50 Best Bars in Chicago

“Great food, amazing ambiance and incredible staff. One of the nicest Chicago steakhouses I’ve been to. Highly recommend.“

“Enjoyed my first Hot Toddy here!!“

“By far the best 🍔 I’ve ever had! The fusion of flavors 🤯“

“Highly recommended for first dates, or just going with a group of friends. Been here twice, and everyone there is super friendly, definitely a place to have a lot of laughs and make great memories. 10/10 🙌🏼“

“.great experience always.“

“Gilt Bar "gets it". A foodies playground. Top notch flavor and beautiful decor throughout. The Ron Zacapa 23 Rum is 🤌🏾 Oh, and don't forget to take a few pics in the photo booth downstairs 📸“

“We enjoyed everything whatever we ordered“

“One of our favorite places to eat when we’re in Chicago. Love the atmosphere, food and cocktails. Will be back soon.“

“We rolled in as some sleeveless thirsty travelers late night on a Thursday. We were bathed in nonchalant hospitality. The quality of a bar can stand on the legs of a Strong menu but it’s only excellent when you have exceptional staff. The Scofflaw has the sauce“

“Top notch service, drinks were phenomenal, and the food simply EXCEPTIONAL. Thank you for the VIP treatment on my Anniversary! You peeps are amazing!“

“Went with my daughter and her bestie for brunch.. cute place, my food was really good(avocado toast) and they enjoyed their food and the endless mimosas.. friendly staff,relaxed atmosphere , overall pleasant experience for us😊“

“Fantastic from start to finish.“

“Staff was friendly and the service was great. I was really impressed by the drink selection and got lost looking at everything. Traveled from Orlando solo and I frequent similar bars in my area and I'll be sure to stop in the next time I'm in Chicago.“

“Very good. Our service was excellent we had Maidi as a waitress excellent and the bus boys were efficient and helpful Eating there is an enjoyable time.“

“Cynthia is such a vibe!! This is definitely a fun place to come if you enjoy dive bars. Even the patrons are awesome! 10/10 reccommend!“

“A fun, energetic, atmosphere, and wonderful staff! Always a party!“

“Adoro l'arredamento vintage. I tarocchi sono divertenti.“

“Went there today for the first, but definitely not last time. The food was extraordinary.“

“LOVE Gemini. Their bottomless has a great variety, and my food has been amazing every time!“

“Stopped in for lunch. The salads were excellent, gumbo delicious, and the corn bread is out-if-this-world amazing!“

“Delicious food and great customer service . Staff super friendly.“

“The interactive coin op playground of the Chciago arcade / bar scene. Priced for a cash night out- cc welcome and there is an atm. Street parking is easy but ya know how that is- taking CTA or Rideshare to Logan Square is simple. Order bites and shareable from Fry Like An Eagle next door and they deliver! Say hey to Dr. Z and be kind to the staff they are great humans there to make sure you have fun!“

“These guys accommodated my large group of 20 last minute as we could not extend the reservation we had at another private room karaoke. We did have some waiting involved while they cleaned the room but they have a nice bar menu. The room was really well cleaned and really spacious with leather booths and a large screen.

To use YouTube, they have to cast from a phone connected to their wifi (just tell your attendant to do this). You will also need to use Google translate via camera to read the large remote to control the TV volume and potentially an echo that seemed to occur with one of the microphones. It took my group a minute to figure this out but otherwise really fun place!“

“Go for the lowkey vibe and experience. Love the art and the back story.“

“Just discovered a new cocktail bar in the Logan Square/Avondale area. It’s cozy, rustic, and has super welcoming vibe. The cocktails are unique and creative; great quality without the crazy price tag. I heard they have DJs on weekends too.
Pro tip: Don’t miss the famous tamales from Claudio, the Tamale Guy. 6 pieces for $12 is a steal.“

“Great Food and Friendly Service“

“Highly recommended for first dates, or just going with a group of friends. Been here twice, and everyone there is super friendly, definitely a place to have a lot of laughs and make great memories. 10/10 🙌🏼“

“Best restaurant in Chicago ! ❤️“

“Raphael is the absolute best. He made our night & we couldn’t have had a better experience he deserves the biggest raise in the world. 10/10, 11/10 the maximum amount out of ten possible in the world.“

“A great place to have a party, the ambience is great and I will be back here again next time, the drinks and food are delicious too!“

“Great music by Ivan Singh!“

“The perfect bar, I fear. I can’t believe I have ANY pictures in this place because I’m always just talking to someone or playing pool or queueing up songs on the jukebox. There’s something about this place that you can’t really take a picture of: the people are always friendly and chill, you can tell it has a low staff turnover rate, the food is ALWAYS good. This is the kind of bar which would be the ultimate muse for a poet from the 1800s. My one drink photo is an espresso martini that was made with love, but know that they put just as much love into every beer they pour. It just isn’t as instagrammable.“

“I was blown away by the performers and the fashion, not to mention the beautifully decorated space! A truly magical experience!“

“it’s a good thing i’m only visiting because they wouldn’t be able to get me out of this place. the shorty smash burger is delicious and so so flavorful. it’s the perfect greasy burger! fries were good too. drinks are amazing! great atmosphere, they had the stanley cup finals on tv. pool table. definitely a gem!!! 🦅🌵🍹🍺“

“Honestly I love the red neon aesthetic, I only wish the white light from the lobby didn't bleed in as much. I will note, this place is small, like you're not gonna fit more than 20 people in here if you tried, more often than not you'll only find 4-5 people in here, but that's a vibe honestly too.

