Valedor is a new bar located in Wicker Park close to the six corners intersection. Who knew that a Japanese-Mexican cocktail lounge was needed but this place sure is cool. From the moment you enter the aesthetic is moody, with a nice balance between Mexican and Japanese styles. There is a large LED screen showing a virtual fish tank above bar which definitely makes the space. Menu was pretty extensive without being overwhelming. Lots of interesting drink combinations, which expertly melds two very distinct cultures. Of course we had to try the sakerita flight, because why not. Table favorite was the cucumber. Also had the horchata which was pretty good, a little on the bland milky-side, but it's a start. Also had "The Greener The Better", which had combo of gin and sake and kiwi flavor. Didn't try any of the small bites but they looked tasty enough. Would give 4/5 stars, definitely worth the stop if you are around. read more

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One of my new favorite cocktail bars! An incredible happy hour that includes weekends and it's the perfect place for a girls night or date night. The cocktails are so unique and have such nice presentation. Servers are super friendly and bring around 1-2 tapas as you order drinks. They also have some tapas on their happy hour menu and everything we tried was great. Would definitely go back! read more

Valedor - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Finally glad I was able to check this place out! If you go for cantina hour 5-7pm, drinks are $12 and tapas are $8. Drinks were fantastic and definitely offer a great variety. We also ordered some spicy tuna crispy rice on their tapas menu. Those were tasty but very small portion. Cannot wait to go back! read more

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I went to Valedor for my birthday and they were soooo nice! They had sparklers and complimentary champagne. Drinks & food were amazing, get the Shishito peppers! read more

Valedor - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely amazing experience. It's such an sexy, intimate vibe in there. The cocktails were absolutely delicious. Between me and my party, we tried 4 different cocktails and they were all fantastic. They also came around and served us the cutest tequila and pineapple shots out of a glass gun?? Such an awesome touch and they did this twice!! Amazing service. Get the lychee martini (best I've ever had) read more

Valedor - Lychee martini and spicy marg - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

All around great place to spend some time! The staff was ON TOP of things - I'm sure I never got drinks so fast. The drinks were primo and the decor was dark and intimate. read more

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Great cocktail bar in wicker park/bucktown! Happy hour was great and I loved both of the cocktails I had, they also brought out a few apps for free which was fun! Service was great and attentive. read more

Valedor - Espresso Martini and Tamarind Cocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Small and intimate bar/lounge. Cute place for a date. The food menu was small but good for snacking- small bites. We were able to come in without a reservation, sat at the bar, and the happy hour specials were worth it. The cocktails were boozy. Shishito Peppers had a nice char, and the Cilantro Lime Crispy Rice was fresh and light. read more

Valedor - Shishito Peppers, Cilantro Lime Crispy Rice (salmon) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is so cool. It hits every mark for having a sick vibe, incredible food, and amazing/creative cocktails. The portions for the food were definitely more tiny tapas so don't go for a full meal. More snacks when drinking. Drinks were really creative and pretty strong. Only callout is that the place is tiny and the seats are practically on top of each other. Definitely more of that cocktail bad vibe vs an actual sit down spot. read more

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Great drinks, cool vibe, & fantastic service! Couple things to note: it is pretty dark inside (which is fun but just a heads up!) & the music can be pretty loud which made conversation a little hard at some points (unsure about how the music is closer to opening; we were there from 8-10:30 & it was BUMPING). I definitely want to come back in the future :) read more

Valedor - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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One of my new favorite cocktail lounges! Valedor's ambiance is incredible - dark and moody with vibey music. My group of 6 were seated on one side of their larger booths. Our servers were great! Super fun and friendly. We ordered all of the bites on the menu with the exception of the shishito peppers. They were all delicious - my favorites include the birriayaki, al pastor gyoza and chicken + mushroom karaage. The cilantro lime crispy rice was good but our table wished the rice was more crispy. The drinks were also good - the sakerita is an easy one to drink so if you're a fan of sweeter drinks, this is the one to get. The espresso martini isn't my favorite in the city but they were huge so i'll give them that. We ordered it because we had a couple minutes left before happy hour ended. Can't wait to come back and try more drinks! read more

