I decided to go out on a limb and bring a large group of friends to Bordel for my birthday, without ever having been here. And I have to say......... I made the right choice. We had an absolute BLAST! There was a little mix-up when we first arrived to Bordel on Saturday night, where they thought I had only reserved one table instead of two. After they realized their mistake, they got us our second table directly next to the first one. I was SO happy everyone got a seat and could finally start on some cocktails. The main attraction that drove me to Bordel are these wine carafes called Porróns. They are communal vessels used to pour a small stream of the cocktail of your choice, directly into your mouth. This was a huge hit for a party of 15+. You can choose any of the cocktails for the porrón, and for $60 I believe it was completely worth getting. Bordel was so kind that they brought out another Porrón with a lit candle on top for my birthday- and I absolutely LOVED it! If you order a porrón- just be prepared to spill some on your shirt after your second or third one;). From the friendly staff, to the fun, dimly lit ambiance, even to them owning up to their table mistake (and FIXING it)- I couldn't recommend Bordel more. I can't wait to come back on a Thursday or Friday evening to check out one of their live shows. Even though they only offer a live DJ on Saturday nights, I honestly couldn't have asked for a better night! read more

Warning the Drinks are extra strong. Regardless if I were sober I would still give this place 5 stars. The vibe is amazing! You immediately feel cool, sinking into their arm chairs. It's very hip ( take that with a grain of salt I don't go out much). There's velvet and unique wall paper. The music puts you on the mood. Songs you know mixed into EDM. Had the bananas foster cocktail(holly Molly!) That was almost all rum. We also had the Tabla Mixta platter a good bargain and it came with a show. Thursday is Vaudeville night which comes with Burlesque, Magician (AJ), and a Fire breathing, sword swallowing lady Sally Marvel. I am duly impressed. I am not posting all the pics cause I want you all to come to see it for yourself. Jazz night this time 081518 less crowded and they start after 9:30 I'm good with that. I have to work tomorrow. The songs were a mix of Jazz standards and modern songs they made jazzy. I'm no jazz expert my son is he loves that life he thought it was Ok. Me I like it. Did I mention there was NO COVER. How could you not like it. I'm back 062719 Thursday vaudeville night and this place is LIT AF. The music the people this place is alive. The lounges here is just really comfy. All that before the show starts. Excellent!!! And a shout out to Sally Marvel - Amazing!! read more

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Food and drinks were good. Management didn't enforce rules associated with seating during shows and allowed people to stand in isles and peoples view of show. Additionally website isn't very informative. Bar area and bar booths can't view shows. Inquire about specific viewing areas if planning to view shows. read more

This is a great little spot, a "speakeasy" bar with lovely decor and really good cocktails. In addition to the bar, there is some food available, snacks, cheese platters, etc. Up toward the front of the bar is venue space, in which I got to watch a little variety show that included burlesque, magic, some fire eating, and some sword swallowing. The show space is a little cramped if a decent amount of people show up, best to get there early and secure a good spot. They do take reservations, this can be done online with ease, saving a spot for oneself should be fairly easy if one knows in advance they will be attending. read more

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My husband and I went to see one of the burlesque/magic shows on Thursday night. Location: The show happens on the "speakeasy" area which is above the restaurant. Can be a little difficult to find! Ambience: It is a small, romantic dimly light place. We got the seat right in front of the stage. When making a reservation, you can pick seats near the stage. Food/Drink: Wine selection was large enough if you aren't a picky wine connoisseur. Food portions were small, but shareable. I believe my husband and I share three separate plates and were stuffed! Hours: Once the show was over, the area closes down. If you wanted to stay longer, I believe you would have to go to their downstairs area. Performance: The show had about five quick performances. It was a fun experience! The show was long enough to enjoy and then finish out your meal after! read more

