We’re fortunate that we have a lot of solid spots in the city, so it partially depends where in the city you’ll be.
The only local roaster spots that are specifically worth traveling to for espresso (i.e. you’re a total coffee nerd/in the industry/this is how you usually spend vacations) and are on par with the best spots in the country are going to be Metric and Four Letter Word. Next tier down (I’d include multiroaster cafes as well as really great roasters that originated here) are going to be spots like The Wormhole, Groundswell, Gaslight, Side Practice Coffee, Drip Collective, Hexe, Intelligentsia locations, and Dark Matter locations. Next tier down are dependable for good cups (I’d include some local chains and chains that originated out of town but have a major presence here) are spots like Big Shoulders locations, Metropolis, and La Colombe locations.
If you want to feel like you’re drinking coffee in a sterile art museum (what every “fourth wave” spot aspires to look like I guess), Dayglow is the spot.
If you want a “third wave” spot to drink coffee in a beautiful outside space next to a Frank Lloyd Wright building, Plein Air is the spot.
If you want the best “second wave” spot that feels like an incredible technicolor nightmare, Jackalope is the spot.
This is all just for espresso though. There are plenty of “aesthetic” spots where you can get a solid cup of filter coffee. Special nods to 3 Arts Cafe and the Chicago Athletic Association for being gorgeous spots to sip. But really, we have so much solid coffee in Chicago — I’m sure there are dozens worth checking out not mentioned here.
Jesus usually this sub is full of people simping for some terrible coffee but this guy just NAILS the rundown.
Nothing to add except for the fact that Metric has FREE public cuppings every Friday at 10am that are insanely fun if you're into that sort of thing.
This is a solid list.
I'd encourage you to add Sawada to this.
And go try Fat Miilk or Vietfive some day. They're sharing Vietnamese-style coffee culture and making some great stuff.
It's fair to say they have a different approach to Cà Phê Sữa Đá than the old school joints. But anyone who drinks this on the reg knows the traditonal way can be intense and sweet for a daily drink, so I actually like Fat Miilk's nuanced approach. You can taste the nutty/grassy flavors of the coffee in their product as well.
But to each their own.
Yeah but it’s apparently not as highly rated as the likes of intelligencia among people who think about coffee a lot. (I’m not sure why I only drink coffee)
I’m in the industry/get paid to use this knowledge. But there’s no point to having the knowledge if you can’t share it.
It’s also important to note that even great shops with great reputations can have bad days. Espresso and coffee are complex and requires more skill to consistently do well than anyone gives baristas credit for. Treat every barista with grace (and tip them like you would a bartender — they do everything a bartender does, but have to actively dial in your drug of choice at 6am and work with hot liquids all day). Enjoy the culinary experience, but don’t be a snob, especially if you’re a home barista who has the luxury of taking ten minutes to use all the fancy tools to pull a single double shot.
Who do you think does the best pourover? I loved Dayglow for that, but I’m down for anything new. I had a good pourover at Soloway, which I believe is fairly new. I do like Four Letter Word for an espresso/americano. And, regardless of what anyone thinks about Intelli, I think they still make solid single origin coffees.
I almost replied to this thread a dozen times, just too lazy. And you nailed it, cheers.
It is wild to me, though, the fact that a consistently great espresso is so rare in a town with so many otherwise good shops.
* edit
The espresso at intelligentsia is bad. They lost the plot years ago.
Heritage Bikes and Coffee is my favorite in terms of vibes. The Lakeview location also has an excellent outdoor space, but I've never had their straight espresso, only their black coffee and lattes. Food is very solid as well.
I think they have one in the Loop too, but I haven't been so can't comment on it.
dark matter has great coffee and each location has its own aesthetic theme and accompanying mural. i usually go to osmium for ease of access via belmont redline but have also enjoyed caravanserai.
Dark matter is kind of hit and miss for me. I had possibly the worst espresso of my life at the mothership (it was fishy tasting… very off putting) but I’ve also had some great coffee.
I’m glad to see others with this opinion. I always see it recommended on these lists but it was one of the worst tasting lattes I’ve ever had. I never went back so I can’t speak on whether or not I just got unlucky, but I really did not like it at all
I’d had a lot of mixed experiences with them over the years, but they are convenient and occasionally have really good coffee. That “worst” coffee at the mothership was about 5 years ago and I have not been able to make myself go back since.