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Catching up on Yelp reviews as I visited last month on a date. Valedor is relatively new to the neighborhood. My co-worker recommended Valedor to me so I decided to try after I moved away from Wicker Park. Vibe is dimly lit and intimate. It's a pretty small place with some tables, cozy booths, and the bar seats about 20. It's pretty much like a fancier Bordel cocktail bar and a hybrid of Spanish/Japanese cocktails. Not hipster whatsoever and I think that is a reason why it's found success in Wicker Park. We arrived after dinner around 7pm and we were able to snag the last two seats at the bar and the place was full. I had Tokiol Old Fashioned and the Espresso Martini, which were both delicious! My date had a The Greener the Better and Espresso Martini and she enjoyed both of them as well. The Greener the Better and Espresso Martinis were my favorites ones of the bunch. Our bartender, Alex was friendly, provided good service, and he made a great old fashioned! Prices were average cocktail prices in Chicago at about $15-20. Overall, I was a fan of Valedor as the cocktails were good and it was a hype spot. I will have to come back and try the food! read more

Drinks were great, however if you are looking for great bites you should eat prior to going. I came with a large party, I tried ordering from the bar like some of the other patrons-the bartender quickly told me that I would be charged 20% gratuity even though I was not ordering with the group. He stated since I'm with them it didn't matter. I was flabbergasted, it definitely appeared at that moment I was being taken advantage of. read more

Perfect spot for drinks with friends. Feels like a fancy cocktail lounge, dim lights, pop music, and cozy booths/tables. We came in on a Friday night and enjoyed some of the happy hour cocktails and tapas. A really fun concept (one that I enjoyed in Spain!) to have "complimentary" little nibble with your drink. We also ordered the poke tacos and the crispy rice. Both were good little bites. Not sure I'd pick this as a first date spot (a bit loud), but definitely a good spot if you want to have get close to hear each other! Overall, great experience, I'd come back. read more

Incredible drinks! Lovely flavors & great ambiance. Sakerita was so delicious! Ask for harrison he is great! read more

vibacious cocktail bar with a fun menu! i thoroughly enjoyed both the horchata 2 ways and the beats n yogurt, however, if i had to pick a fave it would be the horchata drink. the drink was so indulgent but not cloyingly sweet - the whipped cream especially is out of this world! my friend's espresso martini was good too but nothing inventive. i wish i had tried the tapas as i'm sure they're great. read more

Valedor - horchata 2 ways - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Very cool renovation of what used to be a Coffee Shop on Milwaukee in Wicker Park. Great cocktail bar vibe. I would go for drinks. Crispy rice was lacking and the spicy salmon was ok. The Steak Sandwich was way over done and was missing elements of texture and flavor. Bartender was the right amount of attentive and friendly. read more

Valedor - Crispy Cilantro Lime Rice with spicy salmon - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Small but very cozy with excellent food. Walking in I had no expectations, I was just interested in hanging out with a friend at one of the newest spots in town. When I walked in, I loved how dim and intimate it was. The place was quiet, grown and sexy, there's street parking on all sides(some you have to pay for so don't say I didn't tell you). The service was awesome to say the least. From the host all the way down to the bartender. Everything came out in a timeline manner. THEY EVEN HAVE EARLY SUNDAY EVENING HAPPY HOUR, woot woot! Cilantro rice was amazing, I enjoyed two portions of those. The margarita was to die for and even the old fashion my friend and I both ordered but didn't bother to take photos of because we were having such a good time and the cocktails were so well crafted. Definitely a go to spot and a place to frequent if you're looking for vibes. Enjoy! read more

Valedor - Cilantro lime crispy rice - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Valedor isn't just another cocktail bar. It's sophisticated without being snobbish, welcoming without being mundane. If you're in the Chicago Wicker Park area and you're not stopping by Valedor, you're missing out on a piece of what makes this city bar scene great. IG: @Polished_Pours / polishedpours.com read more

