Best Fine Dining Seafood Restaurants in Chicago
10 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Mako
A chef-driven omakase with a serious cooked-course bench.
Essential Picks
#1
Mako
9.1
A 22-seat, reservation-driven omakase built around pristine fish, tightly paced courses, and cooked interludes that keep the meal from becoming a pure nigiri parade. This is destination sushi for when you want chef-led progression, quiet focus, and a night that feels deliberately composed from first bite to dessert.
Must-Try Dishes:
Omakase tasting, Chawanmushi (seasonal savory custard), Braised abalone (cooked course)
What Makes it Special: A chef-driven omakase with a serious cooked-course bench.
#2
RPM Seafood
9.1
RPM Seafood is a riverfront showpiece from Lettuce Entertain You, built around seafood towers, charcoal-grilled whole fish, and polished service overlooking the Chicago River. It runs like a special-occasion machine, with a lively, dressed-up crowd, sharp wine program, and one of River North’s most dramatic patios.
Must-Try Dishes:
Grand Seafood Tower, Charcoal-grilled black bass, Wild Alaska halibut with brown butter
What Makes it Special: Multi-level riverfront seafood house where towers, whole fish, and skyline views all land at once.
Notable Picks
Vibes:
Luxury Dining Elite
Business Lunch Power Players
Group Dining Gatherings
Birthday & Celebration Central
Joe's brings the Miami-born stone crab legacy to River North, pairing a deep seafood program with a serious lineup of prime steaks. Diners mix bone-in filets and ribeyes with chilled shellfish towers in a clubby, white-tablecloth room that runs packed with business diners, special-occasion groups, and out-of-towners chasing a classic Chicago meal.
Must-Try Dishes:
16 oz bone-in filet mignon, Florida stone crab claws, Hash brown potatoes
What Makes it Special: A stone-crab-focused steakhouse where shellfish towers rival the prime beef.
Penumbra is a Latin-influenced steak and seafood restaurant engineered almost entirely around romance, with curtain-draped booths, low lighting, and surf-and-turf plates built for celebrations. Steaks, jalapeño shrimp, and a deep wine list keep it in steady rotation for anniversaries and milestone dates in Logan Square.
Must-Try Dishes:
Flat Iron Steak & Lobster combo, Shadow Shrimp, Penumbra Ice Cream
What Makes it Special: A Latin-influenced steakhouse designed specifically for romantic, curtain-draped dinners.
8.7
Gibsons Italia is a riverfront Italian steakhouse pairing gold-extruded pastas, Prime beef and seafood with skyline views from multi-level dining rooms. Downtown diners use it for client dinners, occasion meals and polished date nights where service and execution are tightly controlled.
Must-Try Dishes:
Spicy Rigatoni, Cacio e Pepe, Roasted Mediterranean Branzino
What Makes it Special: Italian steakhouse where serious pastas meet river and skyline views.
#6
Omakase Yume
8.7
An intimate omakase counter that leans into precision, calm pacing, and thoughtful cooked accents alongside dressed nigiri. Best approached as a full chef-led progression—arrive hungry, stay present, and let the sequence build rather than trying to “optimize” with add-ons.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chef’s omakase, Dressed nigiri progression (seasonal), Miso-marinated black cod (cooked course)
What Makes it Special: A small, reservation-first omakase built for focused, chef-led dining.
8.7
A Ravenswood omakase-minded room where the focus is clean cuts, careful seasoning, and a tasting-menu flow that’s designed to feel indulgent without being stiff. It shines when you commit—go omakase, add one premium nigiri upgrade if offered, and let the pacing do its job.
Must-Try Dishes:
Omakase tasting menu, Otoro (fatty tuna) nigiri, Uni (sea urchin) nigiri
What Makes it Special: Omakase-led sushi with premium fish and a polished, modern room.
#8
Ocean Prime
8.6
A high-volume, reservation-driven surf-and-turf room where the steakhouse side is most reliable when you keep the order classic: broiled steaks, one rich side, and a clean starter. It reads more modern-lounge than old-school clubby, making it a strong downtown choice for polished nights out and client dinners.
Must-Try Dishes:
Filet mignon, Chilean sea bass, Black truffle mac & cheese
What Makes it Special: Modern surf-and-turf polish with a consistent steakhouse backbone.
#9
Lure Fishbar
8.5
The Chicago outpost of New York’s Lure Fishbar brings a yacht-inspired dining room, serious raw bar, and a full sushi program to Rush Street. Beyond its seafood towers and lobster rolls, the menu’s crispy rice tuna and signature sushi rolls make it one of the neighborhood’s more polished options for sushi-centric nights out.
Must-Try Dishes:
Tuna on Crispy Rice, Lobster Tempura Signature Roll, Classic Lobster Roll
What Makes it Special: Seafood-focused restaurant with a nationally recognized sushi and raw bar program in a glamorous hotel-adjacent space.
8.3
Vibes:
Luxury Dining Elite
Birthday & Celebration Central
Business Lunch Power Players
Group Dining Gatherings
A classic steakhouse format inside the Swissotel with a menu built around prime-aged beef, big seafood swings, and steady, occasion-friendly service. It’s strongest when you order like a traditional steakhouse—one prime cut per person, a shared side strategy, and a familiar starter—rather than over-stacking categories.
Must-Try Dishes:
Gigi Salad, Prime rib, Lobster bisque
What Makes it Special: Old-school steakhouse reliability with Swissotel riverfront setting.