Chicago Venues

Estate Ultra Bar opened on Leap Day along the Chicago River. Available for buyout, the 8,000-square-foot venue can host receptions for some 260 guests. Several smaller areas are also available for private events. Later this year, a rooftop lounge will open, as will a riverfront dining area and a semi-enclosed patio called the Gazebo. The outdoor spaces will all be available for private functions, and though final capacities are still being determined, venue reps say that the alfresco spaces combined will hold more than 100 guests. Chef Chris Turano oversees the menu, where specialty items include lobster mac and cheese with a Goldfish-cracker crust. Mixologist Dan de los Monteros, formerly of the Aviary, stirs up seasonal cocktails.

III Forks Steakhouse opened last fall near Millennium Park. With cabanas, stone fireplaces, and a knotty pine and granite bar, its rooftop lounge overlooks the park and the city skyline and can host events for 100 guests. The lounge has its own menu of small plates, with selections such as tobiko deviled eggs, lamb meatballs, and duck served in waffle cones.

The Lounge at the Plaza, a new outdoor lounge at the north end of Millennium Park, is open seasonally and hosts receptions for 150 or seated dinners for 125. Tented with white linen fabric, the space is filled with cushioned wicker chairs, stools, and high-top tables. Summery items on the cocktail list include spiked lemonade drinks and mojitos, and the appetizer menu offers Baja fish tacos, house-made hummus, and pulled-pork sliders.

Originally open in July 2011, Frontier's 125-seat patio added a full-service bar in October and four flat-screen TVs for presentations. By May, the space will have a retractable roof and an outdoor cocktail list with punch bowls and seasonal drinks. Group dinners can include whole-roasted pig, lamb, or goat with sides such as macaroni and cheese and johnnycakes.