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    Potter's Bar

    3.7 (13 reviews)
    Open 4:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    Potter's Bar Photos

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    Old fashioned
    Michelle W.

    I walk past Potter's at least 2-3 days a week going to work cutting through to state st right past the stair case. I've wanted to come for ages and finally I was in the loop for a girls night at the walnut room (holiday spirit) and stopped in. We were surprised it wasn't busier given it was a Friday night, but also glad it wasn't so busy. It definitely hits in the old school vibes - the chairs at the tables by the bar are super comfy. I hesitate calling this hidden gem, but not knowing if it was just a slow night or do many people not stop in because it's in the Palmer house or in the loop? Either way, we had a really great time, I believe Kim was our server, she was hilarious and my old fashioned was well made. Potter's is definitely on my list to come back to!

    Old-fashioned
    Trisha C.

    I had a craving for an old-fashioned, so I stopped in. The bar is gorgeous, with sports playing on the TVs and a faint hum of conversation. The bartender gave me a snack immediately. My drink was perfect. It's pricey, but you should stop in and check it out.

    Old Fashioned
    Anirudh J.

    Wanted to grab a drink with a friend, so we came to Potter's Bar. An Old Fashioned is a classic and, for me, shows how a bar puts their own flair on a classic, well-loved drink. This old fashioned has a hint of smokiness, but wasn't too overpowering. It had just the slightest touch of sweetness. Our bartender was friendly too. I'd order it again!

    Excellent Old Fashioned
    Karen N.

    I can't see why I'm the first person to review. Yay, me! Unfortunately, I want to know why no one has found this incredible fun bar. The music is great for those that love Jazz. Drink prices are fare. My old fashioned was made with their signature bourbon. The service is friendly and not over bearing. If you want a place to unwind with music that makes you want to cut the rug, please stop by. Very nice experience.

    Food portion of menu
    Rebecca K.

    I wasn't prepared to fall in love today. However, I did. The market greens salad with huge blackberries and fresh strawberries, feta, finely chopped bell pepper and cucumber swimming in a delicious apricot vinaigrette with perfectly cooked salmon had me at hello!! The place is clean with plenty of seating. The only thing that would have made it better was a bartender who was friendly with a tad bit of personality.

    Inside
    J B.

    Could have been great but lost some speakeasy appeal when there are children in the bar. The drinks were ok, pricey - the old-fashioned was recommended. The waitress lost interest in us, maybe because we only ordered cocktails, it seemed, until it was time for us to sign the bill. Beware of the automatic surcharge.

    PH Barrel Select OF w/Bottle

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    NoMI Lounge - View from our table

    NoMI Lounge

    (83 reviews)

    $$$

    Near North Side

    My husband and I came here for our 26 year anniversary. It was my first time in Chicago. A local…read morefriend of ours recommended NoMi. It was a great recommendation. We were so happy with everything! Our server was wonderful! The entire staff was so friendly and on top of their game! We never waited for anything. They were immediately refilling our waters, offering more bread, removing dirty plates, replacing silverware, and offering the next course. It was perfect! The views!!! I think there's not a table in NoMi that doesn't have an amazing view. The main, large window faces the lake (East). Arriving just at 7, you get the full affect of the city, and lake, and then the sunset and lights of the buildings. It was absolutely magical. I couldn't get enough of it. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful and clean, but honestly it could have been a pit and I wouldn't have noticed. You'll be focused on the views for the entire evening. The food!!! Everything is very fresh. It's all well-prepared. Everything was delicious. There's a good variety of dishes to choose from. Plenty of healthy, low-carb options. We each ordered our own appetizers. I had the crispy Maitake mushrooms and my husband had the mussels. We both loved our food and left nothing on our plates. Excellent choices, that we highly recommend. As our main course we shared the sushi platter. The seafood was fresh and the sushi didn't have too much rice. It was the perfect amount of food with our appetizers. They have an extensive wine and drink menu. For drinks I had a glass of the Sauvignon blanc and my husband had a red blend. For dessert we weren't really hungry enough to eat anything else but my husband wanted a pallet cleanser. They have a few sorbets. My husband settled on the cherry cola sorbet. They brought it out with a little chocolate that said "Happy Anniversary" in French. They did not add it to our bill. Very sweet of them. It was probably one of the best anniversaries we've ever had. The bill was about $230 before tip. We highly recommend coming here for any special occasion.

    My husband and I popped in here to escape the cold and found that NoMI was doing a hot coco…read moreexperience! It was SO awesome! We were able to choose between an alcoholic or non hot coco and load it up so many different toppings. It warmed us up and was decorated so beautiful! My husband then snagged a lobster roll which was so good. We are so excited we found this lounge and will be back!

