Les Nomades Chicago

Les Nomades sits at 222 E Ontario St. It is a ten-minute walk from the Museum of Contemporary Art, tucked into a low-slung, nondescript townhouse that feels miles removed from the glass-and-steel crush of the surrounding blocks. The room runs smart, favoring a classic, elegant register that leans into its French roots without resorting to the kitsch often found in the city's more populist bistro spots.

The restaurant holds a recommendation in the 2024 Forbes Travel Guide, a distinction that signals exactly why you choose it over the high-volume glass towers nearby. While its neighbors rely on height and tourist traffic to fill seats, Les Nomades leans into the quiet of its residential-facing street. It is a more restrained choice than the flashy options near Water Tower Place, providing a level of intimacy that contemporary dining rooms in the district frequently trade away for efficiency.