I don't usually write reviews, but this place was surprisingly disappointing. My friends and I were very excited to go here. It is adorable inside, and the cocktails sounded amazing. However, the service was BAD. They do not help you out at all. The server practically ignored us the entire time. Also, we had reservations, that included a welcome cocktail with the reservation. The server said nothing about it, so I asked him if we were able to get it. He informed us that we were supposed to receive complimentary cocktails, but they ran out of the liquor for the cocktail. I asked him if we could get a different drink that had a different liquor. He said no. So....we paid for a cocktail with the reservation. It was part of the deal. And he refused. Kinda felt scammed honestly! The place has potential to be good. I think they seriously need to work on their customer service though. I wouldn't go back.
Holly B.
A few friends and I went to The Darling for the first time recently after hearing good things. We booked reservations for a Saturday night in advance and requested the library room based on reviews we'd read. We ultimately found the entire experience to be very odd - the room felt very sparse and empty with an awkward atmosphere, and it seemed like the staff were actively ignoring all of the customers. We'd also payed in advance for our reservation, which said online we would receive complimentary cocktails upon our arrival. Apparently, the line for peach bellinis was down at the bar so they were unable to give us the three cocktails we'd already paid for - it came across like a scam. I will give two stars for good entertainment (a singer performed a song every half hour while we were there), and the drinks were good even though we'd basically paid double price for them. We did end up having a fun night but ultimately, I would not recommend The Darling to any friends or return in the future. There are plenty of other cocktail bars in the West Loop area that offer a much better experience without the scam.
Jason K.
We stopped here for a few drinks before dinner on Friday May 27, reservations. It is a lovely wood paneled venue and the drinks were great, but we plan to never come back. Starting at 5 stars, I'll subtract a star per negative: - they charge a $40 pre-authorization to make a reservation... BS - when we arrived we were asked for vaccination ID, and didn't realize ahead of time (wouldn't support this). come on, in late May 2022 this is extremism by the owner, probably dubbing it as " progressive". - after our first round of drinks ($30ish) we were asked for a card for pre-authorization for more drinks, asking for a card is normal but this is before we even ordered more drinks....we don't look like the type to run off on a tab. - for the 2nd round my partner asked the server for a drink recommendation, saying she didn't want anything with "brown liquor". The server suggested a rye drink, does the non- bartender staff even know the ingredients?
bcsystems
A kool setting upstairs in the library. Perfect to sit around to chat and have a few cocktails. Great service and drinks.
Ashour E.
fat bouncer told me they're too full and they can't take me. Then tells me the front desk cancelled my reservation for me and they refunded me. They never refunded me. As this is happening a girl in line is telling me that she's going to "finesse her way in" and gets in by flirting with the bouncer. I used to love going to this place in the day time. Don't go at night when that idiot is working. That bouncer is the type of dude to believe a stripper when she tells him she loves him. That guy is definitely raising another mans kid.
Tony K.
Hosted a surprise birthday party here and the atmosphere, entertainment, staff, and drinks were all top notch. We started in the speakeasy on the first floor with some good drinks and surprising entertainment every 30 minutes. I had people waiting upstairs for the bday surprise so it was very convenient to stay hidden on the first floor until everyone arrived. The staff was very accommodating to our requests to help pull this off. The upstairs is one of the best lounges in Chicago for not only decor but the dj was bumping and we could still hear each other talking just fine. They did an amazing job on the acoustics here. Highly recommend this place if you are looking for an entertaining upscale lounge vibe.
Arshia W.
Beautiful decor, beautiful atmosphere but unfortunately the drinks did not taste as good as they looked.
Kathryn P.
After dinner drinks review: Vibe: this place does not know what it wants to be. It's set-up like a speakeasy or lounge with dim lighting and vintage looking furniture but then they have a DJ playing music too loud and vibe that doesn't fit the rest and a fire belly dancer who is just starting based on the song we saw performed. For me, I was expecting a place to have a drink and conversation and a chill vibe- and these add-ons took away from that. Drinks: the cocktails are good. My friend and I both had the Penicillin. We both found it to refreshing. However, they were out of three different ones and no longer offer hot cocktails. Which is ok- but probably could update the menu then. Service: our service was only ok. We had two waitresses so I assume the first was on break or done for the evening before we left- not sure. The first waitress seemed agitated that they were out of certain drinks and seemed to disagree with the absence of the hot cocktails. It did not come across as angry with us but it was felt. Then there was a period of 30 mins or so when we were ready to get the bill and there wasn't a waitress to be found in our section and the second waitress appeared and we paid our bill. We did not have reservations and it was ok. In ordering a drink they do open a tab for the table with a credit card. Parking is street parking. The Darling during the day may be a much different vibe (hopefully). I will come back during the day at some point to try it and hopefully have a better overall impression.
