Ah seriously my favorite! I love borsh, crepes, and omg those Vareniki!!! Might be the best I have ever tried. The place is very nice too so would be a good spot for a date :) My only wish is that they had more locations! I would definitely come more often if it was closer to me read more

Shokolad - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Shokolad is a great little cafe in Ukrainian Village that serves both Ukrainian and American dishes. My friend tried the potatoes and cheese pierogi and I got the ham and gruyere crepe for Sunday brunch. We got here just before the lunch rush and were seated right away. The pierogi were rich and had a nice sprinkle of bacon on top. The crepes were also perfectly cooked. We were too full for the desserts and pastries behind the counter, but I'll be back next time for them! read more

Shokolad - Ham and gruyere crepes - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We just walked into this place late Saturday and we're seated right away. A bunch of us ordered the grilled cheese, roast pepper sandwich, scrambled eggs, roast beef sandwich, cheese filled crepes and red borscht. And finished it off with the honey walnut cake. Each sandwich came with a side salad which was heaaavenly!!!!!! Food and service was excellent!!! Can't believe it took me so long to get here. read more

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Stopped in on a short visit to Chicago several years ago and still dream about the raspberry crepes. Will definitely plan to eat here again next time I'm in town. read more

Top notch food. Polite server who understood my broken Ukrainian. Very clean. Would come back. read more

For years I thought this was a walk-up bakery that sold the usual fare of pastries, cookies, and slices of cake. It took me walking down Chicago Avenue instead of driving for me to pause long enough to see that it is a full blown cafe with a nice menu of breakfast, brunch, and lunch items. I had a cup of borscht. It tasted like authentic borscht I've had at Ukrainian friends' homes. It came with these homemade roles and a garlic spread that were outstanding. I ordered the Ukrainian fried chicken and now I don't want crispy fried chicken. That dish came with noodles. I went back a week later and tried two different pierogies. Both had a wow factor. And I had a beef stew that came in a clay pot. Ukrainian Village seems to be a lively neighbourhood now. With Shokolad on the landscape, that's a good thing. read more

Shokolad - Borscht, Pierogies, Ukrainian Fried Chicken, Clay Pot Stew - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Where do I begin... I immediately went home to write a review for Shokolad after my dining experience. It's like when you wake up and jot down your dreams so you don't forget. We initally placed our order for pickup over the phone with the wonderful hostess. Upon arriving, we realized they had a nice patio, and without missing a beat, they were happy to accommodate with plates and a tall pitcher of water. We started off savory with the mushroom potato and taragon varenyky. The creamy dijon sauce was divine. I was scraping the plate to get every last bit with my varenyky. Next was the spinach mushroom feta crepes, with a standout carrot salad served on the side. We then began delving into the territory of sweets. The Ukranian sweet cheese crepes and torched banana chocolate crepes were both paired with a whipped cream topping and berry compote. Their crepes are the best I've had bar-none, and I know my crepes: light and fluffy, yet rich where it counts. We completed our meal with a couple slices of cake-- Napolean and drunken cherry. The Napolean has soft, pastry-like layers along with dried apricot. I'd like to get it again in the morningtime with a cup of coffee. But the drunken cherry... Oh... the drunken cherry. The moist fruity notes of the cake, combined with the chocolate ganache, was to die for. The cherries, layered throughout like gems, were a pleasant surprise each time they found themselves underneath my fork. Overall, it made for a scrumptious treat to kick off the spring. Halfway through our meal we were already planning our next trip. We knew, from the first bite, that we had been converted into Shokoladites through and through. read more

Very good and tasty food. The service is great and stuff is friendly. Would highly recommend this place) read more

Mynuloyi vivtorka ya zavitav syudy. Yakshcho ya pravylno pam'yatayu, to ya zamovyv kuryachi stehentsi, a yak harnir otrymav pyrizhky z chornytsyamy. Takozh ya kupyv lodyanyy latte na vynis! Yizha bula diysno fenomenalnoyu ta smachnoyu. Ofitsiant, zvisno zh, buv uvazhnym ta kreatyvnym u opysakh strav, shcho zrobylo dosvid yizhi znachno pryyemnishym!.! Planuyu povernutysya, oskilky u nykh ye rizni osnovni stravy v menyu kozhnoho dnya tyzhnya, i tse, na moyu dumku, stvoryuye faktor povernennya do tsoho restoranu!! read more

