The Violet Hour is a speakeasy in Wicker Park / Bucktown, Chicago.
Editorially verified May 20, 2026 by Elliot Marsh, TableJourney editor. Source.
Tip: No reservations, walk in. The line out front moves; once you are inside the rule is no cell phones and conversations stay below the music.
Water activity · 1.5 hours
Climb aboard a 90 passenger historic riverboat & sip cocktails while cruising the Chicago River! Relax and learn about the history & architecture of the city via live ...
2 hours
Unleash your creativity with a fun paint and sip experience in Chicago. Enjoy a relaxed atmosphere with music, drinks, and plenty of laughs as you create your own masterpiece.
Guided tour · 2 hours
Discover Chicago's Ukrainian Village on a Mid-Century Cocktail Bar tour. Visit three hidden bars, enjoy craft cocktails & beers for you to purchase, and maybe experien...
Address: 1520 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
Watershed in Chicago tucks beneath Pops for Champagne at State and Ohio. A staircase marked with a large W drops to a basement of stone walls and seasonal cocktails.
TipWalk-in only, no reservations. The cocktail menu rotates by season; ask the bartender about the rotating themed list pulled from TV shows.
Sidetrack on North Halsted opened 1982 as the Northalsted video bar with six rooms, a rooftop deck and themed video nights from Show Tunes Monday to Musicals Sunday.
TipShow Tunes Monday and Musicals Sunday are tradition; no cover any night. The rooftop is the warm-weather spot, the Glass Bar handles overflow.
Roscoe's Tavern in Chicago has anchored Halsted Street since 1987 with a pool table room, fireside chat area, sidewalk patio and a dance floor that runs late on weekends.
TipNo cover before 22:00 most nights. Saturday closes at 03:00, the latest in Northalsted. Drag bingo and trivia rotate through the weekday calendar.
Charlie's on Broadway is the Chicago country and western gay bar opened 1993. Line dancing lessons run nightly from 21:00 before the floor switches to dance music at midnight.
TipLine dancing nightly from 21:00, lessons most weekdays before that. Saturday runs to 05:00, the latest in Northalsted. No cover before 22:00.
Hydrate in Chicago has been the Northalsted dance club for two decades, with a sit-down drag show in the back early and the floor opening to DJs and dancing after 23:00.
TipClosed Tuesday and Wednesday. Saturday runs to 05:00. The back-room drag show before 23:00 is the chill-entry move; the front opens up after.
Replay on Sheffield is the LGBTQ arcade bar with 65 free vintage games, 50 craft beers and themed pinball nights that pull a queer Lakeview crowd seven nights weekly.
TipFree arcade entry with any drink purchase. Themed Drag Race watch parties and trivia rotate weeknights; arrive before 21:00 for game machines.
