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    The Hi-Lo

    4.6 (54 reviews)
    Open 3:00 pm - 3:00 am (Next day)

    The Hi-Lo Photos

    THE HI-LO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Romantic
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - The Hi-Lo

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    Drinks
    Karen C.

    Interesting balanced cocktails with a chill vibe. The service was great even with a crowded bar. There is an "outdoor" patio area where you can sit or an indoor area. You can bring in your own food/take out, which is nice. It's a great place to hang out with a groups of friends. Dog friendly too.

    Strawberry mezcal negroni
    Andre W.

    The Hi-Lo quickly became one of my favorite cocktail joints this summer as a friend introduced me to it after leaving Spilt Milk. Such a cool space and great drinks. While the inside is cool, they have an amazing and nice sized outdoor patio space equipped with tables, a fireplace and just a cozy setting. So awesome in the summer as you're pretty much outside and feel like a backyard setting. I am massively obsessed with the strawberry mezcal negroni as it's an amazing cocktail full of flavor and does the trick. I can do about 4 in one sitting. Lots of other delicious drinks on the menu and I promise to try next time around

    Erin B.

    Absolutely the best patio in Humboldt, but also one of my favorites in the city. Very intimate setting inside and out. The service is always friendly and fun and the drinks are amazing!

    a restaurant with tables and chairs
    Eda X.

    The Hi-Lo is a romantic cocktail bar with a solid menu of cocktails in "lo" weaker and "high" stronger strengths. I ordered the Clarified Pina Colada and never looked back. This drink was made 3 times by the barista while I was scanning the menu, so that says something about its popularity. The Hi-Lo offers indoor and outdoor seating formats, welcoming all party sizes. Adorned to impress a dating atmosphere and large groups, too! Check this place out. Bonus: if you come by late in the evening, don't be alarmed to find a Mexican offering to sell you homemade tamales from his plastic slung cooler. Try the cheese! $10 for a handful of authentic Mexican grub. Super good.

    Citrus forward
    Marlene S.

    Finally checked this off my list!!! Came on a Sunday afternoon and it was pretty dead in there. I am giving 4 stars because the outside seating area was a bit messy even though it was not busy. I had the citrus forward cocktail which was delicious and definitely up my alley. I would love to come back and try more drinks.

    Eric L.

    A gem of a cocktail lounge on the West Side. We initially ended up there just because it was dog friendly, but I can promise you that we will be back multiple times this summer. The interior of the main bar has a very clean, swanky 70s vibe to it with being heavy handed. There is a second bar outside with an awesome patio with several covered areas and large umbrellas. The owners really spared no expense with the outside, it's gorgeous. There is a water station for humans and dogs with several doggy water bowls. The staff they were super friendly and were dog lovers themselves. The bartender was very friendly and had good drink recommendations. My favorite cocktail of the night was the Cucumber Rickey, which went down really smooth. My smoking hot wife (habeebi!) really enjoyed the Naked and Famous. Our doggo enjoyed all the attention from his new friends. We will be back soon.

    Ali P.

    Great cocktail bar! Loved the ambiance and the drinks! There was a nice fire in the winter and excited to come back in the summer.

    Bar
    Seeta M.

    One of the best bars I've been to in Chicago. The drinks were very good, the bartenders were friendly and even made suggestions (which were spot on) and I enjoyed the ambience of the place. The patio outside was very cozy and even had a summertime feel to it. I would definitely revisit in the future and owe it to the great staff and drinks! (Also loved the hat the bartender was wearing which said: Make Tequila Mezcal Again) They served us fortaleza shots (which is hard to come by since it's so in demand, but they went to the cellar to get a new bottle for our party) and I had the Square Roots and then the Naked and Famous and enjoyed both!

    Spritz + Hi-ball
    Jordyn B.

    Been here a couple times and man I love this spot. Really cozy, with a fireplace out on the patio, not too busy during the week, and cocktails are tasty! I wish I had better photos, but that dimly lit ambiance comes with some drawbacks I guess! ;)

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    11 months ago

    A little pricey but good drink selection and their beer garden is quaint/one of a kind in this neighborhood in Chicago.

