3rd Coast Cafe & Wine Bar
The oldest coffeehouse in the Gold Coast pleases just about everyone with breakfast all day and nightly dinner specials.
11 Best Restaurants in Near North and River North, Chicago
A couple of decades ago, when Rick Bayless and his wife, Deann, opened Frontera Grill, River North was still seen as a dicey part of town. In fact, anything west of Michigan Avenue was suspect. How times change. Now the mammoth Chicago Merchandise Mart anchors River North, where art and design trades patronize the area's hot spots, including Slurping Turtle, Gilt Bar, and Paris Club Bistro & Bar, as well as its refined restaurants, such as mk, Naha, and Topolobampo. Meanwhile the nearby Near North district, home to shopping's Magnificent Mile and the residential Gold Coast, specializes in upscale restaurants that suit the clientele like a bespoke suit. The Magnificent Mile is the land of posh hotels (Sofitel and Park Hyatt) and their sleek dining rooms (Café des Architectes and NoMI Kitchen, respectively), as well as stand-alone stars like TRU, Spiaggia, and Les Nomades. Head north on Wells Street to Old Town, or expect to spend a fair bit on dinner.
Billy Goat Tavern
Behind and a level down from the Wrigley Building is the inspiration for Saturday Night Live's classic "cheezborger, cheezborger, cheezborger, cheeps, no fries, no Pepsi, Coke" skit. Grab a greasy burger at this no-frills grill, or just have a beer and absorb the comic undertones.
Brett's Kitchen
Brett's Kitchen is an excellent spot for a quick pastry, sandwich, or omelet. It's super casual: order at the counter and grab a seat.
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Gino's East
Grab a seasonal brew and watch a game on the big screen, fill up on yummy Chicago deep-dish pizza, or catch a nightly stand-up comedy act at the graffiti-covered Gino's East.
Leonidas Chocolate Cafe
This chocolate café just off Michigan Avenue is a chocolate lover's dream, where Belgian chocolate and hot chocolate are the stars. You can also order sandwiches, quiche, waffles, French pastries, and build-your-own crepes (sweet and savory).
Marisol
After winding through the galleries at the Museum of Contemporary Art, head downstairs where the food is just as cutting-edge and beautiful as the art. The sleek restaurant has a coffee bar with quick snacks, as well as seasonally changing lunch and dinner menus that emphasize local vegetables and unexpected flavor profiles in salads, pasta, and meat and seafood main courses.
Pierrot Gourmet
Despite the legions of shoppers on Michigan Avenue, there are few casual cafés to quell their collective hunger, making this bakery-patisserie-café a welcome spot any time of day. Breakfast leans European, with pastries, coffees, and breakfast sandwiches, while the all-day menu features shareable small plates and larger entrées—the upscale Peninsula Hotel runs Pierrot, which accouns for both the high quality and the high cost.
Portillo's
Started in 1963 as a hot dog stand called "The Dog House" in the Chicago suburbs, this River North restaurant is a favorite among locals and tourists alike (usually with a drive-thru line to prove it). A "Chicago Style" hot dog (mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, pickle, celery salt, and peppers) is the obvious quick bite, but what about an Italian beef sandwich—yum!
Starbucks Reserve Roastery
The largest Starbucks in the world offers a 35,000-square-foot coffee wonderland across five floors. Smell coffee brewing in a Chemex or siphon while beans whoosh in overhead tubes in the multi-sensory experience. Watch live coffee roasting on the ground level, snag one of many sleek seats along floor-to-ceiling windows, or admire Michigan Avenue views from the roof terrace. Reserve ahead for tours or hands-on experiences like Art of the Espresso Martini or Coffee Lab: A Journey of the Senses to skip the line when it gets busy (especially on the weekends).
Xoco
By opening a third restaurant next door to perennial favorites Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, celeb chef Rick Bayless has taken control of this River North block. With Xoco, he's given the city the ultimate place for tortas (Mexican sandwiches) served at breakfast, lunch, and dinner; caldos, generous bowls of pozole, and other Latin-inspired soups; and hot chocolate made from cacao beans that are roasted and ground on the premises. There's also a killer Saturday brunch menu and a happy hour with cheap drinks and bar snacks.
Big Bowl
The chef at this Pan-Asian restaurant is a stickler for using natural ingredients, and the menu of Thai and Chinese dishes has many options for those seeking gluten-free or vegetarian options.
