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Hotel Bars

Travelers (and natives), drink up.

Tuesday May 10, 2005.     By Patrick Corcoran

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When you're in a strange town for a visit, it's easy to spend all of your free time locked away in your hotel room. Even if you've already done the museum circuit more times than you can count, there's no excuse for being a hermit. At the very least, you need to make it down to the hotel bar, where Chicago's scene is first-rate. Whether you are looking to take the edge off of a high-stress business meeting, or just want to sneak off from the in-laws for a little while, there is a hotel bar for you. And even if you're a permanent resident, you don't need an excuse for a good meal and a few drinks with friends.

Whiskey Blue
The lounge at the bottom of the downtown W Hotel is both mysterious and polished. With the sharply uniformed staff and their liberal application of hair gel, Whiskey Blue feels as smooth as a long black Cadillac. Its atmosphere of loud music and dim, blue-tinted lighting makes conversation a tad difficult, although it also provides a convenient excuse to ignore comments you'd prefer not to hear. Of course, that sword cuts both ways, so if you can't get your voice heard, you might want to walk your whiskey into brighter lighting and quieter music in W's other lounge, located inside the hotel lobby. There, the music plays more quietly and the seating gives more space to the patrons.

Neither Whiskey Blue nor its companion bar in the lounge is meant to house a raucous bachelor party or a formal meal. Though the lobby lounge has a kitchen attached, Whiskey Blue serves liquid only. The drinks are marginally more expensive than at most bars, and there are rarely, if ever, specials to ease the burden on your wallet. Even though sit-down dinners are out, Whiskey Blue still works as a spot for an after-work drink (especially if you can get the boss to pick up the tab), or a nightcap following an evening on the town.

Encore Liquid Lounge
Geometry carries the day at Encore. The red and yellow rhombus pattern on the walls provides a colorful backdrop to the brown whiskey and clear vodka. An enormous circular bar allows you to sneak glances at someone sitting on the other side without craning your neck or shifting your body. The cocktail tables are circles and the television screens rectangular, respectively, and, although these shapes are not really out of the ordinary, they do add to the setting nonetheless. Whether you enjoy the rigidity of geometric forms or prefer the fluidity of a shapeless abyss, Encore is a bar you will keep coming back to.

Just steps from the historic Cadillac Palace Theatre, Encore is a good place for a meal if you're waiting on a show or if you're just a guest of the adjacent Hotel Allegro. During the day, Encore is a prime spot for a bite to eat. But the place is called the "Liquid Lounge" for a reason. Encore is a haven for drinkers first and foremost, and once the workday is over, alcohol is what brings the folks in. As long as the drinks keep coming, Encore is the ideal place to slip into a big corner booth and camp out with some friends.

Bel Air
Bel Air, with its green bar top, green flooring and shamrock posters galore, is a bar whose best time of year is, of course, March 17. But the beer is just as cold year round, so you don't need to be in the mood to celebrate all things Irish to head to Bel Air. Bel Air offers a rotation of beer specials, among them a $2 bottle Miller Lite and a $3 pint of Guinness, that make the happy hours just a bit happier. Despite serving only drinks, Bel Air opens up bright and early each morning.

The rather small space, where there is little to entertain you outside of the fellow drinkers, is the ideal atmosphere for a couple of friends to catch up. The absence of loud music and the close proximity of the dozen or so seats create the ideal atmosphere for conversation. The bartenders banter amiably with customers, never too busy to supply a quick refill. Just steps away from the lake, and steps more from Halsted and Diversey's vibrant bar scene, Bel Air is a great place to start or end an evening out on the town.

The Salon
The prime destination for a nightcap at the Hotel Intercontinental is as divided as the United States, circa 1961. As you enter, on the left is the bar, you'll find a setting that's generally billowing with chatty patrons and busy bartenders. Here, the seats are hard to come by, the air smoky and the din of (usually) polite conversation often quite loud. TVs offer an option for those bored of the conversation, but they are often drowned out by the surrounding patrons. Opposite the bar lies the more serene lounge, where drinkers are virtually guaranteed to find an open seat in one of the many cushioned chairs or love seats. In the lounge, the chatter never rises above a reasonable level, tapas menus entice the hungry, and patrons only stand because they choose to, not because there is a shortage of seats. There is always ample space for a rugby match, much less a few of the guests overflowing from the bar.

Ornate decorations define the atmosphere in each section. An intricate carpet, golden curtains and a series of large potted plants create a mood of elegance and formality. Such ornaments, as well as the pedestrians with shopping bags galore walking just outside, remind guests that they are staying on the Magnificent Mile, not the Hotel 6 on the Ohio Turnpike. That in itself is cause for celebration.

Tavern Tap
The south end of Michigan Avenue, beyond the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park and the Art Institute, often plays the role of the overlooked middle child of the Loop. But nobody should ignore the Tavern Tap, even if all of the famous Michigan Avenue attractions beckon due north. Couched among the historic decadence of the Congress Hotel, the Tavern Tap is a surprisingly casual, comfortable place to slurp back a cold one. The bartenders may be wearing ties, but the Golden Tee Machine and jukebox indicate a decidedly relaxed tone. Pool tables, televisions and a mini bowling will also loosen up the stiffs in the room and give everyone another source of entertainment beyond the drinks. The large couches (and I mean couches, not just glorified booths) are a great spot to plunk your backside, whether you are wearing tails or sweatpants. The bar top itself is a durable brass number, sturdy enough that you can slam a glass down to emphasize a point without creating a big fuss.

The red awning outside the bar matches the opulent red carpet in the Congress Lobby, which you must pass through to reach inside the bar. Once at the threshold to the Tavern Tap, the bright red of the hotel's exterior and lobby converts to green awning and dim neon lights, creating a festive, mildly Christmas-like atmosphere. Any time of year, the Tavern Tap is a good place to park the party.

Coq D'or
The Drake Hotel pops up frequently in Saul Bellow's novels, and though he never specifically mentioned Coq D'or (the lounged located within the historic Drake), it is easy to picture Augie March sipping bourbon in one of the plush red leather seats. The ultra-comfortable seats (this may be the only place on earth where this is no advantage to sitting in a booth) are not the only evidence of elegance. Waiters and customers alike slip by in shirts and ties, the heavy wood tables are nicer than anything I'll ever have in my dining room, and the wall decorations add a classy finishing touch. Those waiters will be more than happy to bring you something to stave off the hunger pangs, but most of the folks file in for the booze.

Greeting you upon your entrance into Coq D'or is not a hostess or a maitre d, but a lounge singer accompanied by a piano, sharply reminiscent of the two-person act Sausalito from 'Lost in Translation." Further inside the lounge is not Bill Murray or Scarlett Johannson (most nights anyway), but a gaggle of eager drinkers all demanding the attention of one harried bartender. With its enormous martini photograph at the entrance, the high proportion of guests in formal wear and the French name, Coq D'or fits well within the ritzy confines of the historic Drake Hotel. But the mood is anything but stuffy; the party gets going early and, for a hotel bar, carries on well into the night.