Best Bars, Clubs & Lounges in Chicago’s River North
We interrupt your irregularly scheduled fashion post for an opinion piece on what bars, clubs, and lounges to check out in the River North neighborhood in Chicago… (21 & up only, please!)
I was born, raised, and currently live in the suburbs…but when it comes to a night out, I’m all about Chicago. I just love the energy of the city. My style during the day is casual; at night I love sliding on a dress, and stepping into a pair of 4inch pumps. So typically, I go out in River North. When I’m coming into downtown from 290, I exit onto Congress… and every time I get the exciting rush in anticipation of the night ahead. I love being surrounded by skyscrapers, lots of lights, and the promise of lots of fun to be had.
{Photo credit: Ian Pfeiffer of King Me Photography}
This is a fashion blog, so I have to share a little bit more about what I wear in Chicago. While I love putting on a dress, that’s not a must do in the city. I’ve had my fair share of nights out in the Chi wearing skinny jeans or moto-leggings. Recently, a plan that went from keeping it local, turned into “let’s go to the city…” which left me wearing a crew neck sweater and moto-leggings paired with some heeled black boots.
So where did we end up? The norm, right in the heart of River North, on streets such as Hubbard and Kinzie…
THE DETAILS:
Our first stop was my best friend’s favorite place in the city: Three Dots and a Dash, a classy, tiki-style spot serving up an amazing collection of beach-y inspired cocktails. I’ve tried many of their rum based, boozy beverages, but my favorite is the Painkiller No. 109. It tastes very much like a pina colada, and you don’t even notice the alcohol…well… until you do. Three Dots and a Dash is a popular spot, and they often have a line going. If you want to have a guaranteed spot to sit, you’ll need a reservation. All of their tables are reserved only, and that leaves the dance floor, standing room only, or the potential for a lucky stool snag right up at the bar. When they’re really busy, expect to wait a while for your drink, those fancy garnishes (like a dolphin shaped banana) take a while…but it’s worth the wait.
After “three dots” we hopped in a cab to ride half a mile (hey, it was like 20 degrees out and us girls were in heels!) over to the Godfrey Hotel to hit up IO Godfrey, a rooftop bar. I don’t have a super long and drawn out detailed description about this bar/lounge, but it’s definitely a classy spot, so feel free to don that new dress and your fave pumps, because you don’t want to be underdressed in comparison to the stylish staff. I’ve only been to IO Godfrey a couple of times, but it’s a got a great lounge vibe to sit, sip, and chat. My drink of choice? Their featured cosmo.
Oh wow, I forgot to mention… before hopping into the cab to the Godfrey, the bestie and I found ourselves stopping into the Hubbard Inn. This tavern screamed “bar” and while we were only there briefly, it was packed. With plenty of seating, Hubbard Inn seemed to be a great spot to sit down with a large group of friends sharing rounds of shots and having a cocktail or a beer.
We ended the night at an after hours club called Cuvee. This 5AM club is not a newbie to the River North area, but if you’ve still got some party in you after the 2AM places close, I highly recommend Uber-ing over to Cuvee. This club has tables (reservation only) for bottle service, multiple bars, and plenty of dancing room. The music is loud, so don’t expect to make too much conversation, but the high levels of energy flowed strong into the 4AM hour.
While we ended up at Cuvee, there was initial talk about going to the Underground. Another bottle service club that’s open til 5AM on Saturday nights, their party is often going hard deep into the night. Dress to impress, and pay attention to who’s seated at the tables… you never know who you’ll run into.
To keep this post from getting too long, I’ll switch up my style into an organized list of places to check out in River North by category from bar, to lounge, to club…
RIVER NORTH BARS:
Beercade (free! vintage arcade games and bar)
Bull & Bear (sports bar)
RIVER NORTH LOUNGES:
Untitled (classy supper club spot, with a couple great dance floors)
Roof at the Wit Hotel (rooftop lounge)
Celeste (bar/lounge)
RIVER NORTH CLUBS:
Cuvee (popular after hours)
Underground (popular after hours)
Rockit Bar (downstairs is a bar, upstairs is a bottle service club)
Have you ever visited any of these go to places in River North in Chicago? What’s your nightlife style: bar, club, or lounge? Where is your favorite spot in River North?
With Style & Love,
♥
Amber