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The Infatuation
The Best Mediterranean Restaurants In Chicago
By John Ringor, Adrian KaneVeda Kilaru,
7 hours ago
With over 20 countries in a 2,500-mile stretch, the term “Mediterranean cuisine” is as vague as declaring "I love indie music." It's a giant food umbrella that includes cevapi, iskender, gyros, koshary, and hummus, all of which can be found in Chicago. So the next time, “Mediterranean?” pops up in the food-planning group chat, check out some of these excellent spots with influences ranging from Spain to Lebanon.
At some point during a meal here everyone experiences what we call “The Galit Moment”—the inevitable realization that this place’s modern Israeli food is absolutely incredible. The smoky cinnamon-braised brisket hummus might be the source of the epiphany. Or it could be the falafel with mango and pickled turnips. Perhaps the mushroom-stuffed cabbage with saffron mujadara will be the culprit. Their $94 tasting menu is just that great. And with a relaxed, airy dining space that works equally well for a casual date with yourself as it does for a special anniversary, any reason to visit Galit is the best one.
Like that one TV show you could watch thousands of times and never get sick of, Avec is one of the most reliable spots in the city. The food at this West Loop Mediterranean small-plates place always makes us happy—particularly staples like the bacon-stuffed, chorizo-wrapped dates, and the taleggio flatbread. The tiny communal dining room feels a little bit like eating inside of a wooden chest, so expect to be sitting elbow-to-elbow with strangers. But those strangers are having a wonderful meal, which means this crowded place is consistently enjoyable whether you’re here for a birthday, or on a 76th date with the person you share a utilities bill with.
Rose Mary has been booked since before it even opened, which isn’t that shocking considering this West Loop spot is from a popular Top Chef winner and in one of the buzziest neighborhoods in the city. But this hyped-up place is also a great Croatian-Italian restaurant. The crni rizot is what the ocean would taste like if it made a wish to become risotto. Their cevapi plate full of garlicky sausages is perfect for sharing, and they have an incredible line-up of pastas. And despite the place being always packed, you’ll be seated in a timely fashion, have a relaxed dinner with clairvoyant servers who bring the check exactly when you’re ready to leave. Which, by your last course, will be never.
Bereket took over a bright yellow space that used to be a counter-service restaurant, with drop ceilings and a now-defunct metal cafeteria station that definitely feels like a place you might visit during a rushed lunch break in the Loop. But you should take a minute to slow down—the Turkish food on the long menu should be savored. Everything is housemade, from the fresh bread that starts your meal to the firm manti topped with marinara and yogurt sauce. The tender döner meat in the iskendar pairs wonderfully with its buttery tomato-sauce-soaked croutons, and the flaky baklava will make you wonder, Why don’t I eat more baklava? And because this place is open all day, seven days a week, there’s no excuse for you not to.
Whether you’re Team Rice Bowl or Team Wrap, there’s no losing when either includes the excellent meat and vegetarian options at this small counter-service restaurant in Roscoe Village. Every piece shaved off of Sinya’s spinning shawarma and gyro spits is nicely charred and tender, while the pillowy falafel is fried to a shade of golden brown worthy of its own Crayola crayon. Though endlessly respawning Doordashers are a testament to Sinya’s take-out-order greatness, we’re big fans of grabbing one of the underutilized two tops and just digging in right there.
Aba’s massive plant-filled space, huge rooftop patio, and unexplainable ability to make anyone eating there look like a movie star naturally lends itself to being one of the buzziest restaurants in the city. This West Loop spot is definitely a scene, so it’s often crowded, but assuming you’re able to grab a table with some friends or a solo bar seat, you’re in for some delicious food. The housemade pita is delicious and luckily comes with most dishes—the smoky kebabs, lamb chops, and our favorite, the crispy short rib hummus. The creamy dip comes with a buttery poached egg and is luckily around for both breakfast and lunch.
Apolonia often comes up in conversations about where to eat if you get sucked into some McCormick Place event where the minimum uniform requirement is a lanyard with a nametag. But even if you’re not attending the Accounting Associations Summit, Apolonia’s excellent Mediterranean-inspired dishes like crunchy toast topped with mussels and calabrian chile sauce, buttery truffle puff bread, and fiorentini al sugo make it worth a visit. It’s a great spot for a dinner with friends, a solo bite at the bar, or weekend brunch when you want to swap pancakes out for a fluffy frittata espanola.
This Croatian cafe in River North has layers. Doma’s soothing Scandinavian furniture store aesthetic is perfect for a relaxing morning when you want to pair soft trnovečki makači full of poppyseeds with a good book. But it’s also ideal when you’re not-so-relaxed and need a quiet place with strong wifi so you can cram some work while simultaneously cramming in some lunch (shoutout to all you multi-tasking legends). Their ćevapi sandwich with fluffy flatbread, smoky sausages, clotted cream, and a roasted pepper spread is excellent—and is the fuel you need to get through all of those spreadsheets.
Evette’s is a counter-service Lebanese-Mexican cafe in Lincoln Park that could be somewhere in the Sonoran Desert. This casual restaurant is all geometric floors and brightly painted brick, and when the sun beams through the windows, sitting at the counter can feel like a day on the beach. The short menu has a handful of options like bowls and wraps, but the standouts are anything involving the smoky chicken shawarma, the not-too-oily, well-spiced falafel, or the fantastic tacos on soft little pita-tortilla hybrids stuffed with halloumi or chicken arabes. Most people get their food to go, but it’s worth the risk of sunburn to dine in—the baklava ice cream can help you cool off.
