The food is the best in European cuisine. From German to Italian favorites! The service is prompt, friendly and very helpful! I love the European ambience that oozes with coziness and a hefty dose of Gemütlichkeit. This is a place to call home and return many times! read more

Gigantic chicken schnitzel, massive calzones, fantastic ambiance and great staff. They also had Rosti which was fantastic potatoey Gruyère greatness. Only other thing I could ask for is Weihenstephan beer. read more

Himmel's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My favorite German Restaurant in Chicago. High quality food and most authentic. I enjoyed everything that I ordered including German draft beer and German schnapps. Himmel's serves by far the best Steak Tartare I've had in years. The flavor was amazing. Also amazing is the service by Harper behind the bar. Harper makes all guests feel at home. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

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We tried a few German dishes as well as a pizza-all were excellent. The beer was fresh and very tasty. Fun atmosphere, they had a live band.

Himmel's is one of the few surviving German restaurants in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood. A go-to establishment that people flock to for authentic German cuisine. - You'll find it hard not to fill up on their house made pretzel bread - One of the only places to make traditional liver dumpling soup. It tastes like a combination of a meatball and matzoh ball in a very comforting flavorful broth. - Any dish that comes with their housemade spatzel and red cabbage doesn't disappoint! Pork medallions are one of the best dishes! That sauce is to die for! Live music most nights too! Only detriment is the kitchen and service can be a bit slow. So as long as you're not in a rush and you like the people you're dining with, it's a pretty good night. read more

Himmel's - Liver Dumpling - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wow! We are visiting from out of town and had a blast! Service was lovely, Rahm schnitzel was so good! Lynn for the win!! If we lived here we would be back every week! read more

Himmel's - Bavarian bar! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is the best - delicious food and drinks - cozy, welcoming, fun atmosphere - and staff that makes you feel part of the family immediately!! We celebrated my step dads 63rd party here and by the end of the night he was best friends with 2 70 year old regulars at the bar and they exchanged numbers. The food - GREAT - I was nervous going to a german restaurant as a vegetarian but the mushroom stew was to die for. So fricken good. Like heaven on my tongue. My brother got the chicken parm - could have been enough food for 4 people HUGE. My little 10 year old sister got the kids schnitzel and loved it - she ate it in 5 minutes! We all loved our beers. Combine that with some live german musicians playing acordians and a 85 year old couple dancing to it sweetly and I could not be happier. read more

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We hosted our wedding here June 7th. We had a traveling wedding reception and Himmels was our first stop of the night. Carol and Diane created Oktoberfest in June for our guests. The food was delicious and the beer was flowing! Their hospitality was warm and Himmels is part of our family now. read more

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I feel terrible writing this review, a place that was close to our hearts and location of our first date, but I have never felt more awkward and uncomfortable at a restaurant in my life. We came in on a Saturday evening, excited to celebrate a milestone in our life. We walked in and had no clue where to stand, where to stand/check in, and waited for five minutes at the front. Multiple servers and people walked past us and nobody paid us any mind, even avoiding us when waved at. There were a decent amount of tables available and we thought maybe it's seat yourself. We walked up to the bartender and asked if it's seat yourself to which he replied, "NO," with no elaboration. No help on where to wait, nothing else, just no, and then went back to joking with the patrons. Hellbent on eating at the restaurant where we had our first date we waited five more minutes to which our server saw us and sat us down. Then we waited another five minutes, no water, no menus, and finally our server realized the issue and brought us menus. Promptly after we got the menu we were asked on what beer we wanted to order as well as food. Food did come out quickly, it was great, and our server apologized but it was the least inviting experience we've ever had. Multiple locals came into himmels after we were seated and were quickly greeted by the the bartender and other servers. I don't understand why we had to feel like new kids trying to find a place to sit in the cafeteria but that's how it felt and unfortunately has permanently tainted my feelings towards himmels. Unfriendly and discourteous atmosphere, we won't be eating here again. read more

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Old world, German atmosphere. Friendly service. Great made in house pretzel bread. Music on weekends. Authentic German menu. I recommend the chicken schnitzel. Pictured is one portion. read more

Himmel's - Chicken schnitzel - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

