The best tropical bars in Chicago

While its entrance is hidden in an alley, you’ll almost always find a packed crowd at this tropical speakeasy, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2023. The drinks are as amazing as they look, from a Zombie, for three-to-four people, served in a skull to a banana daiquiri topped with a banana dolphin. Three Dots and a Dash also offers a huge selection of sipping rums and sibling spot The Bamboo Room shows off the spirit’s versatility across cocktail styles.

Open since 1964, this retro lounge in River Grove offers a huge menu of drinks grouped by flavor, from the slightly sweet Bar Pilot (aged rum, passion fruit puree, lemon juice and amaro) to the tart Scorpion to the creamy Painkiller. Drinks are blended with an extensive collection of rums including house-made infusions and some spirits exclusive to the bar. A gift shop offers an extensive selection of vibrant glassware if you want to bring a bit of the fun home.

Get immersed in tropical vibes at this spot from the owners of King of Cups and Brando’s Speakeasy, where videos of coral reefs play over the bar and the walls are covered with murals of palms and parrots. The drink menu offers beachy standards like mojitos and piña coladas along with creative sippers like the Ride the Wave (mezcal, blue curacao, cucumber, jalapeno and lime). Esmerelda’s regularly hosts DJs and features a large covered patio with a fire pit.

The celebrated West Town restaurant with a railcar dining room took on a new life in spring of 2023, transforming into a tropical paradise filled with tiki totem poles, surfboards and flowers. Embrace island time and relax with a strong drink like a painkiller or Mai Tai or share a massive piña colada or flaming Volcano Bowl. For some fun in the sun, grab a seat on the patio it shares with neighbor Matchbox Bar.

Although it’s situated right in the heart of Wrigleyville, this new tropical escape transports guests to sandy shores with a menu of more than 30 tiki drinks. Sip on a Jungle Bird or bring some friends to share large-format cocktails, which include options like a Zombie, paloma and volcano. There’s also a selection of frozen concoctions, plus a non-alcoholic Mai Tai, margarita and piña colada. The colorful interior—decked out with straw huts, tiki torches and other themed decor—delivers warm and relaxing vibes while the large outdoor patio offers private cabanas and a pool to dip your toes in.

The owners of Lola’s Pizza Palace in Arlington Heights collect carved wooden masks, vintage lamps and other artwork from closed historic tiki bars around the country to create this island oasis. Drinks based on Trader Vic’s and Don the Beachcomber recipes or invented by the bar’s own mixologists are served in playful mugs shaped like turtles, whales and seahorses—which are also available for purchase. The menu changes seasonally so there’s always a new dramatic concoction incorporating dry ice, fire or glowing lights along with plenty of rum, fresh fruit and housemade syrups.

Painkillers and hurricanes can provide you a bit of liquid courage if you need it to get on stage at this Lakeview karaoke bar, though you’ll also find versions of a piña colada and tequila sunrise made with nonalcoholic spirits. Most of the drinks can be upgraded to large formats, so gather a group to hang out in their beer garden—where you can grab a seat on a boat without leaving land. The dog-friendly patio features fire pits to keep the tropical vibes going longer into the seasons.

Surround yourself with colorful tropical fish and vibrant coral without the need for a snorkel at this new bar packed with tanks. Gather a group and share the Treasure Chest, a blend of bourbon, house bitters and demerara syrup, and a portion of the cost will be donated to the Coral Restoration Foundation. The food menu focuses on raw fish with dishes including hamachi crudo, octopus ceviche and pilsner-poached tiger shrimp. Get a sampling of all of them in the Tower of Atlantis.

Escape to Hawaii with a luau show and three-course dinner including coconut chicken topped with plum sauce and mango mousse cake. This Des Plaines bar is popular with birthday, anniversary and bachelorette parties and will even integrate your special occasion into the night’s performance. Add to the celebration with a classic Mai Tai or a Zombie made from four rums mixed in a bowl.

Attached to Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar in Rosemont, Pete’s Tiki Tiki provides a vibrant tropical escape with a bamboo-lined bar, a large patio and tables made from surfboards. Come from 5-7pm Tuesday through Friday for $7 daiquiris or gather a group to split the flaming Volcano Bowl made with aged rum, tiki syrup, lime juice and a green chartreuse float. Get extra chill by ordering a CBD drink or get a real taste of Hawaii with a Kona beer.

Tucked away in a suburban strip mall, Tong’s Tiki Hut doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside you’ll find tiki huts over the sushi bar and booths and a ceiling decorated with nets, sea life and vintage lamps. The menu offers both family meals and a la carte Chinese and Japanese favorites along with umbrella-topped tropical drinks made with or without alcohol so everyone can get in on the fun.   

Chill out on the Chicago Riverwalk with a Mai Tai or local draft beer while snacking on skewers of shrimp or bacon-wrapped park. Bring the family for a game of table tennis or bags and don’t forget your pooch, who will get fresh water and treats. The umbrella-topped picnic tables offer a perfect place to enjoy the weather, but are especially popular on Saturdays, where there’s a bottomless mimosa brunch in the morning and DJs spinning reggae and Latin beats in the evening.

One of Chicago’s oldest Chinese restaurants moved to a new space in Irving Park last year but continues to offer the same menu of classic dishes like chow mein, moo shoo and egg rolls along with Mai Tais and Blue Hawaiians. While the decor features Chinese wall panels rather than a tropical theme, the drinks and excellent service makes it worth venturing out instead of just ordering delivery.