Guidebook for Chicago

Ian
Guidebook for Chicago

Drinks & Nightlife

Great little bar with patio. Has delicious vegan/vegetarian food and their brunch is great. And it's right across the street from the apartment!
140 personas de la zona recomiendan
Handlebar
2311 W North Ave
140 personas de la zona recomiendan
Great little bar with patio. Has delicious vegan/vegetarian food and their brunch is great. And it's right across the street from the apartment!
Pre-Prohibition-era Speakeasy with no sign. It's a pretty cool place to stop in for a very fancy cocktail. Talk to me for an explanation on how to get in.
355 personas de la zona recomiendan
The Violet Hour
1520 N Damen Ave
355 personas de la zona recomiendan
Pre-Prohibition-era Speakeasy with no sign. It's a pretty cool place to stop in for a very fancy cocktail. Talk to me for an explanation on how to get in.
A rooftop bar located at the top of the tallest building in this area has great views and decor with really inventive and creative cocktails.
37 personas de la zona recomiendan
The Up Room
2018 W North Ave
37 personas de la zona recomiendan
A rooftop bar located at the top of the tallest building in this area has great views and decor with really inventive and creative cocktails.
A great bar on the second floor of the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel. They've got all kinds of games like billiards, foosball, shuffleboard, and bocce. The drinks are good and they've got a few local beers. A fun spot!
49 personas de la zona recomiendan
The Gage
24 S Michigan Ave
49 personas de la zona recomiendan
A great bar on the second floor of the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel. They've got all kinds of games like billiards, foosball, shuffleboard, and bocce. The drinks are good and they've got a few local beers. A fun spot!
A fun place where you can play full-sized shuffleboard! A rarity in any city. Great bar scene, too.
12 personas de la zona recomiendan
The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club
1750 N Milwaukee Ave
12 personas de la zona recomiendan
A fun place where you can play full-sized shuffleboard! A rarity in any city. Great bar scene, too.

Food Scene

Some of the best tacos in the city with one of the best street patios in the city.
1176 personas de la zona recomiendan
Big Star
1531 N Damen Ave
1176 personas de la zona recomiendan
Some of the best tacos in the city with one of the best street patios in the city.
Awesome little ramen joint. Get the delicious Furious Ramen with pork, chicken and a poached egg! Open late!
52 personas de la zona recomiendan
Furious Spoon Wicker Park
52 personas de la zona recomiendan
Awesome little ramen joint. Get the delicious Furious Ramen with pork, chicken and a poached egg! Open late!
Awesome late-night pizza spot. They've got a huge unique variety of pizza flavors by the slice along with a lot of vegan options.
25 personas de la zona recomiendan
Dimo's Pizza Wicker Park
1615 N Damen Ave
25 personas de la zona recomiendan
Awesome late-night pizza spot. They've got a huge unique variety of pizza flavors by the slice along with a lot of vegan options.
Fun New Haven-Style pizza brewpub with award-winning beer brewed onsite!
488 personas de la zona recomiendan
Piece Brewery
1927 W North Ave
488 personas de la zona recomiendan
Fun New Haven-Style pizza brewpub with award-winning beer brewed onsite!
Cozy coffee shop with delicious coffee and good food menu.
109 personas de la zona recomiendan
Ipsento Coffee
2035 N Western Ave
109 personas de la zona recomiendan
Cozy coffee shop with delicious coffee and good food menu.
Nice little bakery with good hot and iced coffee.
16 personas de la zona recomiendan
Bake
2246 W North Ave
16 personas de la zona recomiendan
Nice little bakery with good hot and iced coffee.
Perfect location to score that classic Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich! The original!
Jay's Beef
2255 W North Ave
Perfect location to score that classic Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich! The original!
This is the best fried chicken in the city, hands down. A little off the beaten path but worth the trip.
99 personas de la zona recomiendan
Honey Butter Fried Chicken
3361 N Elston Ave
99 personas de la zona recomiendan
This is the best fried chicken in the city, hands down. A little off the beaten path but worth the trip.
A local favorite and a unique take on deep dish. The pie has a caramelized crunchy crust and is more bready than the cracker-crust you might get at the more well-known deep dish purveyors. If you can make it to 2 deep dish places on your trip, this is a must get.
536 personas de la zona recomiendan
Pequod's Pizza
2207 North Clybourn Avenue
536 personas de la zona recomiendan
A local favorite and a unique take on deep dish. The pie has a caramelized crunchy crust and is more bready than the cracker-crust you might get at the more well-known deep dish purveyors. If you can make it to 2 deep dish places on your trip, this is a must get.
Classic American diner fair but elevated and made very unique! This place doesn't take reservations so if you're trying to find a good spot without a crazy wait in Fulton Market, your best bet is to stop in here and put your name in. Then if the wait is long you can walk around and if you happen to find another restaurant you'd rather try out without a wait, then go for it! But at the very least you've got a really good restaurant to try our in your back pocket.
159 personas de la zona recomiendan
Little Goat Diner
3325 W Randolph St
159 personas de la zona recomiendan
Classic American diner fair but elevated and made very unique! This place doesn't take reservations so if you're trying to find a good spot without a crazy wait in Fulton Market, your best bet is to stop in here and put your name in. Then if the wait is long you can walk around and if you happen to find another restaurant you'd rather try out without a wait, then go for it! But at the very least you've got a really good restaurant to try our in your back pocket.
Great burgers extremely close to our apartment. Au Cheval offers perhaps the best burger in the country and they have come up with a more "fast food" version of it and only sell it at their neighborhood locations of Small Cheval. It's worth getting along with their fries and a shake. Oh, and don't forget to get a shot in your shake; my favorites are a shot of whiskey in the chocolate shake or a shot of fernet in the vanilla shake.
161 personas de la zona recomiendan
Small Cheval
1732 N Milwaukee Ave
161 personas de la zona recomiendan
Great burgers extremely close to our apartment. Au Cheval offers perhaps the best burger in the country and they have come up with a more "fast food" version of it and only sell it at their neighborhood locations of Small Cheval. It's worth getting along with their fries and a shake. Oh, and don't forget to get a shot in your shake; my favorites are a shot of whiskey in the chocolate shake or a shot of fernet in the vanilla shake.

