Best Coffee Shops and Cafes in Gold Coast

"Stan’s Donuts are next on our list of the best desserts in Chicago. Stan’s Donuts is a classic choice for desserts in Chicago, and they’re seriously delicious too!. In fact, if you ask any local Chicagoans they’ll probably have heard of Stan’s Donuts!"

"The Best of the Batch: Glazed Old Fashioned Donuts ($2.75) or Nutella Pocket Doughnut ($3.75). Stan’s yeasty doughnuts have become a Chicago staple in the past few years. Stan’s was one of the first specialty doughnut shops to open in Chicago."

"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."

"Floriole functioned as a stand at Chicago's beloved Green City Market for nearly five years before it became a brick-and-mortar restaurant. As such, expect market-driven fare that prizes freshness and seasonality above all else. Those priorities manifest in menu items like late-season roasted tomato and swiss chard quiche, ricotta toast topped with plums and honey, and pea salad with radishes, turnips, and spring onions."

"The longest-established purveyor of canelés in Chicago, Floriole Café & Bakery's Sandra Holl may also be their least traditional practitioner. Holl produces her canelés without the use of beeswax, and has even been known to tweak the time-honored vanilla-rum flavor profile. (A chocolate version, for instance, makes an appearance in the café each February.) Traditional or not, her approach works."

"Floriole is home to some of the best desserts in Chicago, and they always aim to go organic and local with their ingredients where possible. What we love about this spot, is that their menu is constantly changing according to the availability of produce. While this vibe may not be for everyone, there’s something exciting about this potluck experience."

"Wicker ParkAs good as the coffee at The Wormhole is, that’s not the draw (though you should order the Peanut Butter Koopa Troopa). No, the reason you go to Wormhole is to kick back with a latte in a coffee shop modeled off of the living room you wish you had. The seating, although limited, is plush and comfy, and nestled underneath the shop’s iconic DeLorean busting through the roof is an old TV featuring an original NES with a selection of games for when you need to take a break from working."

"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."

"Like a trip back in time, The Wormhole Coffee in Wicker Park serves coffee in an atmosphere filled with quintessential nostalgia pieces, complete with an almost-to-scale model of the Delorean."

"Modern Indian cafe Moti has unveiled a new option during the pandemic that’s proven to be popular. Indian pizzas: thin-crust pies with the restaurant’s “Moti sauce” and cilantro-lime drizzle. The crispy pies are studded with onions, green peppers, mozzarella, and a choice of protein (chicken or paneer)."

"A post shared by Chicago Food Blogger • 312food (@312food) on Jun 6, 2020 at 11:17am PDT. The maple syrup at Sweet Maple Cafe comes from Vermont and the recipe for the pancakes is all original. Try it “bursting with blueberries” or “not-so-plain” buttermilk, and add the extra maple syrup for a sweet breakfast taste."

"Neighborhood locals and Chicago visitors alike, can be found enjoying the Sweet Maple menu. Family recipes and fresh ingredients make this restaurant feel like home. Pancakes: Good-Old-Fashioned Pancakes-Their great taste comes from our original recipe."

"Inspired by Hong Kong street food, the egg waffle can be topped with ice cream, fruit and, of course, chocolate sauce."

"This vegan cafe in Lakeview carries Dark Matter coffee and also serves up a wide and ever-changing range of snacks like breakfast sandwiches, wraps, bagels, pastries and more!"

"We are monitoring all local, state and federal regulations to provide customers with contactless ordering options. While some restaurants may have dining rooms open, others are serving customers through the Drive Thru, with Mobile Order & Pay on the McDonald's App, and with McDelivery®..."

"Steak 48 on North Wabash Ave in River North, is a restaurant from Jeffrey and Mike Mastro of the Mastro’s Ocean Club restaurants. They are no strangers to great restaurants and thi..."

"Since 1928, Calumet Fisheries has been smoking the tastiest fish on the South Side. Sitting above the banks of the Calumet River, the no frills shack has used the same natural wood-burning practices for over 60 years. There's no seating—except for the car or bicycle you rode up on—for the goods are usually consumed as soon as they're served."

"Calumet Fisheries gives customers a glimpse at a long-forgotten piece of Chicago on the city’s South Side, just seven minutes from the Indiana border and east of the Chicago Skyway. Enjoy precious smoked salmon, trout, and shrimp — the small smokehouse is right outside the restaurant. Each morsel is delicate and sweet."

"When you think of the South Side, quality seafood probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. However, Calumet is one of only a few authentic smokehouses in Illinois. Make the trek for one of their fried fish or shrimp dinners, and pick up some smoked seafood while you're at it."

"Da Coach himself often shows up for wedge salads, Angus rib eyes, and banana cream pies at the manliest spot in the Gold Coast.L & D daily."

"Come meet SUE, the world's largest T-Rex, at this famous museum of science and anthropology. At this larger-than-life exhibit and many others, you and your family will travel back in time and all around the world. NEW for 2018 -- SUE is being transferred to her own "throne room" to give her a dedicated space, and to make room for a brand new critter, even bigger than a T-Rex!"

"The Field Museum of Natural History is one of the biggest natural history museums in the world. The Field Museum is considered a leader in its scientific and educational programming. The Field Museum's permanent collection includes more than 24 million different specimens, including fossils, meteorites, and gems."

"We walked to the Field Museum from the RV park we were staying at and had a couple of hours to explore. We love how the museum pass gives us the opportunity to do this!. Since we get in for free."