Food and service all great. Had the Ukrainian eggs--with dill, scallions and cream. Yummy. Had to try the pierogies too, and they were rich and tasty. The place is a cozy little cafe. I'll be back. read more

Updating my review from years ago, because Shokolad still slays!! Their stuffed cabbage and opera cake are my personal favorites. I've been eating at Shokolad for several years and keep returning for the quality of food, warm environment, and knowledgeable team. Everytime I go I order something I'm familiar with and a 'wild card' dish. Every single item has been incredible. There are few restaurants one can say this about, and I'm very picky with food. Shokolad is the most incredible hidden gem - I cannot say enough positive things about it! A lot of great restaurants have popped up around it, so feel free to add it to a day of trendy food/drink stops. Shokolad has handled quarantine very well. There is a max occupancy, social distancing, and of course masks everywhere you look. The dessert case layout works out well so you can see what you want, order, and leave quickly! read more

This place is amazing. Truly some of the best food I have had in Chicago! A must go to. read more

Shokolad - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Shokolad has felt inviting every time I've gone - even when I picked up half of a walnut cake during shelter-in-place! They were friendly when I called and definitely accommodating. They boxed up my half a cake and it was so indulgent at home with tea. It was nice to have something like that at home. I chased that warmth on a chilly morning after a very long walk. I sat outside and had a slice drunken cherry cake (can you say, "Good morning?!") with hot coffee. The coffee was strong and bitter and was the perfect pairing with the cake. My first time at Shokolad feels like ages ago - before Covid-19. I went with some buddies where we tried dumplings and stews. I don't remember everything I had specifically, but the feeling was the same as always. It was warm, familial and relaxed. The employees move quickly and slowly at the same time. Their movements are harried, conversations pleasant. Like any BYOB, the price-point is pretty affordable. I definitely think that their food - especially the baked goods - are worth more. read more

Such a cute little café with a nice vibe! my colleague treated me to lunch and we had the best borscht ever!! I dared not ask what broth they use lest I stop eating....we also shared the chicken livers which were well done. The best part was the chocolate mousse pastry with fruit. I also bought the cherry rum cake to go but wasn't too impressed. I will certainly revisit if in the area. read more

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A simple, homey restaurant with delicious comfort food. The eggplant pierogis were cooked to perfection, exact balance between chewy and firm, with a savory subtle sauce. All the flavors were nuanced without being overpowering or overdone. The little pastries are $1 and sooo good! Ukrainian pancakes were also cooked perfectly. A very simple, truly memorable experience read more

Everything here is very good! I really like their chicken panini. Their desserts are worth missing a day in your diet for - they have these "acorns" filled with a light mousse - OMG! read more

Shokolad - Delicious desserts, worth cheating on your diet :) - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

sweet little cafe with classy and relaxed vibes! i love the light classical music, a nice switch up from the blaring music of other cafes ! great borsch and love that the bread is publican quality!! read more

2nd generation Ukie here and it was great to try the foods I didn't get to try growing up sadly. The crepes were excellent my favorite was the farmer's cheese! If you want that good ole European waiting service(slow to dine) you will find it here! Suggestions-Make your way to the area and embrace the culture. Moose Out read more

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Came in to try a pastry today and I had the shaktra (I may be butchering the name, but this is the chocolate and vanilla cake with some chocolate fudge lines drawn on top. Incredibly moist and a good size for $5 plus tax. Solid! read more

My first time in Chicago so my friend and I went to this Ukrainian restaurant. I'm Ukrainian so I missed borscht a lot! I decided to give it a try! As soon as we walked in there was no greeting but we got an extremely unpleasant look from a guy who works there. I assume he is a son of the owners or something otherwise I can't imagine any workers greeting people with dirty looks. The restaurant was pretty empty except one couple sitting in the back. We ordered borscht and cheese pancakes. Borsch was served with "pampushki" and garlic oil which I love!! Cheese pancakes were okay. Borscht was really good until I NOTICED A LONG HAIR in it. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. I didn't let the guy know because I could tell he could not care less even if I got a new bowl the hair could have been in a pot as well. Overall I can't say I enjoyed the experience there. I had to approach a guy every time I needed something like sour cream or a check. I won't be back mostly because of the service, I understand that these things can happen to anyone but service has ruined everything. read more

Shokolad - Borscht - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here for dessert and coffee and both were excellent! Highly recommend supporting this wonderful Ukrainian business. I want to come again soon to try their full menu. read more

