My wife and I have been here twice in the past 3 months for our birthdays and have had phenomenal experiences. It's dark and intimate and yet has so much going on visually - one of a kind in the city. We've enjoyed the Smoke and Milk Punch of the 1st page of the menu and I recently got the barrel aged strawberry negroni which was excellent too. What I HIGHLY recommend though is just talk with the bartender about what you like. We had Luka on our most recent trip and he was incredible! Friendly, funny and a killer mixologist. For my wife he took "chocolate, coconut, coffee" and crafted this incredible milkshake like drink. For me we settled on "mezcal, bitter, herbaceous" and he made the best mezcal drink I've ever had. Whoever is back there is super talented, see what they can do. It's expensive, sure, but it's beyond worth it for special occasions. We can't wait for our next visit! read more

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Amazing experience for speakeasy vibes. BUT IAN... it's ok if our dumplings were forgotten.... Just don't try to play it off after waiting over 60mins for them and tell us "I'm sorry idk what happened". Loved the vibes and drinks, disappointed in the service at the very end of our visit. read more

I came here to try The Dusty Bottle Experience and let me tell you, it was worth it!! The Office is located in the basement of The Aviary. I got escorted down there when I arrived for my 5:15 PM reservation. May I add that I was running late due to the snow in Chicago falling down. I e-mailed them en route and had a quick response from the staff. I was ten minutes late to my reservation and I savored the experience till about 8 PM. I guess the weather may have factored into that part of me staying later than I thought. Ian and Kyle were the ones at The Office. Kyle made my drinks and to be honest I honestly don't recall the names of each drink. They were all good that I just savored every drop. The Dusty Bottle Experience also came with small plates. Loved all of the small plates and the desert, was to die for! It was a coffee flavored ice cream, a way to my heart! Overall, will have to come back again when I am in town. Thanks for giving me a fantastic experience!! read more

Had a great experience here for my birthday. The drinks were great. We got custom drinks, and were some of the tastiest I've had (about 20 bucks each). The customer service is great! The whole experience feels very exclusive, when we were cold the bartender brought us scarves, and the bartender walked to our table to describe each cocktail to us. We tried the one bite ravioli (pricy $15, but a fun experience). The staff also brought me a little birthday icecream cone. Overall, this was a really great experience. While pricy, it can be worth it to experience great customer service and custom (awesome) drinks. Very quiet intimate atmosphere with cool music. read more

The Office - Custom Felix drink - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of the most ridiculous cocktail experiences I've ever had. From the get go it's over the top because it resides in the bottom of the Aviary (which is itself over the top.) You would've even notice the place unless someone told you "behind this door, in close proximity to the bathroom, is the Office." So yes the place is small, low lit, and secretive. I'm good with all of that because this is a spot for special occasions (unless you just ball out like that.) As you might imagine the service was top notch; not one complaint here. So let's talk about the drinks... Their menu is super creative and what they did was they broke it up into various periods throughout time. This is important because on the menu was a 12yr Courvoisier. Now I normally don't go for anything 12 yrs old if I can help it... But they explained that the 12 yr back in 1960/1 970 tastes entirely different than today's same vintage that you can purchase anywhere. Now because it's in a bottle, it obviously hasn't aged so this claim intrigued me. I said "yolo" and plopped down the coin. And man.... Glad I did. It. Was. Good. The prices here are not for the faint of heart. But neither are their concoctions; this place is amazing and is I cannot wait to go again. read more

So we went yesterday and we made reservations way ahead of time bc we are celebrating our honeymoon. Yes my husband and I aren't big and fat but did they really have to seat us at the worlds tiniest spot?! We came bc we are fans of alinea. We were seated in the Stuart little section. The service as also bad. I felt the service was looking down on us like we weren't cool enough, Which is weird bc we've been spending big on service since we wanted only the best on our honeymoon. Bottom line: drinks were good food was crap, service was ick read more

We were seated for our reservation 10 mins late since the table wasn't empty. The drinks were way too sweet. We waited 15 mins with empty drinks at our table to get another round and were then told we only had the table for 12 more minutes. The experience with the staff was underwhelming - it didn't feel like my drink preferences were heard when they offered to make a custom drink, despite clarifying several times. I prefer The Aviary and don't think The Office is worth it unless you're specifically looking for vintage spirits, which we were not. It felt very pretentious in a way that was unnecessary-much more so than The Aviary, which I generally like. read more

