Best-Rated Cocktail Bars in the Chicago Area
A Google rating records what guests chose to write about a visit. It does not measure the drinks, the room or the price of a round, and this page does not present it as though it did.
The list includes small cocktail lounges in the city and bars in the suburbs, some of which also pour wine or serve food, so check the address and the menu on each listing before you go. A rating drawn from many reviews and one drawn from fewer are not the same measurement, so the review count sits beside every rating.
- 1
4.9 from 836 reviews on its Google Business Profile, captured
Cocktail Bar in Chicago.
- 2
4.9 from 224 reviews on its Google Business Profile, captured
Cocktail Bar in Aurora. Listed on Google under Art gallery, Charcuterie, Event venue, Lounge bar.
- 3
4.9 from 189 reviews on its Google Business Profile, captured
Cocktail Bar in Shorewood. Listed on Google under Wine bar.
- 4
- 5
4.9 from 72 reviews on its Google Business Profile, captured
Cocktail Bar in Skokie. Listed on Google under Bar, Distillery.
- 6
- 7
4.7 from 965 reviews on its Google Business Profile, captured
Cocktail Bar in Chicago.
- 8
4.7 from 311 reviews on its Google Business Profile, captured
Cocktail Bar in Oak Forest. Listed on Google under Bar, Lounge bar, Wine bar.
- 9
4.7 from 126 reviews on its Google Business Profile, captured
Cocktail Bar in Lemont.
How to read this page
The order is produced by a rule with no membership term in it: the rating snapshot first, then the review count, then the business name. Premier placement does not change the order on this page.
Every figure here is a snapshot of a public Google Business Profile on the date shown beside it. Google ratings move, so the live figure may differ from the one on this page.
How do I choose a cocktail bar?
Check how the bar seats guests, what its current menu offers, and what kind of room you are walking into. The ratings above say how reviewers felt about a visit. They do not say which bar suits a quiet conversation, a group or a night out before dinner. Three things to check before you go:
Seating and reservations
Some bars take reservations and others seat walk-in guests only. For a group, ask whether the bar holds tables, whether a reservation has a time limit, and whether a private area can be booked.
The menu
Menus differ in what they pour besides cocktails and in whether food is served. If someone in your party is not drinking alcohol, check whether the menu lists alcohol-free drinks, and ask about an allergy before you order.
The room
Some rooms are quiet and dim, others are loud or host live music. The photos on a bar’s own website and the reviews on its listing show which kind of room you are choosing. Ask about a dress code, a cover charge on music nights and accessibility if any of them matter.
Each listing gives the bar’s address and contact details.