Chicago's cocktail bars run from tasting-menu rooms to neighborhood taverns. Kumiko on Lake Street and The Aviary on Fulton Market are the high-concept end, with The Office, the speakeasy below The Aviary. Longman & Eagle and The Whistler in Logan Square and Sportsman's Club on Western Avenue show the more relaxed side.
13 cocktail bar places in Chicago we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Chicago · Cocktail Bar across every city.
Kumiko, a West Loop Japanese dining bar that treats food, drink and hospitality with equal reverence, won the 2025 James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar.
Drink Spirit-forward cocktails that change daily
Sportsman's Club, opened in December 2013, is a neighborhood tavern pouring classically inspired, spirit-forward cocktails that change daily.
Drink Classic cocktails
Billy Sunday is an award-winning Logan Square cocktail bar known for classic drinks, adventurous new creations and a deep library of vintage spirits.
The Aviary, the brainchild of Chef Grant Achatz, offers three experiences every night, including a seasonal 5-course food and cocktail tasting menu.
The Office is a cocktail bar at 955 W Fulton Market in Chicago.
Queen Mary is a neighborhood cocktail tavern in Wicker Park, a time capsule bar opened in November 2015 that explores British maritime drinking traditions.
Longman & Eagle is a contemporary take on a traditional Chicago inn in Logan Square, with drinking and eating plus six rooms available for overnight stay.
Au Cheval is a diner-style bar and restaurant with a passion for eggs, serving chopped chicken liver, roasted bone marrow and its signature cheeseburger.
Drink Egg white margarita
Founded in 1945, The Matchbox is a small Chicago bar known for its tiny footprint and thoughtfully crafted cocktails, with a patio built for year round hangs.
Dave Jemilo opened the current Green Mill, a jazz club at Lawrence & Broadway in Uptown, on June 19, 1986, and it has grown into a leading live venue.
Drink Whistler originals on an always-changing menu
The Whistler in Logan Square is a bar, record label, gallery and venue for live music and DJs, with a changing menu of classics and Whistler originals.
Try Signature and experimental cocktails
The Aviary on Fulton Market offers a 3-course cocktail progression you customize yourself, plus classic cocktails and vintage spirits, all non-alcoholic too.
Try Egg white margarita
Founded in 1945, The Matchbox has served premium cocktails in one of Chicago's most intimate bars for over 75 years; the egg white margarita is its signature.
