Author: Kelly Holcomb

John Hancock Center - Dining Options

Have a fantastic view with your food in one of the John Hancock Center’s opulent dining restaurants. If you can’t find an option to suit your taste, the Magnificent Mile is swarmed with refined dining options either posh or casual, which are all within walking distance of the John Hancock Center.

At John Hancock Center

For a quick snack, Espressions by LavAzza, located on the 94th floor of the Hancock, is a delicious destination.  For dinner, try the famous Signature Room located on the 95th floor of the John Hancock or the ever-welcoming Cheesecake Factory, located at the Garden Plaza level and 1st floor of the Hancock.

Casual Dining Options

Cafe Espression by LavAzza

Stay and watch the sunset across the skyline while sipping a steamy and flavorful cup of coffee from Cafe Espression by LavAzza, ensconced right in the Observatory. The large amount of international guests that visit the Hancock would feel right at home in this cozy café operated by Italy's top coffee company.

LavAzza serves delicious specialty coffees from around the globe. Coffee is the choice of fuel for Chicagoans, so rev up like the locals and let LavAzza satisfy your pointed tastes to perfection. Salads, sandwiches, quick bites, and other beverages are also served here.

The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory, situated at the Garden Plaza level, offers the classic American dining experience--and everyone's favorite guilty enjoyment, cheesecake.

The inside décor immediately lets you know that you are in for a treat. French limestone floors, decorative columns, hand-painted fabrics, contemporary lighting, and cherry wood, make this more than just casual dining.

Delicious, large-sized portions burst with flavor, but save room for dessert. You will not want to miss one bite of the cheesecake here.

L’Appetito

L’Appetito is located on the Garden Plaza level and offers the unique and reverent flavors of Italy in Chicago. This grab-n-go café offers great Panini selections. Try a tostino, an Italian sandwich delicacy. If you want to take a break from the rushed city life, L’Appetito offers great coffee selections, lattes or cappuccinos.  

Not only does this little café serve sandwiches, but it offers a specialty market that serves delicious breakfast, lunch, and dessert items.

Formal Dining Options

The Signature Room at the 95th

This romantic and intimate dining experience is located on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Center. The Signature Room’s fine-dining establishment is open for brunch, lunch or dinner.

The food is simply delectable and the panoramic views of the city are astounding. The John Hancock Center is situated right over the Magnificent Mile and guests gaze over Chicago’s famous architectural icons from more than 1,000 above ground.

The menu and service here is famous; the kitchen here has churned out some of Chicago's most well-known chefs. Favorites here include roasted rack of lamb, slow roasted duck, grilled fillet of beef, and beautiful crème brûlée.

In the Area

If you'd like to take a stroll through the Mag Mile (check out our Mag Mile shopping guide), nearby restaurants include multiple cuisines: French, Vietnamese, steak, Italian and chocolate (yes, chocolate).

The following restaurants are within walking distance from the John Hancock Center.

Casual Dining Options

Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop

I scream, you scream, all of Chicago screams for Ghirardelli ice cream—and of course chocolate from the Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop. Satisfy any sweet tooth you may have here with delectable little chocolate treats that will leave you wanting more.

Every customer gets a free chocolate sample upon entering the cozy shop and the giant sundaes here are absolutely rich and scrumptious.

Bistro 110

This bistro is a cozy place that serves classic French cuisine. The food at Bistro 110 may be classic but the atmosphere is contemporary, with colorful murals, brass railings, and a sidewalk café for those beautiful Chicago summer days.

The menu offers tasty selections like wood-roasted chicken, warm roasted garlic, crusty French baguette, Nicoise salad, and steak au poivre.

Formal Dining Options

Mike Ditka's Restaurant

It’s like ‘Da Coach’ says, his food is ‘big, bold, and beautiful’. Giant servings of juicy steak that are served here will melt anyone’s palette. Steak and seafood are the specialties of Mike Ditka’s but that doesn’t mean that the salads, chops, and pastas aren’t up to Ditka’s high standards.

The atmosphere here is every sports fan’s dream, with sports paraphernalia and of course featuring the Chicago Bears. This place is no doubt a tourist favorite.

Le Colonial

This elegant restaurant provides a romantic and intimate setting for you and your guest. Le Colonial brings paradise to Chicago with a delectable colonial French-Vietnamise menu.

The food is exquisitely presented, signature entrees include Ca Chien Saigon, Vietnamese crisp-seared whole red snapper with a light, spicy and sour; Lau Do Bien, Vietnamese bouillabaisse in lemongrass saffron broth, served with rice vermicelli; Cari Tom, sauteed jumbo shrimp with eggplant in a curried coconut sauce; and Bo Sate, sauteed filet mignon with sate spice, yams and string beans.

Pane Caldo

The Pane Caldo has a stylish setting with amber-toned walls and fresh flowers displayed on each table. This restaurant only serves the freshest food and its Northern Italian menu changes daily. Their internationally recognized wine list is extensive featuring more than 1,200 different selections of wines from around the world.

Click here for today’s menu.

Spiaggia

The classic setting of Spiaggia sets the mood for some succulent upscale Italian cuisine. The views here are beautiful with 40-foot windows that reveal the lakefront and the Magnificent Mile. Here you will find an extensive wine list with more than 700 selections, so guests can pair their wine perfectly.

Their Italian gourmet menu features finely diced raw prime dry aged strip steak with Piemontese white truffle essence, creamy organic Acquerello risotto with morel mushrooms, spring garlic, fresh chickpeas and crispy pork belly.