Best Girls Night Out Restaurants in Wicker Park
12 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Bloom Plant Based Kitchen
100% vegan, gluten-free tasting plates with chef-driven Latin flavors.
Notable Picks
8.8
Bloom Plant Based Kitchen is a 100% vegan, gluten-free restaurant in Wicker Park where chef Rodolfo Cuadros riffs on Latin and global flavors with composed small plates and seasonal tasting menus. Locals use it as a go-to for date nights and special-occasion plant-based dining, with dishes like Turnip Causa, Crispy Oysters, and Yuca Gnocchi drawing consistent praise from both vegans and omnivores.
Must-Try Dishes:
Turnip Causa, Crispy Oysters, Yuca Gnocchi
What Makes it Special: 100% vegan, gluten-free tasting plates with chef-driven Latin flavors.
#2
Amaru
8.7
Amaru is Chef Rodolfo Cuadros’s candlelit Pan-Latin spot where shareable plates, grills, and cocktails draw date-night crowds to North Avenue. The room leans warm and stylish rather than formal, with a soundtrack and pace that make it easy to linger over multiple rounds and split plates.
Must-Try Dishes:
Piononos (bacon-wrapped plantains with chorizo stuffing), Grilled octopus with poblano-style heat, Yuca frita with mojo verde
What Makes it Special: Pan-Latin share plates and cocktails in a cozy, low-lit room.
#3
Valhalla
8.6
Valhalla runs a modern American tasting menu with a strong chef’s counter feel, turning seasonal Midwestern ingredients into playful, technique-driven plates. The experience leans more energetic than hushed, with a progression that might move from seafood to rich meat courses and polished desserts. It’s a natural pick for diners who like ambitious food without stiff formality.
Must-Try Dishes:
Crab arroz caldo–inspired course, Scotch egg–inspired lamb dish, Seasonal composed dessert from the tasting progression
What Makes it Special: High-energy chef-driven tasting menu with creative, globally influenced plates.
8.5
Vibes:
Date Night Magic
Birthday & Celebration Central
Girls Night Out Approved
Trendy Table Hotspots
Dēliz Italian Steakhouse is a two-level Bucktown newcomer that builds its menu around live-fire Midwestern beef, Australian wagyu, and theatrical seafood towers. The room leans intimate and romantic downstairs and more high-energy upstairs, so it flexes from anniversaries to late-night steak-and-cocktail runs.
Must-Try Dishes:
40oz Tomahawk Steak with Garlic & Herb Butter, Wood-Fired Shellfish Elevation Seafood Tower, Pistachio Basque Cheesecake
What Makes it Special: Two-story Italian steakhouse centered on live-fire beef, wagyu, and showy seafood.
8.4
Barbaro Taqueria y Cantina brings an agave-forward bar program and polished dining room to a menu of pancita tacos, signature Taco Bárbaro, and modern Mexican snacks. It functions as a neighborhood cantina where cocktails and plated tacos share equal billing, especially for date nights and small-group dinners.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pancita taco, Taco Bárbaro, Queso fundido
What Makes it Special: Modern cantina marrying serious agave cocktails with creative pancita and carne tacos.
#6
Chop Shop
8.3
Vibes:
Group Dining Gatherings
Birthday & Celebration Central
Trendy Table Hotspots
Girls Night Out Approved
Chop Shop combines a butcher shop, restaurant, and sizable event hall right on the edge of Wicker Park and Bucktown. From casual dinners to full-blown receptions, its flexible private spaces make it a workhorse choice for meat-forward parties in 60647.
Must-Try Dishes:
House Charcuterie Board, Chop Shop Sandwich, Butcher’s Cut Steak
What Makes it Special: Butcher-backed restaurant with a built-in venue for sizeable private events.
8.3
Iron Age Korean Steakhouse is an all-you-can-eat KBBQ spot in Wicker Park where tabletop grills stay packed with marinated meats under clubby lighting and K-pop videos until midnight. It’s less about white-tablecloth formality and more about interactive, high-energy dinners that balance volume, value, and fun.
Must-Try Dishes:
Marinated Ribeye for Grill, Spicy Pork Belly, Garlic Soy Beef with Banchan
What Makes it Special: High-energy AYCE Korean steakhouse where grills, K-pop, and meat-heavy spreads run late.
#8
Elia
8.2
Vibes:
Birthday & Celebration Central
Date Night Magic
Girls Night Out Approved
Group Dining Gatherings
Elia is a modern Mediterranean restaurant on Division where mezze, mixed grills, and seafood arrive in a candlelit room accented with deep reds and live-fire aromas. It’s used for birthday dinners and date nights when diners want an all-evening experience built around shared plates and a broader wine list.
Must-Try Dishes:
All-you-can-eat mezze and grill spread, Lamb chops, Baklava dessert
What Makes it Special: Modern, music-forward Mediterranean room built for lingering celebrations.
8.1
This cozy Roman wine bar has served authentic cuisine from the Eternal City since 2004, with an extensive bruschetta selection and tableside polenta that creates dinner theater. The hidden tree-lined back patio transforms into one of Wicker Park's best warm-weather destinations.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bruschetta Flight, Spaghetti Nonna Giovanna, Tableside Polenta
What Makes it Special: Authentic Roman cuisine with a magical hidden back patio and connected bakery
Kanela Breakfast Club’s Wicker Park location brings a Greek-accented brunch menu of scrambles, benedicts, and sweet plates to a polished, buzzy room. It’s a reliable choice when you want a slightly upscale sit-down brunch with cocktails and a broad menu.
Must-Try Dishes:
Goat Cheese Omelette, California Benedict, Fried Chicken & Waffles
What Makes it Special: Greek-leaning brunch classics and big sweet plates in a polished neighborhood room.
#11
Uni Sushi
8
Uni Sushi blends Japanese sushi with a few pan-Asian influences in a cozy room that feels relaxed yet date-night ready, especially later in the evening. Long hours and a broad menu make it a flexible choice for last-minute plans or late dinners after shows.
Must-Try Dishes:
Hamachi Jalapeno, Salmon Ceviche, Chicago-v Maki
What Makes it Special: Late-hours sushi spot with playful Chicago-named rolls and a relaxed, dimly lit room.
Worthy Picks
7.6
Little Wok Wicker Park is a neighborhood pan-Asian spot whose Chinese side of the menu leans on familiar comforts like orange chicken, sesame chicken, and fried rice alongside sushi and noodle options. It works best when you need a sit-down option for mixed groups that want Chinese-American standards, maki rolls, and cocktails in one place.
Must-Try Dishes:
Orange Chicken Platter, Crab Rangoon, Walnut Shrimp
What Makes it Special: A broad Chinese-plus-sushi menu in a lively bar-friendly setting on Division.