Chicago Travel Guide | Part II

Destination
Chicago, Illinois
Sleep
The Ambassador Hotel
Eat
The Allis | Dove’s Luncheonette | Pops for Champagne | 8 Bar
Shop
Reformation | House of Glunz
See
The Art Institute of Chicago | The Wrigley Building | London House rooftop

For the past several weeks, the idea of writing this post has weighed heavily on me. It’s not just that the information is unlikely to be practical to anyone for the foreseeable future, but that writing it would effectively mark the end of my travel writing until an unknown future date. A big part of me doesn’t want to let that go. But in the end, I’ve decided to forge ahead – if a trip had to be our last, we really couldn’t have done better than our four blissful days in Chicago. It wasn’t my first visit, but it was our first experience in the city together. I can only hope we’ll get to go back and relive the memories we made someday.

Sleep
The Ambassador Hotel – 1301 N State Parkway
We chose this hotel on a whim, as we often do, based on the budget-friendly price available for our stay. But budget is never my only consideration when booking a hotel, and The Ambassador ticked all of my other boxes, as well. It’s a beautiful historical property that was recently refurbished, located in a quite but central area that is within walking distance of tourist attractions but still quiet enough that we could sleep soundly at night. I loved the minimal design of the rooms and the thoughtful attention to detail in them, from the perfectly stocked in room bar to the Jonathan Adler body products in the bathroom. The fact that they have a Cafe Colombe, my favourite American coffee chain, in the hotel lobby, only added to the charm for me. We’d stay again in a heartbeat.

Eat
Chicago is known for food – almost as well as it is known for architecture. Deep dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches… and the list goes on. We indulged in a variety of local specialties, but I admit, none of them make this list. There is so much good food in Chicago, and it is definitely not limited to pizza.

The Allis – 113-125 N Green Street
The Allis is such a Chicago favourite that it’s almost become cliche. But there is good reason for that. Located within the very exclusive Soho House club but open to non-members, The Allis is impeccably designed and decorated. Every detail, from the vintage books to the prints on the brick walls, is immaculate. And the food is, too. If you can only have brunch once in Chicago, make a reservation at The Allis. You won’t be disappointed.
Dove’s Luncheonette – 1545 N Damen Avenue
We love a good vintage diner. And on the surface, Dove’s Luncheonette looks like exactly that. The decor is traditional. Much of the seating is at an old metal counter, just as it would have been in the fifties. But the menu is anything but traditional. Dove’s serves seriously elevated diner food with a South American twist. I’m still dreaming about their spicy peanut salsa and lentil pupusas. We actually waited for seats, which I’m almost always opposed to doing. Totally worth it.
Pops for Champagne – 601 N State Street
This champagne bar is the real deal. Pops for Champagne serves the most extensive selection of French champagne I’ve ever seen, especially in North America. And it’s all actual champagne, from the Champagne region in France. Which means that an evening out here is almost a major splurge. But if you love champagne, I highly recommend it. We sipped ours with a very generous sized side of blistered sishito peppers and it was perfection.
8 Bar – 1-8 W Maple Street
I never thought the day would come when I would include a steak house on a list of restaurant recommendations. 8 Bar is, at it’s core, exactly that: a bar on the ground floor of Maple & Ash, renouned Chicago steakhouse. The menus are similar, although the offering at 8 Bar is less extensive. It is not, however, limited to steak. In fact, it makes the list because of a salad; my favourite salad of all time, in fact. Which is saying something, since I eat salad approximately once a year. And I would make an annual trip to Chicago just for the beet salad at 8 Bar. I know that every restaurant now serves a beet salad and that mostly, they’re all about the same. That is not the case here. There are peanuts, and a delicious dressing and… well, I’ll let some of it be a surprise. But trust me, there is more at 8 Bar than just steak. And if you like steak, you can’t go wrong.

Shop
Reformation – 56 E Walton Street
You can find a Reformation store in most major US cities now. But the location in Chicago deserves a special mention. The small boutique with a two-storey set-up is a small, still unrelatively unknown place – even among locals, who were surprised to see me carrying a Reformation bag after I left. And the personal service reflects that. On the ground floor, you choose your items to try on. When you walk upstairs, they appear magically in a fitting room for you to try on. The whole system made shopping feel absolutely effortless.
House of Glunz – 1206 N Wells Street
If you like to bring wine home as a travel souvenir, you can start your shopping in Chicago at House of Glunz. They offer an excellent, but not overwhelmingly large, selection of wines from a wide range of countries and regions.

See
The Art Institute of Chicago – 111 S Michigan Avenue
If you can visit only one tourist attraction in Chicago, let it be The Art Institute. Chicago loves art, and that clearly shows in this museum, which houses an impressive and varied collection with something for everyone.
The Wrigley Building – 400-410 Michigan Avenue
You can’t really miss The Wrigley Building if you take a walk down the Magnificent Mile. But it’s worth pausing to truly admire the incredibly (and incredibly ambitious) architecture of the histortic building at 410 Michigan Avenue. The gold entryway door alone make the visit worthwhile.
London House rooftop – 85 E Wacker Drive
If you love architecture, you will love Chicago. And if you love the architecture in Chicago, there is nothing better than seeing it from up high. The view from the ground just doesn’t compare to the view form the rooftop bar at London House, which sits directly across the river from The Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower, two of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Even if you don’t stop for a drink, it’s worth going up for the view, especially at sunset.