Maybe we did it the wrong way, but we bought tickets for the Office, and paid $194/person for a Sunday night reservation for 5:45, and the price was way too much for what we got. From a vibe perspective, it's a small and intimate place with only one "real" table for four people. The other spots are at the bar or in lounging chairs with a small coffee table in front of you. Not sure how one would eat some of the courses in the lounging chairs. Doesn't seem very comfortable. But after doing the price-fixe meal, I realize this is the type of place you only get drinks at. Our service was great and I really liked our waiter and bar staff. They were very attentive and polite, etc. We had five courses and five drinks. The first course was oysters and a champagne/tequila/mezcal drink. This was my favorite drink of the night and I could have had several of those and been happy. I'm not an oyster fan but these were also good - with the hot sauce / ginger. The second course was a mushroom salad with a Passion Fruit/dijon/horseradish/egg white cocktail. Again - another slam dunk with the drink. You wouldn't think it goes together, but it was smooth. And paired perfectly with the salad. The third course was the mussels - by far my favorite course. It was definitely a large portion (as compared to the Oysters / mushroom salad) and there was plenty of bread to go around. It was paired with a chartreuse/mango/rum drink. The drink was good, but this is where the drinks sort of starting sliding in my book. The fourth course was tartare, paired with a scotch/sherry drink. I'm usually not a fan of either, but the tartare was good. The scotch drink was a tad strong for me - especially for someone who usually likes the more fruity/smooth drinks. By this point in the review, you might be wondering why I only give it three stars. It's because of the last course. Ice cream with tons of candy toppings - paired with a coffee rum drink. I don't like coffee, so the drink was left full for both my husband and myself. That's fine. But the ice cream and candy toppings is something I would expect from Chiles or Applebees - not the Office where I just paid $200/person for. All I could think of is that they laid on the candy toppings so that you would feel full by the end of the night and not really gripe about the fact that you barely got any food for what you paid. I will say that left a bitter taste in my mouth for how the evening ended. It was such a "cheap" non-creative ending to the meal. You have that type of dessert at a kiddie party - not at a Grant Achatz place. My husband and I went to Next last year - paid less money, received more food and drinks and had a wonderful time. Yes, Next was pricey, but I thought the experience and food/drinks were a lot better than the Office. Needless to say, I wouldn't recommend the Office - at least from the standpoint of doing the five course meal. Go here - have a drink or two, but that's it. read more

I was really looking forward to trying this speakeasy. The reviews looked great for the most part and I wanted to make my husband's 33rd birthday special. However, it was less than special. We had a 5:45pm reservation on a Thursday evening. We were not sat until about 6:00pm, which is fine but we had reservations at 7pm next door at Roister for dinner. I thought we would have PLENTY of time for at least 2 drinks each before walking next door. We were the second party in to the bar that night. Two more parties came in after us, one of which was sat at the bar. Both parties were taken care of before we were asked for any drink orders. It took 45 minutes from the time we sat down to receive just 1 drink. At this point it was already 6:45pm, which meant we had to gulp down our specialty cocktails to run and make our reservation next door. We spent $100 for this reservation and we literally had 1 cocktail each. What a waste of money. Not sure why there is only 1 bartender making drinks either. If people are going to be ordering specialty cocktails, may be worth having more than 1 person making drinks. Should NOT have to wait 45 minutes for one cocktail. Sad since this is a very cute place and my husband and I love speakeasy's, but we will definitely NOT be back. Didn't expect that making reservation at 5:45pm for a few cocktails would have taken over 1 hour for just one. read more

Hands down one of the best cocktail experiences (and actual drinks) I've ever had. We sat close to the kitchen/bar and it was great to see the staff do their magic! read more

The office is below Aviary and a speakeasy vibe. We did the 75$ pp plus 20% gratuity option.. Total 200$ for two people for 2 drinks each, two small bites, and one small appetizer to share.. The small bites included one oyster per person and one octopus ball per person. The shared plate was prime ribeye tartare. The drink list you had to choose from was limited and didn't include all of their drinks. You have one hour of time to finish the drinks and appetizers. So if you do the math, each item was about 22$ each. It's hard for me to look beyond the price at this place. Everything was good, but not exceptional by any means. The drinks paled miserably compared to aviary (both being comparable in price). I got the gimlet which was pretty good, but mediocre. My next option was really hard because out of the forced options, I didn't like any of them and they could not be customized for taste ( example; I hate truffle, and it could not be taken out of one of the drinks.. I don't like coconut and they couldn't take it out of the drinks) so I chose a spicy Margarita ( I hate spicy but everything else wouldn't work either and can't choose anything off the regular menu). The second drink I just took as a shot to get it down. There is nothing special about them. The small bites were good.. But worth 22$ each? Nope. Id say, use this money and go to Aviary upstairs.. The drinks are so much better as are the apps. I was way underimpressed with this place especially after the exceptional reviews. I just don't get it. read more