Came here for a friend's bday on Friday and could not be more disappointed. First of all, I made these reservations months ago and at no point was it communicated to me that there was any type of charge for the show -not via email or in person. My group was shoved into a corner for the "show" at 9:30. At 10:45 one man came up and danced for 10 minutes... that was it. The next day as we're splitting up the tab we realize not only were there random drinks on there that weren't ours, but we were charged $180 for "stage views" for 8 people... my group was 4. I've emailed and called a few times and haven't heard a thing. This place could have potential but truly was just a very bad experience. read more

If you come here for burlesque show you have to be prepared to sit like in the school, no talking no going to bathroom cuz if you do they will throw you out. The hostess was very nice we were late more than 20min but she still figured it out and led us to our seats. (She was very calm and tried to fix the problem, it takes skills to stay calm and help the customers) One half of the group couldn't get in, the door man decides who can come and who can not. I went downstairs and came back again and he said to Stand by the bathroom cuz the show is going on, so I waited till the hostess said I can go to take my seat. The guy was running to follow me and screaming I told you you can't walk, I told him that the girl let me to go he said she is not the boss I'm the boss here. He clearly wanted to be the BOSS. We payed the check and went to the downstairs where my other group of ppl were hanging out and the BOSS after maybe 20min came running downstairs with one more guy and told us to leave the building. Omg ridiculous. Keep this boss around and you def have a success at the Bordel bottom line I would say he has some issues and ppl have to be careful of him, very angry person. I wonder how he is acting with the ppl who works there. I feel sorry for them. read more

What a fun concept of a bar and lounge! I came here with a friend visiting from Miami and we were so excited for a gal's night out. The staff was friendly and we were seated in these marvellous stage-side sofas as soon as we arrived (we had a rez, of course!) The food menu and cocktails was cleverly displayed and on brand with the burlesque nature of the bar. My only disappointment was that the burlesque show isn't really a "show" as one might experience elsewhere. We saw two performers each perform one song/dance each. Otherwise, the food and drinks were good. Do be wary as this is a pricier joint so you'll want to save it for a special occasion! read more

My friend suggested we meet here as a change up from our usual meet up spots. He mentioned things like burlesque and fire eater and cute bartender...ok so, that explained a lot, but I it definitely piqued my interest. Even though he suggested it I arrived first and found my way up the stairs, it can be a little tricky, I had instructions in my hand and I was still a little unsure. I went in on a Tuesday and it was dead. There was one other person who I think may have left so it was just me at the bar until my friend showed up about 20 minutes later. So, they have a Bananas Foster Old Fashioned, it's rum based which is a little different but there's a bit of a flashy element to it so it got me over my hesitation. It's definitely a cool display to see cocoa powder and an open flame and the drink was pretty good. I didn't get any of the banana flavors but there was a definitely a smoothness to it that complemented the rum. read more

We reserved a stage view table (note this costs extra $20/person) for 10:30pm burlesque show. The hostess was energetic, fun and welcoming and the dancers were very talented and interactive. Unfortunately the show really only consisted of 10-15 minutes of actual dancing and the seating is elevated rather than the stage so we were unable to see half of the show. The cocktails were average. It was still a fun experience and date night to try once but we've been to much better speak easies and burlesque shows. read more

Not a good experience - rude hostess/GM. My partner and I went in for a birthday party. We arrived about half an hour early and were told table would be ready in 15 minutes. We stayed and had a drink at a bar. We went back to the hostess and she told us no, I didn't say 15 minutes; I said thirty. So we went back to the bar, had another drink, and went back 15 minutes later. Hostess then communicated that she could not seat us that we had to wait for the entire party. Didn't appreciate being told incorrect information from the beginning. Initial interaction should have been - I cannot sit you at this time; Your entire party has to be present. She was definitely giving off rube vibes. About another 10 minutes passed by and the rest of the party had come and been seated. We were not told about this, but saw our friends and went towards them. The hostess saw us, I lightly tapped her on her shoulder and said Thank You. She immediately yelled and said that I hit her. She was making a scene. She then threatened to kick me out, which I was confused on the entire interaction. Felt like a total WHITE WOMAN TEARS/ accusation situation. This is when she claimed to be the GM - which then felt like why wouldn't you have been upfront from the beginning so we can set our expectations on the wait and not bother you every 15 mins. No clear communication, and RUDE. Our party was about 15 people and if she was truly the GM, maybe should have just seated us and started taking our drink orders? The drink waitress that we got for our party was another person and she was significantly nicer. At the end, she did verbally apologize for the other rude hostess/GM's interaction. Atmosphere is cool, drinks were good and boozy, but the interaction took away from the whole experience. read more

