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✔️Breakfast ✔️Brunch ✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out
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Welcome to Cafe Yaya! An all day cafe and cozy neighborhood space with Middle Eastern inspired pastries and lunch by day & European bistro style by night. Brought to you by the team behind Michelin-starred Galit, enjoy specialty coffee, pastries, a lunch and dinner menu infused with Mediterranean and French flavors, and explore our curated selection of intriguing wines and cocktails. Ask about our flexible private event space and catering!
Address and Contact Information
Address: 2431 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
Website: http://cafeyaya.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: resy.comopentable.com
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Cafe Yaya
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A new all-day cafe from the team behind @galit_restaurant 2431 N Lincoln Ave T-Fri: 7:30am – 9pm (10pm Fri) Sat: 8am – 10pm, Sun 8 – 9 …
Book Your Cafe Yaya Reservation Now on Resy
Cafe Yaya. 4.7. (681) reviews. Cafe + Wine Bar. $$. Lincoln Park. Share. Save … Chicago, IL 60614. Get Directions https://www.cafeyaya.com/. You Might Also …
Reviews
Patrick Finn
We tried out this place for Restaurant Week and were not disappointed. Considering that it’s part of the Galit family, it’s no surprise.
While the occasion was a bit special, the portion sizes and options for the Restaurant Week menu were extremely reasonable and filling. Wine was half off as well since we went during the weekday, so we got a bottle that the staff kindly recommended based on our different preferences, finding a middle ground that we would both appreciate.
As for the actual food, everything was absolutely delicious. The bread was fresh and we tried both the challah and baguette. The challah was definitely the star.
The leek gratin was the standout for me when it came to the rest of the menu that we were able to try.
And as for dessert, while neither of us is a huge fan of baklava, we really liked the one here. Typically, the honey notes come through too strongly and taste a bit cheap, but theirs was perfectly balanced.
I definitely want to try the brunch or pastry menu in the morning next time.
… moreWhile the occasion was a bit special, the portion sizes and options for the Restaurant Week menu were extremely reasonable and filling. Wine was half off as well since we went during the weekday, so we got a bottle that the staff kindly recommended based on our different preferences, finding a middle ground that we would both appreciate.
As for the actual food, everything was absolutely delicious. The bread was fresh and we tried both the challah and baguette. The challah was definitely the star.
The leek gratin was the standout for me when it came to the rest of the menu that we were able to try.
And as for dessert, while neither of us is a huge fan of baklava, we really liked the one here. Typically, the honey notes come through too strongly and taste a bit cheap, but theirs was perfectly balanced.
I definitely want to try the brunch or pastry menu in the morning next time.
Z. R.
Even though the cafe was very busy, the atmosphere was lovely and the service was excellent. The staff were incredibly attentive, warm, and welcoming despite how crowded it was. We tried the Biscuit with Butter & Seasonal Jam, Tahini Banana Bread, Turkish-ish Breakfast, and the Chicken Shawarma Wrap. Everything was very good and extremely filling. Our favorites were the Biscuit with Butter & Seasonal Jam and the Turkish-ish Breakfast. Because of the incredible demand, many bakery items were already sold out by the time we arrived, so we couldn’t try everything. From what I could see, the Boreka also seems to be a many customer favorite !
… moreSarah Allen
I can’t wait to come back! It’s so cute but not very big so make sure you have a reservation! I came here for brunch with 2 other girls for restaurant and it was so fun and delicious. Everyone loved their food.
… moreDaniel Gonzalez
Honestly this place has really won me over. Everyone is super kind. The vibes are lovely and moody. The pastries are the star tho. Everything is perfectly baked and bursting with flavor. Cardamom kouign amann?! It’s amazing! Highly recommend.
… moreGary Solovyov
Food and service were excellent. The quality of the food was great. Nice and relatively quiet (even with a lot of other customers at their tables), which was nice. Highly recommend it!
… moreCameron Marter
I’m so glad to have another go-to bakery in the neighborhood.
The pastry case has a wide variety, with a bunch of sweet and savory options. I can’t think of a single time I’ve ever gotten a disappointing pastry from here. My personal favorites are the shakshuka bun and the baklava bun. Both are decent sized buns, which makes it easy to share a few bites with friends. My sister also got a strawberry matcha which she loved.
