The Purple Pig
A Mediterranean small-plates spot near the Magnificent Mile built around pork, cheese, and wine.
The call
Worth it if you are traveling as a couple and you are traveling solo.
Why
- 01
Snug, bustling, and centrally located for a Michigan Avenue break — the kind of place you graze at over a long lunch or early dinner.
Our read - 02
Cramped and busy at peak.
Our read
Is it a fit?
Go if
You are traveling as a couple
As a couple, The Purple Pig works.
You are traveling solo
Solo, The Purple Pig works.
Food is a reason to travel
For food & drink, The Purple Pig delivers.
Think twice if
You are traveling with kids
With kids, give The Purple Pig a miss.
You are watching the budget
On a budget, weigh it — The Purple Pig isn't cheap for what it is.
You only have one day
The Purple Pig is a real time commitment — fit it in only if it's a priority.
You prefer local life to spectacle
For local authenticity, The Purple Pig is hit or miss.
The plates that decide it
- Milk-braised pork shoulder with mashed potatoes — the dish regulars and chefs single out — order it even at a small-plates spot
- Fried pig ears and the JLT (pork-jowl LT) — the cheffy pork plates that built the reputation, with a by-the-glass pour
- Treating it like a sit-down entree meal — it's a small-plates room — order to share
Plan it well
- Cost
- $$$ — small plates that accumulate
- Timing
- Late afternoon between lunch and dinner
- Booking
- Limited reservations; mostly walk-in
- Allow
- 1–1.5 hours
- Accessibility
- Cramped at peak; strong vegetable plates