Chicago Coffee Shop Series | Wicker Park, Bucktown + Ukrainian Village

Ok you coffee addicts, I have five new coffee shops to share for the latest Chicago Coffee Shop Guide. Sadly, Filter Cafe which was also supposed to be included closed in November. This spot was one of my particular favorites so far while researching for this series so I’m hoping that they reopen with new plans this year. With that said, there have been a few additions to the coffee scene since I posted the other four guides in the series which means I’m going to work on follow-ups to those with more recommendations and new additions plus any closing information that’s recent. The difficult part is that there are SO many coffee shops and only so many days in the week and it’s taking me longer than anticipated to get to all these spots. I promise I’ll continue visiting the ones I have mapped out and report on them once I have enough to put together a guide. In the meantime, make sure you’re following on Instagram because I post real-time experiences.

Caffe Streets | 1750 West Division Street
With a prime location along Division Street in the Wicker Park neighborhood, Caffe Streets delivers an exceptional coffee experience. The cafe serves locally-owned Metric Coffee along with pastries and snacks. The space has an industrial design to it, very simple with a few quirky elements scattered about. The weekday crowd is mostly people typing away at their computers with a few friendly meetups. Weekends have a combination of people working and meeting up for coffee talk. When the weather is nice, Caffe Streets has a large patio with plenty of seating. It’s a great spot to people watch and enjoy the day, especially since they serve up a mean latte.

Wi-Fi:
Good for Working: ✓
Food Selection: Pastries, snacks and small breakfast items (ex. granola with yogurt, scones)
Service: Friendly and efficient
Noise Level: Mild to moderate
Seating Space: Mixture of high and low seating plus an outdoor patio
Outlets: Plenty
Music: Eclectic collection and never the same. Perfect volume, soft enough for conversations and working but loud enough to hear.

Cup & Spoon | 2415 North Avenue
Part of the WOW District (West of Western), Cup & Spoon introduced me to a new Chicago neighborhood that I didn’t know existed! Stop in for a locally-sourced cup of coffee and bite to eat. The cafe features brews and bites from Metric Coffee, Littlefoot Coffee, Phlour Bakery, Pear Tree Preserves, and Jo Snow Syrups. It’s a local business that supports other local businesses. The latte is creamy and delicious and the Savory Breakfast Bagel is the perfect fuel when you don't have time to make breakfast. Cup & Spoon also works as an art gallery, showcasing work from local artists. They are on North Avenue right past Western which keeps it from being part of the Wicker Park neighborhood and instead a member of the WOW District.

Wi-Fi: ✓
Good for Working: ✓
Food Selection: Breakfast served all day, lunch sandwiches, and pastries
Service: Friendly
Noise Level: Quiet during slow hours, Moderate during busy hours
Seating Space: A dozen or so tables, small space in general but decent seating
Outlets: Plenty
Music: N/A

Ipsento | 2035 North Western Avenue
Ipsento provides a relaxed coffee experience on the edge of the Bucktown neighborhood. The service is exceptional and the coffee delicious. The Western Avenue location is the original spot and a bit small but perfect for getting work done. It’s quiet and the back room has plenty of seating away from the bustle of the barista counter. There’s another location, also in Bucktown but along Milwaukee Avenue - Ipsento 606, that serves up cocktails as well as coffee. Both are easily accessible with public transportation. The Western blue line stop is actually the closest “El” station to both.

Wi-Fi: ✓
Good for Working: ✓
Food Selection: Snacks and Sandwiches
Service: Friendly and Efficient. My coffee was a little overfull so one of the baristas helped me to my seat by carrying my plate of food. SO nice of them!
Noise Level: Quiet to Moderate, there’s background music but everyone was super chill and quiet during my visit.
Seating Space: A few seats in the front but more seating in a room towards the back. Still not a huge space though so get there outside of busy hours.
Outlets: Plenty
Music: Mixture of throwbacks, indie and top 40

Star Lounge Coffee Bar | 2521 West Chicago Avenue
Star Lounge is part of the Dark Matter Coffee company, one of the more well-known local roasters and shops in Chicago. Star Lounge is part of the West Town community in the Smith Park/Ukrainian Village neighborhood. Smaller in size, the coffee bar serves up brews both caffeinated and alcoholic. Dark Matter has a philosophy that centers around sustainability and offers products that are socially responsible, innovative and sustainable. They have a committed community and fan base and it’s no wonder because their coffee is really delicious. Star Lounge itself is very hip and cool. The crowd is indie/hipster and the vibe laid back. It’s a great spot but the lack of seating because the space is smaller and more like a bar setting doesn’t make it ideal to work but if you can grab a seat, by all means! You’ll see more Dark Matter locations in future coffee guides.

Wi-Fi: ✓
Good for Working: ok
Food Selection: Snacks and Pastries
Service: Quick
Noise Level: Moderate
Seating Space: Limited because of the small space
Outlets: Scattered
Music: N/A

The Wormhole Coffee | 1462 North Milwaukee Avenue
A Wicker Park favorite, Wormhole is one of those places you have to visit to experience. Get nostalgic surrounded by 80s pop culture from posters to a model of the DeLorean from Back to the Future. They play a mix of 80s, 90s and current music from the last 20 years (I can’t believe we’ve been in the 2000s for almost two decades - pinch me!). Wormhole serves Halfwit coffee along with other specialty roasters and a variety of pastries. It’s a fun space to grab a seat and hang out with friends or get work done. It’s one of the more popular coffee shops in the neighborhood though so don’t be surprised if it gets crowded.

Wi-Fi: ✓
Good for Working: ✓
Food Selection: Snacks and Pastries
Service: Friendly
Noise Level: Mild to Moderate
Seating Space: Plenty
Outlets: Scattered
Music: Mixture of throwbacks and current music