Chicago bar reviews

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.

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.  

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...

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.

One of the city’s best spots for rock & roll doesn’t even have a stage. Instead, this Lincoln Park favorite has one of the best jukeboxes in town for the main room (so you can play DJ Fridays and Saturdays) and hires DJs for Sunday through Thursday who know their Buzzcocks from their Bullocks. The vibe: An old-school rock & roll dive with DJ sets, punk nights, pinball, tastings and film screenings. The food: There's no food here, but it won't be hard to find a bite somewhere along Lincoln Avenue. The drinks: Delilah's has an insane whiskey selection, more than 300 beers (Belgian, microbrews, seasonals), and offers frequent wine, beer and spirit tastings. Time Out tip: Open 365 days a year, Delilah's has some pretty decent specials: $1 beers on Mondays and $2 or $3 bourbons every day, among others.

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.   

The last time I went to Carol’s Pub—before it closed in 2016 due to tax debt—was a Friday night in the dead of winter. The place was packed from wall to wall, and I drank Old Style and whiskey shots while shouting to my dates over warbling honky-tonk covers of Johnny Cash and Sara Evans by the bar’s legendary house band, Diamondback. I awoke the next morning in a haze, with old-bar smell on my hair and the bottom of my purse sticky from the floor. When I heard last year that Ed Warm (a partner at Joe’s on Weed Street and Bub City) was resurrecting this 45-year-old Uptown fixture, my first instinct was to proclaim the second death knell of another beloved watering hole.  But if corner bars are indeed a dying breed in Chicago, what’s the protocol for fixing one up while keeping its soul intact? I’d argue Warm comes damn close. “It was tough. There was a lot of work to do and I'm very conscious that this is one of the last—if not the last—honky tonk left,” he told me. “We had some people saying we ruined it by fixing it up. My answer to them is if we didn't fix it up to code, it would be condos by now.” Warm added a new sound system and took out a few seats along the west wall, replacing them with a sound booth. Carol’s also sports a brand-new bar and draught line, a modern jukebox and refurbished bathrooms. Crews rebuilt a crumbling wall and added bay windows that swing open to Clark Street, which were flung wide when I arrived with a friend on a late-summer evening. The old...

Hospitality group Orbit Group (Segnatore) revived The California Clipper, founded in 1937, after a brief closure during the pandemic. These days, the signature red leather booths, vintage decor and live music make this post-prohibition-inspired spot one of the city’s best bars. The vibe: A dim red glow invites you into this iconic Humboldt Park cocktail lounge. Most nights, you can catch live music performances, from DJ sets to funk, blues and jazz jams.  The food: Food isn’t served here, so plan on eating before or after your visit. If you’re in the mood for Italian, Orbit Group's other spot, Segnatore, is directly across the street. The drinks: Despite the bar’s deliberate “classic Chicago tavern vibe,” the cocktail menu offers much more than a Chicago Handshake—though they do offer that for $8. The seasonally rotating menu features interesting takes on familiar favorites like the Mezcal Soda Highball, Yuzu Spritz (yuzu sake, sparkling wine, soda and rosemary) and the Basil Gimlet (Condessa gin, basil, lime and mole bitters). Time Out tip: If you’re craving a change of pace, venture to the Clipper’s back room (which previously housed coffee shop C.C. Ferns) for DJ sets and late-night dancing meant to channel the spirit of Danny’s, the iconic Bucktown spot that shuttered in 2020. 

Everyone loves this Lincoln Park watering hole. From DePaul students and fresh grads to neighborhood regulars, Broken Barrel has something for everyone. The vibe: Plenty of TVs draw sports fans on game days, and weekly events like Trivia Tuesdays draw a loyal crowd. The food: The food menu is massive, featuring brunch, lunch and dinner dishes, plus substantial bar bites like nachos and parmesan truffle fries.  The drinks: Daily drink specials include $5 Modelos and margaritas on Tuesdays, and $30 Goose Island buckets on Fridays. Time Out tip: Brokel Barrel is always hosting events, so check out their website for the latest happenings.

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.  

The last time I went to Carol’s Pub—before it closed in 2016 due to tax debt—was a Friday night in the dead of winter. The place was packed from wall to wall, and I drank Old Style and whiskey shots while shouting to my dates over warbling honky-tonk covers of Johnny Cash and Sara Evans by the bar’s legendary house band, Diamondback. I awoke the next morning in a haze, with old-bar smell on my hair and the bottom of my purse sticky from the floor. When I heard last year that Ed Warm (a partner at Joe’s on Weed Street and Bub City) was resurrecting this 45-year-old Uptown fixture, my first instinct was to proclaim the second death knell of another beloved watering hole.  But if corner bars are indeed a dying breed in Chicago, what’s the protocol for fixing one up while keeping its soul intact? I’d argue Warm comes damn close. “It was tough. There was a lot of work to do and I'm very conscious that this is one of the last—if not the last—honky tonk left,” he told me. “We had some people saying we ruined it by fixing it up. My answer to them is if we didn't fix it up to code, it would be condos by now.” Warm added a new sound system and took out a few seats along the west wall, replacing them with a sound booth. Carol’s also sports a brand-new bar and draught line, a modern jukebox and refurbished bathrooms. Crews rebuilt a crumbling wall and added bay windows that swing open to Clark Street, which were flung wide when I arrived with a friend on a late-summer evening. The old...

