I’m writing this for anyone who might be misled by the high rating. We were shocked by how small the portions were, especially considering the price—even for the rice, there was barely two to three spoonfuls of it; five small chicken pieces in the curry cost over $20. The taste was a solid 7/10 at best. But the dessert was poorly balanced, with an overly sweet topping and an unsweetened coconut base—not how Thai custard should taste. The service was a little cold, they didn’t refill our water, might be there were not enough staff. Looks so different from some photos from other reviews.

This place was really yummy Thai food! The owner was there and made everything fresh herself for us

The pineapple fried rice and the pad kee mao are must try ! Also, the crab Rangoon had real crab in it. Unlike many places that use the fake stuff.

Update September 2024: Apparently this is a Thai restaurant now that has the same name and owners. My review is from when it was still a Turkish restaurant. I have not tried the restaurant since it changed cuisines. Original review below.

This was one of the best meals I've had in Lake View in a long time. I ordered the 10 oz steak and my partner ordered the chicken kebab. Both were extremely good, and reasonably priced. My steak was cooked perfectly and everything tasted great! I couldn't believe how empty the restaurant was, this place deserves much more attention. I can't recommend it enough!

So excited to have this charming Turkish restaurant in the neighborhood! We have visited a couple of times and each visit has been great—every dish we have tried has been so delicious and beautifully presented, from the eggplant dip to the Labneh, baked gnocchi, kebabs, and seafood pappardelle. The servers are incredibly warm and friendly as well. Definitely looking forward to returning to try more dishes!

Little Village Cafe and Restaurant 💕 is a total hidden gem in Lakeview East! The vibes are cozy, the food is a delicious fusion of Turkish, Mediterranean, and Italian flavors, and Chef Ergun's dishes, like the Tomato Kebab and Wild Salmon, are pure magic. Whether you're a foodie or just craving a good meal, this spot is a must-visit. Trust me, you won't regret it! 😋

We tried the premium breakfast plate and their village omelet. Both were really delicious. However, the scrambled egg that was a part of the premium breakfast played was raw. The service was really good, and they were very kind to offer brunch past 3 pm.

Loved everything we ate - delicious to say the least! Don’t forget to try the French toast at breakfast. The cranberry drizzle is so YUM.

“I really loved dining at Litlle Village Cafe From the moment i arrived until i left, everything was very well handled. I appreciate the team for putting together such a good experience. I’m already looking forward to my next visit. I highly recommend it.You should try Eggplant dep ,Skirt steak ,Sea food pasta.Omg all of them My fav one 🫶🏻🙏🏻

Great Thai option in Lakeview, great food- able to tailor spice level. great apps, curry dishes and rice dishes- would recommend!

This place was really yummy Thai food! The owner was there and made everything fresh herself for us

The pineapple fried rice and the pad kee mao are must try ! Also, the crab Rangoon had real crab in it. Unlike many places that use the fake stuff.

FANTASTIC and authentic food, very nice and efficient service. Only downside was atmosphere just dated. Perfect spot for food and people watching.

I’m writing this for anyone who might be misled by the high rating. We were shocked by how small the portions were, especially considering the price—even for the rice, there was barely two to three spoonfuls of it; five small chicken pieces in the curry cost over $20. The taste was a solid 7/10 at best. But the dessert was poorly balanced, with an overly sweet topping and an unsweetened coconut base—not how Thai custard should taste. The service was a little cold, they didn’t refill our water, might be there were not enough staff. Looks so different from some photos from other reviews.

Food did not disappoint. We got the khao soi and papaya salad. Both were full of rich flavors and tasted fresh, could not stop eating it.
Service was a bit slow for there being only 3/4 other people in the restaurant, but the only waitress was very nice.
The proportions were also a bit small, both dishes including a side of sticky rice were a total of ~$50. They were out of a couple dishes that made it a bit inconvenient. Overall great place, can’t wait to come back and try what we originally wanted.

That has got to be the best Tom Kha soup I've ever had.

The best Thai food in my neighborhood! Unbelievable that I didn’t come here before. Now will be my go to place forever. The quality of the food is amazing. THANK YOU THE LITTLE VILLAGE THAI TEAM

This is a Thai place that is fairly new to the area. I ordered Pineapple Fried Rice, Pad Kee Mao, and Crab Rangoon. Wow— I love it! This may be my favorite place for Thai in Chicago. Spice level is perfect for those who love to eat spicy dishy- it is actually spicy, not American spicy.

Lots of Thai places don’t sell Pineapple fried rice which is one of my favorite dishes. It tastes perfect and authentic!

Please support this small business! The food is authentic and not Americanized!

First time here. Had the pumpkin curry. Absolutely exceptional. Will definitely be back many times!

