Best Instagram Worthy Restaurants in Near North Side
11 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Beatrix - Streeterville
An all-day cafe fusing comfort food, lighter plates, and serious coffee.
Notable Picks
8.6
Vibes:
Brunch Bliss Spots
Quick Bites Champions
Business Lunch Power Players
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Beatrix - Streeterville is an all-day neighborhood restaurant and coffeehouse where bakery cases, vegetable-leaning plates, and comfort classics draw hospital staff, hotel guests, and locals from early breakfast through late dinner. The menu leans on recognizable American dishes with health-conscious twists, plus standout desserts and a serious coffee program. It has become a default choice in Streeterville for reliable, slightly polished everyday dining.
Must-Try Dishes:
Hot Honey Fried Chicken Sandwich, Prime Cheeseburger, Mushroom & Quinoa Burger
What Makes it Special: An all-day cafe fusing comfort food, lighter plates, and serious coffee.
Vibes:
Family Friendly Favorites
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Hidden Gems Heaven
Birthday & Celebration Central
The flagship location where two taxi drivers launched Chicago deep dish history in 1966, featuring legendary graffiti-covered walls and cast-iron pans seasoned for nearly six decades. Three floors of dining with a comedy club upstairs and rooftop terrace.
Must-Try Dishes:
Sausage Patty Deep Dish, Spinach & Cheese Deep Dish, Meaty Legend
What Makes it Special: Original 1966 location with iconic graffiti walls and Alice Mae's historic recipe
#3
Marisol
8.5
Marisol, set inside the Museum of Contemporary Art, serves vegetable-forward New American plates, a standout burger, and seasonal proteins in a dining room that mirrors the museum’s clean, contemporary aesthetic. It pulls a mix of museum-goers and neighborhood regulars who treat it as a calm, design-minded alternative to louder Streeterville spots. The cooking is more careful and market-driven than the casual setting might suggest.
Must-Try Dishes:
House Smashburger, Seasonal Roasted Chicken, Farmers’ Market Vegetable Plates
What Makes it Special: Museum-adjacent, market-driven cooking in a calm, contemporary dining room.
The Streeterville outpost of Molly’s brings the brand’s stuffed center cupcakes, swings, and schoolhouse-inspired room to the Illinois and McClurg corner. It functions as a dessert stop and casual hangout, with a long list of signature flavors and build-your-own options for people heading to or from Navy Pier.
Must-Try Dishes:
Crème Brûlée cupcake, Award-winning red velvet cupcake, Tres leches cupcake
What Makes it Special: Stuffed cupcakes in playful flavors served in a whimsical, swing-lined Streeterville space.
#5
NoMI
8.4
On the seventh floor of the Park Hyatt overlooking Water Tower and the Mag Mile, NoMI serves French-influenced modern American plates, sushi, and seasonal tasting-style menus. A former Michelin-starred dining room with broad review volume, it’s a go-to for polished hotel dining with serious views.
Must-Try Dishes:
Skuna Bay salmon with seasonal vegetables, French onion soup with gruyère, Crunchy spicy tuna maki
What Makes it Special: Elevated hotel dining where French-rooted plates share the room with sushi and skyline views.
8.4
Vibes:
Sweet Treats Escapes
Quick Bites Champions
Family Friendly Favorites
Instagram Worthy Wonders
On the Magnificent Mile, this Stan’s location functions as a high-traffic donut cafe for tourists and office workers, with a deep lineup of cake, yeast, and pocket-style donuts plus coffee drinks. Strong multi-platform ratings and steady foot traffic make it the most reliable sit-and-stay donut cafe in 60611.
Must-Try Dishes:
Lemon Pistachio Donut, Apple Fritter, Nutella Banana Pocket
What Makes it Special: A central Mag Mile cafe pouring coffee alongside a wide, consistently executed donut lineup.
8.4
A Gold Coast standby for Southern-leaning American comfort in a warm, garden-y room that works for brunch or an easy dinner. The kitchen’s sweet spot is classic comfort done with restraint—crispy chicken, rich sides, and desserts that feel built for lingering.
Must-Try Dishes:
Buttermilk fried chicken, Shrimp and grits, Beignets
What Makes it Special: Southern comfort cooking in a charming, garden-accented setting.
This small kiosk inside Gino’s East brings the century-old South Side Rainbow Cone brand to 60611, serving stacked multi-flavor cones, cups, and sundaes. While it’s ice cream first, the shop is tagged for donuts and functions as a nostalgic, color-forward sweet stop a block off Michigan Avenue.
Must-Try Dishes:
Original Rainbow Cone, Mini Rainbow Cone, Rainbow Cone Sundae
What Makes it Special: A downtown outpost of a classic Chicago dessert brand known for its five-layer Rainbow Cone.
Worthy Picks
7.8
Inside The Shops at North Bridge, Te’amo is a polished bubble-tea counter that also fries mochi donuts in rotating flavors. It’s less a traditional donut shop and more a modern dessert bar, but the combination of chewy mochi rings and customizable tea drinks gives 60611 a distinct, Asian-influenced donut option.
Must-Try Dishes:
Ube Mochi Donut, Brulee Organic Matcha Latte, Volcano Milk Tea
What Makes it Special: A mall-based dessert bar where mochi donuts share equal billing with intricate milk teas.
7.8
Vibes:
Birthday & Celebration Central
Girls Night Out Approved
Date Night Magic
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Chicago Winery’s Tasting Room pairs on-site–made wines with chef-led small plates in a sleek, event-first space. Its built-in private rooms and full buyout options make it ideal for receptions, rehearsal dinners, and wine-driven corporate events rather than traditional coursed restaurant meals.
Must-Try Dishes:
Grilled Cauliflower with Labneh and Dukkah, Stuffed Dates with Bacon and Walnut Cream, Smoked Fish Dip with Pretzel Rolls
What Makes it Special: Urban winery with integrated private event spaces and wine-focused menus.
7.5
Opened in 2021 inside the Sable at Navy Pier, Lírica serves Spanish- and Latin-inspired plates with a long cocktail list and a large patio looking back at the skyline. It functions as a flexible all-day option for hotel guests and Navy Pier visitors more interested in waterfront views and cocktails than destination-level cooking.
Must-Try Dishes:
Spicy Rigatoni, Papas Bravas, Spanish Omelette
What Makes it Special: Waterfront Spanish-inspired plates with big patio views over Lake Michigan.