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Kumiko
Japanese 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.
Fourteen honors, in evidence:
The record 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
- 50 Best #97 · The World's 50 Best Bars
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Winner · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar
- 50 Best #11 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Food & Wine The 10 Top Bars in the US
- 50 Best 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 82
How we scoreThe dishes from the writeups
- Yaki zakana Michelin Guide
Nearby in the record closest first
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