When I was growing up in Chicago there were many German restaurants and they were a solid culinary staple. Now it is hard to find one. Himmels is an intriguing mixture of pizzeria and local German eatery. This informal one room space is the venue for good vibes and like an episode of Cheers everyone could know your name if you were a regular. We had dinner and sat near the door as they had a live band playing all types of covers and the sonic power was a tad much. The waitress was a real charmer and quite funny. We ordered the gorgonzola salad, the rosti, the chicken schnitzel and the saurbraten. If course we had to order a tall glass of HB beer. The saurbraten did not have the traditional brown gravy and the red cabbage was a little bland. Also the food was not hot. So my expectations were not met. The service staff were great. However this place seems to have a loyal following but they may never know my name read more

The last time I had really good German food was when I was in Ohio. I have to say Himmel's was spot on. The food was super fresh and well worth the wait. I will recommend the pizza rustica and the champignon rahm schnitzel! And the waiter we had recommended dishes and was very friendly to my friend and I! I will defiantly be coming back again. And on the weekend they have fresh pretzel bread for customers and live music! read more

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I wish I knew about this resturant sooner. Everything is excellent . You don't leave hungry. We had plenty of leftovers. The service was outstanding. read more

Amazing German food. Loved the sauerkraut, probably the best I've ever had. Service was exceptional. Ambiance is fun, casual place with some live music and dancing. Definitely recommend. read more

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We took our dad here for Father's Day. We had a good time with food and ambiance that did not disappoint. We arrived at opening and got seated right away. The weekend we went, they had entertainment with a live accordion player. Despite staffing challenges, the host and owners did their best to keep things moving. Most things ordered were outstanding especially the following: * Steak Tartare * Lachs Toast * Bayerische Platte - A charcuterie of meats, spread, pretzels and cheese * Champignon Rahm Schnitzel *Cherry Strudel The house made bread was pretty good too. Parking in Lincoln Square is hit or miss but if you time it right and arrive at opening or off times, you can find a spot. Enjoy and Prost! read more

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Cozy atmosphere with a German flair; delicious pretzel bread and authentic German cuisine. If you're a fan of spatzle, sausages, schnitzel, cabbage, etc. , this place will hit the spot! read more

Himmel's - Sauerbraten, Spatzle, Red Cabbage - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Step inside and it's as though you've been transported to Old World Bavaria in December. The small dining room is adorned with all manner of knick-knacks and Christmas decorations. This place morphed from Pizza D.O.C. to Himmel's about 9 years ago but they kept the pizza and other Italian specialties on the menu. While not exactly fusion cuisine, Himmel's menu provides an opportunity to mix or match German and Italian classics. The mere thought of sauerkraut pizza makes my intestines frown. Our party dined here during Oktoberfest. We had the honor of being served by one of Himmel's co-owners. Their special Oktoberfest menu featured German classics (10 entrées, all sturdy, none 'light'). Of course, some apropos imported beers are offered on tap. I regaled my palate with a half-liter of Hirter, an Austrian dark beer dating back to 1270. All entrees include a basket of delectable pretzel bread and a choice of soup or house salad. The only salad dressing offered, red wine vinegar and olive oil, was so tart it made my mouth pucker. Substitutions are verboten, which certainly does not set well with anyone having a food aversion. I ordered sauerbraten. The meat should have been fork-tender, but I found it to be quite chewy and the flavor less savory than at other places where I've had this dish. The accompanying spätzle and red cabbage were superb. My Missus' chicken schnitzel was a much better entrée than mine. Boneless white meat was pounded thin, breaded, and fried to a juicy crisp. Others in our party gave high marks to the Wiener (veal) schnitzel, Champignon Rahm (mushroom & pork tenderloin) schnitzel, Schwammerl stew (mushroom stew with bread dumplings), and calzones. Portions were super-generous and our server Diana was great. Only two desserts were offered - apple strudel and cherry cheesecake. You couldn't have the former a la mode because there was no ice cream. Live music began around 6:30. A talented musician with a guitar forwent traditional Teutonic oom-pah-pah, crooning instead pop standards such as "Here Comes the Sun" and "Mrs. Robinson." read more

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I went 3 times on my recent visit to Chicago Bavarian deliciousness! Rahm schnitzel excellent, pretzel bread addictive. Friendly staff, cozy decor. Wish they had better hours. read more

