I've tried over 100 restaurants in Chicago, from dives to Michelin-starred spots. Here are 11 that are worth visiting.

A few years ago, I spent an epic summer island-hopping and eating my way through the beautiful Greek Islands. Since then, I've searched far and wide for anything comparable to the fresh meals of the Cyclades.

That is until Andros Taverna opened in Logan Square in 2021.

The restaurant pays homage to chef Doug Psaltis' linage with traditional Greek fare. His wife, acclaimed pastry chef Hsing Chen, masters the desserts on the menu (don't sleep on the baklava frozen yogurt).

Everything on the menu tastes fresh and transports diners straight to the Mediterranean.

When I first walked into Esmé in Lincoln Park, I immediately felt like I was in an art gallery. The space is home to pieces and sculptures by rotating artists.

The whole place has character, and every dish is a true piece of art. The food's immaculate plating is also typically done in collaboration with the featured artists.

The experience begins with small bites at a standing table before moving to a spot in the dining room for a 16-course tasting. When I visited, one course gracefully descended from a moving fixture on the ceiling, and I painted a colorful placemat in between courses.

Esmé is certainly worthy of its Michelin star.

I'm picky about Indian cuisine because it's my favorite. Although I was skeptical about a fine-dining Indian restaurant with a tasting menu, I was completely blown away by Indienne's flavors.

The menu at the Michelin-starred establishment in River North has a French flair — and don't even get me started about the beautiful presentation of dishes.

Although there's an à la carte menu, the six-course tasting menu is a steal compared to others in the city at $125 a person.

Duck Sel is by far one of the most unique dining experiences I've ever had. After making a reservation, I was sent a code and an address because the dinner was hosted by Michelin-starred chef Donald Young at an undisclosed location in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood.

I wasn't sure what to expect. I entered a spacious apartment where a team was hard at work in an open kitchen. Rubber ducky memorabilia adorned the rooms, and I'll never forget the life-size inflatable inside the shower.

We dined at a communal table, and the entire experience was casual, fun, and whimsical. There were even games that were meant to serve as icebreakers for guests.

Duck Sel's incredible 15-course tasting menu was full of memorable, immersive experiences.

Sushi by Scratch was another "underground" and unique experience, but this one is also available in several other US cities.

Before my reservation time, I was emailed a location and a code.

I showed up at The Drop In bar and followed the directions of walking a few steps then turning to the right. But I totally passed the door and ended up thinking I needed to climb a ladder.

I backtracked and found the secret door, punched in the code, and walked down a set of steps before I was greeted and escorted to a super intimate room for a predinner cocktail.

After sipping on the libation, the group of 10 (there are only 10 diners per seating) was whisked even further down the stairs to a sushi counter where we began our 17-course omakase tasting.

Three sushi chefs were working in the space to calculatedly serve the incredibly fresh fish.

I crave Café Tola's empanadas at all times of the day, and I don't care if I just had them the day before — they're that good.

The casual chain has a few locations around Chicago and even recently expanded to New York City.

It serves a variety of fresh empanadas, from chicken tinga to chorizo with egg. Some of my favorites include spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella for lunch and guava and cheese for dessert.

The empanadas are absolutely stuffed with ingredients, always warm, and come with drool-worthy sauces.

Divan is a really cool supper club with nightly live jazz. The brick-wall interior and huge skylight make the place feel so lively.

The restaurant, located near the Mag Mile shopping area, even offers several special experiences from sommelier-led wine tastings in the cellar to Champagne service in the lounge. But all that is just supplementary to the incredible dishes in the main dining room.

Although the place is known for its chops, I can't help but be obsessed with its pasta, seafood, and veggie dishes. It's nothing like the heavily buttered steak houses we've all been to, the dishes here are refreshing and not uncomfortably heavy.

Divan will also serve caviar on literally anything, so that's a win in my book.

Chicago has a lot of Mexican restaurants to choose from, but Tacombi hits the spot every single time. It serves some of the best tacos, quesadillas, esquites, guacamole, and margaritas in the city.

Even though the spot isn't native to the city, it's absolutely worth including on the list.

The chain started serving food out of a "combi" bus (VW van) in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in the 1960s, which is where it gets its name (taco plus combi equals Tacombi).

It later expanded to food trucks and brick-and-mortar establishments in cities across the US. I'm a fan of the location in Chicago's West Loop, which is housed in a garage and has a colorful painting of the menu on the wall.

Terra e Mare translates to land and sea in Italian, and the restaurant showcases just that on its menu.

The modern Italian restaurant located in The Loop is casual with a simple interior, but the food is memorable. The pasta is always perfectly al dente, and there are unique combos I've never seen anywhere else.

One dish I still dream about to this day is a burnt-flour pasta with oyster mushrooms, egg-yolk jam, and frisée.

The sourdough pizzas are also made from scratch — even the mozzarella is pulled and made in-house. I personally like the restaurant's thin-crust pies more than the classic Chicago deep dish.

Mogadishu on the Near North Side offers Chicagoans a taste of Somalian food.

The restaurant is small and casual, but you can expect to eat off colorful plates and be provided with unlimited sauces.

Whether dining in or ordering for delivery, the portions are incredibly generous. I recommend the spaghetti with veggies, grilled salmon with Somali rice, and chapati flatbread.

It's not every day that I come across a Croatian restaurant, and Rose Mary is not one to overlook.

Some may recognize Rose Mary's chef and owner, Joe Flamm, from season 15 of "Top Chef." He took home the win, and it shows in his food.

The Croatian, Italian, and Midwestern fusion restaurant in the West Loop is an homage to Flamm's heritage, and the name pays tribute to Flamm's two grandmothers, Mary and Mary Rose.

The menu ranges from pasta and risotto to meats, fish, and fresh veggies. The CRIN risotto — a blend of squid ink, lobster brodo, confit squid, and tarragon — is a staple dish.

This story was originally published on May 20, 2024, and most recently updated on July 2, 2024.