The Best Restaurant Bars in Chicago

Step up to the bar in the decadent main room at Bavette’s and it's not difficult to imagine what Chicago might have been like in the 1920s or '30s. Most nights soft jazz croons over the speakers while vested bartenders inquire about your Martini preference and suited men converse in the overstuffed leather booths that line the walls. Drinks are divided into categories like "sparkling," "classics" and "Old-Fashioneds," all of which match Bavette's penchant for channeling the bygone.

Home to Liquor License No. 1, the Berghoff is a Chicago institution whose roots pre-date even the 1893 World’s Fair. While meals at the restaurant often require a reservation and a second stomach, the Berghoff bar is ideal for a taste of the four-generation family business, presuming you can snag a spot along the brass rail. Ordering a “haus bier” is a must, at least to start.

When the building housing Dusek's was first constructed in the 1890s, it was modeled after the Prague Opera House. Now, it's a soaring craft beer tavern with an upstairs music venue called Thalia Hall (the building's birth name), and a '70’s style basement bar called Punch House that aptly specializes in, well, punches, many of them classic (Charles Dickens, Milk Punch). Chef Jared Wentworth's (of Longman & Eagle) menu is all of the things a tavern menu should be.

Come for brunch, stay for the booze. This mahogany-retrofitted, Michelin-starred gastropub is one of Chicago’s best causal restaurants. But its array of bar seating (don’t miss Off Site Bar hiding in the vintage garage) makes L&E is a sure bet for a well-made Old-Fashioned any time of the day. Whiskey For Drinking (aka competitively priced pours of very good whiskey) is also a big draw, but the craft cocktail list is impressively diverse once you dive in, so long as you’re not expecting vodka.

Lula is the kind of neighborhood place everyone dreams of having around the corner. The food is insightful and seasonal, but simple and comforting enough that you wouldn't mind eating there every night. Both the wine list and the list of seasonal craft cocktails are delicious and well-curated without any flag-waving or grandstanding associated with many wine lists touting a point-of-view. Also, in a testament to its role as the sort of local spot everyone wishes they had nearby (unless they actually do live nearby): Lula also serves one of the best brunches in Chicago.

Located in the Thompson Hotel, Nico Osteria’s large horseshoe bar counter is remarkable hip for the Gold Coast, one of the city's wealthiest, most historic neighborhoods. The menu brims with refreshing aperitivi and a lengthy—mainly Italian—wine list to accompany chef Paul Kahan's seasonal Italian seafood. Because it's located in a hotel, it makes for great people watching and is a good bet for anytime-of-day drinking (it's always aperitivo hour somewhere).

Located in the same building as the Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar, Sable has been owning the craft cocktail game downtown for years. The staff, led by Mike Ryan (who may be sporting some variation of a mullet, mohawk, mutton chops or all three) takes a literary approach to drinks, with a book-sized menu stuffed with thought-provoking quotes and lengthy descriptions. The cocktails have always been progressive, but the wine list is equally worthy of consideration.

Directly underneath the dining room of new the Mexican hotspot, Quiote, Todos Santos is far more than just a nice way to wait for your table. Managed by Jay Schroeder, who formerly steered the beverage program at Rick Bayless’ restaurant group, the tiny cocktail den serves about a half-dozen drinks, all of which are based on something agave-centric (mezcal, sotol, raicilla).

Rarely are food and drink so well married as they are at this spot from Heisler Hospitality (Sportsman’s Club, Estereo). Modeled after an Anglo-Indian pub, the food walks a fine line between heavy and heavenly, and drinks are seemingly picked to lighten the load and brighten the flavors. The availability of the few dozen beers on tap are updated in real time via a split-flap display board; seasonal royale cups are made in collaboration with local micro-distillery Letherbee.