I think my credit card company knows me a little too well: they'll mark a haircut as fraud, but won't blink an eye if I spend nearly 7k on 200-year-old cognac. This place is absolutely not for everyone. If you can't afford the cognac, go for the "dusty" daiquiri. If you can't afford that either, I don't know what to tell you. This place lets you hold historical artifacts, so you are doing yourself a disservice if you don't spring for the good stuff. read more

First visit: 10 star experience. Second visit: closer to a 3.5 or 4. The first experience, we went in cold. The bartender told us we could start with the cocktail menu or just explain our flavor preferences to him. After embarrassingly telling him I love tomato juice, he told me he would figure something out. Up comes this somehow mango cocktail that tasted sort of like a bloody mary with no actual tomatoes. I don't know what kind of voodoo magic that was, but I was sold as this being the most amazing bar experience of my life. Sitting at the bar, you got to engage in all kinds of conversations with the bartender, and he made some amazing drinks. Fast forward to the second visit, we did the dusty bottle experience. This is fine if you like vintage liquor. For me, I didn't love the set nature of the cocktails. I wanted the same 'make me something that tastes like tomatoes' type of vibe and instead you go in getting three set drinks. At least I've now done that experience, and can go back to a la carte! The dusty bottle experience comes with some food, best of which is the charcuterie board. Unfortunately, Roister had a fire during our visit, and everyone had to leave the building for 45 minutes. Luckily everyone was fine and of course we weren't upset. But we left some amazing things on that charcuterie board to evacuate and 1/4 of my vintage martini. When we got back inside, all of it had been cleared, with no mention of whether we'd get our cheese and sausage back. I'm still sad about that - the Gouda was incredible and I was specifically saving it for my last bites :( Overall, I recommend ordering things a la carte. Definitely get seated at the bar, and use the bartender as your sounding board. That's when The Office is most impressive. read more

Quiet grandeur is the first critical component to a high end speakeasy. The Office is setup in a way that would make Gatsby smile. Oil paintings on the wall. Vintage bottles with long antique tabs. A key-locked door. It oozes with exclusive. However, the staff fall short. When you're paying 40% above average for a drink you should get a staff that makes it worth it. Without that you start to feel like a fool sitting on a stage getting robbed. Especially when you're already in the hole for paying for a reservation. Which they fail to mention is credited in the bill. But here's the real issue that happened: one of the people lead me down to the bar asked what drinks I like. I answered. Then I was walked through the extremely high priced drinks - $300 for a drink? It's not the welcome I was expecting and it subsequently ruined the entire experience. Additionally, if you're going to rip people off, do it with obscure booze so we don't notice. $54/per OUNCE for Habiki Harmony when the entire bottle costs $75 is a bit much. Pappy makes sense but come on guys. So disappointed. The Office can do better by: 1) Improving the website experience. 2) Being transparent on the process/experience. 3) Respect your clients. Snobbery has a place but never in hospitality. 4) Don't be greedy. I'd happily drop $200 here but if I see the experience isn't worth it I'm out. 5) Replace the sophomoric staff. For now my clients will skip the place. read more

The Office at the Aviary is the tiny, exclusive prohibition style speakeasy in the basement of the popular and James Beard awarded cocktail lounge The Aviary. This is yet another creation of Chef Grant Achatz and his business partner Nick Komonos who have brought us the culinary masterpieces Alinea, Next, and Roister. The Aviary is their wildly creative and upscale cocktail lounge which is an amazing experience (both cocktails and food pairings) in and of itself. The Office is like the pearl inside of an oyster- located down a staircase in the basement of The Aviary. Reservations may be made online and are recommended as this place is tiny (seats about 15) and in high demand. The Office is tiny, beautiful space - very dark and rich with leather furnishings, dark wood and Picasso style art. I was almost intimidated on entering at first, but was immediately made to feel very comfortable in the warm, relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The staff and bartender are second to none in hospitality and service. They offer a wide range of cocktails and spirits, including rare and vintage spirits. There is both a cocktail menu (creative and amazing) and the option to have a cocktail created for you based on your flavor preferences. My friend and I enjoyed everything we sampled, and probably had one too many because the atmosphere is so wonderful, you don't want to leave. We sampled some of the food menu options- which were as delicious as what is offered in any 3 Michelin stared restaurant. Executive Chef Dan Perretta (of the Aviary) works his magic at the Office as well with very flavorful dishes that are both beautiful to look at and appetizing as well. We enjoyed an early Spring vegetable dish with a light and delicious spring pea and avocado dip, a beautifully presented and perfectly flavored steak tartare, and warm, wonderful cobbler-like dessert. It is worth the visit and the price (expensive) for the food alone. The overall experience is a cocktail and culinary delight, a decadent escape from reality. The Office at the Aviary is an absolute must Chicago night life experience. read more