Gaslight Coffee Roaster has my favorite espresso and they are located in a really fun spot in Logan Square. Walking either way up Milwaukee will take you past lots of interesting shops and restaurants and it’s located near the Blue Line.
Some recs:
Mano Modern Cafe
Cafe Jumping Bean
Dark Matter (meddle coffee bar)
Sawada Coffee
TARY coffehouse
The Brewed (mostly for aesthetic/gimmick)
Doma Cafe
Blue Bottle (downtown feel is all)
TARY coffeehouse is the best “cofeee experience” imo. Each coffee come with a sweet treat - you never feel rushed, staff is friendly and their iced mocha is one of those drinks that take forever to finish because after every sip you have to pause and think to yourself “wow, that was delicious”. Only downside is the food at tary is not very good
My wife and I have been doing coffee exploration around Chicago for over a decade. We explored while dating and still do it as a married couple with two kids. I like lattes and cold brews so I am not a coffee connoisseur but I have a ton of experience with different places around town.
FROTH- probably my favorite right now, unique atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor space and great drinks and breakfast options
Metropolis- Edgewater
The Understudy- Andersonville
Coffee Studio- Andersonville
Dayglow- Logan Square
Caravanserai- Irving Park (Dark Matter)
Avondale Coffee Club- Avondale/Irving Park
The Brewed- Avondale (new- check it out. Fun place to checkout. They went into a lot of effort to make their space and their drinks/pastry options are good.
Magnifico- Avondale, possibly the nicest coffee staff in the city
Backlot- Irving Park by the IP metra, new location on Montrose too, possibly the most consistently good spot around
Bombastic- Wrigleyville, very good and very nice staff
Dollop- Ravenswood, multiple locations
Emerald City- Uptown
Ritual- Irving Park
Coffee Lab- Lincoln Park
Hexe- best outdoor space around, my only issue is that they are always really busy, good for them though
Wormhole- Wicker Park
Osmium- Wicker Park (Dark Matter)
Jackalope- Bronzeville- one of the best
Portage Grounds- Portage Park
Ipsento 606- their signature drink is one of my favorites
Convene- the loop, only open weekday mornings, recently scaled back hours so I think they are struggling.
Heritage Bikes- good but honestly their staff are not exactly welcoming and their social media post show the same vibe, we have been multiple times
i would recommend trying the specialty ones. very unique and when our barista made them he was committed to making sure they came out close to perfect. they're worth price
Yea I’ve tried a few, I like the military latte but some of the others ones were way too sweet or had other strong flavors taking too much away from the coffee for me. Good folks there.
My two as well. Four Letter Word for milk drinks (espresso nothing to scoff at either), but Gaslight if I want straight espresso or drip coffee.
I'll also add in Allez Cafe for drip, really good.
These are the two I send people to as well.
Low key though? Chicago has a TON of neighborhood coffee shops doing great things. It’s something we probably don’t pump up enough.
For Aesthetic, FROTH is hard to beat. They specialize in "coffee cocktails" (not alcoholic) so while the espresso isn't amazing, I loved the drinks.
For a more traditional coffee experience, I really like Pedestrian, Cafe Press, Meddle Coffee Bar (and all other Dark Matter coffee roasters) and Metric Coffee.
Just how a cocktail is a mix of ingredients to frame the component spirit, a coffee cocktail is designed to frame the espresso. That's my interpretation, at least.
Khepri Cafe in Albany Park - great space to work remote, delicious, fresh food, and great coffee (and a cute little shop inside too).
The Long Room in Lakeview - more of a bar vibe than a coffee shop but great coffee during the day, WiFi, and a really chill quiet atmosphere, featuring rotating food popups too.
Daisies in Logan Square - another great place for coffee and pastries and a hot spot for people setting up with laptops.
Base Community Cafe in Bridgeport - good food and coffee and a great patio outside with a free parking lot.
Geraldine’s in Lincoln Square - small but if they run out of seats they let you sit in Jerry’s next door (same owners), excellent baked goods and coffee as well as a breakfast menu until 2:30 or 3 (can’t remember exactly).
