Gabby made me a special mocktail based on some flavores I was looking for and it tasted AMAZING! Excellent service, atmosphere was a nice elevated casual - planning to come again! read more

Arbella - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely amazing and sexy vibe. Live dj playing chill house music. Creative and delicious cocktails. Food was excellent too. Try the octopus with pineapple! read more

Arbella - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wanted to go hear for my friends bday and he loves old fashions and good music. I heard this was the place to be. Definitely need a reservation if you are going on Thursday through the weekend. Vibe was great, but a little to dark for my taste. You will NOT be able to see your food lol. The drinks are great especially if you are an old fashion drinker. They have a full menu of just specialty old fashions. Happy hour is until 7 and they offer a few of their specialty cocktails on the HH menu. It gets loud when the DJ comes on on Thursday's so get your small talk done before he gets on. If you are going to eat it is more a shared menu type place so don't come starving. Small bites. My fav were the croquettes. They always offer different food options during the week. I would def go again but to sit at the bar for just small bites and cocktails. read more

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Great food, service and ambiance! One added plus is that they have happy hour on saturdays! The food was unique and delicious, but the drinks really make the place amazing! Great music, I'll be back! read more

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Sam and I came to Arbellas hoping for an upscale late night bite after arriving into town a little late. We were let down as the kitchen closes down at 9pm... there was not a lot of information showing these and given the "good for late night" search option we had hoped we'd get to try the Korean Fried chicken. After sitting for awhile enjoying some cocktails, an Espress Yo'self for me (delicious) and an I eat stickers all the time for Sam (great presentation), we ended up leaving to find other food options. The inside vibe was great and I wish we had gotten in a little sooner to experience the space. Our serve Eric was very helpful in pointing us in a good direction for food given the restrictions. read more

Arbella - Espress Yo'self - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went to the Sunday evening pop up featuring smash jabrito. The food was amazing, the drinks were delicious and it had a great vibe! Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, I'll definitely be back! read more

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Great music, romantic and dimly lit, friendly staff and wagyu sliders plus truffle fries I'd come crawling back for. Street parking only. My favorite aspect of their menu though is for the old fashioned (cocktail) lovers. They have a section on their menu that has different versions of an old fashioned based on the inspiration of ingredients around the globe. Using Ube (purple yam) in the Philippines inspired old fashioned to more local ingredients in the Kentucky version. Shout out to Diana T being the best like always read more

Great drinks and atmosphere for an evening out with the girls. Server was able to make us all happy with suggestions.

We celebrated our little brother's 21st birthday last weekend and had a wonderful time. Our server was attentive, friendly, and just plain out amazing. He is what made this special night so great as he went above and beyond. I've visited the Arbella a few times previously as my friend has DJ'd here before, so I've already had great experiences, however, this was my first time dinning here. The food was not very impressive and next time I'd probably skip. I will say the drinks are ALWAYS outstanding and the service will always have me coming back. read more

Love this spot. Arbella alone made me rethink River North in general! The servers are cool and laid back, the music is ALWAYS good, and the food is delicious. I feel like I'm in Logan Square at this place! read more

This spot was recommended by a local and it was by far the best restaurant we went to during our entire trip! First let me say that the vibe there is awesome. We got there earlier to be able to eat and got seated within 5 minutes. It's intimate seating and lighting with a live DJ! We ordered two cocktails, The Mexican Dance Off & Palo Picante. Both were excellent! 1st is a watermelon infused and second packs a little heat. We ordered a few plates to try a few options. The croquettes were super fresh and perfectly breaded. My favorite was the K.F.C chicken , super flavorful and perfectly cooked. We finished off with the Short Rib Boas that came with fresh steamed buns and make your own boa style. They melted in your mouth good! Our waiter was on it! He always checked in on us. It was the best restaurant service we had in Chicago. We ended up staying for 2 more Mexican Dance Offs and checked out the live DJ. He was awesome! We haven't heard good music in awhile and the vibe was chill but still made us want to dance. Shout out to DJ Shinn! read more

