Arthouse Becomes 3rd New Restaurant To Open In Downtown Aurora

AURORA, IL — Neighboring the Paramount Theatre, Arthouse officially opened Friday, making it the third new restaurant to open this year in downtown Aurora.

Located at 5 E. Galena Blvd., Arthouse opened in the Aurora Arts Center, taking over the space previously occupied by Stolp Island Social, which closed in August 2023. The new restaurant is operated by the owners behind The Goat in downtown Batavia.

Members of the Aurora Civic Center Authority Board, which oversees the restaurant suite, came to a consensus that "they did not want the traditional higher-end steakhouse type of place that Stolp Island Social had been," according to a report from the Chicago Tribune.

What that translated to in Arthouse is a space that reflects what the theater is about — art and performance. The restaurant's decor includes artwork, album covers and portraits of artists across its walls. In the future, the main dining area will feature a projector that screens silent movies.

Arthouse's menu, according to city staff, features 12 different burgers, six sandwich varieties, four types of salads and an array of dishes, from nachos, fried pickles and wings to lamb satay, mussels and fried rice balls.

Arthouse joins the latest offerings to open this year in the downtown area. In August, Leilani Asian Fusion opened its doors, and in November, Giardino Trattoria and Pizzeria opened in the same building as Leilani, two blocks away from Arthouse.