We got this for delivery on Postmates and loved it. The food was super high quality which was especially evident with the chicken (in our noodle dishes). This is definitely the best Thai in the area. The Thai rolls did arrive cold but they were extremely nice about it on the phone and refunded it no problem at all. More expensive than typical Thai prices but worth it for the quality and customer service! For reference we got the crab rangoons, Thai rolls (fried spring rolls), pad thai, pad see ew, and khao soi.

Food tasted good however it took 40 min to get our food even though we were the only ones there. Menu is misleading, it shows green curry with chicken or shrimp as $20.95 but when I ordered, was told that protein will cost an extra $5.

A couple of friends and I went there about a week ago, and I was really impressed by how authentic the food was. I had the Pad Thai, and for the price, I can say it was a pretty good portion! The staff was super awesome and friendly (shout out to Kevin and Elif). I am looking forward to the next visit.

Update September 2024: Apparently this is a Thai restaurant now that has the same name and owners. My review is from when it was still a Turkish restaurant. I have not tried the restaurant since it changed cuisines. Original review below.

This was one of the best meals I've had in Lake View in a long time. I ordered the 10 oz steak and my partner ordered the chicken kebab. Both were extremely good, and reasonably priced. My steak was cooked perfectly and everything tasted great! I couldn't believe how empty the restaurant was, this place deserves much more attention. I can't recommend it enough!

It seems that the Thai menu is really new at this restaurant, and pretty poorly done. We ordered the Red Curry which was good, with decent flavors, but this establishment somehow ruined one of the great staple Thai dishes of our time. Their take on tiger cry, aptly named, Crying Tiger, had my boyfriend in tears. Imagine the worst diner steak you’ve ever had, and then hit it with an exponent of 2. There was no flavor, the meat was not good, the preparation was not good as it was overdone yet not charred on the edges. It looked like a boiled steak. The presentation was also extremely lack luster. Even the tiger cry sauce could not save the steak. Great service and vibe but the tiger cry was inexcusable.

Highly recommended

It was nice to discover this hidden mediterrenean gem! The chef is definitely doing incredible things here! Everything was fresh and delicious! The chicken kabobs were amazing! Best chicken kabobs I have tasted in my life! The chicken was grilled and yet still JUICEY on the inside. The rice was delicious! The salad was fresh and the bread was warm! The seafood papardelle was just exquisite. It was definitely above average. The mussels added so much flavor and the sauce was incredible. Everything about this place was Chicago gourmet!! I will be back for brunch!

I just noticed that this restaurant changed and became a Turkish little village Cafe. I thought I would try it. I had scallops as an appetizer, something I never eat and they were unbelievable. Delicious.

I had steak kabobs and they were unbelievably good as well. Fantastic.

Amazing new local spot! Got the short rib and she got the salmon! Really good

I walk by this place all the time and I finally went in and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! The food was delicious!!
It was my first time trying bulgur and I ate every single piece of it! Really good food and service

Incredibly polite and helpful staff, and some of the most tender short rib in Chicago. Highly recommend this for anyone looking to have dinner for a special occasion!

Had family in town and ate here for dinner. Delicious. Great food and great prices. Friendly staff. Def will be back

We loved, loved the Little Vilage Cafe! The food is just amazing, the service is excellent - made us feel like family! It was my first time having Turkish coffee, and it was delicious...prepared to perfection. You need to try it!

My favorite meal of 2024 ao far! If you're two people get the Village Mixed Kebab!

Best Turkish restaurant in the city

Very good food at reasonable price. Highly recommend the kabobs.

Excellent service, food, and portions! Greeted kindly immediately upon entering. We had the beef kebab and the Mediterranean pasta - INCREDIBLE! It was large portion for a good price point. 10/10 will come again! BYOB

We tried the premium breakfast plate and their village omelet. Both were really delicious. However, the scrambled egg that was a part of the premium breakfast played was raw. The service was really good, and they were very kind to offer brunch past 3 pm.

Delicious food, large portions, great service!! Can’t wait to go back!

We ordered the Prime Turkish Breakfast that had three cheese, cocumber, tomato, olives, jams, honey, fruits, butter, melon, baked pateto, shareable plate. It was a good portion for 2 people. Used fresh indegients and a very cosy place 😊

Went there for a lunch. Tried their Mediterranean bowl. It was delicious the meat is so tender and the sauce was great. However the portion size could be bigger for their prices.
Can’t wait to try their other stuff!
Definitely will come back with my partner!

Loved everything we ate - delicious to say the least! Don’t forget to try the French toast at breakfast. The cranberry drizzle is so YUM.

