Cindy's

Someone from this business manages this listing.

1,061 reviews

#150 of 8,543 Restaurants in Chicago₹₹ - ₹₹₹, American, African, International

+1 312-792-3502+ Add website

Hours

Sun

10:00 am - 11:00 pm

Mon

11:00 am - 11:00 pm

Tue

11:00 am - 11:00 pm

Wed

11:00 am - 11:00 pm

Thu

11:00 am - 11:00 pm

Fri

11:00 am - 12:00 am

Sat

10:00 am - 12:00 am

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

1,061 reviews

#150 of 8,543 Restaurants in Chicago

Travellers' Choice 2023

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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CUISINES

American, African, International

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

features

Location and contact

12 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603-3300

Theater District

+1 312-792-3502

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Does this restaurant have a full bar?

Yes

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About

COVID-19: BAR & RESTAURANT UPDATE The safety and wellbeing of our guests and colleagues is always a top priority. Cindy's has temporarily suspended operations until further notice in compliance with guidelines set forth by the State of Illinois to curb the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

CUISINES

American, African, International

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Waterfront

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4.5

1,061 reviews

Excellent

576

Very good

299

Average

119

Poor

Terrible

Mariann K

Dubuque17 contributions

Go for the cocktails and view, stay for dinner

Nov 2019 • none

We went on a recommendation from a friend for cocktails and great view of the park and lake. Loved the outdoor fire pits and spacious terrace. We had planned to go elsewhere for dinner but found ourselves intrigued by the dishes passing by us. We managed two seats at the bar (full menu offered) then lucked into a no show reservation and managed a table quickly, otherwise make a reservation! It's a packed place! We fully expected an over-priced menu for mediocre food. To our delight, each dish was exceptional. The standout was the smoked squash salad with its unique and wonderful flavor pairings.

Written 25 February 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KellyGrambau

Forest390 contributions

Beautiful view! Great food!

Jun 2022 • none

We tried making reservations ahead of time for about 2-3 weeks ahead of coming to town, but they were always booked. We decided to just walk in and we actually waited less than 10 mins before being seated w/o a reservation! The only thing that was disappointing was when I asked for ranch to dip my fries in, the waitress said they didn’t have any but they had some other dressing. I took her up on it, and then saw I was charged $3.00 for that little cup. That was a bit of a trick that I thought was sneaky. The service was overall good, but I think our waitress was having an off day as she was pretty flat. The food was delicious, and the older gentleman who brought our food was super friendly and fun, and made up for the dull waitress. Great view!

Written 13 June 2022

Richard M

Denver171 contributions

Outstanding

May 2021 • none

This was one of the highlights of our shot trip to Chicago. It was a beautiful day. The view from the balcony was to die for. The food was excellent. I had a the "secret burger" and my wife had the pastrami smoked salmon on a bagel. There are buildings is Chicago where you can take an elevator to the top for a fee. At Cindy's you get the view for free and spend the money on the food.

Written 22 May 2021

brmusicman

Chicago3109 contributions

Great view, otherwise average

Oct 2019 • none

We had friends in-town, and one was celebrating a birthday. We headed to Cindy's to celebrate; we happened to go on a night (Sunday) where it was not packed (often, there is a line to the elevator). On the plus side, it's a cool space. The Andy Warhol painting that is the restaurant's namesake adds a chic touch, the big windows that open to the outside lend a breezy vibe to the place, and the views (of Millennium Park and Lake Michigan) are wonderful. We were seated at a couch and coffee table with a great view. It was definitely relaxing. On the minus side, as a restaurant, it was purely average. Service was mediocre; our server went through the motions, but nothing else. Cocktails were described well but disappointed on presentation and delivery (if you want a great cocktail, head instead downstairs in the same building to the Cherry Circle Room). Food was also average; we ordered a few appetizers and they were fine, but we felt expensive for what we were served. Not terrible--just not wonderful, in a city with a lot of wonderful options. I'd say: go for the views. Have a drink. Then eat elsewhere.

Written 13 July 2020

Minister-of-Food

Dubai360 contributions

Be a Pub. Not a Restaurant.

Dec 2019 • couples

This place is busy only because it is a rooftop overlooking water. Its busy, packed and you can be easily overlooked like we were. My partner went looking for the server... Only at Cindy's has this ever happened to us. Reservations are recommended. The food menu did not look appealing to us so we did not order food, just a drink when we finally found a server. I'd say its good for drinks. Pub environment. Be a Pub, Cindy's... Not a restaurant.

Written 15 February 2020

Cheryl C

1 contribution

Horrible food and service

May 2021 • family

On my first trip in 15 months I visited my son in Chicago. He took me to Cindy’s Rooftop for my 65 birthday dinner. The food was horrible, small portions unless you want to double your price and add more, service was horrifically slow, almost nonexistent. He had been there before pandemic many times; food awesome then! Not worth wasting your $$$$$! It was not pleasant nor good. Never again. We had been to The Gage the night before; well worth it!!

Written 31 May 2021

Cas P

Chicago3 contributions

Nice view, food now a complete joke

May 2021 • none

Maybe it's post-COVID, but the food as gone from great to seriously bad. Used to be a top spot for unique, fresh food, but now they serve a really limited menu of fried foods and carbs, or mayo-based veggies, with limited service. Went through hoops to get a reservation for a birthday meal which turned out to be overpriced pub food. The views, of course, are amazing, and people will just come for the drinks. If you're looking for high priced food in the neighborhood, go elsewhere. Sad and disappointed.

Written 27 May 2021

Susan L

Huntley117 contributions

Great Bar with Fantastic Skyline View!

