One of my favorite spots for cocktails in Chicago! The drinks are NEXT LEVEL, the mixology is…read moreseriously insane. They also have live music, and it's always such a vibe. I've never not had a great time here. Shoutout to Guillermo because he's so good at his job and also so fun to talk to! Definitely one of my go-to cocktail spots.

I came here for my friend's birthday celebration last Thursday night. She had reserved a table for…read moreour group, which was very nice, but because it was in the back part of the restaurant, we couldn't see the live performer who was simply outstanding (Jenipher Jones). We had to go to the front to see her, even though you could hear her just fine from the table. My friend ordered a number of appetizers for the table. I only tried the beef skewer with pesto (good and tender) and the homemade chips and onion dip (very good). I also ordered a mocktail (OK in taste but full of ice so not at all worth the price - $17!). If you do not drink, just have water or a soda - their mocktails are the same price as cocktails, which is really not cool. Our server, Kristin, was very nice. She took our pictures and was just helpful overall throughout the night. The vibe and the look of the place was dim and moody - very cool place to bring a date, go alone, or be with friends. I would definitely return.

One of my favorite cocktail bars in the city, I just learned a secret-- visit on Sunday afternoon…read morewhen there isn't a line out the door and it isn't slammed inside. Really creative cocktails, unusual wines, great snack list (and the complimentary olives and cheese made us able to stay longer add have another round!). If you sit at the bar, one of the very talented, friendly mixologists will guide you to your perfect drink progression-- that's right-- you're not just have one thing. Too hard to choose so why should you? There are low and no ABV options as well to balance out the martinis and other spirit forward offerings. I love the decor and overall vibe--classy, French-y, fun not stuffy. Great on your own, with a date, a small group. Special shout out to Hannah but everyone we interacted with was great.

Of course when in Chicago, I had to check out Bisous, ranked #30 on North America's 50 Best Bars…read more2026, climbing from #39 in 2025. With an intimate ambiance, in Chicago's Fulton Market, Bisous brings the vibe of a 1960s Parisian cocktail lounge. Since they don't take reservations, I had a short wait at the door. Somehow, they knew exactly what I wanted, which was a seat at the bar. My favorite place to sip, exhaole, and chat with the bartenders. The cocktails were delicious, and the service was warm, attentive, and welcoming. My tongue-clicking sips for the evening: PASTRY WAR Pistachio Cream, Agricole & Jamaican Rums, Grappa, Almond, Egg White, Lemon, Nutmeg BAIT & SWITCH Blueberry Cordial, Mezcal, Blanche Armagnac, Baking Spices COUNTERPOINT Fig Leaf, Armagnac Duffau Napoléon, Yellow Chartreuse, Oscar.697 Rosso Vermouth Mmmm... #BonAppetit! Cheers! Enjoy!

The Office is a nice speakeasy! I had wanted to get a floral drink at the restaurant upstairs…read morecalled "the Aviary" but they were actually totally full, whereas the speakeasy wasn't. I sat at the bar downstairs and can confirm the place has a classic speakeasy feel -- the the basement of a place behind a locked door, very dark inside with mood lighting/glass cases and leather chairs/couches around small low tables. It's definitely a great date spot! I took off a star because it's pricey -- I got the "milk punch" on their classic cocktail menu which was $25 and is pretty small, but it's a nice drink and tasted very much like a milk punch drink I got at a speakeasy back home (in Austin, TX). The bartenders were super nice and provided excellent service, no complaints there! The bathrooms were also immaculate. Overall, this is a very nice speakeasy! I've been to many in my day and the ambiance is definitely on par with the best, but I gotta say some other unique ingredients (ideally more floral options!) would really take their menu up a notch! Nevertheless, I would def rec a visit to those visiting Chicago, and would go again even just for vibes :)

This is a speak easy below the aviary. We sat at the bar and were the only ones there so got to…read morechat with the bar tenders. They were super nice. It's got a speak easy library vibe. Maybe seats like 20? The food was surprisingly great. They have a raviolo that is like $20 for one but it was the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. I wish I could have a whole plate of them. Drinks were also great.

Speakeasy on the second floor of recently renovated Niso. Very warm vibe with a Greek decor except…read morefor a misplaced disco ball . I went for a night cap after dinner at Komo last night and the 'mixologist' was a lot of fun to chat with. They also have a 'secret menu' but I'll leave the rest of the details on this for you to go experience it. I asked for a scotch sprit forward drink with some smoke to it and was presented an Ardbeg laced with some green chartreuse and it was excellent. The chartreuse was a substitute to using absinthe which I don't enjoy. Overall a great experience and a cool spot to hang out.

