Buttercup in the South Loop is an absolute gem, especially if you're even remotely into amaro. The…read moreselection is unreal, like the kind of list that makes you pause and realize you're about to learn something whether you wanted to or not. It's curated in a way that feels intentional, not just "we stocked a bunch of bottles." You can tell whoever built it actually cares. And shoutout to Axel behind the bar, because she is amazing. Friendly, dialed in, and genuinely knowledgeable without doing the annoying bartender thing where they make you feel dumb for asking questions. You can tell she really enjoys working here. She makes a fantastic Negroni. Great vibe, great drinks, and the kind of place you immediately want to make "your spot."

It's nice to have another coffee shop in south loop and this place is very cute! Cozy vibes and the…read moreservice is nice and fast enough. My friends and I each tried their specialty drinks and i got an everything croissant. We had high expectations because everything looked so good on the menu. Unfortunately none of us particularly enjoyed anything we got. All of our drinks just tasted like milk (both iced and hot options) and my croissant was oddly sweet because of the filling and I didn't love that. The pastries are actually being shipped in from elsewhere (they have exactly the same one in coffee shops out in Naperville too lol). Which leaves nothing special here. It's also very small so it gets crowded and swamped pretty fast. You're really constantly stepping out of someone's way when you're just waiting for you order, so that's not ideal either. Likely won't return.

I come here every time I'm in Chicago. I figure it's time to update the review. I'm sad they…read moredon't have the real cups anymore, it just elevated the experience. The line is long and constant on a Saturday morning but it moves fast. Pastry selection is larger now but still includes the delicious Old Fashions from doughnut vault. Please come and create your own adventure.

Welp, there's a reason this spot has fabulous Yelp reviews. I worked my way throughout the city for…read morea few days and I have to say the little window perch overlooking the sidewalk at Sawada was one of my favorites. It also didn't hurt that their military matcha packs a punch. The espresso matcha combination was much smoother than I anticipated. I'd be lying if i didn't admit that I was questioning that this was a trending drink in the reviews but I was wrong, dear reader. The combination somehow worked and it's pretty at the same time. This space is also home to a bbq restaurant so there's a lot of room to spread out, have meetings, etc. The location in Fulton Market also makes it a great jumping off point for the neighborhood.

Beautiful inside with a classy coffee shop vibe. No computers are allowed on the weekends. Honestly…read moreit was nice to see people catch up with each other without heads buried under laptops. Coffee was solid, tried their vanilla latte. They have their own selection of food but didn't get a chance to try this time.

I got a hot latte and a cheese guava danish. Both were pleasant and ready quickly. No qualms on the…read morefood and drink, but this is definitely a vibes/aesthetics cafe above all. Great photo opp. Nice place to sit and do work too. The only thing that made my experience unpleasant was that their light bulbs could use a change - a couple of them I was sitting by were flickering and it was quite distracting. Overall, I recommend visiting.

What a place. This is so much more than just a coffee house. Tons of options, great ambience, and…read moregenuinely kind people. We started with a mocha, a solid, well-balanced drink that wasn't overly sweet and was just perfect. We didn't plan on eating here, but the menu was way too tempting. We ordered the cinnamon roll, and wow. This was insanely good. Most cinnamon rolls in the U.S. feel like sugar-heavy, cinnamon-flavored buns, but this one was light, flavorful, and beautifully made. The irimshik on top really elevated it, subtle, warm, and just sweet enough. Easy 10/10. Next was the cottage cheese pancake, which was also very good. It had a generous amount of cottage cheese stuffed inside, and paired with the sweet irimshik dip, the dish came together really well. 9/10. We then tried the qattama. It was good. flaky, crispy, and reminded me of a paratha. It came with a sour irimshik dip. While each component was good, I felt the qattama would shine more with a gravy-based dish. 7/10. Finally, we ordered the Nan Salma pasta. It's a tarry-based white sauce pasta with a unique flavor profile, and it was genuinely yum. Definitely something different and worth trying. Highly recommend it. 8/10. You have space to sit down and work as well. Service was good too. Some of the dishes might take 7-10mins to get prepared. It's not like your daily coffee shop who have stuff ready to go Overall, a great spot with unique food and a welcoming vibe. Definitely coming back. 9/10