Bordel is a great restaurant for early morning meetings over breakfast or wonderful place for a nice lunch meeting. It's also a great place to stop into for a cocktail with business associates after work read more

Had a very fun night! Hard to find but that made it fun, music was great and the host, Pinot noir was absolutely amazing! Drinks were good but service was slow and time was limited. Other tables had food but we were not informed how to order any food. Overall a good experience! read more

Bordel - Margarita pour! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Sexy, dark, good for dates. Awesome drink list. Place is loud when there's a DJ but didn't bother me any. read more

Bordel - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had such a fun time at Bordel. My friends and I decided to come up here spontaneously after dining downstairs at Mama Delia (which was fantastic). Bordel has a mysterious speakeasy/lounge vibe with a Spanish flare. We all enjoyed our drinks and loved the music. Just a good night out with friends even during Covid, for which they practiced good safety precautions. Can't wait to be back to see a live performance! read more

Bordel - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love Bordel!! Have been many times. Great ambiance, dimly lit bar with creative cocktails. We ordered the tea service, you pour your own in a tea cup, serves about 6 cups! We stayed for the show that evening, included card tricks, Fire tossing/eating and burlesque with sword swallowing. What a show! Always a great time. If you wanna grab a bit to eat before or after I recommend Mama Delia right below the bar! read more

Bordel - Tea Cocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

You can make a reservation for a table here which is nice. My group and I had a fun time here for a birthday. Pros: -getting to sit down at your own table during a night out is fabulous. -the drinks were tasty and strong -our waiter was sweet Cons: -Service was really slow, at one point It took my friend over 50 mins to get his drink. -music is not for everyone, very eclectic -there is a stair case and I didn't see an elevator for accessibility , although I could have missed It! Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Overall I would still come back here because although service was slow, the servers were still kind and we had a lot of fun! read more

We went here the day before my graduation to celebrate. I made a reservation for Thursday at 9:30 PM. We walked in and were immediately seated. Break down of 5 stars below Ambiance: 5/5?Gorgeous to say the absolute least, the lighting was low, the couch was incredibly comfortable and the wall decor complimented the vibe of the place. We had a pretty secluded section away from all the people, which we loved. Service: 5/5 Cam was amazing! He was attentive and provided lots of recommendations. He tailored to our liquor and cocktail preferences and recommended drinks that matched them perfectly! We had his attention more before the place was crowded but by then he'd done enough to win us over. He even offered to take our picture before it got too crowded! Food: 5/5 We ordered three appetizers and shared them. First we had the shrimp app which is about 6 jumbo shrimp. Delicious. Next we had the bacon wrapped dates which was a personal favorite. The bacon was cooked well and the dates were very fresh. Lastly we enjoyed the breaded pork loin. I would recommend all of the apps we tried! Drinks: 5/5 Expensive but worth it. I believe we had the Southside, Spanish Gin Tonic, and Mexican Firing Squad. Burlesque and Magic Show: 5/5 I have never seen a burlesque show so this is definitely an amateur review. The show was super cool and sexy. We were in awe with all the performers as they incorporated props and lights! Would recommend and would attend again! read more

