Willow Cafe And Bistro

They're located actually in Lincoln Square, by the fountain. We were seated outside on the patio which is very nice. We watched school kids walk by and retired gentlemen sitting on the bench. We were brought water right away, and our waiter came out shortly to take our drink orders. Even though the menu only says coffee or cappuccino, they are able to make espresso drinks, and they have decaf!We ordered one slice each of the two daily quiches - spinach tomato and Lorraine. Both were very light, rich and flavorful and served with a delicious salad. (Unfortunately, the spinach was a bit salty for us - but we are on low salt diets).Our waiter came to check on us twice, and the check came promptly. They have a pastry counter at the front with more seating in the back.We will definitely stop by again when in the area.

Willow Cafe is a really nice addition to Lincoln Square. I only once visited Cafe Selmarie and it was over a decade ago, but I think that Willow is a worthy successor.The front section of the cafe is a counter service bakery, and they also sell coffee and stuff here. I've picked up a few cakes and a sparkling blackberry lemonade which is delicious. The restaurant menu is good as well. I had takeout from there one afternoon and their sandwiches and burgers are great. They have a nice outdoor space so I wouldn't mind having lunch or a leisurely dinner with a friend sometime. And I will be back for the sparking blackberry lemonade, which really hits the spot on a warm summer evening!

Let me start by saying that this cafe/bistro bakery has some really big shoes to fill, the previous tenants left the world wanting more. Upon entering you walk into the bakery and coffee shop, have to walk through it to the hostess who seemed sorta bored and bothered. The baristas were friendly and helped us through a clunky setup and ended up recommending the pastry mentioned below. We were seated outside, it was a lovely early summer Chicago afternoon, it was delightful. We were given water, silver rolls and menus, it took awhile for anyone to acknowledge us. We put in our orders, Bloody Marys were delicious but when they came a bird had pooped on our table and I used my one napkin to clean it up. It was happening while our server was standing there. I wadded up my napkin and asked for a new one, she left the poop napkin and said sure, the food came and I asked her again if she could please get me a napkin, the busboy came by, asked him he never did. The waitress finally came back with 3 little cocktail napkins and was ready to walk away without bussing the poop napkin So the good news is that we really enjoyed the food! The hollandaise was divine, poach of the eggs was masterful! The German potato salad, clearly a nod to the roots of the street was good, basically a dressed +bacon version of the breakfast potatoes, which I'm not mad at at all!The true blessing of the entire experience was taking home one of the most delicious pastries I've had in an eternity! It was a strawberry cream Swiss roll, the likes of I haven't had since the pastry shops of Europe!I hope they get it together and spend some time training the front of house because whoever the kitchen magician is deserves more respect.

We were sad when Cafe Selmarie closed as it was one of our go-tos. However, looking at the menu and baked goods it looks like they're keeping the Selmarie tradition going.

Nothing about this place is good, from the food, to the service, to the attitude. Because we ordered at the counter instead of having table service, we were told we couldn't sit at an outdoor table. I hadn't noticed the scone I ordered was gluten-free; it tasted awful, including an aftertaste. When I complained about how bad it was, the woman told me it was my fault for not seeing it was gluten-free, completely ignoring the fact the scone was terrible. In addition, prices for the food and drink (a coffee and tea), were way too high. Avoid this place.

Nice menu with some upgrades that respect the Cafe Selmarie legacy. The service is mostly friendly, with some notable exceptions when they are understaffed. I'm looking forward to continuing to enjoy the Willow Cafe!

Came here the other day to check out the new digs since Selmarie. I really liked the openness of the space and the coffee bar in front. It had a very cozy yet modern bistro feel. I just had a coffee drink (perfect!), but will have to come back and eat and sit outside. So glad something good opened right there, especially given the history.

Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of the food but my friend and I ordered the burger with a side of brussel sprouts and a Turkey club sandwich with a side of German potato salad. They were both delicious! We were both long time fans of Cafe Selmarie but heard Willow offered similar items. There is some overlap but the recipes do seem different---but still delicious nonetheless! And the pastries case seems to offer all the classic former staples we all know and love. I'm glad Willow is here to seemingly continue Selmarie's legacy. We'll definitely be visiting again!

We really really enjoyed our food here. The brunch was amazing, as well as the pecan pie!! The hostess was so friendly as well as the bus boy who was super attentive, however, our waitress was really quite rude and defensive. She was the opposite of friendly and made us uncomfortable on multiple occasions. I would return for the food, hope the service gets better.

Service is horrible. We said we just wanted dessert. They asked if we wanted it in the dining room or outside and we opted for the dining room. Well, they couldn't get us utensils, figure out how to set the table, etc. The girl that got our desserts from the case wasn't helpful at all. Well, after we had to work to get her attention in the empty dessert area. She also had little knowledge of the desserts. Maybe she never tasted any of the items, or she didn't want to lie. She offered no help with descriptions. Once seated, we had to ask for water, napkins.. the basics. And the desserts are not nearly as good as they used to be when it was Cafe Selmarie. I may give them another shot, but it will be tough! Stay tuned....