I love everything about the west loop vig. The ambiance, the artwork, the menus! Everything is…read moreincredible! Our waitress was great! Very attentive! I had a few glasses of wine and I got the girl dinner! I'm obsessed with the girl dinner! Presented very cute! Dirty martini is great! I loved the Caesar salad, one of the better Caesar's I have had tbh. Fries great too! I will continue to come back!

Awful experience. Came in after Taste of Randolph festival because we like the Old Town location…read more A member of my group was unable to move out of the way for the bottle service due to overcrowding. He was then shoved to the ground by a security guard who then started waiving his flashlight in his face unprovoked. I firmly believe the security guard would have kept going if I (a woman) had not stepped in front of him. The security guard then sized our group member up for at least one full minute while I urged him walk away and go continue doing his job (flash lighting lol). It was really weird and frightening behavior from a 50 year old+ employee that could land them in a lot of legal trouble. Management only offered two drink tokens after another group member complained. The tokens were then declined by the bartender. Poorly run institution that needs to 1) run better background checks on their security guards / make sure they're not violent 2) put up roping/boundaries by the tables to avoid overcrowding where they do bottle service There are much better bars/restaurants in the area that won't tackle to the ground. I recommend Goodnight John Boy, Bandit, Lone Wolf, Federales.

The Chicago food tour commences... First stop, drinks at Bisous! This cocktail bar was listed no…read more 39 on the top 50 bars in North America for 2025. It was no wonder when we arrived that there was a line out the door. We waited around 45 minutes, and the bouncer was a really nice fellow who kept track of the numbers and people at the door. Upon entering, we were immersed in a dimly lit retro-style lounge. It was quite loud inside and packed as we walked to our seats. The server was great at taking our orders and offering suggestions. I opted for the French 75, which featured sparkling wine and mixed gin, brandies, and citrus. The drink was delicious, but STRONG. I don't know what they put in the cocktails in America, but I am always finished after one drink. Needless to say, we were all struggling to finish our own drinks. My favourite touch was the coasters, I ended up keeping all of them so that I can reuse them at my galentines event next year. The 'bisous' with the kiss on the other side is a perfect touch! I think the drinks are fairly priced for USD. I would love to return someday to try other drinks and bar bites, and also try their sister bar, Sparrow.

My boyfriend and I were visiting Chicago (from Las Vegas) 2 weeks ago, and were very excited to…read morecheck out Bisous, as it looked nice inside and had good reviews. Imagine my shock when we didn't even make it past the bouncer because he was so rude, AS OTHER RECENT REVIEWS HAVE MENTIONED AS WELL! We had dinner nearby and walked to Bisous after, and saw there was a line of 5 or 6 people outside. We expected this as we knew Bisous is a first come, first serve bar. We were curious what the wait time would look like, so we approached the front door to ask a host or employee inside (we assumed there'd be a desk with an employee working it who could give us a wait time). We had no problem waiting, just wanted to see how long they estimated it would be! Before we could even fully open the door, the bouncer swung the door open from the other side and hit me with the door. I stumbled back a few steps and he looked at us and said, and I quote, "What do you want?". I laughed at first because I thought he was joking and putting on a tough guy act. He was not. We quickly explained we just wanted to see what the wait time was, and he said "don't you see there's a line outside?" We said yes, and explained we just wanted to know a rough estimated wait time. He just blankly stared at us while ushering us out. Both my boyfriend and I have worked in customer-service roles for a very, very long time. This encounter was not only extremely rude and unprofessional, but he also hit me hard enough with the door to send me stumbling back, and then said nothing about it and continued to address us in a tone that was nothing less than annoyed and irritated. We didn't end up going inside because that encounter left such a bad taste in our mouths. I don't believe in spending my money at establishments that don't treat their customers with the bare minimum respect they deserve! Bummed we didn't get to experience it, as I'm sure it was lovely inside and I can only hope the rest of the employees were much more kind and accommodating, or at least able to answer a simple question. Fire your "bouncer" (??) and hire someone with some basic customer service and communication skills!!

This is a speak easy below the aviary. We sat at the bar and were the only ones there so got to…read morechat with the bar tenders. They were super nice. It's got a speak easy library vibe. Maybe seats like 20? The food was surprisingly great. They have a raviolo that is like $20 for one but it was the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. I wish I could have a whole plate of them. Drinks were also great.

The Office is a nice speakeasy! I had wanted to get a floral drink at the restaurant upstairs…read morecalled "the Aviary" but they were actually totally full, whereas the speakeasy wasn't. I sat at the bar downstairs and can confirm the place has a classic speakeasy feel -- the the basement of a place behind a locked door, very dark inside with mood lighting/glass cases and leather chairs/couches around small low tables. It's definitely a great date spot! I took off a star because it's pricey -- I got the "milk punch" on their classic cocktail menu which was $25 and is pretty small, but it's a nice drink and tasted very much like a milk punch drink I got at a speakeasy back home (in Austin, TX). The bartenders were super nice and provided excellent service, no complaints there! The bathrooms were also immaculate. Overall, this is a very nice speakeasy! I've been to many in my day and the ambiance is definitely on par with the best, but I gotta say some other unique ingredients (ideally more floral options!) would really take their menu up a notch! Nevertheless, I would def rec a visit to those visiting Chicago, and would go again even just for vibes :)

Speakeasy on the second floor of recently renovated Niso. Very warm vibe with a Greek decor except…read morefor a misplaced disco ball . I went for a night cap after dinner at Komo last night and the 'mixologist' was a lot of fun to chat with. They also have a 'secret menu' but I'll leave the rest of the details on this for you to go experience it. I asked for a scotch sprit forward drink with some smoke to it and was presented an Ardbeg laced with some green chartreuse and it was excellent. The chartreuse was a substitute to using absinthe which I don't enjoy. Overall a great experience and a cool spot to hang out.

