La Colombe Coffee Workshop

Riding upon the smooth rippling audio waves of Steely Dan i bring forth to you these sentiments. £a Colombe is a survivor. Small boutique coffee shop chain celebrating the oaky goodness of minimalism and simplicity in Chicagoland. This particular £0cale is snugly tucked underneath a once graced John Cusack Hi Fidelity blue line el stop stop…. Across the street from the once legendary Double Door rock club turned Yeti store now vacant. Roll credits.

La Colombe makes one of the best oat milk draft lattes I’ve had, it was creamy, foamy, and uniquely delicious. It’s the main reason I keep coming back. The texture is smooth and the flavor is just right. My only suggestion would be to go a little lighter on the ice, as it can water things down a bit too quickly. Still, it’s a standout drink that’s worth the trip.

As you leave the Damen Ave L Station you can head into La Colombe and grab a cappuccino or draft cold brew, and pastry. Day instantly better.

Small upscale coffee shop under the damen blue line stop. Has a good selection of pastries, daily coffee rotations, and draft lattes. It's a pretty good place to grab something on the way in or out of the station. There isn't a ton of seating inside and it can sometimes get loud with the trains if you're sensitive to noise.

GREAT coffee and friendly faces!! We had cold brew and pour over coffee at La Colombe and it was great coffee. You can always tell the quality of coffee by how it is just black, and it was awesome! They were very friendly and the vibe is great! Would highly recommend this coffee shop!!

This was a very cozy place to be in. I had an Oat draft latte..i love sweet things and honestly it is already so good it doesn't even need much sweetener at all. The cappuccino that my friend has however was bolder and needed the two sugar packets pictured here..but that's how you want those. I do have to say the flavor of the cappuccino is pretty unique. Try it out. We liked it but I'm pretty sure not everyone will love it.. the oatmilk things though.. don't hesitate! No wifi on weekends to promote conversation. Honestly we all know that's for turnover but that's fair.

Great for craft coffee and tea. Good service too

CHICAGO- has many layers of history. Wherever you go… someone else walked there, worked there, spit-on-the-sidewalk-there, and made their way there. I “loved” Chicago, but no more. We broke-up with The Gun Violence, Corruption, & “Divisive-Political-Polarity”- becoming Emotional Refugees in Portugal. It “would be” a cool feature of GOOGLE MAPS, to allow the APP, to visually show the History of a location, be it a Park, a Street Corner, or a storefront, “place” where an Immigrant, like Grandpa Louie - planted his stake here.🇺🇸

I'll be short and sweet here. I loveeeee this location. Even though it's pretty small, somehow there's always a table open which is great! They have a small selection of GREAT pastries and great coffee! Plus, friendly service. What more could you need!?

Picked up some beans and learned that you get a free coffee with purchase. Series was friendly and there was enough space to post up with a laptop.

Friendly, quick and great offerings! I went at 730am on a Sunday. Perfect time to enjoy a lovely cafe...not many people and chill atmosphere. The baristas made good recommendations and made a delicious oat milk cappuccino. Since I had wanted a flat white but also the pretty cup (slightly larger), she recommended I get a cappuccino with low foam. I really appreciated her suggestion. I will definitely be back!

Employees were ok. Ordered an ice tea. I was told the only type is brewed on order. (Can't be done in advance?) we waited and were served a tea that was indistinguishable from water in terms of color or taste. No reason to return and would recommend others think about it.

Great coffee at a great coffee shop! Love the staff - they're quite helpful in explaining the different types of coffee offered and are quite accommodating with preferences.

The staff is very friendly and the drinks are well priced. I come here to do a lot of work/studying. The ambiance is cool and industrial.

A quaint coffee shop by the train station. I came here to work and it had everything I needed- ample seating, good coffee, fast wifi, and music that isn't annoying. The bartenders were also very quick and seemed nice. Would work here again :-)

Solid coffee right off the blue line. Only grievance is that they just don't have more flavor syrups. But honestly the latte I had was pretty solid. Plenty of seating. A little expensive but service was polite and professional and super quick!

The Pumpkin Spice Chai with 2 shots of espresso is to die for! All of the pastries look yummy but the almond croissant has my heart The staff here is so kind and always willing to give recommendations!