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First time at Arbella yesterday evening. My cousin lead us (myself and her friend, a birthday girl visiting from Shanghai) here after Tuesday Night Jazz on the Terrace at MCA. Very Cute! Happy Hour: We arrived just after 7pm so we missed happy hour which is available Monday through Saturday 5-7pm and includes selected drinks and bites. Ambience: In general, Chicago dine/ lounging is known for a very moody woody decor. Arbella goes for a similar vibe with an east coast twist. They play up their brick walls with ambient lighting, pops of color, art +design, and high lofty ceilings near the front bar. Surprisingly the front windows opted for nice natural light while the well thought out design of the place makes for a very aesthetically stimulating setting to sip their crafty cocktails. Service: When we arrived, the decor caught my attention but that soon faded as we "waited to be seated" for moments without an introduction. My cousin had time to go looking about the place wondering where the host was and turns out she was right in front of us all along but hadn't acknowledged/ greeted us yet. After a few minutes of confusion she finally turned around and said "have you been helped?" We said no, and then she said no problem I'll be back in a moment after seating some other guests that were also standing at the door. Moments after a gentleman approached us asking if we had been helped and we told him not yet, so he asked how many in our party and told us to show ID, then moved onto the next person that entered after us. After he checked our IDs and the patron after us he lead us to our seats in the front bar booths. We were brought water right away and then waited a several minutes for our menus, before the server came by asking if we were ready to order. We told him we didn't have menus and he mentioned they were on the table with a smile, referring to the QR code that was peaking beneath the table candle. The menu was well designed and to the point. We took to Yelp for some inspo and pictures about what to order for both drinks and food. When the server returned I asked him what was the most popular drink and he suggested the Smokey Sidepiece. My cousin ordered that and the birthday girl opted for the Lagos Traveling Old Fashioned. I'm a fry girlie, so I ordered the truffle fries. Our drinks arrived in beautifully curated carafes, but without presentation. It was a pour your own kind of service that lowered the hype, despite the fun spin on the drinking capsules. After my fries arrived the the server returned to see about any additional eats and birthday girl was deciding between the Cast Iron Octopus and Crab Rangoons. The pictures on Yelp showed one boring photo of crab rangoon someone posted 10 months ago and our sever said that Yelp didn't know what it was talking about, those are not our crab rangoons, saying that he worked their several years and their crab rangoons don't look like the ones pictures Not sure how that works, so we ordered the octopus instead. Food and Beverage: My cousin LOVED the Smoky Sidepiece and the cute little honey bear it was prepared in, complete with smoke inside. Also they have cool "A" monikered ice cubes which is a nice detail. Birthday girl was not a huge fan of the Lagos Old fashioned. She thought the elderflower was maybe too sweet which was the ingredient that initially interested her. But the look of everything was five stars. The server was nice enough to offer her a new drink, but she opted for jazzing up what she had instead, and he gave her a chaser blend to mix at her discretion. My Truffle Fries came out underwhelming The flavor profile was amazing, so I will be ordering again, but the basket wasn't full and the temp was just warm. And as for the Cast Iron Octopus, the presentation also gets five stars, but the temperature was lukewarm and the flavor was missing some contrast. Maybe some lemon squeeze would've helped. At the end of our evening, our server returned with birthday shots on him. He fixed me a cranberry shot and they all had a tequila paired with some type of pineapple mix. The girls loved their shots and birthday girl was happy. Also the DJ was excellent! The music complemented the evening well, and kept our heads nodding. We'll def be back, can't wait to see what else the menu has to offer. read more

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This was our first stop on a Friday night. We were able to get a seat without reservations, but barely! The place was packed and the drinks were great! The menu is set up so that you can pick your drinks based on how much alcohol the drink has. We ordered some tacos and a stuffed pepper. The food was okay and the drinks were great. The tacos needed more flavor in my opinion (maybe chorizo added in the mix) and the stuffed pepper had too much balsamic on it. I was expecting more food on the menu so we stayed for two rounds drinks before moving on. If we go back, it will be for drinks only. read more

