Cafe Brauer

n 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.

beautiful it was. Our cocktail hour on the loggias overlooking the park and the city simply could not be replicated at any other venue in the city. Camille, our main point of contact, and her entire team could not have been more responsive, accommodating and helpful. Her and everyone at Cafe Brauer went out of their way to make sure that we had the best day of our lives. We are so thankful and appreciative for all the work they did for us and we could not recommend Cafe Brauer enough. It was a dream venue for a dream day!

decor. The side patios are perfect for guests to mingle and take a breather from the dance floor. It's such a great Chicago venue because you can see downtown from the side patio. The staff was very easy to work with throughout the whole planning process and the night of the wedding. The dance floor was the perfect size for our guests and it was packed all night long. We received so many compliments on the venue and how perfect the evening was!

team. Ellen and Molly were standout members, going above and beyond to ensure every aspect of our special day was perfect. Their dedication and professionalism truly made a difference in creating a memorable and seamless experience for us and our guests. We couldn't be happier with our choice of venue and the team that helped make our wedding day absolutely wonderful.

s from guests saying how beautiful it was, and so many vendors we worked with said this is one of their favorite venues! I can see why! We worked with Molly and she was so communicative, friendly and knowledgeable! She assisted in making sure everything was on track beforehand, and on the wedding day! We got married in the Great Hall, and had cocktail hour on the logia and the reception back in the Great Hall which means they had to flip the room in less than an hour and they got it done which I was amazed! The team put in a lot of hard work and we are so appreciative! We could not recommend Cafe Brauer enough!

hat were not on their preferred vendors list and were told that we could and that we would just need to get approval from the coordinator at Café Brauer. They made it nearly impossible to work without outside vendors - they wanted them to get 5mil worth of liability insurance vs. the 1mil that they require for preferred vendors. We also found out as we began signing vendors, that they require 10% of the sales from these vendors which felt like double dipping. It ended up not being a massive deal because we found vendors within their preferred list that worked with our budget but we would have preferred to support out friend's businesses. While the F&B package is on the higher end, we saw the value in all that you got - linens, tables, glassware and silverware, F&B, 2 signature drinks, wine table service, champagne toast, complimentary valet and coat check. The day of went mostly smooth but they did mess up my mom's meal (specifically asked for gluten free - it wasn't) and we also had gluten free desserts and they didn't separate these from the rest when the dessert table was put out so our gluten free guests didn't have any dessert. Again, beautiful venue and the food and drink was amazing! I cannot imagine having our special day anywhere else at the end of the day. Molly answered all of my thousands of questions and really put me at ease when I was super stressed coming in for our final walk through.

go” outside the Loop. Kat was incredible to work with. She was responsive, kind, and always kept us up-to-date on venue restrictions during the scary, unexpected times during the Covid-19 pandemic. The have a specific vendor list which felt limiting but they are great options and I was super pleased with the vendors I worked with. Cafe Brauer allowed us to serve an additional appetizer and bring in late-night food for our guests which was another plus!

arly appreciated that the outdoor space was covered so you never had to worry about inclement weather. It was the perfect size for our 150 guest count with a sizable dance floor and 5-person band. You have to choose from an approved list of vendors for catering, floral, live music, etc. which was honestly kind of nice since it narrowed the searching. The only thing is that you do have to use Brauer for your beverages, which ends up being quite expensive if you want to serve wine with dinner (it’s an additional cost above the bar package that you use for the rest of the night). Overall excellent choice if it’s in your price range! Our guests are still raving about how beautiful it was.

t say enough good things about her and her team at Cafe Brauer. My guests walked away raving about the timeless elegance of the space, the kind staff, and the outstanding food (Tigerlily Catering). Natalie worked with me to design the space in a creative and safe way. She was always available by email or phone. I am looking forward to planning another event at Cafe Brauer in the future.

on us about 2 months before our date. When we reached out to Cafe Brauer, Natalie Kay worked with us to make our wedding happen. She was incredibly responsive and worked with us on every little detail on our accelerated timeline. Moreover, she accomodated all the COVID safety regulations we wanted to enforce. The entire wedding went off without a hitch and was more lovely than I ever could’ve imagined. We got so many compliments from people all night long. Everybody had an amazing time and so did we. Thank you, Natalie and the Cafe Brauer team!!

zing the night of. The communication leading up to the day was average but I suppose no place is perfect. It still holds a great value when looking at the big picture. If it's in your budget range book it!

