Happy hour daily 5-7pm to seat at the bar. 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 read more

I was lowkey nervous about writing this review because I know this place is already popular... and part 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. read more

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One of a kind and easily one of my favorite cocktail bars in the city! With a sultry and dim interior, it's a great spot for a more intimate or special occasion. I wouldn't say it's the place to go for chatting up new faces at the bar. We have to start by recognizing that they've got a pretty excellent happy hour until 7pm. In addition to offering most of the drinks and food at a generous price, all drinks come with a complimentary appetizer. For drinks, I tried the We Love Lychee and Autumn in August. I absolutely loved the sweet and crisp flavor of the first. The cotton candy was a neat addition that actually paired really well with the drink. The second was sort of an innovative twist on an old fashioned- it was a literal smoke-show as the glass was lit on fire prior to pouring the liquids. The smoky flavor balanced bitter and sweet notes well. The texture was a bit syrupy for my preference but that's a personal issue. For tapas, I tried the al pastor gyoza, salmon crispy rice, and complimentary potato croquettes. The pork in the gyoza was super tender and flavorful, but I kind of wished the pineapple-soy fusion sauce was actually inside of the dumpling for more flavor. I do think the crispy rice could have been crispier and there wasn't a ton of flavor, but it was ok overall. The potato croquettes stole the show, however- the flavor and crispiness were truly outstanding. I will absolutely be back many times over and highly recommend paying a visit! read more

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Obsessed with everything about Valedor!!! HH everyday with $12 cocktails and $8 bites. Ambiance here is perfect and the service was incredible! Cocktails are not only stunning but incredibly tasty! Lots of unique options. The gyozas are a must try, and I also loved the crispy rice! read more

Valedor - Crispy rice - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Visited this establishment after seeing a video review of their wonderful happy hour menu. We stopped in on a super cold Friday evening. Super happy I made a reservation. As we were checking in many people were being turned away. It's quite dark inside - this gives sultry and mysterious. There's a free coat check which is a plus! The seating is small - super tiny tables but large chairs. Ordering food was a hassle because we had no where to put it. I ordered the Autumn in August cocktail from their Stranger Things menu. Since it was HH, tapas were $8. I chose to partake in the chicken and oyster mushroom karrage along with the Al Pastor Gyoza. A complimentary helping of crab Rangoon dip was given. Flavorable and tastes just like the food item. Should have given more chips as there was a ton of dip. The karrage was too crispy and had a burnt taste. The chicken portion was fine but if you wanted mushrooms, it wasn't giving. The sauces to pair were good. The gyoza were packed with meat so it was worth it. I personally think the prices for HH are acceptable versus the regular price. I'd return for another cocktail and the good music. read more

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Absolutely amazing. Drinks are magnificent. The service at the bar is great, they were very attentive and friendly. The interior is romantic and sexy I highly recommend this for a date night. The music was on point the night we went and it set such a great vibe for the rest of the night. I think I fell in love here. read more

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Might be one of my new fave cocktail bars/small bites menu combo spots! Made reservations for 5:30 on a Saturday and was pleasantly surprised to find out that 5-7 is their happy hour AND they hold happy hour on Saturdays?! Most places do Sun-Thurs only for happy hour, so this was a huge bonus in my eyes. Valedor is definitely a sexy small lounge vibe and can tick the boxes for date night, night out with friends, or even just a casual meetup (if you want to feel a bit fancy). I chose this spot because I've been itching to try new cocktails and have recently been disappointed in some of the "cocktail" offerings at larger restaurants. $12 drinks and $8 tapas is unbeatable IMO. We also intended on eating a full dinner here, so I was excited to try most of the menu knowing that they're meant to be shareable. Drinks: -Horchata 2 Ways: Sweet, cinnamon, boozy! This came out in less than 60 seconds after ordering, I was impressed. I would definitely have ordered this as my last drink as it was super dessert-esque forward. -Strawberry Sakerita: If we were staying longer, I would've drank 5 of these. I love the little can that it came in and it was the perfect amount of sweet without making me feel like I just chugged a carton of juice. Lychee foam was a nice touch on top! All of the food we had was delicious. I love me some good fusion, and Japanese/Mexican are two of my faves. The only one I probably would pass next time was the skirt steak katsu sando. The flavors were there, but I typically find that skirt steak is too tough/dry of a cut to work well in certain dishes. If they used a softer cut, I'd be more inclined to get it again! Aside from happy hour, they have something called Cantina Hour stacked on top of their HH. They bring out complimentary small appetizers which is a surprise if you don't know about it. I loveeeee when establishments have small touches like this because they obviously aren't obligated to, but it just makes ya feel like they want you to enjoy your time. I will be back to try the rest of the cocktail and food menu! Also, our server was lovely. She checked back often and made us feel at home. read more