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It's lost its mystique. I remember the days when you would text a number, and you'd get all set up for an amazing experience with wonderful service and drinks. Something was magical about the Office. Now you just reserve on Tock, and the last two times I have been there, the service has been god awful. The African American lady is extremely condescending. I expect that type of service at Dick's Last Resort, but not when I am paying over 20USD a drink. I remember all the old servers were so much fun, and lively. She singlehandedly ruins your experience. I gave her a chance the first time, but after two times of bizarre, mean service...she's gotta go. You can't treat your clientele like this. Taking this out of my rotation. read more

The office restored my faith in the Alinea group. My last visit to the upstairs Aviary as well as my merely decent dinner at Roister had me second guessing them. What makes Office better than Aviary you ask, there are no theatrics & they're just producing a great product. It's like being in an average bar with above average menu items. I was assured they could make up any concoction I could think of ,with the exception of truffle infused cocktails of my choice because they didn't have the necessary ingredients. We we're given a complimentary drink upon arrival because we were celebrating an occasion. My wife was stunned by the strawberry old fashioned & we debated over whether or not this was the best one in Chicago. My 1st choice was a caramel & apple brandy drink which was good not great however my Truffle Rock & Rye was amazing. It was bursting with truffle aroma & flavor. Of course Office & aviary share some menu items such as the illustrious truffle explosion & truffle popcorn. Lastly the calligraphy receipt was a nice touch read more

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I am not sure I can put this place in words, it is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. The bar only seats about 12 so it is naturally a very cozy environment which includes many historical pieces as well as some aged liquor dating back to the 1800s. The cocktail list is small because what you should really experience here is the "dealers choice." The gal who took care of us asked us some questions such as how we like our coffee, if we enjoy teas, juices what type of wine we like etc. After a few additional probing questions she was able to thoughtfully creat a cocktail she felt would fit our preferences. It was like we were witnessing a science experiment with different droppers, aromatics and liquors all going into our carefully crafted cocktail. It is not uncommon to run into cocktails in Chicago that are going to cost you $15-$18. Having drinks here which run $20 a piece, which are customized for you specifically is well worth it. read more

The Office - The famous bill - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Though I mentioned The Office in my Aviary review I felt it due to break it out separately as though they are tied together, they are certainly not mutually exclusive. On the otherside of The Aviary bar and down the stairs lies a lounge with it's own menu and it's own cocktails. Something that you'll notice at both Aviary and Office is the lack of meals, most items are basically tapas, small bites, but very well plated and thought out. If you were to take a 7 course menu, but make it all a la cart is how I would best describe their menu. Things aren't necessarily paired as they do more craft cocktails rather than gastronomy cocktail creations. It's dark, it's warm, lots of wood, lots of leather and some nice rugs center each area. The staff is excellent. As most people come here to relax after dinner and not necessarily eat they pay attention to the customer and the drinks. Food is a bit secondardy, though still plenty of care is taken on it. Typical high standard issue tools (Koriko tins), beakers, japanese jiggers. I actually spent quite a bit of time chatting with the bartenders getting a feel for the city and how Chicago cocktails differ from NY, Portland, SF and Socal. Again sharing the ice program from upstairs they do globes, cubes and any other form necessary to properly serve each type of drink. I'm not sure if you simply pay for the privacy because it's not that exclusive, though not public, but even with a hookup we racked up $80 as the p/p split on 3 drinks each and $100 on snacks. I get the price for service knowing the level of attention they have here, but some of their rare and high end spirits are simply overpriced. The 1 really cool thing I loved was how unpretentious it was down there. The entire establishment is about drinks so there is a more social nature to The Office than food first places. Since I went with buddies the wax lettered bill didn't have the same effect as I can see it happened on guys taking their significant others on dates. If Aviary doesn't impress you then The Office likely won't change your mind. Aviary may be too high tech and cutting edge than The Office, but as a stand alone place against Room 13, Jimmy, Everleigh I see other places comparable. I can find most any of their exclusive bottles elsewhere for cheaper to upgrade my cocktails with. read more

wow, just.. wow. what an absolute pleasure it was to be able to experience the office before we left chicago. as others have mentioned, this is a completely different concept from the aviary upstairs. at the office, it is all about the craft and quality of the cocktails. nothing too fancy or crazy creative here, just about using the right mix of ingredients to make damn good cocktails. definitely experience the office on a weekday if you can, when it's not too packed. you'll get the full attention of your server as well as the bartender. we had a bunch of questions (of course) about the food and drinks on the menu, and our waitress took the time to explain everything in detail and made sure our curiosity was fully satisfied. we also had the opportunity to peruse through their very extensive and very exquisite collection of spirits dating back before the prohibition era. needless to say, we were both highly impressed and thrilled. from start to finish, the entire office experience is a treat, with top notch service and personal touches to demonstrate the level of attention and care given to each patron. now that you can book reservations for the office online, there's really no excuse not to try this place out (or keep coming back time and time again). if you do happen to get their number though, it does make the reservation process a bit easier as you don't have to put down a non-refundable deposit to hold your spot. something to keep in mind for your next trip here :) read more

