Chicago (European Style Cafe) - Julius Meinl

Julius Meinl
3601 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-868-1857
Date of Review: December, 2007

This Viennese style café is a Vienna institution and is as European as it gets. Located on busy Southport Avenue, the open spacing and classy décor in this café make it one of the better breakfast and lunch options in all of Chicago. The ambience is purely European and I feel at home here as if I am still living in Amsterdam. They have an impressive pastry case and coffee bar with shiny coffee containers and an assortment of Austrian pastries for sale if you decide to take something away with you.

The real charm is in the pleasant ambience of this cafe (more than a few customers may be studying). The décor is so charming and the Julius Meinl symbol, a child’s head leaning forward with a red hat and top on, is ever present throughout the café including on the coffee cups. With neat lamps and coat hooks on the pseudo booths near the windows, you will find it tough to find a more charming place to enjoy breakfast or lunch. Even the leather bound menus add a touch of class.

Julius Meinl’s large Austrian accented menu is split evenly between breakfast and lunch. Sweeter breakfast options include croissants, pancakes and crepes. More savory options included baked eggs mixed with things like smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill, bacon and Swiss cheese or tomato, basil and goat cheese.

For lunch, the menu includes and impressive array of sandwiches and salads in addition to traditional Austrian style soup (frittaten) and European specialties like goulash. They also offer finger sandwiches and cheese and cured meat plates. On my last visit, I had the chicken salad sandwich. The sandwich consists of roasted chicken, red grapes, dried apricots and toasted walnuts mixed together with a yogurt-tarragon dressing and served on toasted walnut bread. From the wonderful bread to the fantastic way the sweet flavors (grapes and dried apricots) combine with the chicken and mayonnaise alternative (tarragon-yogurt mixture), this sandwich is outstanding. All sandwiches are served with mesclun greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette.

They have an exclusive coffee, tea and non-alcoholic drink menu and an impressive assortment of wonderful pastries for here or to go. The coffee is some of Chicago’s best and it is served on a small silver tray accompanied by a glass of chilled water (no ice just like in Europe) and a cookie.

The prices at Julius Meinl are decent. A cup of coffee is $2.06 (no refills) and almost every breakfast or lunch option on the menu is between $6 and $9. On my last visit, I had the roasted chicken salad sandwich and 2 cups of coffee and my total bill was $12.03 and that includes tax.

Classical music is played on many Friday and Saturday evenings.