Big name from NYC. Cool and friendly baristas but unfortunately we were a bit disappointed in the latte that we got. Smooth and warm and finished beautifully. It's just the medium-roast tasted like dark-roast which could be due to over-extracted from settings and other different reasons. We will be back next time to try it again.

Great service, such a beautifully sweet chai latte, literally exactly what I needed. I recommend.

Great coffee, friendly service, sunny space and lots of seating. What else would you want in a local coffee shop?

I had la colombe for the first time a couple days ago when they were having a special half off their half tans I believe. I just walked in and walked out so I didn't really sit, but I ordered a had tan with vanilla and oat milk..... I fear this might be the best coffee I have ever tasted omg. I got the large and couldn't finish it so I ended up putting it in the fridge for the next day. Very delicious I will be back to try more of their coffee drinks. Cold brew plus a latte is such a good combination and they absolutely nailed it

As a person that solely relied on La Comlumbe to get through college in Philly, I almost cried when I realized that there were locations in Chicago. The on draft latte is amazing! It's so refreshing and creamy and has such a wonderful flavor. The service is always great and of course the cafe is adorable. Whenever I go to Wicker Park, this is my first stop right off the blue line.

Are you ever excited to try a new coffee shop while traveling? Well I wouldn't visit this store, the vibe and your excitement will be immediately killed. La Colombe of West Loop is 10/10, wicker park 0/10. I was next up to order, I stepped up to the barista after making eye contact with her. I excitedly said "good morning how are you!" to which she did not respond and stared at me blankly. I expressed some questions around their draft drinks and what made up some drinks. I asked if I could have a certain drink with a slight substitution to make it stronger, to which she said very monotone and loud "I don't understaaaand, it comes this way", I realize I was being difficult asking if the proportions in the black and tan could be modified from 50/50, but I've never been mocked for asking. Whatever, I got it as it came and before I could order a muffin she told my total and flipped the screen around and walked away. When I was served my drink it came with dirty looks from the other employees. I get it, everywhere is busy and your job sucks, you don't need to take it out on guests who are trying to be kind to you.

Love this location of La Colombe! There's a pretty decent amount of seating inside and I've never had an issue finding a seat during the week. Sometimes it can be kind of loud if the door isn't all the way shut since it's right under the train. Most important part of this review: get the oat draft latte, the vanilla oat draft latte, or the oat black & tan!

Very smooth cold brew in convenient location near Damen stop. Got a tap water as well and enjoyed the fact that they had both tap and sparkling options for free. Would definitely go back.

Used to go out of my way and come to this location and it has recently been so disappointing. The baristas are often not friendly at all. The coffee my last few visits has been awful. So disappointing considering I love colombe and this location, but it's not worth it anymore. Go to the west loop location for better coffee and better service.

Walking around wicker park and decided to get an iced coffee. After reading the reviews I decided on the latte draft. It was really good. Very creamy. Great choice. The inside is nice. If you want a cold latte try it.

The cafe is on smaller size with not many outlets, but service was quick and a good place for a catch up with friends. I ordered the iced chai tea latte and it was good, but not as sweet as other places. Definitely had more of a kick of the chai spice in it than other cafes.

Great coffee, friendly staff, comfortable seating, lots of natural light. The cortado was good! I've had their draft latte in the past which was also delicious. Love the little bag hooks at the bar seating. I also love that they have self serve water and sparkling water: "Everyone on earth should have access to clean water." Yes! Overall solid coffee chain. Will definitely be back.

Next to a stop (CTA) and right next to Stan's. No wifi, mediocre service, okay coffee. They do charge you for dine-in, since you'll be using one of those nice porcelain cups. Drip coffee of the day tasted like Starbucks, and was luke warm. Nice ambiance but not coming back for this!

My boyfriend and I ended up here after trying two other coffee shops in Wicker Park and not being able to find seating. Ever the sucker for novelty menu items, I gravitated toward the cold brew with lemon like a moth to light. It's not a flavor combination I ever would have imagined working, but it's surprisingly pleasant. We discovered only after purchasing drinks that La Colombe does not offer WiFi on the weekends, presumably to keep people from loitering, which explains the seating availability. We had both planned to do work on our laptops, so be warned if you are in the same boat.

$5 for a nitro coffee, dang it's getting to be beer prices for a cup of coffee! La Colombe right by the CTA Damen Blue line is easily accessible and sorta tucked in. The seating is quite open, but with limited tables and stiff chairs I wouldn't spend too much time here. Make sure to ask for a real glass otherwise they provide a plastic cup. Oatly - a delicious milk alternative invented in Sweden, is served available here.