Located in Nisos, The Lounge is one of 3 spaces and this one is their cocktail lounge! What a…read morebeautiful spot! However, come here only for the vibes and your IG pics because that's all there is to this place. The ambiance is very moody and sexy which I love however, I felt like I was sitting in seating meant for toddlers! It seemed like all the seats were super low to the ground and i'm pretty short so not sure how the taller folks feel. It felt super awkward to sit in the space. Our drinks tasted like pure perfume so it was disappointing considering they were almost $20. I'll be skipping out on the lounge and will only enjoy the restaurant spaces in the future. Prime Bar's bar on the first floor is 100x better if you're looking for a good drink and aren't too invested in vibes.

My wife and I were on our anniversary trip to Chicago and decided to enjoy the cocktail bar The…read moreAviary before our dinner at their sister concept - Next. I'll start out by saying that the time in the Aviary was the best cocktail experience we have ever had. Not saying the best cocktails (even though they were very good), but the best experience as far as interesting presentations and overall service combined with good cocktails that when you were drinking them did not feel gimmicky at all, but that everything had a purpose. My wife did the 3 drink progression and ordered The Partridge, The 3 Martini Lunch, and the non-alcoholic version of the Kyoto Plum. I got three cocktails, but because I opted for one on their barrel aged part of the menu, my progression was basically a la carte, not the 3 drink $75 price. We also opted for one small bite of food - The Truffle explosion. My drinks were the Cereal Killer, the In The Rocks, and the Blood and Sand. As far as favorites went Joy's Partridge was basically a Mint Julep with some warming spices, but the presentation was great. Almost every table got that drink so it must be well received. My favorite was the Blood and Sand that was just a really well balanced cocktail. I think that part of the menu does not get the elaborate presentations. We both also enjoyed sharing the 3 martini lunch which was a small version of a Vesper, a Gibson, and a dirty Martini. Two things about this drink, we like our martinis with gin rather than vodka (obviously a Vesper has both), but their rules are that there are no changes to their menus, so both the gibson and the dirty martini were vodka based. The Gibson and the Vesper were our favorites of the three as the dirty martini was too dirty. There was even more olive brine if we wanted it dirtier. Bottom line, top notch experience, great friendly service, and the atmosphere was awesome watching the room being served some of the drinks we had, and ones that we did not order. The Truffle Explosion was also a very good bite, basically a truffle/parmesan infused soup dumpling that exploded in your mouth and helped out with a little food in our belly while having all that alcohol at the same time. The only disappointing cocktail was the Kyoto Plum mocktail, interesting presentation, but tasted just like grape juice - no real character. A hostess from Next came and got us and took us to our table in Next for the 1987 Manhattan meal. Thanks for a great experience Aviary!!

What an entertaining experience. The Aviary is like fine dining except almost entirely focused on…read morecocktails. We made a reservation for their three course cocktail experience for four of us which required a deposit of $75 per person. Only one of us ended up doing the experience (the rest of us were too full and already tipsy from dinner) but it was nonetheless, a very cool experience. Service was top notch. My partner has admired this place for a long time, as a bartender himself, and he has even learned a thing or two from their Bible-like cookbooks. So when the maitre d offered to allow him to step into the kitchen and help finish one of their cocktails, he was absolutely giddy. This was such a memorable and special touch for us during our visit to Chicago. I loved seeing how the kitchen worked together in a traditional kitchen line but only focusing on cocktails. It was an impressive thing to see. Many of the cocktails are presented in an incredibly theatrical way featuring interesting glassware, dry ice, and even a plastic bag filled with flavored air. I actually wasn't a big fan of the cocktail I ordered (it leaned too heavy into the BBQ flavor for my taste) but I enjoyed trying everyone else's cocktails at the table. I would definitely recommend checking out The Aviary if you are a cocktail enthusiast hoping to try something you can't get anywhere else. It truly is a fine dining experience with mixology at the forefront.

7/3/26: Absolutely fell in love with their HH deal! Had their espresso martini and Appletini. Both…read morecocktails were of superior quality! Loved the apple flavor and sweetness to the appletini while the espresso martini had a nice espresso flavor and wasn't too sweet. I thought waffles fries had some great seasoning, just wish they came out a little warmer. The red lighting set such a cozy mood for a girls night out and the photo booth made our experience that much more memorable.

Super cute for a night out, not super busy inside but the lighting makes it really fun! Since photo…read morebooths have become popular again, this is a perfect spot for that! The bar is slightly hidden around the corner, but easy to find and the service is fast. Def recommend for a night out stop

Oh how I love the sultry vibes at Gilt. It is every bit speakeasy but way better food. Yes it's…read morealmost always busy... but there is a secret: from the time they first open until 5pm for bar seating and a happy hour menu of some of their top appetizers is worth checking out. Yelp tip: leave room for dessert. They have this hot butter ice cream that is an experience all of it's own. I know it sounds odd but you just have to try it and thank me later. Service is also stellar, I cannot say enough about how professional and kind everyone is. They never make you feel rushed and are very good about checking to see if you need anything more.

