This is an absolute Chicago Summer MUST!…read more I did this 2 years ago for the first time, and again last night. Buy your tickets ahead of time on the shedd website; and go with a group. $25/person for a 5 hour entryway into all exhibits of the shedd - sea otters, dolphins, you name it. Oh and upon entry, you get a wristband so you can walk around while drinking wine! Tip - buy a bottle of wine, way cheaper, but if you're dying to see exhibits, do them first before you buy the wine because a lot of them don't allow food/drinks in the area. After you see the fishies, buy food from the vendor tables and head outside to get a table to listen to the jazz and stay at least until 9:30pm to see the fireworks show. I don't know why I've lived here for 5 summers and only done this twice, I'll be back!

Some organizational issues but still had a great time…read more 1. No point in doing timed entry if the timed entry rules are the thing making everyone clump up and enter at once. Totally illogical. 2. No kids should be allowed at an adults event. They run the show every other day, give us a break from them. 3. Jazz band should have been outside. Sad that we barely heard any music the entire night. As usual the animals were amazing! Jubilee drink was yummy. Sunset was gorgeous.

Such a lovely experience at The Drawing Room. The atmosphere is warm and intimate. The cozy…read moreseating made for great conversations with some gathered around fireplaces. The food and drinks were so good (the Brussels sprout salad - yum!).

I arrived around 21:00 for dessert/nightcap on a Monday evening before heading back to my hotel…read morenear convention center. I had been enjoying the city after a day of shopping and dinner at Joe's. A friend recommended this lovely bar/lounge. We are not from these parts of the U.S. and love to explore. This lounge is on the second floor of the Chicago Athletic Association building. Part of the Hyatt chain. I was warmly greeted by host and placed next to an old fireplace in front of the bar area. I was seated facing the entire lobby. I was enjoying the Gothic architecture. It was dark and a soothing atmosphere. I appreciated the appropriate music playing as well. It was a perfect way to end my day. I had a glass of champagne and my server recommended the Basque cheesecake. Which was perfect cause I recently visited San Sebastian, Spain. The Basque region makes a great cheesecake. The burned caramelized top complimented my champagne well. There is a room/bar in the back room of where I was. A great bar with games and TVs for sports. After enjoying my nightcap, I walked downstairs and was able to order a ride-share and wait in the warm entry of the building. This hotel is directly across the famous Bean which is in the beautiful Millennium Park. During the day, I highly recommend checking that park out.

Hidden gem in South Loop. something for everyone on the…read moremenu. feels like home. great service!

Minus one star for the lack of information regarding the cost of cocktails during our event, and…read morethat gimlets were made with a pretty awful mix instead of fresh lime juice. For the price point, couldn't some limes have been juiced and kept on standby for the shift? Food and service for a family-style dinner service for 20+ people was great. We ate our fill of eggplant parmigiana, and red and white pasta dishes. The roast chicken was flavorful and tender. There wasn't enough dessert especially tiramisu to go around, it seemed to be the only item that was a little skimpy in terms of portions. The location had paid street and garage parking nearby - a friend felt that a prepaid parking spot option was an excellent price so they drove in. We did not have individualised dinner, but based on our mini-banquet experience, I can recommend the place and I would eat here again.

Fantastic service and great selection of snacks. I got the fried mushrooms and they were so good…read more It's super pretty and I love the color scheme of the place. Great place for cocktails either way a more upscale feel but not too fancy

Vol 39 is the hotel bar at the Kimpton Gray. The ambiance is modern library meets old money - dark…read morewoods, bold colors, warm lighting. It was a very busy night for them since Boleo was closed for a wedding. We were able to get our complimentary glass of wine and also tried a few of their cocktails. They accidentally bought out espresso martinis instead of espresso Negronis but didn't charge us for the mistake. Both were delicious. Our burger took a very long time and a quick explanation of items on the charcuterie board would have been nice. Vol 39 is a good place for a pre-dinner snack and drinks.

just about the most generous fish portions in poke i've ever seen (and the thickest, fattiest…read moresalmon cuts)... and their macaroni salad is my favorite!!! the virgin lychee frozen daiquiri was great, not too sweet huge menu, but the server was very sweet in helping us navigate everything. and did i mention the interior... just made me so happy sitting in such a beautifully built and decorated place!!

Oh u know I'd be back soon. Thanks mucho to owners Betty and Duane! Had to order usuals cuz so dang…read moregood: crispy hot egg rolls, perfect spam musubi & steamed fish. New to us is the oh so yummy japchae! Bro & I enjoyed our "appetizer cocktails ": lychee martini and lemon vodka thingy. Our lovely waitresses always make our dining extra special. Thank you ladies!

Great food!! We stopped in for a late lunch the other day and we were very satisfied with our meal!…read moreI ordered the turkey bacon club it was very good! My bf had the bagels and lox and was very happy too!!

#flyforfriends #flyforfood #windycity #Chicago…read more Chose a place to snack as we waited for our time slot for a river cruise. Full disclosure- it's more of a local bar with local type bar food which is all we wanted but ended up with less than expected. Here is my story Stopped in for a snack and beverage before our river cruise to be welcomed by a friendly worker who took the liberty to rearrange table to accommodate 5 of us. Like i said we were on a time line so we immediately ordered only to have our food sit under the lamp warmers at the kitchen counter. Shame of them. Then, one of our travel buddy's chicken sandwich was HORRIBLE.... If you go here, go for a beverage only which is what they seem to do well with (including bringing water to the table) 3rd star for the comaradarie.... Nuff said. My mommy said if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. I wonder.... maybe that's how they got their name of Half Sour

Gorgeous classy new martini lounge with live dj music. Narrow yet plenty of seating. Professional…read morefriendly staff. Fresh EFFECTIVE cocktails. Street meter parking.

