Very nice staff, good cocktails, yet better in the summer when they have the terrace. Somehow the decor doesn't quite makes it for me. I think I like the dark ambiance, the fireplace, the somehow cosiness, but somehow the furniture is kind of a bit off. Indeed there is a kind of cold spirit that resides in this area of the hotel. I stay at the Sofitel every single time I come to Chicago, I really like the hotel in comparison ti their competition and even in comparison to higher end palace around town but as for the bar, well it could be improved. There best bet I think would be to truly bring life through design to the bar, something that would put a little life in that spot, something like a vegetal wall, a waterfall, something, fresh herbs behind the bar for signature cocktails, something... Oh and the TV's, I know that many people like them in bars, but please either be a bar or a plunge one. If you really feel you need them, at least hide them completely until the big event everybody wants to watch is on. The reality is that the bar fees a bit like the lobby, a bit like a nice airport lounge at some extent. Besides all of my observations, I still like t have a quick drink once in a while, or when meeting friends before dinner, but somehow something is off. read more

Good hotel bar located in the Sofitel hotel. It isn't big and gets very busy. As a hotel guest we got a 10% discount but it had to be authorised by a manager every time which was annoying having to wait for one to authorise. Staff are good, never had food. read more

Great place! Great ambiance and excellent quick staff! Comfy seats, decent wifi, TV at the bar, big drink selection.

It's comfy, discretely and tastefully lit, rather quiet (until 8pm, when they start putting music on), upscale, the tables/chairs are spaced out for privacy -- while nothing that will strike you as amazing at first, this combination of qualities that is quite difficult to find in Chicago. I would give it 4 stars but the fact that you cannot even get the cheapest glass of wine on the menu for less than $10 makes it more of a place to go on a business account, for an interview, a business lunch or a single night cap ... than one where you would spend the evening read more

Great food, great drinks, nice settings! Something to recommend to tourists and locals alike! The service is premium, the food is delicious (especially desserts!). The drinks represent the value, the food is a little pricey! I will be back ! read more

I don't know what it is about hotel bars, but I love them. I love the lobby of the Sofitel. Their floral arrangements are absolutely fantastic, and you are immersed in fragrant bouquets as soon as you walk in. Enter LeBar, a small lounge that is always packed. Modern and chic decor, low lights, and plush seating make it comfortable, fashionable and a good hangout for friends or a date. LeBar is always full by 10pm on weekends... good drinks (strong), great music and good vibe... that's all I need :) Not my favorite hotel bar, but a good one! read more

Decent spot to get a drink. Stopped in on New Year's Eve for a friend's wedding at the Sofitel. Gorgeous space but the drinks were a little too pricey for me. $16 for a Moscow mule that tasted more like lime juice than vodka. read more

fantastic hotel bar! we came here around 10 on a friday night and were immediately greeted by someone who told us we'd have a table in 5-7 minutes. when it seemed like people might be taking longer to leave than he had expected, he had a table and 4 chairs brought in for us. i really liked their specialty cocktail menu. all the drinks that we tried were excellent. my personal favorite was the french 75. very refreshing and not too sugary. service was great, and the atmosphere was a perfect balance of 'happening' and 'i don't have to shout to have a conversation,' along with a splash of "there aren't a lot of douches in this joint.' very cool - i shall be back. read more

Up until recently we were looking forward to visiting Le Bar after a wonderful afternoon of holiday shopping. We heard that it was a great spot to relax and people watch. Unfortunately, after our visit today (Friday, December 12th between 5:00 and 5:30) this view has changed for us. The issue started when my companion and I, who were sitting at the left of the bar on the sofas in front of the fireplace were completely ignored by the waitress/server, not once but twice. She attended another couple that came in after us, this after totally ignoring us the first go round. After I was able to flag down what I'm assuming was a busboy, she finally attended to us, with a complete attitude, not even doing as much as putting down paper coasters as she did for the couple that came in after us. The oversight of us could have been excused, the attitude and rudeness for bringing it to her attention cannot. We decided to leave at this point. As an overall rating, our experience at your establishment was not near what we had come to expect from an establishment associated with the Sofitel brand. Hopefully you will be able to return to your previous level of excellence that I've heard of so often. It is sorely missing at the Chicago location. I would give my visit zero stars if I could. read more

