Some organizational issues but still had a great time…read more 1. No point in doing timed entry if the timed entry rules are the thing making everyone clump up and enter at once. Totally illogical. 2. No kids should be allowed at an adults event. They run the show every other day, give us a break from them. 3. Jazz band should have been outside. Sad that we barely heard any music the entire night. As usual the animals were amazing! Jubilee drink was yummy. Sunset was gorgeous.

The music and ambiance were both fantastic…read more Bumping down a star because there wasn't enough seating outside particularly as people were hogging seats in keeping their stuff on it. They would disappear for long periods of time but keep stuff unattended. There should be some paid seating that can be reserved. Or some active management of chairs so no one hogs tables. One of the most picturesque aquarium locations I've visited. Also, nice exhibits. The food was actually priced reasonably and good as well. It was a nice family friendly atmosphere to experience a jazz event. Particularly as most Chicago jazz venues appear to be 21+.

Buttercup in the South Loop is an absolute gem, especially if you're even remotely into amaro. The…read moreselection is unreal, like the kind of list that makes you pause and realize you're about to learn something whether you wanted to or not. It's curated in a way that feels intentional, not just "we stocked a bunch of bottles." You can tell whoever built it actually cares. And shoutout to Axel behind the bar, because she is amazing. Friendly, dialed in, and genuinely knowledgeable without doing the annoying bartender thing where they make you feel dumb for asking questions. You can tell she really enjoys working here. She makes a fantastic Negroni. Great vibe, great drinks, and the kind of place you immediately want to make "your spot."

It's nice to have another coffee shop in south loop and this place is very cute! Cozy vibes and the…read moreservice is nice and fast enough. My friends and I each tried their specialty drinks and i got an everything croissant. We had high expectations because everything looked so good on the menu. Unfortunately none of us particularly enjoyed anything we got. All of our drinks just tasted like milk (both iced and hot options) and my croissant was oddly sweet because of the filling and I didn't love that. The pastries are actually being shipped in from elsewhere (they have exactly the same one in coffee shops out in Naperville too lol). Which leaves nothing special here. It's also very small so it gets crowded and swamped pretty fast. You're really constantly stepping out of someone's way when you're just waiting for you order, so that's not ideal either. Likely won't return.

I arrived around 21:00 for dessert/nightcap on a Monday evening before heading back to my hotel…read morenear convention center. I had been enjoying the city after a day of shopping and dinner at Joe's. A friend recommended this lovely bar/lounge. We are not from these parts of the U.S. and love to explore. This lounge is on the second floor of the Chicago Athletic Association building. Part of the Hyatt chain. I was warmly greeted by host and placed next to an old fireplace in front of the bar area. I was seated facing the entire lobby. I was enjoying the Gothic architecture. It was dark and a soothing atmosphere. I appreciated the appropriate music playing as well. It was a perfect way to end my day. I had a glass of champagne and my server recommended the Basque cheesecake. Which was perfect cause I recently visited San Sebastian, Spain. The Basque region makes a great cheesecake. The burned caramelized top complimented my champagne well. There is a room/bar in the back room of where I was. A great bar with games and TVs for sports. After enjoying my nightcap, I walked downstairs and was able to order a ride-share and wait in the warm entry of the building. This hotel is directly across the famous Bean which is in the beautiful Millennium Park. During the day, I highly recommend checking that park out.

When my friend and I recently stayed at the Chicago Athletic Association, we made three…read morereservations for the Drawing Room (using Open Table), two for breakfast and one for dinner. The Drawing Room is in the lobby of the hotel. The first day at the hotel, my friend and I had a breakfast reservation (which we're thankful we did, as it was quite busy) and we sat at a table where the chairs were comfortable but it was too low to comfortably eat at the table. I felt like I was almost stretching and standing when eating. We requested a different type of table the next day when we can back for breakfast. We both ordered the Classic Breakfast consisting of two eggs, Nueske's bacon, breakfast sausage, breakfast potatoes, and sourdough toast. There were options available for gluten free toast and egg white though we didn't opt for that. I did ask for all bacon. The next day, I ordered a Breakfast Sandwich, regularly including chicken breakfast sausage, fluffy eggs, American cheese, house-made english muffin, and green salad (with gluten free toast option). I chose bacon instead of sausage and cheddar instead of American cheese. Both breakfasts were rather good. Unfortunately the dinner wasn't as delightful as a meal as the breakfasts. The chairs were fine and the place wasn't too busy (and we had a reservation) though when we sat down, it was as if we were forgotten as no one came to our table for quite some time. We then realized we weren't too excited about the menu, so we instead when to the nearby Game Room for a bite while watching a basketball game on TV. We were given welcome beverage certificates good for free bubbly at the Game Room though those were also honored at the Game Room. The Drawing Room lobby spaces are open 24 hours daily though guests can order breakfast daily from 7 AM to 11 AM, Monday through Thursday for lunch and dinner from 11 AM to 11 PM, Friday and Saturday from 11 AM to 12 Midnight (though the kitchen closes at 11 PM), and Sunday from 11 AM to 9 PM. You can visit the Drawing Room website at https://www.drawingroomchicago.com, where you can find menus, private event information, reservations, social media links, and more. You can also sign up for restaurant updates at the bottom of the page. While I wouldn't discourage anyone to go to the Drawing Room, it wasn't among our favorite restaurants at the Chicago Athletic Association or nearby the hotel.