10/10 draft latte. Honestly, I don't even understand how this latte is the perfect mix of creamy but light. It is absolutely delicious and I would come here every day if I had the option.

Love everything about this place including: layout - plenty of seating options and counter has purse hooks, staff didn't make me feel like a loser for requesting traditional vs alt milk options ( they were nice when I requested skim milk!), they have Splenda (bonus!), music is great and at a subtle volume, conveniently located near the train (right under it actually) but you can't even really hear it.

This "La Colombe" location neighbors the CTA Damen Blue Line station. Typically a coffeeshop attaching to an "El" station has only a counter, a kiosk, or a window and everything is served to-go. This one isn't going to be case. In other words, I was surprised by how spacious the dining room was and how well the entire venue was decorated. I ordered a cortado, and the latte art was done impeccably. I always have a positive impression on La Colombe coffee. I tend to order express shots or anything that is considered "short coffee" from here. A few seating with outlets are available, but they were, for the most part, occupied when I went in at 4pm. I don't believe they provide free wifi, but a majority of patrons used their mobile hot spot from their cellular devices. Service was very friendly. Bristas looked chic and edgy, and some had very cool haircuts and colors. They offer gender-specific restrooms, which were well-lit and clean. Every item on Rosa J.'s ideal-coffeeshop-checklist was initialed, fulfilled, and crossed out. It doesn't bother me if there was no public wifi.

Great day to be in Chicago: Cubs in a 3-game series with the Brewers; BTS fans 3-deep line up around a full city block for tickets to Soldier Field performance; weather is of course a factor--rain and rainy. My niece is the local guide and we grab a cab from the Loop to Damen and Milwaukee, the heart of Wicker Park. Wise cabbie takes the expressway and we are there in ten minutes or so ($15). In and out of the rain we settle in to La Colombe at the end of our explorations. The cafe feels like a steady old neighbor situated as it is under the Blue Line rails, a location of convergences, angles, arrivals and departures. Coffee served in their signature Deruta mug and saucer is smooth and rich. My niece enjoys her tea, and we both have a small, sweet pastry. The atmosphere is unhurried, we linger over conversation for some time. The baristas are kind and courteous. Well-spaced seating and the warmth of brick walls and natural light give further respite from the chill and rain. It's good to feel wrapped in the sure rhythm of the Wicker Park neighborhood. We head back to the Loop on the Blue Line, taking the stairs just feet from the cafe entrance to the platform.

This is my favorite coffee on earth. From drip to espresso and even their canned cold brew, you can't go wrong ordering. Usually service is pleasant and great but I encountered a new and rather snippy barista recently. Oh well! Maybe he was having a bad day. I'll be back regardless since my experience has been mostly positive and the coffee is the best. Thanks guys!

Great place to visit on a Sunday morning. Contrary to what I had heard regarding wifi, this place does have their own. It's a really great vibe, one of my favorite places aesthetically. Minimalistic like Cafe Streets but more comfortable. Will say that their coffee is EXPENSIVE for what you get. But it may be strategic since it's the first thing you run into when getting off the Damen stop- 'welcome to wicker park, where the hipsters flock and the prices surcharged'.

This cafe is right next to Damen station right when you exit downstairs. I ordered the iced oat milk latte that was super rich and creamy. The interior was clean with small tables so people can study or hangout. I would recommend going if you are in the area! :)

This is a very basic no frills coffee spot near the blue line and popular Division/ Milwaukee/North Ave corner. I like this place because their coffee is always consistently spot on, the service fast and the seating clean. I wouldn't study here as it's a bit noisy and few plugs for your laptop.

I've been here a few times now when I go down to the city - but I thought I would finally write a review for this lovely coffee shop. It's located underneath the Damen L Station. Walking into the cafe it is quiet and quaint. The environment is serene and a great place to do some schoolwork or read the daily newspaper over a cup of java or tea. The staff is nice and also will give great recommendations as well. The seating in the shop is spaced out nicely in my opinion of where you don't feel too "buddy-buddy" to the person sitting next to you which is nice. The atmosphere is calm and quiet which makes a trip to La Colombe a must if you are looking for a place to do work or chat with friends over a hot cup of coffee.