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    2 years ago

    The drinks, vibes, and indoor/outdoor options here are great. I've never had a bad here.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Really cute space with indoor and outdoor bars and seating. Drinks were really good and it felt like a more chill space.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - The Hi-Lo

    Review Highlights - The Hi-Lo

    The Clarified Pina Colada is a little less sweet than most regular Pina Colada's and was a good patio drink.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Clara - E Major

    Clara

    4.7(31 reviews)
    1.1 miWicker Park, West Town

    This place knows what's up! It's beautiful, easy to get to, their service is always phenomenal and…read moretheir drinks are delicious. Their snacks are totally worth getting, and the staff are so friendly and knowledgeable. Every time I've asked for a recommendation, they do not disappoint! It's become a regular spot for a night out with the gals. PS - Their live music is so good!

    Cute-enough spot with small plates and cocktails. However, when we visited last night, we waited 15…read moreminutes for our one wine and one cocktail, despite the restaurant being less than a quarter full. We watched our waitress make multiple attempts to pick up my husband's drink from the bar, spill, set it down, pick it back up and spill more, and finally give up and run it to us. As she set down this sticky, wet, under-filled mess, I asked her exactly how much of my husband's $16 cocktail she had just spilled. She said, "Yeah, the bartender over-poured," and walked off. We then watched her do the exact same thing to every mixed drink she ran. Way, way too expensive to be delivering messy, dripping, quarter-empty cocktails. Skip Clara and go to Le Midi, where the service, ambience, and wine list were perfect.

    Photos
    Clara - The drummer and bassist of Solomon lindenberg trio

    The drummer and bassist of Solomon lindenberg trio

    Clara - Two Smooth Sailing cocktails. Featuring Whiskey, Lemon Juice, Maple Syrup, and Benedictine.

    Two Smooth Sailing cocktails. Featuring Whiskey, Lemon Juice, Maple Syrup, and Benedictine.

    Clara - Festive Lion -- mezcal, tequila, grapefruit syrup, and cardamom bitters.

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    Festive Lion -- mezcal, tequila, grapefruit syrup, and cardamom bitters.

    Bisous - interior

    Bisous

    4.3(116 reviews)
    2.5 miFulton Market, West Loop, Near West Side

    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!!

    Photos
    Bisous - Interior bar

    Interior bar

    Bisous - Inside

    Inside

    Bisous - Interior

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    Interior

    Le Mistral - Inside the building - Le mistral is all the way down on the right side

    Le Mistral

    4.8(12 reviews)
    3.5 miLincoln Park

    The service is just incredible. That's what stands out the most. We came after having a superb…read moredinner at S.K.Y. and out waitress transferred us to Le Mistral for dessert as we were hoping to end the night with another cocktail. The transition was seamless, the walk through the kitchen was very cool, everyone was very friendly and excited to see guests. Our dessert came quickly to Le Mistral instead of S.K.Y. and was superb. Our waiter at Le Mistral was very friendly, gave some good advice on the cocktails, and was consistently attentive. My cocktail was just OK - sherry-based martini. I don't normally like a martini but all the ingredients actually seemed very much up my alley - the sherry, benedictine, rose vermouth. But the olive just overpowered. And definitely not worth the price of $24... Would definitely return and try the food next time as well.

    We popped in on a Monday night for a nightcap after finishing up at Mon Ami Gabi across the lobby…read more Our experience was meh. I don't know if every Monday is Metal night, but it was that Monday - Black Sabbath, Nu-Metal, everything but the live goldfish. Perhaps they should advertise "Monday Metal at Mistral" if that is to be a regular thing. It does flow off the tongue. To be fair, there was a full house and the other patrons did not seem to mind. We were not looking to feel the noize, however, and so stayed for just one cocktail. Mine was a Sazerac adjacent mix, and it was very high quality. The decor is very low light, but the vibe is pretty basic - more Paint Your Dorm Room black than Parisian Opium Den black. A bit of a missed opportunity for romance.