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Douche to the Max! Came in her planning on getting dinner. I just made it a couple minutes before happy hour ended. Asked for a happy hour cocktail. I was grudgingly handed a watered down and mediocre drink. No communication. Not even eye contact. I'm so (NOT) sorry that I bothered the bartender. I decided no way was I eating here. I asked for the bill. Again, set in front of me without so much as eye contact, a nod of the head, and forget a "thank you, have a nice night". I had my card in hand and put it in the glass with the bill as soon as the bill was dropped in front of me. The bartender just walked away. I moved the glass with bill and card forward attempting to make it additionally clear I was ready to move on. He shoved it back and put the payment processor in front of me. The minimum tip button was 25%. Needless to say, I opted for a custom tip. The only reason I'm giving two stars is because the hostess was nice and the ambiance is cool. Aside from that, there's kinda sorta some competition in this area. I'll never go back. read more

5 star vibe and drinks 2 to 3 star food Beautiful, modern space that feels almost intimidatingly cool. Friendly service and we'll streamlined process to get food and drinks out quickly. Perfect for drinks on a date. Got the happy hour specials of Peru-N-Back and Mexican Danceoff and both were perfectly balanced. I wish I could say the same about the food. KFC Chicken - 2.5/5. Decent sauce with a nice kick but the texture was off. There wasn't much crisp, which is part of what differentiates Korean fried chicken, so it ate dry and boring. Potato tacos - 2/5. Solid flavor profile with good ratio of potatoes but DRENCHED in oil. As in the serving plate had visable oil marks after picking up the taco and oil squirted onto the table when I took a bite. read more

When my friend sent me the info for Arbella, I instantly thought 'oh no, that looks like a place that is way too cool for me'. And while Arbella IS definitely cool, it's not a place where you'll feel out of place. They have a pretty great happy hour that's even available on Saturday's, so of course we had to make our way around the menu. All the drinks were unique and tasty. We tried some of the chicken tenders and they were pretty good. If you're with a group of 4+, you might want to get a couple of orders because the tenders are big, but it is just an appetizer serving. The standout for me was the espresso martini. It was honestly one of the best drinks that I've ever had. I know what you're thinking... oh good another basic girl from the suburbs who likes an espresso martini- what does she know?! well. I have tried many a drinks in my day, so that's my qualification here. read more

I had tons of conference calls and he had late evening meeting so by the time both of us were ready to eat it was 10 pm. Ever the clever researcher that he was, I was led to the restaurant while I was still on the call. I spoke rapidly and bilingually. Middle of the day in Asia. Then when I was done, he led me to upstairs where we came upon an open floor cozy booth seating arrangement with an expansive bar. Excellent service from bartender. He ordered for us. 21 years later, we always revert back to the same dynamics we had with one another when we first met. So yes, this person who is in charge of everything gets to defer to her dining partner on food and drink choices. He ordered a Pilsner for himself and a white wine for me. Bao was good. Fried calamari with fried kale chips is a guilty pleasure. Taco with pork belly delightful. Super intimate setting with round booth seating arrangement and a very young crowd scene late in the evening. We were practically dinosaurs here but the dim lights helped to hide our wrinkles. I was not looking for a dating like restaurant but this place felt intimate and date worthy. A very affordable place with interesting decor located in downtown. On the way back we pass by an Irish bar and a steak restaurant. The air felt warmer than the city by the bay. I had almost forgotten where we were until he said this is the Midwest, where he grew up, worked, dated, and lived. To which I replied, "Chicago is not Midwest like Indiana." read more

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Found this place on Yelp. It's very dim inside. It was putting some of us to sleep. We came on a Sunday late afternoon. We were here to drink and eat. We tried the pork belly buns, edamame, and korean fried chicken. All were good. We also got a round of drinks. Smokey the bear drink didn't have much smoke though...The place is actually quite big. Service was fast. read more

Arbella - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great spot for happy hour! The overall vibe of Arabella was so fun, staff was great. Kept getting the Moscow mule drink 10/10! read more