Jena Horowitz. Her attention to detail was top notch and follow through was amazing. Our Captains, Maria and Carlos, were also a great team to work with. They were so professional and accommodating throughout the night. I look forward to working with this team again and planning many more weddings in your space! Thank you again!

everything we needed and was always quick to respond. She was also so helpful the day of the wedding, making sure everything was perfect! We also used their catering service - Tigerlily Catering and would absolutely recommend them. We had a brunch wedding and our guests still rave about their amazing waffles and food.

itz, and not only was she our point person at Cafe Brauer (handling the catering and linens) - she was effectively our wedding coordinator too (communicating directly with our bakery, DJ and florist to make sure everyone arrived on time on the Big Day and was on the same schedule). (Kelly also stepped up as our Wedding Therapist on occasion, which was much appreciated! Ha!) Kelly was informative, responsive, conscious of our needs/wants (including budget), and did everything with a smile. The reason we (i.e., me, my husband, my mom, my MOH, etc.) were able to enjoy our wedding day as much as we did was, hands down, because of Kelly. I was confident everything would go off without a hitch, and that was the best wedding gift anyone could have given me. Everything else was phenomenal too!! The venue itself is simply enchanting. We loved that it gave out-of-town guests, especially, a true taste of historical Chicago. We also loved the indoor/outdoor element: the loggia, where cocktail hour is hosted, is outside (and has an extraordinary view of the Chicago skyline!!) but is covered. We got lucky with a beautiful June day, but had it rained, we wouldn't have had to relocate = awesome. And there are skylights and windows throughout the main ballroom, which makes the entire event space feel very airy and open. We had a beautiful view of the sunset over the Chicago skyline during our dinner... Can you say SWOON? And frankly, we ended up spending less on flowers, linens, etc., because the venue itself was already so beautiful. The fact that it's easy to get to and near a lot of great attractions (the Lincoln Park Zoo, Old Town) was a bonus. We decided to go with Tigerlily Events (on-site) for our catering, and I would 100% recommend this to anyone holding their reception at Cafe Brauer. The food was AMAZING. My husband is from Kentucky, so we went with a southern theme: fried catfish, fried chicken, collard greens, hoppin John, etc. Our tasting was wonderful, largely thanks to Chef, who was so creative in making our vision come to life. And in the end, our food was undoubtedly the element of our wedding we received the most compliments on. No one went home hungry, that's for sure!! The one downside of the venue is that they have an "Approved Vendor List" for caterers, DJs and florists. I actually ended up appreciating this, because (i) it reduced the amount of time I had to spend researching vendors; (ii) there are vendors at all different price points on the list; and (iii) because Cafe Brauer has previously worked with all the vendors on its list, I knew I was choosing from a high-quality selection. Plus, you can still bring in your own decorations, wedding cake, etc. But I know this type of restriction may not be for everyone. Overall, though, I'd give Cafe Brauer 100 stars if I could! Highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend :)

taken care of during the planning stages. My only hesitation with giving them 5 stars is that some of the signage I provided wasn't put out (the late night snack sign in particular), and our place card table was set out at the ceremony entrance instead of being setup after cocktail hour (so guests were grabbing their place cards when they came in for the ceremony). Our guest book was also placed on the far side of the welcome table, behind the flowers and candles, so a lot of our guests missed it entirely. The other drawback to this venue is the lack of a bridal suite or room to wait in beforehand (they use the upper balcony as a staging area for the bridal party, which unfortunately doesn't hide the bride very well unless you have partitions setup, which they were happy to provide). Overall, this was one of the most unique wedding venues I've ever seen, and it set the perfect tone for our celebration. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking for a wedding venue in the Chicago area that is cool and different, yet upscale and beautiful. And with it being in Lincoln Park, the photo opportunities are endless, and the view of the skyline on a clear day is priceless.

received so many compliments on the food and service. It is definitely on the more expensive side but can be very doable and comparable to similar options in the city. We also saved money on decorations and flowers because Cafe Brauer has so much of its own character. The view can't be beat (even in the rain) and it is in the best location the city has to offer. Now we would just like to be invited to a wedding there so we can enjoy it as guests!

s the perfect mix. It has such character, charm, and elegance! The views of the zoo's lake and the city skyline was the perfect backdrop for our ceremony and reception, while their patio loggias made for an intimate, cool setting for cocktail hour. Being in Lincoln Park, there are so many beautiful places for photos in the area, making our day-of schedule easy to plan and maintain. There is an approved vendor list for this venue. On the plus side, it narrows your focus on who to pick. On the downside, you're limited and have fewer vendors to source within your budget. You also have to use their in-house caterer for beverages, and the minimums are high and could be difficult to hit -- especially if you're having a small wedding. Parking is limited, but valet is an option at a cost. You do get added benefits going with the in-house caterer, like free valet, but i's countered by much higher per plate costs than you'll find with other companies. Lastly, over the course of our planning, my rep changed twice, and one of the times I wasn't even notified that the rep had left the company. We ultimately ended up working with the sales director, so communication and service improved. Overall, it's a beautiful venue, and you can make it work with a tighter budget and a smaller guest list. Certain things will just be more costly due to their vendor restrictions.

