14 Best Bars in River North, Chicago

A favorite after-work watering hole with a substantial bar menu, Andy's Jazz Club has live music ranging from swing jazz to bebop.

Vintage furnishings, upholstered walls, and intriguing details set the 1920s speakeasy scene at this low-lighted lounge. Downstairs, The Library has velvet booths and vintage art surrounding a handsome book-lined bar.

Though its name implies otherwise, House of Blues actually attracts big-name performers of all genres, including jazz, roots, gospel, alternative rock, hip-hop, world, and R&B. The interior is an elaborate cross between blues bar and ornate opera house. Its restaurant has a satisfying Sunday gospel brunch. 

The bartenders at this swanky but unfussy cocktail bar on the ground floor of the hip ACME Hotel specialize in improvisation—name a spirit, flavor profile, and type of glassware from the "Dealer's Choice" menu and they'll craft a drink for you on the spot.

In an upscale part of downtown, Blue Chicago has none of the trademark grit or edginess of the older South Side blues clubs. What it does offer is a good sound system, a packed calendar that regularly features female vocalists, and a cosmopolitan audience that's a tad more diverse than some of the baseball-capped crowds at Lincoln Park blues clubs.

Like its siblings in Miami, NYC, and elsewhere, Chicago's Broken Shaker specializes in highly creative cocktails, with a rotating menu that leans to the savory side. On one visit, we sampled a "Turn Up," with mezcal, Cynar, mango, coconut, and lemon. The bar itself is on the small side, but seating and service spill out into the Freehand hotel lobby. 

This ambitious bar and lounge, open till the early morning hours, offers a different environment on each of the four levels and high-quality cocktails throughout. Highlights include the fourth-floor Roof Garden, a year-round escapist experience under a fully retractable glass rooftop, and DISCO, on the third floor, which captures the energy, glamour, and sexiness of the 1970s in NYC, Paris, and Rome. DJs spin classics, deep cuts, and disco that evoke Studio 54 and Paradise Garage.

Imported wood, stone, and glass are used to create Fadó's Irish look. The second floor—with a bar brought in from Dublin—feels more like the real thing than the first. Expect expertly drawn Guinness, a fine selection of whiskeys, a menu of traditional dishes, and live music on weekends.

Billing itself as a "Continental tavern," this two-story River North hot spot pays homage to Ernest Hemingway's travels with classic cocktails and eclectic, globetrotting decor—think Moroccan tiled walls, vintage books, dramatic oil paintings, brass light fixtures, and tables made from reclaimed wood. Small plates are designed with communal dining in mind, though you may want to keep your perfectly balanced Sazerac all to yourself.

Pops got its start more than 40 years ago and it's Chicago's only champagne bar. These days there's a focus on small-grower producers. The basement is home to Watershed, a cozy spot with limestone walls focused on Great Lakes regional craft beers and spirits.

Sound-Bar is a two-level labyrinth of nine bars, each with a unique design and color scheme (some even serve matching colored cocktails). Feel like dancing? Join the pulse of Chicago's best-dressed on the huge dance floor.

This late-night underground dance club has been in the River North area for more than 25 years. Featured are internationally renowned and up-and-coming local musicians and DJs. 

Once you’ve found the alley entrance (hint: look for the red-roped line of people waiting outside), descend the glowing skull-lined stairs to reach this hip spot that’s an homage to the mid-century tiki craze. "Three Dots and a Dash" is an old-school, rum-based tiki cocktail that gets its name from the morse code for the letter "V" as in victory, as used in WWII. There are Pan-Pacific nibbles, like the shareable pu pu platter, to accompany the strong tropical cocktails adorned with flowers and served in tiki mugs. 

This subterranean dance club has dropped the quasi-military underground bunker theme it once sported, but it still attracts celebs, international DJs, and the clientele that follows both.