I really enjoy the coffee at La Colombe, and I have to say my favorite is the draft latte. Perfect for the summer and just the right amount of creamy and sweet. I enjoy the space as well, it's bright and the staff is always quite friendly. Though it's a little on the expensive side (as most boutique coffee shops are), I would say I stop in once every few weeks. My one complaint is that they don't provide wifi. Coffee shops these days are synonymous with places to get work done. They have a router set up, so why not give the password out to paying customers? Definitely a head-scratcher, definitely keeps me from becoming a regular. With so many coffee shops in this area, you'd expect that they would want to level the playing field with this simple fix.

La Colombe produces impressive coffee! My first La Colombe experience was actually at their Andersonville location a little over a year ago, and I've been a fan ever since. The Wicker Park location (this one), is conveniently placed right next to the Damen Blue line stop. Although this location is smaller than the Andersonville location, this location still has a decent amount of seating for people wanting to relax in a quiet environment. The staff is always nice and works fast at preparing drinks for customers. La Colombe offers many different fantastic coffee drinks, but my favorite is the draft latte. Drinking a draft latte while on a nice walk in Wicker Park is something I find soothing. They also offer the draft latte's and other coffee beverages in to go can's in a fridge inside of the store. Recently, I bought some of the La Colombe beans so that I could brew their coffee at home. My coffee maker is very basic and could use an upgrade, but the coffee still tastes almost as good as getting it at the cafe. 5 stars for La Colombe and their fabulous coffee

Really, a perfect little coffee shop. Great location, delicious beverages, soothing music, friendly staff. What more do you want?

The coffee is great and the staff create a great atmosphere. When I stopped in, I was immediately struck by how attentive and kind they are. I'm very impressed. I highly recommend La Colombe in Wicker if you're looking for a place to hang out or do work during the day!

On the hunt for coffee in Chicago we ended up here - really we hit up the donut shop next door and brought the sweet treats over here to enjoy with a little coffee. I went with the draft latte. Yes, coffee on tap! Pretty cool - and something I've never really seen anywhere else. The coffee was fantastic. The staff was also super friendly. We took a seat and covertly pulled out the round doughy treats to enjoy - the staff never told us anything - but we were scared they would haha. There were outlets to charge up your phone or plug in a laptop. We maxed out our phones before leaving. The decor here was pretty nice. A lot of different woods and industrial lighting. The bench I sat on was pretty comfortable and the lighting from the big windows was great for snapping photos of my coffee haha.

I've been a fan of La Colombe coffee since the first location opened in NYC. Born and raised in Philly (19134), I was happy that my hometown repped in the big apple with a superior cup of joe. I was psyched when I moved to Chicago and found out they had locations here. Just read that La Colombe CEO Todd Carmichael offered to pay for school lunches for families struggling to get by and is calling out a school superintendent using these marginalized kids as pawns in his endgame to "make america great again". https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.inquirer.com/news/school-lunch-debt-foster-care-pennsylvania-todd-carmichael-la-colombe-20190723.html%3foutputType=amp I have always recommended La Colombe for their excellent brews, warm modern interiors and friendly staff (I'm looking at you Wicker Park location). Now I have another reason to point folks in the direction of this establishment. #ToddCarmichaelPhillyProud

their draft latte with oat milk is to die for. I recently had a coffee meeting and the person I was with suggested we get coffee at this place. This happened last week and let me tell you. I've been there just about every other day.. I haven't made it daily only because they don't have a location in the South Loop or close enough to work... It's okay, I'll make the drive. :)

I was first introduced to La Colombe in the West Loop years ago - I worked nearby and it was my happy place to go and relax with a book or magazine. I loved the open, airy atmosphere, the pleasant baristas, the beautiful mugs and saucers, the sparkling water on tap.... ahhhh. But it was a hike from where I lived in Wicker Park. So you could imagine how thrilled I was when this cafe opened this location, which is conveniently located next to the Damen Blue Line and #50 bus stop. Not as big as the West Loop location, and a darker interior, but still the same great coffee, friendly and smiling baristas and relaxed atmosphere. When I used to commute, I would grab a coffee for the bus or train. Overtime, I got to know the baristas and it became even more of a welcoming place to visit. On the weekends the lines can get long and some customers can be slow to order, but what place isn't busy weekend mornings with people moving at their own pace? They now offer a 16 oz to-go cup for the days when I need a little bit more of a pick-me-up.

