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    Espressamente illy

    3.9 (65 reviews)
    ModerateCoffee & Tea, Cafes
    Closed Closed

    Espressamente illy Photos

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    ESPRESSAMENTE ILLY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Quiet
    Good for working
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Espressamente illy

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    a cup of coffee on a saucer
    Linda B.

    This place knows Italian coffee! Excellent communication to ensure you get your perfect cup! Love the options and the mocha was on point as well as the cappuccino!

    Cafe mocha
    Jill O.

    Needed a place to hang before my Apple appointment. Thought I'd check this place out, since I'd never been. I was disappointed. The decor is nice, so is the view. The fact that it's in the NBC building is also pretty cool. My coffee, however, was not. It was overpriced, for one. I got an iced cafe mocha. There was this grainy chocolate sand sludge at the bottom that made it utterly unpleasant. None for me thanks.

    Jeannie Y.

    Ok taste ok service. Ambiance is so so. Convenient because it's located right across from the school.

    Patricia J.

    Today my husband and I decided to do something for a change. We normally go to Eataly/cupitol/Peet's/Starbucks for a latte. We have been here many other times and we always get the same poor customer service and vibe from both the barista and the cashier. But since it was a nice day out we decided to come in and enjoy the patio. We were so disappointed and dissatisfied with our experience. First of all the cashier was having a lengthy conversation with (what it seemed to be a regular) and refused to acknowledge us or even ask us to wait a minute nothing. Finally after a long while he just looked at us and I guess expected us to start placing our order. So that was a bad start, but again we already knew what type is customer service was to be expected. I ordered a double caffe latte with almond milk, they told me that THEY DO NOT OFFER THAT CHOISE only none dairy is SOY MILK. Ok,so I settled with soy. When I got my drink it was poorly made, the froth was thin and I was not happy at all. My assumption to this place is that unless you are an NBC employee or just a daily regular, you are not gonna get the same customer service. I can now understand why this place has very little reviews.

    outdoor sign
    Claire L.

    I always love an authentic Italian double espresso, which is my absolute go-to drink whenever I'm in Italy, and so I was super excited to find Espressamente Illy right by NBC Tower and the University of Chicago's Gleacher Center, as Illy is a well-known Italian espresso brand. As soon as I walked in the cafe, I was immediately reminded of the unique casual espresso bar atmosphere in Italy, where you can just walk in and immediately get a fresh espresso from the counter. The flavor of the espresso was dark and robust, with just the right amount of crema on top--exactly how it is in Italy. I also got an almond croissant to pair with my espresso, which had a decent amount of almond paste inside, but I would have liked a more buttery/flaky pastry instead -- the croissant layers were just a bit too dry for me. But regardless, I will be back to enjoy more espresso! The views of Cityfront Plaza are also an added bonus to the experience.

    Just right cappuccino served in a pretty cappuccino cup if you like.
    L H.

    Set back in an unexpected alcove off Michigan Avenue, Espressamente is located in what I think is University or Chicago's pretty park-like satellite campus--just inside one of the neato original NBC buildings. Have it to go or, like me, order your cappuccino in one of the artist-designed ceramic cups to add a tad of a luxury and a moment of respite to your day. Every cappuccino I've had, save one, has been well drawn and accordingly so naturally sweet as to call for no sugar. Those freshly made sandwiches look damn good too. A sweet and quiet small surprise to begin or pause any weekday--imo, a special spot.

    Almond croissant
    Evie H.