Let me set the scene. It's Saturday, and my friends and I have officially started the shenanigans…read more We're looking to loosen up a little more and figure a local watering hole might do the trick. Well, we heard that M Lounge had been resurrected from the closed and was serving customers again, so naturally, we fleet-footed right on over to see what all the hubbub was about. Okay, first off, whoever decorated this place deserves a gold medal. It looks amazing. The mix of old and new, the gold accents, and the lighting all come together perfectly. It has everything visually that you would want from a neighborhood bar you could eventually call your Cheers. The music was just right, and the vibe was definitely vibing. But wait. I only gave this place three stars. How Sway? Well... let me tell you. You don't just go to a bar for the vibe. You go to a bar for the drinks, and as much as I loved the atmosphere, the drinks left me wanting. And it wasn't just me. Everyone in our group was a little confused. How can a place look this good, feel this good, and then have drinks that are just... so-so? And I take my drinks seriously. So when I say so-so, I mean SO-SO. Hell, the Old Fashioned wasn't even an Old Fashioned. It was some sort of sweet abomination. Was it a bourbon drink? Absolutely. Was it an Old Fashioned? Absolutely not. For now, I'm going to chalk it up to growing pains because there's way too much I like about this place to write it off after one visit. The atmosphere is there. The music is there. The neighborhood-bar potential is definitely there. So yes, I'll be back. But M Lounge, I'm asking you nicely. Please make me a proper Old Fashioned next time. Otherwise, I might have to cancel my subscription to the Martini Lounge.

I came here for a birthday outing last weekend, and while the food was outstanding, the service was…read moreseverely disappointing, especially at this price point. My group was made to feel like an inconvenience - we felt rushed even though we didn't take long to order, or linger after paying, and we were polite while ordering plenty of dishes and drinks. A number of people in our party also work in the service industry, so we try to be mindful of all of these factors. We didn't receive one of the ordered sides, and this was obviously not the server's fault, but a number of items we attempted to order were unavailable (oysters, saturn cocktail, milk & cookies dessert) and it wasn't really acknowledged. Again, this was a birthday reservation and we were brought the check without being asked if we would like to order dessert. Then, when we did order dessert, there was no candle. I understand some restaurants don't provide candles...but a table next to us was given a candle. A disappointing experience - I had been looking forward to trying Oliver's since they opened.

Oliver's is a great addition to the South Loop. The food was really good, I had the mushroom…read morerisotto, which was rich, creamy, and full of flavor. The cocktails were solid too and paired well with the meal. The only downside was the service. It was a busy night, so things moved a little slower than expected, but the staff was still friendly and attentive when they stopped by. The atmosphere is cozy and perfect for a date night or dinner with friends. I'd definitely come back to try more of the menu.

Brando's Speakeasy is my go-to karaoke bar!…read more I always find myself at Brando's Speakeasy after happy hour in the area. Brando's has a later happy hour (4p-7p) that has solid offerings. I love Moscow Mules and they sell them for $5 during happy hour! They have a variety of other drink options for the same price and some bites as well. Every time I've visited the bartenders have been personable and made the drinks fast. Brando's has ample tables available. I've gone during a busy Friday night and I've been able to secure a table throughout the night. I love Brando's even more because people actually participate in karaoke. Everyone is normally singing along to someone else's song and they don't leave people hanging. Depending on the night I've turned into a background dancer for someone! The karaoke sign-up is pretty straightforward. It's digital so you can track your place in line from your phone along with take your time selecting a song.

Brando is such a great place after work and it opens a little later during a work week. We came in…read morethere was karaoke and the vibe was amazing. We didn't get any food because it was late but next time we will. There was seating around us or you can go up near the karaoke stand. Had an absolute blast on a Wednesday night and people were singing their hearts out at karaoke.

Apolonia absolutely deserves 5 stars for the brunch service. My daughter and I were looking for…read morebreakfast around 11:00 this past Sunday, only to find many places ended breakfast before that. Apologies was nearby our hotel, the Marriott Marquis. We started with a cappuccino and an O.J. Both were perfect and my daughter commented that it tasted like they had just fresh squeezed the oranges moments ago. We considered ordering the pastry tower, but instead opted to share three dishes. It eneded up being more food than we could finish. Portion sizes were big, especially for the quality and price. We shared 1 savory and 2 sweet dishes: the banana business croissant, the warm cinnamon roll, and the fritatta Espinosa. Each one completely impressed us and we're so delicious. We told the server we couldn't belive they were both baking high end pastries like this and preparing amazing savory dishes. Overall, our service was quick and friendly. The room was clean, spacious and modern. If I visit Chicago again from the East Coast, I would happily visit Apolonia again. I would love to try some of the brunch drinks and more items.

We were looking for somewhere to get dinner before a concert at Soldier Field and I'd had this…read moreplace bookmarked (mostly for their pastries which we didn't try but I liked this meal enough to go back and try those things). They were really fast and good at getting us out super promptly, which was appreciated. I didn't take a photo of everything we ate so I don't remember all of what we ordered. The food was good but a four stars because some items were really delicious (the black truffle bread and mussels toast for example, maybe some of the pastas) but some of the items were just fine (e.g., red prawn carpaccio). If Yelp did fractional stars, I'd probably do a 4.5 or 4.25, but because the food is more expensive I expect every dish to be more impressive. I found the pistachio dessert that a lot of people mentioned in the reviews to be underwhelming although fun to look at (however what I care about is taste).