The 5 Best Bars in Chicago

1. Roof - The Wit Hotel: A view to remember 

You’ll definitely feel the wind go through your hair in the Windy City when at this next outdoor bar, but it’ll be worth it on Roof, the rooftop bar of the Wit. Head over to N. State St. and take your chance to see a spectacular view of downtown Chicago 27 floors up while listening to the live music that Roof has to offer. Roof is open year round, making it one of the best bars in Chicago to be at whether it’s during the stifling, hot summertime or sub-zero, freezing winter since it is equipped for both as well as everything else in between. 

Spend your time on the outdoor patio and feel the breeze from Lake Michigan. When it gets even chillier, feel free to relax and take a seat in front of one of the outside fireplaces. When you’d rather take a break from the outdoors, walk inside to the chic indoor lounge another bar will be waiting to serve you.  

2. Sound Bar Chicago: Trendy for a reason

Located in the River North area, this trendy hot spot is one of the best bars in Chicago to be at on a Friday or Saturday night. The nine different bar areas at Sound Bar will keep the drinks flowing all night. Better bring your dancing shoes because Sound Bar Chicago has two dance floors with the best house music in town. Upstairs the DJ, the music, and the dancing create a very energetic party scene, while the champagne and wine you can get downstairs generates a very cool and calm tone. Make sure you get there early on the weekends if you want to beat the lines, as Sound Bar Chicago can get pretty crowded pretty quick.

3. Maude's Liquor Bar: Parisian to the core 

The dinner menu at Maude’s Liquor Bar is full of luscious salads, succulent seafood platters, and fine French cuisine. Their drink menu is just as vast, fully stocked with bottles of aged wine, bubbly champagne, Chicago-brewed beer, and a wide variety of top-shelf liquor for plenty of cocktails. Water is of course plentiful, and served from a glass bottle so as to keep the Parisian feel to everything Maude’s touches. Filled with a light and relaxed atmosphere, Maude’s Liquor Bar is the place to go when you want to have lunch with an old friend, drinks after a long week of work, or a romantic date with someone special.

4. Public House: Customized taps at the booth 

With 27 plasma TVs, one 84-inch HD video wall, and 103 different types of beer offered, Public House is where you want to be to watch your favorite team play when you can’t be at the game itself. Public House will even customize your personal booth with its own tap that is able to hold two types of beer and one liquor of your choice, making it one of the best bars in Chicago. When you get hungry during the game and don’t want to miss out on that beer taste, Public House has a full service kitchen with many signature dishes and sauces that include beer as the main ingredient. This one of a kind bar resides on North State St. right in the River North area.

5. The Lodge Tavern: A saloon for all hours

If you enjoy partying until the wee hours in the morning, then the Lodge Tavern is most definitely one of the best bars in Chicago for you. Open until 4:00 a.m., the Lodge and the rest of the late night crowds can be found in the Rush and Division nightlife district. The Lodge Tavern first opened in 1957 and it still carries the old-fashioned saloon feel with it. With a jukebox complete with oldies music and a wooden floor full of empty peanut shells, the Lodge can satisfy even the most contemporary taste buds. On any given night, locals and tourists of all ages can be found dancing to old 45s with cold drafts in their hands, making the charming, frontier environment truly and unforgettable experience.

Still thirsty? Make your next weekend even more memorable by exploring some of the best clubs in Chicago.