Here are new restaurants, bars, activity venues, and a dedicated event space suitable for off-site meetings, teambuilding outings, client entertaining, or even overnight accommodations in and around Chicago.
Event designer Debi Lilly of A Perfect Event opened DL Loft above her Lakeview studio in October. Modeled after a Parisian apartment, the event space seats 30 or holds 50 for cocktail parties; it can also provide overnight accommodations for six. With a 20-foot glass window, the venue is styled with gilded antique mirrors, French flea market finds, and ornate candelabra. It also has a professional chef’s kitchen, a French-salon-style lounge area, and a DJ loft.
Grillhouse by David Burke opened in Schaumburg in October. The 22,000-square-foot venue seats 450 guests. An 11,000-square-foot private dining space known as the Loft at Grillehouse seats 150 guests or holds 300 for receptions. The American menu includes Amish chicken and filet mignon.
Shay opened in River North in October. The cocktail lounge’s front area is available for receptions of as many as 150 guests; its main bar area holds 350 for receptions. The venue has a wireless microphone, two 90-inch plasma-screen TVs, and branding opportunities through customized lighting effects and screens.
The Smith on Lake, a new venue from Paramount Events, opened in spring 2014. The space seats 40 or holds 75 for receptions. Using Paramount’s kitchen, groups of as many as 50 guests can partake in Iron Chef-style cooking competitions or cooking classes.
Yum Cha, a dim sum parlor, opened in Lakeshore East in March 2014. The bar and lounge area, which has a skyline view, holds 75 for receptions or seats 40. Overlooking a park, the main dining room seats as many as 100 guests or holds 125 for receptions. The full restaurant is also available for buyouts, holding 225 for receptions or 150 for seated dinners.
In Lincoln Park, Fairways has an upper-level golf lounge that holds 16 golfers and as many as 50 additional guests. The space has four high-definition golf simulators, a back bar slinging craft beer and cocktails, and a lounge area with a U-shaped leather banquette and a menu of contemporary American snacks. The main floor, equipped with booths, tables, and a slightly raised space with glass half-walls, is also available for private and semiprivate functions.
Henry’s Swing Club, a retro-style spot specializing in sliders and cocktails, came to River North in June 2014. With a pool table and a cocktail list that offers “Swizzled,” “Shaken,” and “Stirred” selections, the venue is available for buyouts and holds as many as 200 for receptions. The lounge, open for semiprivate events, seats 27 or holds 50 for receptions.
