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Bars in Chicago
Today May 21
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Bar
Party Earth Review With a rich history in the arts and music scene, The Flat Iron, formerly the live music venue The Blue Note, draws a dedicated community of creative patrons. The giant face of a skull immediately greets guests upon entering – usually accompanied by the deafening sounds of Black Sabbath from the jukebox – while murals by ... more
1565 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
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Bar / Lounge
Party Earth Review Camouflaged behind a colorful plank façade adorned with an ever-changing display of graffiti art, The Violet Hour offers an unexpected touch of upscale luxury to a neighborhood better known for dive bars and hipster hangouts. A series of dark blue floor-to-ceiling curtains part to reveal the various rooms of the venue ... more
1520 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
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Party Earth Review Located at the south end of the city’s famously ritzy Magnificent Mile, Sweetwater Tavern and Grille is a cavernous sports bar and restaurant with an upscale, minimalist vibe. Floor-to-ceiling windows and dozens of plush white booths around the perimeter provide a cozy spot for tourists and local professionals to enjoy ... more
225 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60601
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Party Earth Review Having gone through multiple owners, names, and clientele over the course of its long history, Lottie’s Pub opened in its current incarnation in 2002, bringing a sporty but casual hangout to this mostly residential neighborhood. Named for a six-foot transvestite who allegedly ran the joint in the thirties, the venue’s ... more
1925 West Cortland Street
Chicago, IL 60622
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Bar / Pub / Restaurant
Party Earth Review Popular with an amiable bunch of grad students and young professionals bent on conversation, the modest Hopleaf Bar harbors an intense dedication to beer, and lots of it. Every night, the worn wooden tables and booths on the first floor quickly fill up with easygoing patrons pouring over the selection of more than two hundred ... more
5148 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640
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Bar / Lounge
Party Earth Review Known for a view rivaling that of the Willis Tower – but without the price tag – the Signature Lounge at the 96th floor of the John Hancock Center looms over Chicago, providing a breathtaking vista for flash-happy tourists by day and laid-back Chicagoans by night. Although murals and paintings featuring a timeline of historic ... more
John Hancock Center
875 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
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Bar / Live Music Venue
Party Earth Review Literally hidden down an industrial alley and sandwiched between a sea of factories and abandoned brick buildings, The Hideout has been doling out liquor and live beats since the early twentieth century, and has the musical resume to prove it. Unmarked save for a generic beer ad, the only evidence of the venue’s existence ... more
1354 West Wabansia Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642
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Bar / Irish Pub
Party Earth Review The city’s premier beer and bacon bar, Paddy Long’s is a popular hangout for a mixed crowd of young Lincoln Park hipsters and older regulars on a first-name basis with the owner – a Dublin native who is often also the bartender. Usually low-key and welcoming, this Irish-style pub features craft beers and a menu that would ... more
1028 West Diversey Parkway
Chicago, IL 60657
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Bar / Pub
Party Earth Review Self-styled as a place for weary travelers to kick back and share tales of the road, Map Room is indeed a relaxed and comfy hangout popular with both daily regulars and adventurous tourists who have heard of the pub through the “beervine.” Opened in 1992, the owners made it their mission to encourage an unfailing love ... more
1949 North Hoyne Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
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Gay Bar / Gay Club / Restaurant
Party Earth Review Located in Chicago’s famous Boystown neighborhood, The Kit Kat Lounge is a lively spot where stylish gay men and large groups of straight girls sip colorful drinks and enjoy over-the-top tableside drag performances. A throwback to the boisterous supper clubs of the 1940s and old Hollywood glamour, the classy bar and restaurant ... more
3700 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60613
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Party Earth Review Renovated in 2011 by Spike TV’s Bar Rescue, Blue Frog’s Local 22 is a sports and karaoke bar featuring a snazzy sports design and a menu of organic meats and locally brewed beer. Bright neon signs and twenty TVs tuned to sports cast a flickering light over the rowdy crowd of college kids playing drinking games with every ... more
22 East Hubbard Street
Chicago, IL 60611
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Bar / Live Music Venue
Party Earth Review Located just a few blocks north of the busy Fullerton/Lincoln/Halsted intersection, Lilly’s Bar is regularly deluged by nearby DePaul students and casual hipsters eager for cheap all-you-can-drink deals and live music. Low green stucco archways, uneven brick floors, and scattered antique wrought iron furniture give the ... more
2515 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
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Recommended Bars in Chicago
Top Sports Bars
BY: Lucas
Lucas also likes: Beer Sports Rowdy Casual Anything goes Bar Flirty
more recommended by Lucas
Super Chic Bars
BY: Adriana
- → The Aviary
- → Phoenix Lounge
- → Cuvée
- → ROOF on theWit
- → Le Bar
Adriana also likes: Exclusive Nightclub Fashion Forward Shopping Jetsetter
more recommended by Adriana
Great Music Bars
BY: Jonah
Jonah also likes: Live Music Eclectic Indie Alternative Non-mainstream
more recommended by Jonah
Fun Student Bars
BY: Emma
- → Halligan Bar
- → Rodan
- → Kuma's Corner
- → Piece
- → Vintage Lounge
Emma also likes: Happy Hour Culture Dancing Lively Budget-friendly
more recommended by Emma
Chicago Bars Overview
Chicago’s social life invariably revolves around its denizen’s love of sports and beer, but there are still hundreds of bars in Chicago that cater to the highest of the high end and the dingiest of dives to fit into any resident’s social schedule.
There are actually thousands of Chicago bars – and they populate every street and are hidden away in the quaintest residential areas – so if the Cubs, White Sox, Bears, or Bulls are playing, it’s a lock that every bar in town will be playing the game on their TVs. But the biggest spots in town for sports fans are in Wrigleyville where sports bars are dime a dozen.
Meanwhile, many food-heavy bars dot the city and serve perfect beer and food pairings, though it’s just as easy to find the best deep dish pizza and a cold one at other local haunts, or just a wine bar to while away the hours in.
Though neighborhood bars, sports bars, and pubs are the most common nightlife destinations in Chicago, an array of higher-end venues in areas like River North and the Gold Coast draw in the social elite to live, work, and play.
The best part about all the bars in Chicago, whether high-end, sports crazy, or just the hole-in-the-wall variety, is that they stay open really late, with some spots keeping their doors open until 4 or 5am.
Find Chicago Bars by Neighborhood
Lincoln Park
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Lilly's Bar
Bar / Live Music Venue
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Goose Island
Bar / Brewery / Restaurant
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Lincoln Hall
Bar / Live Music Venue
Lakeview
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Elbo Room
Bar / Live Music Venue
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Sheffield's
Bar / Restaurant
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The Long Room
Bar
Wicker Park / Bucktown
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Debonair Social Club
Bar / Club
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Double Door
Bar / Club
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Piece
Bar / Pizza Place
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