    Photos
    Le Mistral
    Le Mistral
    Le Mistral - Inside

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    Inside

    Valedor - Bar area

    Valedor

    4.5(85 reviews)
    1.1 miWicker Park, West Town

    Happy hour daily 5-7pm to seat at the bar…read more Reservations are for the tables Happy Hour menus- food for $8 Tuna poke taco $13- salmon is soft. The taco shell is nice and crisp. Al Pastor Gyoza $12- good flavor on the meat. The Gyoza could be more crispy. Quesabirtia roll $12- great flavor. It comes with mole sauce that I would skip. Chicken and Mushroom karaagr $14- actually very good. Good portions. Crispy chicken and mushroom. Nice side dipping sauce. Crispy rice- very disappointing. It is not crispy. Drinks- happy hour $12 drinks. Tamarind sour $16- decent sour. Nice mix. Mano de sol $16- excellent flavor, blood orange, tequila We love lychee $16- great flavor with lychee. Midnight espresso $16: pretty good coffee flavor. Sakreita $15- strawberry- prob bed drink I had. Served in an aluminum can. Pretty cool

    I was lowkey nervous about writing this review because I know this place is already popular... and…read morepart of me wants to keep it a secret. But Valedor is easily a 10/10. From the moment you walk in, everything just clicks -- the atmosphere, the door host, the staff, and the overall level of service. It's one of those places where you can tell the team takes pride in the experience they create. What I really like is how versatile the space feels. It works for a birthday celebration, dinner date, or even an after-work happy hour. No matter the occasion, it fits. If you're thinking about checking it out, make the trip. You won't regret it.

    Photos
    Valedor - Strip Steak Katsu Sandwich

    Strip Steak Katsu Sandwich

    Valedor - Crispy Cilantro Lime Rice with spicy salmon

    Crispy Cilantro Lime Rice with spicy salmon

    Valedor - We love lychee cocktail

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    We love lychee cocktail

    Truce - The cocktails are legit

    Truce

    4.8(50 reviews)
    1.5 miBucktown

    Love the concept and execution of Truce. The interior is gorgeous and upscale. Dark and moody- to a…read morefault in the restrooms though. I literally couldn't see anything in there lol. The best of both worlds for me and my partner, as he is obsessed with cafes and I'm more of a cocktail bar type of person. We went in the afternoon and got specialty cafe drinks and overnight oats. The drinks were really good and the oats were... oats lol. Not particularly special but not bad. After we sat down we were given water and a menu. We then went up to order. Didn't really interact w the workers much but I didn't want to anyway, I just came to chill and enjoy some cafe drinks. The atmosphere is definitely way more lively than a regular cafe, lots of people chatting and more of a cocktail bar vibe so like I said it was the best of both worlds for me and my partner. I'll probably come back here often. I live nearby so I'm super pleased with this place. Dare I say it's a neighborhood gem?

    Came here after hearing and reading great things. The drinks were good and very spirit-forward. We…read moretried the in full bloom, peas + carrots, and uma off their spring 2026 menu. We also tried the mango no. 5 off the classics menu. My favorite was the mango no. 5--it was very smooth with a hint of spiciness. We sat in the corner at the bar behind the coffee machine, which was nice because it felt somewhat private. Bartenders tended to leave us alone and not really check on us unless we made direct eye contact with them. The vibe inside felt cozy and intimate, with very low lighting and a few couches to sit. We wanted to try the "cosmic brownie" I read reviews about, but unfortunately they no longer have it. I was excited to hear they are planning to bring it back sometime soon though. Don't know if I'd go out of my way to come back here again, but maybe if I'm in the area and want to check out a new seasonal menu. I'd also consider coming during the day for coffee.

    Photos
    Truce - Cortado

    Cortado

    Truce - Truce mix and cocktails

    Truce mix and cocktails

    Truce

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    The Hi-Lo - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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