Communal tables in Chicago are huge right now. Get it? Because the tables are ...

1. avec (West Loop) - The place is always busy, no matter what time you arrive, so don't feel bad for asking those at a semi-full table if you can sit there. Just feel bad if they say no.
2. The Bristol (Bucktown/Wicker Park) - The main room is as intimate as the communal seating. Pass the salt and share your grilled prawns, would you?
3. Room 21 (South Loop) - Long tables and the long bar at this former Al Capone speakeasy make you feel like royalty upon arrival. The vintage leopard oil painting on the wall should provide a perfectly good conversation starter.