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Meh. Such a good concept, but poorly executed. The entire experience was a bit uncomfortable. Seats were uncomfortable - they have those "seats" that look like tree stomps, the entire place felt small and tight. To make it worse, there was an influencer sitting next to us using their extremely bright light to take pics of everything. There was only one server and her trainee, but there were probably two managers and two owners catering to the influencer table. At some point, they moved them to the only normal table in the entire restaurant, which they should have done from the get go since it's kind of away from the other tables. Drinks we had: Tamarind sour 3/5 - not enough tamarind flavor Sakerita (passion fruit) 3/5 - it was tasty, but just tasted liked passion fruit juice. I didn't like the random ice cubes but loved the lychee foam Valedor margarita (mezcal) 4/5 - it was boozy and tasted exactly the way it should've Food we had: Cilantro line crispy rice 2/5 - I liked the crispy rice but the salmon had no flavor. I didn't taste any spice, cilantro or lime. Could've used some soy sauce Gouda katsu 5/5 - I mean it's hard to mess up fried cheese. I didn't like the presentation of the dry rice in a glass though, it wasn't aesthetically pleasing. There were only six small pieces Shishito peppers 5/5 - these were really good, but there were only about seven pieces Birria tacoyaki 0/5 - I have no idea what they were trying to do here. No flavor, no meat, just five pieces of dough Al pastor gyoza 5/5 - wish this was the first thing I ate instead of the last, I would've gotten 3 plates! Overall, I left feeling underwhelmed and hungry. Hopefully they get it together and have actual food that tastes good and not these bland sample plates. read more

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Delicious, unique drinks with classy ambience. Had a wonderful time hanging out and felt it was so inventive.

You need to try this place for happy hour (5-7 PM)! I went with a group of friends for their drink/tapas deal. Great prices on drinks, plus they bring out extra tapas to try (free of charge)! The tuna poke tacos were my favorite of the tapas, and I'd recommend the watermelon cocktail (recommended by our waiter). Service was top notch - very attentive, friendly, helpful recommendations. Looking forward to visiting this place again! Very convenient location as well - right off the Damien stop. read more

It's been a minute since I've been out at the bars in Chicago and I came across this place with my boyfriend. I love the ambiance and the decor inside of this intimate dark lounge bar. Plus the entrance doors are magnificent. It has Mexican and Japanese roots for their cocktails. We ended up ordering a couple drinks the bartenders recommended: the Tokiol 'Fashioned, the Mizu Fresca and the Sake Gazpacho. The latter of all was my favorite because it was a sweet and salty clarified drink that hit my cravings. I wasn't able to catch their names, but the two bartenders there that night were super kind and knowledgeable about the menu and were able to give their recommendations based on what we were interested in. Will definitely stop by this place more often now that I know about it and will try out more of the drinks the bartenders recommend! read more

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My husband and I stopped here on a Friday night after we came back from C2E2 to continue celebrating my birthday. This place has been on my bucket list to try and decide my birthday would be a perfect occasion for this. We can tell we definitely stuck out like a sore thumb as we were mostly dressed from con and not as nice as everyone else there. Place is pretty small, and you're seated pretty close to everyone, which we overall didn't mind. Place was dark and exuded a fun, romantic and eclectic vibe. Our server was great on checking up on us. We probably we the odd ones out as we kept ordering rounds of drinks instead of chilling and vibing, but hey I was out to enjoy myself. Drinks tasted great, but definitely were not strong at all. We thought about ordering some small plates, but when we saw how little they were, decided against it. Highly recommend eating something before coming here, food is NOT worth it for price and portions. A nice place to have a romantic night out or to chill with some friends. read more

Valedor - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I went here with friends for a birthday and it was a great happy hour spot! The interior of the space is quite simply, so nothing compared to the aesthetic of West Loop restaurants. However, the cocktails make up for that because all were very tasty and there was a wide selection ranging with your more typical liquors and then standout ones like Sake, pisco and mezcal. They also provided complimentary tiny apps and those were great small bites! I definitely would return for the happy hour. read more

Ahh! This used to be Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea shop, remember that? This is a Mex-Jap Cuisine, Mexican and Japanese. The staff and service is excellent. read more

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Tried everything on their food menu and the sake flight. Nothing was bad. Nothing special. Everything was just decent. read more

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Go for the Happy Hour specials to give you a good sample of the food and the drinks. It'll also give you a sense of what vibes it becomes when it gets busy. read more

