L’Appetito

Just ok. Bread on sandwich was not foccocio and cappuccinos were more like lattes. Great location.

Going to this little café for about 15 years on and off! Love the staff ! Very pleasant, always smiling! Great selection of breakfast, lunch !!
Just a little note– the chicken in the Caesar salad it really not appetizing at all. No taste, is just boiled chicken.,

I went to their Wabash location several years ago and after serving me the wrong gelato, they said that they «gave me what I ordered.» Wouldn’t accept a return and I was stuck with an item I didn’t want. Same thing happened a few days ago, this time at their Michigan Ave location. I purchased 20 or so cookies and when I got home realized they gave me the wrong ones. When I called to tell them I got the wrong ones they said «there’s nothing I can do about it.» The pastries are 4 stars but the service is less than one star.

Great cosy place for an Italian coffee or panini, really great cookies and sweets, if you need a quick food but a good one you can try their great pasta or good salads, but I highly recommend you to try their pastries

Not happy spent over $ 12 on two croissant panini’s and they were cold (i guess they have been sitting there for awhile, but not happy b/​c they just opened so that is no excuse, it should of been made fresh) …big mistake should of went back to where my wife and I have been eating originally during our stay here on Michigan Ave. at Corner Bakery Café… should have made that extra walk :(

Great place. Great food.Great Staff.
Great place for lunch (my favorite one, I work close by…)
or caffe and «sweets»!!!

I enjoyed a cute gelato date with my boyfriend here. I had the pistachio gelato. It tasted exactly how it was described. I don’t consider myself an expert on gelato, so I cannot speak to its texture and consistency. I wish we could’ve tried other food. It was very busy inside, so there was a bit of a wait.

Been coming here for 20 years. In our younger years we would come up from Southern Illinois to get bulk illy coffee! They have the authentic european café, deli and desserts. We have never been disappointed by the offerings of this little gem below the John Hancock. Have a cap, and a cookie! Their hot food is usually quite good as well. They have fresh made pastas you can buy. This place was around way before Eataly and is totally worth a trip. I must say I fear posting this bc its one of thoses place you wanna keep to yourself :)

Coffee was good, but the breakfast combo makes you wish for something else. It tasted 2 days old and plain as school food. Should have tried the Panini.

This is my favorite little spot in Chicago! Their pastries are delicious and so is their deli! I could never come to Chicago and miss coming here!

They have ready made food which is very convenient, if your pressed for time or work in the area. The food is «what you see is what you get». Everything I have tried so far has had flavor. The bread is very good no matter which kind you order. The ready made sandwiches can get kinda hard if there sitting for a while. The prices are very reasonable. Its worth sitting down to eat, many young ladies coming in and out while you eat. You can also stare at the random Italian crap all over the place.

I had such high expectations of this place after reading reviews! Unfortunately, I was less than thrilled.
I got the Luino sandwich. Salame, roasted red peppers, swiss cheese — what could go wrong? The peppers were exceptionally bitter and ruined the taste of the sandwich.
I decided to also try the tiramisu and an espresso macchiato. The espresso was delightful. Illy coffee is really quite good, and I would come back for coffee here. The tiramisu wasn’t…real tiramisu. The top layer was tasteless whipped cream, and the ladyfingers had a strange orange flavor instead of coffee, and the mascarpone layers were rather small and flavorless. Very disappointing.

This is the perfect place to recover your wits after a dizzying trip to the 95^th floor lounge in the Hancock tower. It’s an even better place to recover from the dizzying prices of said lounge.
The place has a nice homey feel, with a spacious cafeteria-​style dining area. I eavesdropped on an older couple sitting next me to to find out the woman was teaching French to the man. It’s never too late to learn :).
My tip? Have a drink at the top, and come back to earth for the eats. The sandwiches there are delicious, grilled, made-​to-​order delights that won’t break your wallet.

Great subs, the best vanilla latte I’ve ever tasted (coming from a coffee fanatic) and adorable shop. The only down fall was the service was sub par — expected better. It took forever to get our coffee and there was only one woman in front of us.

I’ve been coming to L’apetito for a few months now. This is definitely one of the best places to get a quick breakfast lunch or some great coffee. They have lots of different drinks including fresh espresso, Frappuccinos, cookies croissant and full deli. Overall they have very fair prices and good quality items. The customer service is also excellent.

