Andrei’s Guidebook

Andrei
Andrei’s Guidebook

Food Scene

Chicago is no longer a simple meat and potatoes town. Restaurants in the nation's third-largest city have grown to a level of sophistication that rival any food scene in the country. Consider this your guide to the best food and drink the city has to offer.
Killer breakfast spot with something for everyone!
53 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Batter & Berries
2748 N Lincoln Ave
53 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Killer breakfast spot with something for everyone!
Delicious and authentic Cuban cuisine. The food is fresh, large quantities, and pricing is reasonable. The service is super fast and the staff is friendly. The vibe is easy and laidback with bright colors and cool artwork on the walls. They have a nice outdoor sitting area that's fun in the summer. The perfect casual dining spot to go to with friends!
17 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Cuba 312
2054 W Roscoe St
17 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Delicious and authentic Cuban cuisine. The food is fresh, large quantities, and pricing is reasonable. The service is super fast and the staff is friendly. The vibe is easy and laidback with bright colors and cool artwork on the walls. They have a nice outdoor sitting area that's fun in the summer. The perfect casual dining spot to go to with friends!
Cute family-owned neighborhood vegan spot offering non-vegan options too. Amazing breakfast and friendly team.
29 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Lucy’s Cafe
2100 W Roscoe St
29 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Cute family-owned neighborhood vegan spot offering non-vegan options too. Amazing breakfast and friendly team.
Close to 2,000 4.5-Star reviews is impressive. Great breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu with something for everyone. The place is usually packed but try snagging a seat at the counter. The restaurant is 2.4 miles away from the home or a quick 7-minute Uber ride.
936 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Lula Cafe
2537 N Kedzie Blvd
936 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Close to 2,000 4.5-Star reviews is impressive. Great breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu with something for everyone. The place is usually packed but try snagging a seat at the counter. The restaurant is 2.4 miles away from the home or a quick 7-minute Uber ride.
Open for over three years now, Au Cheval has become one of the hardest spots to get into in Chicago and a lot of the reason for that can be attributed to their cheeseburger. Six months in, even before Bon Appetit declared it the best in America, the Au Cheval cheeseburger had become the talk of the town. Don't have time to wait? Try Au Cheval's little brother, Small Cheval located nearby at 150 N Riverside office building (limited operating hours) or Bucktown at 1732 N Milwaukee.
620 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Au Cheval
800 W Randolph St
620 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Open for over three years now, Au Cheval has become one of the hardest spots to get into in Chicago and a lot of the reason for that can be attributed to their cheeseburger. Six months in, even before Bon Appetit declared it the best in America, the Au Cheval cheeseburger had become the talk of the town. Don't have time to wait? Try Au Cheval's little brother, Small Cheval located nearby at 150 N Riverside office building (limited operating hours) or Bucktown at 1732 N Milwaukee.
If you want a Mediterranean spot that's walking distance to the home, this spot is great. The restaurant is one of the oldest in the city and has been serving Roscoe Village for close to 17 years. Amazing food, beautiful space, and laid back atmosphere.
33 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Turquoise Cafe & Restaurant
2147 W Roscoe St
33 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
If you want a Mediterranean spot that's walking distance to the home, this spot is great. The restaurant is one of the oldest in the city and has been serving Roscoe Village for close to 17 years. Amazing food, beautiful space, and laid back atmosphere.

