Proof Club / Lounge

Gold Coast, Chicago –

The Gold Coast isn’t lacking in swanky lounges, but Proof turns the glitz up a notch with its intimate size and a focus on those three little letters glam clubbers love to hear: VIP.

Though it has two floors, both are relatively small, compelling mixing and mingling among the glass-enclosed private tables where perfectly coiffed guys drink standard Red Bull and vodkas or class it up with a host of specialty cocktails.

The main room is plush but understated, with dark hues and brocade wallpaper designed to give the space a regal air. Tables surrounded by deep suede couches and booths are arranged just a few steps up from the dance floor, which pulses heavy with hip-hop and house – sometimes with several DJs at a time.

The similar upstairs space is smaller and brighter, creating a vibe more like a cool friend’s loft party than an anonymous club.

Guests vary based on the night, from posh scenesters on Thursdays and Fridays and a general club crowd on Saturdays to fun-loving industry insiders on Sundays. No matter the mix of people, however, the floors begin to fill up around midnight, as the champagne flows and sexy dancers jostle for space to show off.

Posh yet intimate, Proof is the perfect hangout for lounge-hoppers and party girls looking to mix with a small – albeit sometimes tightly packed – group of like-minded pretty people.