    I love the seating arrangement in here. They have a variety of desks and chairs so you can choose one for your liking. The lighting is also excellent - plenty bright from the large windows coupled with the natural yellow lights from the ceiling. On weekdays there are a lot of people coming in and out as the store is located at the bottom of NBC Tower right off of Michigan Ave. It was actually quite busy in the afternoon when I came, with almost all the seats taken. The almond croissant is pretty great here. It has lots of toasted almonds slivers on top and a generous amount of almond filling inside. Make sure to get it toasted because afterwards it's perfectly flaky on the outside and soft and warm on the inside such that it's easy to cut with a knife. The only weird thing is that I was served the croissant with no utensils and there were also none to be found next to the napkins. I had to ask for utensils myself only to get a weird look from one of the workers. Sorry but I don't eat hot croissants with my hands and have all the oil get across my fingers! Two things that I appreciated a lot and will always bump up my ratings for cafes: 1) it was warm and toasty inside on a windy/rainy day in the city and 2) wifi was fast and I didn't encounter any problems with it!

    caffe latte and caffe expresso
    Rosa J.

    When Rosa J. wants a cup of coffee, please don't even mention "S*arbucks" or "D*nkin D*nuts." She won't give you a slap on your face, but her anger will be pretty much up there. How about some Italian coffee in the afternoon? Away from the crowed Michigan Ave., this is located at the NBC Chicago building. The patrons are mostly professionals working in the building and I didn't see many tourists because they wouldn't know about this place. Haha, I'm in! I've had some authentic Italian coffee from Caffe Pronto in Norridge, so I knew what I was expecting. I had the caffe latte. It was done correctly like the Italian coffee would, but it was slightly pricy for the amount of coffee I've gotten. Hubby had the caffe macchiato. The concentrated kind of coffee, such as espresso, isn't really my cup of tea. I personally wouldn't order it unless you enjoy having a punch in your face early in the morning. I've never been desperate enough to want something that's that concentrated. I will still stick with the latte or mocha. I would still prefer Caffe Pronto (see my review on this establishment), for their portions, prices, and atmosphere, yet this is a great choice to have your coffee fix right in the smashing downtown Chicago.

    Frank F.

    No complaints here other then this is a very expensive coffee shop but with that being said it's a very good coffee shop. They have great pastry's and great sandwiches that are very good. The coffee is wonderful. Very pure and rich There tiramisu tastes like it came from Italy. But for $7 a slice it definitely should.

    Daniel D.

    Excellent coffee and location. Right off Michigan but you wouldn't know it by how quiet it is. Real close to the river so I can grab a coffee and sit there in peace and enjoy the views of the area without the people or noise. I've yet to see it be overcrowded in the spacious but quaint indoor seating area that is very well done with an arrangement of seating choices and pillows all ILLY themed. My favorite part however is the walk up coffee bar. Reminds me of my trip to Italy and might be the real reason this place struck a cord with me. They also always have a nice selection of Italian desserts and pastries that i can't ever seem to say NO too.

    Good coffee but horrible almond croissant
    Hans-Peter G.

    The product is good and the premise is good but don't be in a hurry here nor expect any professionalism from the people working here. After simply ordering a double espresso for here, a relatively simple order (or so I thought) I proceeded to see several people's orders before me forgotten or messed up...I got increasingly worried and frustrated as people who had arrived and ordered several minutes after me (at the time I ordered there was no one in line after me) have there lattes delivered and nary a sign of my basic order. I had to speak up and have the guy ask me "What did you order?" before I finally received my espresso. Geez!

    Roberto N.

    Cosy place, great to stop during a walk by the river. Great expresso! Service is fast and attentive! Great job!

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    A great little coffee shop for a quick stop during conference. Wish the outdoor seating space is larger.

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    4 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Coffee and pastries are plenty tasty, but the two ladies behind the counter are fun and friendly with top notch service.

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    9 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great coffee and wonderful croissants. Excellent service and a warm atmosphere. Highly recommend!

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    10 years ago

    I like coming here. It brings me back when I lived in Europe. The pastries and café mocha are very good.

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    12 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Espressamente illy

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    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.

