Willow Café and Bistro

We recently spent a Friday afternoon at Willow Café and Bistro in Lincoln Square, and I enjoyed it so much. The open windows and leafy plaza view create such a relaxed, community-focused vibe. I enjoyed some sweet treats paired with a nicely balanced and flavorful coffee. Everything I saw—from pastries to cocktails—felt thoughtfully made. The service was warm and quick. The patio is a perfect spot for brunch, with plenty of natural light. I really appreciated the relaxed staff and inviting ambiance. My daughter loves coming here with us to enjoy the space, too.

First time visit for me and second or more for my daughters. James was spot on with coffee always topped off. The coffee was full of flavor and the dishes we had were fresh and delicious. We tried everything. At least it felt like we did. The breakfast sandwiches are amazing. The pancakes amazing. I had the salmon and it was amazing as well!! Friendly staff and beautiful shop. Loved it!

Went here for brunch. It was a decent place for our bday brunch. My friend picked this for her meal. Service was good, our server was very friendly and helped us choose from the menu. Cocktails were hit or miss. The old fashioned tasted watered down, I would suggest to skip. As for the food I’d go with the biscuits and gravy.

We visited Willow Cafe & Bistro to celebrate Father’s Day and our friend’s father on this special occasion. Overall, our experience was delightful. The food tasted amazing, especially the pastries and teas which we absolutely loved. The ambiance was warm and inviting, perfect for a family gathering. However, there was a small issue that slightly marred our otherwise wonderful visit. Our server did not inform us about the upgrade fee for the Truffle Fries that came with my Smoke Salmon Sandwich. I was told the fries were included with my meal, so I was surprised by the additional charge. While I didn’t mind paying extra, I would have appreciated clearer communication about the upgrade fee. Ensuring customers are aware of extra charges would enhance the dining experience and demonstrate the cafe’s commitment to customer value. Despite this, we enjoyed our time at Willow Cafe & Bistro and look forward to returning. With a little improvement in service communication, it could be an exceptional dining spot.

Willow has become a weekly tradition for me and my 2-year-old—and honestly, it might be the highlight of our week. The coffee and pastries are always on point, and it’s one of the few places where I can sip a latte while my toddler is also living her best café life. Shoutout to our favorite server, Tom, who brings her a “baby latte” every time like she’s a tiny VIP. We ❤️ you Tom!!! Also, the Broccoli Cheddar quiche? Absolute magic. I about to start a petition to keep it on the menu permanently. Kid-friendly, cozy, and delicious. We love Willow 💕

New restaurant in Lincoln Square under new ownership. Excellent all the way around. The server was backed up but they remedied it immediately. Staff are super super nice. I had the chopped salad which was perfect. The lettuce was fresh which is my test. Husband ordered the Beyond Burger which was really delicious. I had an Elderberry/hibiscus tea yum. The best of course was carrot cake desert. They are known for their bakery which is phenomenal. The outside cafe was a perfect way to spend the pm and location the best. We cannot say enough good things about it. While we will miss Selmarie, this place is fantastic!! Thanks Madeline ‼️

My friend and I started taking our daughters to Willow over a year ago and it has become a weekly tradition. They are so kid friendly and the food is fantastic. We always have the same amazing server (Tom!) and our girls now know him by name and ask for their "coffee milks" (whip cream with sprinkles in a tiny cup). It's the highlight of the week now. tom goes out of his way to make them feel special. Their side salad is one of the best little salads I have had. Perfect garnish and amazing dressing. Their croissants are also my favorite. Highly recommend!

Yum! Met up with a friend for a mid-week lunch and was so glad we tried this spot! I’ll definitely be back. We ordered at the bar/cafe area and sat at the window. I got an avocado-tomato toast with a side salad and also a side of tomato soup. I had a hard time deciding what to order because everything sounded good! My friend got the smash burger and said it was delicious. Next time I’m going to try the turkey club, I think! They have a water dispenser toward the front of the cafe. I’m eager to go back and be seated for my meal and/or to sit outside when the weather is nice enough. They’ve also got an extensive bakery case, so I will definitely be back in the future to snag a cake or pastry when I need one.

I was in the area looking for a coffee shop to kill a couple hours at when I realized everything shuts down by 6 pm or so. Luckily, Willow Cafe was open (til 8, I believe)! The front of the location is a little grab and go type bakery spot. They have nice bar-style window seating, and outlets for laptops. I enjoyed an elderberry hibiscus iced tea and grabbed a couple pastries for friends. They have an awesome assortment of pastries, cakes, cookies and similar items in the front, which is really nice, plus a full (and delicious-sounding) coffee bar! Like a caramel apple-butter latte? YES PLZ. I obviously need to come back when it's morning and I want caffeine! The back of the business, meanwhile, is an ADORABLEEEE restaurant! Another reason to come back! Deff check out this cute spot on the corner of the square next time you're around!

When Cafe Selmarie closed, I worried the place succeeding it wouldn't be as good as Selmarie. But I'd say so far, that Willow Cafe has been a good successor. I had only eaten a meal here once, but I really enjoyed the food I got. And same with the food that my mom got. Had stopped by a few extra times for picking up some sort of pastry, and I haven't been disappointed. They appear to have kept most if not all of the Cafe Selmarie workers, which is another good sign. So I'd say you won't be disappointed coming here, if you liked Selmarie.

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!