    101 Sky Terrace - French 75 and Gin

    101 Sky Terrace

    (17 reviews)

    Near North Side

    Let me start by saying that the views were 5 star and the place has a cool vibe - although the…read morehouse music they were playing was a bit loud for the small number of people eating when I was up there. That said, this place just completely disappointed. The food was just not good. I had the burger sliders and for $9 a piece you expect them to be something special. They were not. Overcooked with a little sauce and two pickles slapped on the bun with a tiny little dab of fake cheese - it was like a bad and way more expensive version of McDonald's. The onion rings were the frozen crumbly kind not the fresh beer battered kind and so that's a big "no!" for me. The dipping sauce was okay. Service was friendly and I think the guy was new but it wasn't good enough for a place like that at the top of the building. There were two servers so I'm guessing one was training maybe. They didn't make it to my table to check to see if everything was okay while I was eating and it even took them a while to notice that I was done eating. It's was slow so I don't think they were stressing with too many tables. That kind of place should knock your socks off - but it was on the low end of mediocre. I wouldn't go there again for food. Maybe it's a decent place to go to the bar but since I don't drink I can't help much on that end.

    Great food, drinks, and view. We came on a Sunday and ordered some drinks to start, as well as…read moreBrussels sprouts. There were a small portion but delicious. Not too crispy but still tasty. We also shared the half chicken and Ceasar salad with shrimp. There were only 3 pieces of shrimp for the extra money we spent; but otherwise the food was delicious. Definitely on the pricier side because of the rooftop and area.

    Seasons Bar

    Seasons Bar

    (5 reviews)

    $$$

    Near North Side

    Adjacent to the Four Seasons' Adorn Restaurant, the Social Lounge is an excellent stop on which to…read moreget one's day drink on and feel classy while doing so. The lounge features not only an eye-popping crystal chandelier but also a tea service in the afternoon and luxe bites and crafted cocktails. I convened with my drinking companion during a break in his conference presentations. Since his conference hotel did not have a bar or restaurant on premises, I decided nipping into the nearby Four Seasons would be a good call. The bar area was convivial and welcoming even to non-hotel guests. I was feeling festive so ordered a glass of Prosecco. My drinking companion ordered a rye-based cocktail. The ice in the craft cocktail was an eye-catching sphere. I was transfixed as this was my first time seeing this outside of an LG refrigerator commercial. We had fun sipping our drinks and catching up. I missed the little bowls of snacks but probably that is a concession to covid and all the uncertainty of untended nibbles. Already planning my next visit back here after a play I am scheduled to attend in this area.

    Potentially country club/gentleman's cigar haven stuffy but a fantastic bartender made it…read morecomfortable and enjoyable. Cost to worth it ratio: 3 (pricier but expect that at the Four Seasons) Highlights: - Paul: our bartender. Irish, chatty, and cool. Excellent service and made it fun to hang out in the near empty lounge area. - Atmosphere: large area with big chairs and a piano player. We ended up there cause it was cold outside and close to where we were, but was one of our favorite evenings out. - Drink menu: not just your average martinis. Had drinks like the auditini with elderflower liquor in it. Good and not too sweet. - Snacks: they give you nuts and a rice cracker wasabi peas mix. Lowlights: - Closes at 1: earlier than most and deserted come midnight at that. I'd stop by here again for a mellow few drinks... and to say hi to mr. bartender. :-)

    Ila's Restaurant & Bar

    Ila's Restaurant & Bar

    (57 reviews)

    Near North Side

    We weren't planning on stopping in here but it looked cute from the outside! We went after happy…read morehour on a Friday and sat at the bar. Our bartender Miguel was awesome! Super friendly and nice, we chat with him for a while. Our drinks were delicious! We also had some shots, shoutout Miguel, that tasted like a margarita. Very cute inside, would come back!

    Very cute interior, great service, lively atmosphere, definitely hit the mark on elevated casual…read more We were able to get dinner reservations on the day of. For parking you definitely should use Spothero or ParkWhiz, as it's in a very busy/lively part of River North. We loved meeting the owner who was chatting with and checking on guests in the dining room. The menu was really creative and sounded amazing, totally up my alley, so was super excited to try Ila's out for the first time. Unfortunately, and it pains me to say this, but the food itself was a miss for me, and the prices felt steep for the portions. We ordered the empanada duo, grilled scallops, birria lamb pierogis, and sweet corn agnolotti, then the Japanese cheesecake and drip coffee. The positives were that everything tasted fresh, and the flavors of the dishes were good ~ especially the empanadas, scallops, and agnolotti. The main issue was the texture of some of the foods. Other than the empanada (which had a great texture and flavor), the agnolotti and pierogi dough were not right ~ thick, rubbery, and dry, which was exacerbated by not having enough consommé for the pierogis. And the coffee - it honestly tasted like Folgers (though I'll give them the benefit of the doubt) - which took me aback as it was a $7 drip coffee. I'm not discounting Ila's and I truly wish them success. But I think there's some work to be done in terms of execution.

    Potter's Bar - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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