e no regrets about choosing this venue. Christine was great to work with and left us confident that things would run smoothly. We appreciated that there was a service elevator available to guests that needed it, although wish it was a bit nicer. We loved that there was valet available as an option (and included because we used their in house caterer: Tigerlily) since parking in that neighborhood can be a nightmare! That said, it all comes at a price. There is a strict list of approved vendors, mostly we considered this a positive because it made planning much easier to have a short list of well vetted vendors to pick between, again giving us confidence that things would run smoothly. However, some vendors flat out told us they charge more for Cafe Brauer clients because they have to pay to be on that list. For us, the venue was worth it, but I was surprised to find that out. My only major complaint has to do with vendor meals we purchased for our photography team that they never received. They were told their meals were given to someone else... we still don't know who ate them. Maybe someone from the venue? Or someone from the approved vendors? At least 3 vendors felt entitled to meals that did not let us know in advance. If we had known ahead of time , we gladly would have ordered more meals for our vendors! So my advice is to explicitly ask each of your vendors how many meals they expect.

r guests loved it! I was initially worried about using a preferred vendor list but it ended up being such a valuable asset-- all of our vendors had so much experience and knowledge about the space and utilizing the venue to its maximum potential. It also kept the planning process from getting too overwhelming. The aesthetic of the venue was classic and classy and truly perfect for our glam vintage vibe; we are still over the moon with how well everything went!!

ke a city wedding with the skyline views, but it’s quiet and surrounded by nature. The venue also requires very little décor which helps with cost (but don’t get me wrong it’s still pricey). We had our ceremony on the south loggia, cocktail hour on the north loggia, and reception in the great hall and everything was perfect. We did have one small hiccup with our main contact leaving and not sending notice during the planning process, but Christine with Tigerlily (who we chose for our caterer) quickly jumped in and made us feel at ease. The food with Tigerlily was tasty and we got a ton of compliments from guests saying it was the best wedding food they’ve ever tasted! They were flexible as we worked towards finalizing the contract and helpful in making sure we understood everything needed. I highly recommend Café Brauer and Tigerlily for your wedding!

s site as well. Ceremony on the south loggia, cocktails on the north loggia, and reception in the hall. Everything was beautiful, and the space needed little to no decoration to be lovely which saved quite a bit of money. The views of downtown are great and there were many lovely places to take photos nearby, meaning we had more time at cocktail hour with our guests.

the perfect venue for our celebration. Unfortunately, disaster struck when we tried to do something unique - we tried to bring the Pittsburgh Cookie Table(google it) to Chicago and it was an epic fail!!!! They didn't make any effort to figure out how to set it up yet they had repeatedly assured us that they knew what they were doing. They had me in the kitchen in the middle of the reception "trying to make it right" - a little late for that!!!! Simply beware - unfortunately for me, their incompetence was an embarrassment. If you want to do anything unique, don't trust them to carry out without very specific instruction!!!!

geous & unique interior space, as well as fantastic, breathtaking views inside and out. It was the perfect space for our wedding reception. This is the perfect spot to really capture the beauty of all that Chicago has to offer. It was a dream come true.

r was looking for. The building is beautiful even without any additional decor, but make it your own by putting on unique personal design touches and it becomes breathtaking. We knew when we booked it we had a great venue, but what we didnt know was how wonderful the people we work with would be. Christine the venue coordinator was truely an angel. She is such a fantastic person and I now call her my friend. She was always there to listen and offer friendly advise to any of my questions or difficulties. She offered solutions that benefited us in ways we could never have dreamed of. She helped us not only stay on budget, but also helped us to spend less than we had planned. Her assistant Angela was also a godsend, another wonderful new friend. On the night of the reception she was amazing, making sure everything ran smooth and was up to the highest standard and that our guest were happy and having fun. Always with a warm and personable attitude. We choose to go with Tiger lily as our caterer (the zoo's in house caterer) after meeting with Chef and Christine to discuss dinner. Chef was extremely personable and listened to everything we were requesting. He then put together a wonderfully tasting and well presented dinner that was just exactly what we were looking for-people are still raving about at the dinner that was served! The wait staff and bartenders were also extremey pleasant, always helping with a smile on there faces and never a complaint-even though there were MANY a spill while dancing that needed quick attention throughout the night! We had a fun fantastic night that was truly magical!