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Visited for a Sunday night cap and loved our drinks. We got the Horchata 2 ways and the Love me Lychee. Both drinks were a perfect balance of sweetness and weren't too strong that it took away from its unique flavors. We sat at the bar and were intrigued by the LED screen. It was a really neat touch that offset from dark lounge vibe. The decor is very modern and I can see why this is a popular spot. Reservations are available on Resy and I highly recommend making one if going on a Thursday - Saturday night. Not pictured, but we also ordered the birriayaki and chicken and oyster mushroom kaarage. The birriayaki is such a fun twist on birria and takoyaki! I would take caution ordering this for those with low spice tolerance. There's fresh jalapeños on it which could make it too spicy. The chicken kaarage was juicy, however, our portion got more little pieces of burnt breading and oysters than chicken. Not my fav, but not terrible. The (2) sauces it comes with was really good. Overall, I would recommend coming for the drinks and vibes! Their selection of small bites is pretty good, I def think we just got a bad batch of the kaarage and would still recommend ordering it. read more

Valedor - Horchata 2 ways (left) love me lychee (right) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Not the vibe you would expect in Wicker Oark but definitely the vibe you need! Darker ambiance with mood lighting. Bites and rinks are all unique. Lots of artistry went into this restaurant from interior design to the menu. They have some really cool crafted drinks. I always get a snow maiden when I come here because it's one of the best drinks I've had. This is a great date spot. It fills up fast and is always bus but the service stays excellent! read more

Valedor - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We went for drinks after dinner, not really far from the blue line station. Easy to miss unless you look up and see the restaurant name. The drinks were fantastic, and have a lot of flavor and easily you can get a second one. Happy hour gives you an amazing deal and I would love to come back another time. The place is dim on light but gives a nice aura to just chill, talk about anything and spend sometime with some friends. read more

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Amazing cocktails. I had the tamarind sour which was delicious and unique. The bartender was very accommodating. Nice environment.

Amazing spot! Really happy my husband found this place for a last minute happy hour on a Thursday evening. The food was delish, the drinks were unique and inspired, and the vibe immaculate. Everyone behind the bar was so nice, especially Pedro (hey Pedro!). Everything came out fast, perfect, and amazing. Will definitely be back! read more

Valedor - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My daughter & I visited Valedor during my first night in Chicago for a visit. It was great! Dark, moody bar with lots of small tables and comfy seating. We ordered cocktails and a couple of tapas. It was the perfect quick, relaxing dinner! read more

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My fav drink: Horchata Two Ways! Valedor is the perfect Japanese-Mexican fusion with dark lighting, knowledgeable staff and fancy tables. I know fusion can be hit or miss, but Valedor absolutely delivers. Can't wait to go back. I highly recommend this for date night! - AD read more

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Fantastic place! Ambiance is and there was happy hour even on a Saturday night! The cocktails were tasty and unique, and actually the birriayaki blew me away. Service was quick and friendly as well. Couldn't ask for more. Great place to stop in for a date night! read more

Valedor - Half eaten birriayaki - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My lovely wife and I were on a "crawl" through Bucktown and Wicker Park recently, and we heard about the Cantina Hour at Valedor. A fancy drink at a slightly discounted rate sounded like a good idea - so why not? We popped into Valedor, which gave me the impression of a cool nightclub upon entry. We arrived only a few minutes after they opened, so it was relatively quiet at that moment. Oddly enough, a boisterous group came in soon and occupied what seemed like a VIP-ish seating area. The dudes looked and sounded like average bros who liked to swig beers, while their dates tried to compensate by ordering classier cocktails. We sat at the bar and experienced attentive service, with at least three servers asking us how we were doing and if we needed anything. During the Cantina Hour (daily from 5-7PM, except Mondays) they also offered random free tapas with our drinks. My TokiOl' Fashioned was a nice strong drink, while my love enjoyed a Sakerita. The apps procured for us were unusually zingy edamame, and tasty potato croquettes. Since we were having a late dinner that evening, the free apps were a welcome touch to complement our drinks. read more

Came to Valedor because they have a later starting happy hour. This is good but also it was bad in our situation as we had already been to a few happy hours. Needless to say we were pretty lit by the time we walked into this establishment. The bar is very sexy, modern and hip. Vibe was really chic. We had a table in the corner. We only order one round of drinks because we were too intoxicated and needed to go get some food. We did order an appetizer here and it was good. They also served some complimentary tapas and they served us a round of chips and bean dip. The chips and dip was good...we would ordered a whole round of that. I would return to Valedor. That happy hour selection was nice. The drink presentation was nice. This spot is more for intimate engagements. Not sure I would come if wanted extensive conversations. read more

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Came in on a Friday night, made a reservation and glad we did. Party of 5, we got there right as they opened at 5pm. Happy hour is from 5-7pm, $12 cocktails and $8 tapas. Intimate vibe, dimly lit atmosphere. Drinks were good , nice to be able to try multiple speciality cocktails on HH. Waiter was hard to grab attention from, and when we did he wasn't very friendly. read more

Went here for a social event and Mitch and Joe took good care of our group! The low lighting created a nice intimate atmosphere, great space for groups of 2-4 I'd say. Music was just slightly louder than I'd like for a conversation for a bigger group, but loved their playlist here. The Horchata2Ways was my favorite drink, absolutely loved that one read more

Valedor - Interior - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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After an eventful day, my friend and I needed a perfect spot to debrief and stand on business. Fortunately for us, we were able to get seats for two at the bar without reservation. For anyone trying to do a walk-in, Valedor has a fairly cozy seating area for people to wait inside as well. First, we have to start with the vibes - they're immaculate here. From the drinks (our favorite was the strawberry sakerita) to the bites, you're going to have a great time at Valedor. Our server was so friendly and often came by to check in on us, which wasn't easy when our duo turned into a group of seven later in the night. Also, my biggest pet peeve with bars is how loud the music can be. Thankfully, the music here was great and you're still able to hear the people around you. I'm going to return for their happy hour. If the drinks are good now, the cocktails are going to taste even better with their complementary tapas. I will not rest till I have their gouda katsu. read more

Dark sophisticated ambiance and environment, drinks were good but a bit pricey. Would come back again for perhaps a date night!

The service was excellent, even in an area where there were two groups together, they still were attentive and helpful and gave great descriptions of the drinks and tapas. The vibes were immaculate. I've always walked by and wondered if it was a place for a good before or after dinner drink and it exceeded my expectations. Cozy while also feeling upscale. For a large group (I think it was like 6 or 7 of us), the bill was reasonably priced. We had a few rounds and per person it was extremely manageable plus we ordered a decent amount of apps for the table. read more

Valedor - Autumn in August - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Definitely a hidden gem in the city! Great tasting cocktails with delicious bites to go with. We got most things on the menu (to eat) and some of my favourites were the shishito peppers and the birria dumplings! The cocktails we tried were also super creative and fun - I really liked my beets'n'yogurt stranger things special - felt like a childhood yogurt drink but with some added magic (booze) Service was great! Both servers were so friendly and nice! The interior design was also nicely done - felt luxurious but also gave a relaxed and laid back vibe read more

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Love love love this spot! Great for the drinks that get the night started! The vibe is giving speakeasy with a tropical twist because of the beautiful light fixtures. The music hit and it was at a great volume that you could enjoy and hear the people around you. Pro tip! I know you've heard it before, but for real.... The espresso martini is something special here read more

Valedor is small sexy cocktail lounge with Asian and Mexican inspired bites. The cocktails are batched and the service is attentive. The lounge is dimly lit with a solid playlist just low enough to hear your dinner companion. Worth checking out if you're not starving and want to grab a nice libation. 4.1 stars. read more

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Valedor is a great moody bar, perfect for a date night or group outing, with delicious Japanese + Mexican inspired cocktails and food! I recommend getting a reservation ahead of time through their website, otherwise you may wait a while to get seated. The drinks were all so unique and tasty, and the presentation for each of them was well thought out. Photos of each drink are available on their website. I came here with my partner before a concert nearby. We started with the mizu fresca and the Pina colada. I enjoyed the mizu fresca, the aloe and cucumber notes were super refreshing. The Pina colada was good, especially if you have a sweet tooth. It came with a fun coconut cookie/cracker on top. For the second round we got the greener the better and cucumber sakerita. The greener the better cocktail was presented with a chip on top with a wasabi guacamole dip which was really good. The presentation was memorable as you sip out of a bowl. The cucumber sakerita comes in a sake can with some lychee foam. This was my favorite drink of the night. We ended by sharing a midnight espresso, which was really tasty and had the perfect amount of caffeine to keep me up for the next two hours. The taste reminded me of the Kopiko coffee candies. We got some nice seats along the back wall with a great view of the bar. The service was really on top of it, coming by frequently to place orders and bringing out drinks pretty quickly. The bathrooms are really clean here too. Definitely recommend this cocktail bar and I'm excited to try out their happy hour (5-7pm) deals in the future. Also I appreciate that there wasn't a strict dress code. It is a nice establishment so you would want to dress somewhat nicely, but you can get in wearing a nice polo and jeans/chinos. I enjoyed the moody but casual vibe. read more

