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    Cira

    4.1 (602 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Order Cira Takeout or Delivery

    Cira Photos

    CIRA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Trendy
    Romantic
    Classy

    Recommended Reviews - Cira

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    Reviews With Photos

    Vibe
    Becca K.

    Came here for breakfast! Coffee was pretty decent but loved the avocado toast! Probably one of the best I've had in a while and the potatoes were perfection. Had some bacon on the side too but it's pretty standard. The space is so open and very much giving West Loop vibes.

    Ankit S.

    This place gets really busy on a Friday or Saturday night. It takes a while to order at the bar and I wouldn't blame the bartenders but some of them just plainly ignore you and go to the person who come after us. The drinks were alright got their tequila sunrise and it was so bad. Ambiance and music is Great and it seems like it's first come first serve for seats after a certain time. There's a photo booth around the corner and lazy bird right downstairs.

    Lee L.

    We dined here recently as a group of eight for a milestone birthday celebration. It was a very good meal in a lively but noisy atmosphere. Since we were a larger party with a variety of dietary preferences and restrictions, we had the opportunity to try a broad range of their offerings. There were some hits and a few misses, but in the end everyone came away quite happy. Appetizers: Hummus - fairly standard, topped with a pumpkin seed relish and served with pita. Baba ganoush - flavor was a little understated, could have used a little more spice. Seared octopus - tender and flavorful with a delicious za'atar relish; one of the favorites of the evening Mushroom skewer - I didn't personally try this (the vegetarians among us finished this off), but it was well-liked by those who ate it Pastas: Squash mezzaluna - cooked in brown butter and served with an agrodolce sauce, this was really excellent. Good thing we got two orders of this. Pistachio ravioli - orange butter saffron sauce topped with garlic bread crumbs, this was another favorite of the table. Mains: Grilled dorade - cooked with the skin on and topped with panzanella and a caper relish, this was one of my favorites but it was less well-received by others. The fish was well-prepared and moist. Chicken confit - prepared with a pepper and mushroom cacciatore, this was a miss for most of us. The tomato-based sauce just didn't seem to work, and it was hard to get the chicken off the bones in a clean manner. Tuscan steak skewers - we asked for medium rare but they came out medium, but it was still tender and flavorful. This was served on a bed of beans that looked odd but worked well. Desserts: Apple mille-feuille cake - caramel and mascarpone and thinly sliced apples; really very good Baklava with berry compote - it seemed like a good idea, but in the end it just didn't work. The baklava rolls were a little dry and hard to cut as well. Service was excellent. It is very loud in here and it's hard to have a conversation with anyone who isn't seated right next to you. The restaurant has also bought into the trend of keeping the lights at a very low level, which I guess is done for ambience but sometimes it would be nice to be able to see your food a little better.

    Shakshuka**
    Andi P.

    5 Stars for a beautiful dining area and lounge, fantastic breakfast, and kind service. We arrived for brunch (without a reservation) on a Saturday and were excited to see they had room. The hostess took us over to the main dining area (there's also a lounge area closer to the entrance that looks like a lovely place to hand for drinks and bites). Shah was our server and he helped us pick the fluffy pancakes, the shakshuka, and crispy breakfast potatoes. All three were perfect. The shakshuka had a bold, rich, and deep flavor. The spices in this really shone and we were grateful for the crusty toast served alongside. The pancakes were such a delight!! Fluffy and almost like little soufflés! The compote and syrup gave us a perfect tangy/sweet combo and the side of crispy potatoes gave me the crunch and salt I desired. We were thankful for Shah's guidance and loved chatting with the chef who also stopped by. Overall, a definite repeat-worthy spot!

    Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta  Crispy Falafel
    Allisen J.

    Super impressed with this spot. The ambience was an EASY 5 stars: massive restaurant and beautiful decor and natural lighting. We came for dinner after drinks at lazy bird downstairs. We ordered wine, which was excellent and falafel and bruschetta to start. Very fresh and good flavor. We ordered gnocchi for the main and it was pretty good but not the star of the show. Would def come back to try more of their well balanced menu!!

    Interior
    Anthony D.

    The restaurant is in the lobby of a hotel. I believe it is also a coworking space, but it's a pretty great spot to grab brunch. This time I ordered: - Cold Brew - Breakfast Burger The burger was great, a little on the tall side which made it a little messy when trying to eat it. The fries were nice, but it seems like a few were stuck together during the frying process so a little chewier.

    Their version of kids buttered pasta
    Jim D.