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Stopped by The Office last night with some friends and I have to agree with Erick N. that this is perhaps the classiest bar in Chicago. Absolutely worth the price points for the experience of having an exquisite cocktail experience. The gentleman who took care of us was wonderful and highly knowledgeable not only on the spirits but on the history of each. We opted for off the menu fun- just gave him our flavor profiles for each respective person and he nailed it. I enjoyed a couple bubbly gin cocktails, the second with a lavender essence. 5 stars- I would say the best thing for Chicago since the end of prohibition. read more

The Office - Classy place, the famous handwritten bill - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Office is a chill, speak-easy style, comfortable lounge in the basement of The Aviary. This place is in high demand so if you want to check it out, make a reservation at least a week in advance The vibe is unbelievable! We weren't able to get in Friday night but after talking to the management, he was able to squeeze us in Saturday. The staff was extremely kind and hospitable, total 5 star experience! Our server rocked and brought us some very unique, had crafted drinks. This has become a new Chicago favorite for sure. I'll definitely be back! read more

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We absolutely love the Speakeasy scene and when we travel, we try to sniff out the local speakeasies. Secret bar hidden below an exclusive bar? YES PLEASE! This was probably one of the classiest joints we've been in. RESERVATIONS are needed; try to get a seat at the bar so you can watch Micah work his magic! We got lucky and managed to sit at the bar. The drinks are phenomenal and the service is top notch. What The Aviary does in cutting edge molecular gastronomy, The Office is a purist in classic cocktails. The tinctures, extracts, infusions are all made in house and the book of drinks and alcohols is absolutely fantastic! Fantastic experience and absolutely memorable night out! read more

My friend texted me that the Skarhead show he wanted to go to was canceled, so we should go to the Aviary. I figured we needed to see if we could do the chef's table for sure, and see if we can get into the Office, so I emailed the Aviary reservation address with less than 24 hours notice that I wanted the chef's table or the Office for four at 10pm. The next afternoon I was confirmed and they prompted me which one I'd prefer, which was absolutely wonderful of them, and I picked the Office. Reservations set. I reported back to the troops and was met with questions of "can I wear my Skarhead basketball jersey to this place?" I knew fully well one of the things I would be hearing belted out by a large insane Irish Catholic was "man this Brioche is even better than swallowing a giant load!" We got our first round. I got the cognac drink with tonka berries and a vanilla bean. I honestly only ordered it because of the tonka beans, its stupid, but they are these little beans from a flowering South American tree called the Cumaru that are illegal and regulated by the FDA. In large doses this chemical coumarin can cause liver failure, however they cook with tonka beans in Europe because they have this slightly bitter taste and amazing vanilla scent. Coumarin was first isolated from tonka beans for medical purposes before it was largely synthesized. I hate cognac but this drink was the bomb, and I ordered another after my first one. Everyone else got the whisky and bourbon drinks. We traded glasses and everything was pretty sick. Rick had whatever the drink was shaken with egg whites which is always delicious. The first course we got was the King Crab, sort of a dish for two that we inhaled in a few bites. The layout of the office is kinda particular, as is the upstairs. I dunno who they had design it but it was definitely some shmuck who likes dining in hotels. I get that they tried to get a bunch of antique stuff to match some of the antique booze (they advertise that some of their chartreuse, rum etc is from the 40's) but it just comes off like WASP parents tried to make their den look like an old hunting lodge and tried way too hard. Awkward low tables and mismatched furniture. Maybe it was aftermath from the awful flood? Give em a pass. Terrine of foie gras, served in a ceramic goose lidded terrine with a side of simply dressed greens, some brioche toast triangles and killer berry preserves. We inhaled the foie as well, not touching the preserves or greens until it was gone. We ordered another round, I switched to a whiskey drink and Donny switched to beer. I started teasing him about not ordering the fancy stuff because its available and we're splurging, but I didn't realize he did this to save thirteen fucking dollars a drink and that it was a really smart move. I had factored my share of the bill to be around 150$ but that was more based on food. The cocktails are all 20$ a pop. I'm fine paying that for a fancy place like this where I saw the meticulous job done for all the ingredients that went into them (juicing, freezing, ice prep, herb prep, veg prep etc) not to mention all the more fun side of things like the weirdo ice molds that the chefs get to make themselves in Martin Kastner's design studio, cask conditioned booze in the walk ins and such. Point is, drinks are expensive. Iberico ham with some fancy south american (brazilian?) nuts Donny says I should just buy at Costco, and some tomato-y bread that's like bruschetta but they call it something else. Tartare plate next. Ice cream sundae. As if we weren't full enough, huge head-sized ice cream dishes with this platter of idiot candy and multiple vessels of literal melted brownie fudge dough to pour over. 11 cocktails, more drinks, five dishes, 700$ well spent. Don't be a wiener, its just a restaurant. Don't be a cock either, these people work their asses off. Oh, whats his face, the bartender/chef assigned just to work in the Office is the bomb and the waitstaff are hilarious if you prod them enough. read more

