9 New Venues in Chicago for Summer 2025 Meetings and Events

In Chicago’s Gold Coast, The Talbott Hotel unveiled a top-to-bottom renovation in May. The boutique hotel can hold gatherings for groups of 10 to 100 guests. Spaces include the 903-square-foot Reed Room, which can hold conferences for 30 guests and receptions for 75; the 306-square-foot Gallery (pictured), which hosts conferences for 10 and receptions for 30; and the 460-square-foot Meeting Suite, which is ideal for 15-guest conferences and receptions for 10 guests. In the summertime, a 500-square-foot patio hosts receptions for 40 or alfresco meetings for 15. Additionally, the venue’s new on-site restaurant, Laurel, can hold receptions for 100 guests or meetings for 30. It serves Mediterranean fare such as grilled octopus and Pasta Alla Norma.

Stolen Saddle, a country bar, restaurant, and live music venue, came to Wrigleyville—within earshot of Wrigley Field—in April. Billed as the city’s largest country bar, the 16,000-square-foot venue has three floors, a patio, and a menu with Tex-Mex snacks and game-day fare. (Think quesadillas, burritos, and sliders.) The venue has seven cabanas that take reservations; they can hold 10 to 20 guests apiece. For smaller groups, the Whiskey Bar can host cocktail parties for up to 40 guests. Larger groups can rent the second floor, which holds receptions for up to 200 guests.

Electric Shuffle, a London-based shuffleboard concept, opened a Chicago outpost in May. The 7,000-square-foot venue features 11 shuffleboard tables and can host tournament-style games for 15 to 250 guests. The bar serves craft cocktails, including the jalapeno-infused Spicy Lucy Margarita and a Salted Caramel Espresso Martini. Menu items range from Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza to Truffle Parm Fries.

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna came to River North in March, offering a new spot for upscale pizza parties. From the Boka Restaurant Group, the venue has an underground private dining room called Taverna. Accessed via a discreet freezer door, the space has an intimate, four-seat bar and booth seating for up to 32 guests. Served family-style, menu items include artisan and tavern-style pizzas, chicken Parmesan, salads, and crispy calamari.

The Greggory opened in South Barrington (a northwest suburb of Chicago) in March. The American restaurant focuses on live-fire cooking in an open kitchen, and menu items include seafood, homemade pasta, and prime cuts of beef. There are four event spaces. The Gallery seats 32 and holds 50 standing, while the Wine Cellar seats 14. The Salon is a semiprivate dining room that seats 50, and The Parlor seats 34 guests and holds 50 standing. The Parlor and The Gallery can also be booked together to host a hybrid cocktail party and dinner or a seated event for 66 guests. The venue’s classic American decor features plaid accents, worn leather, and brass.

Ambar, a Balkan restaurant, opened in River North in April. Serving flame-grilled meats, flatbreads, and other specialties from southeastern Europe, the venue seats 104 guests in its main dining room. It also has a private dining room, which seats 46. A covered patio also seats 46, while the bar area has high-top seating for 20 guests and bar seating for 12. The venue can arrange for mezze spreads, family-style tastings, brunch packages, or cocktail receptions with heavy hors d’oeuvres.

Machine Cocktail Bar came to Chicago’s Near North neighborhood in May. The 3,500-square-foot venue specializes in inventive cocktails with artistic presentations. It has a bar, a main dining room that seats 140, and smaller areas that can hold seated, semiprivate events for 30 to 50 guests. The decor features botanical elements, a floral-and-greenery installation, and a striking, smoked-glass art piece behind the bar. Food packages for events include grilled-cheese bites, fried-chicken tacos, and mozzarella-sweet-corn polenta fritters, while drinks range from communal cocktails to carrot cake espresso martinis and the Summer Margarita.

Diversey House, an all-in-one brewery, restaurant, and sports bar, opened in Logan Square in February. The bar and dining room spans 4,000 square feet and can host receptions for 125 guests. The space features porch swings, garage doors to accommodate inside/outside seating in the summertime, and a semiprivate area that seats 50. Equipped with outdoor games, the 3,000-square-foot beer garden holds receptions for 150 guests and has a dedicated bar with draft beers. The 2,000-square-foot brewery is also available for rent and can hold receptions for 75 guests.

Cafe Yaya came to Lincoln Park in March. Inspired by cafe culture in Paris and Tel Aviv, the all-day dining spot serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner downstairs; upstairs, there’s a private event space with a bar that can hold seated events for 100 guests. Helmed by James Beard Foundation award-winning chef Zachary Engel, the menu features items such as hummus and pita, falafel, and duck breast with pomegranate molasses. The venue can also arrange for food stations, which can include a raw oyster bar.