Downtown Chicago Rooftops and Patios

Downtown Chicago rooftops and patios. Well it’s almost that time again for glorious outdoor dining and drinking.  The rooftops and patios are opening.  Since we only have a few months of great weather in this city it’s always worth the splurge to drink and/or snack or dine alfresco on a rooftop or patio.  Most are open weather permitting so always call first. There are some new entrants coming soon so this info will be updated as it becomes available.  Following are some of the better alfresco options and don’t forget the about Eating and Drinking along the Riverwalk:

Roof tops

52Eighty, MileNorth Hotel, 166 E Superior St, 29th floor, (312) 787-6000. Thurs.-Sat 5pm-12AM. Closed Sun-Wed.

Aire, Hyatt Centric, 100 W. Monroe, 24th Floor, (312) 236-1234.  3:30PM-10:30PM M-F 4:00PM-10:30PM Closed Sun. After work try to sit on the east side or the setting sun will bake you on the west side.

Apogee (formerly Vertigo Sky Lounge), Dana Hotel, 2 W. Erie Street, 26th floor, (312) 202-6060. M-F 4PM- 2AM, Sat 5PM-3AM, Sun 5PM-2AM.  Patio closes at 12am on weekends and 11pm on weekdays. Opening May, 2017.

Baptiste & Bottle/Noyane, 101 E. Erie St. 20th Floor. This is converting to a Japanese restaurant in later summer 2017.

Bernie’s Lunch & Supper, 660 N. Orleans St. 2nd floor (312) 624-9892. 4PM-7PM. Sun – Weds 5pm-10pm, Thurs, Fri & Sat 5pm-11pm.

Boleo, Kimpton Gray Hotel, 122 W. Monroe, 15th floor, (312) 750-9012. Outdoors with retractable roof. W-Sat. 4:30PM-2AM.

Cerise, The Virgin Hotel,  203 North Wabash, 26th floor, (312) 940-4774.  Hours:  Tue – Thur, 4pm – 12am, Fri, 4pm – 2am, Sat, 4pm – 3am. Outside closes at midnight. Has indoor area also.

Cindy’s, Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, 12 S Michigan Ave, 13th floor (312) 940-3552.  Hours: M-F Lunch 11:00 am – 2:30 pm; 4:00 pm – 2:00 am, Sat. Brunch 10:00 am – 2:30 pm;
4:00 pm – 3:00 am. Sun. Brunch 10:00 am – 2:30 pm; 4:00 pm – 12:00 am. Has indoor area also.

Citizen Bar, 364 W. Erie, (312) 640-1156. Sun-Mon 11am – 12am, T-F 11am-2AM, Sat 11am-3am. Check website for daily specials.

The Dec Rooftop Bar, Ritz Carlton, 160 E. Pearson Street, 12th floor (312) 573-5160. Sun-Fri 12PM-12AM, Sat 12PM-1AM.  Limited bar menu. Has indoor area also. The Ritz is closed for renovations.

drum Bar, Raffaelo Hotel, 201 E Delaware Pl, 18th floor (312) 933-4805. M-W 5PM-12AM, Th-F 5PM-2AM, Sa 5PM-3AM. Sun.Closed.

Fremont, 15 W. Illinois St., 2nd floor, 312-874-7270. Retractable roof. M-F 4PM–2AM, Sat 10AM–3AM, Sun 10AM-9PM.

GreenRiver, 259 E. Erie, 18th Floor, (312) 337-0101. M-Th 11AM-11PM, Fri 11PM-12AM. Sat. 5PM-12AM. Has indoor area also.

III Forks, 180 N. Field Boulevard, 2nd floor, (312) 938-4303.  Sun-Thurs 4PM-10PM; Fri-Sat 4PM-11PM. Menu. Beautiful view overlooking Lake Shore East Park. Has indoor area also.

IO Urban Roofscape, Godfrey Hotel, 127 W. Huron, 4th floor, (312) 649-2000. Sun-Fri 7AM-2AM, Sat 7AM-3AM, Brunch Sat-Sun 11AM-3PM  Menu. The roof is retractable so it’s open year round.