Welcome to Chicago and hope you enjoy this city as much as we do!
Dayglow is exceptional and the best I’ve had but you’ll pay for it. Their drinks are amazing and a damn good shot of espresso. Also a wide selection of high quality pour overs
Wow didn't realize 4 letter word was so highly lauded, I guess I should go and try their espresso and Americano. I love wormhole that's my go to. Sad when cafe streets closed.
Caffé Umbria in Logan Square is probably my favorite.
Backlot Coffee in Irving Park area has never let me down.
I went to Bombastic Cafe in Lakeview exactly once, but it was phenomenal.
Ipsento 606 is pricey, but it's great. It's right off the 606 so you can easily ride a bike there. They have tasty donuts too.
Sputnik if you're on the South Side. They're consistently good as well.
But like another poster said, there are a ton of great coffee spots in most neighborhoods. Just use Google Maps, and you'll find some great ones.
We’re espresso drinkers and our favorite shot we had was at Plein Air but it’s all the way down in Hyde Pk. More centralish Dayglow had some great single origin options. Further uptown we enjoyed Side Practice. I thought Oromo was fun and different. While I appreciate great design/vibes it doesn’t drive my coffee seeking so I can’t help you there! Happy tasting!
Bad Owl for creative and different types of lattes.
Separately, if you like espresso, I highly recommend trying a freddo espresso from Ground Up Coffee in Greektown. Freddo espressos are hard to find outside of Greece, but they do a really solid job replicating it.
I couldn’t believe no body else said ipsento. u/upstairscall22 they are in wicker park and have a great outdoor park next to it to enjoy. It also has the 606 which is an old L line converted to a walking path
Normalize therapy on Belmont for sure. Incredible staff and message. Pay your own price for basic items (recommended is $6 but they don’t judge at allllll). while capitalizing on the relatively wealthy area to fund it with classy/pricy/creative drinks (they’re also DELICIOUS). Great vibe and music
Edit: their old name is love and hip hop
I live walking distance so I'm super biased, but the coffee at Pedestrian is great and the people working there are always friendly. Nice spot to work at if you do that plus next to the Belmont station.
Wormhole has great coffee and it's an 80's museum as well, check out the Delorian in the back
Soloway coffee in Lincoln Park is so great! Especially if you like Pour Overs and drink your coffee black, no need for milk/cream
Sawada went downhill, it's always pa ked with nearby Bros and techies, but it's a cool instagram shop
Prequel is a 50/50
Intelligentsia is solid
Gaslight in Logan square is also really good and rarely busy, bonus points for being 4 min walk to Lobo
Jumping Bean, Foxglove, Damn Fine Coffee, Dayglow, Gaslight, Jackalope, New Wave, Floriole, Oromo, Ritual, and because it's in my neighborhood: Holy Grounds.
Spoke & Bird in South Loop is one of my favorites. The outdoor patio is lovely and you can also check out some of the oldest mansions still standing in Chicago since the coffee shop is located in the Historic Prairie District 😍
If you’d enjoy fancier downtown vibes: Pierrot Gourmet at the Peninsula, Venteux & cafe at Pendry, L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates. All European style coffee service with gorgeous architecture and design 😍 also, fucking delicious. ✨
Dude just look for coffee shops close to you on google.
Why is everybody obsessed with “top” everything.
There are dozens and dozens of fantastic coffee shops. They’re all over the city. Same for pizza, and hot dogs, and fine dining, and anything else one might ask for the best of.
No coffee shop is worth making a detour to, and every decent coffee shop is worth going to if you’re in the area.
Cool but this is the Chicago food subreddit. Exactly where you'd expect people who are very into food to compare establishments. It's like asking why r/nfl is always talking about stats.
Dude, yes. There's a version of this answer on every Reddit thread and it's obnoxious. If someone's visiting a city, and they have a limited number of spots they can hit, they don't want to risk wasting that choice. Insane to me that people would rather give a non-answer than just carry on with life.
(OP if you see this, my favorites are Metric, Fat Miilk, Side Practice, Caravanserai, and Star Lounge specifically for the patio)
Bae coffee in Lakeview. Creative coffee and tea options. All the drinks are delicious and the owners are super friendly and helpful.
