Solo Dining Guide: Chicago

The eclectic Mexican-Indian fusion menu at this Bucktown restaurant leans into smaller plates, from hamachi buttermilk aguachile with nopales and curry leaves to roti quesadillas filled with amnul cheese and roasted mushrooms. Eight counter seats sit at the center of the action, ideal if you are feeling talkative. A seven-course tasting menu is also available Wednesday through Friday evenings.

Chicago’s first Korean steak omakase unfolds at a 12-seat chef’s counter run by husband-and-wife team Sangtae and Kate Park, offering an alternative to the traditional steakhouse. Sink into pale blue velvet chairs and watch the team grill and prepare each steak, vegetable, and seafood course in front of you, including tenderloin with bone marrow and mushrooms and New York strip with seasonal banchan.

The bar-centric happy hour (Monday–Thursday, 5–6 PM) features thoughtfully portioned dishes like herb falafel, hummus with pita, manoushe, and toum-laced chicken wings, alongside $8 cocktails, $5 beers, and $10 rotating house wines. For those dining alone, the $65 four-course prix fixe is a great value, offering a chance to explore hearth-roasted favorites from chefs Sahil Sethi and Sujan Sarkar’s modern Middle Eastern menu.

Walk into Galit and there’s a good chance of landing a seat at the nine-seat communal table reserved for walk-ins. Rooted in a spirit of hospitality and connection, the shared table offers a chance to experience the restaurant’s seasonal Middle Eastern–inspired cooking in a warm, social setting, whether savoring a quiet meal or falling into conversation over hummus, salatim, and fresh-baked pita.

Chef Norman Fenton seats guests side by side at the seven-seat chef’s counter, where they often fall into an easy back-and-forth while watching each dish come together. Counter guests also receive a couple of bonus courses. A late-night taco omakase highlights the restaurant’s housemade masa program, with 10 PM seatings, alongside monthly “tacos and friends” chef collaborations that benefit charity.