Swadesi Cafe
Rajalaxmi Rajagopalan · 126 Google reviewsSwadesi Cafe — reliable bakery in West Loop. Sleek and intentional, with the aesthetic dialed in. They're doing something different, and it works. [$]
What 480 diners keep saying
What 480 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“The number one spot from my entire Chicago trip. An Indian inspired pastry shop with so many creative drinks. Unfortunately, we arrived too late and the matcha was already sold out. The café is huge and incredibly comfortable, with oversized tables and chairs. The soft blue interior feels elegant in every corner. I absolutely loved the space. Menu at the end. 👉 Lemon Cream Latte ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ ($8) The cream top was amazing. It had this fresh lemon yogurt flavor that felt bright, creamy, and refreshing. The latte underneath was fairly classic, very milky with a lighter coffee flavor. I ordered less sugar and less cream top, and it was not overly sweet at all. Honestly, I regretted asking for less cream because that was easily the best part. 😭 Such an interesting combination, and the serving was huge too. 👉 Butter Chicken Croissant ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ($12) Oh my god. So good that I immediately forgave the entire city of Chicago. 😭 It does not look particularly large, but it is packed with filling. The butter chicken is incredibly fragrant and rich, wrapped inside thin, crisp pastry almost like a puff pastry lid over a French pot pie. The pastry had absorbed all the flavor while somehow staying flaky and crisp. It was served hot and tasted freshly baked. There was even half of a soft milk bun sitting on top. Pure happiness. Genuinely one of the best things I ate on this trip.”
“The malai croissant and the samosa chaat croissant were absolutely perfect. I will be dreaming about the malai for the rest of my life it was fabulous”
“best café i’ve been to in chicago! samosa chaat croissant, paneer kathi roll, and chicken tikka toastie were all genuinely amazing!!! also had the lemon cream latte and banana cream latte which were both very lovely with a balanced sweetness :) and i have to say the banana cream latte is most definitely the best banana flavored latte i have EVER had! super cute place with lots of seating and great service”
“This place is AMAZING. The pastries are unique and packed with flavor, the house chai is perfection, plus all the usuals you would expect at a more traditional coffee shop. 10/10”
“My favorite coffee shop in Chicago and trust me there’s many good ones. The banana latte is a MUSTTTT”
“Chai in Chicago along with flavoured Avocado toast. I don’t think you can go wrong here. Just a fantastic place to be and the food was amazing.”
“good food and good drinks, thank god. the chicken Tikka toastie was great, good flavors and perfectly toasted. strawberry shortcake matcha actually tasted like strawberry shortcake, which was nice (needs more matcha tho). Hojicha was nice and nutty, wished the matcha was as strong as it. would definitely come back in the future to try the other menu items”
“The gulab jamun croissant and paneer puff were my favorites of the 3 baked goods I’ve had here. They were both beautifully made with delicately layered aromatic flavors. The paneer puff is definitely the best bite I’ve had in Chicago. I can only wish I could have it again.”
“I had their chicken tikka toasties and a banana matcha. Everything was super delicious. 10/10 would come back again.”
“Got the chili toast (which in all respects was great) only to try my partners chicken tikka toast and have immediate FOMO, amazing.”
“Walked into Swadessi Caffe randomly and ended up finding such a good spot. Everything we tried was honestly really good. Got the banana cream latte and the cookie butter latte both super flavorful without being overly sweet. You could actually taste the espresso and the flavor instead of it just being sugar. The bacon, egg & cheese was actually my favorite done really well, fresh,super flavorful and hit the spot. The pastries were great too. The malai custard croissant was creamy and rich, and the gulab jamun croissant was flaky and packed with flavor. I’ll be going back for sure.”
Sounds like your kind of place?
Star it — your hit list is where dinner decisions get made.
One email a month — new openings, hidden gems, and where locals are actually eating.
More bakery in West Loop & Fulton Market
See the ranking →
If it's packed, walk to…
More good rooms in West Loop, minutes away.