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.

One of the city’s best spots for rock & roll doesn’t even have a stage. Instead, this Lincoln Park favorite has one of the best jukeboxes in town for the main room (so you can play DJ Fridays and Saturdays) and hires DJs for Sunday through Thursday who know their Buzzcocks from their Bullocks. The vibe: An old-school rock & roll dive with DJ sets, punk nights, pinball, tastings and film screenings. The food: There's no food here, but it won't be hard to find a bite somewhere along Lincoln Avenue. The drinks: Delilah's has an insane whiskey selection, more than 300 beers (Belgian, microbrews, seasonals), and offers frequent wine, beer and spirit tastings. Time Out tip: Open 365 days a year, Delilah's has some pretty decent specials: $1 beers on Mondays and $2 or $3 bourbons every day, among others.

I can’t stop playing “Golden Teardrops,” the haunting 1953 single by Chicago doo-wop group the Flamingos. It’s beautifully arranged, the kind of nostalgic pop tune you might put on loop while crying over a lost love into a stiff drink—or three. The clandestine basement bar from Land and Sea Dept. (Parson’s Chicken & Fish, Lost Lake) named for this pared-down R&B hit is likewise stylishly moody, an ideal spot for a cozy nightcap. Where I felt doo-wop’s influence most, however, was in barman Paul McGee’s eight minimalist riffs on classic cocktails. My two dates and I began the evening wolfing down tacos at airy, Tex-Mex sister spot Lonesome Rose—highly recommended, as Golden Teardrops traffics in high-proof sips but no food. We headed back outside into the alley and down the building’s back steps, where a small black sign assured us we were in the right place. Once inside, this low-ceilinged 40-seater wraps you in the snug semi-darkness of an old Brooklyn cocktail bar, thanks to black walls, vintage gold-vein mirror tile and lighting that consists mostly of votive candles and a jarring neon sign that reads “Weddings & Funerals.” This last photogenic detail—which I’m told nods to the two life occasions that bring friends and family together to seriously drink—buoys the vibe with prevailingly twee dark humor. We nabbed an alcoved table opposite the L-shaped mahogany bar, where I bellied up to order each round (there are no roving servers here). Dual letter boards display the...

River North mainstay Hub 51 closed in 2024 after 16 years, but Lettuce Entertain You quickly remodeled the space and launched its successor. In a neighborhood rife with overpriced drinks, Gus’ Sip & Dip is a breath of fresh air. The menu boasts 30 cocktails—made with a variety of spirits—and each is priced at $12. Your favorites are all here, from refreshing options such as the Hawaii-style Mai Tai and classic Margarita to the booze-forward Sazerac. Gus’ also has a shaved ice machine, which comes into play in cocktails like the Grasshopper and Hemingway Daiquiri. The food isn’t an afterthought, either. The kitchen turns out a solid selection of shareables (including dips, of course), salads, sandwiches and more. Our recommendation: Start with the crab rangoon dip before splitting the wagyu beef dip—served with whipped horseradish and jus for dunking the sandwich in. The bar only accepts walk-ins so expect a wait during prime hours; we prefer dropping by between 4-5pm on a weekday for happy hour, when one rotating cocktail is priced at just $6.

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...

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.

Hospitality group Orbit Group (Segnatore) revived The California Clipper, founded in 1937, after a brief closure during the pandemic. These days, the signature red leather booths, vintage decor and live music make this post-prohibition-inspired spot one of the city’s best bars. The vibe: A dim red glow invites you into this iconic Humboldt Park cocktail lounge. Most nights, you can catch live music performances, from DJ sets to funk, blues and jazz jams.  The food: Food isn’t served here, so plan on eating before or after your visit. If you’re in the mood for Italian, Orbit Group's other spot, Segnatore, is directly across the street. The drinks: Despite the bar’s deliberate “classic Chicago tavern vibe,” the cocktail menu offers much more than a Chicago Handshake—though they do offer that for $8. The seasonally rotating menu features interesting takes on familiar favorites like the Mezcal Soda Highball, Yuzu Spritz (yuzu sake, sparkling wine, soda and rosemary) and the Basil Gimlet (Condessa gin, basil, lime and mole bitters). Time Out tip: If you’re craving a change of pace, venture to the Clipper’s back room (which previously housed coffee shop C.C. Ferns) for DJ sets and late-night dancing meant to channel the spirit of Danny’s, the iconic Bucktown spot that shuttered in 2020.