Cafeneo

I have never tried the food at Cafeneo, so I have no idea if it is any good. I love the location and would love to give them my business. There is just one HUGE problem with this place that keeps me from ever giving them my business. Their regular coffee is $ 2.75!!! What??? Why? Are they crazy? Why would any business overprice their most basic entry level product? Business lesson, you get me in with a good and reasonably priced cup of coffee and next thing you know I am buying pastries and juice and sandwiches, etc. Pretty simple really. Instead, I walked in here, saw the price for a regular cup of coffee, turned around and walked right out. People complain about Starbucks being expensive, guess what? Cafeneo’s coffee is about 60% more expensive than Starbucks.
Get your act together!

The café itself is a very nice and cozy space. The problems with this spot are worth going elsewhere: problems with internet every time; steep costs (ridiculous $ for mediocre brew); nonchalant staff.
After the owner changed to the woman, the staff, too, changed, and is the sole reason why I go to The Grind a block away, or Starbucks. After paying $ 5 for a regular cup of coffee (that was terrible to taste), and being told I would have internet service, I sat down on my macbook without internet service. I took a sip of coffee and was already disappointed. I complained about the internet (I had to time-​crunch as I had to write a medical report for a Med Journal), and was apathetically told to try again. After wasting 10 min of re-​trying, and hearing others complain about the same issue, I packed my belongings and headed south on Lincoln to other beautiful cafes.
I couldn’t believe the experience, and the cost, but was relieved to find myself at The Grind instead. I certainly will never be back, and will encourage others to go elsewhere as well!

Pretty cute spot here, Cafeneo.
We were waiting 500 hours for a table at Pannenkoeken (maybe that’s a slight exaggeration) so we went to grab a warm beverage at Cafeneo.
Cute atmosphere. There was a delicious looking red velvet cake in the baked goods window, as well as some almond croissants. Mmmm. We had to save room for Pannenkoeken, so we stuck with drinks.
I got a soy chai latte and my husband got a regular latte. The total was $ 9.50.
…
That seems a little steep to me. A lot steep.
We sat down and they brought our drinks out to us. They were really good (and it’s nice to drink out of a real mug), but those prices raised an eyebrow.
Quality brews/​teas though. I wouldn’t hesitate to come back as an occasional treat.

I love the sound of the train going over the shop! Not sure why, probably cause it reminds me of an old friends’ apartment that was under the brown line (ah, memories, wink, wink).
They have pretty decent coffee. Tasty pastries. Nutella yummies. Band-​aids for those of us that are accident prone. Free WiFi.
That’s it. Just go!

I can only write my impressions since I wasn’t able to get my americano.
Any café that shuts down their espresso machine over an hour before closing time doesn’t deserve my future business. I can only assume from that kind of practice that they don’t care about keeping the drip coffee fresh either. Lastly, the headphones draped around the barista’s neck should have clued me in on his apathetic demeanor before I waited several minutes to be noticed.
Next time I’ll make it to The Grind before they close, where the coffee is always good and the staff is always friendly.

I had to take down my previously good review after my latest experience.
They have Lavazza coffee, which is a plus. The large windows and open-​air atmosphere is nice in the fall. I was there once before and had a positive experience, so I brought my husband with me. I excitedly talked about what a neat place it was. Since we were in the area shopping, it seemed like the perfect time, both for me to return as well as introduce him to the café. Unfortunately, the barista working that day was determined to prove me wrong.
When we got in, there were one or two people in front of us, but it was not a long line by any stretch of the imagination. There were a handful of tables available. It was mid-​afternoon on Sunday. Apparently, it had been slow earlier, so she had sent the other person home. It’s almost an unwritten rule in the customer service industry that as soon as you let someone leave early, it will get busy, and mid-​afternoon on a Sunday, with perfect fall weather, in an area filled with every kind of cool boutique and little shop, a crowd coming in was definitely a possibility. Unfortunately, the barista didn’t foresee this and decided to take it out on her customers.
My husband ordered our beverages. We didn’t want them to-​go, so he made a point of telling her that they were for here and that he wanted them in a ceramic cup, not a paper one. (I avoid going to cafes that give out paper cups, and if I know I’m going to have to get one – for example, at work or at the airport – I always bring my travel mug with me.) He noticed she was giving everyone paper cups, even people who ordered «for here» so he mentioned it was for here a few times. She then told him, «I’ll get that to you when I can.»
We sat down, talked and waited, and after a bit, she put two beverages in paper cups on the counter and told us, «here are your drinks.» I pointed out that the drinks were for here. She snapped at us, «I’ve already made them! I’m not going to do anything about it now!» I insisted that we ordered them for here and wanted them in ceramic cups. She slammed down two ceramic cups on the counter and walked away. We waited a moment. When it became obvious that she was not going to put the drinks in the cups herself, we went up, got the paper cups and ceramic cups and transferred the drinks ourselves. There were a lot of loud, slamming noises after that as she did her work, until some friends of hers came in, at which point she complained about having let the other person go home early and the crowd that arrived immediately afterwards.
I thought her behavior was completely inappropriate. I’ve worked for years in service related jobs, and quite frankly, am surprised that anyone can behave like this and still keep their job. Even if she was stressed out, she shouldn’t be taking that out on her customers. If she was frazzled and forgot to put it in a ceramic cup, she should have just said, «I’m sorry, I forgot. Would you mind transferring them into the ceramic cups yourself so I can do thing x?» We would have understood completely. Instead, she made a mistake and when we pointed it out, she behaved like a petulant child that resented having to work for a living. It really ruined the whole experience for us and despite the fact that going to that stretch of Lincoln is a bit of a Sunday ritual for us, we won’t ever be returning to the café.

