The best coffee spots in Chicago and the outskirts: Part I

If you’ve been following me on Instagram you probably know that bestie and I have been on a mission of finding cute coffee shops. You’d be surprised the little hidden treasures in the burbs.

Here is a list of all the places we’ve been to to date, and if you scroll down you can read a bit more about each spot specifically –

Blackberry Market, Glen Ellyn

Standard Market, Naperville

River City Roasters, Wheaton

Lavazza, Naperville 

Sparrow Coffee, Naperville

Brewpoint Coffee, Elmhurst (three locations) 

Hero Coffee, Chicago

Le Pain Quotidien Bakery, Naperville

Owl and Lark Cafe, La Grange

Artopolis, Greektown Chicago

The Hampton Social, Burr Ridge

The Allis at Soho House, Chicago 

Blackberry Market, Glen Ellyn

This is the first place we visited, and it didn’t disappoint. They are not just a coffee shop, yet have a little bit of everything. Their breakfast menu blew us away, and their lattes were on point.

Standard Market Place, Naperville

Standard Market Place was a little bit different, in a way that it is a specialty grocery store with a coffee shop. Their lattes were amazing, and we couldn’t pass on their fresh and so fluffy pastries.

If you need to do groceries and want a good coffee along, you have to stop by here. Not to mention how amazing their wine selection is. Also, they have a gorgeous patio for outside seating, and I love that because I can take the babes with me.

City River Roasters, Wheaton

Such a cute little spot downtown Wheaton along side of the historic center buildings, with a perfect window view onto Main St. We had signature lattes, and a pastry. Lattes were a little sweeter than usual but how can one say No to coffee.

Sparrow Coffee, Naperville

This is a very spacious coffee place right by the newly opened Indigo hotel. Their coffee is amazing, we had to order two lattes as one was just not enough. Unlike some other places, there is plenty of room to sit and you can even walk in with a baby stroller. Pastries were on point, fresh and delicious. It’s really a perfect spot to meet someone for a coffee date. We’ve been here more than once.

Lavazza, Naperville

It is being built in the plaza of the Hotel Arista on the corner of Rt. 59 and 75th St., in Naperville. They, not only have amazing coffee but they are the size of your head!! And, their brunch/lunch menu is that of a variety of sandwiches, but they were good. We had a chicken panini sandwich. If you haven’t tried Lavazza coffee before I suggest you do, their coffee for Keurig is great as well! The place is much like your standard coffee place set up, mainstream as well.

Brewpoint, Elmhurst

This place tho! We loved this place and their coffee! They have three locations – the one on York St., is definitely a favorite as it is the Roastery as well as a Coffee Shop. It’s spacious, and perfect for coffee dates. We had our Blogiversary coffee date here, and a few more after that. The location on Park St., right downtown Elmhurst is very small and looks very “vintage”. The third location is at the Elmhurst library. Coffee is amazing regardless which location you decide to go to.

Le Pain Quotidien, downtown Naperville

It’s a cute little bakery downtown Naperville, with in house lattes and pastries to lick your fingers! They have a brunch menu too, but we opted for these delicious pastries with our coffee, instead. They have a “dining” section as well as a small walk in section where you can seat yourself. We preferred the window seating of sipping on out lattes and enjoying pastries. Definitely a cute brunch + coffee place to stop by. Also, they have fresh bread!

Hero Coffee, Jackson Blvd., Chicago

It may well be the smallest coffee bar in the loop. It’s tucked in a small alley on East Jackson Blvd with a few outside seats as you can see in the photo. The staff was super nice, and their signature latte was amazing! Yet, another must visit spot and coffee to try. And, I should forewarn you that there is no inside seating, heck there is barely even an “inside”. This is a definitely a popular spot, while we were there there were at least ten people (not kidding) that stopped by and took photos! (As we did too!)

Owl & Lark, La Grange

This may just be one of our favorite places visited to date. It’s downtown La Grange, with a small outside patio seating and a beautiful interior seating. We enjoyed hazelnut spread with our lattes. They really take their time to make your lattes look and taste great. The inside seating is not as spacious but we managed to squeeze in Anastasija’s stroller and sit comfortably without being in the way. Really liked this place.

The Hampton Social, Burr Ridge

One of the most popular brunch places, and it’s gorgeous. You get the total feel of the Hamptons. Their menu is very much seafood based, but we loved the breakfast with a side of french toast and lattes. Perfect place to take your girls out to on a date or have a date with your hubs.

The Allis at the Soho House, Greek Town Chicago

This place is stunning. You walk in and you’re amazed with the aesthetic. It’s in the lobby of the famous hotel, and there is a lot of traffic, meaning a lot of people walking around, etc. You’re best making a reservation here first, otherwise you might be out of luck. We lucked out to find a cute table with a sofa chair but it was pretty packed. They have a really  pretty outside patio, and it’s a decent size too.

Artopolis, Greek Town Chicago

This is a block away from the Soho House above, and it’s a perfect spot for a brunch and coffee. They are not just a coffee shop, they have a full breakfast/lunch menu and even pastries that you can buy to take with you. It’s a traditional Greek restaurant type of a cafe.

This was Part I of our Series of coffee adventures including some amazing brunch places! Sometimes, brunch with coffee is necessary and I love finding places you can have both.

Stay tuned for more…

Xoxo,

Vesna

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