The best bars in the West Loop to try right now

Kumiko has reconcepted to embody the Japanese concept of a dining bar where both the drinks and dishes are treated with equal weight and meant to be enjoyed side by side. Owner Julia Momose draws on her Japanese heritage to serve imported spirits and sake, plus enticing ingredients such as shiso-pickled umé, Japanese seven spice and green tea shōchū There’s also a menu of delicately simple highballs as well as sake flights and small bites.

When Grant Achatz does a cocktail bar, it should go without saying that it's no ordinary cocktail bar. At the Aviary, which opened in 2011, cocktails receive the same innovative treatment from beverage director Micah Melton as the food at Next or Alinea. Order drinks a la carte, choose from a three-course cocktail progressive cocktail tasting or indulge in a pairing menu featuring five of the bar’s most popular cocktails matched with bites.

There are several different drinking experiences you can have at the Hoxton hotel, but none is better than basement bar Lazy Bird. When your eyes adjust to the dimly lit room, page through the menu of 52 classic cocktails that have been refined and perfected for your drinking pleasure. Start with the Negroni and work your way up to the Grasshopper, which is crafted with oat milk and tastes like a Thin Mint cookie in liquid form.

Lone Wolf is the unofficial waitlist bar of the West Loop. Whether you're waiting for your table at Au Cheval or Girl & the Goat, this neighborhood tavern is happy to whet your whistle with delicious cocktails and plenty of craft beer (plus, they nearly always have Three Floyds Zombie Dust on tap). If you decide that your reservation isn't worth the wait, you can always fill up on tamales provided by the Tamale Guy.

Ever, one of the most luxurious restaurants in Chicago, expanded its footprint in 2022 with the opening of an upscale cocktail bar right next door. Dubbed After, the chic and futuristic-looking lounge provides a new place for Chicagoans to imbibe rare and vintage spirits plus expertly crafted mixed drinks. You’ll have plenty of high-end options to drop your money on, including Japanese whiskies, and scotch and Armagnac flights. And if you’d like some light bites to accompany the drinking, there are premium delicacies like wagyu skewers and caviar flights, too.

Boka Restaurant Group co-founder Rob Katz and business partner Matt Ruder have transformed the space that once housed Emmit’s Irish Pub into an elegant cocktail lounge. Designed by Kehoe Designs, The Pearl Club is sophisticated yet cozy, sporting floor-to-ceiling velvet drapes, rich wooden tones, a restored grand bar and other artful touches. You'll imbibe unique riffs on classic libations and when you need a snack, the kitchen turns out complementary bites like pigs in a blanket and double crunch chicken nuggets.

Though it dubs itself "just a bar," there's way more to Moneygun than meets the eye. Located on the east side of the Kennedy Expressway, this West Loop spot specializes in classic cocktails—41 to be exact. Sip sidecars, cosmopolitans, mojitos, negronis and martinis for $13.50 each, which is a steal when you consider the bar team is using house-made syrups, sodas and elixirs to craft perfectly balanced sippers. Additional perks: old-school hip-hop beats, plates of house-made pickles and grilled cheese made with apple butter and sundried tomatoes. What's not to love?

A bistro in France it ain’t, but curiously enough, this tidy, dark dive takes a few traditions from across the Atlantic. The bartender—usually a skinny, older gentleman or at least some variation on the theme—typically dresses in an immaculately crisp white button-down, and you can buy hard-boiled eggs (seriously). Oh, and it's one of the only remaining bars in Chicago that still allows patrons to light up inside (pesky smoking ban be damned!).

If it's wine and charcuterie you crave, let the Press Room be your beacon. This subterranean wine bar is located beneath West Loop bed and breakfast the Publishing House, but you don’t have to be a guest to drop by. Expect interesting, globe-trotting pours available by the glass and bottle, a small cocktail list and a menu of small plates that shouldn't be missed. If you want to take the guesswork out of your visit, ask the friendly staff to point you toward a delicious red and order the chocolate tart with fig, hazelnut and coconut. The speakeasy also offers $1 oysters and $7 old fashioneds and martinis during happy hour from 4pm-6pm Tuesday through Thursday.

CH is one of Chicago's most innovative distilleries, producing everything from vodka and gin to Malört and aquavit. Tour the distillery on Fridays and Saturdays at 4pm for $40 per person, which includes "The Tradition," a tasting of ice-cold CH vodka paired with rye bread and pickles. Just here to drink? Sip seasonal cocktails like Peas in a Pod, a blend of vodka, pear brandy, pea syrup and lime. You can also opt for a flight featuring four half-ounce tasting glasses of any of the distillery’s spirits.