    Came here after a failed attempt at thanksgiving dinner elsewhere. Flavors were bland, overpriced & despite it being the food holiday of the year there were no special incentives. Fireplace is aesthetically pleasing but that's where the compliments stop.

    Gem Caesar (add falafel)
    Heather F.

    Opted to have a last minute brunch at Cira while walking around the neighborhood with friends earlier this fall. I had never been before, so was a blank slate in terms of expectations. As others have noted, the restaurant is situated in the Hoxton Hotel lobby. There were a number of people hanging out with laptops when we visited, and not so many patrons focused on social dining, which left the vibes pretty flat. Along those lines, the service also felt a little disengaged. Acknowledging it can be tough when a group is being social to know how much to intrude, it still felt like there were moments where we were definitely left waiting for some time, namely to place our order and get our check. We ordered the mezze platter to start, and it was very colorful and enjoyable. The pita it came with was good, but did not go far, so I would consider ordering an extra piece depending on your group size. I was feeling something fresh, so I went with the Grain Bowl Tabbouleh. The description emphasized quinoa and kale, so I had figured some heft, but ultimately what jumped out was the cucumbers and tomatoes, neither mentioned in the description, and the feta. The kale was very scant. I added an extra falafel as I was hungry, which proved to be fine, but it wasn't terribly interesting (a little undercooked in the center and overdark on the exterior), compared to a standard mediterranean plate of the same. A friend of mine got the Gem Caesar, which was more vegetable forward, and another the smoked salmon and hashbrown dish, which was pretty and composed, but not out of the ordinary. I certainly wouldn't say anything was problematic, but given the price point and the other takes online, I did feel like brunch was definitely a more middle of the road experience.

    Fluffy Pancakes
    Amisha R.

    I ordered the short rib benedict which was a bit dry, but I did enjoy the hash browns that came with the dish. The service was quick, but not as attentive as you would hope. I asked for something and it took the server a reminder to remember to bring it to be me even though it wasn't that busy. You definitely are paying for the ambiance though, which is classy and elevated.

    Seared Octopus and Lamb Kofta
    Victoria S.

    Loved this place! It's spacious, yet welcoming! Almost feel like a library. We ordered an assortment of dishes. Highlights include the octopus, broccoli, and grilled chicken. The star of the show was the blueberry baklava. Just get it, trust me! The drinks were very very good too. Well made. I want to return and go to the downstairs area? I believe it's a go-to spot in the evening. I'll be back for sure!

    Vibe
    Leyang Z.

    Second time dining in this restaurant. Main dish was good, service was disappointing. I ordered the "Green" salad and Sea Trout. Salad had very little asparagus inside -- only several thin slices. The trout was grilled to perfection -- very crispy skin, and very juicy, meaty flesh. What interested me most was, however, the sprouted lentil side served with the trout, where they put pickled beets, sprouted lentils and a light hint of sauce. It had an earthy, slightly sour flavor. Paired greatly with the fish. Service, however, was disappointing. The server gave me a salad with dressing for the first time (I asked dressing on the side). But what really annoyed me was that lots of people came to my side to order drinks as if they did not notice that I was dining at the bar. Someone even touched my plates! The servers and bartenders just overlooked it; no one informed the customers to be careful. In fact, they should have asked them order the drinks at the side of the bar.

    Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
    Suhani A.

    This place is so beautiful and the restaurant itself is massive. Very dim lighting and absolutely delicious food. I hate pistachios and hate dates but the pistachio ravioli was probably my favorite dish of the night. I usually like falafel but didn't like this one; it felt like there were too many pickled veggies that were overpowering the falafel and the falafel didn't really taste like your usual. Overall, I thought the food was excellent but the portions are way too small. I think even for an upscale restaurant, the portions are very unreasonable given the prices.

    Divya V.

    I have been to Cira a couple of times in the past, this time I tried their restaurant week menu for dinner. The experience was great! So if you are choosing a restaurant week menu, the entire table needs to participate in it. For appetizers we tried the mezze platter, which was family size sharable. Although my friend complained that there weren't enough pita breads served along with it, however our server was kind enough to give extra pitas when requested. The pita is served with three dips - eggplant hummus, green pea hummus and a creamy dip. Everything tasted great! For main course I tried to Pistachios ravioli and my friend ordered the Tuscan Lamb Kebab. The ravioli was soo good, it surely melted in my mouth with every bite, yum! For deserts we tried the hazelnut cake and tiramisu brownie. I don't have a sweet tooth but still appreciated both the deserts a lot. For drinks we tried tequila based drinks - old fashioned with tequila and rags to riches. I felt rags to riches had a weird sugary syrup which made the drink too sweet but wasn't bad at all! We were celebrating a birthday so our server even offered cute chocolate balls with happy birthday decorated on a plate. It was a sweet gesture! Try this place for a good dining experience, they offer great Turkish food!

