Chicago has the deepest serious-cocktail tradition outside New York and Tokyo. The Violet Hour opened in 2007 and trained a generation. The Aviary turned cocktails into an avant-garde tasting menu. The 10 below cover the West Loop, Wicker Park and Logan Square — the city's three drinking neighbourhoods of record.
Part of our 50 Best Bars in the World listThis article is one chapter in our larger global guide. See the full pillar with every featured city.
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The 10 best bars in Chicago
01 · Chicago
Wicker Park
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Curtained · No phones
Long blue curtain at the entrance. House rules taken seriously. Toby Maloney's Chicago landmark.
Order: The Violet Fizz
02 · Chicago
West Loop
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Tasting menu · Theatre
Grant Achatz's cocktail kitchen. Edible balloons, drinks served on rocks chiselled from glaciers, science as showmanship.
Order: The Bond — frozen, dressed up
03 · Chicago
Logan Square
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Tiki · Polynesian
Paul McGee's Logan Square tiki bar. Far from the kitsch — the rum list is one of America's deepest.
Order: A Mai Tai with their reserve agricole
04 · Chicago
West Loop
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Japanese counter · Omakase
Julia Momose's Japanese-influenced cocktail counter. Twelve seats, omakase format. James Beard Outstanding Bar Program winner.
Order: The kuro tasting (cocktails paired to small bites)
05 · Chicago
Logan Square
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Pre-Prohibition · Tinctures
Pre-Prohibition cocktail bar in Logan Square. House-made tinctures, bitters, syrups built from scratch.
Order: Whatever uses their house tincture of the month
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06 · Chicago
Lincoln Park
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Whiskey saloon · 1993
Operating since 1993. Lincoln Park whiskey saloon with one of the deepest American whiskey lists in the country.
Order: A flight of bourbons
07 · Chicago
Logan Square
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Inn + bar
Longman is a small inn; Eagle is the serious cocktail bar attached. Whiskey-leaning, cellar-deep.
Order: A whiskey-based seasonal
08 · Chicago
Logan Square
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Gin-led · Casual
Logan Square gin-focused bar. Eighty-plus gins, casual atmosphere, drinks that punch above the casual format.
Order: A Negroni made with their reserve gin
09 · Chicago
Uptown
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Jazz · 1907
Operating since 1907. Al Capone drank here. Live jazz seven nights a week, drinks served simply.
Order: A bourbon, neat, during the late set
10 · Chicago
Gold Coast
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Hotel rooftop
On top of the Raffaello Hotel. Outdoor terrace with a view across the Magnificent Mile. Whiskey-focused cocktail program.
Order: A boulevardier, terrace-side
More Chicago bars by categoryCocktail, rooftop, hidden gem, sports — the full Chicago index.
See the full list
How Chicago drinks differently from New York
Chicago bars take craft as seriously as New York's, but with a different posture — less self-aware, more midwestern. Toby Maloney's Wicker Park lineage (The Violet Hour) and Grant Achatz's Fulton Market lineage (The Aviary) define the two poles. The neighbourhood places (Lost Lake, Sportsman's Club) bring the warmth.