Sightseeing

Don't pay for a ticket to the Hancock observatory, skip most of the lines and get an expensive drink at The Signature Lounge instead!
525 personas de la zona recomiendan
The Signature Room at the 95th®
875 N Michigan Ave
525 personas de la zona recomiendan
Don't pay for a ticket to the Hancock observatory, skip most of the lines and get an expensive drink at The Signature Lounge instead!
Awesome Ledge attraction you can see through and great views
324 personas de la zona recomiendan
Torre Willis
233 S Wacker Dr
324 personas de la zona recomiendan
Awesome Ledge attraction you can see through and great views
Great zoo near the lake and it's free!
1117 personas de la zona recomiendan
Zoológico de Lincoln Park
2001 N Clark St
1117 personas de la zona recomiendan
Great zoo near the lake and it's free!
This is my favorite way to see the city. A great 90min boat tour through a couple branches of the Chicago river gives you a really unique perspective of the city and it's amazing architecture. This one is hosted by a volunteer docent from the Chicago Architectural Foundation so you'll be getting the real scoop on Chicago's buildings and history. They have coffee and alcoholic drinks at the bar, too!
55 personas de la zona recomiendan
First Lady Architecture Tour
112 E Wacker Dr
55 personas de la zona recomiendan
This is my favorite way to see the city. A great 90min boat tour through a couple branches of the Chicago river gives you a really unique perspective of the city and it's amazing architecture. This one is hosted by a volunteer docent from the Chicago Architectural Foundation so you'll be getting the real scoop on Chicago's buildings and history. They have coffee and alcoholic drinks at the bar, too!
This bar/restaurant at the top of the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel has one of the best views of Grant Park and Lake Michigan in the city. Head up here for a drink and the view. The food is good but overpriced, unsurprisingly. Don't sleep on the Game Room bar on the second floor of this hotel, as well!
139 personas de la zona recomiendan
Cindy's
12 S Michigan Ave
139 personas de la zona recomiendan
This bar/restaurant at the top of the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel has one of the best views of Grant Park and Lake Michigan in the city. Head up here for a drink and the view. The food is good but overpriced, unsurprisingly. Don't sleep on the Game Room bar on the second floor of this hotel, as well!
Chicago's famous sculpture colloquially known as "The Bean." It's worth seeing and won't take you long to experience and take your bean reflection photos. And best of all, it's completely free!
473 personas de la zona recomiendan
Cloud Gate
201 E Randolph St
473 personas de la zona recomiendan
Chicago's famous sculpture colloquially known as "The Bean." It's worth seeing and won't take you long to experience and take your bean reflection photos. And best of all, it's completely free!

Shopping

Huge mall near the historic Water Tower.
327 personas de la zona recomiendan
Water Tower Place
835 Michigan Ave
327 personas de la zona recomiendan
Huge mall near the historic Water Tower.

Arts & Culture

This is a fantastic museum in downtown Chicago. The Modern Wing is my personal favorite area but they also have some really historic and famous paintings in their collection throughout the museum.
1159 personas de la zona recomiendan
Instituto de Arte de Chicago
111 S Michigan Ave
1159 personas de la zona recomiendan
This is a fantastic museum in downtown Chicago. The Modern Wing is my personal favorite area but they also have some really historic and famous paintings in their collection throughout the museum.

Neighborhoods

Logan Square is one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the city. It's a quick Blue Line train ride away, just 2-3 stops. There are tons of bars, restaurants, art galleries and coffee shops.
174 personas de la zona recomiendan
Logan Square
174 personas de la zona recomiendan
Logan Square is one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the city. It's a quick Blue Line train ride away, just 2-3 stops. There are tons of bars, restaurants, art galleries and coffee shops.
Also known as "Restaurant Row" there really isn't a place in this area that I would hesitate to recommend. A good amount of nightlife can be found here but there is absolutely no shortage of great food.
54 personas de la zona recomiendan
Fulton Market
54 personas de la zona recomiendan
Also known as "Restaurant Row" there really isn't a place in this area that I would hesitate to recommend. A good amount of nightlife can be found here but there is absolutely no shortage of great food.