Popped in for a Friday afternoon cocktail and snack. Nice space, good views, but on a sunny day you have to jockey for respite from the heat and light. Bartender was great, checked in just enough and kept the everything well paced. We ordered the sliders for our snack and they asked us how we wanted them (medium rare) and they came perfectly so, which is tough to achieve with a small patty. Flavor was all good, and fries were nice and crisp. Made our getaway once all the kids arrived. read more

This place is GORGEOUS. Warm summer afternoon, roof patio, friendly staff, and strong drinks... I want to be there. Located in the Godfrey Hotel downtown, Io, or however the hell you spell it specializes in small plates... Quantity over quantity, but in the beset way possible. Brioche Sticks are amazing, and deserve to be capitalized, and the adult smoked salmon was perfectly seasoned... as an active member of the Jewish people, I know a good bagel and lox... and this was a damn good bagel and lox. The prices are surprisingly reasonable, and the staff was incredibly friendly. The patio has a great view, and features a retractable glass roof, so even in winter, you can enjoy a good view. If you're looking for a trendy place for lunch or dinner in downtown Chicago, check this place out, even if you're not staying at the hotel. I'll definitely be back to try more of the menu and sit in the sun. read more

IO Godfrey - Gorgeous rooftop - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I wouldn't really consider this a "rooftop" since it's on the 4th floor - but regardless, they have great views of the city! I called to make a reservation, but they don't accept reservations unless it's for bottle service. I had a girls night out here on a Thursday evening, and we had no issue getting seated outdoors, even with a whole section being blocked off for a private event. Cocktails are $15 (a little pricey even for Chicago) but the drinks here were great! The drinks were not too sweet or too strong. I had the pineapple mojito, which was presented in a glass with crushed ice and then the server poured the shaken drink in my glass. My friend had the rainbow sangria, which included the frozen fruit cubes, and my other friend had the raspberry mule. I will definitely come back again for drinks. We didn't try the food options, but they had a good variety of *pricey* menu items. read more

Great outdoor patio area with good happy hour options! We came here on a weekday after work and it was packed!! We started off with some prosecco, which is on their happy hour menu. We also ordered the tuna tartare taco, shishito peppers and french fries with truffle oil. All were delicious!! My favorite was the tuna tartare taco, which came with a fried taco shell and some bomb jalapeno dressing over it! Definitely a great place to chill with friends and grab a drink!! read more

Great city view, small plates and fun cocktail options. Great to enjoy with friends or a fun date with your partner. Service treated us well! So I would say black friendly. There is an assuming dress code which I can respect. read more

Amazing food, drinks, and service! The wagon sliders are amazingggg Are server Kristine was so sweet and gave us great recommendations!

I|O can be pricey normally, but their happy hour is solid! The truffle fries are a must-order! They're crispy yet light on the outside and don't feel like they've been over-fried, but pillowy and soft on the inside. TBH I didn't taste the truffle, but I ate fries every day for the last week (#health) and these were the best of the bunch. I also ordered the prosciutto and burrata flatbread ($9) expecting a light appetizer, but it was enough food for 2 people to share as a main course. The frosé was super creamy and tasty, yet kind of strong so you don't feel like they're skimping on alcohol lol. The vibe is really great as well. read more

The Godfrey is the best roof top in the chi hands down! I mean they just all the way around the bomb! The wait staff are nice and so attentive and accommodating. Had a sweet waitress this evening by the name of Margarita. Not to mention they make a mean and tasty Margarita as well. The irony right? The views are amazing. The vibe is amazing. The food is good. The drinks are great. I mean everything about this place is to like. It's not overcrowded and pretentious. Everybody is cool, enjoying life and just wanna have a good time. The octopus tacos are amazing as well as the truffle fries. I swear I can't wait to come back. Making plans as I type because like the terminator I'll be back. read more

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Came here on a date on a cold winter day. Enjoyed the rooftop per the usual but was disappointed the bar didn't have the ingredients available for several of their drinks which resulted in quite the wait. There was $20 cover for men and it wasn't a special night. Bathroom was clean. It wasn't crowded though it was a Friday night. Music could've had more potential. I'd be back with a group of friends come summertime. read more