Ivy Sky Terrace, Ivy Hotel, 233 E Ontario St, 16th floor, (312) 335-5444. Mon-Wed 4pm to 10pm, Thurs-Fri 4pm – 12am, Sat 12PM-12AM, Sun 2pm to 10pm.

Joy District, 112 W Hubbard St, 3rd floor, (312) 955-0339. M-F 3PM-2AM.  Sat. 3PM-3AM, Sun. 3PM-2AM.

The Kensington Roof Garden and Lounge, 812 N Orleans, (312) 380-0004.  Tues, Thur-Fri 5PM-12AM, Sat 7PM-12AM.  Enter through Parliament or through the alley on Orleans.

London House Hotel, 85 E Upper Wacker Dr, 22-24th floor. (312) 357-1200. Reservations required $50 and up per person. The only way to get in free is to arrive early and stand in the bar. Rumor has it LH has ended their onerous $50 per person pre-payment requirement. You can also make reservations for the second level terrace on OpenTable here. Also the Cupola is open to the public if it’s not booked for a private event.

NoMi Garden, Park Hyatt, 800 N. Michigan Ave, 7th floor, (312) 239-4030. Sun-Thur 2:00PM-12:00AM, Fri-Sat 2:00PM-1:00AM  Garden Menu

Raised, Renaissance Hotel, 1 W. Wacker Drive, (312) 372-7200.

Roof at The Wit, Doubletree, 201 N State St, 27th floor, (312) 239-9502. Mon- Fri 2pm-2am, Sat 2pm-3am, Sun 2pm-8pm. After 9PM it becomes a nightclub.  On Sundays they have a day party. Has indoor area also.

Plymouth Restaurant, 327 S Plymouth Ct, 4th floor (312) 362-1212. Monday – Sunday: 11 a.m. – 12AM.  Menu.  The roof is retractable so it’s open year round.  Nice view of the Harold Washington Library Center. Has indoor area also.

Tavern at the Park Treehouse, Prudential Building, 130 E Randolph St, (312) 552-0070.  M-Thur 4PM-10PM, Fri-Sat 7PM-10:30PM.  This roof is retractable so it’s open year round. A nice view overlooking Millennium Park. Menu. Has indoor area also.

Streeterville Social, Loews Hotel, 455 N. Park Drive, 3rd floor, (312) 840-6600. Small Plates and Cocktails 4 PM–10:30 PM.

Tanta, 118 W. Grand, 2nd floor, (312) 222-9700. Sun-Mon 5PM-9M, Tue-Thur 5PM-11PM, Fri-Sat 5PM-12AM.

The Terrace at the Peninsula, 108 E Superior St, 4th floor (312) 573-6744.  Lunch 11:30 am to 2:00 pm (Sun – Sat), Cocktails* 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Sun – Sat), Dinner 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm (Sun – Sat).  *The Terrace Bites menu is offered during cocktail hour. Full food service resumes with dinner at 5:00 pm. Menu.

Upstairs at The Gwen, The Gwen, The Shops at North Bridge, 521 N Rush St, 5th floor, (312) 645-1500. Daily 3:30PM-1:30AM. This rooftop can be accessed in the back of The Shops at North Bridge via elevator by Nordstroms.

Terzo Piano/Bluhm Terrace Modern Wing Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S Michigan Ave, 3rd floor, (312) 443-3600.  Thursdays 5:00-8:00PM until Labor Day.

The Terrace at Trump, 401 N. Wabash Avenue, (312) 588-8600. Daily 2PM-12AM.  Dining menu   Cocktail menu. Amazing views but just too expensive.

Zed451, 739 N. Clark Street, 2nd floor, (312) 266-6691.  Daily 4:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. Menus.

Patios/Sidewalk cafes

Acanto, 18 S Michigan Ave., (312) Cheese, charcuterie, pizza, pasta, salads.  Around $14-20. Daily 11AM-11PM.  Nice views of Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park.