Beautiful speakeasy. I mean gorgeous. I wish we had been the night before when there was a show. Seems like a great venue for burlesque. We accidentally walked in early and the very friendly waitress told us to come back at 8. For such a fancy looking, elegant place it was a very relaxed vibe. Maybe too relaxed? I guess it's hard to have a dress code, but it would be nice to see folks a little more dressed up to come in. No bro shorts and sandals at least. We only had the cheese tray but it was great. The cocktails were inventive but on the strong side. Overall a nice place to chill out for a couple of hours. read more

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Wow! Blow away by the location, atmosphere, food and staff at Bordel. The location was prime, centralized around many other bars. Additionally, the atmosphere is perfect for an intimate date or a celebration with a group of about 7-8 people. The food was an amazing selection of tapas, especially the ahi tuna, it was made to perfection. I was there on Flamenco Fridays and the performance was amazing, I lived in Spain for 3 years and it brought me back to the times I spent overseas. If you are in the area it is a must! $15 cover for stage seating but well worth it. read more

Bordel - a chocolate cake on a table in a restaurant - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cocktails were amazing. Food...meh. Do your research if you are planning to see entertainment as the entertainment varies on dates and time. read more

I had been looking forward to trying more places nearby with live music and I'm glad I got Bordel checked out. So went here during later hours on a weekday and despite being decently busy we were lucky to find seats right next to the musicians. House Cocktails are on the pricey side but mine was worth it. I was trying to choose between 'Long distance relationship' and 'Whiskey passion' (haha IKR) since both of them had similar notes but the bartender recommended the latter - rye whiskey, grapefruit and passion fruit. Glad I picked it, was delicious! Also tried A Walk in the park- wasn't that big of fan. Bartender was sweet, didn't had to wait that long. Ambiance is very sensual, dark, red.. perfect for a date. Not sure about weekends but quiet enough for a conversation on a weekday I suppose. Moreover the seating is great, nice chic sofas I've heard they have a full show on Thursday. Def gonna check it out. Go through the calendar of events on their website for full schedule. read more

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Overall a disappointment in general. It's a mediocre, surprisingly short show, during which you can barely see the performers due to the weird setup. I was super excited to come but wish I'd saved my money, feels like this place has run its course, is out of touch with current talent/performers, and very in need of a fresh show... read more

This review is specific to large groups and is totally biased in that way. Definitely possible that I'd be writing a different review if I had been there on another occation. Before I get to my total grumpy rant, it would be dishonest to say that there is nothing great about Bordel. It's a very dark and swanky feeling place. It's great if you want a date night or something that feels more exclusive. The servers were very attentive and friendly (but it's very slow if you want to try to order at the bar). The drinks, though expensive, were very tasty! Everyone enjoyed the drinks they ordered. So, Bordel has some great drinks and may be a good option for something small and not a special occasion thing. My group arrived on time for a 10pm reservation for 12 people on a Friday night. The reservation was confirmed a week ahead of time but we waited about 15-20 minutes at the front door until a table opened up. We were shown to our booth but only about 8 or 9 of us could actually fit in the booth (and our group was full of quite of a few petite people). Some of us has to stand next to the booth, in the middle of the walkway right across from the bar. We were constantly in the way of servers walking through. Our friend who booked the reservation for her birthday went up to the hosts to ask if we could be seated somewhere that would fit our group. They told us that the booths are supposed to 14 people... that would only be possible if the booth were filled by small children. Even then, 14 would be a stretch. While hosts were very apologetic, even offering us a porrón for the inconvenience, we had to speak to them several times to make sure we were actually going to have the seating addressed. They told us that we could have the large seating up front once the other group left. We hung out at that booth (with everyone rotating seating every 15 minutes) for about 1 hour. The group in the larger seating was about 5 people and they stuck around for at least 30 minutes after paying. We weren't sure why the hosts might not inform that group that they had a large party waiting for the seating... We really can't blame the hosts because they were apologetic and eventually did get us to a larger area by around 11:30pm. The issue, I think, is that whoever does the reservations is putting large groups into seating that just cannot accommodate groups of that size. Since we came out for a birthday, it was pretty frustrating to not really be comfortable enough to celebrate until after 1.5 hours in the place. Bordel is a no-go for large parties but it's got some good drinks and may be much better fit for a date night or something low-key. read more

