17 Best Places for a Birthday Dinner in Chicago for 2024

What is a great location for a birthday dinner in Chicago? The Windy City is full of amazing restaurants, bars and cafes perfect for celebrating another year on the books.

Whether you are looking for a romantic one-on-one birthday date or a raucous outing with all your friends, you can find the perfect spot to celebrate in style.

Where should I eat for my birthday in Chicago? How do you make someone's birthday special at a restaurant? We’ve rounded up a few of the best spots for birthday dining and revelry, including fun eateries with entertainment, rooftops with amazing views and free or cheap outings for the budget-conscious, all located in a thriving city with a vast food culture and distinctive Chicago foods.

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• Most Fun Birthday Dinner in Chicago Ideas
• Rooftop Birthday Dinner in Chicago Ideas
• Free & Cheap Birthday Dinner in Chicago

Most Fun Birthday Dinner in Chicago Ideas

1. Take a Cooking Class

One of the best ideas for a birthday dinner in Chicago is learning to make a favorite dish. Not only will you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor when the class is over, but will pick up excellent tips and recipes to use forever and unique dinner party ideas.

You can find cooking classes in Chicago in everything from sushi rolling to handmade pasta making. You can also take classes in basic kitchen skills for the beginner. Gifting enrollment in a class also makes a great birthday surprise idea. Throw in some photography classes in Chicago so that they can capture every moment of their culinary journey.

2. Revolution Brewing

Numerous Chicago breweries host attached or affiliated brewpubs that offer everything from gourmet fare to more casual burgers and fries, making them a perfect spot for a fun birthday dinner in Chicago.

Try an evening at Revolution Brewery, which has a huge beer selection and menu sporting excellent sandwiches, appetizers and desserts that will help soak up the alcohol. Their brewpub also has an event room for groups that accommodates large parties upstairs.  

3. Headquarters Beercade

What better place for a fun birthday dinner in Chicago than a night playing some of your favorite pinball machines and video games?

Headquarters Beercade, located in River North, has over 70 games and a wide selection of vintage pinball machines that will keep you occupied for hours. 

The menu boasts a huge selection of craft beers as well as tasty options like elote fritters and truffle fries. 

4. Lucky Strike

If bowling is your game, try dinner and a few rounds at Lucky Strike offers neon-lit and glow-in-the-dark bowling fun at a couple of different locations, with one downtown and one in Wrigleyville.

The attached restaurant features a host of burgers and sandwiches to enjoy while or after you bowl,  a huge cocktail and beer list, as well as their famous churro fries for dessert.

5. Carnivale

One of the most commonly recommended restaurants for birthday dinners in Chicago, Carnivale is known for its colorful exterior in the West Loop and its festive decor and atmosphere inside.

The menu focuses on Latin fusion cuisine, with a large bar selection of signature cocktails and other tequila-infused libations.

Even better, it can accommodate larger parties and has an energetic, bustling vibe, making it perfect for a group birthday dinner.

6. Alamo Drafthouse

If your idea of the perfect birthday dinner in Chicago includes a movie, kill two birds with one stone at Alamo Drafthouse.

This national chain offers screenings of both new releases and older movies (like their Time Capsule or Queer Theory series), which can be enjoyed while you dine.

Waiters serve everything from popcorn to pizza, as well as drinks, desserts and coffee right to your seat. There is also the large bar, Video Vortex, where you can rent VHS films and enjoy a formidable selection of cocktails and beers. Alamo also hosts regular movie brunches and parties. 

7. Medieval Times

A bit of fun out in the suburbs, Medieval Times has been delighting families and fans of all ages for several decades, making it one of the best birthday restaurants in the Chicago suburbs.

The venue mixes an Arthurian jousting match along with a hearty dinner fit for a king or queen. The atmosphere is playful and has all the competitive spirit of a sporting event (you are assigned a knight to cheer for at the door.)

It makes a particularly fun and memorable birthday dinner for kids or a group birthday dinner near Chicago. 

8. Omakase Takaya

For a more formal night out, this Japanese spot in Fulton Market is perfect for a birthday dinner in Chicago. Plan early, however, since it's reservation-only and seats only seven diners at a time.