Neighborhoods

Chicago has been named the “Best Big City in the U.S.” by Condé Nast Traveler and “The World’s Best City for Having It All” by Time Out. One of the things that makes the city so special? Our rich tapestry of neighborhoods, each with its own vibe and personality.
WHY IT'S AWESOME This charming, laidback “village within the city” is filled with casual taverns, independent shops, and cute cafes that spill out onto the sidewalks during the warm weather months. INSIDER TIPS This cozy little pocket is an eclectic mix of unique boutiques, classic frame and brick homes, and locally owned eateries. It’s a wonderfully welcoming and quirky place. Case in point: popular comfort food spot Kitsch’n on Roscoe, where you can enjoy your brunch with a side of ’70’s-style kitsch. Check out Le Sud’s rooftop patio, where you can soak in the sun and laidback vibes with some French Mediterranean dishes. Come evening, head to Constellation, where you’ll find some of the city’s most progressive jazz, contemporary classical, and improvised music, founded by local drummer and Pitchfork Music Festival’s talent buyer. EXPLORE LIKE A LOCAL Shop a vintage clothing goldmine at Shangri-La Vintage. Get a free tasting on Sundays at Lush Wine & Spirits. Enjoy seasonal small plates and an approachable wine list on Volo Restaurant Wine Bar’s intimate, year-round patio.
24 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Roscoe Village
24 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
WHY IT'S AWESOME This charming, laidback “village within the city” is filled with casual taverns, independent shops, and cute cafes that spill out onto the sidewalks during the warm weather months. INSIDER TIPS This cozy little pocket is an eclectic mix of unique boutiques, classic frame and brick homes, and locally owned eateries. It’s a wonderfully welcoming and quirky place. Case in point: popular comfort food spot Kitsch’n on Roscoe, where you can enjoy your brunch with a side of ’70’s-style kitsch. Check out Le Sud’s rooftop patio, where you can soak in the sun and laidback vibes with some French Mediterranean dishes. Come evening, head to Constellation, where you’ll find some of the city’s most progressive jazz, contemporary classical, and improvised music, founded by local drummer and Pitchfork Music Festival’s talent buyer. EXPLORE LIKE A LOCAL Shop a vintage clothing goldmine at Shangri-La Vintage. Get a free tasting on Sundays at Lush Wine & Spirits. Enjoy seasonal small plates and an approachable wine list on Volo Restaurant Wine Bar’s intimate, year-round patio.
WHY IT'S AWESOME The West Loop is a foodie mecca. An explosion of excellent eateries have taken over this former industrial area, turning the historic warehouses into some of the city’s hottest restaurants. INSIDER TIPS A former meat-packing district, the West Loop has become one of the most dynamic dining destinations in the city. In particular, a stretch of Randolph Street known as Restaurant Row is where you’ll find many of the neighborhood’s most celebrated spots, from high-end tasting menus to hidden ramen joints to fourth-generation sandwich shops. Nearby Fulton Market has a cool industrial vibe that bursts with activity, thanks to tons of trendy restaurants and bars that have taken over the old warehouse spaces. Between meals, you can explore the West Loops’s art galleries, cool shops, and boutique hotels. Check out the year-round Randolph Street Market for unusual vintage and antique finds. In the summer, the market heads outdoors with live music and pop-up bars. EXPLORE LIKE A LOCAL Head to walk-up window at BomboBar for Instagram-worthy desserts to go. Order a round of crispy pig face at Girl and the Goat where Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard runs the kitchen. Try one of the best burgers in America at refined diner Au Cheval — it’s worth the wait.
89 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
West Loop
89 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
WHY IT'S AWESOME The West Loop is a foodie mecca. An explosion of excellent eateries have taken over this former industrial area, turning the historic warehouses into some of the city’s hottest restaurants. INSIDER TIPS A former meat-packing district, the West Loop has become one of the most dynamic dining destinations in the city. In particular, a stretch of Randolph Street known as Restaurant Row is where you’ll find many of the neighborhood’s most celebrated spots, from high-end tasting menus to hidden ramen joints to fourth-generation sandwich shops. Nearby Fulton Market has a cool industrial vibe that bursts with activity, thanks to tons of trendy restaurants and bars that have taken over the old warehouse spaces. Between meals, you can explore the West Loops’s art galleries, cool shops, and boutique hotels. Check out the year-round Randolph Street Market for unusual vintage and antique finds. In the summer, the market heads outdoors with live music and pop-up bars. EXPLORE LIKE A LOCAL Head to walk-up window at BomboBar for Instagram-worthy desserts to go. Order a round of crispy pig face at Girl and the Goat where Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard runs the kitchen. Try one of the best burgers in America at refined diner Au Cheval — it’s worth the wait.
