Geja’s Cafe is a fondue restaurant at 340 W. Armitage Ave., near the eastern end of Armitage in Lincoln Park. It opened in Old Town in 1965 and moved to its Armitage Avenue location in 1971, and it marked its 60th anniversary in 2025.
What it’s known for
According to an Illinois House resolution honoring its 60th anniversary, John Davis launched Geja’s as a wine and cheese bar in 1965. It briefly ran a full kitchen before switching to fondue only in 1971, the same year it moved to Armitage. Jeff Lawler, who worked at the restaurant for more than 30 years, bought it in 2015, and he and Darla Lawler now own and operate it.
Dinner is served in a candlelit, wine cellar-style room with live classical and flamenco guitar every evening. The three-course Premier Dinner starts with Swiss Gruyère cheese fondue and salad, moves to meats or seafood cooked at the table, and ends with dark Belgian chocolate fondue flamed tableside, served with fruit and marshmallows for dipping.
Good to know
- Hours (per the official site, October 2026): Wednesday–Thursday 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. last seating; Friday 5 to 9:45 p.m.; Saturday 4 to 9:45 p.m.; Sunday 4 to 8:45 p.m. Closed Monday, Tuesday and Thanksgiving.
- Reservations: Recommended, through the restaurant’s website or by phone at (773) 281-9101.
- Plan for time: The listed times are last seatings, and a three-course fondue dinner is cooked at the table, so it runs longer than a typical meal.
- Neighborhood tip: Geja’s sits at the eastern end of Armitage, so it pairs well with a walk west along the avenue’s shops before dinner.
Plan a stroll before or after with our Armitage Avenue walking guide, or browse Lincoln Park restaurants by cuisine.
Sources: gejascafe.com, ilga.gov/ftp/legislation/104/HR/10400HR0384.htm
Photo courtesy of Geja’s Cafe.