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I love this place and make it a point to go here anytime I have guests in town. The lamb lolli-chops are to-die for, and go perfectly with the truffle fries. Another honorable mention is the lobster salad, which is also pretty good. The vibe has been different every time I've been. Happy hour seems to have the best energy, I'd say...I hear it gets really lively on weekend-nights if you're looking for more of a party scene. The i|o is a must-do in Chicago, for me...if at least for the lamb. read more

This place is definitely overrated. It's pretty inside, but the view from the spacious rooftop patio wasn't that great. It was a little crowded in the front, but roomy along the edges. The overall vibe was fine though. 45-minute wait in line and not because it's crowded. It's only to keep up appearances. We heard a guy try to bribe the bouncer and he was told it would be either a $1,000 table or 1.5 hour wait. When we left the bar 15 minutes later, they were still waiting outside! Was it worth it? Naaahhh. read more

came in and ordered a drink and wanted to pay with Apple Pay after losing my card and CHECKING online that they accept Apple Pay. the bar tender poured my drink out instead of understanding the situation. stuff happens sometimes and we forget to treat each other with dignity. but overall that experience would not have me return here. read more

Your NYE 2020 was really bad !!! I Was embarrassed in front of 10 friends I invited there and promised It will be fun. On the other hand I posted a review on your hotel yelp and they deleted it because I gave my honest feed back. read more

Better than I expected but way more club-like than I anticipated. Food and drink-wise, everything was good or really good. The rooftop is really nice too, but on the 4th floor, so it's not like sky high views. Service was very nice. It IS like stepping into an elevated club for the young 30 year olds who actually have decent money to spend, the nice wardrobe to match, and want to keep clubbing but not get bogged down by the immature 20-year-olds who can't do it properly. The venue is posh so if you're a gal and not wearing heels, you may feel a little too casual. For an elevated evening this might be nice, but clubbing was never really my thing... read more

IO Godfrey - Evening view - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Beautiful view! Came here for a night out and the bartenders/manager were really warm. Food was great as well as the drinks.

Rooftops? Yes Please! Chicago? Definitely! I|O Godfrey Rooftop Bar in Chicago? HELL YA! BACKGROUND I'm traveling all over, and most of my favorites keep winding up in Downtown Chicago. The rooftop lounge I|O at the Godfrey Hotel is one of my MOST favorites, EVER! I|O GODFREY From the 4th floor at the epicenter of River North you find I|O Godfrey, a roofscape with uninterrupted views of the southern Chicago skyline radiate to life setting a brilliant backdrop. I|O encompasses approximately 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, with 10,000 square feet of lounge and event space available year long, named for its captivating Indoor/Outdoor ambiance. Among the panoramic skyline views include a fire pit, shimmering water elements, a video wall, retractable roof and more. I|O has more space and unique amenities to offer than any venue in the city. Get started at the indoor bar with plush banquettes and a VIP area. Breeze through the sliding glass wall and you'll find yourself sipping drinks at the outdoor bar during the day, after work, at night or on weekends in front of the commanding views of Chicago. THE STORY & SERVICE EXPERIENCE I was roaming around with my Chicago crew, and we decided to spend some time at the Godfrey Hotel and hangout on the rooftop. Luckily for us, my friend knows a guy, because VIP rooftop access is usually pretty difficult to get. The rooftop was popping. Most of the cabana tables were rented and they had all the bars open. I absolutely LOVE all of the appointments; so old school high glam and elegant. I always check out the decor and lighting wherever I go, and I was wandering around snapping pictures of everything and talking to the staff about the history of the establishment whilst all my friends were chilling out and having drinks on the terrace. I was in a Perrier Jouet mood and this is one of the best places to sip champagne. At least that's my experience. CONCLUSION I love, love, love this establishment. It's a cool, super slick place to see and be seen. I can't wait to go back. 5/5 RECOMMEND *For more information: https://www.godfreyhotelchicago.com/rooftop-lounge.html read more

