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Kumiko
Cocktail Bar
Julia Momosé's Japanese-inspired dining bar on West Lake holds a James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar and the Spirited Awards title for World's Best Bar, which tells you something before you've even sat down. Staff in sharp black uniforms somehow manage to feel genuinely warm rather than stiff, and the tasting menu now matches the cocktail program's precision, leaning into Japanese flavors and technique. Come for the drinks, stay through dinner, and plan to linger longer than you intended.
The awards strongest first
- The Pinnacle Guide 3 Pins
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Winner · World’s Best Bar
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Winner · Outstanding Bar
- AAA Four Diamonds
- The 50 #97 · The World's 50 Best Bars
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Winner · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar
- The 50 #11 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Food & Wine The 10 Top Bars in the US
- The 50 Michter's Art of Hospitality Award 2026 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Top 4 Finalist · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar
- Bon Appétit America's Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation The Best Cocktail Bars In Chicago
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide
One number, weighted & current 84
How we scoreThe dishes from the writeups
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Peruvian bay scallops
“From the single-bite maki roll to the main dishes like Peruvian bay scallops, marinated mushrooms, or Japanese fried chicken, they are all artfully presented and delicious.”
AAA -
Japanese fried chicken
“From the single-bite maki roll to the main dishes like Peruvian bay scallops, marinated mushrooms, or Japanese fried chicken, they are all artfully presented and delicious.”
AAA -
Yaki zakana
“Butter cabbage seared to a nice golden-brown, dressed with a ramp miso sauce and topped with katsuobushi makes an impression before entrees like yaki zakana, or brined and grilled Arctic char with a shio koji buerre blanc.”
Michelin Guide -
Butter cabbage
“Butter cabbage seared to a nice golden-brown, dressed with a ramp miso sauce and topped with katsuobushi makes an impression before entrees like yaki zakana, or brined and grilled Arctic char with a shio koji buerre blanc.”
Michelin Guide
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