Sub-area
Randolph Restaurant Row, West Loop.
Randolph Restaurant Row runs along West Randolph Street from roughly Halsted to Ogden through the West Loop. The corridor is anchored by Michelin-starred kitchens, James Beard finalists, and walk-in favorites that have been on this stretch for a decade or more.
Quick facts
- Span
- W Randolph Street from Halsted Street to Ogden Avenue
- Also known as
- Restaurant Row · West Randolph
- Part of
- West Loop, Chicago
History
West Randolph Street's transformation into a restaurant corridor started in the late 1990s and accelerated in the 2000s. Avec opened in 2003 next to its older sibling Blackbird, and the strip filled out over the following two decades with Girl & The Goat (2010), Au Cheval (2012), Sepia (2007, just north on Jefferson), and dozens of others. The block sits on what was historically a produce-market and warehousing area; the post-industrial bones of the buildings now house some of the country's most-named restaurants. The Fulton-Randolph Market Historic District designation in 2015 covered much of the Fulton Market end of the corridor, formalizing the area's adaptive reuse identity.
Today
Today the corridor mixes special-occasion tasting menus (Smyth & The Loyalist on a side street off Randolph), marquee New American (Avec, Sepia, Au Cheval), Italian-American (Bar Tutto, Alla Vita), and tourist-magnet walk-ins (Bonci, Small Cheval). Most marquee restaurants take reservations weeks out; Au Cheval is famously walk-ins only, with multi-hour waits common.
Tasting-menu and Michelin
The special-occasion end of Randolph.
- Smyth the Loyalist Michelin-recognized tasting menu (Smyth) over a casual gastropub (The Loyalist), on North Ada just off Randolph.177 N Ada St 1st 101, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Sepia Long-running Michelin-starred American restaurant just north on Jefferson, in a restored 1890s print shop.135 N Jefferson St, Chicago, IL, 60661
Marquee Randolph
The Randolph anchors.
- Au Cheval Diner-format bar and restaurant — the cheeseburger and egg-focused menu. Walk-ins only.800 W Randolph St 1, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Girl & the Goat Stephanie Izard's longtime Randolph anchor — shared plates, wood-fired cooking.809-813 W Randolph St 1st and Basement, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Avec Mediterranean small-plates restaurant from One Off Hospitality, open since 2003.615 W Randolph St Ll-3rd FL, Chicago, IL, 60661
- El Che Steakhouse & Bar Argentinian-style live-fire steakhouse one block south on Washington.845 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Bar Tutto Italian wine bar and trattoria.1110 W Carroll Ave, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Alla Vita DineAmic Group Italian — handmade pastas, wood-fired pizzas.564 W Randolph St 1, Chicago, IL, 60661
Pizza and casual
Walk-up and bar-format options.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Randolph Restaurant Row?
- Randolph Restaurant Row is the West Loop dining corridor along West Randolph Street from roughly Halsted to Ogden. It is one of the densest concentrations of acclaimed restaurants in the United States, with Michelin-starred kitchens, James Beard finalists, and walk-in favorites.
- How long is Randolph Restaurant Row?
- The corridor runs about a mile from Halsted Street west to Ogden Avenue, with restaurants spilling onto cross streets — Green, Peoria, Morgan, May, Ada, Loomis. Most restaurants sit within walking distance of the CTA Morgan or Clinton stations.
- When did Randolph Restaurant Row start?
- The transformation began in the late 1990s, with the opening of Blackbird (1997) and the rapid filling-out of the block in the 2000s. Avec opened in 2003, Sepia in 2007, Girl & The Goat in 2010, Au Cheval in 2012 — each adding to the corridor's national reputation.
- Do I need a reservation for Randolph Restaurant Row?
- For most marquee restaurants, yes — book two to four weeks ahead for prime weekend times. Au Cheval is walk-ins only, with multi-hour waits common. Bar seating at restaurants like Avec, Bar Tutto, and Alla Vita can sometimes accommodate walk-ins on slower nights.
- How do I get to Randolph Restaurant Row by transit?
- The CTA Green and Pink Lines both stop at Morgan (the closest L station to the heart of the row) and Clinton (just east). Metra commuters arrive at Union Station or Ogilvie and walk west about 10 minutes.
- Is Randolph Restaurant Row in Fulton Market?
- They overlap. Fulton Market is the parallel street one block north, and the Fulton Market District is a city-designated landmark area that includes the western end of Randolph. The two are often spoken of together as a single dining destination.