Margarita European Inn

Margarita European Inn Review

While varied room size, shared bathrooms, and narrow corridors recall a college dormitory, you won't find a more charming place to stay in Chicago's Near North suburbs. The inn was formerly an all-girls residence club built in the late 1920s, and a lot of its original features, including the iron-girded elevator shaft and antique-laden parlor, remain intact. The staff is small but helpful. The best feature is the "borrowing" library, where guests can swap their used books for those of others. If you're in no rush to go downtown, eat at the lower-level Va Pensiero restaurant, a fancy Italian spot that serves more than 10 kinds of grappa and dishes like pancetta-wrapped pork tenderloin. The inn also provides a Continental breakfast.