The owner Tiger does a great job with Whispers Cafe. Over the years the Park District has tried to move Whispers out in favor of a different vendor. One spectacular fail, and a couple RFPs later, Whispers Cafe still stands. Personally I enjoy sipping on coffee in the Triangle. read more

This cafe is a tiny little structure in a park that is surrounded by about six steakhouses. There is a lovely water foundation to sit around and plenty of benches and chairs to enjoy the day/night. Had a $7 berry smoothie, it was okay. Sugary. The stars are more so for the ambiance, friendly service, location and people watching. read more

My girlfriend and I came here on a Wednesday night, despite our 30 minute early arrival, we were seated right away. We sat down, ordered food, took selfies, and enjoyed the view. I saw other reviews regarding watered down alcohol and rude waiters, unfortunately when I ordered the "Life's Peach", I cant really taste the Jim beam and it's more like plain old peach lemonade. After all our main entrees arrived, we were still missing our appetizer, the steak fries. We mentioned it our waiter and he was super quick to bring it to us but the fries were those premise one sitting under the heat lamp. Wish they had better food. read more

Whispers Cafe - a view of the city skyline - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Overpriced icy gelato. I had a banana caramel and it was icy, not creamy as it supposed to be for the premium price charged. Wish I had asked for a taste before ordering then I would have gotten something else. read more

We always enjoy a fruit juice or a cappuccino and some ice cream as we sit down and relax in the park!!!! read more

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Cute combo coffee shop and smoothie bar with a lot of outdoor seating. It basically has its own courtyard. You can bring in outdoor food/drinks or just sit, too. There's also a cute water feature, and a lot of shady options with all the trees. Unexpectedly lovely green space in the middle of gold coast! read more

The best cafe with the staff! Everything is so fresh and they make the juice so fast. I always come before work and love seeing these faces! They make my morning. Orange juice is fresh squeezed always and coffee is strong. My favorite place in Gold Coast. Worth the visit! Especially for the gelato on a weekend. read more

Whispers Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Gemlato with a killer view! Whisper's Cafe is a small, outdoor cafe located in Mariano Park in the heart of the "Viagra Triangle" across from Gibson's Steakhouse (one of my faves!) in Chicago, IL. It sells a variety of healthy fruit juices, smoothies, coffee drinks, energy bars & other assorted pastries/packaged baked goods. In the summertime, it also sells gelato next to the lil, brick building with the food & drink items.  I have a weakness for premium gelato, and I will eat it even if I am completely stuffed. So when I spotted this gelato stand in the Park with a long-line, I knew I had to try it! The line went quick as there were 2 men quickly manning the stand & accepting cash only. There were about 15 flavors I think, and they all looked very fresh, gemlucious & beautifully displayed. This being my first time here I was unsure about some of the flavors, so I started to inquire & instead of telling me more about the taste of the flavors I asked about or offering me a sample, the man merely nodded & said "yeah that's & then said "the name of said flavor" in his somewhat thick, foreign accent. The other guy gave me an icy stare & said "what's the hold up?!" I began to think this is not the place to be asking my usual 20 questions at a new joint or dareth I ask, "may I have a sample?!" He was staring at me with as much patience & irritation as I imagine he has for a likely ex-wife!  I get it, these two have this gig down like a well-oiled machine, scooping out gelato left & right like Laverne & Shirley on an assembly line but much faster, which I actually really respect. As I boldly stared back & asked about another flavor, he continued to look at me like don't even think about it woman...and I did think about it for a split second, but this one didn't seem like he would be amused by my gemantics! So instead of bogging down their system one nano second longer, I melted & ceased my line of questioning & ordered like every other uninformed, un-sampled gelato-goer here.  I chose a classic flavor - chocolate-chip gelato, since I couldn't sample & wanted something I thought I would like. I got one scoop in a dish for $4.50. I said I wanted coffee too, so Mr. Nice Guy barked at me to go the brick building to get it & to pay for everything there. FYI: You can pay with a credit card at the lil brick building but cash only if you are only buying gelato.  The chocolate-chip gelato was probably the best choc-chip gelato I've ever had. I don't always like choc-chip, like when there is just big, chocolate hunks that put you at risk for breaking a tooth or just a bunch of choc-chips mixed-in & it's way overly-chocolatey tasting. But this one was finely-shaved chocolate pieces melded into smooth, velvety-vanilla gelato. It was the perfect ratio of chocolate-accent to vanilla (5 gems) & slightly makes up for Mr. & Mr. Personality! At least they aren't selling lousy gelato too!  Portion wise, you don't get a whole lotta bang for your buck at Whispers. But can you ever pay to much for yumminess, especially gemriffic gelato?! To be fair, I'd still rather buy premium gelato from these 2 speedy, crabapples over the alternative, a creeper selling packaged, generic ice cream sandwiches & push pops out of a seedy ice cream truck lol! (Also, I've been accused of being crabby on "rare" occasions ;-) & speed trumps sweet & slow in my book any day!) My small, black, house blend coffee was around $2.50 & was nothing to write home about (3 gems), but hot coffee always pairs well with gelato. A huge perk about getting something from Whispers Cafe is that you can enjoy it in the picturesque, lil Park where it is conveniently located (5 gems). There are tables, benches & a really nice fountain in the middle. It's a great place to unwind after a big meal, take a break from your busy day, or just sit, chillax & watch all the hustle & bustle around the Viagra Triangle & enjoy your goodies! So the next time you're in Chicago near the VT, I highly recommend grabbing a snack or a scoop of gelato at Whisper's Cafe. Just be prepared to order quickly, or perhaps if you're feeling brave, ask for multiple samples! read more

