Avli on The Park

Avli on The Park is the Lakeshore East branch of a small Greek group, and it earns its own identity through the room and a menu tuned specifically to it. The rooftop patio, with heated cabanas and firepits, gives Chicago a rare place to sit outside through the cold months and watch the park while everyone complains about the weather. That setting alone would be enough to coast on. This kitchen doesn't.

The astakomakaronada backs it up: lobster pasta in an ouzo-tomato sauce with real depth, not a novelty item riding the view. The chicken souvlaki does the same work at a simpler register — tender skewers over fries, feta, yogurt sauce, built to be eaten outside with your hands. Both dishes read as considered rather than default versions of Greek standards.

Michelin selected it in 2023, which tracks with what's on the plate rather than just the patio. The rooftop gets people in the door. The lobster pasta and the souvlaki are why they come back once the novelty wears off.