Bar Mar

When one of the world’s most famous chefs teams up with one of Chicago’s powerhouse restaurant groups, big things happen. Indeed, José Andrés partnering with Gibsons Restaurant Group to bring outposts of Bazaar Meat and Bar Mar to Chicago was like Batman joining forces with Superman—but the results are far more successful. While Bazaar Meat skews more turf than surf, adjoining Bar Mar in the Bank of America Tower features a seafood-centric menu of decadent small plates, vibrant Spanish influences, and a healthy dose of gastronomic whimsy—like smoked oysters with apple mignonette air and the fish-shaped Everything Bagel Airbread, filled with cream cheese espuma and draped with smoked salmon. As evidenced by the chic motif, which includes a huge octopus sculpture dangling from the ceiling, this is the kind of see-and-be-seen place to dine lavishly, which can be accomplished via mini caviar cones with cauliflower crème fraîche and gold leaf.