Dec 2019 • none

Cindy's, located within the Chicago Athletic Association, offers a wide assortment of drinks and food in a fun and lively atmosphere. We enjoyed our hot toddies outside on the deck alongside the fire pit while taking in the fantastic view of Lake Michigan! And as you walk to the elevator, you are treated to beautiful architecture of a bygone era that includes a marvelous stone staircase. Definitely worth a visit!

Written 10 January 2020

sm28185

Sugar Land231 contributions

Incredible views of Millennium Park!

Sept 2021 • couples

Our wait in line wasn't too bad, as we were in the first floor lobby for maybe 15-20 min before being sent up. The views were as great as they appeared in pictures, though we did have to wait for others to move around a bit so we could actually stand next to the ledge and enjoy it ourselves rather than look over others. The service was slow, as they only had one person taking orders and another to actually make them.

Written 20 September 2021

Lauren Butterfield

Denver498 contributions

Best rooftop!

Mar 2020 • none

I went here on Friday night and this has the best views of downtown Chicago. Even if the bar is crowded, the line will go fast because the bartenders make drinks very quickly. We didn't have a chance to grab anything to eat but all of the food did look really good though so I wish we would've had a chance to eat. Stop on by for a cocktail!

Written 16 March 2020

SwedenLondon

London53 contributions

Lunch with a view

Mar 2020 • couples

After having Cindy’s recommended we went there for lunch in our first day in Chicago. The restaurant/bar is buzzing and we were lucky to get a great table from where we could enjoy the view over Millennium Park and Lake Michigan. We went for the house Ceasar salad and the shrimp roll - both delicious. The service was very attentive. Loved this place.

Written 7 March 2020

Bea Kissinger

Costa Mesa86 contributions

Horrible server, trumped good food

Sept 2023 • friends

Having been to Chicago every year, I learned my lesson and made sure we made reservations for Cindy's a month in advance. We came for a celebration, and we left with a bad taste in our mouths. When I made the reservation, I was informed that the kitchen would be closing at a certain time and made it a point to ensure that everyone looked over the menu so we would not hold anything up. I had the entire table's order within minutes of seating to make it as smooth as possible because we value everyone's time. The moment Christian (our server) saw our excitement to be in Chicago and the fact that one of our girlfriends had traveled all the way from Ibiza, Spain, he greeted us with the most irritated and irked attitude. We are not sure if he was offended by her inability to communicate in English because he said some racially insensitive things. He stated that he did speak Spanish but wanted to make sure no one knew. Throughout the night, he mocked all Spanish words. We ordered: King Crab and Lobster Salad Potato Gnocchi Halibut Prawns Nayarit 32 Oz Tomahawk Steak Patatas Bravas Fresh Baked Cookies Annndddd 2 drinks per person. We did not skimp on the ordering; however, even though the food was good, we couldn't get over the bad taste the server gave us and left the restaurant feeling very upset. I despise complaining... So this one was a hard one for me to write. We do hope to come back and give them another shot without Christian as our server.

Written 5 September 2023

Itinerant_Foodies

Greensboro606 contributions

Great location and atmosphere

Mar 2023 • none

We had reservations for an early lunch because this was the St. Patrick's Day weekend and we're glad we had the reservations! When we arrived at 11:15am, it was already busy but not full. By the time we left close to 1pm, it was packed, with people waiting to get to a table and the line at street level for the elevator was quite long. If you don't have a table, you can get cocktails and enjoy the view outside or at the bar area, but you can't sit and you can't order food. The two drinks we had, "No Substitutions" and "Figgy Stardust" were both excellent. We also had the Chicken Katsu Sandwich and the Spaetzle. Both were excellent as well and the sandwich was quite filling. Suki, our server was outstanding. She was very patient as it was our first visit and we had to labor over the drink and food options for quite a while. The food menu is very short but quality is great. And the view from inside close to the windows or from outside is worth the price of admission.

Written 17 March 2023

Pierre B

Saint Bruno36 contributions

Great rooftop but reservation a must

Mar 2023 • none

We wanted a quick bite, late lunch with a drink. First they make you wait (the "order" you I should say!) in line before the elevator. they mentioned 30 min wait, which was pretty accurate. What they do not tell you however, is when you reach the restaurant, everything is reserved and you cannot get a table to sit down! It would have been nice to mention that downstairs. Our options were the overcrowded bar and the rooftop terrace, with nice gas fire places. We wanted to eat, so we asked the hostess for a table ( not offered at the first place). She mention a 15 min wait and put us on a waiting list ( I would get a text message, probably too hard to come and see us on the terrace). We grabbed a drink and proceeded to wait on the terrace. Great views on the park and the Cloud gate, After 25 min, seeing a few empty tables, I went to see the hostess... She said "oh yes - my phone number - not my name!!! and gave us a table...no smile, no manners. Clearly the test message thing was not up to par. The waiter was is the same level of friendlyness.. People find a job you like, if working with public is not your thing, then switch! there were few options of food past 2h30 pm. we opted for the cheese and charcuterie plater, which was pleasant enough. We aslo had a nice bottle of Chablis to go with that, Once at the table with food and wine the experience was really enjoyable. A really nice and cool place, but reserve if you want to eat. Personnel could be a lot more friendly, but the place is cool and vibrant.

Written 8 March 2023

Retired Explorer

Des Plaines40 contributions

Can't beat the view, drinks and food not bad either

Feb 2020 • none

Went to this awesome bar with my brother and a couple of friends for a mixology session on martini's. While waiting we meandered onto the outdoor patio. Whoa! The view of Chicago, Millenium Park, the lake was spectacular. The bar itself is run very professionally and friendly to patrons, eaters and drinkers. Very open, allowing the sun in to brighten the venue. I'm told this place is so popular, that in the summer they have a waitlist for the outdoor patio of 3,000 a night!

Written 24 February 2020

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CINDY'S, Chicago - Theater District - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor