One of my favorite spots for cocktails in Chicago! The drinks are NEXT LEVEL, the mixology is…read moreseriously insane. They also have live music, and it's always such a vibe. I've never not had a great time here. Shoutout to Guillermo because he's so good at his job and also so fun to talk to! Definitely one of my go-to cocktail spots.

Such a fun moody speakeasy for cocktails located in lower level of The Hoxton! They have such an…read moreincredible range of cocktails it's truly impressive. There's a decent amount of seating and space in the bar but we went on a Monday evening and it was quite busy so I can only imagine how crowded it gets on a weekend. It also is quite dark in this space, something to keep in mind if you struggle with that! We helped one of the bar staff clean a broken glass from the floor and they brought us some extra drinks which was extremely sweet of them! Would definitely come back the next time I'm in the area.

We were scrambling to find a good spot that wasn't packed during Mother's Day, so we gave the VIG a…read moretry. It definitely did not disappoint! I got the chopped salad with fried chicken, and it was HUMONGOUS. The chicken was crispy and all the veggies tasted so fresh. We also got the shoestring zucchini, and it was very tasty but slightly salty. Additionally, we tried their mini tacos, and they tasted so fresh! The service was great since they were able to seat us on a busy holiday, and they brought out the food pretty quick. They even wrote what food was in the to-go containers and the date it got packed: so thoughtful! The ambiance was very pretty, and it had a very nice theme going on. It's a great place to go on a date or bring your family!

West Loop, you got another one on the list... but there were definitely some hits AND misses!…read more Today I wanted to try a new restaurant in the West Loop and came across The Vig. Let me just say this first... the ambiance is SO chic! I loved all the pictures and the vinyls throughout the restaurant. I came a little after brunch, so they had a live DJ spinning some really good, easy music. It was definitely a vibe. I had the pleasure of being served by Paulina, and she was great! Very attentive and, what I appreciated most, she was actually honest about what she liked and what she didn't. I love when a server will give you their REAL opinion instead of telling you everything on the menu is good. I decided to try the Elote Deviled Eggs because I wanted something different. And different they were! If you're a deviled egg lover, just know this isn't your typical deviled egg. They're served on top of a slice of corn on the cob, which I thought was pretty unique. Now let's talk about these chicken wings... I was VERY disappointed. To me, they tasted like frozen wings that were thrown in the oven for a few minutes... or maybe it was the sauce? Either way, I would not recommend the wings. That was definitely a miss for me. BUTTTT the crispy zucchini fries with the aioli??? Yeahhhh, those were GOOD! 8/10 for me. I could definitely order those again. I also had the Pillow Talk drink and it was delicious! Definitely enjoyed that. My friend ordered the crab cake and let me tell you... REAL crab! None of that fake stuff lol. That was really good too. Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere, the music, the service and definitely some of the food. There were a couple misses for me, but I'd come back and try some other things on the menu. Ambiance: 9/10 Service: 9/10 Zucchini fries: 8/10 Pillow Talk: 9/10 Wings: No ma'am The Vig, I'll be back... just leave them wings alone for me!

One of my favorite cocktail bars in the city, I just learned a secret-- visit on Sunday afternoon…read morewhen there isn't a line out the door and it isn't slammed inside. Really creative cocktails, unusual wines, great snack list (and the complimentary olives and cheese made us able to stay longer add have another round!). If you sit at the bar, one of the very talented, friendly mixologists will guide you to your perfect drink progression-- that's right-- you're not just have one thing. Too hard to choose so why should you? There are low and no ABV options as well to balance out the martinis and other spirit forward offerings. I love the decor and overall vibe--classy, French-y, fun not stuffy. Great on your own, with a date, a small group. Special shout out to Hannah but everyone we interacted with was great.

Of course when in Chicago, I had to check out Bisous, ranked #30 on North America's 50 Best Bars…read more2026, climbing from #39 in 2025. With an intimate ambiance, in Chicago's Fulton Market, Bisous brings the vibe of a 1960s Parisian cocktail lounge. Since they don't take reservations, I had a short wait at the door. Somehow, they knew exactly what I wanted, which was a seat at the bar. My favorite place to sip, exhaole, and chat with the bartenders. The cocktails were delicious, and the service was warm, attentive, and welcoming. My tongue-clicking sips for the evening: PASTRY WAR Pistachio Cream, Agricole & Jamaican Rums, Grappa, Almond, Egg White, Lemon, Nutmeg BAIT & SWITCH Blueberry Cordial, Mezcal, Blanche Armagnac, Baking Spices COUNTERPOINT Fig Leaf, Armagnac Duffau Napoléon, Yellow Chartreuse, Oscar.697 Rosso Vermouth Mmmm... #BonAppetit! Cheers! Enjoy!

After my birthday dinner, my friends and I went to The Office, the intimate speakeasy in Fulton…read moreMarket, and it was such a great experience! The atmosphere is beautiful, cozy, and intimate, which made it perfect for continuing my birthday celebration. Our bartender was incredibly attentive, kind, and welcoming, and the drinks were absolutely delicious. We made a reservation and paid a deposit in advance, which was applied toward our final bill. I really appreciated how seamless everything was. They even surprised me with a little birthday treat and a candle, which was such a thoughtful touch and made me feel celebrated. We had a wonderful time from beginning to end. Great drinks, great service, and an amazing vibe. I would absolutely recommend The Office for an after-dinner experience, a pre-dinner cocktail, date night, or a special celebration. I will definitely be back!

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.

My wife and I were on our anniversary trip to Chicago and decided to enjoy the cocktail bar The…read moreAviary before our dinner at their sister concept - Next. I'll start out by saying that the time in the Aviary was the best cocktail experience we have ever had. Not saying the best cocktails (even though they were very good), but the best experience as far as interesting presentations and overall service combined with good cocktails that when you were drinking them did not feel gimmicky at all, but that everything had a purpose. My wife did the 3 drink progression and ordered The Partridge, The 3 Martini Lunch, and the non-alcoholic version of the Kyoto Plum. I got three cocktails, but because I opted for one on their barrel aged part of the menu, my progression was basically a la carte, not the 3 drink $75 price. We also opted for one small bite of food - The Truffle explosion. My drinks were the Cereal Killer, the In The Rocks, and the Blood and Sand. As far as favorites went Joy's Partridge was basically a Mint Julep with some warming spices, but the presentation was great. Almost every table got that drink so it must be well received. My favorite was the Blood and Sand that was just a really well balanced cocktail. I think that part of the menu does not get the elaborate presentations. We both also enjoyed sharing the 3 martini lunch which was a small version of a Vesper, a Gibson, and a dirty Martini. Two things about this drink, we like our martinis with gin rather than vodka (obviously a Vesper has both), but their rules are that there are no changes to their menus, so both the gibson and the dirty martini were vodka based. The Gibson and the Vesper were our favorites of the three as the dirty martini was too dirty. There was even more olive brine if we wanted it dirtier. Bottom line, top notch experience, great friendly service, and the atmosphere was awesome watching the room being served some of the drinks we had, and ones that we did not order. The Truffle Explosion was also a very good bite, basically a truffle/parmesan infused soup dumpling that exploded in your mouth and helped out with a little food in our belly while having all that alcohol at the same time. The only disappointing cocktail was the Kyoto Plum mocktail, interesting presentation, but tasted just like grape juice - no real character. A hostess from Next came and got us and took us to our table in Next for the 1987 Manhattan meal. Thanks for a great experience Aviary!!

What an entertaining experience. The Aviary is like fine dining except almost entirely focused on…read morecocktails. We made a reservation for their three course cocktail experience for four of us which required a deposit of $75 per person. Only one of us ended up doing the experience (the rest of us were too full and already tipsy from dinner) but it was nonetheless, a very cool experience. Service was top notch. My partner has admired this place for a long time, as a bartender himself, and he has even learned a thing or two from their Bible-like cookbooks. So when the maitre d offered to allow him to step into the kitchen and help finish one of their cocktails, he was absolutely giddy. This was such a memorable and special touch for us during our visit to Chicago. I loved seeing how the kitchen worked together in a traditional kitchen line but only focusing on cocktails. It was an impressive thing to see. Many of the cocktails are presented in an incredibly theatrical way featuring interesting glassware, dry ice, and even a plastic bag filled with flavored air. I actually wasn't a big fan of the cocktail I ordered (it leaned too heavy into the BBQ flavor for my taste) but I enjoyed trying everyone else's cocktails at the table. I would definitely recommend checking out The Aviary if you are a cocktail enthusiast hoping to try something you can't get anywhere else. It truly is a fine dining experience with mixology at the forefront.

Super cute for a night out, not super busy inside but the lighting makes it really fun! Since photo…read morebooths have become popular again, this is a perfect spot for that! The bar is slightly hidden around the corner, but easy to find and the service is fast. Def recommend for a night out stop

(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.

Overall: Now one of my favorite spots downtown!…read more The good: The food is absolutely amazing. We splurged on the decadent truffly mozz sticks, which were as amazing as they sound and a meal themselves in terms of portion sizes. The house made pasta was all fantastic, as was the dim-lit speakeasy atmosphere. Plenty of drink options and the service was friendly and attentive. The not-so-good: Can get quite busy and hard to get a table. The prices are pretty high ($20+ for aforementioned mozz sticks), though it's elevated food and atmosphere. Food/drink: 9/10 Atmosphere: 9/10 Service: 9/10

We got the Tenderloin Steak Tartare for appetizer and Vodka Rigatoni & Roasted Chicken Frites as…read moreentrees. These portions are huge! The food is amazing and flavorful. I highly recommend the steak tartare and the vodka rigatoni. The chicken was good as well, but the main highlight was the garlic aioli sauce that came with the entree. It is a big portion and I recommend sharing. What stood out the most was service. Luckily we were able to do walk-in bar seating for the Library area on a Wednesday evening. Bartender was very attentive, got us new plates after we finished appetizers, and they boxed up our leftovers for us. The Library area was definitely more quiet than the main seating area. It is downstairs. It has a dark and moody atmosphere. If you have trouble reading in the dark, it might be hard to read the menu in the dark lighting though. There is also a photo booth tucked in the side of the hallways downstairs before you enter the Library area. $5 for 2 prints. A cute souvenir for your experience dining at Gilt Bar. Price wise: look to be spending $20-$30 average per each item on the menu. But worth the price for the food, service, and atmosphere you are getting. Definitely worth the visit.

I brought a friend to celebrate her birthday at HIDE + SEEK for her special dinner. It was perfect…read more The room is snazzy and stylish. The lighting was glamorous and impressive. The music was perfect. Service was exceptional. Our server was enthusiastic and very helpful. He ensured my friend felt special. We ordered several things to share. We loved it all. The salad was so fresh and everything else was just as tasty. My friend enjoyed THREE desserts they brought out for her. The customized menu was the perfect touch.

Got there a bit early and grabbed a cocktail at the bar while waiting for my friend. The host and…read morebartender were really nice. Cocktail was good. Average prices. Ordered the burger for brunch, felt there was minimal brunch options that didn't feel like lunch food. Everything was decent/ ok. My biggest issue is it was brunch and there was NO coffee. Allegedly the coffee machine is broke? I mean? You can't even get an old school coffee pot to serve coffee? Instead their solution was that I leave brunch and go next door and get coffees from levain bakery. Then I ordered a burger and they didn't have ranch for the fries??? Now they have salads on the menu so the fact they don't have ranch is weird. Overall staff was nice but the food was average and no coffee at weekend brunch was disappointing. I wouldn't go back.

Recently went to Prime Bar to celebrate Galentine's Day with my girls. This spot had been on my…read morelist for a while! We decided to dine at the bar so we could take advantage of the everyday happy hour and use our InKind app. The espresso martini was a HIT. Our favorites were the chips and dips, cheeseburger, chicken taco pita, truffle fries, and oysters. The wings were just okay and I did not love the herb aioli. Our bartender server, I believe her name was Delia, sorry if I spelled it wrong, was super nice. She got slammed but still gave great service the whole time. The ambience is gorgeous and the music really set the vibe. Would definitely come back!

This place is insanely beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. They did an amazing job decorating the…read moreinterior and using the space. Even the area they kept water for easy access was well thought out. I started with a dozen oysters and ended with the wagyu smash burger, as it was a must order. The oysters are $1 during happy hour, which is 4pm - 6pm everyday. The oysters were fresh and the perfect size, not too big or too small. It came with two sauces, lemons, and mini Tabascos. The wagyu smash burger was pretty good and filling. I'm not the biggest fan of burgers but this one is definitely worth trying! My waiter was attentive and chill. Overall, I enjoyed my experience and can't wait to come back!