Shokolad

While I was in Chicago for the weekend I was craving Crepes and European food so I had step foot into Shokolad in the morning for some breakfast. I had ordered some Borscht which was INCREDIBLE! Ive had borscht before and was craving it when I saw it on the menu. Oh and the price for the borscht was great! A lot of places I've been to before have always charged a lot for just soup so to be able to have a large bowl for 6.50$ is awesome! I had also ordered the Crepes with Berry compote and cream, which was very good as well. I love a good crepe and the touch of berries and whip cream made it very yummy! If I'm in the area again I will gladly come by and order more food :)

Overall Thoughts: A cute and homey spot with an old-school feel, Shokolad serves a wide variety of Ukrainian breakfast/lunch dishes and pastries/desserts. While I haven't tried the pastries/desserts yet, I felt that the food I tried generally lacked flavor, though there were some highlights. The restaurant had a good amount of people for a Thursday afternoon with plenty of seating still available. There was only one server who seemed really busy, so the food came out a little slow, but the service was good and friendly overall.Food I tried:- Ukrainian Cheese Pancakes (4/5): These were not as flavorful as I would've liked, but still tasted good-- I liked the textures which featured a hot, slightly crispy exterior and a soft, curdy cheese interior. It paired nicely with the sour cream and sweet berries. - Eggplant, Green Pea & Potato Varenyky (3.7/5): This dish lacked a lot of flavor. Though I liked the fresh and chewy skin texture, both the sauce and the filling had dull flavors.- Mushroom Varenyky (4.5/5): The mushroom varenyky flavors were much more robust than the eggplant ones-- exceptionally creamy with a nice, earthy flavor. The skin here was also fresh and chewy.-- Price (relative to peers): 4.3/5Food: 4.1/5Ambience: 4.4/5Service: 4.5/5Overall Value: 4.2/5

Absolutely amazing and cute little Ukrainian cafe.The borchsch was the best I've had in a restaurant. Perfectly seasoned. My wife and I had the mushroom varenyky - very good! The cook was very good and very inviting. Definitely recommend.

Sorry no photos this time! Food was delicious, the order of 3 crepes I felt like was a great deal. I had the spinach mushroom feta, tomato mozzarella, and then the Farmers cheese w/berry compote. I appreciated that the savory were on separate dishes than the sweet. Was sort of like my dessert!I was not however impressed with the service. We got seated but no one came to take our order, or even drink order for at least 10 min. Then he took the order but never brought our drinks u til I flagged him down again. Food was brought out in batches so all 4 of us received the food at different times. No one ever came back to check on us or offer a refill on coffee or water for that matter!

I love everything here. There are standards as well as special items you wouldn't find many other places. It fills up fast though and no reservations, so time your arrival well if possible.

This place is on the periphery of the Ukrainian part of town, and is a proper cafe, offering about as much seating outside as in. I spent a fair amount of time perusing the splendid-looking pastries before taking some to go, but also had some crepes there. They offer an option to pick and choose three different ones, with a variety of savory and sweet options. I was quite satisfied with my torched banana with an ultra-rich chocolate sauce (presumably the place's namesake), and the raspberry and tomato-basil made for a varied plate.Other menu options ranged widely; even from a vegetarian perspective (clearly not their focus) the dumplings, salads, and other options were respectable.Additionally, the cookies and a slice of some sort of layer cake that I took with me were rich and delicious. I think they pretty much are succeeding at what they set out to do, and when I was there they were working hard to keep up with demand.

My love and I decided to have lunch in Ukrainian Village recently, and we chose Shokolad. This was a popular choice on a random Thursday, as the restaurant seemed quite busy this day. We had a pleasant server, but the poor guy was overstretched as he seemingly was tasked with waiting on all the tables.My love ordered the beef stroganoff, which is listed as a Thursday special. I usually think of stroganoff with noodles, but she opted to have mashed potatoes with the beef and gravy. A side salad (sort of like cole slaw) completed this meal. I ordered a full order (a dozen pieces) of the varenyky (Ukrainian pierogies), and I chose the meaty filling. I usually go light on sour cream, but the cream complemented the meat dumplings very well. Shredded carrots rounded out my plate.

Delicious breakfast.Friendly atmosphere.Stuff were good.They automatically bring you water.Good variety of food

Stopped in on a short visit to Chicago several years ago and still dream about the raspberry crepes. Will definitely plan to eat here again next time I'm in town.

The borscht is amazing. Light fresh and warm and cozy all at the same time. If you like garlic, the ricotta rolls come with a fresh garlic butter for dipping that's so good. I get the bowl and split it but it never feels like I've had enough. I get the pierogis in scallion sauce and they are the absolute best. I've wanted to try other things in the menu but having immediate favorites makes it hard to order other things knowing how much I want the stuff I love. The Ukrainian sausage and eggs is next on my list if I can ever be convinced not to get my usual at this place. The service is warm and attentive. On a Sunday expect a small wait but nothing crazy. It feels like you're in someone's dining room eating food made with love. Happy to recommend this place to anyone.