Meet me in the lobby

Chicago’s hot new hotel bars aren’t just for tourists

By David Himmel

April 30, 2008

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When you need to escape your humdrum life and a weekend getaway is too rich for your blood, kick back at a posh hotel bar right here in Chicago. A hotel lounge can be the perfect place to meet a secret lover, or just pretend you’re somebody else for the night. There’s been a recent rush of hotel bar openings—and a few more, including Vertigo (at the Dana) and C-View (at the Affinia), are on the way—so we checked in to see which ones you should check out.

Best place to meet after work
Cityscape Bar at Holiday Inn Mart Plaza
Scoot out of the office a little early and head to Cityscape Bar, where you can mock the Wacker Drive workers as they scurry home like little ants—15 stories below. The workday pressures slip away with the help of a cool, crisp 10 Cane Mojito ($9). On Wednesdays, Cityscape offers a free mini-buffet of chicken wings and veggies, which goes over well with the convention-going crowd and the Merch Mart employees enjoying an impromptu happy hour. At Cityscape, everyone’s above cloud nine—so remember to come back down: You’ve got work in the morning.

Best place to take a shopping/sightseeing break
Rocks at Hard Rock Hotel
When your arms ache from lugging shopping bags down the Mag Mile or your dogs are barking after a hike through Millennium Park, this laid-back lobby lounge has a seat for you—especially if you’re partial to a great drinking soundtrack. The hip young jeans-and-sport coat crowd favors the High Fashion ($15), made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, sweet vermouth, muddled blood oranges and sour cherry. Rock your palate with crispy tempura chicken bites ($12) or a baked cheese flight ($14).

Best place to start the night
Crimson Lounge at Hotel Sax
A signature aroma (Suha, a melding of pomegranate, sandalwood and other spices), candlelight and drapery scream sexy at this River North nightspot. Kanye West, Common and R. Kelly have been spotted hanging out in the lounge, and celeb DJ (and friend-of-LiLo) Samantha Ronson hits the decks here for a monthly residency. Crimson’s Old World, plush couches are ideal for keeping it casual with light bites such as truffle-scented popcorn ($5) or going big with Grey Goose bottle service ($275). The tunes start early enough for you to get the adrenaline going and get primed for a night of misbehaving at other nearby River North hotspots.

Best place to bring a date
Rebar at Trump International Hotel
Anything The Donald does is met with buzz, so even though it’s only about two weeks old, the sleek bar inside the Trump International Hotel is already a popular spot. A wall of windows frames the eastern sky, so your date can gaze into your eyes with the Chicago River and classic Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive bridges as a the backdrop. To encourage a date that will end well, we suggest sipping the rose-and-champagne Daylight cocktail ($14).

Best place to bring out-of-towners
Potters at Palmer House Hilton
This lounge inside the historic Palmer House Hilton combines classic sophistication and contemporary cool. Named after hotel founder Potter Palmer, the bar’s an ideal spot to bring your parents when they’re in for the weekend. A classic Gibson ($14) and mini-crock of goat cheese ($12) make a nice preamble to "Jersey Boys" or "Wicked"—The Palmer House is nestled in the theater district, after all. Walls are adorned with large sepia photos capturing 1930s performances in the hotel’s Empire Room, while photos of local icons (from Belushi to Peyton to Hef) give you plenty of reasons to brag about why Chicago’s your kinda town.

[ David Himmel is a Metromix special contributor. ]
metromix@tribune.com