Chicago bar reviews

Sister restaurant to three Michelin-starred Smyth upstairs, The Loyalist is John Shields and Karen Urie Shield's headline-making bar and restaurant in the West Loop. Consistently named one of the best restaurants in Chicago, the buzzing basement has become a staple of the city's culinary scene. The vibe: The subterranean space is dimly lit with singles, couples and happy hour-goers filling the intimate space with hushed chatter. The food: The star of the show here is The Loyalist OG Cheeseburger, a mouthwatering, onion-forward dish topped with pickled and charred onion between a delicate sesame seed bun. It's served with a side of onion aioli, which is great for dunking fries in. Many consider this one of the best burgers in the city—and we don't disagree. Another menu standout is the pillowy squash gnudi, doused in brown butter, Parmesan Reggiano and an optional caviar upgrade. The drinks: Inventive drinks with cheeky names like Chai Me A River (Fortaleza blanco, green chartreuse, cacao, chai, pineapple and lime) and House Of 1,000 Carrots (pecan rum, cachaça, carrot, ginger, tropical spices and cream cheese) offer plenty of inventive options to choose from. We love the Cruel & Un-Yuzual, a flowery, vibrant purple cocktail crafted with Oka vodka, housemade yuzucello, Snow Maiden sake, chamomile, lavender and lemon. Time Out tip: The Loyalist always saves a few seats for walk-ins, making it an ideal spot for post-work drinks with your team. If you arrive between 5 and 6pm...

The vibe: Among the framed drawings of regulars cluttering the wooden walls of this dim saloon-style staple are posters boasting that you’re in “le premiere dive bar” of Chicago. We don’t know where this place gets off speaking French, but it’s been around since 1958, so we’ll grant it bragging rights. Plus, it's a favorite among celebs like Stephen Colbert, Bill Murray and John Belushi. The food: None to speak of. The drinks: Take a look at the wall behind the bar and you'll see the massive selection of sips served at this cash-only dive. Drafts, bottles and cans, and ciders are on offer, as well as your classic cocktails and mixed drinks.  Time Out tip: One of the best parts about Old Town Ale House is admiring the eclectic and often crude paintings. The backstory is fascinating—ask your bartender.  

Nestled along the far eastern end of the river in Streeterville, Lizzie McNeill's is a Chicago classic. The neighborhood favorite offers some of the best views in Chicago and hearty fare best enjoyed with a Guinness.  The vibe: Lizzie McNeill's offers everything you could want in an Irish pub. A relaxed atmosphere with a rotation of regulars hanging out at the bar, plus sweeping views down the Chicago River. The food: Irish classics like Reuben rolls, cheese curds, fish and chips, and Shepherd's pie are on offer, along with staples like wings, burgers, salads and chili. The best part? There's free popcorn up front. The drinks: Aside from Guinness and a lengthy beer list, Lizzie McNeill's offers an extensive selection of more than 50 Irish, Canadian and American whiskeys. They also serve a THC seltzer and seasonal cocktails like Lizzie's Coffee (Irish whiskey, Bailey's, coffee and whipped cream). Overall, the drink prices are pretty reasonable for the area, with drafts starting at $7 and cocktails starting at $12. Time Out tip: During the warmer months, head out to the patio. It's a hidden gem, shaded by trees and just steps away from the river.

After eight years of contract brewing, Middle Brow Beer Co. finally opened a home of its own on a bustling stretch of Armitage Avenue in Logan Square. The vibe: Sporting rustic brick walls, a trio of foeders (giant wooden barrels used to age beer) looming over the dining area and a spacious bar, Bungalow tries to create a welcoming environment for guests to sample Middle Brow's experimental brews. The food: In the morning, toast topped with cream cheese, fruit and honey is the main attraction, served alongside coffee and beer. Thin-crust pizzas piled with toppings fill tables in the evening, with the action spilling out onto the patio when the weather cooperates.  The drinks: With 95% of the beverages made in-house, you can't go wrong with most choices. We recommend a glass of natural wine or a beer. Time Out tip: Go ahead and order an extra pint, because 50 percent of all Middle Brow profits are donated to local social-justice organizations.   

