At this bustling Lincoln Park staple, Café Ba-Ba-Reeba!, enjoy a vibrant fiesta of Spanish small plates and pitchers of fruity sangria under a retractable roof.
"Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! is a neighborhood staple with solid sangrias and shareable tapas. When it’s warm outside, you want to be on the patio. When it’s not, eat paella inside. Come for brunch tapas on the weekend, too, because you need french toast with blueberry-lemon compote in your life." - sam faye, adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru
"Chicago’s largest hospitality company, Lettuce Entertain Your Enterprises, began in Lincoln Park, and its restaurants have, over the past 50 years, helped shape the neighborhood. That includes landmark tapas spot Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!, which helped introduce Chicagoans to Spanish small-plate dining. Despite that achievement, the restaurant has continued to stay up-to-date and pump out some of the best tapas in the city." - Ashok Selvam
"When: Daily 4-6pm At The Bar The Deal: $1.50 Select Pintxos, $3-$5 Select Tapas, $22 Pitcher of Sangria, $4-$5 Select Beers If we’re talking solely about logistics, tapas are the perfect bar snack. Luckily, not only are the tapas at Lincoln Park’s Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba good, but they also have a fantastic Happy Hour where you can order small plates like patatas bravas, bacon-wrapped dates, or ham croquettes—all for less than $4. Bring your friends, order a bunch of food, and also make sure to get a $22 pitcher (or two) of sangria to share." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru
"Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is a fun restaurant with solidly good tapas and great sangria. It’s also lively enough that no one will act annoyed if the kids at your table get rambunctious. Kids get a free pintxo of carrots and hummus, and the children’s menu has tapas like chicken or beef a la plancha and a vegetable paella. There’s also mac and cheese, because it’s the universal food for “just stop whining and eat this” (that goes for adults, too)." - adrian kane, nick allen
"Capacity: 25-80 or more if you combine rooms Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! has been around since 1985, and it’s a Lincoln Park staple for a reason. This Spanish spot does it up big—a big space, a big menu full of tapas like chorizo-wrapped dates, and big noise from lots of large groups having celebratory dinners. Their seven private and semi-private spaces are great options for birthday dinners, bridal and baby showers, rehearsals, or any event that might involve pitchers of sangria." - veda kilaru
