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    The Literary

    4.6 (57 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Alanie N.

    I go to this place constantly and never got around to writing this review! Not only am I a book nerd and love that I can browse and have a little drink while I visit with friends, but their bistro part is such a great place! I love that it's a rotating menu depending on the season, there are always new options, both alcoholic and non alcoholic as well, which is great because I can take anyone and know that there are options for everyone! These is such a fun gem in Champaign and I highly recommend everyone comes here at least once when visiting!

    The most delicious pumpkin pancakes
    Kristin B.

    Came here for breakfast right when they opened and ordered their absolutely delicious pumpkin pancakes! My husband and I also tried their boozy coffee and enjoyed that as well. You order and grab a number, find a seat and then your food is brought out. I would recommend arriving early on a weekend, as spots definitely filled up quickly inside (there was also an outdoor area with tables, however it was mid-October and a bit chilly and windy). Service was friendly and I highly recommend those pancakes - I will return for those next time I'm in town

    Beautiful decor.
    Karey A.

    A great find while we were in town for baseball. Seating is limited because it's a busy place but we were able to sit at the bar. The salmon salad was light and wonderful with salmon cakes that reminded me of home. The dill sauce was delicious. My blackberry mimosa was the perfect size and refreshing. I grabbed a few cards and stickers while I was there in the cute gift section. Would highly recommend.

    Cocktail
    Kendra M.

    The Literary is EXACTLY what girls mean when they say they want to quit their job and open a bookstore coffee shop. The dream is perfectly executed here. On my weekend in Champaign, we came for morning coffee and back again for an evening drink. I also added about a dozen books to my tbr. This is a must-stop if you're in the area!

    Beekeeper Cocktail, a beer and a picture book
    Adriana T.

    Wonderful establishment! The perfect vibe for locals and visitors. Good book selection, gift selection, espresso/coffee options and cocktails/beer/wine. The perfect one stop shop for visiting our friends who live in the area. And for bringing an infant! They have high chairs, a real changing table in bathroom and so much seating. Definitely worth a visit! We ordered a beer and the Beekeeper cocktail. So delicious. The place is buzzing with people and the vibe is laidback and artsy. Street parking is ample and it's close to a lot of places to walk and enjoy before/after.

    Coffee And Vegan Blueberry Scone
    Steve A.

    Good place for coffee, scones, and books. It's a combination of bookstore and coffee shop. The Literary is a good fit for a college town. Lots of things to drink and eat. Of course there's also lots of things to read so check it out on a morning. After looking up places for coffee, we decided to come here. It sounded interesting. This was. For sure it's not a typical bookstore. Or coffee shop. Coffee is the main thing however. It's about $2.75 for a drip coffee, and they have non dairy milks. Also get some food. They have a few treats for vegans. It's about $4 for a scone. The Vegan Blueberry Scone was crunchy but not hard like some of these. Also has some breakfast sandwiches with bacon and eggs. There's both healthy and unhealthy food options. For sure also get a few books. If you like local authors you can find a lot of books in here. The prices for books are higher than usual but this is an independent book store and the prices are still okay for this kind of place.

    Salmon cake salad
    Leyang Z.

    Have been there for several times since they opened for brunch/lunch. A pretty good place to have such indeed. The vibe was perhaps the best of it. Inside, you sit in the ocean of books, outside, you sit among flowers and trees. The bookstore offers mainly healthy American brunch stuff. Things like carol oatmeal, taco, salmon cake salad etc. are also quite creative. The food was in general of medium serving size . I often need to have one entrée and one side to get full. It was a bit pricey during summertime but more reasonable for their new menu since September 2023 (the serving size was also larger). Will try more dishes recently -- what can be better than sitting in the warm fall sunshine in a relaxing afternoon enjoying some delicious meal!

    Cup of cheer
    Katie M.

