First Sip Cafe

I just moved up to the neighborhood from down in Lakeview, and I am absolutely hooked! I’ve only been living in this apartment for a week now, and I’ve already been here at least 4-5 times! I work as a barista as well, and, as sad as it may sound, coffee is one of the most important things when it comes to my everyday lifestyle and routines… I was somewhat worried moving out of Lakeview where there are endless incredible coffee choices, but I decided to give this place a shot as I really enjoy Vietnamese-style coffee, and now I don’t think I’ll be trying anywhere else!😂 I can’t reiterate enough how much of an incredible experience I’ve had each time and how friendly, attentive, helpful, patient, and overall accommodating the staff is! The Pandan (brown butter with toasted coconut) Matcha and the Banana Sundae Latte are my absolute favorite go-to drinks thus far, but I can’t wait to try everything this gem-of-a-spot has to offer!

i was pleasantly surprised by first sip cafe. i was dining nearby and decided to try this place out afterwards. the interior is super cute with plenty of seating available. i also love how large the menu is with a lot of unique flavors to try. since this was my first time here, i went with an ube latte. i was surprised with how good the coffee was, strong and not too sweet. i can’t wait to try more of their flavors!

Amazing as always! After many (many) visits First Sip has NEVER been a disappointment! From delicious empanadas and sweet treats, to outstanding, fun and fresh coffee flavors! I got the lemon loaf warm and Dee Dee’s Apple Pie Chai❤️😋

I give it 5 stars for the friendly and sweet staff and the ability to sit and work on things and charge your laptop and cell phones. It’s so easy to get frustrated working from home or feeling trapped indoors at home sometimes so it’s nice to be able to go to a cafe to read or surf or do work without fear of losing battery power. The sesame pandan latte was good too as well as the matcha strawberry coconut milk drink. Interesting flavors for drinks. Parking on the street and pay through Park Chicago app. Plus cute toys and plants and other fun items for sale.

You know when you love a place so much that you're almost apprehensive to share the info about the place, to avoid it getting too crowded? Yeah, I confess... such is the case with this gem of a coffee shop. There's something special about this place that is hard to put into words. Yes, the food is good. The coffee is great. The non-coffee choices are outstanding. The atmosphere is perfect. Feels very genuine, organic, earthy, yet also creative and artistically inspired. Rare to find a place where you feel every bit as comfortable getting a bit of work done as you would having a deep conversation with a dear friend. But it's really the people that make this place special. The regulars, the people visiting Argyle neighborhood. The Uptown vibes. And of course, the employees. Don't know all of the baristas' names (yet) but always great to see Nick, Pete, and everyone else who keeps this place humming along. One First Sip scene I treasure was when I dropped by a day or two after Thanksgiving in the evening. The place was full. Wonderful to see several tables with groups of people playing card or board games. Really loving the extended hours here too. My goal for 2026 is to make it to more of the events hosted in this space.