Himmel's might be the only restaurant that you can get authentic #German and #Italian cuisine in the same place . They have all the German favorites like schnitzel, bavarian pork shank and sauerbraten , but they also have been serving pizza that is hand crafted and baked in a wood burning oven that came from Rome, Italy. I love this family owned restaurant (two sisters) that sits on the Northside Chicago in Lincoln Square . Every time I think I feel like I've been waited on by a family member so it seems so homey. They also have a great selection of German beer on draft served in steins. This is a great place to have a family dinner and good times! read more

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We went here for dinner. I love the old school vibe. We both had both thought the pizzas were really good. I can't speak for the rest of the food, but it looked really good. Every server was very nice and the service was great! read more

Great place! The pizza is fantastic and the German fair is flavorful and delicious. Service is top notch. Can't wait to go back. read more

Himmel's - Pear Salad - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Poor service. My meat was not cooked right mention to carol Himmel She was rude unprofessional. Over price I will never go back there

Himmel's is a niche neighborhood joint. Loved by locals, and enjoyed by everyone, Himmel's is in my top favorite north side hangs. Sarah is incredible. She is a salt of the earth lady that makes everyone feel welcome. Himmel's is a gem and Sarah is pure gold. Do yourself a favor and head on over! read more

The chicken schnitzel was good, but there were a couple issues. I found it a little odd that you can only have vinaigrette salad dressing in a restaurant. I've never been to a place that's only offered one dressing, but whatever that's minor. Also, we ordered a couple side plates of the German fried potatoes and 2 of the plates were almost black in color. No respectable chef would have sent them out of their kitchen. I'll post the nicest looking of the bunch, but even though they were nicer in color than the others all 3 batches were firm to raw in the middle. The service was also rude (seems a handful of reviews have said the same thing about this guy lately). There was an event going on when we went and every single table was reserved. Would have been nice if they posted that on their website and that reservations would be needed that day instead of giving attitude when paying customers come in. A family of 4 was sent away for not having a reservation while we were just sitting there waiting forever for our check so we could leave. Also forgot about pop that was ordered at our table and the table next to us, but eventually got it. Also, the table next to us came in after us and was finished eating by the time we even got food. I'm pretty sure they forgot to put our orders in and then had to rush the potatoes which is why they were burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. Giving 2 stars because the schnitzel was pretty tasty. read more

Himmel's - Chicken schnitzel was tasty - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great German Food, large portions and all for a fair price.Service was great too, not a long wait at all. Beer was good too. Friday nights they sometimes have a band. Last time I was there the music was great. read more

We sat for nearly 2 hours and never got our food. The German festival is going on and the restaurant was really busy, so at first we were understanding that service was a little slow. We were seated around 8:55pm last night and got our drinks fairly quickly. But it was nearly an hour before they brought the appetizer and soups/salads that came with our meal. Since soups/salads should be quick and easy to bring out, we asked a couple times for this but still they only showed up about an hour after we placed our order. At one point the manager apologized for the slow service saying that the kitchen was inundated. He didn't offer us anything to compensate, like a round of drinks perhaps. By 10:15pm the place was half empty, we hadn't seen our waitress in at least half an hour, and still no sign of our food. By 10:35pm we had had enough, we calculated that the drinks and appetizer we did receive was about $55-60 so we left that much on the table in cash and got up to leave. Seeing this, they told us that our bill was $199 but of course we didn't get any of our entrees, and the manager (who had apologized for the slow service an hour earlier) appeared surprised that we never got our food (obviously he hadn't followed up on us) and tried blaming the waitress for not putting our orders in. It seems like several of the staff dropped the ball. Which is a shame because I was really hoping to try their schnitzel with käsespätzle. At nearly 11pm, we had to settle for dinner at McDonald's instead. read more

The food was terrible. This is not the real deal folks. Very cold atmosphere inside. The guy who said he was a server acted crazy . Really aggresive and weird. The place definitely had bad vibes. Pick another place if you want to be comfortable. Food was the worst. Champignon Rahm Schnitzel was like rubber Ambiance was creepy. I guess the crowd here has one thing in common and I think it is political in nature. Can you guess? We paid for our food and could not eat it. Chicago deserves better and so do you.. Tom Brenner Chicago read more

This is truly an authentic German restaurant with incredible service from this family owned gem . Excellent beer selection and so many German favorites, combined with live music, will keep you coming back again and again. read more