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    This place was a whole brunch vibe AND the food and service was amazing. Highly recommend.

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great place! Friendly staff. Food is good value for money. Beautiful setting which gives this such a high rating.

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    4 years ago

    Amazing food! Incredible vegetarian options and great hospitality. The desserts were amazing also.

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    Page 12 of 16

    Ask the Community - Cira

    Hi, is the restaurant dog friendly?

    Yes. We welcome dogs in our lounge area. We serve food and drink throughout.

    Are you open for Christmas dinner?

    Good Afternoon, Susie, We will be open for Christmas dinner! At this time we will not be offering… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Cafe Istanbul - Classic Onion Soup

    Cafe Istanbul

    4.4(374 reviews)
    1.9 miWest Town, Wicker Park
    $$

    Visited Cafe Istanbul and tried a pretty wide range of dishes mashed potatoes, lahmacun, the…read moreseafood mixed grill, chef's mixed grill, and kuzu şiş. I was surprised by how heavy the soup was at this restaurant, it is quite a large space and a handful of exotic items on the menu. Overall, the food was genuinely good. Everything came out flavorful, seasoned, and cooked nicely. The seafood and kuzu şiş especially stood out. Don't skip the desserts, they were awesome! Friendly, fun waitresses made the experience even better, and there's plenty of parking right next to the restaurant. Cafe Istanbul is easily one of the best Turkish restaurants I've been to in the U.S. Everything we tried was delicious. I'm not an expert in the cuisine, although I have been to Istanbul a few times, but from what I could tell everything seemed fresh! Highly recommend!

    The Sunday Bruch is a Scam! We went to have lunch, they gave us a Brunch menu which is $30 Per…read moreperson and not Turkish... the only option they offered at 11AM in an empty restaurant was the Dinner Menu. The lunch Menu was not available, which the lunch menu is identical to the Dinner except for the Dinner prices being higher and the portions being larger. SCAM! Then when the check came a forced minimum 18% tip included... I normally tip 25% for good service but to be forced is unacceptable! Also the food tasted like it was from a steam table and not made to order... Cannot recommend!

    Photos
    Cafe Istanbul - The dining area (Wed night)

    The dining area (Wed night)

    Cafe Istanbul - Iskender

    Iskender

    Cafe Istanbul - Outdoor seating

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    Outdoor seating

    Döner 97

    Döner 97

    4.6(43 reviews)
    2.8 miLincoln Park

    My cousin Mickey and his wife, Minnie, drive from Skokie twice a month because of their love for…read morethe place. It's more fast food than dining room, even though there are tables and chairs, if you prefer. The döner sandwiches are something special. It's clear they use fresh ingredients and put a little tlc in every one they prepare. If you're into baked potato check out the build your own Kumpir. Butter drenched potato with your choice of veggies and proteins added. A meal in itself! I sampled and loved their Red Lentil soup and Bulgar dishes. The big winner this night was the Ćevapi sausages in their special flatbread. Pro Tip: consider splitting something. The portion size is impressive. If you like leftovers, ignore my tip and get two completely different dishes that you can share the next day. Actually, that's two tips in one. So Pro Tips! The cost was fairly reasonable and the waitstaff very efficient. Cousin Mickey (his name is Michael, her's is Amelia; they DID have the nicknames before meeting each other) spent two years traveling back and forth between Germany and Turkey and he claims this fare to be very authentic. 09/25

    One of the best meals in the city. Authentic doner with fantastic sauces. I took my wife here and…read moreshe was extremely skeptical because she doesn't like Mediterranean/schwarma. The entire meal she was saying how good it was. Highly recommend.

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    Döner 97
    Döner 97
    Döner 97 - Doner Dner Sandwich

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    Doner Dner Sandwich

    The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Kurdish coffee -- very tiny but sooooo good!

    The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen

    4.7(675 reviews)
    3.4 miLakeview
    $$

    I'm very happy that I closed out my visit to Chi-City at this amazing gastronomy destination! Made…read morea last minute reservation, and the magic unfolded. Beverages: 5/5. I don't see the drink I ordered online and I forgot to take a picture of the menu. That said, it was a superbly blended craft cocktail with whiskey. Cuisine: 5/5. The stuffed chicken was recommended by the waiter and it was superb! Flavorful, filling, and just the perfect meal after walking miles around the city. The milk pudding was a solid closer, but I'd probably order one of their other desserts next time. Service: 5/5. Efficient, which was impressive, given the dinner rush. Ambiance: 5/5. Classy space, nothing to dislike. Buen provecho.

