Mentioned by The City Lane
Best Chicago Breakfast & Brunch Spots
"A partnership of L.A.’s Stan’s Donuts with our homegrown Labriola Baking Company, the Chicago version may not be quite as star-struck, but wow, do they know how to donut. Now open in nine Chicagoland locations (with a 10th coming soon to Oak Brook Terrace), you can load up on their Standard (Glazed, Powdered Sugar, Plain Old Fashioned), Dough Boy’s Best (Peanut Butter Banana Pocket, Glazed Pretzel), and Specialty (Raspberry Bismark, Glazed Orange Old Fashioned, Dreamsicle Bar) donuts, as well as a small selection of “glutenless” donuts, and wash it down with Stan’s Dark Roast coffee (another happy partnership, this one with local Passion House Coffee Roasters)."
"In addition to a wide array of donuts (everything from Glazed to Nutella Banana Pockets), Stan’s Donuts also serves up gelato, shakes and Intelligentsia coffee. Stop by to take in the fun, retro vibe and order one of their most popular creations – Lemon Pistachio Old Fashioned."
"There are regular doughnuts and then there are doughnuts topped with sprinkles and filled with bananas and Nutella, and Stan's specializes in the latter."
"Restaurants Cafés Lincoln Park. With an assortment of breads, tasty sandwiches and seriously delicious cookies in its repertoire, this airy Lincoln Park bakery-café certainly has range. But Floriole’s soul is its French pastry, skillfully executed by owner Sandra Holl."
"What began as a stand in the Green City Market is now one of the most acclaimed destinations for baked goods in Chicago. Stop into Floriole for chef-owner Sandra Holl's array of sweets and breads, notably the kouign amann (caramelized layered croissant dough), her outstanding passion fruit tart, and the savory cafe dishes."
"This bright cafe and bakery is known for their rustic French pastries, made using fresh ingredients sourced from local, sustainable farms. Head straight to the dessert case to choose from a rotating selection of from-scratch goodies, like croissants, Basque cake, fruit galettes, and more."
"Restaurants Coffee shops Wicker Park. To get Wicker Park excited about another coffee shop, you’d have to do something pretty crazy. Like, say, install a DeLorean in the front of the store."
"The Wormhole will take you back to the future—a model of Marty McFly’s DeLorean is literally in the shop. This ‘80s themed coffee shop has a menu full of delicious coffee options and is one of the coziest spots in Wicker Park. Order for pickup now!"
"If you have an unhealthy obsession with the movie “Back to the future,” this is the store for you. The Wormhole is a trip back in time to circa 1984. The whole coffee shop is an homage to pop culture from the 1980s."
"Wildberry is a favorite stop for many when visiting downtown Chicago and gets amazing reviews on both Trip Advisor and Yelp. With 2 equally awesome locations in downtown Chicago, be sure to visit Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe near Millennium Park, or when close to the John Hancock Building and 360 Chicago in Water Tower Place. Wildberry is widely known for offering huge, delicious portions of breakfast and lunch comfort food."
"Inspired by Hong Kong street food, the egg waffle can be topped with ice cream, fruit and, of course, chocolate sauce."
"This is one of the smallest coffee shops on the list, the little sibling location to the slightly larger original Café Jumping Bean in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago — you could sit indoors at the 18th Street location before the pandemic, but I’m not sure when that option will return. On the surface, this isn’t the best option for remote work strictly speaking, with no outlets available and the outdoor seating being fairly limited. I wanted to include it nonetheless for a few reasons."
"From Chicago's legendary Boka Restaurant Group is Cira, a new contemporary Mediterranean restaurant that serves some of the best lunch in Chicago. Diners who choose to lunch here w..."
"Cira is located on the first floor of The Hoxton and it’s beautiful. Their food is very Mediterranean, so you’ll find dishes like shakshuka, baklava, and a Turkish breakfast platter."
"Little ItalyThis Japanese-influenced dessert destination brings pillowy soft serve adorned with edible gold and silver leaf, colorful flavored cones, and crave-worthy boba and milk tea to the heart of Little Italy. And the cozy, sundrenched scoop shop is as slickly decorated as the ice cream it dishes up, with large-scale cartoon sketches lining the white walls and brilliant neon illuminating the front window. Keep an eye on their social media channels for news on the forthcoming Wicker Park spot, too.How to book: Stop by for counter service, order take-out online, or get delivery via Caviar."
"New to the dessert scene, the Little Italy shop serves aesthetically pleasing ice cream. Soft serve flavors are constantly changing and currently, the menu highlights Uji Matcha x Kuro Goma (black sesame). Your tweens and teens will love to take a photo for Snapchat or Instagram!"
"Compromise on Italian without spending too much by going to Pizza Rustica. This cozy BYOB feels just like an Italian trattoria and serves huge pizzas with doughy crusts featuring toppings like Italian sausage, mushrooms, pineapple, artichokes or spinach. Salads are heading and pasta is made by hand."
"A classic supper club with live violinists and wall-to-wall retro charm This North Side Italian gem with tuxedo-clad servers, tables with fresh flowers, and violinists serenading diners by candlelight has withstood the test of time since 1969 (or so it's estimated). Come for the ambiance, but also for the complimentary, to-die-for pizza bread and straightforward classics like chicken Vesuvio sauteed in a garlic and oregano white wine sauce, tender veal saltimbocca, and baked Alaska that’s flambéed tableside for a taste of time machine magic."
"What I love about this place is that I almost have to go with my family. We go so often that the faces of the Italian servers there light up when they see us. This restaurant is the gift that keeps on giving."
"Tufano's has been around forever, and for good reason — they serve old school, no-frills Italian for a great price. A half order of their signature lemon chicken with potatoes is only $9.50, or go for the classic chicken/veal marsala, which will easily last you two meals. Located not too far from the UC, it's a great place to get a quality meal before a Bulls or Hawks game."
"Tufano’s was established in 1930 and has stayed in-family ever since. Served in a casual, unassuming atmosphere, the dishes at Tufano’s include familiar pasta favorites as well as more special items like Tilapia Vesuvio and Lobster Ravioli. At UrbanMatter, U Matter."
"American , Pasta , Italian"
"Restaurants Bakeries Near South Side. Life's sweet at Veranda Runsewe's South Loop bakery, where the pastries are baked fresh daily and the custom cakes are crafted with love. The muffins and loaf cakes pair nicely with the lengthy list of tea varieties, from cinnamon-plum and jade oolong to matcha-ginger buzz."
"Café Marie-Jeanne's mostly a la carte breakfast menu means you can mix and match smoked brisket with oatmeal with caviar toast with grits and not feel a bit of guilt about it!. A breakfast sandwich and larger dishes like omelets and smoked chicken are also available."
"Just a few minutes from Millennium Park (and other locations in the Loop and River North), Goddess and The Baker is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert all day. In fact, dessert is their jam: among the temptresses in the display case are the popular layered rainbow cake, cupcakes, muffins, macaron cookies, jars of sweetness, pastries, bars and brownies. Pair any with a scoop of Zarlengo's rich, local, Italian gelato."
"Lasalle Street, the shop offers a comfy atmosphere and impressive selection of coffee, tea and sweet treats. If cold-brew is your coffee of choice, we recommend the Nitro Cold Brew on tap. Don’t be surprised when the drink comes out looking like a Guinness in a tall frosted glass."
"This goddess is more than a baker with their extensive breakfast through dessert menus. Taste their avocado toast or baked mac and cheese, but leave room for their artisanal sweets."