Like the first time I tried to go to the Violet Hour and walked straight past the door, I had no idea how to get into the Drifter, a new bar located underneath Green Door Tavern. But while the Violet Hour was Chicago’s first nouveau speakeasy, bar culture has changed over the past eight years—now, when a bar claims to be a speakeasy, all that means is that it’s dark, with well-made cocktails and bartenders in retro clothes. The Drifter breaks the mold, since it’s actually located in an old speakeasy space, and it’s missing the pretentious trappings a lot of cocktail bars have. In speakeasy days, people would enter a door a couple blocks away and get into the bar through a window, which has been covered over. We had to ask at Green Door how to get in, so I’ll save you the trouble: Walk through Green Door, head downstairs and enter through the wooden door that’s next to the restrooms. There’s no sign, but if the door guy isn’t there taking names for a waitlist that grows longer as the night goes on (though we walked right in at 5:30pm on a Saturday), knock and he’ll let you in. Once inside, the space is dark, cozy and full of objects that were already there when bartender Liz Pearce (Gage, Drawing Room, Aviary) took over the unused space. There are old paintings, like one of FDR that overlooks the end of the bar, a bullet-riddled Mobil sign, flags billowing from the ceiling and dozens of dusty old bottles lined up atop the bar. It’s a comfortable, low-key spot to hang out,...

It’s no wonder this sexy cocktail cave below the Hoxton Hotel is one of the city’s best bars. With Boka Restaurant Group behind the scenes, it’s a favorite for an intimate date night or an elevated evening with friends.  The vibe: The Fulton Market spot is appointed with an inviting blue velvet banquet, a massive curated bookshelf and a stage where guests can catch live music performances three nights a week.  The food: You won’t find any food on the menu here, but upstairs, Cira and Cabra offer plenty of sumptuous bites to tide you over.  The drinks: With 52 cocktails to choose from, you’ll have plenty of options to try something new, like The Curious Water-Bearer (bourbon, cynar, chamomile, blackberry, lemon, egg white and bitters) or the delicate Dotonbori Blues (vodka, vermouth, sherry, red bean and salted vanilla). Time Out tip: There’s a $10 cover for walk-ins from 9pm to midnight on nights when a band is performing, typically Thursdays through Saturdays. We recommend securing your spot and avoiding the charge by making a reservation in advance.

This West Loop cocktail hub raises the bar on fine dining and delivers a superb lineup of sake- and shochu-centric sips, and delicate bites imbued with Japanese flavors. The dining room offers à la carte shareables, while the beautifully fleeting omakase menu is pricey for the portion sizes, but makes up for it on the drink side. The vibe: This Japanese-inspired cocktail bar and restaurant, helmed by chef, creative director and beverage visionary Julia Momosé, is one of measured pace and care. The food: Kumiko’s eight-seat omakase bar lends a peek into the humming kitchen through an intricately carved wood shade that acts as a focal point of the restaurant. An evolving tasting menu is offered gluten-free and pescatarian upon request, and Kumiko suggests allowing up to three hours for the full experience. The drinks: The accompanying sakes ranged from supple and delicately floral junmai to crisp, dry and nutty futsu shu—all beautiful counterparts to pristine oceanic bites. Still, it’s hard to outshine Momose’s exquisite cocktails, like her woodsy, citrusy sudachi shochu with tonic, sage and kumquat, and an elegant blend of mellow aged junmai sake, shiro and apricot eau de vie that tastes like boozy blossoming fruit trees and melted snow. Time Out tip: Sake and shochu cocktails and low- or no-proof sips headline Julia Momose’s imaginative menu, but we love asking for a recommendation on sake, which harmonizes beautifully with the refined, umami-rich fare. We recommend...

From the team behind Peruvian restaurant Tanta, this River North bar is a cocktail journey around the globe. The exploration at Arbella begins with a menu showcasing a progressive craft approach towards cocktails found in exciting parts of the world. With playful displays and presentations, each concoction aims to transport drinkers to a specific place and evoke a sense of travel. Old fashioned enthusiasts have a wealth of options to choose from, including versions made with ube whiskey (Manila), aged rum (Havana) and spiced turmeric syrup (Goa Coast). Each drink on the menu is rated on a scale that ranges from light to boozy so guests have an understanding of what they’re ordering. Don’t skip on the food— crab rangoons and potato croquettes are great shareable bites, but there are heartier items like confit Spanish octopus and family-style lambo tacos as well. There are also live DJs nightly in Arbella’s music space, The B-Side.