For starters, it’s as quiet as a library in here. A few angry hipsters briefly raised their heads from their laptops and gave me a stare of discontent after I accidentally kicked a chair. Oops, «shhh», I should’ve been more careful.
I was simple, and opted for an iced coffee. Medium at about $ 2.75 was a little steep. I think they serve illy here? Don’t know, as I was in a hurry.
The service from the barista was simple as well, since he had the personality of a brick. The coffee was weak compared to Metropolis, but did have an OK flavor.
I doubt that I would ever return. Mediocre coffee, pompous barista, and angry (silent) hipster patrons.
No thanks!

It was like the restaurant scene from Pulp Fiction. My wife ordered a chocolate banana smoothie for $ 5.25. After the order came she offered me a sip. It was good. I don’t know if it was worth $ 5.25, but it was pretty F@*king good. For 2 drinks and a cupcake I spent almost $ 15. Make what you will of the prices. It was bright, clean, and welcoming, and the drinks were very good. My mocha had maybe too much cinnamon, but whatever. I’d definitely hit up Cafeneo again.

I love the iced coffee at this place! Reasonably priced at under $ 3 and totally delicious.
I have taken the time to hang out here since my last review and was really happy with the experience. If you are easily distracted by noise than this is not the place for you. It is a small space combined with the background music, conversations of customers and the coffee machine thingies and blenders-​it can be a bit overwhelming. Oh yeah, and that pesky train that goes by every few minutes. But the nice set up, windows and free internet make it worth putting up with the noise.

It has been like 3 years since I went to Café Neo to socialize with other humans through my computer.
I am not alone. But like everyone else here, I am very alone. The vibe is like, leave me alone… don’t look at me… I came here to talk to my friends– online, okay?
Illy coffee– thumbs up for that though.

The coffee is good, but Cafeneo is kind of a victim of it’s environment so I can probably look past most of the issues I had with this place. For one, it’s almost always crowded, being one of three coffee places within a half mile radius in Lincoln Square (not including places that specialize in services other than coffee). You have to come at the right time, which is usually late morning to early afternoon. All other times the place fills up and discourages me from even considering getting coffee there.
Secondly it’s right next to the Brown Line el, which makes for interesting café conversation in the summer when the windows are open. You have to pause every 7 – 10 minutes while the el train passes.
When these conditions are tossed aside, Cafeneo is actually kind of a nice place to hang out, talk or get some work done. They make a great Americano, which is my drink of choice. I only found the service rude or pretentious once, but that was almost two years ago.

I will never come back here — unless it goes back to the old owners (and why would that happen???) They’ve changed everything — for the worse and it’s more expensive. They don’t open until 8am — they are missing alot of commuters being RIGHT across from the brown line, and they only stay open till 8p — so all the later night-​ers and chill out crowd needs to go somewhere else.
And to top it off — they are rude. AND they don’t have honey for the tea!!! What???
never going back!

‘Twas my fave close coffeeshop for a while. Not anymore. :(
It’s always packed, and last time I was there, they even had a hostess with a system that tries to fill up as much space as efficiently as possible. Kind of like when a movie theatre is packed, and they ask you to squeeze in? She might be gone now, but I had to sit somewhere I didnt’ want to sit. I’m sure you know that part of the joy of coffeeshop-​internetting is the seat choice.
Also, the prices have gotten silly. You can get a croissant for cheaper at Selmarie… and they make them IN HOUSE there.
oh well. I still come here, but it’s not what it once was.

Yum.