Whispers Cafe - Gem's scoop of gemluscious chocolate-chip gemlato, 5 gems! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Whisper's makes me shout out loud to head on down to Mariano Park. Whisper's is a take out stand that resembles a picturesque cottage in Mariano Park, a triangular green space within N. State Street, N. Rush Street, and Bellevue Place in the Gold Coast neighborhood. Whisper's specialties are coffee, gelato, and juice. In addition to the specialties they sell snacks. The gelato display is a work of art in the park. The case displays a rainbow of flavors. The display complements the colorful vegetation, street furniture, and fountain. The gelato compliments a tasty cup of coffee. The expresso bar is nothing to whisper about. They serve house coffee, hot cocoa, Cafe Americana, and Cafe Mocha that is worth a shout out. Their juice bar serves health choice and fresh squeeze juice. I never had their juice, however, their menu made it conducive to try it. Whisper's is as much a park experience as a cafe experience. The sun is one of the best features of the experience. When we rested here on our walks in the Gold Coast, we'd sit on a chair with a gelato or coffee beverage taking in the Mariano Park scenery. There is an abundance of chairs under the shade of the mature trees. The chairs are an ideal place for passive activities including people watching, bird watching, appreciating the architecture of the buildings with the attractive landscaping in the park including the fountain, and dog watching. Mariano Park is a popular place where people spend time with their furry friends. Contrary to the aroma of flowers and trees it is the smell of steak that permeates the air of Mariano Park certain times in the late afternoon. Steak houses and restaurants surround the park. One of the steakhouses is the very first Morton's across N. State Street. My Whisper's shout out is near it's conclusion. I recommend Whisper's for the experience it provides of enjoying coffee, gelato, and juice in the beautiful environment of Mariano Park. read more

Whispers Cafe used to be Gloria Jean's I think. I used to frequent this location during my college years. I read the signage on the side of the building and learned that the prior to being a Gloria Jean's or Whispers Cafe, the place was just a shelter and the whole square (or, shall I say triangle fountain plaza thing) was an architectural showpiece over a century ago. Interesting eh? The things you learn from reading signs on a Friday night with guests from out of town. *sigh* I often take people who are not from Chicago to this little square as it is a great place to people watch. A few weeks ago, I had a friend meet me up here as well so we could chat/catch up and enjoy the summer evening. Even the Stanley Cup had swung by to make an appearance that night. On Sunday afternoons, old-fashioned cars pass often to show off. On weekend nights, it's fancy/expensive cars and motorcycles that drive up and down the street to show off. It's the cars and the diverse group of people that pass through the area that catch my eye. The coffee at Whispers is pretty standard -- the same as you'd find at any coffee shop. They also have a wide selection of teas (Republic of Tea) that they can "brew" for you. Since summer has arrived, they have been serving gelato as well. They decorate the gelato as well so it looks soo pretty! The gelato was tasty. I had the pistachio flavor and it had whole pistachios in it. mmmm! I was a fan at that point. It was nice strolling to the triangle, sitting by the fountain, eating gelato, and chatting/people watching with friends. Whispers Cafe gets my stars for a superb location, awesome atmosphere, and convenient and yummy treats. read more