Bouapha T.
This place is strange to say the least. It's confused as to what it wants to be, it wants to be an exclusive high end establishment but treats its customer as if it's a corner store in a bad neighborhood. We made a reservation, which they charged $20/person to be applied to the bill - fine, whatever they have to do to ensure that their tables are filled. We were told that if we didn't arrive on time we'd loose our reservation- fine, this is standard. We arrived a little earlier to ensure that our reservation was not given away. The doorman told us he couldn't let us in b/c it was not 11 yet (we arrived at 10:58) ok. But then proceeded to be late with our table for 10 minutes. This wouldn't have been so annoying if they hadn't insisted that timing was that essential to their operation. When we got in, the place was near empty, music was loud and it was freezing! What was all that waiting and turning away people for? For a speakeasy we weren't able to hear ourselves talk. I already knew we weren't gonna be for long there. Staff was nice, we ordered our drinks and we were asked for a second card. So we gave them a second card - weird. Because it the place was uncomfortable (loud, cold and dark - not very speakeasy) we each had one drink and asked for our bill. It turned out that they actually put charges on the second card after we've prepaid ($120) our drinks (at which point we've only reached about $80 in food and drinks). We got it resolved, but is sucks to even have to deal with it, when you expect to have a nice evening, pay your bills and leave. I mean was it necessary to collateralize your drinks that hard? We were told that they have a lot of "dine & dashers" - but I mean two credit cards is a bit ridiculous.. ghetto! Tips for management- hold everything on one card, don't pre charge your customers and decide if you want to be a speakeasy or a club. 2 stars because the servers were nice.
E G.
Worst service I've ever had in Chicago. And I've been to the Soho house which is also horrible for customer service. This was worse. The food was overpriced and mediocre at best. It took an hour for the portabella fries to come out. We ordered 2 burgers and they came out 30 minutes apart. I had to ask for the fries 3 times. And our server did not once apologize or even seem concerned in the slightest. In fact, she acted like we were bothering her when we asked where our food was and when I asked for additional napkins. She never came to check if we had even received all of our food. We had to wave her down. If the place was packed, I would've been more patient. Half of the tables were empty. This place will be gone by next year if this is how they serve their customers.
I've been to The Darling twice and both experiences were wildly different. I need to first highlight my most recent trip and explain how amazing the bouncer was. Kudos to him for being friendly and kind on a Saturday night while everyone is pressuring him and asking him to get in! We arrived around 9:30pm and were told it'd be an hour wait - there were several other parties waiting near us. As we started to walk away, he pulled us aside and said he was going to try to get us in earlier. We walked around the block and came back, and he said he was working on it. We did end up getting in about 20 minutes later, and we were very thankful for him working with us and slipped him a $20. I'm not sure why he chose our party but I'm glad he did. The interior is just absolutely beautiful. I love the vibe, the view; very library in an old mansion-feel. At my most recent visit, we committed to a pitcher of a drink, which ended up being a bad choice. It tasted like Kool Aid and honestly, I think we paid more for the presentation - it would have been cheaper to order individual drinks. So - definitely order individual drinks unless you're looking to impress. At this visit, everyone was sitting at tables, very lounge-feeling and no one standing around. At a previous visit (albeit pre-Covid), the bar was packed, difficult to get a drink or find a spot to sit or stand. I'm not sure if it's changed or if it was just the time, but I definitely liked the ability to sit and talk.
Johanna H.
Came for my husbands birthday. What we loved were the private setting (only a few tables in the whole space) and live *surprise* music in the ballroom, the liquor knowledge of the bartender and the absinthe table side service. What we weren't as into were the fact that the "welcome drinks" are actually prepaid using your reservations deposit so you don't get to use that towards your bill or even choose what you'd like to drink. Instead, you are basically force fed peach Bellinis unknowingly. Not to find out the scam until checkout. Number one my husband doesn't like peach Bellinis. Number two I needed non alcoholic drinks so I couldn't enjoy mine either. For being such an intimate space and personal setting you would think they would at least ask if you about dietary preferences and serve you a welcome drink that you actually can enjoy.