Arbella - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love this place. I've been coming for years and I haven't had anything I didn't like. The happy hour is great, as it goes from 5-7 pm. Most places are 4-6, which doesn't really give much time after work. The drinks are large and strong, and during happy hour only $8. The food is also delicious, with the chicken tenders especially great. They're huge and filling, and come in different flavors. Lemon pepper is my favorite one. They also had beef sliders at one point, which were fantastic, so I hope they come back! The Peru-n-Back is my favorite drink, but they're all good. I only take a start off because the music is very loud, giving it a club vibe, which isn't necessary during happy hour. It's also difficult to hear the person you're with, so if they would turn that down a bit, it would be a 5/5. read more

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Great vibes and great drinks but boy is this place expensive. read more

Arbella - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

These bartenders get it and do things right and there is no fear in mixing different flavors to confuse (and delight) the taste buds. Exhibit A: Oaxaca Old Fashioned. Yes please! Make sure to make reservations for you and your crew. Tracey K and I walked in and were fortunate to get a couple of seats at the end of the bar, while all the other tables were reserved. Highly recommend this spot whether you are visiting or not! read more

Arbella - Havana Old Fashioned in a gorgeous cocktail glass - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had an awesome time, nice service, good drinks, lovely happy hour. My only gripe is this place is too too dark, I like to see my food, drinks, my companion, etc. We tried a lot of items on the menu my fav were the potato croquets, yum and of course the old fashion(s). read more

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Happy hour was a phenomenal deal! Large portions and delicious drinks. Great place for a date.

A super unique cocktail bar in Chicago with delicious, smokey drinks! The bar smells divine when you walk in with how their drinks are made. We walked in on a Saturday evening and got seated quickly! My only issue is that for a cocktail bar, the ambiance is a bit too loud to be able to have a conversation with others at your table. We ordered drinks at the bar and the pictures say it all! Each drink is such an experience. I got a Smokey mezcal drink that came in an adorable Bear jar. The others in my group got a Smokey whiskey drink and a shaken cocktail. All we're like nothing we've had before, incredible flavors. Only regret is not being able to try more drinks on their menu! Definitely swing by Arbella if you're in this area! read more

Arbella - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's rare that a place does a great job in both cocktails and food. Arbella is one of those places. The cocktails are so well crafted. Every drink is a different surprise. Food is not your typical bar food but an elevated fine dining experience. I highly recommend their fried chicken sandwich. It beats all other sandwiches out of the water. read more