Michelin-starred chef Curtis Duffy’s cocktail concept After opened in 2022 right next door to his ultra-luxe restaurant, Ever. At this West Loop spot, an extensive selection of cocktails pairs with Michelin-level fare that makes for an extravagant experience. The vibe: Although the space is high-end and futuristic-looking, After has a “come as you are” policy. As they say, there’s no dress code, no VIPs and no judgement.   The food: Elevated bar bites include gochujang-glazed Elysian Fields lamb rib with shiso and sesame, hamachi crudo with coconut, melon and lime leaf; and puffed pasta crisps served with housemade dip. The drinks: After’s seasonally inspired beverage program offers expertly crafted sips like the chilled Pantone 110609 (fennel, crisp apple and anise), the “weird and delicious” Dirty Martinez (gin and blueberry atom) and the After Handshake (Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash, cassia and mango tepache). Time Out tip: Those looking for a more intimate experience can book After’s eight-seat, music-inspired space, The B-side, which is stocked with more than 200 vinyl records.

When Grant Achatz does a cocktail bar, it should go without saying that it's no ordinary cocktail bar. At the Aviary, which opened next door to Next in 2011, cocktails receive the same innovative treatment as the food at Next or Alinea. This James Beard Award-winning lounge also offers seasonal five- and seven-course food and cocktail tasting experiences, as well as a customizable three-course cocktail progression. Even if you're just dropping in for drinks, you should expect cocktails like the Partridge, an artful arrangement featuring bourbon, spiced pear, douglas fir and mint, all accompanied by a chrome bird gently perched atop. You've never seen a drink like it, and given how rare a visit to the Aviary is, you may never again.

Sister restaurant to three Michelin-starred Smyth upstairs, The Loyalist is John Shields and Karen Urie Shield's headline-making bar and restaurant in the West Loop. Consistently named one of the best restaurants in Chicago, the buzzing basement has become a staple of the city's culinary scene. The vibe: The subterranean space is dimly lit with singles, couples and happy hour-goers filling the intimate space with hushed chatter. The food: The star of the show here is The Loyalist OG Cheeseburger, a mouthwatering, onion-forward dish topped with pickled and charred onion between a delicate sesame seed bun. It's served with a side of onion aioli, which is great for dunking fries in. Many consider this one of the best burgers in the city—and we don't disagree. Another menu standout is the pillowy squash gnudi, doused in brown butter, Parmesan Reggiano and an optional caviar upgrade. The drinks: Inventive drinks with cheeky names like Chai Me A River (Fortaleza blanco, green chartreuse, cacao, chai, pineapple and lime) and House Of 1,000 Carrots (pecan rum, cachaça, carrot, ginger, tropical spices and cream cheese) offer plenty of inventive options to choose from. We love the Cruel & Un-Yuzual, a flowery, vibrant purple cocktail crafted with Oka vodka, housemade yuzucello, Snow Maiden sake, chamomile, lavender and lemon. Time Out tip: The Loyalist always saves a few seats for walk-ins, making it an ideal spot for post-work drinks with your team. If you arrive between 5 and 6pm...

Like the first time I tried to go to the Violet Hour and walked straight past the door, I had no idea how to get into the Drifter, a new bar located underneath Green Door Tavern. But while the Violet Hour was Chicago’s first nouveau speakeasy, bar culture has changed over the past eight years—now, when a bar claims to be a speakeasy, all that means is that it’s dark, with well-made cocktails and bartenders in retro clothes. The Drifter breaks the mold, since it’s actually located in an old speakeasy space, and it’s missing the pretentious trappings a lot of cocktail bars have. In speakeasy days, people would enter a door a couple blocks away and get into the bar through a window, which has been covered over. We had to ask at Green Door how to get in, so I’ll save you the trouble: Walk through Green Door, head downstairs and enter through the wooden door that’s next to the restrooms. There’s no sign, but if the door guy isn’t there taking names for a waitlist that grows longer as the night goes on (though we walked right in at 5:30pm on a Saturday), knock and he’ll let you in. Once inside, the space is dark, cozy and full of objects that were already there when bartender Liz Pearce (Gage, Drawing Room, Aviary) took over the unused space. There are old paintings, like one of FDR that overlooks the end of the bar, a bullet-riddled Mobil sign, flags billowing from the ceiling and dozens of dusty old bottles lined up atop the bar. It’s a comfortable, low-key spot to hang out,...

