Caffe Baci

Great place to pop in for a quick lunch. Their daily soup/​sandwich combo is a value and quite tasty.
The ordering process is slightly confusing at first, but you get used to it.
Great outdoor café area on Michigan Avenue is glamorous and good people watching.
Pretty standard fare, but a solid lunch place.

So disappointing, for this type of lunch food Corner Bakery (which is just a block away) is so much better at a better value. I spent ten bucks, and got a very tiny sorry looking sandwich of marinated mushrooms and a sniff of goat cheese, and a small cup of tomato basil soup that was basically Cambells with some basil flakes in it. Actually, Cambells is better. I couldn’t even eat a quarter of the soup, it was really bad. I can’t believe the prices they charge for the quality and quantity of food they provide… total rip off.
With all the upscale fast food options in this area, I’m surprised to see people come here. I certainly won’t again.

Good place to stop in for Wifi to check your E-​Mail. Since the sky was dark and it looked like it was going to rain hard this was a great place to stop in and check the weather as well. As soon as it did start raining a lot more people came in.
Had the lunch set of baked pasta and bread. It was good and would certainly try other items on their menu.

I work in the 332 building so Baci has seen a lot of me-​probably too much. Okay so my reccomendations? If you can get past the prices, my picks are:
toffee and chocolate cookie-​not too crisp and not too chewy
cream of chicken and wild rice soup-​offered every other Friday
breakfast-​always a hit and never misses!
Salads: chicken salad, Pasta Primavera, Penne con Pollo, Pesto Tortellini (my fav)
sandwiches: ravinia, havana panini
The only items I don’t really like here are the coffee and the Caesar salad. The coffee tastes a bit over-​roasted.
The dressing for the caesar is not tasty at all

I have passed by this place so many times and now I realize why I was avoiding Baci. Service from the staff left a bad taste in my mouth for sure. While my friend was ordering she asked about the different sauces for the pasta the guy never made eye contact and was just completely disengaged and rude. My pizza was not good just seemed very bland. I was not impressed and will not be going back.

The Italian version of Panera, but so much better. The variety here is outstanding, hot and cold sandwiches, pizza, hot specials, salads, gelato, etc. My favorite is the Tuscan salad with salami, cheese, peppers, etc. All of the salads are piled high, plenty for lunch. Another great option is the side salads, you can combo 3 as a plate for lunch. Think cold anti-​pasta, salads, rice dishes, etc. That’s the third ‘etc’, so many options I can’t even remember them all!
I enjoy that you can get fancy Italian sodas or fountain pop. If you get a salad, you get a roll with it so take advantage of that.

This place is horrible. There is so much good food in Chicago. This place doesn’t deserve to be across from millennium park — I’m positive it’s the only possible reason it can stay in business. Don’t waste your time, money, or taste buds.

I work in the building for over 2 years and only been here a handful of times. Mainly because it’s overpriced for what they give you. The only time I eat here is when the weather is so crappy that I’m forced to eat here.
Half sandwich, half soup for $ 7 – 8? Sounds like Panera, except the sandwich is more like a quarter of a sandwich. But that’s not the worse part, it’s pre-​made in plastic wrap!
My recommendation, get the pizza and make 2 meals out of it.
I must say, my favorite part about this place is the bar stools by the windows. I like eating next to a big window.

Very underwhelming. I was looking for a simple place to sit down for breakfast… this wasn’t my best decision. I should have known when I saw the shrink wrapped sample food but for some reason I ordered anyway. Potatoes should never taste like fish. Never.

At a Caffe Baci for a quick lunch while in Chicago for a design conference. I had a cup of soup with a portofino sandwich. The sandwich and the soup weren’t bad but not really great either.
The interior was a wreck when I arrived. It looked like a class from one of the schools close by had an outing and displaced all of the tables.
I would probably eat there again next time in town and in the area.

I rate this place 3.5 stars — better than Panera and convenient since across from Millenium Park. But not what i would a Chicago brunch hotspot.
It’s 4 stars for brunch foods — it’s actually a tasty selection for being a laid back informal italian café. I’ve gone a bunch of times and like the breakfast burrito and belgian waffle. The frittata is just ok — a little too eggy for my taste.
It’s 3.5 stars for price — the prices aren’t bad but they could be cheaper for the simplicity of foods offered per price.
It’s 3 stars for its slow service — it really takes a while to whip up their brunch dishes! We’re waiting around a lot.
Also, I once ordered their pizza — i would never order it again.

Caffe Baci is nice. It’s pricey, but the quality food you get is amazing. A great place to hang out with your drawing class buddies before you head across the street to the Art Museum to draw furniture and interior design related things… I even got some inspiration for my colour for interiors class project once.
In an incredibly touristy area though.