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HIGHBALLERS Let masters of the craft cocktail carry you away on a whimsical journey in River North. Coming here was a special birthday treat for yours truly, thanks to the scouting efforts of Nichole C -- the other half of 'Yelp's Cutest Couple™'. It's not easy to find a place with trendy vibes that I haven't already been to, but she succeeded on 1/19/19. Arbella is located on the right side of Grand Ave, in between Tanta and Fado Irish Pub. A short set of stairs takes you to a loft with a great atmosphere: tall ceilings, low lighting, dark wood, bartenders with beards & tats, etc. We were lucky to snag a booth, though counter seating at the bar is available as well. Peering into their assortment of drinks, I noticed right away this wasn't some kinda dive bar. Ingredients like cynar (artichoke liquor), lillet blanc (aromatised wine), and yellow chartreuse showed me that these guys meant business. For crying out loud, they even had peanut butter infused vodka! I decided to start with 'smokey the bear' ($15), a cocktail made with habanero mezcal and lemon, poured into a rocks glass with a giant ice cube. Enjoyable levels of heat were amplified by a legitimate glass bear filled with hickory SMOKE. Trippy stuff, man. Another round saw me order the 'a jornada' ($14), a complex drink of spiced rum infused with peppercorn and cinnamon. Port wine, dragonfruit, plantain and citrus rounded out the flavor profile and despite its booziness, I loved the nuances of this one. Perhaps the highlight of the evening was the 'trankilo melón' ($14), a fruity drink with a base of tequila, accompanied by pisco, strawberry, and thai dimmi. The highlight was a fake "joint" clipped to the side, smoldering slightly. Someone here rolls a hella tight spliff, I'll tell you what! Regrettably, the 4th choice remains a mystery. Courtesy of an alcohol-fueled haze, I couldn't get the blurry photos to match up with the menu. All I can say is there was a slice of watermelon coated in dry spices and that we liked it ($13?) Not relishing the thought of drinking on an empty stomach and then driving home, we got some light bites as well. The egg rolls ($11) were expensive but tasty. Stuffed with shrimp, pork, and shredded veggies, they came with large lettuce leaves and chili sauce for dipping. The pork belly tacos (3 for $12) were really good. A trio of tortilla shells were packed with plenty of guajillo-spiced pork belly in a mango salsa, topped with some kind of sprouts. We've had lots of different tacos recently but these were some of the best in recent memory. That brings us to the Korean Fried Chicken ($15). A quartet of large boneless chicken breasts came glazed in a sweet sauce, topped with sesame seeds and green onions over a bed of crispy rice noodles. They were absolutely DELICIOUS; the house's specialty dish did not disappoint. Bread = 5 Circuses = 4.5 Service was attentive throughout and we never had to ask for refills on water. I also need to give huge props to the stalwart GM of Arbella who -- on a historic, "barbarically" cold January day in Chicago -- allowed his staff to stay home and manned the fort by himself. You da real MVP, homeslice. * TL;DR * With hilarious drink names like "A Punch In The Dickens", "Alpaca My Bags", and my personal favorite "[[cries in spanish]]", it's hard not to love their cheeky sense of humor. The cocktails are creative, strong, priced accordingly. And that fake blunt packed with oregano? Hilarious. Arbella is perfect for date night or post-work drinks.....assuming your work involves day trading or some type of high-powered legal firm. You won't find any $2 PBR tallboys or shots of malort here. My advice is to dress fashionably (think button-up shirt and dark jeans for guys). Highly recommended! read more

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A nice spot tucked away in River North for drinks and small bites. We went for after dinner cocktails and got the Oaxaca old fashioned plus the "I eat stickers all the time". The former was a sweeter riff on an old fashioned, not bad at all but I was expecting more smokiness due to the mezcal. The latter tasted like a sweeter version of a pisco sour. The interior is posh and dimly lit, with a great soundtrack that gives off a date night vibe. Staff was super friendly and prompt with the drinks as well. While I expected slightly more nuance/subtle flavors from the drinks given the variety of ingredients they use, they were still strong and tasty to sip on. I recommend Arbella for pre/post dinner cocktails read more

Arbella - I eat stickers all the time - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've come here for "just a quick drink" and have always ended up ordering food and two drinks. All the cocktails I've had here are creative and good, and the chicken empanadas are super tasty, but there's no shortage of places like this in Chicago. What truly makes Arbella stand out (why I feel they deserve 5 stars and not 4), in my opinion, is their phenomenal service. My server last week, for example, was friendly and super quick, which for being in River North and being busy during happy hour is that much more impressive. read more

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I MUST return to this place. I'm somewhat of a cocktail snob and this bar exceeded my expectations 1000%. I don't know where to begin. The food was incredible (they serve smaller plates). We had the chicken empanada which was fresh and full of flavor. The crust was the best I've ever had. We also got the Wet Lemon Pepper Chicken....my god. The flavor! The crispy crunchy breading! The service was great and the atmosphere cozy and inviting. Now for the cocktails. I tried Smokey The Bear, Van Down by The River, and Muerte Por Toro (with Mezcal). Wow. Just wow. The mixologists know what they're doing because each cocktail was perfectly balanced and delicious. Out of the three my favorites were Smokey The Bear and the Muerte. If you're in River North you must stop by! You won't regret it. read more

