Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free tasting menus in Chicago

Best choices for vegans

Start with Indienne for a dedicated vegan tasting menu. Its dining room also offers vegetarian, pescatarian and non-vegetarian menus. Galit has vegan options in every course of its four-course dinner, with choices of mezze and a main rather than a separate vegan menu.

BOKA lists vegan accommodation among the restrictions it can handle. Note your needs when booking. EL Ideas accepts almost all dietary restrictions, including vegan requests. Confirm the ingredients you avoid on its reservation request.

Mako cannot accommodate vegetarian or vegan diets.
Feld cannot accommodate vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free or egg-free diets.
Kasama excludes vegan diets, alongside soy, egg, allium and other restrictions.
Next's Fashion menu has no vegan option. Alinea and Ever cannot remove egg and dairy. Smyth cannot safely accommodate vegan diets.

Vegetarian tasting menus

Indienne has a dedicated vegetarian menu. Galit says about half its menu is vegetarian. BOKA and Elske both list vegetarian accommodation, while Esmé can adapt its menu with 72 hours' notice.

Read the ingredient limits at Alinea and Ever before choosing either. Alinea's ovo-lacto vegetarian version keeps egg, dairy and pork gelatin. Staff can identify gelatin dishes for you to skip. Ever's lacto-ovo vegetarian version cannot omit egg, gelatin or dairy. Next's Fashion vegetarian version also keeps gelatin, egg and dairy.

Feld directs vegetarians to late spring or summer, not autumn or winter. Smyth's earlier FAQ allowed vegetarians on the Smyth Menu if eggs and clarified butter were acceptable. Its current Chef's Menu permits no changes. From November 5, 2026, it becomes the only menu; get approval for your date. Sepia's tasting-menu page excludes vegetarian diets. Ask about its separate prix fixe.

Gluten-free and celiac diners

Mako offers gluten-free omakase on request. Galit has gluten-free options in every course. Elske lists gluten-free accommodation, BOKA lists gluten allergies, Alinea can omit gluten with 72 hours' notice, and Esmé can adapt with the same notice.

Feld cannot accommodate gluten-free diets. Sepia's tasting-menu page excludes celiac diets. Next lists gluten-free accommodation generally, but its Fashion list omits it. Ask Next about that specific menu. For the other restaurants marked Ask below, send your exact needs before booking. Ask about shared equipment and celiac accommodation even when the restaurant offers gluten-free dishes.

Allergies and cross-contamination

Alinea and Ever say they cannot take guests who react to cross-contamination. Next shares kitchens, oil and prep areas across its restaurants and cannot rule it out. Elske warns about suppliers' packaging and handling; Sepia cannot guarantee against trace allergens from suppliers.

Indienne excludes allergies to allium, some nightshades and certain spices. Smyth excludes egg, mushroom, sunflower seed or oil, all seafood or seaweed allergies, and dairy-free diets that cannot include clarified butter. A published option does not make a dish safe for a specific allergy. Get the answer in writing from the restaurant before paying.

How much notice to give

These are dietary deadlines. An early request still needs the restaurant's approval.

Published dietary notice
Restaurant	Required notice
Alinea, Ever, Esmé, Next	At least 72 hours
Indienne, Kasama	At least 48 hours
Moody Tongue	At least one week
Feld	At booking or at least 24 hours before dinner
Oriole	At least 24 hours; contact before booking
Schwa	Email approval before booking; submit details on OpenTable by Tuesday of your reservation week
Elske	Email before booking for unlisted or multiple restrictions

All 20 restaurants at a glance

Yes means the guide explicitly lists the diet. With notice means a stated deadline applies. Limited means ingredient, season or menu limits apply. Ask means contact the restaurant about that diet. Sepia's No entries refer to its tasting menu.

Dietary options and limits by restaurant
Restaurant	Vegetarian	Vegan	Gluten-free	Notes
Alinea	Limited	No	With notice	Egg, dairy and pork gelatin stay; skip gelatin dishes.
BOKA	Yes	Yes	Yes	List restrictions when booking.
Cariño	Ask	Ask	Ask	Taco omakase allows no accommodations; ask about other formats.
EL Ideas	Ask	Yes	Ask	Accepts almost all restrictions; confirm ingredients.
Elske	Yes	Ask	Yes	Email before booking for multiple or unlisted restrictions.
Esmé	With notice	Ask	With notice	72 hours; email for other diets.
Ever	Limited	No	Ask	Egg, gelatin and dairy cannot be removed.
Feld	Limited	No	No	Vegetarian visits in late spring or summer, not autumn or winter.
Galit	Yes	Yes	Yes	Vegan and gluten-free options in every course.
Indienne	Yes	Yes	Ask	No allium, some nightshade or certain spice allergies.
Kasama	Ask	No	Ask	Also can't accommodate soy, egg, allium or corn, or no-refined-sugar, keto or paleo diets.
Kyōten	Ask	Ask	Ask	Get ingredient approval in writing before paying.
Mako	No	No	Yes	Gluten-free omakase on request; no soy or sugar allergies.
Moody Tongue	Ask	Ask	Ask	One week's notice; confirm food and beer arrangements.
Next	Limited	No	Ask	Fashion keeps egg, dairy, soy, gelatin and cooked-off alcohol.
Oriole	Ask	Ask	Ask	At least 24 hours; confirm restrictions before booking.
Schwa	Ask	Ask	Ask	Email approval before booking; submit by Tuesday that week.
Sepia	No	No	Ask	Tasting menu excludes vegetarian, vegan and celiac diets; ask about the prix fixe.
Smyth	Limited	No	Ask	Before November 5, Chef's Menu allows no changes; confirm later policy.
Topolobampo	Ask	Ask	Ask	Confirm current menu; Veracruz offer ended October 24.

Policies come from each guide's checked date, mostly September 28 to 30, 2026. Menus change, so confirm for your date.

Sources and updates

We use these restaurant guides for the table and notice periods. Ask Kyōten about vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free changes before booking. Confirm adaptations for Topolobampo's current menu; its Veracruz offer ended October 24, 2026.

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