And Sonotheque has become a place to see up-and-comer performers like Lady Sovereign, reigning queen of the UK grime scene, before they hit it big. World-renowned DJs such as Francois K and Thievery Corporation have played there. The sound system, suspended in midair, floats music over patrons, and DJs sit in a booth at the center of the room rather than tucked away on the side. 31) set out to create a space as acoustically perfect as a recording studio. > Is there a club that plays music for people who care about the sound? When Cabaret dancers aren’t performing on weekends, it’s your moment to shine on the pole-which usually sees more action as the night wears on. It’s all about strutting your stuff at this River North club with the megawatt marquee. Porn stars like Jesse Jane, the Club Jenna girls, Vivid’s Tawny Roberts, and even Tommy Lee have taken a spin.Ĭabaret (15 W. The two stripper poles at this 10,000-square-foot West Loop dance club have seen almost as many busty babes as Hugh Hefner’s bed. > Teri Hatcher likes to dance around a stripper pole. Kelly and his posse often loiter at a corner table, and last summer we spotted a very private and canoodling Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn inside, generating as much smoke with their body heat as with their cigarettes. Park yourself at one of Tavern’s outside tables and witness the well-coifed preeners trying to catch their reflections in a Mercedes parked out front. 31) is like an anthropological study in beauty and wealth. Just walking through the Gold Coast area surrounding Tavern on Rush (1031 N. > People watching is your entertainment of choice. “You could come to Delilah’s every day for three years and not drink the same thing twice,” Miller says, though we don’t advise it. A look at the other shelves is equally impressive: 250 beers, 60 tequilas, 150 single-malt Scotches, 100 bourbons, and 30 Irish whiskeys. Mike Miller, the owner of this Lincoln Park institution, also claims to have one of the best whiskey selections in the world, with 330 different varieties in stock. 77) is in-your-face eclectic, a dark haven for people who like punk rock, metal, ska, insurgent country music (either on the acclaimed jukebox or spun by DJs), but also English Premier League soccer and art films. > You contain multitudes, and you want your bar to do the same.ĭelilah’s (2771 N. The answers, from the latest hot spots to off-the-beaten-path finds, may surprise you. So we posed the kinds of questions real people might ask when going out at night. In compiling this roundup of top Chicago bars and clubs, we wanted to offer something more than a static listing of the usual places to dance and drink. Sipping the night fantastic at the mazelike Whatever your need, we’ve got the perfect Looking for a great place to linger over a cocktail? That special outdoor patio?Īn authentic Irish pub or dance palace of the moment?