Located in Nisos, The Lounge is one of 3 spaces and this one is their cocktail lounge! What a…read morebeautiful spot! However, come here only for the vibes and your IG pics because that's all there is to this place. The ambiance is very moody and sexy which I love however, I felt like I was sitting in seating meant for toddlers! It seemed like all the seats were super low to the ground and i'm pretty short so not sure how the taller folks feel. It felt super awkward to sit in the space. Our drinks tasted like pure perfume so it was disappointing considering they were almost $20. I'll be skipping out on the lounge and will only enjoy the restaurant spaces in the future. Prime Bar's bar on the first floor is 100x better if you're looking for a good drink and aren't too invested in vibes.

An extraordinary cocktail experience that's absolutely worth it for a fun date night or a group…read moreouting. The bird-themed cocktail menu brings both creativity and drama, with presentations that feel almost theatrical. What really elevates the experience is how the hosts narrate the inspiration behind each drink, making it feel more like a storytelling session than just a night out. The mixologists deserve serious credit for their thoughtful experimentation with global flavors--balancing complementary and contrasting notes, surprising textures, and sensory touches that feel nostalgic and adventurous at the same time. The food holds its own too. Don't miss the giant onion ring or the Chip n Dip--both are as fun as they are delicious. Yes, it's on the pricier side, but the cocktail tasting experience makes it worthwhile. A perfect late-night spot for great conversations and drinks that ooze personality.

I'll start by saying I've been a huge fan of The Aviary for years. In the early days of the…read morepandemic, I got all their cocktail books, and my friends and I bought some of the equipment (vacpot, porthole) and started making Aviary drinks. So when I went to Chicago to visit friends recently, this was my first reservation. We were kindly greeted and seated toward the rear of the dining room. Collectively, we ordered more than half the beverages on the menu. I won't go into tons of detail on them, since some drinks are seasonal, but I will say that it was a blast experiencing craft cocktails and mocktails at their finest. I love the menu concept of the birds that fly farther along the page to indicate how alcohol-forward the drink is. That's a really fun idea! One friend ordered both the spirited and the non-alcoholic Porthole to compare the flavors. And we all liked the N/A version better! Our server kindly came over and mentioned that he heard I was inspired by The Aviary and they took us on a private tour with the bar team and then down to the ice making room, which I LOVED because I was obsessed with the intricate ice making process from the original cocktail books. What a fantastic experience, and the tour put a cherry on top. Long live The Aviary!

(Kari's Rating 7.75/10) Place was like a louder ramen San…read more Lighting is a red dark speakeasy vibe. Marg was pretty fire. Came here with 8 friends for my girlfriend's birthday and we had to push our own tables together, but these rice was pretty good. Waiter was attentive and got drinks out pretty fast. Would come back but not out of my way. Fries were really crispy and hot, came with hot sauce and garlic aoli.

I've been to MoneyGun twice now, and I keep going back for one reason...the buffalo taquitos. My…read moregoodness...they are so delicious. You only get two per order, but they're so good you won't mind ordering another round. They do have other flavors, but at this point, the buffalo ones are a must every time. The drinks are also really good and a little different from most places. They put thought into their cocktails, sometimes using things like pure cane sugar and unique combinations that still taste great. Definitely recommend Brandon as a bartender...he did his thing. The vibe is dark and moody, which I love, and they even ring a little bell at the bar. Right next door is Sunnygun, their brighter, brunch style spot, which makes for a cool night to day contrast, even though I haven't tried it yet. I've always sat at the bar, and service has been great. MoneyGun has become one of our go to bars, and we'll definitely be back.

Great service, food, and ambiance. The library bar is amazing! Definitely recommend the vodka…read morerigatoni.

We thoroughly enjoyed Gilt Bar! It was super busy when we arrived, but they moved people through…read morethe restaurant so efficiently that we were seated surprisingly quickly. We absolutely loved the aesthetic and vibe throughout the restaurant as well. For dinner, we had the vodka pasta with meatballs, and it was the perfect creamy consistency with incredible flavor. We also ordered the hamachi crudo, which was super fresh and definitely something we'd order again. Not pictured: we wrapped up the meal with the skillet cookie, and oh my gosh... I can't recommend it enough.

Hide+Seek was pretty good! Came here for dinner on a work trip and had the Parisian Gnocchi ($27)…read morewhich has lobster in it. The portion size isn't huge but there's a LOT of fat in this so it will make you feel full! I had had a drink beforehand too so I wasn't "starving," and I left pretty comfortably full. I was seated upstairs at the bar (there's an up and a downstairs bar) and the bartender was very nice, they served me pretty quick. I didn't hang about long but there were several couples clearly on dates, and I would say it's a nice spot for that -- not the fanciest, but certainly more upscale than casual. Bathrooms were immaculate too! Of note, I didn't have a car but saw metered parking directly out front and along the whole street there in shopping area. It was VERY packed but there was a lot of turnover so I imagine if you drove you wouldn't have to circle too long before finding a spot.

Great night! John sat us at a great table on the main level. We were 7 people, but sat in curved…read morebooth which was perfect because the conversation was great. Gigi was an our server and she was attentive and informative. For food we ordered a variety, cucumber salad, the burrata, fried artichoke, French onion bread, octopus, hamachi, rib eye, filet and ravioli. Everything was amazing!!!! It is a small menu, but so many amazing options, you can't go wrong. We then went to the night club. Gina was our server and she was amazing also. Everyone had a blast Venue is beautiful, food is great, staff and vibe made the whole night!