we tried the blueberry matcha. their matcha tastes high quality and they say it's ceremonial grade…read morewhich i believe. i think some places say theirs is ceremonial grade when it isn't. so we really enjoyed the quality of the matcha and it was the perfect amount of sweet from the blueberry. we also tried baursaq which is the fried dough bites. it tastes like a light donut ball. it's not heavy or greasy at all. they give you a dipping sauce which tasted like strawberry to me. overall a really clean and simple lay out for the shop. very minimal and upscale. it's not super busy and loud so it's a nice place to sit in and enjoy your drinks and maybe do some homework/remote work. i only gave it 4/5 just because the drinks were a little pricey but i think that's the norm now as well. hard to find drinks under 8$ these days.

Quick trip to Chicago and we wanted tea... wow, Gathers was an excellent choice. They have a big…read moremenu and the drinks are really refreshing. Space also has some seating area. Street parking available in front of the store. We didn't pay since we were going to be in and out, I grabbed the sesame hochica latte and the peach oolong. I am a fan of real flavorful tea Please come and create your own adventure.

i got the matcha latte (extra matcha) and thought it was decent. you can def taste the matcha and i…read morelike how they use simple syrup so nothing is overpowering it. i will say, i wish the matcha was stronger, it was kinda eh, i was hoping for something strong since i got extra matcha the strawberry matcha was good, jam adds a nice sweetness to it. the black sesame matcha i did not like as much, thought the matcha flavor got pushed to the background more yummy rating: 6.5/10

My husband and I stopped by the Starbucks Reserve during our Memorial Day weekend trip to Chicago,…read moreand it absolutely lived up to the hype! The space itself is stunning with multiple floors, beautiful design, and so much to explore. Even with how busy it was, everything felt well organized and the staff was friendly and helpful. We enjoyed delicious drinks and loved seeing the unique menu items you can't find at a traditional Starbucks. The atmosphere was lively and fun, making it a great spot to take a break while exploring the city. Whether you're a coffee lover or just looking for a unique Chicago experience, the Starbucks Reserve is definitely worth a visit. We'll be talking about this stop long after our trip and can't wait to return!

I visited the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in downtown Chicago, and honestly, it was a disappointing…read moreexperience this time. It used to be one of my favorite places, but this visit completely changed my impression. I wanted to try one of their new items Crispy Hash egg. However, the cashier added something we didn't ask for, and also I was charged for extra. When we received the order, we noticed it had an Prosciutto we didn't want, so we asked if it could be removed. The staff handled it poorly--they just took it off the top instead of remaking it properly, and it didn't work for us at all. It felt careless and honestly a bit rude. I also ordered a cappuccino, but it didn't taste right--too much milk and not the balanced flavor I expected. It used to be much better before. Another issue was the waiting time. We were told it would take about 15 minutes, but we ended up waiting around 30 minutes. That was the second big disappointment. Overall, I didn't enjoy this visit. It's sad because this place used to be one of my favorites, but now the quality and service feel like they've gone down.

This was my fiancé and I's first stop once we arrived in Chicago. It was recommended to us from a…read morefriend. I was skeptical at first because it is a local chain, rather than a singular location. However, it lived up to the hype. Service: it was extremely busy when we came in. The line was almost out the door. They have a system in place for ordering and seating so it worked well and fast given how busy they were. We didn't have any questions on where to order or where to stand when waiting for a seat. The staff were friendly and helped us find a spot to sit at. Ambiance: classic cafe in a city. Loud chatter, but it's a vibe. Very colorful and fun interior with cool textural elements. We had a seat that was facing the street so it was fun to people watch as we sipped and ate. Food: amazing breakfast selection! We ordered the morning sandwich and barbacoa bowl. The morning sandwich had THICK scrambled eggs which were super soft and tasty. I could've used more salsa verde on it. The bread was barely toasted. I'd rate the sandwich a 3.8/5. It got the job done. The barbacoa bowl was "really good" according to my fiancé. A great source of protein, fresh ingredients, nice flavor, and great portions. He would rate it a 5/5. Coffee: I am a coffee snob so I am quite harsh when it comes to reviewing it. Their machine is a cute La Marzocco. Appropriate sized "for-here" glasses according to the drinks. Plus, they were really cute. Wide variety of drink selection from your standards to the more girly-drinks (if there is such a thing). We ordered a cappuccino and small hot mocha. Latte art 4.5/5, temperature 5/5, flavor 4/5. The espresso didn't stand out to me, very standard flavor profile. However, the chocolate in the mocha was delicious. It's more of a rich, dark chocolate. Nice thin layer of foam. Would recommend to try at least once when you're in Chicago! Glad to have stopped in.