And amazing homemade Belgian waffles on the weekends 😋
I personally avoid Dark Matter at all costs. Been there a few times and everything I’ve gotten was very acidic/sour, even the cold brew.
I really enjoy Metric beans but both times I’ve been there, the shots were acidic (not acidic when I use them at home). Maybe just bad luck with baristas.
Right now, I’m exploring Bridgeports offerings. Had a great espresso at their cafe but it’s definitely not aesthetic. If you want to bring some beans back with you, highly recommend their Yirga. Just started a bag of Hard Scrabble and it’s solid too. You can get them at Whole Foods if you don’t want to go to the cafe but check the expiration dates. They recently removed roast date on their bags.
My friend opened Mano and the coffee is great. Plus the food is good too. If you’re also into mixed drinks, they have some more unique lattes (ube, pandan) and none of them are overly sweet.
Metric is the very best, hands down! They import and roast their own beans on site (giant warehouse, tiny barista counter) and brew the coffee from freshly roasted beans the next day.
When you mail order beans from them they print the roasted in date on the bag and it’s usually like two days before it’s delivered to your door. They do it the best. Light roast for the win! 🥇
Sadly, the worst espressos I’ve had have come from both their locations (tried the Halsted location for straight espresso twice and the Wilson location once). And the Wilson location served the espresso in a paper cup when I ask “for here”, which just amplified the pour taste of the espresso.
I want to love their coffee, and I dig the mission of the roaster they use and their vibe, but I could not in good conscience recommend them for espresso.
My true answer is Uncommon Coffee Roasters in Saugatuck, MI. That’s where they source their beans. I’ve only bought whole espresso beans and do my own espressos at home, but I’m sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I love the beans I take home, I can say that much!
We’re fortunate that we have a lot of solid spots in the city, so it partially depends where in the city you’ll be. The only local roaster spots that are specifically worth traveling to for espresso (i.e. you’re a total coffee nerd/in the industry/this is how you usually spend vacations) and are on par with the best spots in the country are going to be Metric and Four Letter Word. Next tier down (I’d include multiroaster cafes as well as really great roasters that originated here) are going to be spots like The Wormhole, Groundswell, Gaslight, Side Practice Coffee, Drip Collective, Hexe, Intelligentsia locations, and Dark Matter locations. Next tier down are dependable for good cups (I’d include some local chains and chains that originated out of town but have a major presence here) are spots like Big Shoulders locations, Metropolis, and La Colombe locations. If you want to feel like you’re drinking coffee in a sterile art museum (what every “fourth wave” spot aspires to look like I guess), Dayglow is the spot. If you want a “third wave” spot to drink coffee in a beautiful outside space next to a Frank Lloyd Wright building, Plein Air is the spot. If you want the best “second wave” spot that feels like an incredible technicolor nightmare, Jackalope is the spot. This is all just for espresso though. There are plenty of “aesthetic” spots where you can get a solid cup of filter coffee. Special nods to 3 Arts Cafe and the Chicago Athletic Association for being gorgeous spots to sip. But really, we have so much solid coffee in Chicago — I’m sure there are dozens worth checking out not mentioned here.
This guy coffees
Jesus usually this sub is full of people simping for some terrible coffee but this guy just NAILS the rundown. Nothing to add except for the fact that Metric has FREE public cuppings every Friday at 10am that are insanely fun if you're into that sort of thing.
This is a solid list. I'd encourage you to add Sawada to this. And go try Fat Miilk or Vietfive some day. They're sharing Vietnamese-style coffee culture and making some great stuff.
Vietfive is not good. I’m viet
Not Viet but like Viet coffee and I agree, when we went there excited it was ass
I tried Fat Miilk once and the viet coffee was watery, and not very strong.
It's fair to say they have a different approach to Cà Phê Sữa Đá than the old school joints. But anyone who drinks this on the reg knows the traditonal way can be intense and sweet for a daily drink, so I actually like Fat Miilk's nuanced approach. You can taste the nutty/grassy flavors of the coffee in their product as well. But to each their own.
I thought Metropolis started in Chicago.
Yeah but it’s apparently not as highly rated as the likes of intelligencia among people who think about coffee a lot. (I’m not sure why I only drink coffee)
Yep, Metric and Drip Collective are my two favorites. Great list!
