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Bars in Chicago

Today Oct 15

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The Violet Hour

30s / 40s / Ambient / Bar / Blouses

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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The Flat Iron

20s / 30s / ATM / Anything goes / 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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Lottie's Pub

20s / 30s / 40s / 90s Music / Bar Food

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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Debonair Social Club

20s / 30s / 40s / Artists / Bands / Bar / DJ

Party Earth Review Situated inside the massive 88,000-square-foot Flat Iron Arts Building, Debonair Social Club features a roster of rotating theme nights and performances that aim to blend art, music, and fashion. Splashed in hot pink and electric blue lights, along with dizzying black and white stripes painted on most of the walls, the ... more

1575 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622

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Sweetwater Tavern and Grille

20s / 30s / 40s / After Work / Beer / TVs

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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Delilah's

Anything goes / Arcade Games

Party Earth Review With over four hundred types of whiskey, one hundred brands of beer, and a jam-packed roster of events every night of the week, Delilah’s keeps both the drinks and the DJ tracks flowing 365 days a year. Once past the image of the evil queen out front, the collection of goth kids, leather-clad bikers, and even a few local ... more

2771 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614

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The Bristol

20s / 30s / Affluent / Ambient / Bar

Party Earth Review Seasonal cocktails and a unique Mediterranean menu that changes daily have made The Bristol a popular neighborhood eatery where laid-back foodies and young professionals go for a taste of local flavor. Intensely dedicated to creating high-quality shareable plates, the restaurant works closely with area farms to offer the ... more

2152 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647

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Gingerman Tavern

20s / 30s / 90s Music / Actors / Beer

Party Earth Review Founded specifically for Wrigleyville heretics who don’t care a lick about the Cubs – or at least don’t care about rowdy sports bars – Gingerman Tavern attracts everyone from hardcore bikers to skinny-jeaned rockers who couldn’t tell a Hail Mary from a Bloody one. A true dive, the space features a dusty décor of old photographs ... more

3740 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60613

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Lincoln Hall

20s / 30s / Acoustic / After Work

Party Earth Review A combination bar, restaurant, and music venue developed by the same group behind Schubas Tavern, Lincoln Hall offers live alternative, indie, rock, or acoustic concerts every night, as well as laid-back dining and drinking. Located in the heart of thriving Lincoln Park, the 8,400-square-foot venue features a roster of ... more

2424 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614

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The Fifty/50

20s / 30s / Anything goes / Brunch

Party Earth Review Half upscale sports bar, half restaurant, and one hundred percent not the typical Division Street hipster locale, The Fifty/50 draws a loyal clientele of sports fans, young professionals, and college students. Two large TVs strategically positioned in the sidewalk seating area broadcast the latest sports scores, beckoning ... more

2047 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622

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Hopleaf Bar

30s / 50s Music / After Work / Bar

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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Hungry Brain

20s / 30s / 40s / Arcade Games / Artsy

Party Earth Review Named after the bar in the 1960s Jerry Lewis film Visit to a Small Planet, Hungry Brain is a relaxed neighborhood dive that’s as quirky as Lewis himself. Patrons enter through what looks like a derelict storefront and into a large open room full of random sofas and chairs, from cracked leather davenports to plastic cafeteria ... more

2319 West Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618

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The Violet Hour

30s / 40s / Ambient / Bar / Blouses

1520 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622

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Sweetwater Tavern and Grille

20s / 30s / 40s / After Work / Beer / TVs

225 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60601

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Lottie's Pub

20s / 30s / 40s / 90s Music / Bar Food

1925 West Cortland Street
Chicago, IL 60622

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Hopleaf Bar

30s / 50s Music / After Work / Bar

5148 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640

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Paddy Long's

30s / 40s / After Work / Bar / Beer / TVs

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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Map Room

20s / 30s / 40s / Alternative Rock

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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Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club

20s / Bachelorette Parties / Gay

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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Blue Frog's Local 22

After Work / Alternative Rock

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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Lilly's Bar

20s / 30s / Balcony / Bar / Cash Only

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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Gingerman Tavern

20s / 30s / 90s Music / Actors / Beer

3740 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60613

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The California Clipper

20s / 30s / Bar / Bluegrass / Casual

Party Earth Review Opened in 1937 and still sporting the same name and style, The California Clipper is one of the oldest bars in Chicago. Located a bit off the beaten path in an area of Humboldt Park dotted by auto shops and abandoned buildings, the venue is a retro southern bar known for its grape soda cocktails, jazz and country music ... more

1002 North California Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622

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The Flat Iron

20s / 30s / ATM / Anything goes / Bar

1565 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622

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See all bars tomorrow or all bars in Chicago →

Recommended Bars in Chicago

Top Sports Bars

BY: Lucas

Bull & Bear

Lucas also likes: Beer Sports Rowdy Casual Anything goes Bar Flirty

more recommended by Lucas

Super Chic Bars

BY: Adriana

The Violet Hour

Adriana also likes: Exclusive Nightclub Fashion Forward Shopping Jetsetter

more recommended by Adriana

Great Music Bars

BY: Jonah

Schubas Tavern

Jonah also likes: Live Music Eclectic Indie Alternative Non-mainstream

more recommended by Jonah

Fun Student Bars

BY: Emma

Rodan

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.

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