    Delicious coffee and a great brunch. We came during the winter their holiday coffees are so good! Sweet and warm and cheerful. They have a great selection of books and couches it's the perfect place to destress. I had the salmon salad and my friend had the French toast. The salad was filling and delicious the dill cream sauce was very tasty. The french toast looked like it would be very sweet but was actually on the savory side. Would definitely come back again, to have a cocktail and read a book.

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    5 months ago

    Amazing food, wonderful atmosphere. Cozy tables. Great Bloody Mary. Interesting concept. Would love to see larger capacity tables.

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    10 months ago

    Tasty lunch in an inviting atmosphere. Friendly, welcoming staff. Add book shopping and it's an outstanding visit!

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    2 years ago

    Food was really tasty and the coffee was awesome The people were friendly definitely will be back

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    Review Highlights - The Literary

    They partnered with Hopscotch Bakery to provide breakfast items/small plates, baked goods, coffee and tea.

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    Analog Wine Library

    Analog Wine Library

    (6 reviews)

    At University of Illinois for a work event and decided to try something off the path. Was looking…read morefor a nice chill wine bar and found this on Yelp. Just me and a couple other people here it's gorgeous outside and they have a really cute patio. Music across the street is mellow, totally recommend checking it out if you're from out of town. Got the wine sampler and picked a great spread of different types of wine.

    Analog challenges the notion that every wine bar has to be dark with electronic music blaring…read morethrough the speakers. On the contrary, it's a bright chic space adorned with a hodge podge of dmismatched chairs and tables. A collection of books lines the walls. The space is filled with soft music playing from a record player, with a modest but venerable collection of vinyl ranging from the orchestral works of Jean Sibelius to Snoop Dogg. If you know Cafeteria & Company or the Broadway Food Hall, Analog is owned and managed by the same group. If the excellence in service within those establishments was to serve as any precedent or standard for what was expected of Analog, I'm pleased to say that Analog did not disappoint. The server behind the counter was attentive and generally knowledgeable about the wines. You'll see the wines and several tasting notes along the wall. Service is quick and provided with a smile. While I would have appreciated some varietals apart from your typical cabernets and sauv blancs, the wines offered were of great quality and value. Of the ones I tried, the 2015 R. Stuart Pinot Gris Big Fire was especially nice. All in all, Analog is a great addition to downtown Urbana and serves as another viable community gathering space. As was alluded to in the beginning of this review, I walked out thinking about how nice it was to enjoy a drink while being able to see my friends in bright lighting and not having to yell over loud music. If you're looking for a relaxed and non-intimidating space to enjoy wine, whether in company or solitude, this is the place to be. PS: Please expand your hours!

    Sun Singer Wine and Spirits

    Sun Singer Wine and Spirits

    (225 reviews)

    $$

    We stopped into Sun Singer for a lunch break during a business trip, and it ended up being one of…read morethe highlights of our time in the area. It's a wonderfully unique space--part wine and spirits shop, part lively daytime dining room--with a steady flow of customers browsing bottles alongside a full bar and tables occupied by ladies who lunch and retirees enjoying a relaxed weekday afternoon. It is a surprisingly chic space for Champaign. The dining room was busy enough that there would have been a wait for a table, but we were perfectly happy at the bar. Our bartender was very friendly and welcoming, even while clearly managing a high volume of guests in what felt like a short-staffed moment. Despite that, service remained warm and attentive. We shared the traditional fondue, which was generously portioned and stayed hot for an impressively long time thanks to their setup--ideal for lingering over conversation. We both enjoyed wine pairings, and I especially loved the Winter Warmer Knob Creek cider: cozy, well-balanced, and a standout choice, particularly for anyone who appreciates Knob Creek. Sun Singer has an excellent atmosphere--social, distinctive, and effortlessly inviting. I very much look forward to returning the next time we're back in the area.

    I can't believe it's taken this long for me to write a review about my fav restaurant in CU. I…read moreabsolutely love this place, I have never had something I didn't love here but one of my new favorites are the yellow fin nachos! Omg they were so amazing, fresh and flavorful! Also our waitress was seriously nice and attentive we never needed for anything! I seriously cannot recommend this place enough!

