Got some great cocktails from this bar and gallery in Aurora. It has a kind of limited menu but you…read morecan find something good though. French 75 is basically an art gallery but there's a bar. Look at some art while sipping on a few cocktails. The prices aren't bad especially at happy hours. Checked it out before going to see a play and it was big time ass busy. It's one of the nicer bars in town to be certain. There's all kinds of fancy cocktails such as the namesake obviously. Go at the happy hour and save a few bucks. It's $6 for any of the French 75 variations. Happy hour is Tuesdays through Fridays 4 to 6 in the evening. The Blanc is Bombay Dry Gin, Brut, lemon juice, and simple syrup. It's about $9 for appetizers. The Marinated Olives are nice to munch on. Also they have charcuterie boards. These are great for groups and parties. Has quite an interesting combination. It's open every evening with plenty of art to check out. They have a happy hour weekdays and are open later Fridays and Saturdays.

This is a cute place to come and grab a drink and light food with friends with unique cocktails and…read morecharcuterie boards. They have beautiful paintings covering the walls, and very friendly and attentive service. I tried The Goddess drink, which is similar to a sangria, and the Flower Garden is really good too.

Great food and ambience!! We stopped here before a show at The Venue and we absolutely loved it!!…read moreThe owner was so nice and making sure everything was ok. Service was fantastic! We will definitely be back!

Stopped in before seeing a band play at The Venue and was very pleased with the Tavern! If I lived…read morecloser, this would be a place to stop by often. We sat at the bar, had wonderful service from Kat, and loved the vibe. There was a musician playing music and everything was just on point. Our food was awesome - although my caesar salad could have been chopped up a bit more - everything tasted delicious!! The drinks were fantastic as well! Keep doing what you're doing!

My cousin was in town on his birthday and wanted to get together somewhere for a drink and decided…read moreon Arthouse in downtown Aurora. This was my first time there and I am surprised I haven't heard more people talking about it. I stopped in a little after 9:30pm to meet up with the rest of the group of 6 on a Saturday night. I didn't realize until I got there that my cousin's cousin who is a friend was actually bartending so that was a nice surprise because he's got a lot of experience. Our server was really nice and came up to our high top as I was looking over the drink menu to let me know that the kitchen would be closing soon in case we wanted to order any food but we had all already eaten. I do kind of wish that I had looked over the food menu though because some of the last plates I saw being served for the night looked pretty good. Both the server and our friend did a great job of checking in throughout the night with our party and the others. This was the same night as the Pride Celebration in Aurora that was literally just outside on Stolp Ave but it wasn't very busy for a while but a good amount of people trickled in for a nightcap after the show at the Paramount let out. The 2 drinks I had were really good. The first one was the featured cocktail: Naughty Nellie's Nectar which was a great Tiki-esque drink with spiced rum and bitters mixed with various fruit juices including passion fruit, guava, pineapple, and lime. It was right up my alley so I was a little sad when I went for a second one and the bartender said that they had run out of some of the ingredients but that he would make me the other drink on the menu that's similar, the Twilight Tixi. I liked that one a lot too. What really made the night great though was the chill and relaxing ambiance of the space. The nice lighting gave the mood of a mix between lounge, restaurant and bar. The music was good and although they had the TV above the bar playing the last game of the NBA finals it was not the focal point. I'm looking forward to more fun nights at Arthouse in the future.

The tacos have had me in a chokehold for a few months now, especially the steak one they had. Each…read moremonth they switch it up and add a new burger and taco to the menu. Recently I tried the Ribeye (Medium Rare) and Mac and cheese for a very patriotic meal before the 4th of July. I really like the chimichurri sauce, hot tip - add a little to your Mac and cheese. So delicious. I'd say the steak could have used a little more of a crust but overall was still really yummy. The service is always wonderful, tonight Poncho was working and he always remembers my drink and makes my friends feel welcome. If you haven't been before the ambiance is really great. I challenged you go to in and find a new bad you haven't heard of, or count all the ones you recognize in the decor. I also really love the Arthouse Salad

Love this place. Great spot to stop for a couple of cocktails. Have a diverse array of things on…read morethe specialty drink menu, and serve some small plates as well. Has turned into a semi-regular stop when we're out and about