    I have since returned twice for dinner. We had a lovely meal 3 years ago and returned lat night…read morereminiscing about it. We found the service to be incredible - warm, sincere, helpful. The staff genuinely cared to deliver a positive dining experience. Our water glasses were always refilled (so many restaurants these days don't do it). The menu is marked so well for allergens - my friend is vegan and I am vegetarian gluten-free - I was able to enjoy the soup, appetizers, and salads. They prepared a vegan cous cous for my friend. I recalled the salads being better - it was mostly greens with very little of walnuts/ beans, etc - the other ingredients that had previously made these wholesome and enjoyable. I might suggest cutting back on overall size of the salad but not on the ratios of the recipe. The soup was flavorful and they provided me with gluten-free bread. And my friend absolutely loved the cous cous - generous portions, flavorful spices. My husband had had the lamb shank last time which he found a bit dry. Last night he gobbled up the stuffed chicken delightedly.

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    The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Inside

    Inside

    The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Baklava Crepes

    Baklava Crepes

    The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Interior

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    Interior

    Oda Mediterranean Cuisine - Butternut squash soup and mini eggplant roulades

    Oda Mediterranean Cuisine

    4.4(210 reviews)
    6.9 miAndersonville, Edgewater
    $$

    This meal was so good, filling, and FLAVORFUL! Their dolma dish was really good, and the sigara…read moreböreği was so flaky and delicious. I got the Oda combo grill because I wanted to try all the meats, and I definitely chose correctly -- they were all seasoned and cooked so well. The rice and veggies were the perfect sides for the protein, and the portions are pretty big, so we had leftovers. We tried adjaruli khachapuri for the first time, and it was amazing. Once the egg is mixed in, it takes the dish up 5 notches! The drinks were well mixed, the ambiance was dimly lit and nice, and the service was attentive and amazing.

    I've always thought that having a great restaurant within walking distance of where you live is an…read moreundervalued property perk. We are lucky to have a wide range of cuisine options near our place in Andersonville, and now we can add Turkish-Georgian fusion to our regular rotation. We had a wonderful meal there--I took advantage of the Restaurant Week menu and ordered cioppino. Half the time I order seafood in a restaurant, I end up with rubbery shrimp and tasteless fish. Not at Oda. Their seafood stew was filled with great stuff. My wife had tokat chicken, which she also enjoyed. The humus, Khachapuri, salad and dessert flight were also excellent. It would be fun to go there with a group. It's an ideal place for a shared-plate night out with friends. But there is one thing--like most restaurants in the city, the tables are close together, which is totally fine. We're not looking for Applebee's-type table separation when we go out. Even when you get a table a few inches between two others, it takes about 30 seconds to isolate your own conversation and enjoy your meal, unless you're next to a table where the diners are essentially yelling at each other. I'm not talking about a couple fighting about money or a bunch of 30-somethings getting rowdy on Moscow mules and umami burgers during a night out without their kids. I'm talking about two people yelling--in a friendly way--about the most mundane subject of all: their coworkers. We noticed as soon as we sat down but by the time we considered asking to be moved, the three tables nearby were filled. No big deal. It was kind of entertaining, in an eardrum-splitting way. Their conversation was shockingly loud. And not just the statements, like "SHE THINKS SHE'S IN LINE FOR HIS JOB," but also the brief conversational acknowledgements, like "YEAH! FOR SURE!" It was like sitting next to dueling car alarms. If you're familiar with Pee-Wee's Playhouse, picture the obnoxious salesman who loudly blah-blah-blahs his way to a quickly slammed door, courtesy of Mr. Herman, but two of them whose faces are two feet apart. And we had no door to slam. All that being said, this isn't a knock on the restaurant at all. And since Oda is so close and so good, we'll be back. And hopefully by then, Josh from accounting figures out how to use Smartsheet--"RIGHT? IT'S RIDICULOUS!"--so if we do end up next to the Decibel Duo, we'll have a new workplace dilemma to listen to.

    Photos
    Oda Mediterranean Cuisine - Dining room

    Dining room

    Oda Mediterranean Cuisine - Pita and hummus - excellent

    Pita and hummus - excellent

    Oda Mediterranean Cuisine

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    Cira - mediterranean - Updated May 2026

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