My Partner and I went here for breakfast and Brunch and both of us really enjoyed it both times, great food cozy place, always busy fantastic coffee, great breakfast and lunch menu.
Fiona my partner, really enjoyed the pumpkin spice chi tea, said it was the best she had drunk here in USA.
I had a iced coffee which was great a fantastic cappuccino, and a nice hot black coffee,

Very good Italian deli in lower level of Hancock Building. The muffuletta sandwich was big and filling. Nice bakery inside too with lots of choices for coffee too.

This place is an easy recommendation. Go when you need a quick meal and want something fresh. There are ready made sandwiches and a menu of things you can order. Also great salads to be bought by the pound.
Breakfast is good here too, with an array of coffee drinks to be added on as well. Stop by!

8÷30− Almost missed this little spot as I was wandering down Mag Mile since it was tucked into a deeper ground/​basement level of a plaza. I got the feeling that it was probably always this surprisingly busy once I realized there was a whole deli/​savory food section in the back right in addition to the pastries/​coffee section that greets you just as you walk in. There is substantial amount of seating along the back left. All the walls back there are impressively painted in an Italian theme complete with arches and columns and the like.
I wasn’t too hungry so I just picked up a pistachio amaro and a pignoli. These pastries were sold by the pound (~$ 15/​lb?) so it ended up being a bit pricey for the size. Understandable though, considering the fact that there was no skimping on the quantity, quality, and freshness of the butter, pine nuts, and pistachios. Both of my treats were deliciously fragrant. I’d definitely swing by again to try out the other offerings when I’m in town!

This is a little gem. Located just steps away from the hustle of the mag mile, this small Italian grocery store has Italian imports, snacks, bakery and a deli/​sandwich counter. Today’s sandwich special was prosciutto, marinated artichokes, mozzarella and tomatoes on focaccia. We added turkey to it. It was delicious and BIG. Definitely good for two people. I recommend this spot if you’re looking for a great sandwich for a quick bite. There’s a few tables inside, but no bathroom FYI.

This is an interesting restaurant café. I have always wanted to go here but finally did. Its in the bottom court in front of the John Hancock building. Its rather lively today with locals and tourists. There was actually a food tour that came and a guy spoke about the history of the place. «The owners were 1^st generation Italian immigrants hr says and they have another store…»
This place is a good rest stop when touring or shopping. They have beer, wine, all other bottled or canned beverages, and a full café if you are in need of an expresso.
They serve mostly deli sandwiches/​subs but have pizza and sides by the pound.
I had the Diavolo and it was really good. We also had cheese pizza which was not good and a turkey and cheese sub which was so so. The coffee served is Illy, a popular brand like Starbucks in Europe. The coffee was good. We had dessert and it was pretty good, a cannelloni and almond crescent.
There is seating inside and out and quite a bit inside. The place is comfortable once seated but a little loud and made to look Italian Mediterranean, yes I got that from eavesdropping on the tour… the layout is a bit unorganized and cluttered.
The food quality is good but overall taste average.
Still Worth a try.

Welcome to the Gold coast section of the Near North side of Chicago, where you will more than likely find either tourists or the «ruling elite» of this city. This information I tie together because this small coffee shop is located in this area, so of course these type of people you would encounter in here.
I went in to the left line heading in a westward direction to order my white chocolate mocha with a gluten free cookie, so far I was impressed with it. Of course, there is a sign on the start of the line that says you must pay first, then you can sit down. It is common policy in most coffee shops.
Sitting down to enjoy my order, I can see that the walls are painted like if we are in a small Italian town, hence given the store name. Then you will notice that the vast majority of people here are persons who have enough income to live a satisfying lifestyle.
I recommend this place since it receives less traffic than the Cheesecake Factory that is next door.

Beautiful café. Good food, great selection, and reasonable prices. Good for quick dining or sit-​down meal. Great sandwiches/​other things and coffee/​pastires/​gelato.

I have read great reviews so I wanted to check it out. I stopped in on a Wednesday morning for coffee. This place is located below street level– next to the Cheesecake Factory.
Friendly service & decent prices. I only ordered coffee but I would go back to order breakfast or lunch.
Very happy with my experience! I will go back next time I’m in the area!

Great place for a quick lunch. I enjoy their pizza, toasted sandwiches and paninis very much. They have a great dessert section as well as a huge diverse beverage selection.

This is a nice little deli in the bottom of The Hancock Center. I work in the building so we have lunch from this place at least once a week. The different baked goods are delicious and they have great coffee. The sandwiches, soups, salads and pastas a alright. I may be biased because we eat here so often. Its a good place for a quick snack and the outdoor seating is very nice when the weather cooperates.

