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Photo via The Drifter
Dining can be a form of escapism. There is a distinction between eating and drinking, and being transported. When the two merge, an experience is born.
In a culinary and beverage mecca like Chicago, restaurants and bars face a lot of competition and pressure to stand out. As diners in this city, we crave different experiences.
It takes more than a menu to create a memory for the guest—a memorable experience requires attention to detail, creating a space that feels alive, executing a concept that is confident. With that in mind, whether you are celebrating an occasion, out with friends for the night, or on a special date, we have a list of restaurants and bars that let you choose your own adventure…
The Drifter {676-8 North Orleans Street, Chicago; 312.631.3887}
The Drifter transports guests to a speakeasy in the 1920s. In the basement under the Green Door Tavern in the River North neighborhood, everything changes. A menu of up to 100 cocktails constantly rotates. Upon arrival, the bartender offers a stack of tarot cards, each tarot card listing a unique cocktail. Only open Tuesday through Saturday evenings, this tiny cocktail bar truly is a hidden treasure, and there is as much dedication to beverage as there is to entertainment, with burlesque shows and other nightly performances. On Tuesday nights, you can even join The Drifter for classic kung fu movies, a fortune cookie menu, and live GOGO dancers.
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Photo via Green Mill
Green Mill {4802 North Broadway Street, Chicago; 773.878.5572}
Standing on Broadway Street in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, looking at the Green Mill from the outside, you’ll already feel transported to The Jazz Age in New Orleans. The bright green neon sign for the cocktail lounge is the perfect entrance into a small space filled with soulful jazz and an interactive audience. Bartenders in white collared button ups and black ties serve beer behind a long wrap around bar. The Green Mill radiates history—countless memorabilia fills the space including the famous booth where Al Capone and his men used to sit. Rumor has it, there is still a network of tunnels underneath the bar used to avoid authorities.
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Photo via Sparrow
Sparrow {12 West Elm Street, Chicago; 312.725.0732}
Dimly lit and intimate, with luxurious lounge seating for larger groups, Sparrow takes its design cues from a hotel lobby. Further imitating grand lobbies from the past, there is a wall of room keys and a working phone booth. In sharp contrast to the surrounding Gold Coast neighborhood, this Art Deco apartment built in 1927, offered the perfect vision for Footman Hospitality, the same people of Bangers & Lace fame. Here, guests will feel as if they are stepping into a hotel-lobby in Havana in 1940, the perfect place for a nightcap.
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Photo via Le Colonial
Le Colonial {937 North Rush Street, Chicago; 312.255.0088}
Le Colonial is oh so charming, with fresh flowers on the tables, white tablecloths, and lit candles. The palm trees, woven chairs, and wooden shutters provide a perfect backdrop for the Vietnamese cuisine. Among the designer boutique stores of Rush Street, Le Colonial has a certain je ne sais quoi, embodying French Colonial Southeast Asia in the 1920’s. With balcony seating and a sidewalk café, Le Colonial offers the perfect escape all year round.
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Photo via Ronero
Ronero {738 West Randolph Street, Chicago; 312.600.6105}
West Loop’s recent addition, Ronero, is an adventure through South America. The food menu focuses on the flavors of Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Argentina with Ropa Vieja (stewed beef with vegetables) and empanadas, while the drinks include Latin beers and Cuban cocktails mixed tableside. The chandeliers and long curtains give this restaurant a sexy feel, one that encourages you not to end your night right after dinner. After your meal, immerse yourself in the salsa bar upstairs, or just stay for another cocktail or two.
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Photo via The Backdoor Saloon
The Backdoor Saloon {844 West Randolph Street, Chicago; 312.391.0844}
Adventurers can find The Backdoor Saloon on the second-floor of Grange Hall Burger Bar in the West Loop. Even though The Backdoor Saloon is only open Thursday through Saturday, they use their time open wisely—offering burlesque shows on Fridays and Saturdays with late-night menu options including a 36-ounce Tomahawk Rib-eye Steak. If it is before 11 PM, feel free to use the swinging door entrance; latecomers will have to enter the bar through the alley. Upon entering, prepare for the gilded mirrors and golden horse heads running the length of the bar, making everyone feel like a very fancy cowboy.
Becky Wills | Contributor
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