On my second trip to the fantastic, beautiful city I call Chicago, couple years ago I took the touristy double-decker tour where I saw this cute little gelato stand. From then on I vowed I would find this little gelato stand and declare it my forever. Sadly I just stopped by to try their gelato. On my way back from the east coast for a business trip, I decided to do a mini-vacation in Chicago for the weekend. During the summer. When it's hot. So I quickly did a walking directions on my lovely yelp app on my genius of a smartphone and it popped up not only the directions (what!?!) and the time it takes to walk there. 17 minutes, are you crazy? But I was desperate for gelato on a hot summer day. Desperate times calls for desperate measures. So I sucked it up and walked the 17 minutes, which only felt 10 minutes. I am glad I made the long trek to this cute little gelato stand. One side, is the gelato, the other side is the juice bar. I tried their strawberry/chococholate, small cup, which came out to $4.50. Because of the lack of tables/chairs I paid, grabbed my gelato and ate it while walking back to my air conditioned hotel. Boy was it yummy!!! I will definitely come back the next time I am in Chicago. Minues 1 star due to the fact that people hang out here, even when they are not munching on gelato, which makes it hard for people who ordered to sit and eat. read more

Whispers Cafe is a mainstay in the neighborhood - Mariano Park, arguably, evolved due to the hard work of the Whispers team. Ideal for relaxing and lounging on the weekend, the cafe offers gelato, fruit smoothies, and plenty of coffee and espresso beverages. My personal favorite is the iced tuxedo mocha. In addition to the broad assortment of treats, the periphery around the charming, Euro inspired cafe is maintained by the team. The fountain, flowers, and seating area is well kept due to active involvement. Moreover, the staff, especially Musa, are friendly, sincere, and hard working, making the experience a truly fun one when in the Park. I've often stopped by after a dinner date or family meal at Tavern, Hugo's, Luxbar, Nico, Gibsons, et al. I hope they can stay open through December (the permitting allows for several months from the Spring through Autumn) as I look forward to dropping by my Gold Coast coffee shop of choice. Note: Whispers had a hiatus in 2015 and 2016 due to the Chicago Park District's attempt to capture increased rents. When the replacement, Bow Truss, could not make payments, Whispers was positioned to swoop in and save the summer of 2017 by re-establishing the successful Cafe. read more

Whispers Cafe - The main stand - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great spot to have a coffee outdoors. Their coffee drinks are well made. Perfect nala mace of espresso and flavor

Gelato ice cream hit the spot on a nice summer night! Def recommend. They are connected to a juice bar too if you're looking for fresh juice! read more

This is such a cute little coffee stand! Definitely would not have stumbled across it if it wasn't for yelp. It's on a busy street but weirdly blends so it might go unnoticed. The area that the coffee shop is in is so cute! I felt like I was in Europe because of the music they were playing and just the vibe in general. The only reason I'm not giving this a 5 star review is because it is very expensive! I got the mocha caramel and it was $6.56! I wish they had different sizes because I would have gotten a smaller size to save the $$. I know mocha caramel is fancy but most of their coffee's are $5.95 before tax. I'm not sure if I would go back because that's almost as expensive as a meal. read more

A cute outdoor cafe in the heart of Gold Coast's Mariano Park. Such a charming location cushioned in the center of restaurants, lounges, rooftops, and bars. Frappes, drip coffee, espresso, and pastries are all available. ENJOY. read more

NOT LGBTQ FRIENDLY turned my partner and I away because they were closing up, then continued to serve additional new customers after we walked away Will not he returning and advise other members of the community against it as well read more

This is a great location at the beach. We enjoyed our lunch. Seems like it would be fun in the evening for a few drinks.