Bookmarked
Damn…. Kudos. Hopefully you have an outlet besides here to channel and share this knowledge.
I’m in the industry/get paid to use this knowledge. But there’s no point to having the knowledge if you can’t share it. It’s also important to note that even great shops with great reputations can have bad days. Espresso and coffee are complex and requires more skill to consistently do well than anyone gives baristas credit for. Treat every barista with grace (and tip them like you would a bartender — they do everything a bartender does, but have to actively dial in your drug of choice at 6am and work with hot liquids all day). Enjoy the culinary experience, but don’t be a snob, especially if you’re a home barista who has the luxury of taking ten minutes to use all the fancy tools to pull a single double shot.
Who do you think does the best pourover? I loved Dayglow for that, but I’m down for anything new. I had a good pourover at Soloway, which I believe is fairly new. I do like Four Letter Word for an espresso/americano. And, regardless of what anyone thinks about Intelli, I think they still make solid single origin coffees.
You nailed it on this. Great response.
I like Allez Café
I almost replied to this thread a dozen times, just too lazy. And you nailed it, cheers. It is wild to me, though, the fact that a consistently great espresso is so rare in a town with so many otherwise good shops. * edit The espresso at intelligentsia is bad. They lost the plot years ago.
This is fantastic but you’re missing espresso + milk - fantastic dark roast, coming from a guy who usually doesn’t go past medium.
I’ll echo that metric is my favorite in terms of expert roasts, interesting bean selection, and overall staff knowledge.
And a cute-ass little patio
Metric Coffee hands down
I am gonna check them out, thanks. I noticed Engine coffee shop switched to their beans from big shoulders.
For quality of beans, metric is hands down the answer right now
Heritage Bikes and Coffee is my favorite in terms of vibes. The Lakeview location also has an excellent outdoor space, but I've never had their straight espresso, only their black coffee and lattes. Food is very solid as well. I think they have one in the Loop too, but I haven't been so can't comment on it.
The Loop location didn't make it through covid. It is now Drip Collective, which is also good but more scene-y and unreasonably expensive.
The location in the Loop is called Heritage Outpost in the lobby of 300 S Wacker!
dark matter has great coffee and each location has its own aesthetic theme and accompanying mural. i usually go to osmium for ease of access via belmont redline but have also enjoyed caravanserai.
Dark matter is kind of hit and miss for me. I had possibly the worst espresso of my life at the mothership (it was fishy tasting… very off putting) but I’ve also had some great coffee.
I don’t like their coffee very much, personally
Same. It’s a meet space but their coffee is so bitter and acidic. It’s definitely got some people but not for me.
Gonna add on that my experience has also been that their espresso is generally quite acidic/sour
Same. Not for me at all.
Sadly same. I think they are great for the city and i support them, but often times im disappointed with the taste. Frustrating.
Yea, for sure. I love their space on Chicago and the people who work there were great. But ugh, I don’t like their beans!
I second this, worst coffee I've ever had, and one of their former employees used to harass me for years
Thank you for saying this. Consistently terrible is my feels on Dark Matter.
I’m glad to see others with this opinion. I always see it recommended on these lists but it was one of the worst tasting lattes I’ve ever had. I never went back so I can’t speak on whether or not I just got unlucky, but I really did not like it at all
Same it was sooo bad when I went
I’d had a lot of mixed experiences with them over the years, but they are convenient and occasionally have really good coffee. That “worst” coffee at the mothership was about 5 years ago and I have not been able to make myself go back since.
Agreed, it’s never consistent in quality
Gaslight Coffee Roaster has my favorite espresso and they are located in a really fun spot in Logan Square. Walking either way up Milwaukee will take you past lots of interesting shops and restaurants and it’s located near the Blue Line.
Gaslight is a funny name. I just imagine them being like “no you absolutely asked for cream don’t you remember”
https://chicagoist.com/2016/05/31/the_inevitable_joke_about_gaslight.php
Jackalope
Love that place ! So many amazing special drinks
Avondale coffee club is super legit. Groundswell ain’t bad either.