This place is such a fun time with great drinks! I loved the huge booths and open space. It is a great place to come with a small group to relax and drink well. I love the creativity and uniqueness of their cocktails. They have a huge menu with flavors for everyone. My particular favorites were the pisco punch and the pimms cup #2 because I love sweeter drinks that hide the taste of alcohol. I also enjoyed the dancing shows they had and the DJ played great music! read more

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Had a great experience here with the bar team. The drinks here are modern rifts on classics but the ambiance is what makes the place. The scantily dressed servers, lude wall murals, dim lighting and burlesque makes this place absolutely perfect. Make reservations ahead of time no matter what day or you might not get a seat. read more

Bordel - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's great to finally get out with friends during covid-19, with restaurants /bars ,taking their precautions to keep us all safe. Bordel has great cocktails , a little bit on the pricey side IMO. $15/20 each... overall nice place with a relaxing ambiance , we went on a Thursday,we each paid additional $10.00 per person to sit at the front stage , the show was great! Only thing I would have liked, if they informed us that it would be over an hour wait for the show to start, considering we were only able to be seated for 90 min. Or we would be charged another $10.00 per person. read more

This was an "out of this Chicago" experience. Not to spoil the fun to the mystery of the location, I will just say it's hidden in plain sight. So cool. Upon entering, it is dark and mysterious with a super cool vibe, hues of vampy burgundy Bordeaux-dark velvet sofas and chairs can be found everywhere. You immediately don't know what to expect but the DJ is mixing some cool sounds so I'm then curious. We are seated in a lounge area arranged like a living room: sofa, coffee table, lit candles and cool wall paper... Tapas style menu which was super unique and interesting on its own. We had the bone marrow, chicken thigh, pork loin and ciabatta bread dishes. All were delicious! My favorite was the ciabatta dish. I didn't like the bone marrow dish, I've had better this one was a bit greasy. But overall the food was great. For drinks we tried so many I couldn't tell you a thing about what I had accept for the fact that they are made well and with a heavy pour! Went went on a Thursday so the show was a magic show and burlesque act. Super cool to mix these together, I had the feeling of what Al Capone's night life was like here in Chicago in a cool speakeasy back in the day. M Highly recommend! I will be back! read more

My husband and I came here on a Tuesday night for some drinks and tapas. The place was pretty empty but it was nice as we had the bar and bartender all to ourselves. The bartender was great! He had helpful suggestions and the drinks were really yummy! I had Wrapped in Rainbows, and my husband ordered Dark and Twisted--like I said, both drinks were delicious. Food wise, the bar offers the full menu of the Tapas place below (Black Bull). We ordered bacon wrapped dates which were AMAZING and the charcuterie platter as well. Overall I would definitely return and can't wait to catch their cabaret show too! read more

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Loved the show!! Great atmosphere and environment. I will be back. 4 stars instead of 5 because they told me fries came with my sandwich, which I didn't receive! read more

Bordel - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cannot wait to come back with a group of people to chill out on the back couches again. Such a fun, sexy, cool place (and don't forget to tip your performers!!) read more

Bordel - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We had booked stage seating for a Friday night performance but there ended up being none? Kind of confused by that but we weren't charged for the stage setting. It's a cool atmosphere, but drinks are kind of pricey read more

