Best Bars for a Networking Event (Without the Awkwardness)
By James HarlowAugust 8, 20236 min read
The best networking happens at bars designed for conversation. Not loud clubs where you're shouting at someone's shoulder. Not corporate event spaces that feel like office annexes. Real bars with good acoustics, the right crowd, and enough professionalism that people show up ready to talk. Here are the 10 venues that nail it in New York and Chicago.
The Campbell
Grand Central, NYC
$$$
Historic / Corporate-Friendly
A former private office in Grand Central Terminal, now a Prohibition-era cocktail bar with 25-foot ceilings and enough noise absorption to actually have a conversation. It fills with commuters and professionals from 5pm and empties out enough by 7 for real networking. The space commands attention without demanding energy.
Order: The Prohibition Punch
Gilt Bar
River North, Chicago
$$$
Subterranean / Smart
A basement bar under a hotel on State Street that manages to feel sophisticated rather than corporate. The lighting is flattering, the cocktail list is short and correct, and the booths give genuine privacy for small groups. You can hear yourself think here, and the bar staff know how to pace a night.
Order: The Old Pal
The Bar at the Top of the Standard
Meatpacking District, NYC
$$$$
High-Rise / Memorable
Take people somewhere they won't forget and the conversation takes care of itself. Eighteen floors up with floor-to-ceiling views and a menu that doesn't embarrass anyone. Book the corner for 6-8 people and you have a proper private space. The venue itself does half the work.
Our editors' picks for bars that work for after-work drinks across 60 cities. The full guide.
The Violet Hour
Wicker Park, Chicago
$$$
Low-lit / Serious
A bar with a strict no-loud-talking rule that paradoxically makes professional conversation easier. The cocktail list is genuinely excellent. People who care about drinks are impressed; people who don't are still comfortable. This is a place where quality conversation is the point.
Order: Naked and Famous
The Pool Lounge
Midtown, NYC
$$$$
Power / Landmark
The drinking room attached to the Four Seasons restaurant, with architecture that commands respect. It's the sort of place where you introduce people you want to take seriously. The room tells its own story before anyone opens their mouth.
Order: Classic Dry Martini
Sportsman's Club
Ukrainian Village, Chicago
$$
Neighbourhood / Accessible
Not a power venue but a remarkably good mid-range networking bar. The full-length bar makes introductions easy, the cocktail list is priced for multiple rounds, and the noise level is calibrated for actual speech. This is networking without the pretension.
Order: The Negroni
The Skylark
Chelsea, NYC
$$
Rooftop / Views
An accessible rooftop bar in Chelsea that works for mixed groups. People who drink wine, people who drink beer, people who drink cocktails all find their place. The sunset views do the heavy lifting socially and take pressure off early conversations.
Every after-work bar in New York, categorised by neighbourhood and occasion. Our complete New York guide.
Three Dots and a Dash
River North, Chicago
$$$
Tiki / Festive
A tiki bar sounds wrong for networking but this one has private booths carved into the basement and a cocktail list that puts people in a good mood fast. The Treasure Chest accommodates 4-6 people and works better than any conference room. Fun and professional rarely live together; this bar makes it work.
Order: Three Dots and a Dash (the signature punch)
Broken Shaker
Freehand NYC, Gramercy
$$$
Hotel / Flexible
A Miami import that does the hotel bar concept right. The courtyard layout means groups can spread out without feeling cut off. The staff move efficiently and the bill is straightforward. This is professional networking without the awkward stilted feeling.
Order: The Broken Shaker Negroni
GreenRiver
Streeterville, Chicago
$$$
Rooftop / Sophisticated
A rooftop bar from the Violet Hour team, with Chicago skyline views and a cocktail list built for people who know what they're ordering. It works for groups of 4-12 and the pace of service matches professional expectations. The editors have been back three times.
Chicago's best bars for professional occasions. River North, West Loop, and Lincoln Park covered.
The Verdict
The best networking venues share three things: they're designed for conversation, they attract people ready to be professional, and they don't feel like work. The Campbell and Violet Hour nail the acoustics. The Skylark and GreenRiver let the space do social work for you. Broken Shaker and Sportsman's Club strip away pretence.
Choose based on what you want to communicate. Power play? Pool Lounge or Bar at the Top of the Standard. Serious conversation? Violet Hour or The Campbell. Fun and productive? Three Dots and a Dash. Inclusive and accessible? Sportsman's Club or The Skylark.
The location matters less than the decision to go somewhere designed for real conversation. Book ahead if numbers warrant it. Arrive early enough that you're not just filling a full room. And remember: the best networking happens when nobody's thinking about networking.