us it was worth dealing with. It truly is a one of a kind venue in Chicago.

wanted our out of town guests to be able to appreciate its beauty as well. So, a generic hotel ballroom was out. I started searching for venues and found that getting something downtown, within our budget, and that met our other requirements was difficult. Also, a lot of the options were already booked a year in advance. A friend recommended Cafe Brauer, so we set up an appointment. Within two minutes of walking in, we both knew. My husband's face lit up when he saw the beautiful architecture in the Great Hall. What really sealed the deal was the view of the city skyline from the North Loggia (where cocktails are usually held). You're in Lincoln Park, so there are trees and flowers everywhere and it feels lush, but you're only a 10 minute ride from downtown Chicago. The Great Hall has an enormous, domed skylight and beautiful chandeliers. We knew that even if it rained or was foggy and the view from outside wasn't great, the inside was beautiful enough to compensate. It really felt special and paid homage to 1920's architecture (something Chicago is known for). We did visit a couple of other places the same day, but that only confirmed that Cafe Brauer was the right venue for us. Fast forward to our reception: Our guests were blown away. We embraced the vintage feel of the space and incorporated 1920's styling into our centerpieces, cake, and clothing. It really came together. Guests loved the view of downtown during cocktails (the weather was perfect), and couldn't get over the beauty of the Great Hall. All in all, for the price, I don't know if you can find a better value in the city. A couple of added bonuses: part of the rental fee is tax deductible (since it's part of the Lincoln Park Zoo), and the tables and chairs are included in the rental price

ding at Brauer! The staff was wonderful and we are thrilled to have had the opportunity to spend are night at Cafe Brauer. We recommend using the entire facility...ceremony on the south loggia, cocktail hour on the north loggia and reception in the hall.

ol can add up.

The spsce for the reception was incredible - it provided the perfect amount of movement and dance floor. Cafe Brauer led to an inimate setting for a wedding of 200 guests. The outside loggias were the perfect spot to have the cocktail hour. I would highly recommend Cafe Brauer and their amazing team. They are wonderful to work with!

d nice the security guard was. Valet parking was a must and worth the cost to us and our guests.

tunning reception hall, with balconies and stunning views of the skyline, plus the beautiful pond and grounds around it. Our guests were so impressed and complimented us the whole evening on how stunning Cafe Brauer was. It is so popular that we were only able to have a Friday wedding, a year out, but it worked out fine. People are used to Friday weddings now. Initially, we were told we could have a wedding there for around $50,000 but as we began planning we found that unless you do the bare minimum with every vendor, you are not going to be in the $50,000 range. I would plan on at least 60,000, which we were still above but can be done! The people at the Zoo were great to work with! But most plans are made with the caterer, florist and DJ. We worked with Tiger Lily, the official caterer of the Zoo, which ended up being a great choice. They have a little more pull with things since they are associated with the zoo and we were able to get our alcohol through them. We worked with Christine who was great and so was the food- still receiving compliments! I would also recommend asking her for the information for Eva at Aisle Assist. We ended up using her as our wedding coordinator and she was God sent! Her daughter got married there so she was very familiar with the venue and truly just wants you to have the most magical day and most importantly, not worry about anything! Highly recommend this venue! Very unique and gorgeous!

Nature Boardwalk and with gorgeous views of the city- so much so that I felt like I was able to have a natural, relaxed, yet urban wedding. Jennie Fiala in the office was a pleasure to work with. It was so easy to contact her by email or phone, and you could tell she really was excited about planning the event and making sure that everything within the vicinity of the Lincoln Park Zoo and Conservatory would be in order for our wedding.

