Get us in your inbox

Search
Photograph: Jaclyn Rivas

The 7 best negronis in Chicago

This bitter Italian cocktail has made its way into Chicagoans' hearts. Here are our picks for the best in the city.

Written by
Elizabeth Atkinson
Advertising

The negroni is made with gin, vermouth and Campari—one part each. You can find it all over the city, but we found the best of the best at Italian restaurants, fantastic cocktail bars and even a brewpub. Try these different variations of the bitter Italian cocktail and you won't be let down.

RECOMMENDED: Our guide to cocktails in Chicago

The best negronis in Chicago

  • Restaurants
  • Soul and southern American
  • Logan Square
  • price 1 of 4

One of Chicago's most essential negronis can be found at the chicken joint with a fantastic patio in Logan Square. If you've never been, you're missing out and you should look no further than Parson's for a great outside hang. You should also order the Original Negroni Slushy, the first of the frozen cocktails to grace the Parson's menu and a solid mainstay. It's made with Letherbee gin, Luxardo Bitters instead of Campari and sweet vermouth, giving it a still bitter bite while staying refreshing in the heat. $9. —Elizabeth Atkinson

  • Bars
  • Cocktail bars
  • Sheffield & DePaul
  • price 2 of 4

Most of the cocktails on the menu at the Barrelhouse Flat are $13. The classic cocktail menu is laden with choices—and you pretty much can't go wrong. But we're big fans of the negroni, with Beefeater, sweet vermouth, Campari and house orange bitters. It's a simple and classic take, and one that we're perfectly happy drinking again and again. $13. —EA

Advertising
  • Bars
  • Lounges
  • River North
  • price 2 of 4

Aged in a Pappy Van Winkle barrel, the Continuous Negroni at the Berkshire Room is an easy choice on the barrel finished cocktails list. It's a classic negroni, with gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, but instead of making it at the bar fresh, it's been sitting in a Pappy Van Winkle barrel giving it a smooth barrel mouthfeel with a bitter finish. $15. — EA

  • Restaurants
  • Italian
  • Logan Square
  • price 2 of 4

Osteria Langhe’s take on northern Italian cuisine is nothing short of stellar, and when you pair that with the Negroni Classico, you could forget you’re in Chicago and not in the Piedmont region of Italy. Made with Broker’s Gin, Cappelletti and Cocchi Di Torino, you’d be hard-pressed to find a negroni in town with better ingredients. It’s a simple cocktail (as negronis are wont to be), but incredibly well-executed. $10. —Clayton Guse

Advertising
  • Bars
  • Pubs
  • Logan Square
  • price 1 of 4

Chris and Calvin Marty take classic cocktails very seriously at Best Intentions, which is great because we feel comfortable ordering just about anything off the menu. With Campari, Carpano Classico for vermouth and Broker's Gin, this classic is incredibly balanced and fantastic for sipping any night in Logan Square. —EA

  • Bars
  • Gastropubs
  • Lake View

Serving up two draft cocktails, Beef & Barley has a fantastic draft negroni made with Koval dry gin, Campari, Punt e Mes and Combier Liqueur d'Abricot. It's a sweeter take on the classic negroni and one we'd drink often. With '90s grunge music playing in the background and a great burger on the menu paired with a negroni, what's not to love? $10. —EA

Advertising
  • Bars
  • Breweries
  • Lincoln Square
  • price 2 of 4

Not many negronis are served in vintage chalices, but when the one at Band of Bohemia came out like that, we didn't blink twice. A well-balanced classic alongside the upscale neighborhood feel of Band of Bohemia is just what we need most days, and thankfully the negroni provides just that. —EA

Recommended
    You may also like
    You may also like
    Advertising