Bartender's are welcoming and great on service! What a find....1st time here and I will be back ....love this place. Pizza was dynamic! Harper and Sarah were fantastic ! read more

Himmel's - Pizza Margherita - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I cannot say enough good things about this gem of a restaurant! The staff here are so kind. They treat you like family from the moment you enter the door. The food is spectacular. My favorites are the Obatzda appetizer, Pear And Gorgonzola Salad, Pizza Patate & Rosmarino, and Kasespatzle. Go on Thursdays for live music! read more

Hard to get a table but worth the wait. Staff is awesome and friendly. Make sure you make a reservation. read more

Himmel's has added a beer garden, which has been an awesome go-to spot this summer. Everything on the menu is consistently delicious and the service is always friendly. There's always live accordion music on Saturday. I tried a pizza this time and was thoroughly impressed. I keep coming back to Himmel's for the ambiance and food. Recommendations: Tartar, Pizza with Prosciutto read more

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One of the few good German restaurants left in the area. Really enjoyed the hackenpeter appetizer, liver dumpling soup and the chicken schnitzel. Good beer selection as well. Try it! read more

Great Atmosphere and wonderful food. Highly recommended. Great for night out with friend and family

Always great food and good service. We've been to the biergarten in back a few times this summer and one time they had live music. I love the sauerbraten so tend to always get that there. So good and large portions! The dishes others I've dined there with have also been delicious and large. Danke for the great times! read more

Himmel's - Sauerbraten with spätzle and red cabbage - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My husband and I were supposed to go to concert tonight, but due to timing and our GPS from the burbs acting up and sending us everywhere but where we should be, we ended up here. We wanted to try a place we have never tried before. Being in the Lincoln Square area of the city there are a ton of great restaurants. We ended up at Himmel's. Not disappointed at all!! The minute we walked in we were greeted by Carol, who shook our hands and offered us a seat at the bar. It's a great mixture of regulars and those who are new the establishment. Live music going the entire time, awesome German beer and food! Everything we ate was absolutely delicious, and we had leftovers to take home to our kids. (Our daughter is in German Club and class in her high school and next summer she is headed to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland for a school trip. So we wanted to bring back some food for her.) It was a cozy atmosphere, amazing service!!! The entire time we felt so welcomed, and that doesn't always happen in the city. Definitely coming back! read more

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Last night was among one of my worst restaurant experiences. My husband and I had eaten here a few years ago and enjoyed it as Himmel's, and the first time when it was Pizza DOC. Service--The server was surly, and seemed irritated to be there. He brought our drinks, but forgot the water. When my husband asked about the water, he got a snarky answer. We noticed him and other staff downing shots at the bar, which may explain some of the behavior. When delivering our check, he was dancing around weirdly. Just strange. And he filled up the water as he was giving us the check and we were ready to leave. Food--My husband had a mediocre German plate. Although my pizza was pretty good, it certainly didn't make up for the poor service and atmosphere. If I wanted poor service and mediocre food, I could eat at home. Ambiance--Part of the reason we pay extra to eat out is to enjoy a nice ambiance, something different from watching TV at home. The stage area looked promising with an array of instruments. A fellow did come up and play what turned out to be a fake accordion! Actually, it looked like a real accordion that had preprogrammed music like the tunes on a Casio keyboard. As someone who took accordion lessons from age 5 to 12, I know it was fake because he absolutely didn't pick the instrument up to use the bellows (the part that makes the sound), his finger movements didn't go along with the notes, and there were no wrong notes! The best player in the world will have an occasional hesitation or wrong note, but that doesn't happen when it's just playing a programmed midi file! All in all, very disappointing, and we won't be back. read more

Absolute best authentic dining and live music experience. It really is possible to master German food and Italian pizzas. They are the best! If you use Grubhub don't trust anything Grubhub tells you. Highly recommend the potato salad and Champignon Rahm Schnitzel read more

These German sisters sure know how to pound the schnitzel. Honestly, The best schnitzel in the city. Almost as good as what I had in Vienna Austria with the author of "Fight Club" many years ago when I toured the world with my book. I like mine w/ the jaeger (or hunter) sauce w/ mushrooms. Oh and get the spaetzle (noodles) w/ it! Tell 'em the Mancow sent you! I like to sit at their childhood table. It's very quaint. read more

Himmel's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent restaurant with excellent food. Highly recommend this Chicago jewel. Try the pizza.