We had the pleasure of photographing Jessica and Nate’s wedding at Café Brauer, and it was an absolute dream. The venue offers timeless Chicago elegance with its high ceilings, warm brick architecture, and those stunning views of the city skyline and Lincoln Park Zoo.
From a photography perspective, the natural light that floods through the grand windows is incredible. Every frame feels cinematic and elevated. The staff was professional, attentive, and made the entire experience smooth for the couple and creative team alike.
If you’re a couple looking for a Chicago venue that’s both classic and visually breathtaking, Café Brauer is a perfect choice. I look forward to returning to this venue. IG: LaurenAshleyStudios
Sarafina Andreoli
Cafe Brauer was perfect for our wedding reception! We had 120 guests and it was set up exactly how we envisioned. The indoor/outdoor space is unmatched. The food/drink service was excellent. We loved working with Ellen in preparation for our day. She was very responsive throughout the planning process, coordinated with us to view the space when needed, and took extra time with us during our tasting. Thank you Ellen and team for creating our dream day!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michele Renfus
Gorgeous for a wedding, was there on a 90ish degree day. A bit warm, but to be expected.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Michael Smit
Great service, delicious food, and right in Lincoln Park.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Margaret Parks
We can’t say enough wonderful things about our experience at Cafe Brauer and with Tigerlily Events as our caterer—our wedding day was truly perfect, and so much of that is thanks to this incredible team.
From the very beginning, working with Ellen, our event coordinator, was an absolute dream. She was unbelievably organized, incredibly responsive, and endlessly patient. Her knowledge, calm demeanor, and clear communication made planning feel manageable and even fun. We truly owe so much of our stress-free day to Ellen—she thought of everything before we even had to ask and handled every detail with such care and professionalism.
Our guests are still raving about the food—it was creative, flavorful, and beautifully presented. From passed apps to dinner service, everything was top-notch. And the service throughout the evening was just as impressive. Everything ran smoothly from start to finish, with no hiccups at all. We felt so well taken care of, and so did our guests.
The venue itself is absolutely stunning, and the layout worked perfectly for our group of about 165 people. We rented the Honeycomb for our ceremony, which was a gorgeous and unique setting to exchange vows. The Loggia was ideal for cocktail hour—spacious and scenic—and we had zero issues with bathroom capacity even with our full guest count. The main reception space felt full of energy but never overcrowded, and the dance floor was lively all night without ever feeling cramped. Our wedding party loved having access to the upper balcony to tuck away bags and take a breather when needed.
From start to finish, we felt completely supported and so grateful to be in such good hands. The beauty of the venue speaks for itself, but it’s the people behind it—especially Ellen and the Tigerlily team—that make it truly exceptional. Thank you for helping us create the most unforgettable day! If you’re considering booking Cafe Brauer for your wedding, just know you will be in great hands, and you are choosing one of the most beautiful, vintage, unique venues in Chicago!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hussein Sharif
I want to love this place, the view and patio are wonderful. But the service the last two times I’ve been has been really lacking. Slow, maybe understaffed, or no leader. When asked about where our food was a waitress said, “I have no idea” and walked away…big potential- not activated…
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 1
Sarah S
Awful service, you’ll be waiting a long time to get served and even longer for the food
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Mona
Not sure if they are short staffed but service was disappointing. We were seated quickly but no one came to service us until about 25 minutes after and then the waiter & kitchen staff messed our order so we left without eating anything.
Service: 1
La vida es corta Siempre sonrie.
The service very good for wedding and social events And service public general in week
Café Brauer was my absolute dream venue, and the entire experience exceeded every expectation. The space is stunning, the architecture and historic charm speak for themselves and hardly need additional décor to feel wedding ready.
We had the pleasure of working with Ellen from our first tour to the day-of (and even after!) and she was incredible every step of the way. Ellen answered every question and handled every request with such grace and care. I always felt supported, and she truly went above and beyond—coordinating seamlessly with our planner, florist, and other vendors to ensure our day was nothing short of perfect. It meant so much to feel like someone genuinely cared about our day through it all.
We also used Café Brauer’s in-house caterer, Tigerlily, and the compliments haven’t stopped rolling in. Guests are still reaching out to us—as well as our parents—saying it was the most beautiful wedding they’ve attended and hands-down the best wedding food they’ve ever had. I couldn’t recommend Café Brauer and Ellen more. It was everything we dreamed of and more.
Kait Schmidt Thabet I Celebrait by Kait
Cafe Brauer is a fabulous wedding venue!! It is such a gorgeous space and I enjoyed working with their team. As a Wedding Planner I highly reccomend this space!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nick Adams
Very unique venue. The Christmas lights in the zoo made it even better. Bring a coat since it is a cold and drafty place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Zack Fishman
A lovely venue for events.
Atmosphere: 5
Alexa Martinez
There isn't a more beautiful wedding venue in Chicago, hands down. On top of that, the kindness and professionalism of our point-of-contact Natalie made it clear we made the right choice in booking Café Brauer for our November wedding. Natalie was incredibly thoughtful and responsive throughout our time working together, answering tons and tons of questions from us. The day of our wedding went so smoothly (seriously, it was perfect?!), and we know Natalie had a big hand in achieving that. If you're looking for a beautiful, bespoke venue with gorgeous views of the city that will awe both you and your guests, you've found it. And if you're looking for catering services, go with the in-house option: Tigerlily Events! The chefs were so accommodating of dietary restrictions (my husband is allergic to the major eight, and then some), and we received SO many compliments on the food.