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Thoroughly enjoyed my first visit here & I'll definitely be returning to explore MORE. The only reason they didn't receive five stars is because none of the food wowed me but then again this isn't a Michelin restaurant. This a bar with great drinks & good food & I have to state that the food is actually good just not astounding. The space is dimly lit so it feels intimate & the booth was tufted leather so it added a bit of luxury & comfort. The place wasn't loud although packed & a having a d.j playing a good set. Possibly the two most intriguing factors regarding Arbella are the fair prices along with the fact that there's some "tlc" going into these drinks. The scale on the menus which describes of the strength of the drinks is extremely accurate as well. Drinks: Old school-literally a peanut butter & jelly cocktail. Oddly fascinating is how I'd describe it. Delicious but weird if that makes sense. A jornada-extremely fruity but still delicious. I could honestly have 5 of these & be in heaven. Gentlemen's agreement-a true variation of a classic hand crafted cocktail, well done! Chicago fire extinguisher-the smoky grown ass man drink. Comes with an aesthetically pleasing aspect but still just a damn good cocktail Food: Baos-kind of flavorless to be honest. My least favorite dish Chicken-my favorite dish of the night but the sauce totally makes the dish. Chicken empanadas-again without the sauce would be flavorless but not a terrible food option. read more

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Wanted to try this place for a while and finally got a reservation! The place is small but has a cool vibe. The drinks were decent and there were so many options. We tried the Hot&Spicy chicken tenders which were good but the truffle fries felt low quality. We couldn't even taste the truffle salt at all. However, the aioli that came with the fries was amazing! read more

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This place is gorgeous. Looks like a little hole in the wall on the outside with the placement, we missed it when we first walked by. The inside is beautiful. High ceilings, tall booths, and a huge bar. The place itself is narrow and long. They have really cool unique speakers on the ceiling and light fixtures. Got here right at 5 and was seated right away, we ended up grabbing a table for about 8 total which was perfect. It didn't get too packed on a Tuesday for happy hour so definitely a good spot. I can't remember what drink is called but it comes with a little thing of smoking sage which is so cool and smells so good! Truly a cool drink experience. Our one friend got the tacos and they smelled amazing!! read more

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Arbella gave an awesome experience to me! I am really impressed and satisfied by their amazing vibes, great food, music and drinks. Lots of options to select from, service is top notch. I really loved the way the drinks are presented. The Croquettes tasted good. I would highly recommend it. I am looking forward now to visit again this spot with friends and family. read more

I love tapas, and this place has a great assortment to choose from. The food was good, and may have been really appetizing to look at but I never saw it. We had a table in the back and it was too dim to see anything. I felt like I was in one of those "dine in the dark" restaurants. The drinks were also very weak. Tasty, but four Palomas later, I should have had a little buzz going on. read more

The service is fantastic; very friendly and willing to talk you through recommendations. Ambiance is great also! The sound system is great, and the design is engineered to make the acoustics really pop without drowning out conversation. Cocktails are creative and really yummy. read more

Arbella - Smoky side piece - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Super fun place I went there with friends for a cocktail. The music was totally up my alley that night because it was tech-housey. The cocktails were delicious and the menu even lets you know which ones are on the stronger side / weaker side which I think is great. We did not have any food so the five stars are for the atmosphere and drinks only. One are seemed to be for dancing. We did not go there either but people were having fun and the place was busy. The staff including the bouncer were very nice. Although the music was fairly loud, we could have a conversation at our table no problem. Not sure what that magic is haha. When I go back to Chicago I will most definitely try to go back for some serious partying. read more

Went here as I was looking for a good cocktail bar while I was in Chicago on business. I had the Chicago Fire Extinguisher as well as a old fashioned from the menu which got the life of me I can't remember the name of. I also had the Bao Buns for dinner. I enjoyed all and would only say the bartender could be more engaging or informative. read more

Arbella - Chicago Fire Extinguisher - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A fun place for an early evening drink. The drinks were a little below the quality I'd expect at a place like this, but the fun space made up for it. Very good service read more

Great cocktails. Specially the ones that smoke up. I'm not a fan of their food. Love the service and atmosphere. Very trendy vibe.