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Bars in Chicago
Today Oct 23
Tomorrow Oct 24
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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
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
- → The Lodge Tavern
- → Rodan
- → Piece
- → Wise Fools Pub
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
20s / 30s / Balcony / Bar
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Goose Island
20s / 30s / 40s / Bar / Beer / TVs
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Lincoln Hall
20s / 30s / Acoustic / Bar / TVs
River North
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Mercadito Chicago
30s / 40s / Affluent / Bar / DJ
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House of Blues Chicago
All Ages / Bar / Bluegrass
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Blue Frog's Local 22
After Work / Beer / Casual
Lakeview
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Elbo Room
20s / 30s / 40s / 80s Music / DJ
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Sheffield's
30s / Alternative Music
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The Long Room
Alternative Rock / Bar
Wicker Park / Bucktown
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Debonair Social Club
20s / 30s / 40s / Artists / Bar
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The Hideout
30s / Cover charge / DJ / Bar
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Double Door
20s / 30s / 40s / ATM / Balcony
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