Chicago's River North neighborhood is getting a new reason to show up before noon. Sifr Café, a daytime spinoff of the modern Middle Eastern restaurant Sifr, is set to open its doors on November 11, serving specialty coffee, pastries, and breakfast dishes built around Middle Eastern diaspora flavors.
The café will run Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to Chicago Food Magazine, with guests ordering at the counter for either dine-in or grab-and-go. The new concept marks an expansion of Sifr's existing River North footprint, adding a morning format to a restaurant that already built its reputation on dinner service.
A Morning Menu Steeped in Middle Eastern Flavor
The breakfast lineup leans savory, anchored by a breakfast sandwich made with egg soufflé, cheese, and harissa mayo, with the option to add a hash brown or a lamb adana patty, the report notes. Other morning items include an Olive & Harissa Focaccia Slice, a Lamb Keema Focaccia, and a Chicken Musakhan Croissant Ring, all built to showcase the same diaspora-inspired cooking found on Sifr's dinner menu.
Sweets get equal billing. The pastry case is set to include a Carrot Halwa Babka, Baklava Croissant, Mahalabia Custard Croissant, Cardamom Canelé, Date & Chocolate Tea Cake, Semolina Basbousa, and both tahini and nankhatai cookies, per the same report. Later in the morning, the menu shifts toward midday options like a falafel sandwich with harissa tahini yogurt and a chicken sandwich layered with cilantro labneh, roasted peppers, and pickles, both served on house-made focaccia.
Spreads, Espresso, and a Date-Forward Drink Menu
For those wanting something lighter, Sifr Café will also offer two signature spreads: classic hummus finished with extra-virgin olive oil and za'atar, and whipped ricotta topped with Urfa chili crunch, both paired with fresh focaccia, the outlet reports. On the drinks side, the café's espresso program is built around Metric Coffee, with signature lattes including a Date Caramel Latte, a Smoked Tahini Latte, and a Sticky Date Latte crafted with Medjool dates, maple syrup, and warming spices.
Tea drinkers aren't an afterthought either. The café plans to pour Sulaimani Masala Chai, described as a spiced, dairy-free black tea blend with ginger and cardamom, alongside other teas.
The Team Behind Sifr's Expansion
Sifr itself comes from chefs Sujan Sarkar and Sahil Sethi, who opened the modern Middle Eastern restaurant in River North, according to Robb Report. Sethi has taken the lead on the menu, drawing on time he spent working and traveling across the Middle East, the outlet reports. The café concept positions the duo's cooking for a morning crowd, bringing what Chicago Food Magazine describes as a distinct Middle Eastern perspective to the city's daytime café scene.
The opening lands amid what Eater Chicago has called a busy season for Chicago restaurant debuts, with new spots ranging from an all-day restaurant serving ceviche and saudero tacos to a long-awaited bistro from an Atelier alum rounding out the fall calendar. River North itself has seen fresh competition too, with Eater Chicago reporting that the Carlyle Club opened nearby on October 1 with waterfront and skyline views.
