Lavazza Cafe

Nice, lower cost alternative to Intelligentisa. I loved the 134 N. LaSalle location over the others — sad it closed. Ok, got to know the servers at that location and they were super friendly (so bias). But any Lavazza is good. Like I said, much better than Starbucks, but cheaper than Intelligentisa — without that much sacrifice in product (mocha/​latte) quality.

This LavAzza, located next to the CBOE, is the best place to break for coffee in the area. The interior is warm, clean, with friendly staff and of course, great coffee. The only thing that would make this LavAzza better would be to procure better biscotti!

I went into the coffee shop in the train station on Madison.
The coffee is great but the size and price of their gelatto is ridiculous. One scoop is $ 2.25 — and let me tell you — they give you one DINKY little scoop smaller than the ice cream scooper itself.
I started laughing when the gal handed it to me and she snorted back «it is one scoop».
Rip off — no thanks!

My regular Lavazza on Washington is closed down for remodeling, so this location has become my new morning stop. It’s a smaller location and seems to have less frills, but you still get the same quality coffee and food that Lavazza carries. Also, the staff is a little bit faster at making the drinks.
My iced skim latte has given me a sweet caffeine buzz this morning, which was greatly needed.

Ok i am def a fan of Lavazza. It is my favorite espresso bean over illy and Starbucks isnt good at espresso period.
Regularly I buy their espresso beans package for my Saeco Espresso maker and they grind wonderfully to make an Italian espresso.
They also have good Italian gelato too … but $ 2.50 a scoop is ridiculous. In Europe it is often 1 Euro.
Its nice to see Lavazza in Chitown. Now when will the German Tchibo come?

Hmmmm. I thought that it took quite a while to get my cup of coffee. The place seemed very confused. Maybe I will try it again and think that I am in Europe not Chicago — slow down and savor the moment.
Until then — the service was slow and the coffee was — well — it sure wasn’t Dunkin Donuts.
To be reviewed again in the near future!

This is the place to get a real espresso. I LOVE LAVAZZA!

I heart Lavazza! A perfect little cup of espresso every time. This place makes me feel like I’m in Italy… and I pretend I am. :)

Great coffee, amazing service and my anything Italian is delicious certainly holds true here. All pastries, caprese salad, gelato. Never disappointed, always bold, never bitter coffee as well. ONLY bummer is the place gets COLD during the winter months.

I hesitate to tell you this, because Lavazza is my own little piece of morning heaven but: Uh, this is the best coffee in the city. Period.
You can keep drinking your scorched, heartburn-​inducing, overpriced Starbucks, or your weak-​and-​still-​overpriced Caribou if you want to, but I’m telling you: Lavazza is the best coffee in t he city. Period.
Intelligentsia is a close second, but that’s another review for another day.
This Lavazza is close to my office so I frequent it often — and am rewarded handsomely through their loyalty program (buy 9 coffees, get the 10^th free! When is the last time you ever got anything free from Sbux, Caribou or Dunkin??)
This is a franchise that takes pride in its European roots, and frankly is the only place I’ve been in the city that reminds me of being in those lovely, small European cafes in Rome and Paris. Perfectly brewed beans, amazing pastries and small sandwiches, yogurt, fruit… you name it, they have it and it’s all good.
Once you get hooked on the charm and quality that is Lavazza, you will wonder why you ever let Sbux pass your lips…

A cup of Joe never tasted so good. I’ve been stopping by Lavazza before work for a few years now. I feel like its better than Starbucks, just wished they had a few more locations. The employees are nice and service is fast. They offer a ton of pastries and gelato. The breakfast sandwiches are almost nonexistent. I tend to prefer savory breakfast items over sweet… so I guess that would be my only issue. Oh… the yogurt parfait here punches the parfait at Starbucks in the ovaries. If you are in the Loop… give Lavazza a shot. Ask for a coffee card, and you’ll get a free drink after a few visits.

The best espresso in the city (buzz!). Good buys on bulk coffee too. For me this is the closest sensation to sitiing in an Italian café in Ravenna while being in Chicago, Illinois. The gelatos are fabulous and so are the pastries. A civilized anti-​Starbucks Euro coffee joint in the loop.

Never been inside the establishment but know they are super good, with killer drinks and food.
But every weekday morning from 7:30 to 8:00 am there’s a FABULOUS, latina diva– rockin awesome hair, make up and jewelry– on the patio who calls out to the pedestrians with comments on their appearance, attire, and attitude. The gal is ferosh.
When I’m lucky enough to stroll past she usually yells, «Hola bonita rock the chi chi,» or «Eres muy Bonita.. . su tan atractiva!» I usually comment back or high five her.
Heard her remarks to guys or corporate drones too and they are muy funny.
I think if ever try to get to work early enough I’ll strike up a convo.. or beat box or respond to her monologue to the street scene, as she is practically a spoken word artist in her utter creativity and entertainment.