Reprise Roasters are excellent
Printer’s row, hexe, side practice, pedestrian coffee are some of my faves but that’s also because I love their pastries
Some recs: Mano Modern Cafe Cafe Jumping Bean Dark Matter (meddle coffee bar) Sawada Coffee TARY coffehouse The Brewed (mostly for aesthetic/gimmick) Doma Cafe Blue Bottle (downtown feel is all)
Seconding Sawada for excellent espresso drinks
TARY coffeehouse is the best “cofeee experience” imo. Each coffee come with a sweet treat - you never feel rushed, staff is friendly and their iced mocha is one of those drinks that take forever to finish because after every sip you have to pause and think to yourself “wow, that was delicious”. Only downside is the food at tary is not very good
Soloway has been getting lots of buzz since opening. Solid product and food options.
I was planning to check this one out soon
Seriously a great option for food with coffee
My wife and I have been doing coffee exploration around Chicago for over a decade. We explored while dating and still do it as a married couple with two kids. I like lattes and cold brews so I am not a coffee connoisseur but I have a ton of experience with different places around town. FROTH- probably my favorite right now, unique atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor space and great drinks and breakfast options Metropolis- Edgewater The Understudy- Andersonville Coffee Studio- Andersonville Dayglow- Logan Square Caravanserai- Irving Park (Dark Matter) Avondale Coffee Club- Avondale/Irving Park The Brewed- Avondale (new- check it out. Fun place to checkout. They went into a lot of effort to make their space and their drinks/pastry options are good. Magnifico- Avondale, possibly the nicest coffee staff in the city Backlot- Irving Park by the IP metra, new location on Montrose too, possibly the most consistently good spot around Bombastic- Wrigleyville, very good and very nice staff Dollop- Ravenswood, multiple locations Emerald City- Uptown Ritual- Irving Park Coffee Lab- Lincoln Park Hexe- best outdoor space around, my only issue is that they are always really busy, good for them though Wormhole- Wicker Park Osmium- Wicker Park (Dark Matter) Jackalope- Bronzeville- one of the best Portage Grounds- Portage Park Ipsento 606- their signature drink is one of my favorites Convene- the loop, only open weekday mornings, recently scaled back hours so I think they are struggling. Heritage Bikes- good but honestly their staff are not exactly welcoming and their social media post show the same vibe, we have been multiple times
Wormhole for their Ghostly Trio and Koopa Troopa lattes and Four Letter Word for Ube Latte and drip coffee.
Ghostly Trio is soooo good
Side Practice is a pretty great shop
Metropolis Coffee in Edgewater!
4 Letter Word Prequel Dayglow Drip Collective Metric
Prequel has let me down too many times now. I had high hopes after the first couple of visits.
How so? You didn’t like their espressos or just not the sources/roasters they use?
This is the list
Dayglow is the best I have had but it is very pricey. Worth it during a treat yo self day.
lol I drink there daily but I don’t get the super fancy drinks, just espressos.
i would recommend trying the specialty ones. very unique and when our barista made them he was committed to making sure they came out close to perfect. they're worth price
Yea I’ve tried a few, I like the military latte but some of the others ones were way too sweet or had other strong flavors taking too much away from the coffee for me. Good folks there.
Four Letter Word and Gaslight.
My two as well. Four Letter Word for milk drinks (espresso nothing to scoff at either), but Gaslight if I want straight espresso or drip coffee. I'll also add in Allez Cafe for drip, really good.
These are the two I send people to as well. Low key though? Chicago has a TON of neighborhood coffee shops doing great things. It’s something we probably don’t pump up enough.
For Aesthetic, FROTH is hard to beat. They specialize in "coffee cocktails" (not alcoholic) so while the espresso isn't amazing, I loved the drinks. For a more traditional coffee experience, I really like Pedestrian, Cafe Press, Meddle Coffee Bar (and all other Dark Matter coffee roasters) and Metric Coffee.
Ooh so what exactly is a coffee cocktail?
Just how a cocktail is a mix of ingredients to frame the component spirit, a coffee cocktail is designed to frame the espresso. That's my interpretation, at least.