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Had a great happy hour here! $12 for some really great cocktails and some great bites. 10/10 would recommend. Also Anthony kept checking in on us, he was amazing. read more

Very creative cocktails and awesome small bites. Mexican-Japanese inspired. The ambiance of the bar is very speak-easy-esque, plenty of seats at the bar and big tables if you are with a large party. Great happy hour deals, will certainly be coming back. read more

Valedor - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent ambiance that matched service and drinks/food. I celebrated my birthday with pre-dinner drinks and snacks and am so glad that I spent a portion of my evening here. The passion fruit Sakerita was refreshing and was topped with this incredible lychee foam. The autumn in August cocktail was boozy and smoky from the applewood infused smoke and well prepared. We also ordered the chicken and oyster mushroom karaage off of the happy hour tapas menu and the food was crispy and the accompanying dips delicious. Our bar tender brought out drinks on the house to celebrate my birthday and it was such a nice gesture/surprise. Valedor is up there on my favorite places to go for a drink and I'll be looking forward to the next time I'm back. read more

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What an awesome spot in Wicker! Loved the vibe/interiors. Thought the prices were reasonable and the cocktails were delicious. Although I do wish the service was a little better, felt like I was chasing the bartender. Mizu Fresca was perfect and the Passionfruit Sakerita is a great summertime drink - loved the foam on the Sakeritas. Even the tapas were enjoyable - tried the Chicken and Mushroom Karaage, the Birriayaki and Salmon Crispy Rice. Would definitely come back for the cocktails!! read more

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What a cool, intimate place! My friend and I stopped by on a Sunday evening for small plates and drinks and had a great time. The crispy rice topped with spicy salmon was our favorite dish, but honestly everything--including the cocktails--was delicious and beautifully presented. We also enjoyed the complimentary snacks. The bartenders were friendly and attentive. We'll be back! read more

Great place for a date. Good food and a reverse happy hour (which more restaurants in Chicago should do ) . I'll be back to check out even more food and drinks (they are strong ) read more

Valedor - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Such a cool spot! Cantina hour was so fun to be a part of this dim upbeat ambiance and try a nice cocktail. We got to try some tapas too - they came around with samples of off menu items like the fried zucchini and cucumber salad. These were tasty sample portions. We also ordered the karage, crispy spicy salmon rice, and shishito peppers. All were delicious! It was a fun time! read more

Valedor - Crispy spicy salmon rice - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great drinks. Went for a happy hour and bartenders were quite skilled and mostly attentive. $12 drinks 5-7pm. The tokyol' fashioned was really good. A little on the sweeter side but u just requested the second one to have half the amount of syrup and it was great. Didn't try the food but it looked good. Would come back. I liked the vibe of the place as well. read more

Setting unique and fascinating. Price point for quality and mystery of the menu is unreal. Taste and service is top tier. Thanks Valedor, loved my experience. read more

Valedor has a fun, tulumlike atmosphere, and their cocktail game is on point. Drinks are delicious, though a bit pricey if you're paying full price - happy hour definitely softens the blow! Every hour, they bring out complimentary tapas, which is a nice touch. We tried the edamame and plantain chips; both were decent, though the gouda came out cold in the center, which was a bit disappointing. Service was friendly and welcoming, which really elevated the experience. All in all, it's a solid spot to grab drinks during happy hour. read more

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This place is so trendy and hip, and I'll definitely be coming back here. From the food to the service everything was pretty much spot on. The sake drink in the little van was also so delicious and creamy. If you're looking for a cute girls night out or date night I would definitely recommend coming here! The music however can be loud at points just to give y'all a heads up! read more

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We just stopped in for and Old Fashion. Good place for a drink and meet up with friends. Good wine list.

Dark & sexy spot. Some people around us had some firework type aesthetic that was fun. Seating was a little cramped and we were sat with another couple. I really liked my drink the Love me Lychee, I got 2 of those. Any cocktail with cotton candy is going to be a must have for me :) We got some food, it was average. The tuna tacos barely had any tuna in them and the crispy rice was just okay. They are doing a collab with Mindy's bakery and the chocolate cake was fantastic. Def a cocktail spot.. I'll be back! read more

Enjoyed the ambiance and received great service here. I wanted to love the beets and yogurt but I didn't. To me it was a boozy earthy yogurt drink but to each their own. I do appreciate the creativity of their cocktail menu and ultimately got something else that I liked better. Would come back and try more! read more