    Harry & Buds European Cuisine - This is only the first course!

    Harry & Buds European Cuisine

    (59 reviews)

    $$$

    Few places capture the essence of home cooked meal like this establishment. I was blown away with…read morethe food, atmosphere, customer service, and decor. You feel as if you are in your grandma's home, that warm and inviting feeling of love...oh and the food! Please, do yourself a favor and experience this for yourself! You will leave full, with leftovers! Conversation alone was worth it! I have to go back!

    I've been looking forward to tonight's meal for the last month when I was able to secure my…read morereservation after a coworker celebrated his anniversary here and raved for weeks about how amazing this place was. I had to check it out for myself, so I grabbed a couple of people and we headed to Terre Haute to check out Harry & Buds European Cuisine. This isn't your normal restaurant. You can't just walk in.. you have to have a reservation. If you have a reservation for an evening, you'll be the only group there. It's a small place that can hold about 10 people max, and there's one person working. Jeffrey is the cook, the server, the bus-boy and the host. Again.. if you don't have a reservation, don't try and come or you'll be turned away. Seriously. Don't. If you are lucky enough to snag a reservation, be prepared for the one of the best meals you'll ever eat. I get around (the food circuit) and this place ranks, hands down, in the top 5 best meals I've ever had. We arrived at 5pm wide eyes and ready for a great evening. When we left at 8pm, we had eaten so much delicious food that we were almost miserable. I'm sure I'll miss some of our food, but here goes my best effort to capture everything that came out family style: Bread Split Pea Soup Pork Roast with homemade gnocchi Trout with homemade pasta, Brussel sprouts and beans Lamb Banana Bread (2 loaves) Wild Caught Gulf Shrimp in a curry rub with cauliflower Beef tenderloin with tomatoes and a wedge of stilton Quiche with bacon and 2 blocks of Gruyere A whole roasted chicken stuffed with garlic on a bed of fresh pasta Sea scallops Corn Croquettes Fresh pasta Dessert: biscotti with a chocolate ganache and blackberries All of this was for 5 people. When we asked what he would do if 10 people came.. Jeffrey simply said "I'd make more food." We each walked out with at least three Styrofoam containers. Everything is cooked specifically for you, and is made fresh that day. You don't get to pick the menu.. instead the food is selected for you based on what's fresh and available that day. You won't find a bunch of frozen items sitting around here. Staple items like flour and spices are about the only items that are kept on hand - everything else was bought that day with you in mind. How awesome is that knowing that the meal you're eating was made just for you with ingredients bought earlier that day? Everything that we ate was delicious and prepared perfectly. The spices were spot on. The beef tenderloin was a perfect medium rare and the pork flavorful and the shrimp coated in just enough curry to detect the taste but not to much that it was overpowering. What Jeffrey brushes off as "just food" is a fantastic feast that is meant to be shared over a glass of wine and laughter with friends and family That is exactly what we had. I only wish I could have counted correctly in my head when I made the reservation and had more of my dear friends come. It's almost impossible to imagine one person cooking in a kitchen doing all of the prep work, all of the cooking, and all of the cleanup. All of this food, and he had it all times perfectly. Not only can he cook, but he's amazing at time management and timing everything perfectly. Here's the kicker.. the meal was $35 per person. I have no idea how this even covers the cost of the food, but that was the price. Cash only. Leave it on the table. Seriously folks.. if I had but one 10 star review I could give out to a business, it would go to Harry & Bud's. They don't advertise and seem to be against any type of mass advertising.. so all I can do, my dear Yelp friends, is tell you that you've got to try this place. You absolutely have to. Just wear loose clothes and plan to make an evening out of it. Grab a couple bottles of wine and block your calendar, and enjoy!

    The Literary - bookstores - Updated May 2026

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