The vibe: Among the framed drawings of regulars cluttering the wooden walls of this dim saloon-style staple are posters boasting that you’re in “le premiere dive bar” of Chicago. We don’t know where this place gets off speaking French, but it’s been around since 1958, so we’ll grant it bragging rights. Plus, it's a favorite among celebs like Stephen Colbert, Bill Murray and John Belushi. The food: None to speak of. The drinks: Take a look at the wall behind the bar and you'll see the massive selection of sips served at this cash-only dive. Drafts, bottles and cans, and ciders are on offer, as well as your classic cocktails and mixed drinks.  Time Out tip: One of the best parts about Old Town Ale House is admiring the eclectic and often crude paintings. The backstory is fascinating—ask your bartender.  

Nestled along the far eastern end of the river in Streeterville, Lizzie McNeill's is a Chicago classic. The neighborhood favorite offers some of the best views in Chicago and hearty fare best enjoyed with a Guinness.  The vibe: Lizzie McNeill's offers everything you could want in an Irish pub. A relaxed atmosphere with a rotation of regulars hanging out at the bar, plus sweeping views down the Chicago River. The food: Irish classics like Reuben rolls, cheese curds, fish and chips, and Shepherd's pie are on offer, along with staples like wings, burgers, salads and chili. The best part? There's free popcorn up front. The drinks: Aside from Guinness and a lengthy beer list, Lizzie McNeill's offers an extensive selection of more than 50 Irish, Canadian and American whiskeys. They also serve a THC seltzer and seasonal cocktails like Lizzie's Coffee (Irish whiskey, Bailey's, coffee and whipped cream). Overall, the drink prices are pretty reasonable for the area, with drafts starting at $7 and cocktails starting at $12. Time Out tip: During the warmer months, head out to the patio. It's a hidden gem, shaded by trees and just steps away from the river.

Those shuttered storefronts and empty office buildings don’t lie: Despite valiant efforts, the Loop isn’t quite the bustling city center that it used to be. But there’s a silver lining to be found amid this particular tale of pandemic woe in the form of GoodFunk, a new wine bar and café that’s poised to become a destination fit for downtown commuters—should they ever return—and wandering wine enthusiasts alike. Run by hospitality company Bonhomme Group (Beatnik, Porto), GoodFunk specializes in the vast and trendy world of natural wine, a catch-all term that generally refers to wine produced without the use of pesticides, herbicides or additives. Like many of its compatriots in the natural wine biz, the bar takes an almost philosophical approach to drinking, eschewing the “privilege and complicated language” of the wine industry for a bottle list that spotlights eclectic producers from across the globe, with special attention paid to regions not typically associated with wine production. You get an immediate sense of the globe-trotting sensibility upon walking into GoodFunk, which is located along the Chicago River—next to its sister restaurant, Beatnik on the River—in a slender space outfitted to resemble a 1930s European cafe. Leafy potted plants twist above a 16-seat bar of pale pink marble; behind the bar, wine bottles, rows of tinned fish and baguettes arranged in baskets lend a more intimate touch, like the inside of a well-curated pantry.  This heady ethos and...

After eight years of contract brewing, Middle Brow Beer Co. finally opened a home of its own on a bustling stretch of Armitage Avenue in Logan Square. The vibe: Sporting rustic brick walls, a trio of foeders (giant wooden barrels used to age beer) looming over the dining area and a spacious bar, Bungalow tries to create a welcoming environment for guests to sample Middle Brow's experimental brews. The food: In the morning, toast topped with cream cheese, fruit and honey is the main attraction, served alongside coffee and beer. Thin-crust pizzas piled with toppings fill tables in the evening, with the action spilling out onto the patio when the weather cooperates.  The drinks: With 95% of the beverages made in-house, you can't go wrong with most choices. We recommend a glass of natural wine or a beer. Time Out tip: Go ahead and order an extra pint, because 50 percent of all Middle Brow profits are donated to local social-justice organizations.   

