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Wed / Jan 20
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
A-list / Blazers / Button-downs
Party Earth Review There’s always a line of stiletto-wearing ladies and sharply dressed dudes outside Paris Club restaurant, and though the swanky French eatery is itself ridiculously popular, most of these folks are waiting to get up the stairway in back that leads to Studio Paris. Patrons enter the rooftop club’s lounge area first, where ... more
59 West Hubbard Street
Chicago, IL 60654
20s / 30s / ATM / After Work / DJ / House
Party Earth Review The only “subterranean” thing about this popular live music venue is the string of prohibition-era tunnels secreted away beneath the hundred-year-old building’s foundation, long forgotten amid the pounding rock, punk, and varying DJ performances that shake the space’s walls every night. Music lovers looking for house ... more
2011 West North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
20s / 30s / Affluent / Brunch / DJ / R&B
Party Earth Review Set atop the 27th floor of a trendy boutique hotel in the heart of downtown, ROOF on theWit boasts an expansive view of Chicago’s glittering skyscrapers – not to mention a good sampling of its see-and-be-seen crowd as well. A dedicated elevator opens into a sprawling main room filled with clusters of low-slung chairs and ... more
theWit Hotel
201 North State Street
Chicago, IL 60601
20s / Artsy Dresses / Blouses / TVs
Party Earth Review Helmed by a former bartender from The Violet Hour and a GM whose previous ventures include The Aviary, The Barrelhouse Flat is a temple to craft cocktails located in an area better known for rowdy packs of college kids. The first floor has a saloon feel, with weathered exposed brick and a vintage jukebox that plays this ... more
2624 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
20s / Acoustic / Blues / Couples / DJ
Party Earth Review Free nightly concerts and an intense but unpretentious dedication to mixology distinguish The Whistler, a small bar popular with a young crowd of hipsters, musicians, and connoisseurs of classic cocktails. Once patrons pass through the door hidden in the storefront façade – which doubles as a gallery featuring an ever-changing ... more
2421 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
Affluent / Ambient / Blazers / Jazz
Party Earth Review Opened to much fanfare in mid-2011, The Aviary draws a mix of sophisticated patrons and dedicated foodies of all ages into an intricate cocktail realm; a place where the creations behind the bar showcase the same intense attention to detail as Owner/Chef Grant Achatz's world famous dishes. Known for his work ... more
955 West Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
30s / Breakfast / Date Place
Reviewed by Lauren M.
"My boyfriend and I dined at NoMI this past weekend and we were beyond impressed! Our waiter was extremely helpful and provided many suggestions, the o ..." more
Park Hyatt Chicago
800 North Michigan Avenue, 7th Floor
Chicago, IL 60611
Affluent / Bar / Bottle Service
Party Earth Review Accessed via a dark alley and an impenetrable doorman blocking the unmarked entrance, Cuvée is an upscale late-night lounge with a focus on champagne and pretty people. Developed by the same group behind ultra-scenester club Enclave, the venue centers its single room around a cluster of VIP tables hemmed in by low walls ... more
308 West Erie Street
Chicago, IL 60654
20s / 30s / Bottle Service / Brunch
Party Earth Review 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 ... more
3341 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60657
30s / 40s / Baseball Caps / Beer / TVs
Party Earth Review The subtle sensibilities of a speakeasy unite with modern appreciation of sport at Clover Sports & Leisure, a chill bar with a diehard dedication to University of Iowa football. That’s not to imply other games can’t be found there, what with more than a dozen flat-screens lining both sides of the ... more
722 West Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60654
Affluent / Blouses / Casual / Club
Party Earth Review Located in the upscale Sax Hotel, Crimson Lounge is a swanky River North hotspot reminiscent of a Victorian mansion, complete with rich walnut floors, intricate chandeliers, and a permanent wash of the sultry color from which it gets its name. Well-dressed couples and wealthy young friends relax on embroidered settees next ... more
Sax Hotel
333 North Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60654
If you’re looking for a little refined and laid-back nightlife, you’d do well to hit up one of the many Chicago lounges strewn throughout the city.
Typically known as a restaurant and bar town, Chicago also serves up its citizens with a wide-range of great lounging options. Because it’s such a big city, lounges in Chicago run the gamut from opulent high-end hotel hangouts to smaller budget-friendly watering holes.
Most of the hottest lounge haunts can be found in the center of the city between the Loop, the Gold Coast, Streeterville, and River North. But there are, of course, great lounges all over the city including in Bucktown, Wicker Park, Lakeview, West Loop and Logan Square.
Chicago lounges are also perfect date spots whether they’re in a hotel, hot live music setting, or on top of the tallest skyscrapers. And while the best lounges are obviously meant for relaxing and having a good time, some of the chicest lounges also turn into booming club spots later on in the night.
So whether you want some chill lounge music, a place to take a date, the best spots for intricate artisanal cocktails, or just an environment to sit and talk with friends, Chicago has a lounge to fit any personality or any budget, any day of the week.