This place was awesome
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had the pleasure of photographing Jessica and Nate’s wedding at Café Brauer, and it was an absolute dream. The venue offers timeless Chicago elegance with its high ceilings, warm brick architecture, and those stunning views of the city skyline and Lincoln Park Zoo.
From a photography perspective, the natural light that floods through the grand windows is incredible. Every frame feels cinematic and elevated. The staff was professional, attentive, and made the entire experience smooth for the couple and creative team alike.
If you’re a couple looking for a Chicago venue that’s both classic and visually breathtaking, Café Brauer is a perfect choice. I look forward to returning to this venue. IG: LaurenAshleyStudios
Cafe Brauer was perfect for our wedding reception! We had 120 guests and it was set up exactly how we envisioned. The indoor/outdoor space is unmatched. The food/drink service was excellent. We loved working with Ellen in preparation for our day. She was very responsive throughout the planning process, coordinated with us to view the space when needed, and took extra time with us during our tasting. Thank you Ellen and team for creating our dream day!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gorgeous for a wedding, was there on a 90ish degree day. A bit warm, but to be expected.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Great service, delicious food, and right in Lincoln Park.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We can’t say enough wonderful things about our experience at Cafe Brauer and with Tigerlily Events as our caterer—our wedding day was truly perfect, and so much of that is thanks to this incredible team.
From the very beginning, working with Ellen, our event coordinator, was an absolute dream. She was unbelievably organized, incredibly responsive, and endlessly patient. Her knowledge, calm demeanor, and clear communication made planning feel manageable and even fun. We truly owe so much of our stress-free day to Ellen—she thought of everything before we even had to ask and handled every detail with such care and professionalism.
Our guests are still raving about the food—it was creative, flavorful, and beautifully presented. From passed apps to dinner service, everything was top-notch. And the service throughout the evening was just as impressive. Everything ran smoothly from start to finish, with no hiccups at all. We felt so well taken care of, and so did our guests.
The venue itself is absolutely stunning, and the layout worked perfectly for our group of about 165 people. We rented the Honeycomb for our ceremony, which was a gorgeous and unique setting to exchange vows. The Loggia was ideal for cocktail hour—spacious and scenic—and we had zero issues with bathroom capacity even with our full guest count. The main reception space felt full of energy but never overcrowded, and the dance floor was lively all night without ever feeling cramped. Our wedding party loved having access to the upper balcony to tuck away bags and take a breather when needed.
From start to finish, we felt completely supported and so grateful to be in such good hands. The beauty of the venue speaks for itself, but it’s the people behind it—especially Ellen and the Tigerlily team—that make it truly exceptional. Thank you for helping us create the most unforgettable day! If you’re considering booking Cafe Brauer for your wedding, just know you will be in great hands, and you are choosing one of the most beautiful, vintage, unique venues in Chicago!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I want to love this place, the view and patio are wonderful. But the service the last two times I’ve been has been really lacking. Slow, maybe understaffed, or no leader. When asked about where our food was a waitress said, “I have no idea” and walked away…big potential- not activated…
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 1
Awful service, you’ll be waiting a long time to get served and even longer for the food
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Not sure if they are short staffed but service was disappointing. We were seated quickly but no one came to service us until about 25 minutes after and then the waiter & kitchen staff messed our order so we left without eating anything.
Service: 1
The service very good for wedding and social events
And service public general in week
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Café Brauer was my absolute dream venue, and the entire experience exceeded every expectation. The space is stunning, the architecture and historic charm speak for themselves and hardly need additional décor to feel wedding ready.
We had the pleasure of working with Ellen from our first tour to the day-of (and even after!) and she was incredible every step of the way. Ellen answered every question and handled every request with such grace and care. I always felt supported, and she truly went above and beyond—coordinating seamlessly with our planner, florist, and other vendors to ensure our day was nothing short of perfect. It meant so much to feel like someone genuinely cared about our day through it all.
We also used Café Brauer’s in-house caterer, Tigerlily, and the compliments haven’t stopped rolling in. Guests are still reaching out to us—as well as our parents—saying it was the most beautiful wedding they’ve attended and hands-down the best wedding food they’ve ever had. I couldn’t recommend Café Brauer and Ellen more. It was everything we dreamed of and more.
Cafe Brauer is a fabulous wedding venue!! It is such a gorgeous space and I enjoyed working with their team. As a Wedding Planner I highly reccomend this space!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very unique venue. The Christmas lights in the zoo made it even better. Bring a coat since it is a cold and drafty place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
A lovely venue for events.
Atmosphere: 5
There isn't a more beautiful wedding venue in Chicago, hands down. On top of that, the kindness and professionalism of our point-of-contact Natalie made it clear we made the right choice in booking Café Brauer for our November wedding. Natalie was incredibly thoughtful and responsive throughout our time working together, answering tons and tons of questions from us. The day of our wedding went so smoothly (seriously, it was perfect?!), and we know Natalie had a big hand in achieving that. If you're looking for a beautiful, bespoke venue with gorgeous views of the city that will awe both you and your guests, you've found it. And if you're looking for catering services, go with the in-house option: Tigerlily Events! The chefs were so accommodating of dietary restrictions (my husband is allergic to the major eight, and then some), and we received SO many compliments on the food.
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