Anthony M.
Absolutely the worst service and extremely unprofessional. Last Fall we reserved two tables for a party and things were fine. Fast forward to April 2022 we reserve tables for a Thursday via the event coordinator and everything gets locked in. When we arrive they state some COVID protocol tat was never mentioned by the coordinator. We discuss it and work it out. Next we are told our party is three people over fir our minimum so they make a few wait outside instead of using common sense and just increase the minimum. At the tables the service is atrocious. The server ( short girl in glasses) is impatient and rude. We ordered food and reminded the server three times yet it never came out. Their excuse was the kitchen lost the order. Really!? It was a slow Thursday. Our party was the largest in the establishment. Worst part is when we addressed the issues with the manager, she literally stated "Im not dealing with this" and walked into another room and closed the door. This place has been removed from my bar list. I will no longer visit this poorly run establishment again. Who ever owns this place really needs to over haul the staff starting with management.
Delia Todd
We visited The Library at The Darling on the first floor. Good cocktails, wonderful service, beautiful ambience! We were there on an evening when there were periodic short performances as well, and they were enjoyable.I really liked that they supported online ordering as well. One does not need to wait for a waiter in order to place an order. The online order is then brought to one's table.
Callie E.
My husband and I made reservations for the Library last weekend and it was the perfect way to end a great night out. We did not eat, but tried four drinks between us, our favorite was the Bee's Knees both for flavor and presentation. I think the front of house may be a little harried, but this seems to largely be due to Covid-19 policies and trying to minimize crowding as you wait to be seated. Also perhaps not wanting to interrupt performances in progress? After a brief wait outside, our hostess showed us right where our table was. The Library is small with only one bartender that I noticed, but the drinks are pretty boozy so we didn't feel as though we were always waiting on the next round. When we saw the bartender, he was perfectly pleasant. Hopefully once things normalize from the pandemic, the service will get more personalized. We loved the atmosphere and thought the quiet, period-appropriate music mixed with occasional surprise performances was fantastic. Just enough time to talk but plenty of other entertainment as well. Our two hours flew by, it was definitely the most unique nightlife experience we've had in a long time!
I don't usually write reviews, but this place was surprisingly disappointing. My friends and I were very excited to go here. It is adorable inside, and the cocktails sounded amazing. However, the service was BAD. They do not help you out at all. The server practically ignored us the entire time. Also, we had reservations, that included a welcome cocktail with the reservation. The server said nothing about it, so I asked him if we were able to get it. He informed us that we were supposed to receive complimentary cocktails, but they ran out of the liquor for the cocktail. I asked him if we could get a different drink that had a different liquor. He said no. So....we paid for a cocktail with the reservation. It was part of the deal. And he refused. Kinda felt scammed honestly! The place has potential to be good. I think they seriously need to work on their customer service though. I wouldn't go back.
A few friends and I went to The Darling for the first time recently after hearing good things. We booked reservations for a Saturday night in advance and requested the library room based on reviews we'd read. We ultimately found the entire experience to be very odd - the room felt very sparse and empty with an awkward atmosphere, and it seemed like the staff were actively ignoring all of the customers. We'd also payed in advance for our reservation, which said online we would receive complimentary cocktails upon our arrival. Apparently, the line for peach bellinis was down at the bar so they were unable to give us the three cocktails we'd already paid for - it came across like a scam. I will give two stars for good entertainment (a singer performed a song every half hour while we were there), and the drinks were good even though we'd basically paid double price for them. We did end up having a fun night but ultimately, I would not recommend The Darling to any friends or return in the future. There are plenty of other cocktail bars in the West Loop area that offer a much better experience without the scam.
We stopped here for a few drinks before dinner on Friday May 27, reservations. It is a lovely wood paneled venue and the drinks were great, but we plan to never come back. Starting at 5 stars, I'll subtract a star per negative: - they charge a $40 pre-authorization to make a reservation... BS - when we arrived we were asked for vaccination ID, and didn't realize ahead of time (wouldn't support this). come on, in late May 2022 this is extremism by the owner, probably dubbing it as " progressive". - after our first round of drinks ($30ish) we were asked for a card for pre-authorization for more drinks, asking for a card is normal but this is before we even ordered more drinks....we don't look like the type to run off on a tab. - for the 2nd round my partner asked the server for a drink recommendation, saying she didn't want anything with "brown liquor". The server suggested a rye drink, does the non- bartender staff even know the ingredients?