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I am an exclusive person. I wanted to come here just because its so exclusive. Finally, on my bday we were able to get a friend to get us down here. AMAZING! I think I just like it because its uber small and no one knows about it...for realz. I love the bathroom keys and the servers are EXTREMELY knowledgeable. Like, I cant even appreciate all of the things they have to offer here. Dark, boozey, smoochzy....you feel special...whether or not it is...ha! BRING YOUR WALLET! read more

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Interesting concept, maybe trying to be a little too New York? Yes you need the 'key' to get in. I'm not entirely sure it's all that worth it. I had the rum cocktail and the sundae for dessert. The rum cocktail was truly very well made, and I would recommend it every time you go there. I wasn't a fan of the tequila cocktail, it seemed too similar to a margarita, but a little more subtle. The others that I sampled were the gin one- very good too, and the bourbon- well made, but not outstanding. The sundae was incredible though. The ice cream itself was good and it comes with a variety of toppings, my favorite match with the ice cream were the oreos and the peanuts. The place looks a little like the Ralph Lauren cafe. Dark, lots of wood and leather. Not the place to eat and drink comfortably however, more like someone's living room so depending on where you sit you may be juggling your crockery. read more

My boyfriend and I were in Chicago for the weekend together, and one of our favorite things to do is enjoy really nice cocktails. This was our splurge of the trip, and it was so worth it on every level! the entry process is kind of annoying. You have to make a reservation with a deposit ($50 each) and check in with a doorman. He showed us inside The Aviary, where we waited for about 15-20 minutes. Finally, we were escorted downstairs and our experience began. Very fortunately, we got to sit at the bar. We watched our bartender cut and peel fresh fruits, and we got to talk to her about what we liked/didn't like in our drinks. This personal interaction definitely made our experience here. But before we really got to know each other, my boyfriend and I just ordered off the signature drink menu. I got the smoky bourbon drink and he got the old fashioned. While I liked my drink, there was a strawberry infused ingredient that made the old fashioned a little too sweet for us. Thus, we talked to bartender about mixing it up. We let her take the reins. I was telling her about how I recently got into boulevardiers as my new drink of choice. She totally stunned me by presenting a clear drink. It was a "white boulevardier" made with High West silver whiskey (a brand we love! without us telling her). I loooved the lightness of it compared to the oakiness of a traditional one. My boyfriend asked for something "not too sweet" and she made a banana/toasted coconut whiskey drink. It wasn't really for me since I don't prefer fruity drinks, but he really liked it! We had one more cocktail left to meet our deposit minimum, and we were getting tired at this point. My boyfriend had mentioned this new liqueur that he tried in Mexico recently, Licor 43. She was excited to play with it since it wasn't that common of an ingredient. Typically served with coffee or espresso, she mixed it with a flavored liqueur since it was late and we could do without the caffeine. Shaken with an egg, it ended tasting like a delicious latte nightcap. We were thoroughly impressed, and very glad we chose to spend a little more here than at The Aviary. It's much more our style here. From the dark, moody ambiance to the big leather chairs, it's very cozy and relaxed even though it's such an elevated experience. read more

Had a great experience at the Office. As expected, the service and atmosphere were phenomenal. It was also very expensive, but we also knew that going in. I was in Chicago for a conference and was meeting some old friends so we wanted to splurge. You can actually make reservations online now, which was easy but took away from the appeal of the speakeasy vibe. It used to be a lot harder to get into the bar. But I was happy about it, because otherwise I would of never gotten a chance to go! We had a couple of the drinks, one custom one which was a lot of fun. Then we also ate many of their snacks, the truffle explosion was amazing! It truly exploded in your mouth. Really fun experience! Would maybe go back again for a special occasion. read more