Just go somewhere else... Summary: sub par views for a rooftop bar, obnoxious atmosphere (even during non peak hours), and horrific service. Let's dive deeper. I've been here before, but went again after some time to appease a friend. (My experience before was on par with this one). Sat down and our server treated us like like peasants. I'd expect something like this if we were coming in 5 mins before close but his was early into the night. Servers are aesthetically appealing but lack in the qualities actually relevant to their jobs. So I downed my drink as fast as possible and we left. You couldn't pay me to come back here. **If you're still reading, please let me offer a couple suggestions for other rooftop bars, clubs, etc that are worth your time** Rooftop bars: Celeste Noyane Cindy's London House Clubs: DISCO Smart Bar read more

IO Godfrey - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We got turned away because there is apparently a wedding. They let in about 10 people after because they supposedly have bottle service and they are sharing the space with the wedding. They let in girls in shorts and Toms. I mean really? This is the worst place ever. The bouncers are douchey and liars. By the way I don't know what's up w the Latino bouncer's hair. It's like he doesn't know of he is Jon B. and stuck in the 90's or Enrique Iglesias read more

IO Godfrey - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wednesday, June 2 through Friday, June 4 Summary: I booked this hotel MAINLY cuz of the connected lounge(Same reason I book Hard Rock in SD, for example).. First of all, I currently live in Las Vegas. Not only have I stayed at every hotel on the strip except one, but I've also lived in Chicago, Milwaukee, San Diego, and Seattle.. So I've stayed at a 1,000 hotels in my life, from Tokyo, Japan to Toronto, Canada.. The Godfrey is the first and only hotel I've ever stayed at, where guests aren't guaranteed access to the hotel lounge/club. THAT'S F'in CRAZY. Long story: Give FAKE reasons like covid, blah blah blah, but after the bald guy with the iPad by the elevator told me at 8:20ish pm that they weren't taking anymore walk-ins, I decided to go up and order a couple drinks to go. I had told the blonde hostess what happened and she gave me a spot at the bar, stating she has no idea why bald dude told me that. Btw, I was LITERALLY the only one at that bar. The second bar only had 2 people standing at it. They were dead, except for a few tables spread out with people. I had two different locals, wearing baseball caps(against their dress code, but I don't care.. Just pointing out) come up to me and told me it's a locals' hangout and "everyone knows everyone." I get it. I'm from Vegas, where all nightlife people know each other and take care of one another.. But they still take care of their HOTEL GUESTS here. The bartender, Rachel was nice, and drinks were reasonably priced. read more

Went for bday celebration during happy hour. Amazing service. Loved the duck quesadillas. Beautiful Ambience. Rooftop is amazing!!!!! read more

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Rude, pretentious staff and seating was difficult at the bar as they kept taking chairs away. Drinks were weak and mediocre for the price. Very unfriendly staff. View so so as it is on the 4th floor. read more

Looked on Yelp for a rooftop bar. I came in here and it was great. Great view and decor is on point. The music was awesome and pretty packed on Wednesday. The drink menu has some outstanding drinks, but a bit pricey. But totally worth it and recommend if in the area. read more

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Me and my friends had a reservation and we showed up for the Godfrey rooftop and the bouncer refused to let us in. He was arrogant and rude to us despite us having a reservation. We sat down to figure out what we want to do next since our whole night was ruined and several other girls walked in that did not have reservations and they discussed amongst themselves and let them in regardless. Absolute garbage service. Felt like a brothel. read more

Came here on Saturday with my sisters and friend. We had a great experience! Our waiter Mike was so friendly and quick. We never had to wait around to order drinks or food. My favorite drink was the rainbow sangria. I'm not a big fan of strong drinks so the sangria was perfect. The place is so bright with a beautiful view of the city. I would 100% recommend this rooftop. read more

The IO Urban Roofscape is a great spot for a drink - the views are great and the setting has a trendy, modern vibe. The service wasn't the greatest, but the ambiance made up for it. I met a friend here for Monday night drinks, and liked the fact the place still had a good number of people, despite it being a weeknight. That said, it wasn't too busy, and I was able to walk in at 8:00pm on a Monday and easily get a table with a view. The drinks are a bit pricey (it is a hotel bar, after all), but the atmosphere is fun. They're definitely going for the "hip and cool" vibe and generally succeeding. Our waitress forgot about us and didn't take our drink orders for a while, but she was quite apologetic when we flagged her down. Overall, a good spot to grab a drink. read more