This cash-only Lebanese spot in Andersonville is a big reason to always have some physical money on hand: everything on the menu is less than $10. Armed with a bill featuring Lin Manuel Miranda’s muse, you can get a sizable pita wrap full of chicken shawarma or pillowy falafel with hummus, a large plate of fries, and still have enough left over for a drink. It’s the ideal place for a quick lunch or dinner, and make sure to get their delicious (and potent) garlic sauce on the side.
Despite what all the beef and lamb gyros floating around Chicago might suggest, in Greece, pork is traditionally the star of this classic sandwich. And one of the best places in the city that serves it in all its piggy glory is this casual Andersonville spot, which has just enough white and blue everywhere to reinforce that it is, in fact, a Greek restaurant. The juicy pork belly slices have perfectly crispy edges, and the accompanying onion, tomato, and tart tzatziki balance out the salty meat. It’s Greek 2 U’s other dishes like saucy gigantes and zucchini fritters with fluffy skordalia are also delicious, and a great warm-up before diving into a meat-stuffed pita.
Buzzy, has delicious food, and is fairly easy to get in—finding a restaurant that falls in the center of this triple Venn diagram is no easy feat. Enter Andros Taverna. Somehow, despite how good the food is and how busy this place seems to be all of the time, it’s actually pretty easy to snag a reservation at a reasonable dinner time even if it’s the week of. The menu has appetizers like the must-order kataifi cheese pie (shredded filo layered with cheese, baked, then topped with honey and pistachios), entrees like prawn saganaki in a rich tomato sauce, and a very tasty spanakopita. They also have a big patio, which is exactly where we want to spend a summer night eating some baklava froyo.
For a hotel restaurant hiding in the shadow of the Willis Tower, Seville at the Hilton has surprisingly good food. The seasonal menu with Spanish and Italian influences has a lot going on, but some of the highlights are the tapas, large bowls of pasta, perfectly cooked fish, and some fantastic pinsa. The chorizo and peppers version is a good choice for something spicy and the perfect size to split with some out-of-town friends after being coerced into taking them to Willis’s skydeck. And if you want to enjoy a city view without having to press your nose against some glass windows, Seville also has a large outdoor deck.
UChicago students and Hyde Park residents have been coming to this Palestinian-owned neighborhood spot for their falafel for over three decades. And for good reason, the fried chickpea spheres have an excellent crunchy crust, a fluffy center, and get plenty of herby zip from tahini that clearly has a dill obsession. But it’s also worth checking out foods that fuse Mexican and Mediterranean elements, like tacos layered with tender chicken shawarma or lamb barbacoa, both of which get a generous drizzle of their zesty chili salsa and peppery harissa tahini. They also occasionally drop specials like harissa glazed fried chicken tacos and host comedy shows, so check out their Instagram for menu and event updates.
This Noble Square spot is one of the best places for Moroccan food in Chicago. Flaky sugar-dusted pastillas loaded with chicken are sweet and savory perfection. Peppery harira or chicken tagine infused with warming spices and full of chickpeas are both so delicious that a single spoonful could instantly put a good cry on pause. The servings are large and the dimly lit space full of decorative tiles and plates doesn’t get too busy, so it’s great for a spontaneous meal with friends that includes some of Marrakech’s delicious mint tea.
With a name like Zimi’s Pizza And Grill, it’s not surprising this Rogers Park spot has pizza, burgers, and wings. But hiding among the margherita pies and fries are tasty Albanian dishes, like a flaky spinach and cheese burek and all sorts of traditional meat options. The stuffed pleskavica is a glorious ground beef slab full of cheese, like a juicy lucy that divorced the bun, and their qebapa and spicy qofte have an excellent charred flavor and pair perfectly with the creamy tart kajmak on the side. Zimi's has plenty of room for groups, so you and some fellow carnivores will have space to tackle the large meat platter that comes with qebapa, qofta, spicy beef franks, steak, and chicken.
Despite its name, resist the urge to only get kebabs at this University Village spot—there are plenty of other Egyptian specialties that deserve a spot on the table. The koshary is an excellent mountain of rice, lentils, pasta, tomato sauce, and fried onions that only gets better once the side of garlicky vinegar and hot sauce joins the party. The taamiya is a must-order as well, because there aren’t many places in Chicago to get these fava bean falafel and the ones here are perfectly crispy. Whatever you end up ordering, meals never feel hurried—which is great because you’ll want some time to just enjoy sitting in a booth with some throw pillows after eating a whole plate of koshary.
Greek Islands has been around for more than 50 years, so it’s basically a Chicago institution. And this massive Greektown quinquagenarian is one of the city’s best places for classic Greek dishes. The creamy and tart avgolemono is one of our favorite takes on the traditional chicken-egg soup. It’s also the perfect way to kick off a dinner of tomatoey kokkinisto with tender lamb shank, grilled octopus with a tangy vinaigrette, and saganaki that’s flambéed tableside with an accompanying “Opa!” from your server. Though the multi-level seating, fake roofing and balconies, and Mykonos-esque blue and white color scheme don’t totally make you forget you’re in the West Loop, it’s probably enough to charm you into joining in all of the Opas, too.
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