Chicago guide

The hardest reservations in Chicago, and how to get one

Chicago is an OpenTable city with a Resy top end. The hardest rooms release two weeks to two months ahead, a surprising number of them at midnight, and the tables left a few days out are at 4:30pm or 9pm.

Almost every hard table here keeps a walk-in bar, so the plan is an alert on the slot you want, with the early and late seatings as a bonus if you want them too. The two counters at the top of the list take no walk-ins at all, so the alert is the whole game.

The tables everyone wants, hardest first

Every room below can be watched in Biter. Set an alert for the nights you want and Concierge tells you the moment a seat opens, so the drop time becomes optional and the cancellation becomes yours.

  1. Kyoten Next Door

    Nearly impossible

    Logan SquareBooks on Resy

    Best time to try

    20 days ahead

    No walk-ins at the 10-seat counter, so an alert is the whole strategy.

    Set an alert in Biter

  2. Kasama

    Nearly impossible

    Ukrainian VillageBooks on Resy

    Best time to try

    daily at midnight, 45 days ahead

    Dinner tables reopen as late as a week out; breakfast and lunch are walk-in only.

    Set an alert in Biter

  3. Schwa Restaurant

    Extremely hard

    1466 N Ashland AveBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  4. OMAKASE YUME

    Extremely hard

    651 W Washington Blvd Ste 101Books on Resy

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  5. Asador Bastian

    Extremely hard

    214 W Erie StBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  6. Tre Dita

    Very hard

    401 E Wacker DrBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  7. Rose Mary

    Very hard

    932 W Fulton StBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  8. Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian

    Hard

    1112 W Armitage AveBooks on Resy

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  9. Mirra

    Hard

    BucktownBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    two months ahead

    Short-notice tables land at 4:30pm or 9pm; high-top walk-ins run until 10pm.

    Set an alert in Biter

  10. Cindy's Rooftop

    Hard

    12 S Michigan AveBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  11. Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio

    Hard

    West LoopBooks on Resy

    Best time to try

    dinner booked months out

    Lunch, Tuesday to Saturday, is dramatically easier; the bar is first come, first served.

    Set an alert in Biter

  12. Crying Tiger

    Hard

    River NorthBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    30 days ahead at midnight

    A week out you may still find 4pm or 10pm slots.

    Set an alert in Biter

  13. PIZZ'AMICI

    Hard

    West TownBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    a month ahead

    A few walk-in spots are held at the 4pm opening.

    Set an alert in Biter

  14. Ciccio Mio

    Hard

    River NorthBooks on Resy

    Best time to try

    21 days ahead at 9am

    A couple of walk-in tables exist, but the waitlist is the reliable route.

    Set an alert in Biter

  15. Nadu

    Hard

    2518 N Lincoln AveBooks on Resy

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  16. Armitage Alehouse

    Hard

    Lincoln ParkBooks on Resy

    Best time to try

    21 days ahead at 9am

    The bar and patio are walk-in; arrive close to opening for a seat.

    Set an alert in Biter

  17. Trivoli Tavern

    Hard

    114 N Green StBooks on Resy

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  18. Akahoshi Ramen

    Hard

    2340 N California Ave Ste BBooks on SevenRooms

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  19. Alla Vita

    Hard

    West LoopBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    60 days ahead at 12:01am

    Plan a month out for prime dinner, or take the first-come bar and patio.

    Set an alert in Biter

  20. Bar La Rue

    Hard

    820 W Fulton StBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  21. Maxwells Trading

    Hard

    1516 W Carroll AveBooks on Resy

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  22. AMBAR Restaurant

    Hard

    700 N Clark StBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  23. Ever Restaurant

    Hard

    1340 W Fulton StBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    No set release; tables appear as they free up

  24. Beaumont's

    Hard

    Lincoln ParkBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    14 days ahead

    Near-term tables exist at 4:30pm or 9pm; the big central bar takes walk-ins.

    Set an alert in Biter

  25. Naia

    Hard

    River NorthBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    two weeks ahead

    Bad-weather forecasts free up riverside tables; the host stand can also book within 14 days in person.

    Set an alert in Biter

  26. Kitty's Cosmopolitan Club

    Hard

    River NorthBooks on OpenTable

    Best time to try

    30 days ahead

    Late-night 10pm bookings open a few days out; limited walk-in space.

    Set an alert in Biter

Just as hard, booked elsewhere

These rooms book somewhere Concierge does not cover yet. They are listed so the picture of the city is complete.

  • Oriole

    Hard

    Fulton MarketTock

    Best time to try

    rolling, 90 days ahead

    Tock only, which Concierge does not watch yet; 9pm seatings linger longest.

About this list

Difficulty ratings reflect how often Biter finds these rooms fully booked at dinner. Release windows and walk-in notes are as reported by The Infatuation: The Toughest Reservations In Chicago Right Now (updated July 9, 2026), checked on October 15, 2026. Restaurants change their windows without notice, so treat a drop time as the best moment to try, not a promise. An alert does not need one. Our research method explains how we handle unknown timing.

Before you set an alert

Does Biter book the table for me?

No. Biter finds the opening and sends you straight to it on Resy, OpenTable or SevenRooms, where you confirm the reservation in your own account under the restaurant’s normal terms. Biter never holds, buys or resells reservations.

Can I watch a restaurant I saved from TikTok or Instagram?

Yes. Anything on your Hitlist that takes reservations on Resy, OpenTable or SevenRooms can be watched. Open the restaurant in Biter and set the alert from there.

Is an alert a guaranteed reservation?

No. An alert means a matching table was available when Biter checked. Popular openings can be claimed by someone else within seconds, which is why Concierge checks so often and sends you directly to the booking page.

Get into one of these Chicago rooms

Pick the restaurants, the nights you want and your party size. Concierge watches so you do not have to.

Get Biter

Biter is free. Concierge is part of Biter+, $15 a month or $134.99 a year, with two weeks free to start.