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I would probably compare this joint to a lovely hidden speakeasy called Vyn de Syrah in San Diego...except San Diego did much much better than this place. Their real door was also hidden behind 'ivy' so you couldn't find it for sometime:P Anyways onto Bordel: The vibe inside was very cool, and the decor was on point to the era. The lighting was sexy and had the right mood, and while I still had fun being with my friends, I wish the experience could have been better. E X P E R I E N C E [-1] We were standing pretty much for a couple hours because for some reason they couldn't get their act together to get us a table. Two of us even sat at an empty table for a couple moments since the entire time we were standing, that table was still empty. [-1] Their drinks weren't good. I asked the bartender for a sweet recommendation and he said he could try to make it sweeter but it was still like a bitter punch to the stomach. F L A M E N C O ? [-1] I was also super excited for the Flamenco dance, but when 11 pm hit, and they weren't dancing, my party was angry and decided to move on. Tip: If you don't have a reservation, don't bother coming. read more

Bordel - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is very dark and sexy. The ambiance is very friendly. We were here about 8pm on a Friday. It was not very busy. We were seated right away then were moved to the bar because the seat that they sat us were reserved. Kevin Mccallister was pretty good. Kam the bartender with the awesome pony tail was incredibly friendly, super nice about how picky we were about our drinks, but still made awesome drinks for us. (Party of 2). It was something fountain. Sorry. Drink prices were $$$, tbh totally worth it. Located: Inside foyer of black bull. Grass wall. Up the stair case. Definitely would recommend for a cute romantic date! read more

Bordel - Menu - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A speakeasy that's above Black Bull. The door is discrete, but it's right after you walk in the front door. It'll lead you up some stairs, and the door into Bordel is to the left. My friend and I were waitlisted for a table/booth on Friday night (Vaudeville night), but we got there early enough to get a really good seat by the stage where the tarot card reader was set up and where the burlesque dancer performed. My friend and I hadn't done a tarot card read before as I'm not personally superstitious, but we figured why not, it would be fun. The girl was nice, and the read was interesting. The show itself was short, but good - also a first for me! At one point she was using fire in her act. The magician was walking around from table-to-table entertaining groups, but we unfortunately left before he made his way to our table. The drinks were good too! Our server was really helpful and the two whisky drinks my friend got were definitely strong..or as the server put it "boozing forward". I got lighter ones off the classic menu, and they were refreshing too. Lastly as a note! They have dessert that are not on their menu! We got a blueberry cheesecake (w/manchego cheese). That was really good - not as dense as you think when you hear cheesecake. It was light and fluffy with fresh strawberries. It sounds like these desserts changes periodically though. The only one critique was that the music seemed off for the vibe. They were playing pretty loud old hip hop, which I am a fan of, but it just didn't work. And it was hard to hear the tarot card reader because they had the music fairly loud. Overall, great experience. read more

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I'm giving two stars because it's just insane that I specifically made a reservation for my girlfriends birthday -- who was visiting from ny -- during a Vaudeville show only to have them shove us in the back most corner where there was a whole as* wall blocking our view of the stage. Everything else was fire: ahi tuna, scallops and prawns. Waitress forgot our dessert but I forgive her because she was hot. All cocktails were delicious. read more

Bordel - Scallops - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Horrible experience... Sat in corner and could not see. Terrible service. One drink order. Not worth it at all. Don't go. Spend your money elsewhere. read more

So disappointed. Made a reservation on Resy for a stage table at 9:15. We showed up at 9:05 and the hostess was rude and said the show already started and we had to sit at the bar until our table was ready. And as we were walking to bar she casually mentions we will be watching the 10:30 show??? Like what? We were on time. And reserved a table for a show. Needless to say we didn't stick aprons so disorganized and rude. Bummer for the talent there bc the performers are awesome. But I won't be back. read more

First off, the atmosphere is giving sexy and mysterious. The entertainment is classy, playful and everything you'd want from a private feel show. Secondly, the strawberry balsamic drink has never left my memory. I tried recreating it but it wasn't the same. Guess I'll have to go back. read more

Ambiance is nice but this place is just ok. Drinks were tasty but the location is a bit of a hallway. If you don't have a reservation, you'll be standing. And not able to see any performers. Was really excited to try this place but I doubt I'll be going back. read more