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Jarmel and Eric are awesome hosts who went the extra mile to take care-of our friend's 21st birthday. Maybe the best underground bar and the team goes the extra mile to make sure you have a delightful experience. Definitely a stop in Chicago downtown. Awesome!!! read more

The Office - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a very dimly lit and intimate little bar underneath the Aviary restaurant. They offer a very reduced menu of small plates to share that are definitely on the "pricey" side but I suppose not outrageous for this type of establishment. We paid $8 for a small bowl of assorted olives, oysters at about $3 each, a tiny, tiny portion of short rib tortellini for $77 (with $55 of that owing to the white truffles we added to it). Their real claim to fame however is their hand crafted cocktails which are pretty imaginative and very well executed. There are basically three sections to their vast drink menu. The first section has a few drinks which are their version of common concoctions like an Old Fashioned which they make with infused strawberry and then some originals. The second part of the menu has some more expensive cocktails which range in the about $20 to $40 range and then they have their "dusty bottle" section which is basically the same common labels of spirits that you can get anywhere, like Jack Daniels for example, but just really, really old. They have lots of spirits going back to the 40's, 50's, 60's and such. Some of these are, relatively speaking, modest in price coming in at $35 or so. Others, however, range in the several hundred dollar range for a pour. I think the highest we saw was $450. The decor is that of a 1920's speakeasy with dark paneling, attenuated lighting, overstuffed chairs and eclectic art. They play music which is also diverse and unpredictable. On this note, I was a little surprised. Some of the music included extremely profane hip-hop where F bombs and the N word were liberally used. It was a surprising, if not disturbing, choice for that caliber of bar. Due to its diminutive size and limited space the seating arrangements are a little awkward and somewhat uncomfortable but I guess you get used to it. What takes a little more getting used to, at least for us, is the somewhat presumptuous and condescending vibe that sort of permeates the place. Don't get me wrong, everyone is really polite and polished but it's just a feeling you kind of get. Or maybe it's just us. Either way, we are not strangers to dining in high-end exclusive establishments and we've never experienced that sensation before. If you do want to come here, you would be well advised to plan far in advanced. When you make a reservation they will charge you a $100 non-refundable deposit which is then credited against your bill. And speaking of bills, when they do bring it out it is presented in a hand lettered trifold piece of card stock with a wax seal. It's a really distinctive and nice touch. The bottom line: The Office has very unique cocktail offerings and decent, although limited, food. But unless you are planning on sampling some of their more hard to get but stratospherically priced "dusty bottle" offerings you might want to consider a less stuffy establishment such as Sparrow. Worth the experience, probably won't be back. read more

As a huge fan of the Aviary (3 visits in a 6 month period this year is an indication of that), I was angered that a co-worker who'd only been in the city 6 months stumbled upon this super-secret, super-exclusive speakeasy tucked right under my nose in what's already the most exclusive bar in town. Invitation only? How could I have been left out of the cool kids club? Graciously, my buddy decided to share the wealth. I felt like Patrick Bateman as I was handed the slightly off-white business card. On one side was printed "The Office" and on the other "text" and a number. Thrilled to finally be in on the secret, I quickly booked a reservation. When the big night came, we were led past the Aviary kitchen, down the stairs I'd traversed several times before towards the bathrooms, and into the secret room that once served as Grant Achatz's actual office. The room itself is decorated to the nines and really feels like what I'd imagine a 20's era speakeasy to look like. Think Persian rugs, leather chairs, and dim lighting. It doesn't get much sexier. Unfortunately, the hype and the style are where the magic came to an end. We absolutely liked our drinks, and I appreciate the obvious thought and care that went into making them. And frankly, if hand-chipped ice and a concoction of tequila-claret-applewood-eucalyptus-lemon balm or a snifter of 50-year-old absynthe is your thing, you probably won't be disappointed. But just compared to the wizardry that goes on nightly upstairs, and for $20 a cocktail, I wasn't blown away. Same goes for the snacks: good? Absolutely. $30 for 6 oysters? Debatable given they weren't far and away the best oysters I've ever eaten. Admittedly, our night at The Office came smack in the middle of a month-long victory lap of Chicago culinary favorites, so I'm inevitably stacking it against other favorite haunts. But when I do so, and for the price, it just doesn't stand in the upper echelon. My recommendation: get over the whole exclusivity factor (no one's denying that Grant Achatz is a marketing genius as well as a culinary one), book a table at the Aviary and have a magical time. read more