This is my first time having Ukrainian food and I was blown away! To be honest, I was a little hesitant to try it for a long time, but am so glad I finally did. Shokolad is located on a street corner in Ukrainian Village and the cafe is clean and well-decorated. Borscht Soup (5/5): this beet soup was soooo good. Warm and plenty of beets. GET IT! The bread rolls + garlic olive oil that came with it were also so delicious that we asked for another order of bread! Mushroom/Potato/Tarragon Pierogis (5/5): the pierogis melted in my mouth. It tasted almost truffle-flavor-like. The sauce also complemented the pierogis very well. Ukrainian Pork Chop (4/5): This was a very interesting take on pork chop. I expected breaded pork schnitzel, but it actually just had a thin egg batter. Comes with a fresh side salad rice. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. Very friendly staff and delicious food. Love the ambiance of this little cafe as well. It was quite busy and we could tell lots of locals come here. read more

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This is the most unwelcoming establishment I've ever stepped foot in. There's no greeting when you walk in. In fact the wait staff just stared in judgement until I'm uncomfortably asking to see a menu. I didn't even bother spending money here. Maybe I don't look like your common patron or something. Idk but would not recommend to anyone based on first impression. read more

Great spot! Very laid back, relaxing environment, perfect place to have a leisurely weekend brunch. Came here and started with the eggplant, green pea and potato pierogis, then had the portobello panini, and finished it off with a slice of of the honey almond cake with some coffee. Delicious, recommended, + it's a good spot for vegetarians. read more

Shokolad - Portobello panini was delicious, and the side cucumber and carrot salads were shockingly tasty - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Awesome place, with great service, delicious food and family vibe. Really like this place. Borsh was amazing. Great experience read more

Excellent foot at reasonable price. Three crepes, Ukrainian cheese pancakes, two coffees and slice of cake to go for $40 wit tax and 20%tip. Sweet deal. read more

I have to give those real estate agents credit. They are trying really hard to make the rebranded moniker of "West Ukrainian Village" that they've slapped on this section of Chicago Avenue between Western and California stick - even if it's, in reality, Humboldt Park. Why those real estate marketing machines even constructed a convincing little storefront "Ukrainian" coffee shop/restaurant! And those actors the agents/marketers paid to pose as "customers" on Thanksgiving Eve and speak in flawless Ukrainian to add to the feel - priceless (to the cause of driving up property values). I don't believe it for a second though. Sure the incredibly flavorful red borscht they have - with authentic slightly crispy bread and garlic butter to dip it in, just like in Ukraine - cut through my cynicism a little. And at $2.00 for a cup it warmed my belly as much as it warmed my heart that there could be a Ukrainian restaurant west of Western. But then I came to the mains. Searching through the paninis, breakfast choices, and sandwiches to find something Ukrainian proved a challenge. Sure they have varenyky in potato, meat, and desert varieties ($7.75 a dozen and available to be bought cold and warmed at one's leisure) but I was looking for something more than dumplings. I ended up getting the farmer's cheese crepe. And, well, it was deliciously spectacular. Savory. Just sweet enough (farmer's cheese is basically a sweet cottage cheese used in Eastern European cuisine). Filling. And, well, a crepe. Not exactly Ukrainian. But by this point I didn't even care that they had incorporated the mixed nature of the neighborhood into their menu. This stretch of HUMBOLDT PARK (there's no shame in it, take back the HP!) is a mish-mash of Ukrainians, Puerto Ricans, hipsters, and people looking for affordable large apartments. In the end, I'm glad that Shokolad reflects a little of each. But, more importantly, I'm glad it has incredible, moderately priced food conveniently located right off of California or Chicago. read more

Shokolad - A mixture of French and Ukrainian deliciousness. - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Toasty! Err, that's another sandwich shop's slogan but ahh well, i'm appropriately nicking it for this review. Stopped in for a quick bite to eat and chose the Tuna Salad Panini, which was absolutely toastastic if I must say. For about $5 you get a full sized Panini sam, a side of a zipped up, peppery, vinegar based slaw, a similar pepped up side of shredded carrot slaw, a few fresh asparagus spears and sliced tomatoes. Total quality in taste, presentation and service. I've yet to try the desserts, chokolat, or crepe's, which they specialize in, but will next go around....the owner is the pastry chef for Limelight Catering. Great local breakfast, sandwich and dessert shop. read more