The menu is chef-driven and seasonal, with hand-rolled sushi and small plates. It’s a perfect birthday restaurant in Chicago for two or three diners if you’re looking for upscale and luxurious.

9. Three Dots and a Dash

Tucked in a basement in River North, Three Dots and a Dash, named after the WWII Morse code for “victory,”  offers an array of rum and island-inspired cocktails with names like the Zombie and Painkiller.

The speakeasy atmosphere is reinforced by its entrance through an alley lit by torches, as you descend into a dark and tropical world.

You can also enjoy menu options like coconut shrimp, a pupu platter and spring rolls. Their largest group drink, the Treasure Chest, serves up to 8 people, perfect for a fun group birthday celebration in Chicago.

Rooftop Birthday Dinner in Chicago Ideas

10. Cindy's Rooftop

One of the most popular and famous Chicago rooftop restaurants, Cindy’s is perched atop the Chicago Athletic Club building overlooking Millennium Park, making it a great spot to enjoy a birthday dinner in Chicago with an amazingly expansive view of the skyline, park and lakefront.

It’s a popular spot in the summer, where they have an endless selection of signature cocktails and boozy popsicles, as well as a menu with elevated large and small plates. 

11. Celeste

This Victorian-inspired bar is perfect for a Chicago rooftop birthday dinner with a touch of romance and old-world charm. The menu features cocktails and American fare that you can enjoy amidst romantic twinkle lights and greenery. It also has a greenhouse-style roof and an enclosed space for winter dining. 

12. Chateau Carbide

This French Riviera-themed bar is dedicated to botanical-inspired cocktails served from one of the city’s prime vantage points overlooking the river and Michigan Avenue.

Cozy fireplaces and plush seating make it a beautiful stop on your way to dinner elsewhere or a perfect place to have a light birthday dinner in downtown Chicago.

Spend the evening sipping cocktails drawn from nature and enjoying their selection of sushi and other small plate menu items.  

13. Offshore

This large rooftop located out on Navy Pier is a Guinness World Record holder for the largest rooftop bar in the world. 

While it’s only three stories up, it has a panoramic view of the lake and skyline from its excellent vantage point, as well as close proximity to things like the Chicago Shakespeare Company and the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel, both of which make fun birthday activities. Spend an evening out on Navy Pier as a fun birthday dinner idea.

Free & Cheap Birthday Dinner in Chicago

14. Superdawg

Located on the far north side, Superdawg has been in business for over 70 years offering classic drive-in fare served via carhops, making it a fun and inexpensive option for a birthday dinner in Chicago.

You can’t miss its famous giant dancing hotdog figures and its neon signs pointing the way to some of the best hot dogs in Chicago. Prices are low and the atmosphere is lively, fun and unique, making it a perfect cheap birthday dinner in Chicago.

15. Margies Candies

A great low-budget alternative to a traditional birthday dinner is a birthday dessert outing. Margie's Candy is one of the best ice cream parlors in the city, as well as a Bucktown institution for over 90 years.

Try a sundae or cone or sample their large collection of chocolate and other sweet treats.

16. Have a Lakefront Picnic

Chicago’s lakefront is a beautiful spot to spread out with a picnic lunch or dinner in milder weather, offering a great view of the expense of Lake Michigan along its entire shore from north to south.

Grab a blanket and head to a park or one of its sandy beaches for a fun birthday dinner in Chicago day or night. A birthday picnic also makes a great date idea in Chicago.

17. The Understudy Cafe

A perfect birthday afternoon outing is a long stretch of hours browsing and time spent at a bookstore and cafe like this one in Andersonville, which features a huge selection of plays for the casual theater lover or grown-up drama club kid.

The books are sold alongside a menu of coffee, tea and pastries, which make a great cheap birthday lunch or early dinner in Chicago. 

Chicago holds no lack of great things to do on your birthday no matter how many years you’ve been in rotation around the sun. From elite sushi restaurants to sweet dessert spots, to panoramic views and fun recreational activities, Chicago will make this year another winner.

For even more fun birthday ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!