Chicago's Most Exciting Fall Openings

Summer is coming to an end, and while that means fewer beach days, at least our cute sweaters can come out of hibernation and we can spend Sundays yelling at the Bears instead of worrying about work. It also means some exciting new bars, bakeries, and restaurants in the coming months. We’re talking about the most promising-looking spots, like a cocktail bar from the team behind Virtue , a dessert-only tasting menu spot, or a Roman restaurant courtesy of a Top Chef winner. And keep an eye on our openings guide , updated weekly, for the latest news.

THE SPOTS

Del Sur Bakery

A popular pop-up operation is getting a permanent home in Lincoln Square . Del Sur Bakery will serve all sorts of pastries with Filipino -influenced flavors, like pandan and passionfruit maritozzi, turon danishes, longanisa croissants, and maple and candied spam donuts.

Cantina Rosa

With a focus on tequila, mezcal, and rum, this loosely Mexican cocktail bar is from the team behind Virtue (one of our favorite Hyde Park restaurants). Cantina Rosa is opening just a few doors down from Virtue, which means dinner and drinks basically plans itself.

Dicey's Pizza & Tavern

The family tree that includes Parson's Chicken & Fish , Lonesome Rose , and Milk Room is growing a new branch. Dicey’s, a tavern-style pizzeria from that group, has taken over the Ukrainian Village location of Parson’s. Expect plenty of natural wine and party-cut thin crust pies with toppings like sausage and giardiniera or vodka sauce, scamorza, and roasted red peppers.

Gavroche

Judging by the number of French restaurants that keep opening in this city, Chicagoans love pretending they’re in Paris. Soon, they’ll have a new place to wear berets and discuss Les Misérables en français thanks to Gavroche, opening in Old Town.

Il Carciofo

A new Italian spot in Fulton Market . Surely that must have been on your 2024 Chicago restaurant bingo card? Il Carciofo is from the Top Chef winner who brought us Rose Mary , a former Best New Restaurant worth the hype (and a place where reservations are still hard to get , three years after opening). This new venture is all about classic Roman food—think carbonaras, Roman-style pizzas, maritozzi, and of course, artichokes.

Haven

This one’s for all you dessert freaks. The pastry chef at Valhalla and S.K.Y. is opening Haven, a new dessert-only restaurant. This West Town spot will be a “curated pastry gallery” by day, chef’s counter dessert tasting menu by night. Looks like Chicago has a new contender for sit-down dessert dominance.