Don’t know why I’ve never wandered in to this place before now, but Starbuck’s has lost my loyalty. Lavazza has the vibe of a quaint Italian café with friendly staff to match. They actually seem like they’re pleased to be there.
So far, I’ve only tried the pink grapefruit gelato (so-​so) and a decaf white chocolate mocha. Yummity-​yum-​yum-​yum, that was some good coffee! Very smooth and no trace of burnt beans. (ahem…shout out to all the dunkin donuts and starbucks).
This seems to be the hangout for a lot of the «suits» in the loop, clad with their laptops. They have a case full of sandwiches and midday goodies that I can’t wait to go back and try.
Here ye, here ye, Nix has found yet another indulgent addiction.

I love this place. I’ll admit it, i’m quite the coffee addict, and Lavazza definitely isn’t helping my (developing) addiction.
My friend and I went here this morning and she got an Orange Espresso (had it before, absolutely delicious… and i’m not the biggest fan of citrusy things, but the after-​taste of orange is just perfect) while I got the Choco-​tella (strong coffee with nutella on the bottom and whipped cream on top) and ate an almond croissant.
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved everything. Delicious. Every time I go in there I try something different and it never disappoints… I’m seriously making an effort here to find the flaws at Lavazza. haha
It may be a bit pricey, but the quality is top notch, and you will not be disappointed! The place inside is pretty too, reminiscent of a small French/​Italian café, and the staff is friendly. Definitely make a stop there!

I like this place for my rare desire for coffee days. They have enormous perversions of cappuccinos. Perversion in a good way… I say this because their large size is enormous! It’s awesome! It’s like a bucket of cappuccino. They are so big that when I sit outside on the sidewalk drinking it, people stare at it! They also give you a little piece of chocolate to enjoy with your beverage. Sitting at the café reminds me of sitting around in Rome, so I feel happy and relaxed when I’m there.

Amazing orange juice! I would get some every morning if I could afford to. The cranberry muffin and the cinnamon chip muffins are also great for breakfast.
I had the broccoli cheddar quiche (which comes with a side salad!) the other day for lunch and it was really good, too.

I don’t know why no one has reviewed this Lavazza yet. Great place, nice ambience, and you can order food as well as coffee. Perfect excuse to get out of my Loop office for a stroll on one of these very welcome spring days.
Did I mention their coffee is excellent too?
The only thing this place is lacking is, in my coffeeshop opinion, more seating to chill and either enjoy your meal or break out some work.

My good pal got me hooked… this place has phenomenal coffee. You have your choice of light, medium or dark roast… all of which are delicious! (It’s hard to get a good light roast coffee to really have good flavor, but Lavazza seems to have done it.)
The croissants are delish, service is friendly… I love it!

Never mind my caffeine sensitivity and that I’ve slept like crap for almost 2 weeks now… There is something about the foam at Lavavavavazza (as I like to call it) I cannot resist. I have a special place in my heart for the latte artistry at Intelligentsia, but I think I actually prefer Lavazza’s coffee drinks for a heavenly mid-​morning escape from the dreaded cubicle.
The first time I visited Lavazza with Laura B., we were stunned into silence (keep in mind that this is a truly rare occurrence for the two of us) by the delectable treats in our cups. We sputtered inarticulate admirations about «The foam, oh! The Foam!» and sat, blissed out, aside our co-​workers more familiar with the tasty coffee treats at Lavazza. Lattes are delicious and a skim mocha with whip (I know, I know – kind of defeating the purpose) is the best I’ve had. And that whip is really, REALLY good.
Lavazza also has a bakery case filled with sweet treats that I’ve yet to sample, but I’ve heard amazing things about their giant chocolate chip cookies and tiramisu. The salads look tempting even at 9am. AND they have gelato! One of their signature drinks, a Blendissimo, combines espresso with some gelato and is like a very grown-​up shake. I’ve had the orange mocha mio and the hazelnut mocha blendissimos – they are fantastic treats, rich and creamy and altogether inappropriate for breakfast-​time consumption, so they are reserved for days when I really, really need a pick-​me-​up. Yes, I’ve enjoyed gelato drinks while some people are still rolling out of bed. I swear it improves the day tenfold.
So the drinks are top-​notch, the foam is a force to be reckoned with, the young lady who takes your morning order looks like she could use an uplifting blendissimo herself, but the fella with the beard is very friendly and pleasant, as are the folks cranking out these great coffee concoctions. Here’s my final testament to the goodness of Lavazza – I typically don’t even drink coffee, let alone buy it, but I made sure to stop by pretty much every work day for the past 2 weeks. And I lamented that there wasn’t a Lavazza near my house on the weekends. There’s gotta be crack in that foam…