I've been to The Alchemist multiple times because my boyfriend loves it, even though I've always…read morethought it was just alright. We usually sit inside, but I wanted to sit on their patio. We came about an hour before their kitchen closed. For some reason the service was just bad this time. Our waitress took a long time to come and check on us, forgot to bring us our drinks, forgot to bring our food to us (the waiter serving the table next to us brought it... he was doing a great job and kinda wish we had him instead lol), and took forever to come pick up our check. Just overall felt like we were questioning where she was the entire time. We got the focaccia bread with side of vodka sauce, togarashi fries, tenderloin skewers, and oysters (forgot to get a photo). The food was good and the cocktails were refreshing. My favorite was the focaccia with the vodka sauce. The fries were also crispy and flavorful.

I had a wonderful happy hour experience! 3-5, Monday-Friday. I made a reservation for 4pm. I was…read moregreeted with a smile and sat immediately. The decor reminds me of a speakeasy. I ordered the green tomatoes, honey jalapeño cornbread, a cup of gumbo and hibiscus hottie as my cocktail. Every dish was fantastic!! My drink was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy! I'm so eager to come back for brunch, happy hour and dinner! This is a downtown Aurora MUST.

As soon as we walked in, the staff quickly greeted us. The restaurant was clean and inviting, with…read morean intimate, cozy atmosphere. The decor was unique and beautiful, and we were seated at a corner table that had a romantic vibe. The food was delicious. We ordered the quarter house steak frites, Louisiana catfish, honey jalapeño cornbread, bayou brûlée, a cocktail and beer. Everything tasted fresh and made to order. The staff were attentive and friendly throughout our meal. Overall, we would definitely return. It's a perfect date-night spot in downtown Aurora, and it's great to see restaurants like this come to Aurora!

Great establishment with a cool vibe. Super friendly, prompt and attentive staff. But let's cut to…read morethe chase. The poached pear salad with the marinated grilled chicken was top notch. The poached pears were exquisite. The fresh spinach and thin-sliced pears were the perfect bed (better than arugula would have been) and the crans, feta and crushed nuts were great for balance and texture. But let's talk about that chicken's agave marinade. It was zesty with a slight acidic citrus to balance the sweetness from the pear. The whole deal was delicious. And with the maple-dijon vinaigrette to top it off - well, that topped it off! My buddy got a Hippie Chic sandwich and he liked it very much too. I don't usually write reviews on first visits and certainly never before for a salad but the Vault is a gem that should be on full display, not locked away!

I went here for mother's day. This was our first time here. Cute little place. We parked around the…read moreback and sat on the patio. Right out of the gate I was disappointed with slow service. There were two waitresses in our area and it was clear ours was not as serious about their job as the other. We waited long enough after being seated to start to wonder id we had been forgotten. Two other tables (seated after us by the other waitress) had been seated and got drinks before our someone came to our table. When I did get my water it had plastic wrap in it. The other waitress took it from us to get a new one. No sorry, nothing. Acted like nothing happened. Our waitress delivered the new one 10 solid minutes later. It was Not super busy at this time. Why so long? And again no acknowledgement of the plastic.. couldnt get myself to drink anything else with worry of contamination of the ice box. Order the california chicken sandwich and brussel sprouts. My mother had the smash burger. She seemed to enjoy it though both sandwiches were stacked super tall and mine had two huge thick red o ions on it. A bit overpowering but mine was good after that was removed. Brussel sprouts were significantly salty. Wasnt able to get through them. My mom got the fries and tho were standard. She also got a bloody mary. It was alright she seemed to enjoy it. Waitress was a little sarcastic with us for no reason and the plastic and just overall service was unfortunate. It was enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth and I dont plan to return.

Beth and Tiffany were expert bartenders who made our casual all-ages Thanksgiving open house super…read morefun. They were flexible and knew how to work the bar and the room. You will not be disappointed in their service!

From the owner: Every drink has a story. Let us help you create and be a part of yours!read more

Great ambiance and Service. Drinks menu is fun and creative. Go there to show case for visiting…read morefriends and relatives

We love ourselves a good speakeasy. I initially wanted to try Maypole and stumbled upon Subourbon…read moreand thank goodness we did! My partner is a huge fan of a good Manhattan or old fashion so I knew we had to come. We were greeted by Joe and Kobe. Had our option of where to sit and Lola was a great waitress. We were able to order food from Maypole so it was a win/win. Kobe and Lola took their time explaining everything to us from drink recommendations to the food to the delicious shots they brought over. We definitely plan on coming back again as it was beautiful, a great time and good food and drinks! Can't wait to try the next seasonal options they have!

