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The Lakefront Restaurant, Chicago, IL

The Lakefront Restaurant

4.7
4.7
1055 Reviews
$30 and under
American

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 11 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Great for scenic views
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Good for special occasions
The Lakefront Restaurant is an upscale tavern located on the shores of Lake Michigan in the historic Theater on the Lake building. We offer seasonal Midwestern fare featuring the freshest choice ingredients and a beverage program highlighting craft beers, spirits, and a diverse wine list.

We are open year-round, and invite you to enjoy the casual elegance of our intimate tables, communal seating, lounge area, and our warm-weather Skyline Patio -- all while taking in the stunning views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. Visit us during the fall and winter months for happy hour and other day daily specials.
Private dining

Private dining

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Contemporary American
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00–15:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00–16:00 Dinner Daily 16:00–21:00
  • Phone number
    (312) 414-1313 ext. 2
  • Website
    https://theateronthelake.com/restaurant/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    The Lakefront Restaurant is located in the historical prairie-style building, Theater On The Lake. The building has flexible room options for any event, including full buyouts of the building, private rooms, and simi private area within The Lakefront Restaurant.
  • Private party contact
    Margaret Amerpohl: (312) 414-1313
  • Location
    2401 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60614
  • Area
    Lincoln Park
  • Cross Street
    Fullerton & Lake Shore Drive, East of Lake Shore Drive on the Lakefront
  • Parking details
    Self-Parking Monday - Friday until 4pm, $15 valet parking (cash only) is available in the front circle drive. Pricing for events may vary. Easy Uber/Lyft/taxi drop-off. Paid parking is available at Lincoln Park Zoo and Diversey Harbor parking lot located on the northeast corner of Cannon and Fullerton. Free street parking is also available along Cannon Drive.
  • Public transit
    CTA bus routes #76, #151, and #156
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining

Experiences

  • Pour Your Own Bottomless Mimosas with Bubbles!

    Multiple dates available
    Come meet Bubbles and pour your own Bottomless Mimosas! Bubbles is a refurbished Piaggio Ape, pronounced “Ah-Peh” (Italian for “bee”) now serving prosecco! Bottomless Mimosas are available Saturdays and Sundays from 10am - 3pm for only $20! Enjoy your prosecco with either orange juice, grapefruit juice, pineapple and peach! Make your reservation today or reach out to Maggie at maggie@theateronthelake.com for groups over 12 people.
    Pour Your Own Bottomless Mimosas with Bubbles! photo

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 1,055 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Lakefront Restaurant offers stunning views of Lake Michigan and Chicago's skyline, creating an ideal backdrop for any meal. Guests rave about the "excellent food and service," especially during happy hour with discounted cocktails and appetizers. While the menu could benefit from more variety, the ambiance and attentive staff make it a "wonderful" dining experience. Enjoy outdoor seating with lake views, making it perfect for both relaxing and celebratory occasions.

1,055 Reviews

  1. Barbara

    VIP

    Chicago

    34 reviews

    5.0

    34 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service and nice lake front atmosphere! Lots of food and good!

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  2. Gautam

    VIP

    Miami

    17 reviews

    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and drinks in a lovely location with a beautiful view. The service is also good.

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  3. Jeremiah

    Mobile

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great atmosphere! The service was so good. Perfect brunch spot

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  4. Edward

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 1 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Attentive service, stylish setting. Food is good, though the menu options aren’t deep. The specials featured halibut and sirloin which our party ordered and enjoyed. Views of the city are unique and beautiful, as it’s rare to be on the east side of LSD for dining. We enjoyed the Lincoln Park Zoo Lights then had a 13 minute walk to the restaraunt. Enjoyable meal.

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  5. Nancy

    Chicago

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 1 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great upscale casual restaurant on the beach. Service was perfect.. attentive but not intrusive. We brought our own wine and the corkage fee was $25. French onion soup was tasty but the bread overpowered the cheese. Loved the buffalo wings.. small and crispy, not gooey and lots of them. Great share plate. Deviled eggs were a treat and the shrimp ceviche was exceptional. Fellow diners had cheeseburger and specials.. steak and halibut. All were beautifully presented and enjoyed, although my husband would have liked his steak to be hotter when served. We will definitely go back.

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  6. Mark

    VIP

    Chicago

    13 reviews

    4.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on 24 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The Lakefront Restaurant is a spacious, high-ceilinged restaurant with an excellent view of...the lake and lakefront. We enjoyed our brunch, with tasty egg and French toast dishes, and attentive service. We would recommend this restaurant and look forward to returning.

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  7. Charles

    VIP

    Chicago

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 24 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Awesome location at the lakefront and great food. Our group got a dinner salad, burger, fish and chips and chicken sandwich. Everything was excellent. Great service - and super easy $15 valet right off Lake Shore. Highly recommended.

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  8. Jessica

    Chicago

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 24 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 1
    My steak was cold, but The manager Jason was extremely accommodating and flexible - Even gave us a 15% for the inconvenience. Chicken fried stake was excellent. Would go back in the summer for drinks on the patio.

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  9. Joseph

    Chicago

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 21 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    It was a really nice experience with great food. The views are beautiful and the service was nice.

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  10. Gerard

    Chicago

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Unfortunately, we had a terrible experience yesterday. We arrived at 3 in the afternoon and a restaurant at that time only serves breakfast when normally breakfast is until 11 in the morning. 11:30 is impossible and unpleasant to arrive at a restaurant at 3 in the afternoon and be told that there is only omelette for lunch. Unfortunately, we had to leave. That restaurant was disappointing yesterday.

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FAQs

The Lakefront Restaurant is rated 4.7 stars by 1055 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 11 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for The Lakefront Restaurant

2401 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60614

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Fullerton & Lake Shore Drive, East of Lake Shore Drive on the Lakefront
  • Area
    Lincoln Park
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00–15:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00–16:00 Dinner Daily 16:00–21:00
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Self-Parking Monday - Friday until 4pm, $15 valet parking (cash only) is available in the front circle drive. Pricing for events may vary. Easy Uber/Lyft/taxi drop-off. Paid parking is available at Lincoln Park Zoo and Diversey Harbor parking lot located on the northeast corner of Cannon and Fullerton. Free street parking is also available along Cannon Drive.
  • Public transit
    CTA bus routes #76, #151, and #156
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining
  • Website
    https://theateronthelake.com/restaurant/
  • Phone number
    (312) 414-1313 ext. 2
  • Private party facilities
    The Lakefront Restaurant is located in the historical prairie-style building, Theater On The Lake. The building has flexible room options for any event, including full buyouts of the building, private rooms, and simi private area within The Lakefront Restaurant.
  • Private party contact
    Margaret Amerpohl: (312) 414-1313
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