Magnificent Munchies!
L’Appetito is an Italian deli/​café located at the base of the John Hancock Building in the front, down the stairs off of Michigan Avenue in Chicago, IL. It’s a great spot to grab a quick breakfast, lunch or snack when shoppin’ or workin’ on the Magnificent Mile. It serves up hot & cold deli sammies; a variety of salads & soups; hot breakfast items such as pancakes, scrambie eggs, bacon & sausage; yummy-​lookin’ pizza square-​slices at lunchtime; and it even serves wine for a lil lunchtime/​afternoon stress-​relieva! I’ve ate the pre-​made chef salads before and other assorted salads from the deli & everything has always been fresh & tasty!
On the bakery side, there’s a gemload of sweets rangin’ from cannolis & lotsa other specialty, Italian treats; a smörgåsbord of every kinda cookie under the sun; an assortment of decadent-​looking cakes slices, brownies & muffins; and any other type o’pasty & sweet carb you can possibly be cravin’. In a moment o’weakness I can’t pass up the large, soft cookies in the cookie jars on top of the bakery case for $ 1.95. (The jars to the left have the soft cookies. The jars on the right have crispy cookies, if ya like a crunchy cookie). My fave cookies are the soft chocolate chip, M&M, pumpkin & peanut butta! (See my yummy pics!) The available cookie flavas in the soft jars rotate/​vary but really any one o’these guys are oh so soft & will be yummo in your tummo & will taste betta with your fave cup o’joe!
Speakin’ o’Joe, L’Appetito brews & sells coffee drinks made with one of my personal fave brands, illy! It’s a smooth but bold coffee. The coffee here is always served pipin’ hot & needs no doctoring! A cup o’ illy is the perfect pal to your sweet bakery treat!
Finally, a stop at L’Appetito wouldn’t be complete without hittin’ up the gelato case. It’s not the biggest selection in Chi-​town but it’s super tasty. One lil, perfect, round scoop o’gelato will cost ya $ 3, but it’s worth it. The texture is thick, creamy & spoonably-​gemlicious! Sampling is allowed & really all the flavas are good but Espresso & Italian Vanilla are 2 of my faves.
At peak breakfast & lunch hours, you’ll be hard-​pressed to find a table as L’Appetito is popular & gets packed. You pick out your food at the counter & pay at the register. (You have to pay separate for items on the bakery/​gelato side & for food on the deli side.) There’s usually a line on both sides, but they move fast. Service is quick & the workers expect you to order fast too! They ain’t there to make small talk witcha! It’s not Cheers people, but I’m not bitchin’ cuz ya get your food fast & it’s good!
So whether you’re headin’ up to the top o’the Hancock for a killa view o’Chicago, workin’ downtown or shoppin’ for some killa clothes on Mag Mile, I highly recommend stoppin’ in for a quick bite at my fave Italian café on my fave Mile for some molto gemmy snacks! L’Appetito is a convenient, gem-​approved café & this hidden gem has got a quick, sure cure for everyone’s appetite!

Needed to grab a lunch bite and did not want to spend big money or suck up too much time, enter L’Appetito. A welcome respite compared to the Cheesecake next door which was completely inundated with folks.
The prices were surprisingly reasonable and the food was not bad either, good to know, definitely keeping in mind for future visits.
The folks working there all had accents so it can be a little lost in translation but nothing you are unable to work through, after all, food is food.

A nice little gem with a lot of character smack in the middle of Commercial Central and next to Cheesecake Factory. (You do need to go downstairs of the Hancock Tower to get to it.) Fast food — you get your order, pay for it and sit down in a small internal seating area. In better weather outside seating is an option.
Combination bakery/​deli and Italian goods convenience store. Soups, paninis, pasta salad, arancini (rice croquettes filled with either meats or spinach and ricotta cheese — mild and filling). Espresso and variations go well with a line-​up of bakery goodies from pistachio sandwiches to decadent chocolate pastries.
Recommend as a quick snack or lunch stop on the North side of the Magnificent Mile.

What a find! Great little market and eatery. A group of coworkers and I came for lunch. We came a little after 1 to avoid the main lunch rush and crowd. Although the space isn’t huge, the 10 of us were able to combine some tables together and eat inside. Portions were HUGE. Plan on sharing or taking leftovers to go.
Extra perk depending on the rest of your day:
* Headed back to work — enjoy the coffee bar after lunch
* Strolling and enjoying the city — enjoy the wine bar after lunch
Either way, enjoy!