Little Village Cafe and Restaurant 💕 is a total hidden gem in Lakeview East! The vibes are cozy, the food is a delicious fusion of Turkish, Mediterranean, and Italian flavors, and Chef Ergun's dishes, like the Tomato Kebab and Wild Salmon, are pure magic. Whether you're a foodie or just craving a good meal, this spot is a must-visit. Trust me, you won't regret it! 😋

We enjoyed our dining experience at this charming restaurant. We chose the mixed skewers, and all of them tasted fantastic. We look forward to our next visit:)

Incredibly welcoming, attentive employees.Warm smiles, genuine hospitality, great ambiance. Spot-on recommendations, delicious Turkish flavors. Left feeling satisfied with food and service. Friendly staff made lasting impression. Will definitely return.

I love Turkish coffee if you love it too - stop by! their food was excellent. Nice place for a date!

So excited to have this charming Turkish restaurant in the neighborhood! We have visited a couple of times and each visit has been great—every dish we have tried has been so delicious and beautifully presented, from the eggplant dip to the Labneh, baked gnocchi, kebabs, and seafood pappardelle. The servers are incredibly warm and friendly as well. Definitely looking forward to returning to try more dishes!

The Turkish restaurant is byob the waiters are friendly, the place is nice, the food is authentic and delicious. ❤️

Delicious food. Well spiced and generous portions. Kind service and cozy warm place. The casarol was excuisite! Good prices too.

Excellent service and amazing food!! Highly recommended this new restaurant!chef ahmet thank you for your hospitality.

Love the food! Highly reccomend, will be back again!

5 stars all around. We have walked by this new place a few times and finally got the opportunity to eat dinner here. The food was absolutely delicious. We ordered the lentil soup and labneh for appetizers, and I got the beef kebab for dinner. The steak was very tender and well seasoned. The waitress was attentive, and as an added bonus it is BYOB so we got to bring our own bottle of wine with no corkage fee. Highly recommend checking this place out!

Delicious Turkish Restaurant. I had the "beef casarol" and it was excellent. Staff are friendly and space is lovely. BYOB!

Great food and very friendly service.

Wonderful experience with the food and good host

Tried this restaurant for the first time today; the food was delicious! I highly recommend the chicken kebabs and wild salmon. Staff were friendly and accommodating. Would definitely come back!😊😊

This just opened by my friend’s place so we tried it and will definitely be back! Food was great, menu wasn’t huge but there was a great variety and range of prices. Atmosphere was super comfortable and staff was friendly.

It was a very delicious mix kebab and excellent service.

I really like the food here, the service was amazing, and staff is friendly, and the overall feel is cozy and comforting.

Highly recommend

“I really loved dining at Litlle Village Cafe From the moment i arrived until i left, everything was very well handled. I appreciate the team for putting together such a good experience. I’m already looking forward to my next visit. I highly recommend it.You should try Eggplant dep ,Skirt steak ,Sea food pasta.Omg all of them My fav one 🫶🏻🙏🏻

new Mediterranean restaurant in town. great food. cozy atmosphere. must try.

Little village cafe is the indeed place we were looking for very authentic Turkish food we ll be back soon

Food is great like I am in Istanbul again. Highly recommend

The service was extremely polite and attentive, and the food was so delicious and visually stunning. The atmosphere of the restaurant was warm and inviting, definitely a place I would love to visit again!

My favorite Turkish cuisine experience is mezze, a spread of appetizers ranging from savory pastries to tangy salads, perfect for sharing with friends and family.
They know how to use of fresh ingredients, such as herbs, vegetables, and meats, combined with traditional cooking methods, ensures each dish is bursting with authenticity and flavor. Turkish cuisine never fails to leave a lasting impression.

Excellent service. Food was amazing and affordable. Hardly recommend it

Yesterday i had Pasta and Chicken Casserole. It was delicious. If you guys looking nice quality Turkish dishes you can guy add it to bucket list so far.

Bu güne kadar yediğim en lezzetli yemek şefin ellerine sağlık gerçekten hersey çok harika olmuş

Best Turkish Cuisine in the city. Highly recommended

We love Barrel Cheese and Wine so decided to try this new restaurant, as they have the same owner. We ordered the mixed kebab plate to share and it was amazing! The chicken was so flavorful and perfectly cooked and seasoned, and everything else on the plate was wonderful too. We also tried the eggplant dip and bread...it was so good and their bread was some of the best naan I have had...it has a satisfying little crunch to it! We will definitely be back!

I am glad there is fresh Mediterranean food in the neighborhood. We ordered a mix kebab plate, and it was very, very delicious. The beef was especially so tender! The service was great.

Ahh! This used to be Poppers, remember that? This is from the folks that's behind Wine and Barrel Cheese which is a couple doors down.