I never really thought about hanging out at hotel bars in a city where I live, but after going to Le Bar I may need to rethink this! My fiance and I met out a few friends who were in from out of town at Le Bar in the Sofitel Lobby and I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed it! It's very cozy and is perfect for actually carrying on a conversation. There aren't too many places that you can go and grab a drink and not have to worry about it being too crowded or too loud, so this one is now added on my list of places to go. I may need to start going to other hotel bars around the city now! read more

5 Star Drinks 4 Star Atmosphere 2 Star Service (maybe less) 3 Stars overall... Wow those drinks were amazing! Me - Blackberry tequila martini, Hard Core... Her - Gin excitement (not official name) hmmmmmm :) Him - Dark and stormy - made with Gosling's Bermuda Rum and ginger, this was out of this world, I will be buying a bottle of that rum for my bar! Waitress - apathetic, really really not acceptable! her first visit to our table was last call, and the bar was full, we were just grabbing an after movie drink, the way she said it was like get out, then when we ordered our 13 dollar drinks (which would be well worth it if the service was good!) she served them with a sense of regret and depression... We felt bad even though we should have felt good, so we tipped 15 dollars on our 3 drinks, as we were not so wonderfully told the bar would be closing in 5 minutes and we had to leave, the best part is we already had our credit cards in the jacket just waiting to be ran, of course our inattentive waitress was clueless, so I actually asked the manager (maybe) of the bar to run the card and we would happily leave his establishment... On our way out I said your welcome as they just looked at us... We were all sober this was our first drink after dinner and a movie so we were not drunk or sadly not even buzzed, so these people were just being crappy for no real reason... Wow I miss how this place was when it first opened!!! read more

Wow, what a terrible experience. I sat outside and I ordered a drink. I waited for a half hour and then decide to go inside to find out what was taking so long. There was my waitress and the drink at the bar, so she hands it to me. I go back to my seat and it's taken, but the gentleman graciously gave it back to me. It took her a while to come over to apologize and then another half hour as I am ready to leave before she offers me the complimentary nibbles they put out. I know other peoples service was better the man that gave me my seat back got a drink in a matter of minutes after sitting down. Not sure if it was because I was a woman or because the waitress just didn't care. I work around the corner, I think I may try somewhere else in the future if I have to meet someone. read more

Lots of comfy seating and attentive service. Try the blackberry margarita and the angel fresh cocktails!

Any place where you can get Veuve Cliquot by the glass can't be too bad in my opinion...though I had a margarita, which was still good considering it is a French bar. Our waitress went AWOL halfway through, but it wasn't a big deal. I'd come back...perfect place for afternoon drinks. read more

I was staying at the Sofitel on a business trip and didn't feel like venturing out for dinner after i arrived. I sat at Le Bar and chatted with the knowledgeable barkeep about local beers that were on tap. After deciding on a Goose Island, a tasty little tray of bar snack was delivered including olives, pretzels, and some cracker things. Bar snacks could not quell my hunger and I asked for the menu. I had poutine - with deep fried curds and gravy poured on right in front of me - and it was fantastic. I also had a croque monsieur and the presentation and flavor were unique and delicious. The bar crowd is a little on the older side and there were a few skeezy guys who were clearly there to try and pick up ladies with worn out pick-up lines. Overall it was one of the better hotel bars I've been to. read more

Outdoor area looked amazing - it was too cold while we were there thus we lounged indoors. Bar scene/ambiance is warm, cozy, and quaint with a fireplace/sofa in one area. I was most impressed with their wines by the glass list. It'll run you $20-25/glass, but it's good wine. Nothing worse than paying that for a glass when you can get a whole bottle for that price (or less). You won't find that here. I ordered a glass of chataneuf de pape and it was actually on it's way out or corked. The waitress was extremely apologetic and opened a new bottle immediately. Huge difference - what an amazing wine. She poured it at our table and gave me a huge pour - I'm assuming for the error. Definitely a fan! read more