Hidden gem in South Loop. something for everyone on the…read moremenu. feels like home. great service!

One of the more disappointing restaurant experiences I've had - there is not much nice I can say…read moreabout Victory Tap, unfortunately. From the very start, I could tell that they're understaffed - the chef/owner is the only guy taking orders. He's nice, but he's got way too many tables and forgot some of our requests. The food was no better - I had an aioli made for me since I'm lactose intolerant that just ended up having no flavor. My friends' food also wasn't a hit. Can't recommend coming here to anyone.

Really nice cocktail lounge in the Kimpton Gray Hotel…read more Upscale, modern look with an antique library theme Cocktails on par with other lounges/bars, ~$20 per drink. Quieter spot to grab a drink or two with friends and intimate enough for a date too Old fashioned was very good, also they stamp the ice cube which is a nice touch

Came in today with a group of eight friends over an hour after cocktail lounge opened (slower…read morehours). I'll begin by mentioning the drinks tasted great & the ambiance/overall esthetic and setup of this space is really wonderful. Unfortunately, my low review is because of the obvious distastefulness of some staff who are serving & bartending here. My guests visiting from out of state wanted a stiff drink in the afternoon & from the website photos + reviews, Vol 39 seemed like an awesome place that could accommodate our party with the large sofa seating. I even called ahead to ask about walk-ins of our size to be extra considerate. We received shocking dagger glares from a few staff members which made all eight of us immediately uncomfortable before even being sat. Like we were committing a major crime for thinking we could step foot in here. Empty stack of glasses slammed on the table with a water pitcher placed beside them; "I'll be right back." In a sharp tone. Ok. But not if we're paying $20 per person per cocktail. We were rushed and this attitude persisted, it is lazy.. especially given it was extremely slow.. super surprising for such an elevated establishment. Then, after a long while, we were all asked what we wanted to drink, like a fast casual burger joint. No, "any questions about our selections" or, "may I give some suggestions?" Never came by to check on us once despite the three other two tops inside. We wrapped it up fast since we definitely could choose another location with more attentiveness & basic kindness. We paid, a hefty gratuity in small print on the check which.. you guessed it.. was automatically included but no mention of this tidbit by the server. Maybe this is why we revived all this mean girl energy from the jump? Because they'll still get paid really well regardless? All eight of us have been a part of the service industry and this one stuck out extra frustrating & annoying. Never leave a low review, I'm writing today to management because they will ruin your repeat clientele, seriously. People can find another fabulous cocktail with way better service & vibes in the city. Overall, it was a shame my friends experienced this gross behavior today in the fabulous city of Chicago. Hope the staff does better in the future and works on improving their outlook.

Great experience, and kid friendly as well. The drink are good as well. We have attended with…read morefriends visiting from out of town and they also enjoyed it.

When Chicago wakes you to a hurricane, you go find a hidden paradise @aohawaiianhideout! Immediate…read morerelief is my favorite lychee martini, repeats of their superb steamed fish bathed in a delicate sweet soy garlic sauce and stirfry mixed vegetables with oyster sauce! Always ohana vibes by owner Betty and staff. Yeah, in noooo hurry to leave

Never a bad meal or service. We live right across the street from Half Sour and it's easily has…read morebecome one of our favorites. Their brunch with homemade bagels are delicious & truly have never ordered anything we didn't love.

This is a great little bar…read more The drinks somehow all had glitter--which I love--but didn't seem to match the vibe. My husband and I stopped in for a quick dinner and Half Sour fit the bill. Casual pub fare of good quality. Slow service, but it wasn't a huge issue. I'm sure we'll be giving it another shot.

