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.

One of my favorite coffee spots in the city in Chicago! There's always a huge line to order so best…read moreto plan ahead and avoid peak hours. The spot has plenty of picnic style seating and great music to catch up with friends, grab a drink, or a slice of pizza! I typically go there for coffee. Their cold brew and lattes are fantastic! I like the Tokyo style syrup in my oat latte (1.5 pumps). The baristas are very friendly and have great recommendations.

DRINKS I opted for their black camo latte. The hojicha…read moreflavor was strong, and the drink itself was not too sweet. Their military latte is their iconic drink, so if I'm ever back in Chicago, it'll definitely be something I'll check out! FOOD They have a limited selection of pastries like donuts available for purchase. Selection was limited near the end of the day. SERVICE The staff are kind and friendly! It gets busy fast, but they are efficient in pumping out orders. AMBIANCE Ample seating is available inside the store that is shared with the BBQ place adjoining the coffee spot. I visited around 2:30pm and it was filled with people working/studying or meeting with friends/coworkers. Complimentary wi-fi is available (password on the menu board). Finding the entrance was a bit confusing despite all the signs, but it's the one with a lot of stickers! PARKING Paid street parking is available at a limited capacity. BATHROOMS Restrooms are available downstairs at the back of the establishment.

Such a beautiful coffee shop & cafe! We decided to grab breakfast here on my last day in Chicago. I…read morechose a chai latte along with a Nutella & banana croissant. Delicious! Cafe is on a near street, with a bookstore across the way, and a wine bar next door. Will definitely visit again!

Very beautiful with chandeliers and elegant walls. We were greeted by a friendly cashier who just…read moremoved to Chicago from sunny San Diego. I got a lavender latte, and my mom got a strawberry latte. They were both a bit sweet, but the lavender latte was pretty good. A lot of people camp out with their computers, and there are outlets and free wi-fi. But it's also great to chat and talk with people.

Fresh food and beverages prepared in meticulously neat and clean area and served in peaceful and…read morecalm environment

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

First time trying Gathers Tea Bar and I'm already impressed. The drinks were smooth, flavorful, and…read moreperfectly balanced, not overly sweet, which I really appreciate. The boba had the perfect texture, soft and chewy just how it should be. Service was quick and friendly, and the whole experience felt easy and welcoming. Great spot for a refreshing drink, especially if you're looking to try something new. Definitely a strong first impression. I'll be back to explore more of their menu.

Came here on a Saturday around 4pm and we were able to find parking quickly. We waited roughly 20…read moreminutes to order cause it was decently packed inside. Definitely order the cream version of the matcha latte. It's soooo good. I ordered 2 drinks: strawberry matcha latte with oat milk and a mango matcha latte cream with oat milk. The regular matcha latte has a stronger matcha flavor and the color is a dark green while the cream has a lighter cream color but the matcha was perfect amount. The cream is so much smoother. I will definitely be coming back and trying the strawberry matcha latte cream version.

DAY 1: This "sniffs…read morein" at 4.5 stars... We sniffed in here multiple times during our 3-day visit. Some of the things we consumed: YUZU NITRO COLD BREW: -- my favorite coffee drink here of the trip -- yuzu works very well and is clearly present -- very visually appealing -- smooth and tasty and not too sour -- only orange or multiple citrus blend coffees may beat out this for me RATING = A WHISKEY BOURBON CAKE DONUT: -- lightly sweet w/gentle lean towards moderate -- up to moderate bourbon sniff and taste -- not oily or greasy -- soft interior almost layered -- leans moist, not dry -- size is small -- $5 plus is pricey but a rare find donut flavor RATING = A NOTE: I do miss their Sicilian cannoli from 2022, but I tried something else here as a substitute later in the trip PROSCIUTTO PROVOLONE CROISSANT: -- buttery -- not heated up -- medium sized -- soft flaky croissant flatter, not airy -- nice quality pastry -- lightly loaded inside but good balance of inserts to bread -- a good light snack to save belly for our Italiano dinner RATING = A- We snuck in at the last moment apparently as we were nearly cut off from lining up at the bar at 9:29pm. We ordered the "ESPRESSO MARTINI FLIGHT" for $25.00. CHERRY LIMONE (LEMON/CHERRY): -- very cherry forward -- partial slices of fresh lemon rind -- not too tart, tad bitter -- it works RATING = A- MOLE SPICE: -- tiny cacao bean shrapnel on top -- moderately plus spicy overpowers the chocolate -- okay but weakest of the bunch RATING = B+ ORANGE CACAO: -- cut slice of orange rind -- clear orange on sniff and taste -- my fave of the three -- all 3 had creamy heads to them RATING = A DAY 2: NITRO COLD BREW w/UBE COCONUT WHIP ADDED ON TOP: -- very pretty visually -- initially the slow sipping for nitro drinking worked and I got a balance of everything in my mouth but then I mostly just tasted coffee....so I stirred it up and agitated it to blend it better and it improved -- not an item I would order often -- 2" foamy head RATING = A- RASPBERRY MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE: -- semi-firm exterior -- big price around $11.00 plus -- medium-sized -- bone/ecru coloring -- 5 fresh raspberries on top with a slice of dark chocolate -- thin shortbread crust was fragile and not thick enough, but I love the shortbread vs. graham cracker idea -- texture is layered and dense -- it is not NYC style nor Chicago style w/mascarpone but closer to Chicago style than NYC -- very creamy -- I tend to prefer ricotta cheesecake or Chicago style, but this is nice and anything is better than firm heavy brick dense NYC style RATING = A- The wife grabbed a fresh bag of the "Chicago" beans that we sampled on day one. It was a smooth tasty cup. The seating is great here if you can get it. Weekends are "sold out" almost so pick your time carefully and cross your fingers.