Valedor - people sitting at a bar in a dark room - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food was delicious! Drinks amazing! Service could use some serious improvement! Do NOT go here without a reservation. The host looked at us cross eyed because we didn't have a rezi and was very rude. We were lucky enough to score 4 seats at the bar, but even the bartenders acted as if we weren't worthy of being there. They sure did run my card for over $200 for a few light bites and drinks. I will say ambiance also great. They seemed to want to give NYC vibe, but I lived in NYC and spent a lot to go out to eat and drink and was never treated with such disregard. Not sure all be back simply because of the service. read more

Amazing Japanese Mexican cocktails - speakeasy in wicker park, perfect for a cocktail after work read more

Valedor - Signature Cokctails - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wow what a seriously fun and cool place. Mellow lounge vibes, makes for a chill time with my wife and friends. Definitely one of the best happy hours in the city with a fun and diverse cocktail and food selection. The servers were attentive and knowledgeable and the space was super sexy and cool. Will absolutely be returning for the crispy tuna tacos and some drinks. My only complaint is that the seating is a little too tight and small especially for the amount of food we ordered it barely fit on the little tables but otherwise very positive experience. read more

This place has been on my list to try for the longest time and I finally got to try it. I went after work with a friend and we just sat at the bar and got some appetizers and a drink. The cocktail was recommended to me by the bartender and it was fantastic. We also ordered the tuna poke taco and the salmon crispy rice both very delicious. I also really liked the mood in there and the music in the background. Overall I will def be back they have a great happy hour and the bartender was super nice! Would recommend this as a date spot read more

Service and drinks were amazing. Food was also perfectly flavored and prepared. Really happy with my experience. Recommend the horchata cocktail for dessert! read more

All their cocktails are premade! Can hardly taste the spirit. Pretty surprising for a cocktail lounge.

Great ambiance, fun drinks and tasty bites! Great as a happy hour spot before heading to dinner. Stared at that LED screen for longer then is likely socially acceptable. read more

This former Fairgrounds has been absolutely transformed by the blackout windows and the giant TV behind the bar displaying a digital aquarium. This is a place for drinks and snacks and not a full dinner. Seated tables looked very small. We sat at the bar for their happy hour deals with some drinks for $10 (normally $15) and bites for $6 (normally $9-$12). The crispy rice is the best deal on the HH menu and it's pretty tasty for $6, wish the rice was crispier. We also tried the Gouda katsu and off the regular menu the tacoyaki and the pastor gyoza. My fave thing was probably the gyoza -- stuffed with tasty pastor, served with a pineapple ponzu with chopped onion and cilantro. The sakerita was small and easy to drink. You can pick between cucumber, passion fruit or strawberry, or thetes also a flight option to try all 3. I only tried the passion fruit and it was yummy. The lychee foam is a nice touch. The Horchata 2 ways need some work, but they said they're still working on it. The horchata foam/whipped cream which was the 2nd way was super good though. We sat at the bar for HH, and service was very nice and prompt and they probably need to hire more staff as they seemed quite busy. Will definitely be coming back for happy hour and to try some of their other drinks. A welcome addition to the neighborhood! read more

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What a great new spot in Wicker Park, Chicago! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with a smile and shown to our little table. The ambiance, food, and service was phenomenal! My girlfriend and I love trying new places and this definitely was an experience! Stephen, either the owner (or at least clearly the Manager on Duty at the time), came over to greet us and ask how everything was going. The drinks are definitely different, but in a GREAT way! My girlfriend does not eat cheese, but we ordered all the small plate items on the menu except the two with cheese. Our server (I forgot her name as it has been a couple weeks), was so kind, knowledgeable, and checked on us regularly. If you are looking for a fun new spot out for a bit and like trying food from different regions/fusion, this is a spot for you! PS: Amazing date spot! read more

Great happy hour items and great customer service. We tried few of the food and beverages on happy hour and I would highly recommend.

Happy hour is such a great deal here $12 cocktails and $8 apps. I had the crispy rice and the poke tacos and I think I could have had like 5 servings of each they were so good. Drinks are good too! I will admit the chairs aren't super comfortable and it is very dark, but between the food/drinks and friendly service it more than makes up for it. read more

Obsessed with their happy hour! Salmon crispy rice is so good. The saketinis are also delicious