WHY IT'S AWESOME It’s an ultra-stylish, ultra-urban district of sleek art galleries and studios, all tucked away into former warehouse buildings. It’s also home to one of the city’s hottest nightlife scenes, with trendy bars and clubs that keep the party going till the early morning hours. INSIDER TIPS Bordering The Magnificent Mile and Gold Coast, River North is the go-to district for art and design lovers. theMART, which sits on the multi-award-winning Chicago Riverwalk, anchors the district. Its most recent claim to fame is Art on theMART, the world’s largest video projection art installation. Just north of the MART, you’ll find a concentration of fabulous art galleries, specializing in everything from Asian art to wax paintings. Cultured by day, River North shifts into high gear by night. The dining scene is always buzzing, from authentic Italian food hall Eataly to high-end steakhouses like RPM Steak to the award-winning Pacific Standard Time. For some after-hours fun, enjoy tiki drinks and tropical vibes at Three Dots and a Dash or order a bathtub-size cocktail at sultry The Bassment. EXPLORE LIKE A LOCAL Get that Rat Pack vibe with old-school crooning at Redhead Piano Bar. Fill up on soul food and soulful song at the Sunday Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues. Dance the night away trendy club-restaurant hybrid TAO.
68 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
River North
68 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
WHY IT'S AWESOME It’s an ultra-stylish, ultra-urban district of sleek art galleries and studios, all tucked away into former warehouse buildings. It’s also home to one of the city’s hottest nightlife scenes, with trendy bars and clubs that keep the party going till the early morning hours. INSIDER TIPS Bordering The Magnificent Mile and Gold Coast, River North is the go-to district for art and design lovers. theMART, which sits on the multi-award-winning Chicago Riverwalk, anchors the district. Its most recent claim to fame is Art on theMART, the world’s largest video projection art installation. Just north of the MART, you’ll find a concentration of fabulous art galleries, specializing in everything from Asian art to wax paintings. Cultured by day, River North shifts into high gear by night. The dining scene is always buzzing, from authentic Italian food hall Eataly to high-end steakhouses like RPM Steak to the award-winning Pacific Standard Time. For some after-hours fun, enjoy tiki drinks and tropical vibes at Three Dots and a Dash or order a bathtub-size cocktail at sultry The Bassment. EXPLORE LIKE A LOCAL Get that Rat Pack vibe with old-school crooning at Redhead Piano Bar. Fill up on soul food and soulful song at the Sunday Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues. Dance the night away trendy club-restaurant hybrid TAO.
WHY IT'S AWESOME Wrigleyville is home to historic Wrigley Field, the second oldest ballpark in the country. Whether or not you’re a sports fan, you can’t help catching a little Cubs fever while you’re here. INSIDER TIPS Wrigley Field, also called “The Friendly Confines,” is famous for its ivy-covered outfield walls, manual scoreboard, and lively atmosphere. It’s also home to the Chicago Cubs, famous for their 108-year journey from lovable losers to 2016 World Series Champions. The area around the stadium is known as Wrigleyville, and it’s bursting at the seams with sports bars, souvenir stalls, and die-hard Cubs fans. Walk up and down Clark Street to stop into the area’s many bars and restaurants that usually filled with locals, even when it’s not baseball season. EXPLORE LIKE A LOCAL Take an official Wrigley Field Tour for a peek into over a century’s worth of Chicago baseball history. Enjoy a rare whiskey pour at Mordecai inside Hotel Zachary at Gallagher Way. Snag a game-day perch on rooftop bleachers at Wrigley Rooftops.
177 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Wrigleyville
177 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
WHY IT'S AWESOME Wrigleyville is home to historic Wrigley Field, the second oldest ballpark in the country. Whether or not you’re a sports fan, you can’t help catching a little Cubs fever while you’re here. INSIDER TIPS Wrigley Field, also called “The Friendly Confines,” is famous for its ivy-covered outfield walls, manual scoreboard, and lively atmosphere. It’s also home to the Chicago Cubs, famous for their 108-year journey from lovable losers to 2016 World Series Champions. The area around the stadium is known as Wrigleyville, and it’s bursting at the seams with sports bars, souvenir stalls, and die-hard Cubs fans. Walk up and down Clark Street to stop into the area’s many bars and restaurants that usually filled with locals, even when it’s not baseball season. EXPLORE LIKE A LOCAL Take an official Wrigley Field Tour for a peek into over a century’s worth of Chicago baseball history. Enjoy a rare whiskey pour at Mordecai inside Hotel Zachary at Gallagher Way. Snag a game-day perch on rooftop bleachers at Wrigley Rooftops.
WHY IT'S AWESOME Logan Square is a thriving community of artists, musicians, and the indie spirit. Its creative energy and urban vibe make it a go-to for locals looking for the next cool thing. INSIDER TIPS Take a stroll down stately Logan Boulevard, which cuts through the heart of the neighborhood. It’s lined with regal limestone homes and anchored by the soaring Illinois Centennial Monument, designed by the same architect who created the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Just a few steps away, you’ll find historic Logan Theatre. This vintage movie house opened in 1915 and has been revamped to include a cozy bar and lounge. The Logan, as the locals call it, screens everything from first-run films to cult classics to indie favorites. It also hosts the annual Chicago Underground Film Festival, the longest-running underground film fest in the world. For a taste of Logan Square nightlife, take your pick from trend-setting cocktail bars, under-the-radar venues with local bands, and burgeoning breweries and distilleries. Check out Longman & Eagle, a modern take on an old-school Chicago inn with a mind-blowing whiskey selection. Or order a cocktail made with small-batch spirits at Chicago Distilling Company. Among the neighborhood’s unique eateries you’ll find Michelin-rated spots, funky noodle shops, pizza places with cult followings, and unexpected fusion concepts. Hip coffee houses, minimalist boutiques, and a Sunday Farmers Market (held throughout the year) round out the Logan Square experience. EXPLORE LIKE A LOCAL Hit the patio for fried chicken, ping pong, and negroni slushies at Parson’s Chicken and Fish. Catch a performance at cool-kid staple The Whistler, a hybrid cocktail bar, gallery, record label, and music venue. Indulge at Fat Rice, a lauded Macanese restaurant led by James Beard Award-winning Abe Conlon, then have a nightcap at The Ladies Room, the secret bar hidden in the restaurant’s bakery.