Modern and sleek, Cafeneo felt more upscale than kitschy and cozy. Not that this was a bad thing! Exposed brick serves as a nice background for local art to be displayed and the lighting was quite pleasant for reading. Cafeneo offers a nice selection of loose leaf teas (in little tins for you to sniff before selecting a cup) for about $ 3. Coffee seemed a wee bit pricier than some other cafes (one size), $ 2.70 w/​tax, with $ 1 refills.
The place was bustling on a Sunday afternoon and one poor guy was working all alone. Nevertheless, he hustled around and kept tables cleared off, made sandwiches and beverages as fast as he could, while still keeping up a cheerful and friendly attitude. Impressive! The café offers a full menu of crepes and paninis which looked very appetizing. I loved how a tall glass of ice water was automatically served with my coffee, nice touch!
Immediate street parking is metered and pretty easy, on nearby side streets you can find free permit-​less parking if you don’t mind walking a block or two.
BOTTOM LINE: With a sleek and modern feel and more extensive food menu that many other cafes, Cafeneo offers a nice change of pace. Bonus: it’s open til 10pm every day!

I still come back here from time to time because I like the atmosphere, and this morning finally tried some of the café food. I enjoyed the nice, simple bagel sandwich – egg, swiss, and bacon on plain toasted bagel for $ 5.50. Solid. My coffee-​addicted breakfast companion very much enjoyed her nutella-​banana-​strawberry crêpe, although their powdered sugar sprinkle was overenthusiastic. More like a deluge. I tried a bite, but fruit and chocolate together are not my cup of tea.
Speaking of which, they have a neat little magnetic tray to let you peruse the loose-​leaf tea by smell, sight, and description. Cute touch, but utilitarian too.

I almost didn’t walk into Cafeneos b/​c some of the reviews. They sounded like some show stoppers. I think some of the reviews are wrong. This is a good place.
First, the El noise is negligible, unless the door happens to be open at that very moment. Personally, I like the faint sound of the city.
Second, the price. They don’t charge anymore than Starbucks, so people need to chill out, especially Mayor D. Quit being a communist.
This place buys brand name coffee, Illy, while most other coffee shops are more concerned w/​saving money and acting like they get from somewhere exotic in the world. If you’re so concerned about the cost, just brew your own at home. If you don’t like your coffee after you first sip. You should return it for your money back.
I was looking for a café w/​Wi Fi while I waited to meet some friends on a Friday night. It’s modern, very clean, spacious and offers free wifi. I looked in the window and the place looked real nice. I had a great cup of coffee and a very tasty crêpe.
I will make one comment, the owner should show a little more tact and quit being argumentative. I realize that he spent a lot of money to get this «mom and pop» coffee shop off the ground; but don’t argue w/​customers in the store or on Unilocal.People’s dogs are like their kids. Putting up a jerky sign, just makes you and your place look like jerks. You’d get a lot further with your customers, if you posted the $ 500 fine you paid Daley on your wall and it would make you look like a hero. Instead, you sent a jerky letter and Kathleen put it on Unilocal,which I find amusing.

Coffee: Excellent
Atmosphere: Cool upscale
Service: Good
Cleanliness: Great
I love Illy coffee the best! The guy taking your order needs to loosen up a bit and have a little coffee house fun.
Great place with great coffee!
I’ll be back!

Free wifi (yay!) EXCEPT from 11 am– 8 pm (boo!). If you’re looking to get some work done that requires use of the internet (is there work these days that doesn’t) shell out some dough or head to The Grind right down the street where you can Unilocal away at no charge.
However, if you’re looking to enjoy some good coffee in a nice atmosphere Cafeneo may just be for you. My latte was fabulous, served to me in a real mug (they certainly know how to spoil you at Cafeneo) and the spacious atmosphere allows for private conversations and room to spread out.
I actually didn’t notice the rumbling train that other Unilocalers are complaining about, but then again my senior year of college I lived under a rumbling train and after a year of rumbles and shakes I now block out all train related sounds.
Didn’t try the food, but next time I plan on ordering one of their crepes to go along with my latte and train rumblings.

Cafeneo v. The Grind: A coffeehouse showdown in Lincoln Square… can two cafes survive on the same block? Apparently so, but… they are different styles.
First of all, Cafeneo charges for their wifi from 11am-​8pm. Weirdly antiquated concept, but I understand not wanting the place clogged like the Grind, which has free wifi and is packed at all hours.
Prices are a bit steeper than the Grind, but it’s also a bit nicer. Table service, real cups… more of a «sit down» place. The bakery offerings are a bit sparse… service a tad stuffy.
Coffee was good, but holy sheesh… the train rumbling above is LOUD. Like shake yo’ teeth, rattle the shop loud.