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    Seats are hard to find .. busy spot!
    Seats are hard to find .. busy spot!
    Turkey Bacon & Egg Croissant (~$11) w Avocado (~$2)
    Turkey Bacon & Egg Croissant (~$11) w Avocado (~$2)
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    Intelligentsia Coffee

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    I stopped by Intelligentsia Coffee and really enjoyed it. I ordered a matcha latte with almond milk…read moreand my husband got a cappuccino with oat milk. Both were excellent. I appreciated that the matcha can be customized. You can choose sweetened or unsweetened and even adjust the matcha strength. Since I am sensitive to caffeine I chose light matcha and it was perfect. Smooth flavor and not overly sweet. The cafe is also a really nice place to sit for a bit. There are big tables and lots of natural light which makes it feel relaxed and comfortable. The staff were nice and the drinks came out quickly. Great spot for a quality matcha or coffee in the area. I would definitely come back.

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    $8 for that lil ass cup is diabolical
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    Arrrgghfhgg!!! Where I came from (The Bay), they didn't have a spot that specialized in Soufflé…read morePancakes. And I suck at making them. So when Hanabusa Cafe appeared on my search for brunch in DT Chicago it was a no brainer for me. I dragged my husband with me first thing in the morning so that we don't have to wait in line. Thank Goodness there was no line but the menu was a little confusing. They gave us a menu and we had to order in line first, and of course it being our first time here, we were attracted to the pictures and didn't notice the handwritten strawberry cream flavors (also our heads were down reading the menu rather than up looking at the TV advertising (which has the SC flavor - obviously we missed out on that). I had checked the menu on yelp before going and already knew I wanted the earl grey pancakes. When we got there, I saw that there were two favorites. I asked our teller which would he recommended between the fan-fav of Custard Vs the Earl Grey. His answer was "... well... they are very different flavors..." and that was as descriptive as he got -- so I just stuck with my Earl Grey. My husband told me I was being a butthole and why did I ask for their recommendation if I was only going to go with my original. I told him I asked for their thoughts and recommendations and he didn't really sell it to me, duh! I'm very aware that those are two different flavors but maybe if they can tell me more about the flavors and why he liked one over the other, I may have been sold. Be excited about what you sell/serve! Anyway. The husband had the plain and I had earl grey and no regrets. Only regret I had was not being able to go again before we had to leave Chicago and my husband's regret that he didn't see the strawberry cream earlier as he would have gotten that one. So don't miss out on that! 1 star down because service could have been better.

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    Small sets of table and counter for ordering
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    Happy Monday Coffee - Loop

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    We really liked their coffee. Bought extra to bring home with us. Super cute coffee spot super…read moreclose to the hotel we stored at.

    There is a theory about why Garfield hates Mondays so much. He's a cat who stays home, so what is…read morethere to not like? Well, this is the day after a weekend when Jon goes back to work! With that in mind, the phrase "Happy Monday!" is an oxymoron, even though I send it every week in the Teams chat. Something that helps fight the Monday blues? Coffee! Yet, despite their oxymoronic name, Happy Monday Coffee is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. As someone who doesn't often make coffee runs during the workday, this means my coffee time is relegated to lunch. Some more expanded hours would be helpful not only to me and others like me but also to boost business. Where the coffee itself is concerned, I love the creativity displayed in the latte selections. Even as someone who is not a big latte lover, this is the kind of beverage I always get here. Are these the greatest things ever? No. However, I can't fault them too much, as lattes by design hide the bite of espresso under milk and often sugar. The vibe inside is relaxed and modern-boho, with a tasteful DJ set playing at a reasonable volume on the flatscreen. While I always take my coffee to go, it seems like a comfortable place to relax with a cup for a bit. Finally, I want to give credit to the service. While there isn't often a long line, service is consistently friendly, welcoming, and fast. Their prices aren't the cheapest around, but they are in line with what I'd expect for premium beverages in a high-traffic, downtown area. Final Verdict: Does Happy Monday have the best coffee anywhere that has me stopping in religiously? No. However, as someone who drinks soda rather rarely, when I am craving a solid and creative latte while at the office, Happy Monday is the first place that comes to mind.

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    Espressamente illy - coffee - Updated June 2026

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