Looking for a Bar in Downtown Chicago?

Fulton Lounge
UPSCALE LOUNGE
955 W Fulton Market
312-942-9500
fultonlounge.com

Fulton Lounge, in the West Loop’s Fulton Market District, is a beautiful place to spend an evening or just to stop in on the way to dinner. Favorite cocktails mingle with experimental varieties on the seasonally changing menu. You can whet your palate on flights of beverages, from liqueurs to champagnes. Food options include pizza from the wood-burning oven as well as desserts.

A mod aesthetic complements the rough old book–binding warehouse that houses the bar. Exposed brick walls and black concrete floors complete the picture. Hang out inside at the 40-foot Avonite bar, or on balmy evenings, catch the breeze on the patio.

Lumen
UPSCALE LOUNGE
839 W Fulton Market
312-733-2222
lumen-chicago.com

Colorful and chic, Lumen offers a full multimedia design experience in a former meatpacking factory. A modular furniture system was specially designed to fit with the club’s environmental video and lighting designs. The room itself shifts for events ranging from fashion shows to film screenings.

With a trendy eye toward sustainability, the bar features bamboo tables and a menu full of organic liquors and garnishes. Lighting is provided by nearly 5,000 energy-efficient LEDs that create more than 16 million colors.

Lumen opens a little later in the evening. The ambiance is between a lounge and a club, and the rotating sets by hot DJs keep the place hopping.

Whiskey Blue
HOTEL BAR
172 W Adams St
312-782-4933
starwoodhotels.com

Whiskey Blue is a sensual place of mohair banquettes and leather chairs in the lobby of the W Chicago City Center. Frequented by both after-work and club-going crowds, and tended by a fashionable waitstaff, this trendy, fun spot is in Chicago’s financial district. The bar is known as place where you can have a quiet drink during the week or be part of a popular scene on the weekends.

The drink selection includes a range of whiskeys (of course), pitch-perfect martinis, and beer and wine. The bar is part of the W Hotel chain.

Cityscape Bar
HOTEL BAR
350 W Mart Center Drive, 15th Fl
312-836-5000
martplaza.com

A stone’s throw from the Merchandise Mart and 15 stories up is the new Cityscape Bar at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza. The city of Chicago itself becomes the primary design element through floor-to-ceiling windows with a southeastern view.

Inside, designer Robert C. Vagnieres Jr. has created a modern space with a wave motif that runs through the walls and light fixtures. The bar was designed with an eye toward sustainability, featuring recycled and nontoxic materials. It exceeds the requirements of Chicago’s energy code.

As for libations, there’s a full spectrum of wine, cocktails, and beer—including organic and local brews. Also available is a light-fare menu with snacks such as garlic chicken confit, roasted duck tamales, and yellowfin tuna tartare.

MORE DOWNTOWN NIGHTLIFE & BARS

10 Pin Bowling Lounge
LOUNGE
330 N State St
312-644-0300
10pinchicago.com
Twenty-four lanes, an extensive martini list, and a small-plates menu keep the energy rolling.

Andy’s Jazz Club & Restaurant
MUSIC CLUB
11 E Hubbard St
312-642-6805
andysjazzclub.com
Jazz and blues seven days a
week. A destination since 1951.

The Bar
HOTEL BAR
108 E Superior St
312-573-6766
chicago.peninsula.com
Premium cocktails in a room with an art nouveau flavor. At the Peninsula Hotel.

Bar Chicago
BAR
9 W Chicago Ave
312-654-1120
barchicago.com
A party atmosphere for getting drunk and letting loose.

Billy Goat Tavern
BAR/RESTAURANT
430 N Michigan Ave
312-222-1525
billygoattavern.com
A Chicago institution since 1934. Famous for Saturday Night Live’s “Cheezborger! Cheezborger! No fries, cheeps! No Pepsi, Coke!” skit.

Brehon Pub
IRISH BAR
731 N Wells St
312-642-1071
brehonpub.com
Traditional bar in a historic building originally constructed
for the Schlitz Brewing Company.