When Grant Achatz does a cocktail bar, it should go without saying that it's no ordinary cocktail bar. At the Aviary, which opened next door to Next in 2011, cocktails receive the same innovative treatment as the food at Next or Alinea. This James Beard Award-winning lounge also offers seasonal five- and seven-course food and cocktail tasting experiences, as well as a customizable three-course cocktail progression. Even if you're just dropping in for drinks, you should expect cocktails like the Partridge, an artful arrangement featuring bourbon, spiced pear, douglas fir and mint, all accompanied by a chrome bird gently perched atop. You've never seen a drink like it, and given how rare a visit to the Aviary is, you may never again.

It’s no wonder this sexy cocktail cave below the Hoxton Hotel is one of the city’s best bars. With Boka Restaurant Group behind the scenes, it’s a favorite for an intimate date night or an elevated evening with friends.  The vibe: The Fulton Market spot is appointed with an inviting blue velvet banquet, a massive curated bookshelf and a stage where guests can catch live music performances three nights a week.  The food: You won’t find any food on the menu here, but upstairs, Cira and Cabra offer plenty of sumptuous bites to tide you over.  The drinks: With 52 cocktails to choose from, you’ll have plenty of options to try something new, like The Curious Water-Bearer (bourbon, cynar, chamomile, blackberry, lemon, egg white and bitters) or the delicate Dotonbori Blues (vodka, vermouth, sherry, red bean and salted vanilla). Time Out tip: There’s a $10 cover for walk-ins from 9pm to midnight on nights when a band is performing, typically Thursdays through Saturdays. We recommend securing your spot and avoiding the charge by making a reservation in advance.

From the team behind Peruvian restaurant Tanta, this River North bar is a cocktail journey around the globe. The exploration at Arbella begins with a menu showcasing a progressive craft approach towards cocktails found in exciting parts of the world. With playful displays and presentations, each concoction aims to transport drinkers to a specific place and evoke a sense of travel. Old fashioned enthusiasts have a wealth of options to choose from, including versions made with ube whiskey (Manila), aged rum (Havana) and spiced turmeric syrup (Goa Coast). Each drink on the menu is rated on a scale that ranges from light to boozy so guests have an understanding of what they’re ordering. Don’t skip on the food— crab rangoons and potato croquettes are great shareable bites, but there are heartier items like confit Spanish octopus and family-style lambo tacos as well. There are also live DJs nightly in Arbella’s music space, The B-Side.

This West Loop cocktail hub raises the bar on fine dining and delivers a superb lineup of sake- and shochu-centric sips, and delicate bites imbued with Japanese flavors. The dining room offers à la carte shareables, while the beautifully fleeting omakase menu is pricey for the portion sizes, but makes up for it on the drink side. The vibe: This Japanese-inspired cocktail bar and restaurant, helmed by chef, creative director and beverage visionary Julia Momosé, is one of measured pace and care. The food: Kumiko’s eight-seat omakase bar lends a peek into the humming kitchen through an intricately carved wood shade that acts as a focal point of the restaurant. An evolving tasting menu is offered gluten-free and pescatarian upon request, and Kumiko suggests allowing up to three hours for the full experience. The drinks: The accompanying sakes ranged from supple and delicately floral junmai to crisp, dry and nutty futsu shu—all beautiful counterparts to pristine oceanic bites. Still, it’s hard to outshine Momose’s exquisite cocktails, like her woodsy, citrusy sudachi shochu with tonic, sage and kumquat, and an elegant blend of mellow aged junmai sake, shiro and apricot eau de vie that tastes like boozy blossoming fruit trees and melted snow. Time Out tip: Sake and shochu cocktails and low- or no-proof sips headline Julia Momose’s imaginative menu, but we love asking for a recommendation on sake, which harmonizes beautifully with the refined, umami-rich fare. We recommend...