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    The Promontory

    3.7 (589 reviews)
    ModerateBars, American

    The Promontory Photos

    THE PROMONTORY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Promontory

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    Chicken Breast with root vegetables and mushrooms. January 2020
    Madison O.

    A friend and I were looking for a nice sit-down spot for an early dinner after spending the day at the Museum of Science and Industry and we ended up at The Promontory. We arrived around 4:30pm and were told we couldn't be seated for dinner until 5, but that we could enjoy happy hour at the bar. The happy hour is truly an hour as it runs from 4-5 on Saturday and Sunday. At happy hour, my friend ordered a local draft beer for $4 while I ordered a glass of wine for $8. I appreciated that the bartender provided us with tastes before giving either of us a whole glass. We also ordered the smoked feta appetizer at the bar. I don't normally like olives, but the mix of olives, feta, and eggplant on fresh foccacia was absolutely delicious. A little after 5, we were seated for dinner. We were shocked by how small the menu was - only 7 entrees! While deciding, we ordered another appetizer, the chickpea fries. They were something new for both of us and we liked them overall, but I have mixed feelings about the curry ketchup. For dinner, I decided on the chicken breast, while my friend ordered the pork belly. The dishes were beautifully presented. While I enjoyed the chicken, the porcini demi (mushroom sauce) was a bit too salty in my opinion. During dinner we had service that was good, but not great.

    ENMOLADAS roasted squash, wild mushroom,tortillas, mole amarillo
    Jacqueline B.

    We came here for El Oso the pop up restaurant through December. They have a semi-convenient set up where one can dine outdoors but there's no actual SERVICE outside. You order for carry out and sit on a first come first serve basis. They provide plastic ware or glasses of water. To go beer was also available. They did not enforce social distancing outside, it seemed customers were responsible for measuring 6 feet, and the pictures I took don't show that too well. We ordered Enmoladas and Tetelas with crab (purple corn rollovers kind of) and of course chips and guac. An offbrand Mexican beer(CASAHUMILDE TEMPESTAD) a saison, was pretty good. All food was really good (if a little smallish in portion for the price) but I would almost rather have done carryout. It was unseasonably warm for late Oct so we felt we HAD to eat outside. Once we found a table it was fine, and they were quick to clean the table AFTER we asked.

    Erica T.

    After some disappointment relating to a mix up with an upstairs event, I went downstairs for some food and some more liquor. SN: Am I developing a drinking problem? Oh boy. Anyhoo, the bar staff, Benjamin and Marcus, made up for the annoyance that I'd suffered earlier that evening. They were such friendly and gracious hosts. I really enjoyed their company. Marcus made the best sidecar and the best old fashioned that I have ever tasted, and I have tasted quite a few. The vibe was romantic and very "Chicago-esque". To quiet my grumbling tummy, I ordered the scallops. I ALMOST NEVER finish all of my food. The scallops were cooked and seasoned to absolute perfection. The popcorn grits were AMAZING!! No need to add salt or pepper. HIGHEST COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHEF!!!! I can't wait to go back.

    Mint Julep
    Gino W.

    I have gone to The Promontory in the past for some of the music concerts. That venue was always a sweet experience, as the musicians and bands have something more akin to an intimate setting than an arena environment. I have also gone for brunch a few times, which waffles between okay and good. Recently I went for a dinner seating and opted for al fresco dining since the weather was good for it. The first cocktail I had was a Jamaican Old Fashion, having rum in it instead of a rye or whiskey base. Not bad. The second cocktail was a mint julep, which was not on the menu. This was a high mark cocktail because it was neither faint nor heavy handed. My friends swear that the drinks are the best. I may have to sample more before I cosign on that. Now on to the good part. My friend who joined me had the smoked trout salad and seeing that she polished it off without complaint, I take it that it was indeed worth it. I had the prawns with head and tails on, served with toast over a fragrant gravy. Being from the South, leaving the heads on was a plus. A very satisfying dish. My friend ordered the catfish with summer squash purée, lentils, and root vegetables: a winner. I ordered a risotto in coconut milk with toasted coconut, roasted red pepper, root vegetables, and a micro salad. This was Caribbean meets Italy and I liked it. The dinner offerings seem a lot better than the brunch offerings. Then again, brunch is always packed which could mean rushing food preparation and compromising flavor in the process. I went for dinner early, before the crowd, so nothing was quick and it was apparent in how great everything tasted. I'll have to return and sample some more of the libations.

    The chicken entree.....phenomenal.
    Tanya H.

    Love having this place so close to home! *** Updated to add image - love this place! Consistent quality and wonderful staff.

    Raviolo Lobster
    David W.

    Great concept; watch a show and have very fine dining downstairs in the same building. My wife and I along with friends went to see Roy Ayers. A little congested but no problem. After the show was over we went downstairs to eat dinner. Was not expecting what a got at all! Beautiful food, great presentation, topped off with excellent taste.

    Happy hour menu same price as regular menu
    Len L.

    A friend spoke highly of this place so I figure I try it out since I was in the area. I went there for their happy hour and to my surprise their happy hour menu is the same prices as the regular menu. Not what I expected in a happy hour seating as happy hour usually mean some items from the regular menu is slightly discounted - Must be a Hyde Park thing, I guess. I ordered the roasted oysters in butter and a glass of wine as starters. my oysters came first which arrived as a trio on a bed of salt. Nice presentation, until I tasted the product, bland - I could not taste the brininess of the oyster, nothing - no taste. The glass of wine came far after my dish and the waitress can only tell me that the wine is upstairs and still needed to be brought down. Another odd comment. Overall, I think I would not be coming back here for any happy hour or any event.