I LOVE this bar! It is tres chic and smells so good when you walk in through the hotel lobby. I had a sophisticated libation-- the Mango Bella-- a finely crafted cocktail of puréed mango, vanilla- infused rum, lime juice, angostura bitters and nutmeg. For a late night snack, I tried the Madame et Monsieur, a fancy ham, egg and cheese sandwich. It's so fancy, two quail's eggs landed on top of it. #springbreak read more

On a rainy night in Chicago, my friends and I ventured to the Sofitel hotel to see for ourselves how Le Bar measures up to its (yelp) reputation. Though the bar was full, its patrons were the quiet sort (except for a frisky couple by the bar who provided entertainment for the rest). Drinks are on the pricy side, but nothing special; the bar's décor is modern and sophisticated, as is the rest of the hotel. read more

**From 6/6/06 review under Sofitel** Le Bar is fantastic as long as you can get a seat! I appreciate the munchies that are brought out with your drinks. This is a great place to meet for drinks. The decor is gorgeous. read more

We had a bad experience here. Sat at the bar for 10 minutes while waiters passed us and still didn't ask us what we wanted to drink. In fairness we were there at 3pm on a Friday but there are people who drink at this time. The hotel is very cool but the bar is very small and the staff was not helpful. read more

Pretty expensive (no duh, it's a hotel), but cozy and service is attentive. They give you a full load of free snacks, so it kind of makes the alcohol price worth it. I ordered the Farmers' Market Flatbread (bacon, onion, arugula), which has a nice thin crust and is more than enough for one person. On the alcohol, I recommend ordering a double shot with soda water and lime on the side so that you get your money's worth. read more

Le slow bar. Expect to be ignored in the French way despite ordering several rounds. Good, retro drinks, abysmal service.

I have many nice things to say for once haha, where do I start? International and sophisticated crowd, plenty of comfy seating, and extensive cocktail and drink list. Yummy bar treats and they are free. Also has the fortunate quality of being walking distance from my house. Normally low lighting and awesome "sparkle" lights on the ceiling. Very sexy place for the beginning of your next midnight tryst, and has the added bonus of being a hotel, so you even have the option of getting a room if you hook it up. Normally the lights are dimmed but last night they were super bright which compromised the atmosphere a bit. That is the only reason I am not giving this place five stars. read more

Beautiful place and food was great. The waitress was very rude and weird making the experience not great.

This fit our need for a quiet place for a drink and appetizers. A limited menu, but it was perfect for this occasion. I had a great tuna (slider) appetizer, each nestled next to a small and tasty vegetable roll. My wife's dish was also very tasty.The decor is colorful, beautiful, and real quiet. No big screen TV here. We went late on a Saturday evening and were very happy with our choice. Will definitely go back again. read more

Terrible service!!!!!!!!!! Awkward crowd of people who may be there for business and may have made this their nights destination for some ungodly reason. Food was not more than almost average. Waitress was completely rude and made us feel like we had done her a huge disservice and inconvenience by being there and ordering food and wine. Don't even get me started on decor! read more

I had a nice time here on NYE. It was pretty chill but it did get busier as the night went on. We got there around 9:30 and were able to grab a table for our group of 7 - pretty nice on NYE. Plus, there was no obscene ticket price - just $20 to get in, which I can handle. Drinks are pretty cool, if expensive. They make a good Sazerac, for all you NOLA fans out there. But if you get a drink on the rocks, know that they charge $1 for "rocks". Yeah, frozen water is quite the delicacy. But despite the prices, it's a solid hotel bar. read more

I went here with a group of friends on the 4th of July, and we were seated promptly. It's in Sofitel Hotel, which is a pretty nice hotel, and sort of fun to wander about (while I was searching for the bathroom). I don't have a crystal clear memory of the night, but the drinks weren't that delicious... which I sort of feel defeats the point of going to a place called 'Le Bar'. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back, but it's not a terrible place to end up. read more

3.5 stars. I read about LeBar on the Timout Chicago top 100 bars list and wanted to check it out. My boyfriend and I went on a Thursday night at 9:00 pm. I kind of expected more. Let me start by saying the decoration is nice. Velvet curtains, ground level view, large fireplace, are loungy leather chairs. The drink menu was somewhat extensive. Although, it seemed like most of their drinks had gin in which I'm not a fan of. My biggest complaint was the vibe. There weren't many people in the bar and it kind of gave me a boring vibe. Don't get me wrong, it was a good compromise for me and the bf but I guess I was expecting more with the top 100 status. 4 stars for the blackberry margarita. read more