I walked over from my hotel right at the time they opened, and it was raining. There was no line,…read moreonly a handful of people waiting for their order. I got the pistachio croissant, shakshouka pastry, and berry crunch oatmeal. It took about 20-25 minutes, which made no sense because the pastries are in the case and the oatmeal......is oatmeal. I suspect they opened without having all of their prep done because the delay made no sense. Their staff looked frantic. The croissant wasn't filled, it just had pistachio cream on the top with a couple of nuts. I would order the shaksouka pastry again. The egg was cooked well, and the tomato was very good. They were supposed to heat it up, but it wasn't warm.

Coffee is great, very delicious and pastries are nice as well. Service is ok, it felt like I…read morebothered them by coming and ordering; I felt unwelcomed there...ladies who work there maybe should adjust their attitude.

Best pastries of any local coffee shop in the Federal plaza area. Friendly, knowledgeable, and…read more professional baristas. Authentic French pastries, fresh daily. Intelligentsia Coffee served with decorum (ceramic, on a saucer with mini Demitasse spoon) at a reasonable cost. Clean inviting spot on the corner of Federal and Dearborn in the historic Monadnock Building, Chicago's first skyscraper designed by Burnham and Root.

I had a really good experience at 3 Arts. I wasn't able to get a reservation for Sunday brunch, so…read morewe made sure to arrive before opening. There was already a small line of guests with the same idea, but we were able to get on the waitlist. While waiting, we checked out the small coffee shop inside the gallery and browsed the furniture, which helped pass the time. Our wait was about an hour before being escorted to our table in the courtyard. Initially, we were placed at a low coffee table with couch seating. It's a cool lounge style setup, especially for drinks, but not ideal for a meal. It would have been pretty awkward trying to eat comfortably. We asked to be moved and were told that table preferences should be requested when joining the waitlist. Since it was my first time visiting, I wasn't aware of that, and it also wasn't asked by the hostess. Thankfully, they were able to accommodate us and moved us to a table in the wine cellar. The wine cellar had a completely different vibe, dark and moody, compared to the bright, airy courtyard with its beautiful glass ceiling and natural light. We ordered the lobster roll and the RH Burger, both with fries. The food came out fairly quickly and was well-presented. The lobster roll was served on a buttery brioche with just the right amount of seasoning, and the burger was juicy and flavorful. Overall, I had a great experience and would definitely visit again.

Definitely make reservations here! This place is a…read morerestoration hardware store return to restaurant which is super cool. I'm not from Chicago so this was a really cute spot to be in, definitely IG worthy. They have a limited menu. I got the Caesar salad salad with some sweet potato fries. And my friend got the Chinese chicken salad. I think I got a basic menu so it wasn't amazing but it was good. I just came here for the views honestly, I saw it on TikTok so I wanted to come here since I'm from Houston. Upstairs, they have all of the furniture that you can buy and cute views as well. Definitely make a reservation.

Trying to gate keep this place, but there are so many amazing things about it that I do want to…read moreshare. First off - pickle beer - if you know, you know. It's the life juice. Second, are the recently added craft drinks and I cannot stop thinking about the Hugo spritz - made just right. The service is impeccable, good food options and you cannot beat the patio - no matter the weather. 1000/10 recommend! P.S. If this location is not up to snuff for you, there's one more in Wrigleyville and OG in Milwaukee (trust me, it's worth the trip).

This is my favorite summer spot because the patio is dog friendly. They have a fantastic selection…read moreof food and have gone there for a party. It was catered by the brewery and it was the perfect finger food. They have a great, always rotating beer selection and even have pup food if your doggo is hungry. During the winter they have couches and it can be very cozy in there for a fun game night.