10 bars in Chicago, editor-picked for bars open late. Bars serving past 23:00. All bars in Chicago.
The Office (at The Aviary) ★ 4.7
955 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
Hours: Tue-Thu 17:00-23:00; Fri 17:00-01:00; Sat 16:30-01:00; Sun-Mon closed
The Office in Chicago is the speakeasy beneath The Aviary on Fulton Market: a 15-seat reservation-only basement room with rare-spirit flights and caviar.
Tip: Book six weeks out via the Tock system. The Pappy Van Winkle pour is the room's biggest draw.
The Aviary ★ 4.6
955 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
Hours: Tue-Thu 17:00-23:00; Fri 17:00-01:00; Sat 16:30-01:00; Sun-Mon closed
The Aviary in Chicago is the Achatz-Kokonas modernist cocktail bar above Next on Fulton Market, with edible-ice cocktails and a service script all its own.
Tip: Book the In the Rocks cocktail (cracked-ice presentation tableside); it is the room's defining drink and the value-per-dollar move.
Au Cheval (bar) ★ 4.6
800 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00-23:15, Sun 10:00-22:15
Au Cheval in Chicago is the West Loop diner-bar on Randolph with one of the country's most-mentioned cheeseburgers, plus duck-heart hash and a bar-front.
Tip: The bar accepts walk-up only; sit there if you can't book. The single-with-egg cheeseburger is the menu's defining order.
Billy Sunday ★ 4.5
3143 W Logan Blvd, Chicago, IL 60647
Hours: Mon-Tue 17:00-23:00; Wed-Thu 17:00-00:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-02:00; Sun 12:00-23:00
Billy Sunday in Chicago is Matthias Merges's Logan Square cocktail bar on Logan Boulevard, with a 100-bottle amaro back bar and Prohibition-era American.
Tip: Order off the amaro list, not the cocktail list, if you want the real value. The lesser-known Italians cost the same as a beer.
Longman & Eagle ★ 4.5
2657 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:00-23:00, Fri 11:00-01:00, Sat 09:00-01:00, Sun 09:00-23:00
Longman & Eagle in Chicago is the Logan Square whiskey bar-and-restaurant on Kedzie Avenue, with a 250-bottle whiskey list, a Michelin Bib Gourmand and inn.
Tip: The Bib Gourmand dinner room is the right pairing for the whiskey list. Sit at the bar if walk-up and order the wild-boar sloppy joe.
The Green Mill ★ 4.5
4802 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60640
Hours: Daily 17:00-04:00
The Green Mill in Chicago is the Uptown jazz club on Broadway since 1907, an Al Capone hangout in the 1920s, with live jazz seven nights a week and a $10.
Tip: The Sunday night Uptown Poetry Slam (open mic, 21:00) is the original poetry slam since 1986, hosted by Marc Smith.
Matchbox ★ 4.4
770 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
Hours: Mon-Fri 15:00-02:00; Sat 15:00-03:00; Sun 15:00-02:00
Matchbox in Chicago is the four-foot-wide West Town cocktail bar on Milwaukee Avenue, a 30-seat triangle serving stiff classic cocktails since 1995.
Tip: Order an Old Fashioned. The slim bartender pour is the house standard; do not ask for it differently.
Sportsman's Club ★ 4.3
948 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
Hours: Daily 17:00-02:00
Sportsman's Club in Chicago is Heisler Hospitality's Ukrainian Village bar on Western Avenue, with a rotating cocktail menu, pop-up kitchens and a tree-lined.
Tip: The back patio is the move from May through October. Walk-up; the indoor bar fills first on cold nights.
The Whistler ★ 4.3
2421 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
Hours: Tue-Wed 18:00-01:00; Thu-Fri 18:00-02:00; Sat 18:00-03:00; Sun 18:00-01:00; Mon closed
The Whistler in Chicago is the Logan Square cocktail bar on Milwaukee Avenue from Paul McGee, with nightly live music (jazz, soul) and rotating seasonal.
Tip: Cover is $5 at the door for the back room music; the bar room is free. Wednesday is the strongest jazz night.
Queen Mary Tavern ★ 4.2
2125 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622
Hours: Mon-Thu 17:00-01:00; Fri-Sun 15:00-01:00
Queen Mary Tavern in Chicago is the Wicker Park cocktail bar on Division Street with a maritime theme, navy-blue panels and a fish-and-chips counter.
Tip: The fish-and-chips kitchen opens at 17:00 from the back room; the bar opens an hour earlier for cocktails only.