174 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Logan Square
174 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
WHY IT'S AWESOME Logan Square is a thriving community of artists, musicians, and the indie spirit. Its creative energy and urban vibe make it a go-to for locals looking for the next cool thing. INSIDER TIPS Take a stroll down stately Logan Boulevard, which cuts through the heart of the neighborhood. It’s lined with regal limestone homes and anchored by the soaring Illinois Centennial Monument, designed by the same architect who created the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Just a few steps away, you’ll find historic Logan Theatre. This vintage movie house opened in 1915 and has been revamped to include a cozy bar and lounge. The Logan, as the locals call it, screens everything from first-run films to cult classics to indie favorites. It also hosts the annual Chicago Underground Film Festival, the longest-running underground film fest in the world. For a taste of Logan Square nightlife, take your pick from trend-setting cocktail bars, under-the-radar venues with local bands, and burgeoning breweries and distilleries. Check out Longman & Eagle, a modern take on an old-school Chicago inn with a mind-blowing whiskey selection. Or order a cocktail made with small-batch spirits at Chicago Distilling Company. Among the neighborhood’s unique eateries you’ll find Michelin-rated spots, funky noodle shops, pizza places with cult followings, and unexpected fusion concepts. Hip coffee houses, minimalist boutiques, and a Sunday Farmers Market (held throughout the year) round out the Logan Square experience. EXPLORE LIKE A LOCAL Hit the patio for fried chicken, ping pong, and negroni slushies at Parson’s Chicken and Fish. Catch a performance at cool-kid staple The Whistler, a hybrid cocktail bar, gallery, record label, and music venue. Indulge at Fat Rice, a lauded Macanese restaurant led by James Beard Award-winning Abe Conlon, then have a nightcap at The Ladies Room, the secret bar hidden in the restaurant’s bakery.
WHY IT'S AWESOME The Gold Coast is a luxury lover’s haven. Charming homes on picture-perfect streets, high-end boutiques, and restaurants favored by celebrities past and present all give this neighborhood its star power. INSIDER TIPS Nestled close to the Lake Michigan shoreline, the Gold Coast is luxury and romance personified (as the name implies, this is one of the country’s most affluent neighborhoods). Streets are lined with historic mansions, designer boutiques, celebrated restaurants, and historic hotels. In the evenings, you’ll find a dynamic bar-hopping scene spilling out onto Rush Street until late into the night. Gold Coast is also known as an architectural jewel box. The Astor Street District features rows of 19th-century homes designed in various historical revival styles. Among the neighborhoods’s other notable buildings are the Charnley-Perksy House, designed by Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Former Playboy Mansion, legendary for Hugh Hefner’s star-studded parties. EXPLORE LIKE A LOCAL Experience a new kind of steakhouse at ultra-modern Maple & Ash, where steaks are seared over a live wood fire. Visit humanities haven Newberry Library on lovely Washington Square. Dine in the light-filled courtyard of a historic building at 3 Arts Club Café.
28 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Gold Coast
28 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
WHY IT'S AWESOME The Gold Coast is a luxury lover’s haven. Charming homes on picture-perfect streets, high-end boutiques, and restaurants favored by celebrities past and present all give this neighborhood its star power. INSIDER TIPS Nestled close to the Lake Michigan shoreline, the Gold Coast is luxury and romance personified (as the name implies, this is one of the country’s most affluent neighborhoods). Streets are lined with historic mansions, designer boutiques, celebrated restaurants, and historic hotels. In the evenings, you’ll find a dynamic bar-hopping scene spilling out onto Rush Street until late into the night. Gold Coast is also known as an architectural jewel box. The Astor Street District features rows of 19th-century homes designed in various historical revival styles. Among the neighborhoods’s other notable buildings are the Charnley-Perksy House, designed by Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Former Playboy Mansion, legendary for Hugh Hefner’s star-studded parties. EXPLORE LIKE A LOCAL Experience a new kind of steakhouse at ultra-modern Maple & Ash, where steaks are seared over a live wood fire. Visit humanities haven Newberry Library on lovely Washington Square. Dine in the light-filled courtyard of a historic building at 3 Arts Club Café.

Bar

Good spot to get a drink that's virtually next door to the home. Their food isn't anything to rave about but the beer selection is solid with 96 beers on tap.
The Reveler
3403 N Damen Ave
Good spot to get a drink that's virtually next door to the home. Their food isn't anything to rave about but the beer selection is solid with 96 beers on tap.
This is an absolute gem of a cocktail bar in Chicago and a must visit. It's a small place and does get crowded but the vibe is cool and drinks are awesome.
22 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
The Victor Bar
4011 N Damen Ave
22 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
This is an absolute gem of a cocktail bar in Chicago and a must visit. It's a small place and does get crowded but the vibe is cool and drinks are awesome.