Shokolad - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First of all, get the borscht. It is fantastic. Beets and cabbage and purple soup! Fun, tasty, and nutritious. They do a really great job here. Second of all, don't be lame and say "I don't want the rolls with my borscht". I overheard someone say this and wanted to punch them in the neck. The rolls aren't amazing but the garlic oil that they are served with is heaven! I essentially ate a whole ramekin of garlicky, oily goodness... so you must have the rolls (aka perfect vehicle for garlic oil). Then you can peruse their diverse menu and order a variety of things. The Saturday special is the roast leg of duck. Very tempting but I was there to try one thing: Pelmeni. Pelmeni are dumplings, Russian dumplings. The ones are Shokolad are filled with pork and come with vinegar and sour cream. There are a lot of them and the carb/meat flavor does get a little overwhelming near the end, so if you come with someone, coordinate your dishes. (I couldn't eat anything with ground meat in it for 3 days). I was there alone and ate them all. Tasty little things. I left with 2 dozen pierogies/vareniky -- potato and cheese, meaty (mixed meat), blueberry and cherry. At home, the potato and cheese and blueberry were standouts. This is a really cute little place to eat. The girls working here are sweet and attentive. I highly recommend this if you are in the neighborhood, but for borscht and pelmeni I prefer to head to Russian Tea Time - more expensive but also far more seductive and foreign feeling. Still, I'm curious about that roast leg of duck... read more

Shokolad - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Shokolad is a delightful Ukrainian restaurant/bakery, appropriately located in the Ukrainian Village between the Humboldt Park and West Town neighborhoods. My wife and I were staying in nearby Humboldt Park and used my trusty Yelp App to find an interesting place for an early dinner. Based on the location and reviews we decided on Shokolad. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon, about an hour before closing. The interior was nicely decorated with a bar, a display case of fabulous desserts, and some book shelves in the very back. There were a few other patrons, but the place was pretty quiet. Although there was only one person working the front, we were quickly seated and our orders taken. This is a breakfast/lunch establishment and the menu has the usual eggs, omelettes and sandwiches, however the menu also included crepes (which I sadly didn't get a chance to try this trip), Pierogies, and Ukrainian specialties. They also had great looking daily specials. On this trip my wife decided to try a half portion of the Potato and Cheese Pierogies and a half portion of the Cherry Pierogies and I had the Roast Beef cold sandwich. My wife was very impressed with the Potato and Cheese Pierogies, and found that they tasted as good as the ones her mother makes (which is high praise indeed). She also liked the cherry pierogies, but they were more on the tart side, and she was hoping for something sweeter. This wasn't a knock on the taste, but just an observation that this isn't necessarily a dessert item. The cold beef sandwich (made with caramelized red onion, horseradish cream or mustard, and gruyere cheese) was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. I highly recommend it. As an added bonus the prices are also very reasonable, especially for a city like Chicago. The adorable ambiance, quaint location, friendly service, and above all delicious food make this a must for future visits to Chicago. read more

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Everything was deliciously perfect at our first culinary experience at the quaint lil Shokolad Cafe! My husband and I were wandering the streets around here with some time to kill and decided to pop in here. We were pleasantly greeted by a kind woman (possibly named Tania, as it was printed on our receipt) as we walked in for our first Ukrainian dining experience, and it was WONDERFUL! After we were seated and began browsing the menu, a 1 liter caraffe of water was placed before us, which I know is not a big deal, but little touches like this make me very happy...I tend to consume enormous amounts of agua when eating. We started off with a large bowl of the Borshch which came with a side of 2 rolls (see my pictures) and it was completely foreign to us to have magenta colored soup, but it was stellar! The spices were so perfectly flavorful, we were both quickly slurping it up... nice image I know, but we ate it as fast as politely possible, it was so darn good! Then our potato pancakes w/ mushrooms & coslaw, and 3 rasp2 crepes came out. We ended up sharing everything because it was too delicious not to share! Each bit was better than the last, it was sensational! The nice lady who greeted & seated us was perfectly timing visiting our table for water refills and chit chat, she was lovely and personable. We ended our Ukrainian culinary experience with a Chocolate Mousse cake with Passion Fruit layer to go, and went back to wandering the neighborhood & errands down on the shirt 3 mile jaunt to the Magnificent Mile...all the while raving to each other how AWESOME our lunch had been! Deliciously amazing food, local small business, fair prices, classy updated decor & fun atmosphere, if we lived downtown, this would quickly become one of our favorite regularly attended spots. As it turned out, we ended up going back hours later, after we were done with our shopping and cruising the Magnificent Mile, and grew hungry again. We both decided we should absolutely stop here again on our way back out to the 'burbs. We rushed over because they close by 6pm, quite early, and it seemed strange for us, but as long as they still had some of that sweet sweet hot magenta stew, we would be happy! So for our 2nd meal time here in 1 day, we ordered the Borschsh, a large bowl again of course, and decided to try their most popular flavor of perogis: The Mushroom & Terragon. They come in 1 dozen, unless you specify that you only want the half dozen. We got just 6, but we should have known how delectable they would be and gone with the full dozen! Ohhh my word, they came out, and were presented to us swimming in a gorgeously comforting cream sauce. Best. Perogis. Ever. I'll admit they are a bit newer to us, just the past few years, but these took the cake for numero 1 top perogis in our book. They have a cooler case in front with drool-worthy baked goods, and I had to exercise great will power strength not to take them all home with me, they all looked so appetizi, and everything we had here had been absolutely stunning in flavor and quality... it felt as if we were guests in this nice gal's home and she was feeding us her homemade treasures from recipes perfected over the decades. Seriously this place is the bomb dot com. My husband and I might need to do some business in the neighborhood again soon, and we talked about making a stop back in here again, or heck we might just make the hike from the 'burbz just because we want to be back here! Can't wait until our next bowl of hot steaming magenta amazingness! Que the omnomnomss...... read more