I stopped into M Lounge for their Friday night happy hour after hearing about it from my friend's…read morecousin, who happened to be DJing a house set that evening. We arrived right at the start of happy hour, which made it easy to order drinks and grab a comfortable spot. There was even a caterer onsite selling food, it looked good, but we passed since we had just come from dinner. By 7 pm the crowd had grown, and the lounge was completely packed. The vibe was very local, with many people clearly familiar with one another, which gave it a laid-back, neighborhood feel. The drinks were strong, the music was on point, and the energy was just right for a Friday night wind-down. M Lounge is the kind of spot that would definitely be in my regular rotation if I lived in Chicago. Since I don't, I'll just have to make sure it's on my list every time I visit.

Great music, attentive bartenders, reasonably priced cocktails, specials, and a generous assortment…read moreof non alcoholic drinks--this place has it all. After a couple of brown liquor drinks, I wasn't ready to go so the friendly bartender whipped me up a mocktail with a zero proof champagne base and I'll say this: no drinks here miss their marks. I will absolutely visit again when I'm back in Chicago.

Well color me surprised by the discovery of this hidden gem. We were at the C2E2 convention for…read more2026 at the McCormick Hyatt and we always like to have a nice quiet dinner on the Thursday after we check in. I always look for something nearby, and Oliver's popped up. The front of Oliver's is unassuming, but when you walk in, you are greeted by a lovely bar area and small two seater tables in the window. The dining area is down a corridor from the bar area. The decor is quite cute and elegant, with the overall vibe being quire chill. As this was our first time at the restaurant, Aidan explained the menu to us. We started out with the caviar service (Osetra noir caviar, crème fraîche, oyster chicharrón). Ok I love caviar but this is the first time I have had it with chicharróns, and that they were made with oysters. Traditionally, chicharróns are made from pork, but these blew me away to the point that I asked for an additional serving. Highly recommend this starter. We also got the Toast Royale (beef fat griddled sourdough and caramelized shallot butter). This was also yummy on its own and with the caviar. Be warned though, this is a huge serving of bread. I needed up taking half of it home. In addition to these two starters we got the Truffle Gnocchi (comté, aged parmesan, and burgundy truffle). The truffle was extra at $29, but was worth it for me. We also got the charred octopus with preserved peppers, fennel and a Szechuan chili oil. The octopus clocked in at $42, but again so worth it for me. It was prepared perfectly, the octopus was tender and melted in my mouth. For dinner, The Doctor and The Queen got the Black Cod with vegetables and they split the cucumber salad. I got the cheeseburger. They both liked their dishes as there was nothing left on their plates. I am not a fish person myself, but they both stated that the fish was well prepared. For me, the cheeseburger was very good and so were those fries. While there are other dinner items on the menu, that burger was giving life and I would definitely get that again. Although I will say I saw a table order the half chicken and that looked really good. I would consider that as a possible entrée as well. For dessert I got the coconut key lime pie to split with The Doctor and The Queen got the malted milk & cookies. I am a sucker for coconut and key lime, but together it was kismet. And we also got an order of the warm chocolate chip cookies on the house. Those were very good and I am saying so as I am not a big fan of cookies per se. Haley and Aidan were the folks that took care of us and they were so nice. They were very attentive and genuinely seemed happy to be working there. Oliver's was a great dining experience for us, but I will preface this review with some of the dishes are on the pricey side, but I can live with that because I simply want what I want. For the quality of the dishes, I felt it was worth it.

One of my friends is obsessed with this restaurant and their burger, so I had to go try. Oh my…read moregoodness it is SO good!!! I get the hype, and I see why everyone raves about it! First off, this was the best service I've ever received in my entire life. Truly, nothing topped this. The waiters were genuinely the most kind and fun loving ppl, and they be complimenting your dish choices, giving tips on how to elevate each dish, boxing up our food and putting it at the front desk, giving us pink floral plates because we said we liked their plates.... Just so genuinely kind! To start, we got the truffle gnocchi. Oh my goodness this was the MOST soft and pillowy gnocchi I've EVER had in my entire life. I don't think anything can beat the texture. Not tooo truffle-y either, which is great for folks that don't want to be drowned by that flavor. We also tried the toast royale. It was huge hunks of sourdough griddled with beef fat. This made for a very umami bite with that caramelized shallot butter on the side, but it was a bit heavy for us given how many other carbs we've already ordered. I'd definitely recommend getting this if you're with a big group! The star of the show - Oliver's cheeseburger. Now I'm not one that enjoys salt. This burger was SALTY... and I loved it??!! The salt comes from the 5 year aged cheddar and their sauce, which gave it such a rich and full bite. The French fries are truffle shoestring fries that comes with their sauce, and it's just so so so so good. I genuinely loved this meal a whole lot!!! Highly recommend!!