that, almost everything else was the most terrible experience I could have ever imagined. Like Sara Z., not only were we lied to, but MANY things are not in the contract which we found out later to our dismay, but the "coordinator" assigned to us didn't give us the whole truths, would send different messages to my fiance and me, and many other off-putting things that I want many brides to be forewarned about! I would have never booked my wedding here if I had known what I know now. The biggest issues we had were with our contract, the coordinator assigned to us, and how we were treated during many problems that arose throughout the planning process. When we were given our tour we were told that outside vendors are completely OK if we chose to do so, and no problem for them by our coordinator. We even checked the contract because I've heard of many misgivings from other brides, but there was no mention of any problems or charges. We started to look at the caterers and florists on their "PREFERRED" not mandatory list, we found that they were a bit out of our original budgeted plan, so we started to look at outside vendors. We soon received an email from our coordinator at Cafe Brauer telling us that we will get charged by using outside vendors. A bit shocked we asked how much as she told us "There will be an additional fee". This was news to us but not too much of a problem so we continued looking. After more disclosure problems we had to find out through more emails that it was a large extra fee for outside caterers as well as another fee for outside florists, both of which were NOT INCLUDED or TOLD TO US at any point in the contracts or meetings before we signed. When we asked why it was never mentioned they told us it is because "they don't want to scare off potential couples with large prices". After countless emails and no apologies later, I wanted to leave my deposit and go somewhere else, but our invitations were out and too many people were traveling long distances to come. We not only had to spend way more money than originally planned, but I also did not trust our coordinator or anyone else at Cafe Brauer after that. There was no direct apology made to me or my fiance, there was no attempt to help with the costs or problems that they had caused by not telling us all the information, and at the day of the wedding, the coordinator that had "helped" plan with us, was not even there. Please be warned that if you do look into Cafe Brauer, ask as MANY questions about ALL the costs before you sign anything. Call the vendors on their lists and get their prices before you sign anything to make sure that you can really afford everything that they charge you for. They will NOT tell you everything up front and will not help you after the fact. BE WARNED.

tiful vintage feel and had the indoor/outdoor options we were looking for. We used the South Loggia for our ceremony. It was a perfect space because it was open air but covered to offer shade. The space on the North Loggia for cocktail hour was stunning as it offered a beautiful view of the city. My husband and I both love the Chicago skyline and the North Loggia captured what we love about the city! Café Brauer is pricey, but it was well worth it. Our guests continually complimented the space and truly enjoyed spending the evening there. Unfortunately, because the building is older, the air conditioning is the greatest (especially on a hot summer night) – but we were too busy dancing to worry about that. Additionally when we were at Café Brauer the elevator was out of service. We had several guests that really needed the elevator, but with the help of some staff they were able to get up the stairs and make it to the wedding. I really enjoyed working with Jennifer at Café Brauer. We had several contacts at Café Brauer over the course of our planning, but they all made sure we were taken care of. Jennifer was enthusiastic and very easy to work with. I would highly recommend Café Brauer for people looking for a beautiful, vintage space with indoor and outdoor options.

it was worth the splurge. It's like an oasis in the middle of the city, where you are surrounded by greenery and a pond, but still have a perfect view of the Chicago skyline. We didn't want a religious ceremony in a place of worship and since our guests were mostly from out of town, it was so much easier for them to just go to one place for the entire event. Cafe Brauer is beautiful, with old Chicago architecture featuring a skylight, vintage lighting, and original tile artwork on the walls. It features 2 identical balconies (loggias), which we used for our ceremony and cocktails, and is ideal any time of year as they can add temporary walls outside during the winter. The staff was very professional and our event was perfect!

on the grandeur of it all. ;-) The venue rental cost itself wasn't bad when compared to the rest of Chicago. What got us was the liquor package ($12 per person, per hour really adds up!) and the valet parking-- $800 for less than 50 cars. There was no smaller valet package, which really bothered me. My parents didn't seem to care as much, so they paid the fee. I saved some money by not ordering any decorations (aside from flowers) or additional lighting, because the hall didn't need it. I had initially worried about the quality of the restrooms, but they really weren't bad. And not having a bridal room didn't bother me, but it might be a consideration for others. I had been slightly concerned about the limited selection of vendors, but it ended up working out just fine. It was actually a little less overwhelming to have a short list to choose from. Food for Thought was a wonderful caterer, and Kloeckner was a good florist. Our salesperson at Brauer, Carrie Woods, was helpful and replied to my emails quickly. She was also very amenable when I told her that we had a couple of adult guests who didn't drink alcohol, and she charged us the soda & juice price for them. Just keep in mind that they won't give you a refund if any of your guests suddenly can't make it! Overall, everyone at the wedding enjoyed the space. Although I would have liked to spend less money, I don't think I would have been happy anywhere else.

mp; we do not regret our decision. We received so many compliments on the amazing space & view of the skyline. It was perfect!

res. The room is so beautiful you don't have to do much to it but once you add the tables, linens, flowers and of course your guests it just sparkels.

held our reception on the south loggia and guests flowed directly to the north loggia for a cocktail reception to follow. Later back into the main ballroom for dinner and dancing; it was perfect. Finally, all of our contacts at Cafe Brauer were knowledgeable and helpful as we planned the event. We felt well taken care of and ready for the big day.