To me, the prices are reflective of the quality of baked goods this place has and I appreciate how transparent their front of house staff is about their service fee. I’m happy to pay it since, given the quality of food, service and atmosphere, I would’ve been tipping 20% anyway!
… moreThe pastry case has a wide variety, with a bunch of sweet and savory options. I can’t think of a single time I’ve ever gotten a disappointing pastry from here. My personal favorites are the shakshuka bun and the baklava bun. Both are decent sized buns, which makes it easy to share a few bites with friends. My sister also got a strawberry matcha which she loved.
To me, the prices are reflective of the quality of baked goods this place has and I appreciate how transparent their front of house staff is about their service fee. I’m happy to pay it since, given the quality of food, service and atmosphere, I would’ve been tipping 20% anyway!
Charles Gutfeld
Went there with a friend for restaurant week. That meant somewhat limited menu options, but prices pretty much cut in half. Moved it from a special treat place to reasonable cost and great value for the quality. Nice atmosphere, friendly and attentive wait staff. Place makes very nice use of limited space – that was the one downside – didn’t not feel cramped in, but felt like I heard every conversation at the next tables and didn’t feel so private myself. We had the butternut squash soup; she had a grain bowl and I had a lamb boreka – basically a sandwich made out of phyllo dough. Everything was delicious. Spicing was spectacular – subtle, but unusual flavors. Left us guessing at the spices that were present. Cardomom for sure, but hints of others as well. Finished with a pecan/banana bread – again with a unique flavor profile. Great choice for a nice midday meal.
… moreAmy T.
In many ways, Cafe Yaya resembles its sister restaurant Galit: inviting ambiance & service, good but not great food, and an unfortunately high price tag
The pastry selection is impressive for a cafe, featuring a variety of buns, twists, cakes, and laminations – both savory and sweet. The quality is inconsistent: their shakshuka bun, baklava bun, and strawberry cheesecake challah all felt stodgy and a little dry, though the former two were better after being heated for a few seconds. Their cardamom kouign amann and date cake w/ rose icing have good flavor profiles but are both far too sweet and slightly miss the mark texturally – the kouign amann was too dense while the date cake fell apart on my brief walk home. The one real standout was the apple galette – beautifully flaky, tender pastry surrounding a nice apple compote
Still, none of the pastries are bad – the bigger issue is that they aren’t worth the post-service fee price. I generally don’t mind an autogratuity for meal service, though I prefer to have the fee baked into the list price. Cafe Yaya’s practice of charging a 24% surcharge even for takeout pastry orders feels difficult to stomach, however, especially after the pastries don’t blow you away. There’s some good in what this cafe’s doing, but it’s hard to justify a return visit to spend $50+ on 5-6 decent pastries
… moreThe pastry selection is impressive for a cafe, featuring a variety of buns, twists, cakes, and laminations – both savory and sweet. The quality is inconsistent: their shakshuka bun, baklava bun, and strawberry cheesecake challah all felt stodgy and a little dry, though the former two were better after being heated for a few seconds. Their cardamom kouign amann and date cake w/ rose icing have good flavor profiles but are both far too sweet and slightly miss the mark texturally – the kouign amann was too dense while the date cake fell apart on my brief walk home. The one real standout was the apple galette – beautifully flaky, tender pastry surrounding a nice apple compote
Still, none of the pastries are bad – the bigger issue is that they aren’t worth the post-service fee price. I generally don’t mind an autogratuity for meal service, though I prefer to have the fee baked into the list price. Cafe Yaya’s practice of charging a 24% surcharge even for takeout pastry orders feels difficult to stomach, however, especially after the pastries don’t blow you away. There’s some good in what this cafe’s doing, but it’s hard to justify a return visit to spend $50+ on 5-6 decent pastries
Julia Wojtach
Very clean and chill atmosphere. Perfect spot for brunch, with pleasant staff and delicious food.
While this may seem on the pricier side this is because of a built in gratuity and service fee.
… moreWhile this may seem on the pricier side this is because of a built in gratuity and service fee.
Mike Goldberg
Finally made it here to try their breakfast items/pastries. Going on a weekday is the move considering how busy it can get on the weekends. We tried several different pastries and all were unique and delicious. My particular favorites were the shakshuka bun and chocolate croissant. But the others were great as well. And the interior/vibe is great, especially on a sunny slow morning.
… more