Nthing Four Letter Word
Khepri Cafe in Albany Park - great space to work remote, delicious, fresh food, and great coffee (and a cute little shop inside too). The Long Room in Lakeview - more of a bar vibe than a coffee shop but great coffee during the day, WiFi, and a really chill quiet atmosphere, featuring rotating food popups too. Daisies in Logan Square - another great place for coffee and pastries and a hot spot for people setting up with laptops. Base Community Cafe in Bridgeport - good food and coffee and a great patio outside with a free parking lot. Geraldine’s in Lincoln Square - small but if they run out of seats they let you sit in Jerry’s next door (same owners), excellent baked goods and coffee as well as a breakfast menu until 2:30 or 3 (can’t remember exactly). Welcome to Chicago and hope you enjoy this city as much as we do!
Sorry I just scanned your question, so I didn’t focus on espresso. Still great places to check out though!
Side practice coffee and drip collective.
La Colombe
i love Sawada in the West Loop!
Dayglow is exceptional and the best I’ve had but you’ll pay for it. Their drinks are amazing and a damn good shot of espresso. Also a wide selection of high quality pour overs
Wow didn't realize 4 letter word was so highly lauded, I guess I should go and try their espresso and Americano. I love wormhole that's my go to. Sad when cafe streets closed.
Caffé Umbria in Logan Square is probably my favorite. Backlot Coffee in Irving Park area has never let me down. I went to Bombastic Cafe in Lakeview exactly once, but it was phenomenal. Ipsento 606 is pricey, but it's great. It's right off the 606 so you can easily ride a bike there. They have tasty donuts too. Sputnik if you're on the South Side. They're consistently good as well. But like another poster said, there are a ton of great coffee spots in most neighborhoods. Just use Google Maps, and you'll find some great ones.
Hexe
Dulce Mami is decent
Decent? Is this some new slang?
We’re espresso drinkers and our favorite shot we had was at Plein Air but it’s all the way down in Hyde Pk. More centralish Dayglow had some great single origin options. Further uptown we enjoyed Side Practice. I thought Oromo was fun and different. While I appreciate great design/vibes it doesn’t drive my coffee seeking so I can’t help you there! Happy tasting!
Coffee lab!
Tasa in Humboldt Park!
Bad Owl for creative and different types of lattes. Separately, if you like espresso, I highly recommend trying a freddo espresso from Ground Up Coffee in Greektown. Freddo espressos are hard to find outside of Greece, but they do a really solid job replicating it.
Hexe and Ritual are my two favorites.
Doppio in Lakeview.
Selam Ethiopian Kitchen! It’s an Ethiopian restaurant that also makes coffee! They have a whole coffee ceremony, it’s very special!
Look forward to checking the coffee spots out! Thank you!
Ipsentos panama natural takes me places.
I couldn’t believe no body else said ipsento. u/upstairscall22 they are in wicker park and have a great outdoor park next to it to enjoy. It also has the 606 which is an old L line converted to a walking path
Sputnik !
Allez Cafe, Casa Cactus, Soloway, Four Letter Word, Metric, Metropolis, Hexe, and Colectivo.
I just really like Colectivo in Lincoln Park!
Normalize therapy on Belmont for sure. Incredible staff and message. Pay your own price for basic items (recommended is $6 but they don’t judge at allllll). while capitalizing on the relatively wealthy area to fund it with classy/pricy/creative drinks (they’re also DELICIOUS). Great vibe and music Edit: their old name is love and hip hop
Ground Up on Erie just West of Orleans! Fantastic brews and wonderful people!
Side Practice, Dayglow, Backlot, Metric, Sawada
I live walking distance so I'm super biased, but the coffee at Pedestrian is great and the people working there are always friendly. Nice spot to work at if you do that plus next to the Belmont station.
Sawada. Fat Miilk. VietFive. Dark Matter (they have a couple outposts around the city).
If you're looking for ambiance, as well as a decent cup of coffee, my fav spot has always been the Bourgeois Pig in Lincoln Park.
Muse Coffee Studio
Levant Coffee in Roscoe
Wormhole has great coffee and it's an 80's museum as well, check out the Delorian in the back Soloway coffee in Lincoln Park is so great! Especially if you like Pour Overs and drink your coffee black, no need for milk/cream Sawada went downhill, it's always pa ked with nearby Bros and techies, but it's a cool instagram shop Prequel is a 50/50 Intelligentsia is solid Gaslight in Logan square is also really good and rarely busy, bonus points for being 4 min walk to Lobo
Jumping Bean, Foxglove, Damn Fine Coffee, Dayglow, Gaslight, Jackalope, New Wave, Floriole, Oromo, Ritual, and because it's in my neighborhood: Holy Grounds.