As much as I'm ashamed to admit it, I've probably been to hundreds of Starbucks locations over the…read more20 years of my coffee consumption! This is absolutely, without a doubt, the best one! Located on Michigan Ave, it is BUSY and garage parking is really the only way to park, so I'd prepare to walk or use public transport to get here. Spanning 4 floors of Willy Wonka-esque coffee brilliance, you could spend hours just taking it all in! With different menus available on each floor, and a fully loaded bar on the top, you really should plan to walk around before making a decision on what to drink! A wide and diverse cast of characters staff the many spaces and you can tell they LOVE their jobs! You can learn so much from their expertise! On this trip, we enjoyed the Tiramisu Latte and the Salted Caramel Bianco Latte. Both were scrumptious, dessert-style drinks that we enjoyed sipping in the sun from the large windows! It's great to have site-specific drinks that you can't get at standard Starbucks locations. Come early, have patience as lines will absolutely happen, but well worth the stop if you're a fan of coffee or the Starbucks brand.

Ordered: Turkey Bacon & Egg Croissant (~$11) w Avocado…read more(~$2): scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, smoked gouda and sambal aioli on a flaky croissant Cinnamon Roll (~$7) Iced Banana Cream Cloud Latte (~$6): creamy banana milk topped with light espresso cold foam sweetened with date syrup Iced Banana Fosters Latte (~$6): blend of espresso, creamy banana, and sweet caramel Aya's take: First stop on my recent Chicago trip and we decided to try a Chicago classic. This is a fast casual spot so service was pretty fast. There is a decent amount of seating, most of which was surprisingly taken around 11am on a Thursday. For starters, they no longer have their rainbow cake! I was surprised to hear that considering how popular it's supposed to be. We got both banana lattes which were extremely sweet. It's basically dessert with a hint or caffeine. I'm a big fan of banana, so I actually liked this but I would've preferred half the sweetness. The Turkey Bacon & Egg Croissant was so good! A solid breakfast sandwich - the eggs were cooked perfectly, the turkey bacon was insanely crispy, and that sambal aioli was just what this needed. I highly recommend adding Avocado like I did for some freshness & creaminess since it's a heavy sandwich as is. The Cinnamon Roll was soft, moist, and not overly sweet. Overall, I really enjoyed this breakfast!

Cute vibey breakfast place conveniently located in walking distance from my hotel. If you Iike…read morediabeetus for breakfast/brunch there are tons of pastries and specialty drinks to get your blood sugar spiking in AM. Avocado toast was great, definitely felt bougie and filling. The "matcha Americano" is just an iced matcha without the sugar or milk which was refreshing and what I wanted.

Flew in on a red eye so first stop was to get some coffee. I tried their Avena Latte and it was…read moreunique. I've never had cayenne with my coffee but it was a nice touch.

Didn't love this location. It felt fairly bare bones compared to other Intelligentsia locations…read moreI've been. Almost like it was part of a hotel lobby/ office building. The coffee was okay, but again not nice as other Intelligentsia locations.

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.

1. Service is top notch…read more 2. Food was great! Enjoyed breakfast menu items on a Sunday morning. Mimosas were 3. The ambiance is really the big draw here (in my opinion). It's artfully designed. The esthetic is inviting - feeling like you're enjoying both an indoor and outdoor atmosphere.

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.

Got the Staff Draft beer and a cold brew and both were really good! Excellent seating and lighting…read moreand lots of outlets to sit and work. Will definitely be going back to get work done and the staff was awesome.