretty much guaranteed a one-of-a-kind item to take home.

Best Music

Reckless Records Great place to get the scoop on local indie rock bands.

Dave’s Records Rolling Stone magazine dubbed it one of the nation’s best stores.

Dusty Groove Killer stacks of vinyl hold rare soul and funk beats. (pictured)

Best Books

Quimby’s Ground zero for comics, zines and underground culture.

Pilsen Community Books Charming shop with floor-to-ceiling books.

Open Books Welcoming used bookstore with a whopping selection.

Best Souvenirs

Chicago Architecture Center Shop Pick up a mini Willis Tower model or skyline poster.

Transit Tees Creative Chicago logo designs found on anything you can imagine.

Art Institute of Chicago Posters and note cards of the collection’s masterpieces.

Best Fashion & Vintage

Una Mae’s Emerge looking all Jackie O in your new old