The Office - Oysters - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Office really is a special place. It's a type of place that you won't frequent often, but if you do you better make the most of it. My girlfriend and I had reservations there the other night and were greeted at the front door by the host who asked us if we were "there for the Aviary...or??" And with sheer power and excitement I replied - "THE Office". The host asked for my name, and having the inkling for the James Bond type of place this was I replied, "H ... Pat H" Without hesitation (of course) we were escorted through the Aviary, and down the stairs through what appeared to be just a storage closet. Straight out of the 1950's, this place would be a favorite to the likes of Sammy, Dean, and the rest of the rat pack. We sat down, got our first round of drinks which were tremendous. I got this bourbon drink with ramazotti, banyuls, quinine, and pineapple. The old lady got this tequila drink with grapefruit & horseradish. Interesting combo but she loved it. Next was the beef tartare and you could just tell it was made with high quality beef. The ingredients were all fresh. One of the best we've ever had. Finally we got anther round of drinks and on to the ice cream sundae which was completely over the top in a good way. They first brought out all the toppings which we ate almost all of before they brought out the ice cream. It was a perfect dessert to end the evening. Overall the office was a phenomenal experience. From the old school atmosphere and vibe, to the drink selection. This is a place that you must try once while you're in Chicago. You'll be in for a James Bond type night like I was. read more

The Office - Liquor cabinet - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Office is a liquor connoisseur's fever dream: It has lots of leathery stuff, upholstery, and dark space gray walls. The are also whiskeys that are more than ... are you ready?... $1,500 per ounce. See the pictures below for examples. It's hard to drink here for less than a couple of hundred dollars. But they have decades-old chartreuse, and some very rare ethanols. I tend to think The Aviary is better on the drinks front, but The Office may be worth a trip. read more

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Sitting at the bar here was one of the most fun experiences I've had in Chicago. I was a little nervous about being surprised by each course, but food was delicious. Our five courses were east coast oysters, pickled hen of the wood mushrooms, mussels, tomato tartare with the most delicious bread, and build your own sundae. The cocktails that matched the courses ranged from green peppery champagne to vanilla sherry. At the end of the meal, we were given a beautifully hand written menu of everything we ate, which was such a nice touch. read more

The Office - Everything your childhood dreams are made of - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cute spot. A high school friend and I got in from having reservations at the Aviary. Drinks. Were. Superb. Amazing. Prices are what you'd expect, which is fair. I will definitely come back. read more

I love the whole speakeasy thing. Some of my favorite bars in the world are places where they have a very small set of customers, there are a few folks working, they know their liquor inside out, and they most importantly, make phenomenal drinks. We're lucky to slip in here the following night after having had a great time up at the Aviary the night before. Unlike it's bigger sibling, with it's progressive techniques and modern interpretations of cocktails, the Office brings well crafted old fashioned ones. Classic Amaro, Scotch and Bourbon drinks were to be had, and their fare is known only by the spirit. No fancy names. The space is adorned in very vintage furnishings and art. We took over the far corner area with some large charis and comfy couches, to just lounge in. Michaela took really good care of us the whole night and she made some excellent recommendations. If you can score an invite, definitely make your way down, and have a leisurely, relaxed imbibing evening. read more

COLLABORATION BEER rocks! Exclusively made for The Office. Woo hoo! Last Word -- Xciting! Historical. Made pre-prohibition. The tartness grows on you. There Goes the Neighborhood -- refreshing. Bit sour. Interesting use of calamansi (very Filipino). Amazing aroma of peppers. Port Hole -- taste like beer! LOL. Berry flavors is the after taste. We love IT so much that we are buying a TO GO. *wink read more

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Drinks and the room was amazing but our server was a a huge snob and prices were very steep. The only thing that I thought was pretty unique was she writes your bill with a quill. Now that's talent. Would I return yes but I would't want her to serve me. Also, I think she thought since we were young we didn't have money. I hate people like that who always judge by looks. PROS: ambiance, decor, drinks, the bill CONS: Our female server and prices read more

The Office - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My favorite cocktail bar in the city. Impeccable service and strong but balanced drinks

Got a cheeky text from a fiend recently that said the the "office" is the place to have a drink... After texting a secret number and eventually getting a formal response back saying 2 spaces just opened up, my friend and I dashed from a party we were at and headed through the gate way of the aviary to find these lovely people escorting us downstairs to the office. The atmosphere was very demure and sophisticated and staff extremely friendly. They ask what flavours tickle your fancy and they conduct the following to make a drink just for you, to make your taste buds go wild. The office is truly a chilled place to end a night or to start a tranquil exotic adventure! read more

The Office - 2 of the most exquisite drinks you will ever taste.. custom made for your taste buds! - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois