minibar Ultra Lounge & Café Café / Gay Bar / Lounge

BOYSTOWN, CHICAGO –

Situated in the epicenter of Lakeview’s gay scene, minibar Ultra Lounge & Café caters to a higher-end clientele with swanky décor, intricate drinks, and bartenders who could double as Abercrombie & Fitch models.

A narrow, sexily-lit bar takes up part of the U-shaped front lounge, whose intimate low banquettes and VIP sections fill up early with dapper couples and young professionals sipping raspberry gimlets and cotton candy martinis. Patrons seeking a light nosh head to the adjacent café space, where moody golds and burgundies set the tone and larger dining tables accommodate those who prefer lingering over salmon and conversation to dancing.

Thursdays through Saturdays, the all-male staff goes shirtless as the night picks up, and DJs start spinning infectious beats on the back dance floor, where the young and available flirt and preen.

Revelers looking for an activity night might want to stop in for one of the themed events, which can range from screenings of shows like Top Chef to bathing suit dance-offs and graffiti parties that invite guests to write on each others’ clothing, while birthday groups and other private parties can rent one of the smaller rooms to enjoy bottle service, fully-stocked bars, and their own buffed-up barman.

A dark and sexy lounge that pays close attention to luxury, minibar Ultra Lounge & Café is a sophisticated oasis on Boystown’s most raucous street.