Great little coffee shop right beneath the Damen Blue Line. Had a wonderful almond milk latte. Was a little pricey for there only being one size drink, however it did taste very well-made.

This is a great coffee place. I like the one on Armitage a little bit better because the feel / ambiance is better, but this one is good too. The coffee is great. They probably have my favorite coffee in Chicago. I like the minimalist vibe of the Colombes.

Best part of my entire Midwest trip! I have a story and a half about how amazing these people were to me. I'm not going to say it though because I doubt it's something they do regularly, but they went well above and beyond and they will forever be my #1 spot when I'm in Chicago. Anyway, the rest. All efforts aside, this is a top 3 favorite shop of mine all-time. I LOVE it. I'm usually impartial to the interior of shops, but this had an awesome and relaxed vibe. Now the important part, the coffee. Top 2 in Chicago, easy. La Colombe as a whole is in my top 5 favorite roasters in the country. I had three different things and went home with a bag of the magical Ardi. I don't have a single negative thing to say about this place. Must visit for coffee enthusiasts, thanks again for everything!

A lovely addition to the neighborhood! I had to stop and try something, any place that has enough balls to open up with major competition on every block has to have a good product. We ordered a hot chocolate and a cup of black coffee and paid less than $6, pretty reasonable. They however don't have a proper menu board. Currently they have the names of three types of coffee on a chalkboard without any prices. The staff seemed friendly and the place was beautiful inside. The cups and saucers were beautiful and my hot chocolate was delicious (after I added two spoons of sugar). I'll definitely go back!

I'm not a big coffee drinker, but I'm a big sucker for the perfectly Instagrammable latte art. And trust me, La Colombe will give you some of the best in the city with it's ornate, decorative china. My latte came with a beautiful blue cup and matching blue saucer. I paid around $4, which is typical for the area. La Colombe is right next to the newly renovated (and finally open!) Damen stop and also the delicious Stan's Donuts. Naturally, we grabbed a couple of doughnuts and camped out here midday on a Saturday. I was worried at first about bringing in outside food, but none of the baristas seemed to mind at all since we ordered drinks. Three of us sat at a beautiful wooden table near the window--prime people-watching spot. We ran into two friends and enjoyed catching up over coffee for a few hours. La Colombe offered the perfect environment for this! Our friends both ordered red eyes said it was their favorite drink in the city. So, we spent the afternoon sipping on coffee, catching up, and people watching. I'm not kidding about this being a great place to people watch. We saw a LOT during our few hours there. Plenty of characters to keep you entertained. :) My only caveat is that outlets were very scarce. I had originally come to La Colombe to do work, so it was a little disheartening that I wasn't able to do that. Clearly other people had the same idea and they remained at their outlets on their laptops for the duration of our time there. That being said, there is NO WIFI here. This is a great place to come to chat with a friend over coffee or work on something that doesn't require an outlet.

You guys, I tried the Greggy. It's also known as a "sweetened Gibraltar" if the barista looks at you funny. It's a double ristretto with foamed milk and sweetened condensed milk, served in their glass cup. Halfway through sipping I realized this was the drink I had 3 years ago when the west loop location first opened. It's real easy to drink and delicious! It's definitely going to be my go-to drink here. Bakery items here are from Floriole in Lincoln Park. Try the ham, gruyere, mustard seed croissant. YUM.

Dropped by to check it out since it's one of the ten most famous cafes in chi-town. Very nice staff. Very patient to walk us through everything featuring this season. Good scented coffee. Nice spot to work if you are tired of library or workstations.

La Colombe is most likely in one of the most interesting spots you'll find a coffee shop, but don't Hold me to it, let me know if you know of something that's more interesting than being located under Chicagos every own elevated blue line. I set off my morning with a cappuccino and a croissant the croissant honestly wasn't that fresh but I could have caught them on a bad day, but it simply didn't taste as fresh as you would want it and I was there at 7am. The cappuccino had a rich espresso taste which I could say nothing bad about. Overall La Colombe is very open and clean,full glass to ceiling windows with exposed brick. The staff was very friendly and the service was quick. I will definitely come back here next time I'm near the blue. This wouldn't be a complete review if I didn't tell you this coffee shop does NOT have wifi.