This is a very relaxing place to hang out with friends if you just want to chat. The music is soft enough that you don't have to shout. The service is excellent, Great grown-up decor, comfy leather armchairs. True, it's an older crowd...average age is around 50 or so. Lot of out of town business types, and a lot of them look European. The drinks are not cheap, but here is a tip. Get the Martini Flight--you get 3 mini martinis and 3 bite-size morsels of appetizers, all for $18. And if you are hungry, get the Cheese Flight--you get tons of exotic cheeses, grapes, and a whole basket of various kick-ass bread. it's a meal in itself. i think that's around $16. Not a bad way to waste an afternoon with your friends read more

One of my favorite hotel bars in the city by far. This place has a very chic feel with ultra modern like furnishings to complete the various hues of purple. Not do they serve great drinks( go for the funky basil), but they have great complimentary snacks( cheese fritter type snacks, olives, pretzel sticks) while enjoying your drink. Aside from the bar accomodate a mini sofa where its very close to bookshelf. For the inner nerd in me, there are array of books ranging from mainly art to architectural designs. I couldn't have asked for a better hotel lounge/ bar/ read more

The little mini-burgers with quail egg are fantastic! Not the biggest value for $12 since they are the world smallest (2 bite) burger, but you get 4 and they are very tasty! Love to sit outside on the comfy sidewalk furniture and people watch. Full service restaurant and the service is pretty good. I'm a resident of Chicago and I will be back! read more

Stayed here for a business trip! Love the bar - strong drinks but really good. Great ambience and the staff was attentive and really nice! Perfect date spot read more

This bar is just ok to me. I have stayed at this hotel a few times and always wonder down for at least one drink at Le Bar. The crowd is usually older business men all sitting around having thier drink before bed. It isn't very social and the place is small and dark. The cocktails are good though. read more

Easily the best dirty martinis in town. I've been going to this hidden gem semi regularly since 2003 and every dirty martini has been perfection. There are few bars that could boast the same. Everyone that works there is beyond professional and accommodating. Highly recommend. read more

This is a great hotel bar to begin or end your evening. A friend and I stopped by here for a nightcap and ended up staying for a few hours. I wouldn't say it's necessarily a lively bar, it seemed to have a very chill atmosphere (minus the table full of wasted tourists next to us, which was entertainment in itself..). It's pricey, but that was expected, so I wasn't too surprised when the bill came. Oh, and by the way, the seating at this bar is the stand out. The cushy chairs are incredibly comfortable, which is why we planted our asses there for two + hours before we moved on! read more

I go there at least twice a week. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Just had my second party there yesterday, my hubbies surprise party. Brain the bar manager is amazing. Hubby is looking for another excuse to have another party there. read more

I've been going to Le Bar for years. It's a great place for a cocktail, and to lounge with friends. My recent experience was poor though. I went yesterday afternoon and both waitresses were aloof and cold, with poor service and were hardly responsive or attentive. read more

Great place - good martinis! The hotel is stunning - and so are the people who hang out here!!

I can always count on having a nice time when I go to Le Bar. I am one of those people that always sits at the bar and chit-chats with the bartenders. Edwin and Tony are amazing. Both extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. As far as drinks go, the Blackberry Margarita is awesome. It's my favorite on their drink list. You can always count on something cool, interesting, delicious or a combination of all three if you let them whip up a personal fave for you. Jacob is great with these "random" orders as well. The food is phenomenal. The best thing about it? You can order the food from their restaurant, Cafe des Architectes, menu as well. The short rib is my favorite thing on their menu. Texture, sauces, accompaniments, oh my. The Tuna Tempura is also very yummy. Its three flash fried pieces of tuna with wasabi tobiko on top and three crispy wontons with a little mixed salad and avocado mousseline. Its delicious. If you cant choose one thing, they also have the appetizer sampler with crab cake, beef skewer, ahi tuna taco and crispy rock shrimp. Yummy food, personalized service and great drinks will definitely keep bringing me back. read more