Between Peruvian Cafe & Lounge

Chicago, United States

3.5

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 773-292-0585
Website:
www.betweenchicago.com
Address:
1324 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622
b/t Paulina St & Hermitage Ave
West Town, Wicker Park
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.2 miDivision
0.3 miAshland & LeMoyne
0.5 miDamen
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
No
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Street
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Intimate
Noise Level
Average
Music
Background
Good For Dancing
No
Alcohol
Full Bar
Best Nights
Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check
No
Smoking
No
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
No
Dogs Allowed
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
No

Today

Today –
Local time (Chicago) 03:13 Tuesday, 10 June 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

‘Between’ offers a traditional Peruvian menu in an intimate setting with late night hours.

Chef Victorio prepares a seasonal Peruvian menu inspired by the local dishes from his hometown Callao in Peru.

–Chicago’s first official PISCO BAR

–Voted one of the most romantic restaurants of 2007

–Chicago Magazine Hot List

–Time Out «Eat Out» Award. Best Mash-​Up Menu

–Zagat-​rated «Noteworthy-​Newcomer»

–190 North Foozie Award: Best Martini: Popcorn Martini

–Time Out: Top-​100 Things we ate in 2007: «Lobster Trifecta» #14

–Chicago Magazine: «Only place to go for Valentine’s Day»

–Hoy Magazine «Incredible»

–Peruvian Consulate «Better than the food in Peru»

History

Established in 2007.

Between Boutique Café & Lounge is Carl and Lu Lu’s second restaurant. Between was inspired by love… Carl’s wife, Lu Lu. «I think of Between as a Valentine i give to my wife every night.» Every piece of furniture and décor was custom made in Lu Lu’s hometown of Beijing. Even the main color of the walls (reddish-​pink) was inspired by Lu Lu’s hair color when they were just dating. The Peruvian menu is inspired by the people and culture of his hometown of Callao, Peru.

Meet the Business Owner

Carl A.

Business Owner

Previous to his career as an actor, Carl found joy in the world of food and entertaining working as a wedding planner as well as at some of the top hotels on Michigan Avenue. Carl’s last stop was with Wolfgang Puck Catering in Chicago working with high caliber clientele.

He is very susceptible to flattery and has been known to give samples of his favorite libations away to guests that compliment him and his restaurant.

Between Peruvian Café & Lounge — CLOSED also recommends

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Carl A. says,

«First time you go, order the Chef’s tasting and the beer-​pairing. You can’t go wrong.»

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20 reviews of Between Peruvian Cafe & Lounge