For over $7 for one scoop of gelato it should have been good. We got a scoop of banana praline gelato that sounded and looked delicious. It was awful. The entire scoop was icy. The pralines tasted stale. We should have returned it for a refund. A big waste of money and calories. Oh and by the way the scoop was really small which maybe was a good thing since it was pretty bad. read more

I love that this place keeps getting cuter each year! You should have seen it a couple of years ago! It is lush with greenery and scenery. The owner is friendly, and cares about the ambiance. Musa, (the famous cafe' artist on YouTube), Ahmad and Jason are so nice and really great at getting you service with a GENUINE smile. The location is AMAZING, as you can catch the Chicago "Freak Show" without having to pay for premium seats. On a nice night in the summer time, for the price of a coffee you can watch the drunks (and the people who wish they were) for hours! Love this great Chicago hot-spot and I reccomend it to all my friends especially the ones from out of town. read more

I work near the Whispers Cafe and have sat in the park to do people watching a few times but never tried the coffee. The gelato is amazing! I have had that on numerous trips and have never been disappointed. Tonight I had an Iced Vanilla Latte and it was one of the best I have ever had. I enjoyed it because it was not overly sweet, I could still taste the espresso and it was not bitter at all. The perfect combination of of flavors. The two men working were both super nice and asked about my day. I will definitely be back. Now I am sad to know that they do not stay open all year round :( read more

I came in today around 7:15 PM. The gelato was terrific, but the person that served my sister and me was very rude. There is about 16 different flavors and (my bad habit I guess) is that I like to taste a few before I make a choice. After I had tried about 5 different flavors, the person said to me,"I'm losing customers because of you. I just lost two!" I was really shocked and I didn't say anything because I thought I had misheard him because of his accent, but my sister reconfirmed later that I had heard him correctly. I guess I felt bad, and I mean he did let us "try" a few so I left him a tip, but the more that I think about it, I don't think anyone should be treated that way especially when you're trying to decide which flavor you want on a gelato. If the service is like this, I would not recommend coming here. I've come to Chicago a few times and I have my favorite go-to places, although the gelato is great I am never coming here again. read more

Great spot! Always enjoy the atmosphere, staff is always friendly, enjoy the ice cream and smoothies here with the family.

Whispers is a cute little stand next to a fountain and a whole bunch of park benches in the Triangle. They offer the typical coffee choices and what they call local favorites, such as vanilla caramel and mon cheri (which has, as you guessed, just a hint of cherry) lattes - I like their Irish Nut Creme although the one I just bought is a little too sweet (it would have been four stars if they were consistent). Besides coffee, Whispers also has a big selection of flavored biscotti (coffee, raspberry, white chocolate, and others I can't remember), which look good, although I haven't tried them. Now that it's warm enough they're breaking out the ice cream stand too. It's just Breyers but it's a great place for ice cream on a warm night like this. I also just noticed that on my receipt there's a network name and password for free wi-fi now. Sweet! read more

Only based off one experience, but on a long peaceful walk through town the fresh squeezed juice was awesome. The iced coffee was also better than par for the course. Yes, I double fisted. Seemed like the right decision. read more

Ice cream is always great....but ice cream while sitting in the middle of Mariano Park is fantastic! The thing is, Whisper's gelato is not really anything to write yelp about :) but the fact that you can grab a scoop and sit in Mariano Park and enjoy it makes this shop worth the trip. It's a great Chicago experience that I really wouldn't pass up on a hot summers day. Just don't expect anything amazing from the gelato. read more

This cafe saves my life everyday. Cannot do Starbucks, & why not support your local businesses?! The staff is outstanding! I love the face that they're always smiling. I probably have been here over 100 times since their reopening and I have not a single bad thing to say! Keep slanging those coffees!! read more

The vanilla lattes and coffee cake are so delicious! The ambience is just perfect too

By far, my favorite place for coffee. Moe is wonderful and makes my coffee perfectly. When I asked him why the coffee is SOOOOOOO much better than SB's, he said that it's because they change it every 90 minutes! Stopping here every morning is one of the highlights of my walk to work and Moe's kind demeanor & smiling face are a great way to start my day! Thank you!!! :-) read more