One thing I need to note is the food, omg how is the food here so good? It's ordered from across the street and some guy brings it over in a bag and it's phenomenal and well priced.

Overall good place to bring a date or for a first time causal meeting“

“Enjoyed the Christmas pop-up, very festive and the food is fantastic!“

“Fabulous addition to the neighborhood! A great spot to have a glass solo, meet up with friends, take a class, or bring a bottle home. They were super accommodating when I brought in a group of girlfriends, seating us at the back table with very attentive service. Very reasonable prices, too.“

“I've visited Osito's Tap a handful of time, but now I definitely need to be a regular. I was here last night for their Preservation bourbon tasting. It was an enjoyable evening learning and tasting some great bourbon, plus a nice dinner menu created by Osito's Tap very own Executive Chef. I've missed out on similar tastings here before, so I was happy to make this one.

As for the bar itself, it's a speakeasy with a giant Mezcal menu. If you're looking for great cocktails, an easy going spot, and good company. Then this is a place to be at. Definitely a GEM in the Little Village neighborhood.“

“if there was ever a better Watering Hole In chicago. This Is It, hands down. Chris and his staff are superior at every aspect of being a classy drinking establishment. I recommend it highly, and Shop local all you lovely Neighbors.“

“I am so glad this spot has opened up in the South Loop! I was there once for charcuterie and drinks, and once for a tasty coffee and scone to go - both experiences were excellent!“

“We had the best evening.. Anthony and Dave and Sam were absolutely the best . What a wonderful dinner. The presentation was amazing. Plus they were friendly and helpful and put up with our shenanigans. You want a wonderful fun evening.. totally recommend! Thank you to everyone… best place in Chicago“

“Thank you for hosting Open Mic night. Wonderful experience. We’ll be back.“

“First off the food is incredible, the pizza is next level. The drinks are also insane too. They have great cocktails that are offered but the beer selection was my favorite. However, my favorite part of the whole night was the service, Yasmeen at the bar was so attentive. The bar was kind of empty and there was no one there and it was just me and my boyfriend, but I still felt like they were waiting on us and we weren’t ignored like they were trying to push us out of the bar. We went to the Photo Booth and had some cute pictures taken and got one of the strips, we were told they’d be another, but it never came. Almost 30 minutes later, Danny from the bar came up to me and said I think this is yours and handed to me the second strip. I just thought this act of kindness was so sweet. He didn’t have to do that but he still did. I really like this bar. It’s very cozy vibes incredible food, and immaculate atmosphere will definitely come back again and I can’t wait to come back again.“

“Nobody can beat the classic pasta dishes at La Scarola. Escarole soup and escarole with beans; they have it and it's excellent. Be sure to save room for dessert; the cannoli is as good as it gets and the best Spumoni anywhere.“

“There aren't many rum bars in the city; so if that's your thing, Queen Mary's has to be on your list. The place isn't big, and you can't make reservations. But I found it cozy, and their staff is AMAZING. I used caps because they have a solid grasp on their selection and made excellent recommendations.

By the way - they serve a wide variety of spirits (not just rum) but I came for the rare bottles you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere. Another thing I liked was the price; all their pours were reasonably priced. Next time I go, I'll try some of their small bites or several items from their cocktail menu.“

“This is one of my favorite bars in the city. I love that it's nearby my neighborhood, it's a lovely addition to the area. The food is delicious, I recommend the dill pickle pasta salad and the burger. The cocktail menu changes seasonally I think, so there's always something new to try. Cocktails are always nicely balanced and tasty. The staff is so friendly and I love the atmosphere. Busy on the weekends but weeknights are a bit quieter. Visit immediately.“

“Upscale, elegant atmosphere. Outstanding cocktails.“

“Recently threw a birthday shuffleboard party for my husband at The Royal Palms in Gowanus and it was so much better than we expected. First of all the shuffleboard game added a little fun competition among the guests and encouraged mingling and meeting new people. But I also can’t say enough about the helpful and attentive staff. The vibe is really fun and the catering was delicious. I got so many compliments from our guests. Will definitely refer it to friends and come again.“

“A Wrigleyville cornerstone with great drinks, and great vibes that has yet to give into the Nashvillification of the rest of the area. God willing, it never will! It has a wide array of craft beers and cocktails. The Old Fashion I ordered was perfectly crafted by my bartender Mattias. I haven't tried the food, except for the free hotdogs on gameday, but the pizza looks excellent and people were raving about the soft pretzel. They have fun events, as well as an healthy supply of boardgames. (Some of the pieces are missing, get over it, it adds to the charm) If you're looking for a true Chicago experience while you're in town - check it out!“

“I love rainbo club but had a really icky experience there tonight. Bouncer with a “lex” tattoo was a real prick. Snatched my ID out of my hand and literally jabbed it in my face giving it back to me (fully legal age/ID) and was all around really frustrating to all of my friends in line. Maybe just be a tad bit kinder? Or don’t work late night if you get cranky? 😅“