Butterfly Social Club
BAR
722 W Grand Ave
312-666-1695
butterflysocialclub.com
Drink organically grown and chemical-free wines, beers, and spirits with a good conscience.

Chi Bar at the Sheraton
HOTEL BAR
301 E North Water St
312-755-2227
chibarchicago.com
Deluxe Jeffrey Beers–designed lounge with beautiful views. At the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers.

Citizen Bar
ECLECTIC ITALIAN
364 W Erie
312-640-1156
citizenbar.com
A lively lounge with an excellent bar menu.

Climax Lounge
CLUB
324 W Chicago Ave
312-280-9800
climaxloungechicago.com
Opulent night spot with a sensual, luxurious design in a 1920s graphic-design building.

Green Door Tavern
TAVERN
678 N Orleans St
312-664-5496
A classic old-school bar in one of the first buildings to be constructed after the 1871 Great Chicago Fire.

Juicy Wine Co.
WINE BAR
juicywine.com
694 N Milwaukee Ave
312-492-6620
Wine bar and market, plus home to the five-buck brunch.

Le Bar
HOTEL BAR
20 E Chestnut St
312-324-4000
lebarchicago.com
Modern bar at the Hotel Sofitel, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

Luxbar
BAR/RESTAURANT
18 E Bellevue Pl
312-642-3400
luxbar.com
Neighborhood saloon inspired by Adolf Loos. Serves artsy cocktails and fresh, casual food.

Martini Bar
LOUNGE
401 S LaSalle St
312-922-3838
themartinibarchicago.com
A modern interpretation of the classic 1940s cocktail lounge.

Monk’s Pub
BAR/RESTAURANT
mmonks.com
205 W Lake St
312-357-6665
Monastery-inspired décor has given this Chicago institution a medieval feel since 1978.

The Matchbox
DIVE BAR
770 N Milwaukee Ave
312-666-9292
Drink like a local at this tiny neighborhood bar.

Pop’s for Champagne
LOUNGE/MUSIC CLUB
601 N State St
312-266-7677
popsforchampagne.com
An effervescent selection of bubbly, small-plates menu, and accompanying jazz club make for a popular destination.

Rebar
HOTEL BAR
401 N Wabash Ave
312-588-8000
trumpchicagohotel.com
Chic lounge with great views. At the Trump International Hotel & Tower.

The Redhead Piano Bar
MUSIC CLUB
16 W Ontario St
312-640-1000
redheadpianobar.com
Sing along at this hot nightspot whose walls are lined with sheet music and shots of glamorous movie stars.

Rock Bottom Brewery
BAR/RESTAURANT
1 W Grand Ave
312-755-9339
rockbottom.com
Nationwide chain for handcrafted beers and American food.

Rossi’s
DIVE BAR
412 N State St
312-644-5775
Try a few of the 50-plus bottled beers at this divey neighborhood watering hole.

Seasons
HOTEL BAR
120 E Delaware Pl
312-280-8800
fourseasons.com
Featuring wine, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres in an elegant setting at the Four Seasons.

Sound-bar
DANCE CLUB
226 W Ontario St
312-787-4480
sound-bar.com
Luxurious nightclub with a 4,000-square-foot dance floor and multiple bars, rooms, and lounges.

Stone Lotus
LOUNGE
873 N Orleans St
312-440-9680
stonelotuslounge.com
A posh “liquor spa” designed by SLDesign, with upscale drinks and fine small-plates dining.

Suite Lounge
LOUNGE
1446 N Wells St
312-787-6103
suite-lounge.com
Sophisticated underground martini lounge marked by an “S.”

Third Rail Tavern
BAR/RESTAURANT
1133 W Madison St
312-432-9107
thirdrailtavern.com
Old Chicago at its best, with tall ceilings and brick walls.

Y Bar
LOUNGE
224 W Ontario St
312-787-2355
ychicago.com
Elite luxury “cocktail boutique” with DJs and bottle service.