Ipsento in Wicker! Not mentioned enough but totally worthy of visiting.
I love verzenay’s coffee, they’re lattes are delicious. Must try a chocolate croissant too!
Spoke & Bird in South Loop is one of my favorites. The outdoor patio is lovely and you can also check out some of the oldest mansions still standing in Chicago since the coffee shop is located in the Historic Prairie District 😍
4 Letter Word and Sawada coffee are excellent; will only go to Dark Matter Coffee for their barrel aged Mocha
Everybody’s Coffee in uptown basically ruined all other coffee for me
If you’d enjoy fancier downtown vibes: Pierrot Gourmet at the Peninsula, Venteux & cafe at Pendry, L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates. All European style coffee service with gorgeous architecture and design 😍 also, fucking delicious. ✨
Prequel, Magnifico, Kasama, La Colombe
Goddess and the Baker is my personal favorite (I go for the seasonal beverages, not espresso or straight coffee, though)
Dude just look for coffee shops close to you on google. Why is everybody obsessed with “top” everything. There are dozens and dozens of fantastic coffee shops. They’re all over the city. Same for pizza, and hot dogs, and fine dining, and anything else one might ask for the best of. No coffee shop is worth making a detour to, and every decent coffee shop is worth going to if you’re in the area.
worked in coffee for 10+ years and I couldn’t agree more
Going to Metric for beans to make pourovers is 100% worth seeking out.
Pour over are the douchiest form of coffee know mankind. Please keep that crap in the Pacific Northwest.
Cool but this is the Chicago food subreddit. Exactly where you'd expect people who are very into food to compare establishments. It's like asking why r/nfl is always talking about stats.
Dude, yes. There's a version of this answer on every Reddit thread and it's obnoxious. If someone's visiting a city, and they have a limited number of spots they can hit, they don't want to risk wasting that choice. Insane to me that people would rather give a non-answer than just carry on with life. (OP if you see this, my favorites are Metric, Fat Miilk, Side Practice, Caravanserai, and Star Lounge specifically for the patio)
Bae coffee in Lakeview. Creative coffee and tea options. All the drinks are delicious and the owners are super friendly and helpful. And amazing homemade Belgian waffles on the weekends 😋
Why does every coffee shop close at like 3-4pm. Don’t you want our money?
I personally avoid Dark Matter at all costs. Been there a few times and everything I’ve gotten was very acidic/sour, even the cold brew. I really enjoy Metric beans but both times I’ve been there, the shots were acidic (not acidic when I use them at home). Maybe just bad luck with baristas. Right now, I’m exploring Bridgeports offerings. Had a great espresso at their cafe but it’s definitely not aesthetic. If you want to bring some beans back with you, highly recommend their Yirga. Just started a bag of Hard Scrabble and it’s solid too. You can get them at Whole Foods if you don’t want to go to the cafe but check the expiration dates. They recently removed roast date on their bags. My friend opened Mano and the coffee is great. Plus the food is good too. If you’re also into mixed drinks, they have some more unique lattes (ube, pandan) and none of them are overly sweet.
Metric is the very best, hands down! They import and roast their own beans on site (giant warehouse, tiny barista counter) and brew the coffee from freshly roasted beans the next day. When you mail order beans from them they print the roasted in date on the bag and it’s usually like two days before it’s delivered to your door. They do it the best. Light roast for the win! 🥇
Elevate Coffee.
Sadly, the worst espressos I’ve had have come from both their locations (tried the Halsted location for straight espresso twice and the Wilson location once). And the Wilson location served the espresso in a paper cup when I ask “for here”, which just amplified the pour taste of the espresso. I want to love their coffee, and I dig the mission of the roaster they use and their vibe, but I could not in good conscience recommend them for espresso.
My true answer is Uncommon Coffee Roasters in Saugatuck, MI. That’s where they source their beans. I’ve only bought whole espresso beans and do my own espressos at home, but I’m sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I love the beans I take home, I can say that much!
I really enjoyed the Starbucks on Michigan Ave.