I visited the rooftop bar for brunch. The food was great, the service was just okay. The servers were slow to wait on us and appeared to need more waiters. The service was not up to par with the quality of the food. read more

IO Godfrey - Lamb lollipops, truffle fries, avocado toast with salmon - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went to this place twice. First for a charity event. Too many people. Packed. Slow service. I promised myself to never go there. But the outdoor / indoor rooftop (4th floor. Why not on the roof) is great. So I recently went there for drinks and snacks. They also have live music which is a plus. My advice is to go there for either an afterwork drink or a before night out drink. The staff is very helpful they are 5 stars read more

IO Godfrey - Enjoy the outdoor and the view - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We went to IO Godgrey for Mother's Day Brunch at 3 pm. It was aboslutley terrible. The eggs benedict were dried up and and the eggs were hard boiled and cold. The sushi was way below average with a 2 choice limit of small pieces of tuna sushi and a vegitarian option. The bacon stuck together and was greasy. The pastries were all dried up and inedible. The only thing that was above average were the free drinks delivered by some vendor. I was also dissatisfied with the automatic 21% service gratuity for a party of 4 for a buffet. I may had given 20% anyway but it was unreasonable. Breakfast at Dennys or iHOP would have been fresher and better. I plan on writing a letter to the manager expressing my deep disappointment. read more

The Godfrey IO is a beautiful bar/lounge concept. Especially in the summers! I went during Easter weekend the terrace, my God...was beautifully lit with pristine white leather couches surrounding a fire. I preferred the outside to the inside that had a different vibe- more of the club scene. Located on the 4th floor of the hotel, we did not pay cover. My stars come off for this place with the bartender in the back. The selection liquor was quite impressive. I ordered a neat single shot of MacAllan's 18. The bartender seemed to be surprised with my order. I know my whiskey- and yes ladies can handle their whiskey neat. He poured me an apple juice sized serving that you get on a plane- 3 shots not 1. I was charged 50$ for this drink- did I enjoy it as much as I would've if I had a single shot? no. It really takes away from your experience from enjoying a good whiskey in a beautiful environment. I felt peer pressured into paying, I did nonetheless-I like McAllan's-so I took my time with my drink. However this really took away from a classy experience. I am happy to say I did not let this one experience tarnish my night. I am glad they had the terrace, Management should consider talking to their bar staff into not coercing their clients for a decent tip, doesn't meet up to the hotel standards. I do prefer the J Parker rooftop. read more

This place is nice! This is definitely a place you can go with your girlfriends or a nice date. The view is very cool--in River North you can just see all the high buildings, with a nice view of the sky. I liked the atmosphere--definitely kind of uppity but there are places outside you can sit and chill. Come dressed up with your glammest outfits and your heels! I liked that it gave that vibe because sometimes you just want to wear your best dress. :) The drinks are pretty good and the bartenders were pretty dope that night. Would recommend! read more

Food and drinks are AMAZING. I had the sliders and a cosmo and they were both so good. I was slightly disappointed because I looked online at their happy hour menu, but when I got there they said they don't do happy hours now? And they charge $10 for water now :/ read more

IO Godfrey - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was the best white sangria & truffle fries we ever had! We live nearby so we usually come here Friday afternoon for some happy hour deal and to be relaxed with great Chicago city view. There happy hour cocktail was ok, usually we would order a pitch of white sangria and some food to pick up. I love love their truffle fries, even without promotion it's only 6 bucks!! This is the best rooftop bar for me in Chicago! read more

IO Godfrey - White sangria! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I get wanting to be safe during the pandemic, but to serve the worse breakfast syrup is pretty irresponsible. The ingredients are printed on the label, its well known that corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are the worse ingredients. read more

IO Godfrey - The worse syrup - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is by far my favorite way to spend the holiday. The atmosphere is absolutely beautiful the view tremendous. The whole concept is so unique and worth every penny - which is so fair! Drink are delicious the food fantastic! The service is perfect!!! This place is truly the hotspot of Chicago. If you've never been - you need to go!!! This is our second time in the igloos and look forward to more! read more