    Grabbing drinks with friends
    Tyler C.

    This was my first time out in Chicago night life. The club had a really nice ambiance with the bar in the middle of the room with enough bartenders to make the wait for a drink less as possible. The drinks were normal priced and the bartenders were very attentive and friendly. At first the club had the curtain closed so I didn't even know there was a whole section with section seating and everything. so when it opened up to more space that was pretty cool. I'm not sure if there was a particular dress code but everyone was dressed a semi casual. Everyone looked nice and from what I have heard, there aren't many places where people dress up to go out in Chicago. This was an afrobeat night, however the DJ did a great job mixing various types of music in his set to accommodate everyone. I wouldn't be opposed to visiting this club again, next time I'm in Chicago.

    Like I said, a lot of food.  This is the vegan option; the carnivore is across the table.
    Suzanne E.

    This is a time-limited thing, but the owner of Demera in Uptown is having a popup at the Promontory to raise money for women and children affected by the war in Tigray. Wonderful Ethiopian food (partly courtesy of a brilliant Hyde Park chef whom I know and was pleased to see working the kitchen), and superb service--by volunteers, though I think they were professional servers doing this in a good cause. My friend with whom I was having dinner said the service reminded him of what you'd encounter at high-end places like Alinea (I wouldn't know, but I certainly felt welcome and like they were tending to us without hovering, and they were welcoming and informative). Here are the specs about how long this is going on for and how to buy tickets: https://www.exploretock.com/demerachicago We sat outside, which was especially nice on a cool night. It was lively but not crowded, and you could hear each other. It's a lot of food, so prepare to take some stuff home or swim eight miles before you get there. Also, this was superbly organized, which is not always the case with the Promontory's popups; El Oso's, for example.

    Bloody Mary & anti crudo
    Francis R.

    Cool spot for Sunday brunch & diggin' the modern rustic interior vibes. Solid drinks but food was a hit and miss for me. I also noticed that this joint seems to be a hot spot for parents to bring the kids around which typically can be a buzz kill, but luckily no misbehaved kids running around or inconsolable crying kiddos to ruin the ambiance so that was good. Started with a round of cocktails, a bloody mary for her and an anti-crudo (essentially a michelada) for myself. Both were well balanced and not bad for $10 a pop. For food, I did the fried chicken thigh sandwich w/ a fried egg & she did the mac n cheese. My fried chicken sandwich was pretty darn delicious, but I would've preferred my over easy egg cook a bit more through as I don't mind a runny yolk but parts of the egg whites were a bit too runny for my liking. On the other hand, my fiancee's mac n cheese on paper sounded delicious but didn't really come out as tasty in real life. Rather than using macaroni pasta they ended up using bow tie pasta instead. Combine that with the cheddar mornay & braised beef and it definitely tasted & looked more like a pasta than a traditional mac n cheese. I also found it to be quite under seasoned as well. Overall, affordable drinks and one awesome dish and another sub-par dish puts this one at a 3 star for me. That's all I got! 'Til next time, cheers!

    Biscuits and gravy
    Imah E.

    Just had brunch at The Promontory this last weekend and it did not disappoint. We didn't have reservations but we also went kind of early (9am). Service was awesome. Never had to ask for a water or coffee refill and the food came out on time. This review is not about the service though. This review is about the excellent food options that left me perfectly satisfied. My husband and I split the hot chicken and waffles and the biscuits and gravy. Both dishes were not what we were expecting but were better. The gravy for the biscuits is not like typical sausage gravy. It had another flavor that made them almost sweet. The biscuits were large and fluffy. The hot chicken was not like typical Nashville hot chicken, it had maybe an ancho flavoring that added a dimension. I think what was great about both dishes is that the dish fit together and tasted better as a dish than separate items, this is especially true for the hot chicken and waffle. The promontory never disappoints!

    Kalbi beef short ribs + chickpea fries.

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    Clean and Classy. Nice stage. Good drinks and the caterers were awesome. I would definitely love to have a show there some day

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great music venue! Saw Victory Boyd and ....all I say is AMAZING. Bartender Mike was nice and ok priced drinks. Acoustics were great

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    3 years ago

    Now only dancing (restaurant was terrific but now closed) but that said, great scene!!!

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    5 years ago

    Good place to chill and reflect on one's life. Relaxing and serene! Great history there!

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    Page 1 of 15

    Ask the Community - The Promontory

    How's parking on weekends?

    Mostly street parking and can be hard to find at times

    Do they have happy hour?

    4-6pm

    What type of dining? Are there table cloths? Is the restaurant quiet?

    I'd call it nice dining, I don't recall there being white tablecloths, and it's more vibrant yuppie dining than traditional fine dining. It's pretty loud on a busy night because it's big and they pack a lot of tables in, but you can definitely have… 

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    Virtue Restaurant

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    Went to Virtue for the first time 2 weeks ago. Our son had gone with his girlfriend in the fall and…read morefound the food to be terribly salty, but he wanted to give it another try. Service was very slow, but the place was busy so we understood. Kitchen was extremely slow. Again we understood. Our food was very good. After watching desserts pass by our table all night we flagged down our waiter to order. We were told that we'd have to leave without dessert or coffee because our 90 minutes was almost up. We told him that most of that 90 minutes was spent waiting to order and waiting for our food. He spoke to his manager who confirmed that we'd have to leave. Terrible business model. With so many restaurant choices in Chicago, we won't be returning.

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    The Promontory - bars - Updated August 2026

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