Chicago Bars by Style

Chicago’s bar scene rewards neighborhood-by-neighborhood exploring. The city has serious craft breweries, cocktail rooms with strict rules, old taverns with cheap drinks, and sports bars that fill before first pitch. This guide sticks to places with a clear identity and concrete reasons to visit.

Craft Beer and Breweries

Revolution Brewing is a good starting point for Chicago beer. Its Logan Square brewpub serves Anti-Hero IPA and seasonal releases, and the food menu is more substantial than typical bar fare. Check tour availability if you want to see the brewery side.

Goose Island Beer Co. grew well beyond Chicago, but its Clybourn Street pub remains the original Chicago location. The Barrel House is the better stop for experimental and barrel-aged beers. For a broader tap list in a low-key setting, Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar in Bridgeport combines a bar, liquor store, and neighborhood gathering place. The taps rotate, and the bottle and can selection is deep.

Lagunitas Brewing Company Chicago Taproom in Douglas Park is a large taproom with live music and a wide range of Lagunitas beers. The Empty Bottle in Ukrainian Village is known for live music, but it also keeps a solid craft beer list. Hopleaf Bar in Andersonville is the city’s most focused beer bar for Belgian and American craft beer, with a gastropub menu and staff who can guide you through the list.

Cocktail Bars

The Violet Hour in Wicker Park set the template for Chicago’s modern speakeasy. The room is intimate, the classic cocktails are carefully made, and the rules are enforced: dress appropriately and put the phone away.

Three Dots and a Dash in River North is a tiki bar with elaborate shared drinks and a transportive room. It is loud, colorful, and best for groups. The Aviary in the West Loop, from the Alinea group, treats cocktails as a tasting-menu experience with unusual techniques and presentation. It is expensive, but it is one of the city’s singular drinking experiences. Scofflaw in Logan Square is more approachable, with a strong gin selection and creative cocktails in a comfortable setting.

Cindy’s Rooftop at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel looks over Millennium Park and Lake Michigan. The view is the draw, and the cocktails are competent enough for a special-occasion drink.

Dive Bars and Neighborhood Taverns

Old Town Ale House in Old Town has been open since 1977. It has a jukebox, a regular crowd, and walls covered with local character. Chop Shop in Wicker Park is part bar, part music venue, and part restaurant, with a patio and a solid drink list.

The Whistler in Logan Square is a small bar with craft beer, creative cocktails, and live jazz or DJs. It is unpretentious despite the serious drink program. Simon’s Tavern in Andersonville is a decades-old neighborhood bar known for strong drinks and low prices. The decor is not the point; the regulars are.

Rossi’s Liquors on State Street is a no-frills Chicago institution that feels frozen in time. It is a good stop for a quick, potent drink before or after a show downtown.

Sports Bars and Game-Day Spots

Murphy’s Bleachers across from Wrigley Field is the classic Cubs game-day bar: crowded, loud, and built for baseball. Old Fifth in the West Loop is a sleeker sports bar with plenty of screens and a full drink and bar-food menu, better suited to basketball or hockey.

The Pony Inn in Lakeview has a large beer list and a lively, unpretentious room that works for sports. Breweries such as Revolution and Lagunitas can also work for game watching when you want a communal table and better beer than the average sports bar.

Distinctive Drinking Experiences

3 Arts Club Cafe at Restoration Hardware in the Gold Coast is primarily a restaurant, but its bar serves elegant cocktails in a dramatic, historic-feeling room. The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge in Uptown is a jazz club with live music most nights, classic cocktails, and a history that includes Al Capone. The room and the music are the reason to go.

For a more local night, look at taverns in Ukrainian Village and Avondale. The best ones are often plain from the outside, with a good patio, a surprising beer list, or a bartender who knows the regulars. Those places are not always covered in big guides, which is part of the appeal.

Practical Tips

  • Plan by neighborhood: Wicker Park and Logan Square have cocktail bars and music venues; Andersonville has Hopleaf and Simon’s; the West Loop has The Aviary and Old Fifth; Wrigleyville is for Cubs games.
  • Check hours and events: Breweries and music bars often close early or host ticketed shows. Confirm before you cross town.
  • Use the CTA: The L and buses make it easy to visit several neighborhoods without parking. Do not drive if you are drinking.
  • Use happy hour: Many bars discount drinks and appetizers early in the evening. It is the cheapest way to try a place.
  • Tip correctly: Tip $1 to $2 per simple drink or 15 to 20 percent on a tab. Bartenders remember good tippers.

Chicago’s best bar depends on the night and the neighborhood. A craft brewery in Logan Square, a jazz club in Uptown, and a dive in Andersonville can all be the right answer. Pick a part of the city, walk between two or three places, and leave room for the one you did not plan.