There’s no denying the cool factor of walking through a barbershop to reach a secret backroom bar. Blind Barber, with outposts in L.A., NYC and Philadelphia, landed in Chicago in 2017, offering trims and cuts by day and a raucous good time by night. Though uncomfortably packed on Saturday evenings, the place is ideal for big groups, which are seated at reserved tables along the perimeter of the room (just be sure to make a reservation). The house cocktails are phenomenally balanced, and a massive selection of grilled cheese sandwiches makes for excellent drunk food. Yeah, we’ll be back.

Situated on the mezzanine level of Soho House Chicago, Fox Bar is modeled after an English pub and serves up Chicago-themed drinks and seasonal craft cocktails like the Hibiscus Sour, a blend of hibiscus whiskey, peach, lime and piña syrup. Swing by during the weekend to hear DJs spin records while you explore the menu.

Travel back in time at this wine and whiskey bar, with a 2,500-square-foot lounge decked out with vintage chandeliers and couches plus a baby grand piano where you’ll find musicians playing from 8pm–11pm, Wednesday through Saturday. As the name implies, the menu is focused on wine and whiskey, offering an extensive selection of bubbly plus bottles of rare bourbon. Pair your drink with a plate of cheese and charcuterie or indulge in an eight-ounce ribeye with truffle demi sauce.

Haymarket Brewing opened in 2010 in Haymarket Square, the site of an 1886 labor demonstration and bombing. The owners embrace history with brews like the Chicago Tavern Beer lager and Harold's '83 Honey Ale, which is named after the city's first black mayor. Haymarket regularly works with other local breweries on collaborative beers—you can enjoy the latest options alongside a rotating selection dry-aged burgers or a 14-inch pizza topped with oyster mushrooms, garlic and Calabrian chili oil.

This bar from DineAmic Hospitality boasts a 4,000-square-foot second-floor space decked out with Christmas lights, glitter-tufted booths and vintage chandeliers plus a suspended DJ booth and an illuminated gold sequin wall. Both of the spot’s dog-friendly patios are decorated with tropical plants and West Coast kitsch to provide a chill space for sipping an Aperol Spritz and sharing craveable bites like crispy mozzarella sticks and Nashville hot chicken tenders. Get the party going with a throwback shot like a Flaming Dr. Pepper.

Goose Island may have gotten its start in Lincoln Park, but the brewery's Fulton Market facility has become its de facto hub. Beer nerds flock to the sleek taproom, where you'll find Goose flagship creations as well as exclusive releases and hard-to-find vintage selections (including the sought-after Bourbon County Stout). Book a weekend tour to see the ins and outs of the operation or enjoy the weather on the brewery’s spacious patio.

Specializing in sausage, bacon and beer (seriously, what's not to love?), Kaiser Tiger attracts crowds all year, thanks in part to its spacious patio back. Come summertime, the space is filled with picnic tables and string lights; when winter rolls around, the outdoor area is equipped with an ice-curling rink and heaters. No matter the weather, grab a Chicago-made beer and head outside.

Home of Burnt City Brewing, Around the Bend Beer Co. Twisted Hippo and more, this former warehouse brings a multitude of craft beer options to the West Loop. Guests recieve a card upon entering that allows them to pour their own beers (charged by the ounce) at different stations throughout the bright and airy brewpub, one for each of the breweries housed in District Brew Yards and a rotating "Fourth Wall" where you'll find guests taps. In the back of the room, there's a cafeteria-style counter where you can order brisket, chicken, pork and other smoked meats, as well as a variety of sides, from Lillie's Q. With dozens of different beers to try—not to mention the ability to try only as much as you want of each selection—the Brew Yards is a great spot to get acquainted with unfamiliar beer styles.

Need something to do while you drink? Then head to the Fulton Market outpost of retro arcade bar Emporium, where you’ll find a host of craft beers to try and games to play. Engage in some friendly competition with classics including NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat, or show off your skills in a round of billiards. You’ll feel like a kid all over again.

Neapolitan pizza, draft beer and a TouchTunes jukebox serve as the inspiration for PB&J’s name, though the menu also features several types of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Chill on the patio while sipping a frozen cocktail or sharing a bucket of White Claws. Draft beer and house rosé and prosecco are half price from 3pm–5pm Monday through Friday, and 5pm–7pm on Mondays is doggy date night, when you can enjoy half-price beer, wine or Tito's mule while your pooch gets a free pup-wich.