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Delicious food and beautiful desserts! I will definitely be coming back for their pierogis and pickle soup! I was surprised how busy they were for Tuesday lunch until I tried the food :) read more

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Shokolad has some pretty amazing food. My dad ordered one of the 3 egg omelletes. I ordered one of the special Ukrainian cheese pancakes. Both of these dishes were well made with the most proper ingredients! My Dad and I then enjoyed sharing a Napoleon Cheese Cake. Overall, the service was standard. However, my Dad and I had a very wonderful time getting to know one of the regulars at Shokolad. read more

Amazing cooking. We loved the creations coming out of this kitchen truly talented chef! read more

Shokolad - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Shokolad is not what I expected it to be. I was expecting more breakfast-y place-- busy and bustling with lots of servers. When I dined here with my husband, the lone server/cashier/barista/hostess was running here to fro. We had a hard time getting her attention to give us our bill and felt so bad asking her for milk for my coffee when she was so busy. I had crepes and they were.... decent. The lollipop cheesecake were to die for but I don't know if I'd make another trip this way for it. Too bad, I really had high hopes for this place. read more

Wow, this place is a gem. I was in town for a wedding and stayed in Ukranian Village. So...had to try a Ukranian place, right? I had the raspberry crepes and potato/cheese perogies. So good. The crepes were perfectly cooked, and the filling was perfectly sweet. The creme on the side was delicious. The perogies were awesome. I've never had perogies, so I'm no expert. But they were like a perfectly steamed dumpling -- just awesome. Okay, so I ordered the crepes AND the perogies. The waitress says, "Is that all?" I"m like, "Is that all?! You want me to eat MORE than that?" She smiled and said, yeah, dessert. Wow, they have the best desserts, so even if you don't save room for dessert, get some to go. You won't regret it. The ambiance is great -- feels like a local hangout kind of place, and the locals poured in and out while I ate. Every neighborhood needs a place like this. read more

Shokolad - Perogies, crepes and coffee. - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Decided to try something new and hit this Ukrainian breakfast spot. The Ukrainian cheese pancakes were awesome and got an order of bacon and cheese pierogies to share. The food was awesome, the staff was hella nice and I'll be back to try the crepes and maybe the chicken liver if I'm feeling adventurous. Forgot to take a picture of my dessert but the Napoleon cake was off the chain read more

Shokolad - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Best chicken barbecue salad and cucumber salad off the chain got to go to Ukraine village

All our plates were great! A very cozy place, good service, clean, and authentic. Crepes were amazing, plus coffee drinks. The beef soup was hearty in this stormy winter! Carrots tasted js like the ones from Poland, tasted like the sauerkrats. Def worth the try! read more

For someone who loves European food and a European feel, this shop is awesome. The coffee is Cafe Umbria coffee, which is one of the best coffees I've had in Chicago. The food was fantastic. I had the Ukrainian Sweet Cheese Crepes and they were amazing. All in all, a great place. The restaurant had a nice amount of space inside so you did not fell crowded at all. The service was good. The pastry selection was also fantastic. I will absolutely be coming back. read more

Shokolad - Ukrainian Sweet Cheese Crepes. They were awesome! - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois