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Mon / Feb 18
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 / 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
30s / 40s / Acoustic / Affluent / Beer
Party Earth Review Depending on the time of day, there’s a little bit of everything at Old Town Social, from an upscale sports bar and a restaurant featuring locally sourced products to a DJ-driven lounge. What doesn’t change at this former warehouse is the antique vibe, be it in the front parlor with the fireplace, vintage armchairs, and ... more
455 West North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60610
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
30s / Ambient / Artsy / Asian Food
Party Earth Review Science fiction buffs will easily recall that “Rodan” was the name of a mutated pterosaur made famous in the Godzilla movies. The refined hipster patrons at this upscale lounge of the same name might be blessed with this morsel of movie trivia as well, seeing as the back half of the venue incorporates multiple audio/visual ... more
1530 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL, 60622
20s / 30s / Bottle Service / Club / DJ
Party Earth Review With its military theme and unmarked basement level entrance, The Underground nightclub takes its aura of exclusivity seriously, which suits the see-and-be-seen clientele just fine. Bottle service and celebrity sightings await the stylish patrons who satisfy the laser-eyed bouncer and then head down to a cavernous bomb ... more
56 West Illinois Street
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
20s / 30s / 40s / After Work / Ambient
Party Earth Review An offshoot of the adjoining Dunlay’s on Clark restaurant, D.O.C. Wine Bar is an oasis of civilized consumption in a neighborhood better known for its party-hardy post-college crowd. The lounge is almost cocoon-like, featuring a few porthole windows looking out onto noisy Clark Street and a starkly decorated industrial ... more
2602 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
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 / 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
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 / 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
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.