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Near Southside, Chicago, IL
One of my favorite Peruvian food places. The best lomo saltado and ceviche ever in Chicago. Wondering where the cooker went to work now :(
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
I’m so sad this is closed but not surprised because it was always empty. Best ceviche of my life :(
Place rating: 1
Chicago, IL
They went out of business. Phone disconnected.
Place rating: 4
The Loop, Chicago, IL
Between has CLOSED effective the end of June. I will miss the delicious Pisco cocktails and ceviche.
Place rating: 1
Chicago, IL
There are few places that I absolutely despise but this is one of them. Call me lame or call me uncultured. Whatever it is I don’t want any part of this place. Perhaps it was because we started our night out at a sports bar and then ventured here literally «in between» going back to that very same sports bar.
I’m not a drink menu kind of person. Just give me a light beer and I’m happy. So Between is definitely a drink menu kind of place. Once you get your drink menu you will notice that they serve a lot of «sour» drinks. Apparently this is what real mixed drinks are supposed to be like. Well I’m not interested. These mixed drinks include eggs. Not only do I not prefer to eat while I’m drinking but I definitely don’t want food in my drink.
This lounge is dimly lit with many semi-​private party areas. They have velvet round couches that are kept private with hanging rope drawn walls. I don’t know how else to describe it. Candle lit, suave bartenders, couples shmoozing on the couches, very laid back and relaxing atmosphere. Again it was probably the state of mind I was in but if you are not prepared to flip your night this might come as a rude awakening or sleep inducer.
Sorry Between but nothing is getting between me and leaving this place. No thank you.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
Got the Groupon deal for chef’s prix fixe meal. There was a A menu and B menu and then 2 of us just got A and B to try the maximum number of dishes.
Every dish they brought out was fantastic. Wow, I certainly did not expect it.
Veal Heart skewer
Chicken quinoa salad
Ceviche
Causa
Tilapia simmered in broth
Lomo chicken
Chocolate cake dessert
I liked their chica morada as well. I didn’t realize the arcade emporium is just 1.5 block north of this restaurant, perfect for after a dinner date.
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
I liked the décor and service was prompt, though I’m not sure why the two of us needed 2 servers to pop in, alternating each other. I felt pestered after a while, having to confirm to both people everything was good. While I appreciate the attentiveness, one server would have sufficed.
Food came out quick and it was tasty. My date and I shared our meals and had an appetizer. I tried Pisco sours for the first time so if that was off as others have commented, I have no idea.
My biggest complain though is the seating. There’s a mix of tables and lounge sofa/​chair areas. We opted for the lounge couches. Big mistake! After being there for a few hours, my back hurt. And it still hurts the next day even after sleeping on a heating pad!!! I don’t know if all the couches are that bad but the one furthest from the door, against the wall SUCKS.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
If your looking for something low key, romantic, good price point, and accepts walk ins… this is your place. I’ve been here quite a few times using a Groupon. You can normally find a groupon around $ 30 for a dinner for two which includes: 2 drinks, 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 1 dessert. The food is excellent and I would recommend trying the Lomo Saltado. It’s a chicken dish with hand cut fries and amazing burst of flavor.
The décor of this place is cute. You can either sit at a table or a romantic booth like setting with bead curtains. The service was excellent and I will definitely be going back.
Place rating: 1
Avondale, Chicago, IL
My husband and I used to love this place so we brought his sister who came from Europe. We are not coming back again.
First of all the service was horrible, we were sitting behind the curtains and we were ignored the whole time.
The pisco sour which was one of our favorites was super bitter and watered down.
The ceviche had no flavor and the empanadas were bland. The chicken anticucho was ok.
We decided to ask for the check to finish beating somewhere else.
1 star because the music was great.
Place rating: 5
Ashburn, Chicago, IL
Some of the best lamb chops I’ve ever had. The do serve them with bacon, however there were very accommodating and let my table remove it. The ceviche was also wonderful as well as the pear drink. Highly recommended
Place rating: 2
Asnières-sur-Seine, France
Having had my first lomo saltado in San Francisco and having fallen in love with it, I was fairly excited.
Sadly, it didn’t live up to my expectations. The dish was just ok.
Overall, the food and sangria were just ok. A bit overpriced for what we got. Should of just bought our own bottle instead of paying $ 20 for two small drinks.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
This place has an amazingly sexy atmosphere. I love the rich décor with plenty of cozy little spots to bring out your sensual side. Sadly I was just having dinner with a gal pal on a groupon so I didn’t get a chance to explore the other possibilities of the place. We received our sangrias, which were too easily drinkable and started in on the groupon prix fixe menus. It was suggested by our lovely waitress to order different ones to be able to try more dishes and we happily followed her advice.
Both menus were delicious. My veal hearts and ceviche were exceptional. The main course was also amazing, but confusing because it tasted like Chinese food to me as it was chicken drenched in soy sauce. My friend’s meal tasted quite good as well though I was happy to have more of my own. All in all, I would definitely come back– but with a hot date next time.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
2nd time here. Incredible foodie experience. Carnival of tastes from a salad to exquisite sadado with yucca — never imagined eating a fish dish … with a spoon would be so tasty. Lomo pollo, ceviche classico, just to name few.
Finally the sangrias are delicious!
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
I and five of my friends went here last night for dinner and drinks. I had been very wary of this place because it looked so half-​assed from the outside. My suspicions were confirmed when I went inside. The décor was dilapidated and stylish around 2001. It also felt like you were in a basement somehow. I was getting worried. This did not look like a place whose kitchen I trusted. Good thing the bartender (who was also our server) was lovely, punctual and polite. Unfortunately, it was FREEZING inside. From under our hats and coats, we asked to turn up the heat. Bartender said it was broken or the owner had turned it down… or something that didn’t really make sense. It was pretty clear the owner didn’t want to pay the heating bill necessary to properly heat the place. Again, not a good sign.