A worthy successor to Cafe Selmarie, in no small part because the bakery offerings remain identical!

I finally checked out the restaurant that went into Cafe Selmarie's former location, and I am so glad I did. There are some familiar faces on staff, and also in the kitchen, which is awesome because it means there are some Selmarie items on the menu, in addition to some great new things. I had to stick with the classics and ordered the chicken salad sandwich with a side of mac and cheese. While not exactly like the original Selmarie versions, they were pretty darn close, and I enjoyed them immensely. The other new menu offerings looked great too. I was too full for dessert but was thrilled to see some Selmarie favorites are still available, including the amazing sacher torte: YES!!!! The space is almost exactly like the old Selmarie space, just with a different coat of paint and none of the fun original art on the walls, unfortunately. Service was good, although I must say it was pretty slow for a Monday night, but we didn't mind too much. And the value was amazing considering what we had. I look forward to coming back here for some old favorites and also to sample something new: the smash burger and truffle fries look pretty epic.

I didn't go into the restaurant, I stayed in the cafe/pastry area, but there was not much space there. The bearish was angry about being there and as beautiful as the pastry's were, they had minimal flavor, which was very disappointing for the price. I won't be back.

As I sat down at Willow, the table next to me told the server that their raspberry tart was bad and had it removed from the bill. When my partner and I ordered, there was a communication problem between the server and the kitchen. The kitchen did not make my partner's pesto eggs, and we had to wait. The sausage patty on the plate had no seasoning or flavor. At the table next to us, a family sent back a dirty glass. Basically, problems seemed to be all over the place. The food was not worth it.

The food was decent, but the cookies were not particularly tasty, they were kinda hard and way overpriced.

Great dinner spot for a multigenerational group, checked all our boxes - great menu (and food!), cocktails, cozy atmosphere looking into sparkling Lincoln Square. And service was excellent.

Used to love the bakery back before the new owners. Decide to try it out today. The bakery was fully stocked with a ton of variety. But... no one was behind the counter and there was a person ahead of me in line. The manager and two servers were at the podium discussing another customer's bill. Three people? No one to help us buy your baked goods? Cool, saved me $20 and a bunch of unnecessary calories. Thanks!

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.

Service was good. Food was the problem. My partner order the traditional breakfast with sausage for protein. Something just tasted off with the sausage and it was pretty hard to bite through. I got the breakfast sandwich, nothing bad to say about it. As for the drinks, our coffee was great on this cold morning.

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!

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!

So happy to find that the new Willow Cafe is continuing the great baking tradition of its former owner. This holiday season, I ordered Tres Leches, Red Velvet, Sacher Torte, and Spanish Almond Cake. Wonderful recipes baked with superior ingredients. Our guests loved them all. The website is a little tricky to navigate, so do scroll to the bottom of the home page to find the many "custom cake options." You will not be disappointed! I hope the new owners keep baking all of this and more!

This place is okay. I got a chef salad wherein everything was already diced and mixed in. So, the salad came out with a "lovely" yellow tinge due to the yolk being already mixed in. Doing this also allows them to put minimal protein into the salad because you don't get to see the egg or chicken on top. It was a passable but disappointing salad. The service was great and friendly. The atmosphere was nice. But like, if I order a chef salad, it should come not pre-diced, light on protein and stained yellow.

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.

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.

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.

For those who loved Café Selmarie, rest assured. The new Willow Cafe and Bistro is lovely. According to the staff, it was a friendly transition to the new owner - possibly a friend or good acquaintance. Many of the items in the bakery are familiar and the coffee hasn't changed.

Service continues to be a problem under the new name Willow. Selmarie had the same issues. My visit today was more of the same... seemingly inattentive or being understaffed. It took a bit of time to get our check. My chicken salad sandwich didn't seem as good as before. I think there was more/some tarragon in the Selmarie version. I really missed it today. My partner had a bratwurst sandwich. It was good but horribly messy as the sausage was cut in long slices. Everything just fell out of the bun. It had grilled onions, roasted peppers, saurkraout & mustard. As for the side of brussel sprouts, they were quite tasty. though.

We were shopping around the neighborhood and came across Willow. We were huge fans of Cafe Selmarie. We were devastated when it closed. We were delighted though sitting down and finding out that Willow serves some very delicious food. The kids really enjoyed the kids meals. And the french toast was not overly sweet and still very fluffy. I would've appreciated if the server checked on us a bit more.

I wanted to like this place. I stopped in for a quick bite and ordered a Caesar salad. The lettuce was not fresh and the dressing was bland and did not contain the bright zing of garlic that a Caesar salad should have. I don't think it was house made. I don't think the croutons were either. Finally, there was no fresh sprinkle of Parmesan. Very disappointing.

So excited to have Willow Cafe filling the spot that once was Sel Marie. It was such an amicable change of ownership with many of the former staff staying on as well persevering some of the best dishes. The remodel has brought an open and fresh new look. We had delicious entrees as well as a fabulous eclair stuffed with a banana cream!! The coffee was so good as well. Dining outside on the Square is a definite treat. What a great addition to Lincoln Square!

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....

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.

Really happy something similar opened in Cafe Selmarie space! They have many of the same pastries and the menu is similar as well with some new items! Most of the staff appears to have remained so friendly familiar faces are still there!

Just had a Late lunch at Willow. Even better than I expected salmon club. Very happy that they've made a seamless transition from Cafe Sel Marie!