One Stop Shop
Some people like bars, some people like clubs, and for those who like both, MaxBar is the venue to book. Half glossy tavern, half dance-filled lounge, Lincoln Park’s latest venue, from the owners of Crobar, opened in April. The 4,000-square-foot space has a capacity of 400 and is filled with glittering candles and leather banquettes and booths—giving those who want to sit or dance equal opportunity. The back room lounge is available for private parties of as many as 250 people, and includes a mezzanine-level private area that has a bird’s-eye view of the goings-on below and a capacity of 50.Boogie to the Beat
If your guests want to get down, then Enclave is the dance club to book. Located in River North, the 15,000-square-foot, bilevel warehouse has been drawing a steady crowd since its opening in August 2005. The venue’s size—it can accommodate groups of 50 to 1,000—and its dance-till-you-drop policy draws corporate clients like Nike and Google. Private booths with LED lighting and sheer curtains are located throughout the space, as are three bars, private areas, and dancer platforms. The best party perk? A serving of fresh flowers with bottle service.
Two-in-One
For some partygoers, convenience is a must, and for those staying at Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Chi Bar is as convenient as it gets. Open since March, Chi Bar is a Streeterville lounge located on the hotel’s ground floor that tends to draw a professional-turned-rowdy crowd. The 1,840-square-foot space features 15 flat-screen TVs, comfy leather sofas, and views of both Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. Chi Bar can accommodate cocktail parties for 130 and has a light appetizer menu. Don’t miss the desserts, including key lime pie and carrot cake.
Midwest Meditation
It’s not often that the words serene and nightclub are linked together, but that’s just what Stone Lotus is being called. Open since in mid-June, the bilevel, 3,800-square-foot venue combines earthy tones with bamboo and cherry blossom accents to create a soothing nightlife experience. Designed by New York-based SL Design (the firm behind Marquee and Butter), Stone Lotus has two bars, two DJ booths, and a 55-foot-long granite water wall that spans the entire length of the main room. Dubbed a “liquor spa”—another incongruous moniker—the venue offers “bottle treatments” of small plates prepared by the chef and hot towels with bottle service. Parties of 20 to 300 can take over one or both levels of the club, which can also host live performances.
Some people like bars, some people like clubs, and for those who like both, MaxBar is the venue to book. Half glossy tavern, half dance-filled lounge, Lincoln Park’s latest venue, from the owners of Crobar, opened in April. The 4,000-square-foot space has a capacity of 400 and is filled with glittering candles and leather banquettes and booths—giving those who want to sit or dance equal opportunity. The back room lounge is available for private parties of as many as 250 people, and includes a mezzanine-level private area that has a bird’s-eye view of the goings-on below and a capacity of 50.Boogie to the Beat
If your guests want to get down, then Enclave is the dance club to book. Located in River North, the 15,000-square-foot, bilevel warehouse has been drawing a steady crowd since its opening in August 2005. The venue’s size—it can accommodate groups of 50 to 1,000—and its dance-till-you-drop policy draws corporate clients like Nike and Google. Private booths with LED lighting and sheer curtains are located throughout the space, as are three bars, private areas, and dancer platforms. The best party perk? A serving of fresh flowers with bottle service.
Two-in-One
For some partygoers, convenience is a must, and for those staying at Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Chi Bar is as convenient as it gets. Open since March, Chi Bar is a Streeterville lounge located on the hotel’s ground floor that tends to draw a professional-turned-rowdy crowd. The 1,840-square-foot space features 15 flat-screen TVs, comfy leather sofas, and views of both Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. Chi Bar can accommodate cocktail parties for 130 and has a light appetizer menu. Don’t miss the desserts, including key lime pie and carrot cake.
Midwest Meditation
It’s not often that the words serene and nightclub are linked together, but that’s just what Stone Lotus is being called. Open since in mid-June, the bilevel, 3,800-square-foot venue combines earthy tones with bamboo and cherry blossom accents to create a soothing nightlife experience. Designed by New York-based SL Design (the firm behind Marquee and Butter), Stone Lotus has two bars, two DJ booths, and a 55-foot-long granite water wall that spans the entire length of the main room. Dubbed a “liquor spa”—another incongruous moniker—the venue offers “bottle treatments” of small plates prepared by the chef and hot towels with bottle service. Parties of 20 to 300 can take over one or both levels of the club, which can also host live performances.
Enjoy Your Stay
Lots of hotel lobbies try to be bars, but this bar tries to be a hotel lobby. The warehouse district’s newest red-rope venue, the Victor Hotel (312.733.6900), is a 7,000-square-foot lounge combining high ceilings and oversize white fabric lights with shag rugs and retro leather furniture. The lounge, which opened last summer, can host groups of as many as 300 in its main room and offers signature cocktails, such as the “13th Floor,” which adds a dash of pomegranate juice to the Cosmo.
Posted 09.13.06
MaxBar
Enclave
Chi Bar
Stone Lotus
Victor Hotel