A kool setting upstairs in the library. Perfect to sit around to chat and have a few cocktails. Great service and drinks.
fat bouncer told me they're too full and they can't take me. Then tells me the front desk cancelled my reservation for me and they refunded me. They never refunded me. As this is happening a girl in line is telling me that she's going to "finesse her way in" and gets in by flirting with the bouncer. I used to love going to this place in the day time. Don't go at night when that idiot is working. That bouncer is the type of dude to believe a stripper when she tells him she loves him. That guy is definitely raising another mans kid.
Hosted a surprise birthday party here and the atmosphere, entertainment, staff, and drinks were all top notch. We started in the speakeasy on the first floor with some good drinks and surprising entertainment every 30 minutes. I had people waiting upstairs for the bday surprise so it was very convenient to stay hidden on the first floor until everyone arrived. The staff was very accommodating to our requests to help pull this off. The upstairs is one of the best lounges in Chicago for not only decor but the dj was bumping and we could still hear each other talking just fine. They did an amazing job on the acoustics here. Highly recommend this place if you are looking for an entertaining upscale lounge vibe.
Beautiful decor, beautiful atmosphere but unfortunately the drinks did not taste as good as they looked.
After dinner drinks review: Vibe: this place does not know what it wants to be. It's set-up like a speakeasy or lounge with dim lighting and vintage looking furniture but then they have a DJ playing music too loud and vibe that doesn't fit the rest and a fire belly dancer who is just starting based on the song we saw performed. For me, I was expecting a place to have a drink and conversation and a chill vibe- and these add-ons took away from that. Drinks: the cocktails are good. My friend and I both had the Penicillin. We both found it to refreshing. However, they were out of three different ones and no longer offer hot cocktails. Which is ok- but probably could update the menu then. Service: our service was only ok. We had two waitresses so I assume the first was on break or done for the evening before we left- not sure. The first waitress seemed agitated that they were out of certain drinks and seemed to disagree with the absence of the hot cocktails. It did not come across as angry with us but it was felt. Then there was a period of 30 mins or so when we were ready to get the bill and there wasn't a waitress to be found in our section and the second waitress appeared and we paid our bill. We did not have reservations and it was ok. In ordering a drink they do open a tab for the table with a credit card. Parking is street parking. The Darling during the day may be a much different vibe (hopefully). I will come back during the day at some point to try it and hopefully have a better overall impression.
This place is strange to say the least. It's confused as to what it wants to be, it wants to be an exclusive high end establishment but treats its customer as if it's a corner store in a bad neighborhood. We made a reservation, which they charged $20/person to be applied to the bill - fine, whatever they have to do to ensure that their tables are filled. We were told that if we didn't arrive on time we'd loose our reservation- fine, this is standard. We arrived a little earlier to ensure that our reservation was not given away. The doorman told us he couldn't let us in b/c it was not 11 yet (we arrived at 10:58) ok. But then proceeded to be late with our table for 10 minutes. This wouldn't have been so annoying if they hadn't insisted that timing was that essential to their operation. When we got in, the place was near empty, music was loud and it was freezing! What was all that waiting and turning away people for? For a speakeasy we weren't able to hear ourselves talk. I already knew we weren't gonna be for long there. Staff was nice, we ordered our drinks and we were asked for a second card. So we gave them a second card - weird. Because it the place was uncomfortable (loud, cold and dark - not very speakeasy) we each had one drink and asked for our bill. It turned out that they actually put charges on the second card after we've prepaid ($120) our drinks (at which point we've only reached about $80 in food and drinks). We got it resolved, but is sucks to even have to deal with it, when you expect to have a nice evening, pay your bills and leave. I mean was it necessary to collateralize your drinks that hard? We were told that they have a lot of "dine & dashers" - but I mean two credit cards is a bit ridiculous.. ghetto! Tips for management- hold everything on one card, don't pre charge your customers and decide if you want to be a speakeasy or a club. 2 stars because the servers were nice.
Worst service I've ever had in Chicago. And I've been to the Soho house which is also horrible for customer service. This was worse. The food was overpriced and mediocre at best. It took an hour for the portabella fries to come out. We ordered 2 burgers and they came out 30 minutes apart. I had to ask for the fries 3 times. And our server did not once apologize or even seem concerned in the slightest. In fact, she acted like we were bothering her when we asked where our food was and when I asked for additional napkins. She never came to check if we had even received all of our food. We had to wave her down. If the place was packed, I would've been more patient. Half of the tables were empty. This place will be gone by next year if this is how they serve their customers.
Restaurantji Recommends
I've been to The Darling twice and both experiences were wildly different. I need to first highlight my most recent trip and explain how amazing the bouncer was. Kudos to him for being friendly and kind on a Saturday night while everyone is pressuring him and asking him to get in! We arrived around 9:30pm and were told it'd be an hour wait - there were several other parties waiting near us. As we started to walk away, he pulled us aside and said he was going to try to get us in earlier. We walked around the block and came back, and he said he was working on it. We did end up getting in about 20 minutes later, and we were very thankful for him working with us and slipped him a $20. I'm not sure why he chose our party but I'm glad he did. The interior is just absolutely beautiful. I love the vibe, the view; very library in an old mansion-feel. At my most recent visit, we committed to a pitcher of a drink, which ended up being a bad choice. It tasted like Kool Aid and honestly, I think we paid more for the presentation - it would have been cheaper to order individual drinks. So - definitely order individual drinks unless you're looking to impress. At this visit, everyone was sitting at tables, very lounge-feeling and no one standing around. At a previous visit (albeit pre-Covid), the bar was packed, difficult to get a drink or find a spot to sit or stand. I'm not sure if it's changed or if it was just the time, but I definitely liked the ability to sit and talk.
Came for my husbands birthday. What we loved were the private setting (only a few tables in the whole space) and live *surprise* music in the ballroom, the liquor knowledge of the bartender and the absinthe table side service. What we weren't as into were the fact that the "welcome drinks" are actually prepaid using your reservations deposit so you don't get to use that towards your bill or even choose what you'd like to drink. Instead, you are basically force fed peach Bellinis unknowingly. Not to find out the scam until checkout. Number one my husband doesn't like peach Bellinis. Number two I needed non alcoholic drinks so I couldn't enjoy mine either. For being such an intimate space and personal setting you would think they would at least ask if you about dietary preferences and serve you a welcome drink that you actually can enjoy.
Absolutely the worst service and extremely unprofessional. Last Fall we reserved two tables for a party and things were fine. Fast forward to April 2022 we reserve tables for a Thursday via the event coordinator and everything gets locked in. When we arrive they state some COVID protocol tat was never mentioned by the coordinator. We discuss it and work it out. Next we are told our party is three people over fir our minimum so they make a few wait outside instead of using common sense and just increase the minimum. At the tables the service is atrocious. The server ( short girl in glasses) is impatient and rude. We ordered food and reminded the server three times yet it never came out. Their excuse was the kitchen lost the order. Really!? It was a slow Thursday. Our party was the largest in the establishment. Worst part is when we addressed the issues with the manager, she literally stated "Im not dealing with this" and walked into another room and closed the door. This place has been removed from my bar list. I will no longer visit this poorly run establishment again. Who ever owns this place really needs to over haul the staff starting with management.
We visited The Library at The Darling on the first floor. Good cocktails, wonderful service, beautiful ambience! We were there on an evening when there were periodic short performances as well, and they were enjoyable.I really liked that they supported online ordering as well. One does not need to wait for a waiter in order to place an order. The online order is then brought to one's table.
My husband and I made reservations for the Library last weekend and it was the perfect way to end a great night out. We did not eat, but tried four drinks between us, our favorite was the Bee's Knees both for flavor and presentation. I think the front of house may be a little harried, but this seems to largely be due to Covid-19 policies and trying to minimize crowding as you wait to be seated. Also perhaps not wanting to interrupt performances in progress? After a brief wait outside, our hostess showed us right where our table was. The Library is small with only one bartender that I noticed, but the drinks are pretty boozy so we didn't feel as though we were always waiting on the next round. When we saw the bartender, he was perfectly pleasant. Hopefully once things normalize from the pandemic, the service will get more personalized. We loved the atmosphere and thought the quiet, period-appropriate music mixed with occasional surprise performances was fantastic. Just enough time to talk but plenty of other entertainment as well. Our two hours flew by, it was definitely the most unique nightlife experience we've had in a long time!