Best Restaurants with a Vibrant Bar Scene in Lakeview / East Lakeview

Gibsons is one of my favorite restaurants in the city! My recent visit was nothing short of exceptional. I started with an Old Fashioned, which was perfectly crafted. My wife and I shared a loaded wedge salad, a New York Strip, and a double baked potato – all of which were delicious and cooked to perfection. For dessert, we indulged in a cookie with ice cream, paired with a glass of 20-year Tawny. The evening was made even more special by the fantastic piano player, who added a wonderful ambiance to our dining experience. Highly recommend!

Great food and wonderful service! Will definitely be coming back here again

It’s crazy to think there are only three of these restaurants left in the world. We used to go to the Oak Brook location but now we finally got to visit the one in Chicago. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that this was the original one. It’s a classic French bistro fare with amazing servers and food. I highly recommend the steak and frites!  make sure to get your reservation early because we had to dine at 4:45 PM due to later dinner times not being available

Mia Francesca’s was my spot for a few years, back in the mid 90’s when I lived in Wrigleyville until life took me to Colorado. Came in from Denver, CO & normally just stay with family in the south suburbs. This year we decided to stay a night in Chicago so I wanted my wife, son & daughter to experience & taste the BEST ITALIAN food in Chicago for their 1st time. Italian food in Colorado as well as pizza is well below mediocre. Our pasta dishes were amazing. Served hot. Had calamari for an app with 2 salads. Salad portions were perfect to share. Bread/oil was fresh and a perfect size. Pasta dishes were plentiful & if we hadn’t not eaten all day, we probably would have needed to-go boxes but we finished every last bite and then some. SHOUT OUT TO CHARLOTTE, although a packers fan (haha) for the exceptional service and going above and beyond making our experience UN-FORGETTABLE. Super attentive, personable, professional, sweet, fun & friendly. THANK YOU!!! My family couldn’t stop talking about how great the food, staff & restaurant was.

This place is definitely worth the hype. Went on a Saturday night, and at first I was worried because of how crowded it was and how loud it was. My worries were unfounded - the service was speedy and accurate, the entrees had a very reasonable portion size, and all the food was delicious. While it was a little difficult to hear conversation at my immediate table, the high energy and kindness of the wait staff was enough to make this a very pleasurable dining experience.