minibar Ultra Lounge & Café

20s / 30s / Bottle Service / Brunch / Café / Chic / Club Music / Coat Check / Cocktails / Conversational / Couples / Cover charge / DJ / Dance Floor / Dancing / Designer T-shirts / Dinner / Dressy / Electronic / Flirty / Gay / Gay Bar / Gay-friendly / High End / Jeans / Lounge / Luxurious / Martinis / Preppy / Private Room / R&B / Smart Casual / Swanky / TVs / Theme Nights / Top 40 / Valet Parking / Young Professionals
minibar Ultra Lounge & Café 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. Chicago United States 41.942955 -87.649226
3.2 6
minibar Ultra Lounge & Café - Café | Gay Bar | Lounge in Chicago.
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2 User Reviews
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Ratings:
Lucas
Adriana
Jonah
Emma

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... ... read full review

  • Train:

    Brown, Purple Express, Red Lines: Belmont

  • Phone:

    773-871-6227

  • Links:

    Official Website

  • Hours:

    Bar: M–F 5pm–2am, Sa 11am–3am, Su 11am–2am
    Café: M–F 5–11pm, Sa–Su 11am–3pm and 5–11pm

  • Recommended as:

    • Night Spot

Party Earth minibar Ultra Lounge & Café Review

The Scene

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.

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.

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Tip from Emma:

Ask about private parties, even if your group is too small for one of the private rooms. They’ll reserve a section for you at no cost, and work with you to come up with the perfect decorations and food/drink packages for whatever event you want to host.

  • Crowd

    Chic, preppie, and attractive gay men and the straight women who love them, mostly 20s to 30s with some older regulars.

  • Entertainment / Music

    DJs spin electronic club, Top 40, R&B, and hip-hop. Several TVs, including in the private rooms. Frequent themed events, usually on Sundays.

  • Food / Miscellaneous

    Full menu of café favorites and contemporary entrées including panini, wraps, pork medallions, and salmon.

  • Prices

    Cover charge $5/Sa after 9pm, otherwise no cover charge. Brunch $20/all inclusive, appetizers $8–$13, entrées $8–$21. Beer $5–$10, wine $8/glass or $35–$75/bottle, martinis $11–$14, cocktails $8–$11, bottle service $180+. Coat check $4. Valet $10.

  • What to Wear / Dress Code

    Smart casual to dressy: nice jeans, designer t-shirts, jackets, ties, brands like Theory, Club Monaco, and Paul Smith.

  • Hot Nights / When to Go

    Thursdays for the liveliest end-of-the-work-week scene, Fridays and Saturdays after 9pm for a generally packed party, and Sundays for the popular theme nights.

  • Close By

    Sidetrack (3349 North Halsted Street) is a gigantic dance club with a large roof deck.

Tags:
20s30sBottle ServiceBrunchChicClub MusicCoat CheckCocktailsConversationalCouplesCover chargeDance FloorDancingDesigner T-shirtsDinnerDressyElectronicFlirtyGayGay-friendlyHigh EndJeansLuxuriousMartinisPreppyPrivate RoomR&BSmart CasualSwankyTVsTheme NightsTop 40Valet ParkingYoung Professionals

minibar Ultra Lounge & Café User Reviews

Average rating:
Classy Before Trashy, the Perfect Gay Bar Scene for Anyone!
Hanna W.
Hanna W. Apr 8, 2013
Usually, I am not someone that is into the gay bar scene. But my gay boys insisted on taking me out to minibar, and after a couple of minutes, I almost forgot it was a gay bar completely. Don't get me wrong, there are beautiful gay men everywhere you turn, but the loud music and easy going atmosphere made it easy for me to grab a drink and socialize with my friends at a table. In the end, I had a good night. All the men were friendly and attractive, and if there was a straight guy there, I was the first one to make a move, who else did he have to choose from? It was easy to stay with my friends or break away to meet new people. It was a classy, no pressure filled place to spend an easy going Thursday night. Even if you start to get bored at minibar, all you have to do is walk out into the street and listen to the bumping music, and you'll stumble your way into a more crowded, dance filled bar.
Pretty lounge, pretty boys
Brinda G.
Brinda G. Dec 12, 2012
Obviously, I’m not the target audience for minibar, but I didn’t feel like I was intruding when going in with a friend. I’ll say this: the boys who work there are very lovely (physically and in personality!). It’s smaller and more upscale than a lot of its neighbors, and it seems to attract well-off, pretty dudes. Consider yourself informed/warned! Drinks were well-made, the food was delicious, and we, as straight girls, felt welcome. Seems like they have a lot of events, but nothing as crazy as goes on at the big clubs like Sidetrack. If you’re doing the Boystown thing, gay or straight, minibar is a pretty, polished place to relax with a well-made drink before heading to the big dance parties.
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