I am not a big fan of this spot. I’ve been coming here off and on for a year now, and I just leave feeling like a get ripped off every time.
Though you can count on them to be open for a quick bagel, their prices are very high for what it is. When I first started coming here, I always ordered the breakfast burrito. The chef making the burrito is extremely friendly and is always good for a conversation. I stopped ordering this, however, because my eggs were runny… and I hate runny eggs. The burrito is also $ 6.01. If you choose to get a coffee or a fountain drink, you can plan on paying nearly $ 10 for your breakfast.
Other than the chef and a one or two other employees, the staff is rude, and have little time for even a smile. The rudest one there is the manager (I think she’s the manager… the only one not in the uniform). Not only will she not smile or say hello to the customers, but I’ve witnessed her standing outside chain-​smoking cigarettes. I just get the feeling she does not work very hard and treats her employees poorly.
I will avoid this place unless I have to go!

I came here for a quick lunch before my walking architecture tour. I wanted to get the Baci combo (half sandwich of the day and a bowl of soup). However, I didn’t like what they offered for sandwich of the day, so I decided to get their Palio sandwich, which is chicken salad with mixed greens and tomatoes on a bollo roll and a cup of of New England clam chowder.
The Palio was okay, but what disturbed me was their clam chowder. It wasn’t like any New England chowder I ever had. It was not creamy, but watery and it had the color of chicken stock. Not good at all.
I may come back again, but will stay away from their New England clam chowder.

We get this catered at work alot — some pretty decent sandwiches and etc. Cant say much else about the place since I have only had the food.

I’ll take Baci over Panera, Cosi, and Corner Bakery any day. The ambiance here is right up my alley. Minimalist, sleek, yet inviting and warm.
Food is served cafeteria style. I had the Tuscan salad. It was a bit overdressed, but good. What I loved… the coffee bar. A latte in a REAL cup in a comfortable, roomy setting. That won me over instantly.
*Baci is a terrific spot to grab some picnic food to take to enjoy at the concerts at Millennium Park.
My boyfriend said it felt like a Swedish or Dutch airport café. If this is the case… I clearly need to travel more often.

That is meant to be 3.5 stars, btw.
I stopped in here last week with some out of town friends after tiring ourselves out walking around Millennium Park. We were looking for a small, simple meal.
Set up much like a fancy cafeteria, the place is very clean, and well laid out. There’s a place to order sandwiches/​salads, another to order pasta and entrees, and another to order your drinks, etc.
I got the pasta special, which ended up being HUGE. It was definitely enough for two people, but I had leftovers for the next day, so that was nice.
Prices are very reasonable.
If you are looking for a quick bite to eat, then try this place out.

Terrific local chain which serves everything from breakfast to salads and sandwiches along with coffee and other drinks. The concept is simple but they bring a fresh, refined touch to it with their menu, indoor design and the way their concept works.
Just a few steps away from our hotel, we were improvising for breakfast and stumbled upon this place and left extremely satisfied. We each picked up a platter and order our breakfasts. I had 2 scrambled eggs, a side of ham and some homefries along with an english muffin and fresh OJ. What an amazing way to start the day. Everything is made to order and it tasted fantastic and the prices were more than decent (actually it was free for me, my dad paid for us! Thanks Pops!)
Next time I go to Chicago I will not forget to swing by there for breakfast which is way better than going to a Starbucks or the hotel restaurant.
The staff was friendly and there was plenty of available seating.

eye catchable modern stylish Italian caffe.
cuz of that, NEED to try their food. ku ku ku. =)
Veggie Fusion Omelette & Caffe Macchiato for breakfast. (were under $ 7.00)
Oh My God! Macchiato was terrific, but Omelette? please, please, give me some salt!
Eat Italian, Dream Italian
where’s Italy?

Have you ever had an encounter with a waiter/​server that left you saying, «What?»
My dad and I had lunch here — late on a Saturday afternoon. I make this point to stress that the restaurant was NOT busy. Since it is set up sort of cafeteria style, I’d walked to the ‘Order Sanwiches’ section and my dad stopped at the «Order Soup» area. But, first, let me back up. My dad will be 84 next month. So, picture a tiny (5 ft 5 in) man wearing an impeccably tailored suit). At any rate, he asked for a cup of soup. The surly server thrust (yes, thrust) a huge BOWL of soup over the counter and into my dad’s hands. Since he is ONLY 5 ft 5 in, he was slightly shorter than the counter/​server, so the bowl was at an angle. Long story, he slopped clam/​corn chowder over his sleeve and front of his shirt. I saw the fiasco as it unfolded and arrived just in time to nab the bowl and slide a tray under it. My points are:
1. The restaurant wasn’t full, so the server could have easily walked out to hand dad a tray.
2. The server could have held the bowl and asked dad to GET a tray,
3. The server could have made sure my dad had a good grasp on the bowl before letting it go!
My dad is not a feeble 84 year old, don’t get me wrong. As a matter of fact, he drove 6 hours to make this visit, works three times a week (as a Master Chef and can cook circles around most people half his age). But, he is still a small, eighty-​four year old man. Whatever happened to ‘honoring our elders’?
At any rate, the food was ‘okay’, but after this experience I doubt if I will go back… oh, and for those who are wondering, the server DID NOT apologize or appaear at all contrite. Just gave us a flippant look and walked away?!