Much to my great surprise THE FOOD WAS AWESOME. The ceviches were stellar. The lamp chops were delicious, cooked perfectly and wonderfully seasoned, quite different from other lamb I’ve had. I got the arroz con mariscos which everyone decided won dinner. We also had a chicken salad which was very tasty and fresh. Whatever is happening in that kitchen is marvelous. A+
I really don’t know how this place stays open. There were only about 10 other people there the entire night. As fantastic as the food was, I probably won’t go back. If I could transport that food to a venue that more closely resembled a full-​fledged restaurant, I’d be back in a heartbeat.
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
Between Peruvian Café & Lounge has one of the most luxurious dining experiences I have came across in a while, from their secluded lounge area to the décor on the walls and ceilings to the plating of each entrée. The food concept here is more of a tapas-​style, but the entrees here are big enough to eat on your own. My party of four ordered a couple of appetizers to share:
Ceviche Classico: fresh tilapia mixed with cilantro, red onion, and lime. It also is accompanied with glazed sweet potato and Andean corn. I thought this was a pretty decent ceviche, great flavor and fresh fish. But I wouldn’t say this is the best ceviche in Chicago.
Empanadas: one stewed chicken and aji and one shrimp and red peppers. It was accompanied with some chimichurri and hot sauce. I liked that the chicken empanada wasn’t dry and full of flavor. The shrimp empanada on the other hand was just ok, not as flavorful as other seafood stuffed empanada I have tried.
For my main entrée, I decided to try out the spicy mantou burgers. It’s like a regular burger with lettuce and tomatoes, but the patty was seasoned with cumin. I liked the softness and sweetness from the mantou buns, but I thought the cumin was a little bit overbearing. A lighter hand with the seasoning and these burgers would have been perfect. The fries that accompanied this entrée were nothing too special, but pretty tasty nonetheless.
I don’t agree with what other people stated about the service here. I thought that our waitress was really attentive to our table. She kept our cups full and kept checking up on us. She even helped one of my friend pick up his coat when it fell. So head over to Between if you want a relaxing time with good ambiance and decent food.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
I’ve been here three times already and it never lets me down.
Came for my wife’s bday and they seated us quickly and accommodated with a surprise birthday dessert and song.
I got the causa and the baos. The bao burger meat was a bit too salty but sure it was just that I have low tolerance. I recommend the rice and duck dish. I had some of my wife’s and it was the best thing that night.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
The liked the set up of the place the most. The seats were cozy and more private. I wish it was like that at more restaurants! We dined here with a Groupon to have a 3 course meal for two. There were two options of 3 course menu so we had one of each.
Sangria — Tasted like juice
Tilapia with tomatoey soup — This was my favorite.
Ceviche — pretty good!
Chicken stir fry — came with too much carbs. The stir fry had veggies, some chicken, and a lot of potato. Then it came with a side of rice.
And there was on thing I also got and really did not like. It was some cake like thing as an appetizer. I didn’t care for it.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
The Antocucho de Corazon that changed our lives! $ 4.50 per skewer. It was so good that 3 year old Little Monster drove me to the poor house — he ate at least 4 sticks! A $ 20 meal for a little belly.
For a party of 12+, service was quick and food quality was consistently tasty.
Everything we ordered was delicious!
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
I am so glad that this wasn’t my introduction to Peruvian food. The food was okay. The best thing I had here was the lomo pollo, which is the chicken version of the lomo saltado. Everything else was just okay.
I had bought a $ 30 Groupon (for a $ 92 value) to this place having heard one of my Spanish instructors mention it. The Groupon was for a 4-​course prix fixe menu for two. I ordered the pisco sour upon arrival. It was pretty good, but I seem to remember liking the Aviary’s version more (not much of a surprise there though as I love the Aviary).
There were two menu options for the Groupon offer. My boyfriend ordered one, and I ordered the other to split and share. We had the following items:
The anticuchos, marinated and grilled veal-​heart skewers, were ok. I thought it tasted differently than when I first had this dish at Taste of Peru. Not that that was a bad thing, but I do prefer this dish at Taste of Peru. At Between, however, I liked the spicy sauce that came with this dish.
The causa sampler was pretty good. I liked it, but I definitely would have preferred to order a plate of papa rellena or papa a la Huancaina for my appetizer though.
The quinoa-​crusted chicken salad was okay. I didn’t think I tasted the quinoa but the boyfriend said it was made into a fritter. I don’t know. The salad was just okay. I wouldn’t have ordered it on my own though.
I normally love ceviche, and I had great expectations for the ceviche classico. It was still pretty good, but it was a bit more sour than I would have liked it.
For our entrees, we had the sudado, which is broiled tilapia with aji amarillo, chicha de jora, and cilantro, and the lomo pollo. I liked them both, but I preferred the lomo pollo. The sudado would have been better if the tilapia tasted more fresh.
The atmosphere is perhaps one of the most trendy and romantic Peruvian restaurants I’ve been to. I loved the spiraling chandeliers and the ruffly and featherly lights and the red curtains. It’s very pretty.
I may have to come here again to order stuff off the prix fixe menus but for now, it’s just okay. I’m a little bit surprised at this though because I’d have expected their best dishes for a prix fixe menu for Groupon users.
Place rating: 3
San Mateo, CA
This place oozes an odd trendy romantic feel between the snazzily lit bar, feathers, and funky light fixtures!
We stopped in on a whim for a late sunday dinner. There were only three people in the entire place. The staff was MIA and for a while and was unsure if we should’ve waited or to seat ourselves. Finally someone came out from the back and led us to our table. I decided on the loma saltado and my friend ordered the chaufa de mariscos. Both were underwhelming– my dish was a tad saltier than I liked, but the cuts of meat were perfect. My friend’s chaufa de mariscos was reminiscent of a less greasier version of a takeout fried rice and was A-​OK.