Wow. By far the best ever restaurant experience I've ever had…read more The service is unlike anything - there are waitstaff dedicated to taking your order and molding your overall experience, waitstaff dedicated to cleaning the table as your meal progresses, and other staff keeping an eye on tables to ensure each group has the best experience. The food was also some of the best pasta I've had in my life! The meatball appetizer was incredible - tender meatballs with a simple savory tomato sauce. For pasta, I ordered the truffle mafaldine. The salty, truffle umami was so delicious and the noodles were perfectly al dente. After briefly mentioning we were at Gilt to celebrate a special event, the waiter shortly brought out gelato on the house. We got the mango gelato and it was so refreshing!! This meal was worth every cent and more. Cannot recommend Gilt enough.

Found a great happy hour here everyday 4-6pm! We sat on the…read morepatio and its was super cute. The inside had a nice aesthetic as well but we wanted fun in the sun! Their oysters were fire! I personally didn't like the croquetas the meat was chewy inside and bland. I think most appetizers were $6-$10 and drinks like French 75, Ap spritz, old fashioned were $10. We definitely enjoyed ourselves here. Our server was very chill and tatted up, we liked his vibe!

Hide+Seek was pretty good! Came here for dinner on a work trip and had the Parisian Gnocchi ($27)…read morewhich has lobster in it. The portion size isn't huge but there's a LOT of fat in this so it will make you feel full! I had had a drink beforehand too so I wasn't "starving," and I left pretty comfortably full. I was seated upstairs at the bar (there's an up and a downstairs bar) and the bartender was very nice, they served me pretty quick. I didn't hang about long but there were several couples clearly on dates, and I would say it's a nice spot for that -- not the fanciest, but certainly more upscale than casual. Bathrooms were immaculate too! Of note, I didn't have a car but saw metered parking directly out front and along the whole street there in shopping area. It was VERY packed but there was a lot of turnover so I imagine if you drove you wouldn't have to circle too long before finding a spot.

Recently went to Prime Bar to celebrate Galentine's Day with my girls. This spot had been on my…read morelist for a while! We decided to dine at the bar so we could take advantage of the everyday happy hour and use our InKind app. The espresso martini was a HIT. Our favorites were the chips and dips, cheeseburger, chicken taco pita, truffle fries, and oysters. The wings were just okay and I did not love the herb aioli. Our bartender server, I believe her name was Delia, sorry if I spelled it wrong, was super nice. She got slammed but still gave great service the whole time. The ambience is gorgeous and the music really set the vibe. Would definitely come back!

This place is insanely beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. They did an amazing job decorating the…read moreinterior and using the space. Even the area they kept water for easy access was well thought out. I started with a dozen oysters and ended with the wagyu smash burger, as it was a must order. The oysters are $1 during happy hour, which is 4pm - 6pm everyday. The oysters were fresh and the perfect size, not too big or too small. It came with two sauces, lemons, and mini Tabascos. The wagyu smash burger was pretty good and filling. I'm not the biggest fan of burgers but this one is definitely worth trying! My waiter was attentive and chill. Overall, I enjoyed my experience and can't wait to come back!

Tucked upstairs at The Soho House in the West Loop and sitting behind a set of saloon doors, Fox…read moreBar is an absolute unexpected speakeasy vibe for cocktails and a good time! We wandered in after dinner nearby and wanted a chill cocktail, we got the cocktail, not so much the chill...and that was 100% okay with us once we realized what we came upon at the top of that staircase. While small, they have all the goods for classic cocktails and even several house curated drinks. You can basically get dealers choice, which is a rotating house cocktail and it will run you around $13, which is the price that most cocktails came in at. The drink menu is seasonal and changes often, but they still sling all the classics and really anything you can think of. My partner went with a house cocktail, but I was after an espresso martini...and honestly, this doesn't seem like an espresso martini place, but they came through and it was a delightful nightcap for sure! Service was stellar, the bartenders were chill, engaged, friendly and efficient. Overall, solid spot for a cocktail in the West Loop - Definitely worth the trip in and up those stairs!

Been to Fox bar several years in a row (first encounter was back in 2018), and it usually doesn't…read moredisappoint. The staff is friendly and helpful (even got a free glass of champagne to celebrate my friend's birthday). It's an easy spot to walk into and, if you're lucky, plop down on one of the seats until closing. The bar's a little hidden in the SoHo house building, and once you're inside behind the swinging saloon doors you're welcomed by a cosy dive bar setting. If there are three things that made the experience this time around less optimal: the bar seemed to have attracted some rowdy/intrusive drunks (we got harassed a few times), the bar area itself had a puke-y smell going on, and the time it takes to get a drink can be quite long.