Today was my day in the city for the Chicago Humanities Festival events and i had 30 minutes before the Newberry Library panel so i walked around until i found this cafe. it is in a charming and very well-located park with a fountain that of course was no longer gushing but it was a mild sunny day and there were many tables and benches and the server was pleasant and helpful. i would rate the cafe au lait as less than average and the apple walnut coffee cake tasted like it had been made with artificial sweetener ... i guess i should have just bought a bottled drink and saved my sweet tooth. read more

Whispers is so cute! They serve up delicious coffee and gelato right in Mariano Park! Service is friendly and plenty of seating near the fountain! Perfect for people watching, esp during the summer months! read more

I could be in danger of gaining a LOT of weight. This adorable outdoor cafe with delicious gelato is dangerously close to my new apartment. It is entirely too easy to walk here, at any part of the day, order a scoop (or two) of the gelato, and sit under the trees and people watch. Speaking of... good book + hazelnut gelato + warm summer night = me in 10 minutes! read more

It is in the middle of great restaurants and can enjoy after a nice gelato and smoothies. The have great selections of coffees and fresh juices. read more

Whispers Cafe - Mango and strawberry smoothies - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Adorable place to get coffee, fresh juice and lemonade! (oh and they have gelato!) A MUST go to place in Chicago! We went her 2 times for coffee on our trip! The setting here is perfection. You simply cannot beat it! The little cottage style shop is marvelous and the square it is on has a beautiful fountain and lots and lots of seating for enjoying your drinks. My hot coffee was amazing and my friends iced coffee was delish! The staff was friendly and nice the man working there was much more friendly than the girl but they were both nice. Gelato (which I did not try) looked great! Colorful and fresh! I do wish they had more food (besides the gelato): They had some fresh fruit, some nut and nut butter sets, cheeses, and some premade desserts but nothing more than snacks. read more

I LOVE Whispers! I live right around the corner and hang out here often, whether it's for morning coffee/reading the paper on the weekends,or an espsresso after dinner on Rush St. The People watching is great and there always seems to be a lot of foreign tourists here. There is plenty of seating and the fountain is beautiful. The coffee here is excellent and then there is the Gelato! Highly Recommend Whispers! read more

Whispers Cafe - Gelato ! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

With the long line I saw, I thought the gelato would have been better. While the portions were generous and my cookies and creme was filled with Oreos, the flavor density left something to be desired. They also didn't have a traditional (and my) favorite, hazelnut, which any self-respecting gelateria should have. (I might be spoiled by the place I go to in Philly, which is rated one of the best in the US.) Good gelato should be full of intense flavor, and you should not need a massive heap of it in order to feel sated. If you are a true gelato lover, I would recommend looking elsewhere. Eataly's gelato is nearby and much better and more authentic. I would also recommend the server place the gelato sizes on the counter to make it easier for customers to understand what sizes are available before ordering. On the plus side, I loved the outdoor seating. read more

Whispers Cafe's location is absolutely perfect. It definitely has a European feel to it, with the help of the beautiful fountain, Gelato stand, glass bottled soft drinks, and the variety of European/Middle Eastern music they play. I also loved how it juxtaposes the busy night life around it; it is centered between bar-filled streets which makes it great for people watching and pre or post-bar fun. read more

This place is great! I love coming here during the summer at lunch time to have a green veggie juice. The price is pretty good. I also have a lot of different coffee and cappuccino's, but I have yet to try them. Grab a seat at a table or bench and relax for a bit with a nice little fountain. Want some gelato? Good cause they have about 12 (?) different flavors. I've tried the gelato once it was delicious! It's also a great place to people watch at night as people come out of Gibsons, Carmines and Tavern. You might also see your waiter or hostess running over there for a quick smoke. They also have little snacks and cookies that look delicious. Definitely a cool little place to check out. I love the fresh veggie juice! read more

Yummy Gelato. Right in the center of the Viagra Triangle. I love this location it's so nice to sit outside on a break and have munch on Coconut Gelato or enjoy and delicious Chai tea Latte. It's definitely a must. read more

They literally ignored people standing at the window waiting to order, while they were cleaning. I understand having to clean and close, but you need to acknowledge and let us know you're no longer serving people instead of just looking down. Completely rude! I come here all summer, and will no longer be coming here. I can't believe they would just ignore people like this. read more