Altavida is a new addition to the downtown Naperville area as they have only been open for 3 weeks…read more It has taken over The Craftsman building which offers three floors. Altavida's concepts for the three levels are Publico, Rumba, and Altura. Publico (1st Flr)- A South American fusion of food and drinks that will be rotating. The cocktails will be more tequila and mezcal based and food will be subtly rotated based on trends happening in South America. The food menu currently offers tapas, empanadas, ceviche, guacamoles, larger format meat/seafood entrees, and more. They will have a front of our bar as well as a back bar that will specialize in more coffees/coffee cocktails. Rumba (2nd Flr)- The entertainment floor! There is a separate bar on this floor that will specialize in more Rum based cocktails. Additionally, they will have a wine bar area with wines in tap. Lastly, they will have an open area for live music as well as dancing. Their hope is to have a mix of jazz, club music, salsa dancing options available. Altura (3rd Flr)- This floor is still under construction but will have a rooftop patio. The hope is that this space will be an event space both for public and private events. Back to my experience! My partner and I stopped in for a cocktail and to see what Altavida was about. Our first bartender was very nice but was still getting used to the drink recipes and was leaning on their cheat sheets. While we waited, another bartender kindly told us all about the restaurant and its focus on hospitality. Unfortunately, each bartender had a slightly different explanation of the restaurant's goal concepts which was confusing. We ended up ordering the El Toro and Vaquero (both mezcal drinks). Both were VERY spirit forward to the point that it may have needed better balance. Both drinks had a nice presentation with garnishes, color, and a skull feature at the bottom of the glass. Lastly, we saw many people walk up and look confused as there was no formal host stand. They didn't know if they should seat themselves or wait for someone. Overall, there still seems to be some kinks needing to be worked out as well as some conceptual editing. I feel they are trying to achieve too much and it ends up being confusing for staff and guests. I hope with time, Altavida is extremely successful in the Naperville area and I hope to circle back after some time passes.

This place is a wonderful addition to DT Naperville! I was able to get a last minute dinner…read morereservation on a Friday night. I arrived at 6:30 and there were plenty of people already in the restaurant, but I was seated promptly. My server Richard came over to greet me right away. He went over the menu options and gave great recommendations. We put our order in pretty quickly because we've been to tapas restaurants before. I loved the modern decor and lively music being played. The place is truly colorful and has a very energetic vibe. The service was excellent. Everyone was extremely kind and happy to help. Edwin, the general manager was so friendly and accommodating by making sure that everything was to our liking. He is a gem. My husband and I ordered a few different tapas to share. We started with the empanadas and they were truly 10/10, highly recommend! We had the beef and chicken with the chimichurri sauce. We also tried the papas bravas and those were delicious as well. They are spicy and have a nice kick. The portion is pretty big and shareable. Last, we had chicken en mole. Omg, so good! They knocked it out of the park with this one. The presentation is very pleasing and the flavor is 10/10! I'm a hot sauce girly and even carry it in my bag just in case. The sauce they had in the dish was so good that I didn't even think about adding hot sauce! The rice and chicken along with the sauce is chef's kiss. I also tried the Brussels sprouts but they were my least favorite of everything. They should go back to the drawing board on that one. The drinks we had were solid. My husband had an espresso martini and dragonfruit margarita, while I had a mango margarita. All were good. Needless to say, I had an amazing evening at Altavida! The dancing on the second floor was also very fun and entertaining. I will definitely be a regular here!

Lovely place to be. Friendly personnel, affordable prices, delicious food. Recommend!read more

The service was so terrible I was questioning if I was a ghost. Possibly the worst service of…read moreanywhere I have ever been. For $100 per person, I was frankly shocked. Had a 1:30 reservation and it took over an hour and a half to even get food. I will say that there was one guy manning basically every table and acting as the host since the server was nowhere to be seen. Food was very good, so it is a shame!