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This review is for Thanksgiving dinner at The Godfrey on 11/23/17. This was a complete disappointment. We had a 6pm reservation. This is a beautiful space, but, I think a lot could be done to improve the overall organization of the dinner service. When we arrived, our table was ready, which was a good sign, however, it all went down hill from there. They ran out of mashed potatoes (which was later replenished), and the line for the carving station was 15 people deep. They were also out of clean spoons and also ran out of plates at one point. We were seated in the lounge area where I think they could have turned on the lights during dinner. I could not see what I was eating. I wasn't really impressed with the food. All of the disorganization issues really took away from enjoying our meal. I'm giving one star for our nice server. read more

This place is huge and has several rooms you can hang out in. The rooftop area is expansive and perfect to hang out in on a warm day. The view was ok compared to other rooftops, though (check out the Terrace at the Trump hotel!). The big con is on a Sunday night (though it was Memorial Day weekend) around 10pm, it was about a 45min wait. It's so interesting and whacko at the same time how these lines work at times! The guys who were right behind us were told it'd be a 1.5hr wait (they were still waiting when we left the place, sad). The couple directly in front of us were told that they could buy a table for $1,000 or wait an hour. They immediately left after hearing that and ten min later, the guy let me and my friend in. Despite continually advertising how they were at full capacity, it was definitely not packed when we got in! Oh, typical...there were a lot of people, but the space is so huge there's tons of space everywhere. Anyways, it's still a cute rooftop, but there's others that are easier and quicker to get into. read more

Nice rooftop bar- only on forth floor but there's lots of outdoor seating with umbrellas. View is okay but decorations are nice. $20 valet and beware the valet- they are all very rude and aggressive. Next door it's only $10 so I would just use valet there and walk ten feet. Went for brunch- small plates are delicious but very tiny and overpriced. Just go here for atmosphere. read more

My friend, who also has a room, had a bday party on the rooftop. I get there at 10:25p and am not allowed to go up to join because they aren't taking any "walk ins" on the rooftop. I told them my party was already there and they made no effort to help solve the problem. No communication with the rooftop staff. Nothing. Even though the website says it closes at 12am. I was told "well sometimes it changes". There was no communication or customer service. Don't ever go here for a bday party. The rooms were SMALL too. Don't book there. Her party was ruined. :( read more

I've only been here for networking events and parties, the place is fine. Nothing special. Like most hotel lounges, way over prices on drinks that are weak. Usually get a free drink with these events and they have some apps, which is fine but nothing special. The people that work there definitely have a better than you vibe. I think I went here once not for a networking event and the service was awful. The venue is very nice looking and I like they way it's set up. But I will probably go there again for another networking event or party and take my free drink but won't be spending any money here. read more

Very good food but that didn't quite compensate for my expectations offset by a $25 reservation fee to hold my spot followed by not so good service. I came there with 3 people and we ordered the fish tacos, firecracker roll, godfrey burger. First of all, this restaurant doesn't have anything on the menu that is below $15. The tables were so small and we felt like we had to hunch over to eat our food. In addition to this, the interior was very sub-par. The skirts of some of the benches were torn and dirty and surfaces were dusty and unappealing. It felt high end - the staff were well-presenting, but the interior fell short. Secondly, the service fell short in performance. I've hosted and worked in Michelin star restaurants as a host and my partner, a chef with an extensive resume. Needless to say, perhaps it was just a bad. We ordered sushi when we put in our first round of drinks and orders. The waiter was quick to greet us and put in our orders with no problem but the back of the house fumbled. The runner even forgot to open my topo chico - my partner opened it. I could tell this was frustrating for the waiter. We never got our sushi but got our burger and tacos first! Not sure why this happened. But even after waiting for the sushi for nearly 45 minutes, we weren't brought our soy sauce. The food was good, but the service and interior need some work to complete the full experience. For a place with such an expensive menu, why isn't the interior clean and neater? We made the manager aware of these missteps and he was very nice and helped us. read more