Chicago · Difficulty
Hardest restaurant reservations in Chicago
The top 25 of 113 open restaurants in this directory, ranked by Midnight Table's own 1–5 difficulty estimate. Ties break by Midnight Table's city list order, then by name.
Difficulty is Midnight Table's own estimate, not official Resy or OpenTable data. It is not a feed from either platform, and it is not a guarantee.
Near impossible Very tough Tough Plan ahead Walk-in friendly
| # | Restaurant | Difficulty | Neighborhood | Cuisine | Release window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alinea | Near impossible 5/5 | Lincoln Park | Modernist tasting menu | 15th of each month at 11:00 AM CT for month after next (e.g., Jan 15 -> March) |
| 2 | Kasama | Near impossible 5/5 | Ukrainian Village / West Town | Filipino tasting menu | Rolling 6 weeks (42 days) at 12:00 PM CT, parties up to 6 |
| 3 | Smyth | Near impossible 5/5 | West Loop | New American tasting menu (3 Michelin stars) | 90 days ahead at 12:00 PM CT |
| 4 | Ever | Very tough 4/5 | Fulton Market | Contemporary tasting menu (2 Michelin stars) | First Tuesday of each month at 9:00 AM CT for month after next ('typically') |
| 5 | Oriole | Very tough 4/5 | Fulton Market | New American tasting menu | Rolling 90 days out on Tock; hour not published |
| 6 | Ciccio Mio | Very tough 4/5 | River North | Italian | 21 days out at 9:00 AM CT |
| 7 | Monteverde | Very tough 4/5 | West Loop | Italian / pasta | Not published |
| 8 | Kyoten Next Door | Tough 3/5 | Logan Square | Omakase sushi | 20 days out; hour not published |
| 9 | Armitage Alehouse | Tough 3/5 | Lincoln Park | American tavern | 21 days out at 9:00 AM CT |
| 10 | Cariño | Tough 3/5 | Uptown | Mexican tasting menu | Not published |
| 11 | Au Cheval | Tough 3/5 | West Loop | Diner / burgers | 14 days out at 9:00 AM CT |
| 12 | Alla Vita | Tough 3/5 | West Loop | Italian | 60 days out at 12:01 AM CT |
| 13 | Mirra | Tough 3/5 | Bucktown | Mexican-Indian | ~2 months out; hour not published |
| 14 | Kitty's Cosmopolitan Club | Tough 3/5 | River North | Cocktail lounge | 30 days in advance at midnight. |
| 15 | Asador Bastian | Tough 3/5 | River North | Steakhouse | 30 days in advance. The time of day is not stated on the page. |
| 16 | Birrieria Zaragoza | Tough 3/5 | Uptown | Mexican | Not published |
| 17 | Calumet Fisheries | Tough 3/5 | South Deering | Seafood | Not published |
| 18 | Carnitas Uruapan Restaurant | Tough 3/5 | Gage Park | Mexican | Not published |
| 19 | Creepies | Tough 3/5 | West Loop | French | Not published |
| 20 | Daisies | Tough 3/5 | Logan Square | Italian | Not published |
| 21 | Esmé | Tough 3/5 | Lincoln Park | Not listed | 60 days out; hour not published |
| 22 | Frontera Grill | Tough 3/5 | River North | Not listed | Not published |
| 23 | Galit | Tough 3/5 | Sheffield & DePaul | Middle Eastern, Levantine, Hearth-cooked | Up to 60 days out on Resy; hour not published |
| 24 | HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen | Tough 3/5 | Lower West Side | Not listed | Not published |
| 25 | Hermosa Restaurant | Tough 3/5 | Hermosa | Not listed | Not published |
Chicago release times · Chicago neighborhoods · Chicago cuisines · Chicago restaurants
A release window is shown as "Not published" when this directory has no sourced booking window. Alinea, Kasama and Smyth lead this list.
The newsletter
The Guestlist
Every Thursday: what's dropping next week, new rooms worth chasing, and the walk-in tricks the regulars use. Free.