Head-to-Head

RL Restaurant vs The Publican

RL Restaurant for first date; The Publican for team dinner — both rank in the city's top tier.

RL Restaurant

Chicago · American · $$$$

Food 9.5 · Ambience 9.5 · Value 9.5

View full review →

The Publican

Chicago · American · $$$

Food 9.7 · Ambience 9.7 · Value 9.7

View full review →

The Verdict

RL Restaurant for first date; The Publican for team dinner — both rank in the city's top tier.

The Publican runs the stronger kitchen — food at 9.7 vs 9.5.

Both kitchens cook American in Chicago, but the rooms read differently. RL Restaurant works for first date, birthday; The Publican works for team dinner, birthday.

RL Restaurant runs heavier ($$$$) than The Publican ($$$). For one-off occasions, the higher tier reads correctly; for a regular table, the cheaper one carries.

Which One for Which Occasion

Occasion	Editorial Pick
First Date	The Publicanedges on the combined editorial score.
Close a Deal	The Publicanedges on the combined editorial score.
Birthday	The Publicanedges on the combined editorial score.
Impress Clients	RL Restauranttagged for this occasion in our editorial; the other isn't.
Proposal	The Publicanedges on the combined editorial score.
Solo Dining	The Publicanedges on the combined editorial score.
Team Dinner	The Publicantagged for this occasion in our editorial; the other isn't.

The Numbers

Our scoring puts RL Restaurant at 9.5/9.5/9.5 (food / ambience / value) and The Publican at 9.7/9.7/9.7. Pick the dimension that matters most to your evening and follow it.

How to Book

Both restaurants sit in Chicago's top scoring tier — neither takes same-week walk-ins for prime weekend slots. Set booking alerts on the platform each uses (check the practical-info card on the linked detail pages above). Weekday and earlier-seating windows are the realistic targets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, RL Restaurant or The Publican?

On our editorial scoring, The Publican leads (9.7/9.7/9.7 vs 9.5/9.5/9.5 for food / ambience / value). That said, the better pick depends on the occasion — see the table above for the per-occasion call.

How much do RL Restaurant and The Publican cost?

RL Restaurant sits at $$$$ ($250+ per person); The Publican at $$$ ($120–250 per person). Add 30–40% for pairings.

Which is harder to book, RL Restaurant or The Publican?

Both sit in Chicago's top tier — same-week tables are rare. Prime weekend slots fill within minutes of release at either; weekday and earlier-seating slots are the realistic targets. Set booking alerts on whichever platform each restaurant uses.

What's the best occasion for RL Restaurant vs The Publican?

The occasion table above maps each of the seven RFK occasions to the editorial pick. In short: pick the restaurant whose room and format match the moment, not the higher absolute score.

Can I do both RL Restaurant and The Publican on the same trip?

Yes — both are in Chicago. Pace at least one full day apart; at this price tier each is a full-evening commitment. If you're optimising for one over the other, the per-occasion verdict in this guide is the right tiebreaker.