Beacon Tavern, 405 N. Wabash, (312) 955-4226. Located in the Plaza behind the Wrigley Building.

Beatrix Streeterville, 671 N. St. Clair St. (312) 642-0001. M-Fri 11:30am-11:00pm, Sat 3:00pm-11:00pm, Sun 3:00pm-9:00pm.

Beatrix River North, Hyatt Place, 519 North Clark Street, (312) 284-1377. M-Th 11:30pm-10pm, F 4pm-11:00pm, Sat 2:00pm-11:00pm, Sun 2:00pm-9:00pm.

Bub City, 435 North Clark Street, 312-610-4200. Large garage doors open to the outdoors. Sun-M 4pm-10pm, Tues-W 4pm-11pm, Th 4pm-12am, F 4pm-1am, Sat 4pm-2am.

Café Des Architectes,  Sofitel, 20 E. Chestnut Street, (312) 324-4063. Every day 6AM10PM.

The Dearborn, Block 37, 145 N. Dearborn St., 312-384-1242. Doors open up onto Randolph side of building.

Filini Bar and Restaurant, Radisson Blu, 221 N. Columbus Drive, (312) 477-0234. Daily 2PM-8PM.

Howells & Hood, 435 N. Michigan Avenue, (312) 262-5310. Located in the plaza adjacent to the Tribune Tower.  M-W 11AM-11PM, Thur-Sat 11AM-12PM, Sunday 10AM-11PM.

Maggie Daley Park restaurant, 352 E. Monroe St. 240 outdoor seats rumored to break ground sometime this summer.  May be complete by Fall. From the Four Corners Tavern Group.

McCormick & Schmick’s, 1 E. Upper Wacker Drive, (312) 923-7226. M-Th: 11:30AM-10PM, Fri 11:30AM-11PM, Sat 4PM-11PM, Sun 4PM-9PM.  This patio is a madhouse during happy hour 4-6:30PM so get there early because they have one of the best happy hours around.

Pierrot Gourmet at The Peninsula, 108 E. Superior Street, (312) 573-6749.  7:00 am – 9:00 pm (Sun to Thurs), 7:00 am – 10:00 pm (Fri to Sat).

The Plaza at Park Grill, Millennium Park, 11 N Michigan Ave, (312) 521-7275. Daily 11AM-10PM.  This patio is a madhouse from 4PM-7:30PM.

River Roast, 315 N. LaSalle Street, (312) 822-0100. Lunch M – F 1130AM- 3PM, Limited menu 3-5PM, Dinner M-Th 5-10PM, F – SA 5-11PM,  Sun 5-9PM.  Brunch Sat-Sun 11A – 3PM. Bar M-F 11:30AM to late night, Sat-Sun 11AM to late night.

A fun activity on a beautiful night is to “rooftop hop.”  Pick an area and have a drink at each rooftop and move on.  Below are the rooftops and patios sorted by location.  And don’t forget about the River:  Eating and drinking along the Chicago River Walk.  Admittedly this is not going to be “cheap” but with about two months of summer left you have to get outdoors before it’s over.

Lettuce Entertain You restaurants puts out a nice patio guide for their restaurants here.

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Patios and rooftops by area:

Loop Rooftops and Happy Hours

• Aire, Hyatt Centric, 100 W. Monroe, 24th Floor, (312) 236-1234.  3:30PM-10:30PM M-F 4:00PM-10:30PM Closed Sun.
• Boleo, Kimpton Gray Hotel, 122 W. Monroe, 15th floor, (312) 750-9012. Outdoors with retractable roof. W-Sat. 4:30PM-2AM.
• Cerise, The Virgin Hotel,  203 North Wabash, 26th floor, (312) 940-4774.  Hours:  M-F 4pm-2am, Sat-Sun 2pm -2am.  Outside closes at midnight. Casual chic dress code beginning at 8pm, nightly.
• Cindy’s, Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, 12 S Michigan Ave, 13th floor (312) 940-3552.  Hours: Sun-Fri 3PM-2AM; Sat 3PM-3AM.  Will eventually be open for brunch on weekends 10:30AM-2:30PM.
• III Forks, 180 N. Field Boulevard, 2nd floor, (312) 938-4303.  Sun-Thurs 4PM-10PM; Fri-Sat 4PM-11PM. Menu. Nice view overlooking LakeShore East Park.
• London House Hotel, 85 E Upper Wacker Dr, 22-24th floor. Reservations required $50 and up per person here. The only way to get in free is to arrive early and stand in the bar.
• Raised, Renaissance Hotel, 1 W. Wacker Drive, (312) 372-7200.
• Roof at The Wit, Doubletree, 201 N State St, 27th floor, (312) 239-9502. Mon- Fri 2pm-2am, Sat 2pm-3am, Sun 2pm-8pm. After 9PM it becomes a nightclub.  On Sundays they have a day party.
• Tavern at the Park Treehouse, Prudential Building, 130 E Randolph St, (312) 552-0070.
• Terzo Piano/Bluhm Terrace Modern Wing Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S Michigan Ave, 3rd floor, (312) 443-3600.
• The Terrace at Trump, 401 N. Wabash Avenue, (312) 588-8600. Daily 2PM-12AM.  Dining menu   Cocktail menu. Amazing views but just too expensive.

Loop Patios

• Acanto, 18 S Michigan Ave., (312) Cheese, charcuterie, pizza, pasta, salads.  Around $14-20. Daily 11AM-11PM.  Nice views of Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park.
• Beacon Tavern, 405 N. Wabash, (312) 955-4226. Located in the Plaza behind the Wrigley Building.
• The Dearborn, Block 37, 145 N. Dearborn St., 312-384-1242. Doors open up onto Randolph side of building.
• Filini Bar and Restaurant, Radisson Blu, 221 N. Columbus Drive, (312) 477-0234. Daily 2PM-8PM.
• Maggie Daley Park restaurant, 352 E. Monroe St. 240 outdoor seats rumored to break ground sometime this summer.  May be complete by Fall. From the Four Corners Tavern Group.
• McCormick & Schmick’s, 1 E. Upper Wacker Drive, (312) 923-7226. M-Th: 11:30AM-10:00PM, Fri 11:30AM-11:00PM, Sat 4:00PM-11:00PM, Sun 4:00PM-9:00PM.  This patio is a madhouse during happy hour 4-6:30PM so get there early because they have one of the best happy hours around.
• The Plaza at Park Grill, Millennium Park, 11 N Michigan Ave, (312) 521-7275. Daily 11AM-10PM.  This patio is a madhouse from 4PM-730PM.

North Michigan Avenue Rooftops and Gold Coast Happy Hours

• 52Eighty, MileNorth Hotel, 166 E Superior St, 29th floor, (312) 787-6000. Fri-Sat 5pm-12AM. Closed Sun-Thurs.
• Conrad Hotel, 101 E. Erie St. 20th Floor opening 2016.
• The Dec Rooftop Bar, Ritz Carlton, 160 E. Pearson Street, 12th floor (312) 573-5160. Sun-Fri 12PM-12AM, Sat 12PM-1AM.  Limited bar menu.
• drum Bar, Raffaelo Hotel, 201 E Delaware Pl, 18th floor (312) 933-4805. Su-W 5PM-12AM, F 5PM-2AM, Sa 5PM-3AM.
• Ivy Sky Terrace, Ivy Hotel, 233 E Ontario St, 16th floor, (312) 335-5444. Mon-Wed 4pm to 10pm, Thurs-Fri 4pm – 12am, Sat 12PM-12AM, Sun 2pm to 10pm.
• NoMi Garden, Park Hyatt, 800 N. Michigan Avenue, 7th floor, (312) 239-4030. Daily 11:30AM-12AM. Garden Menu
• Streeterville Social, Loews Hotel, 455 N. Park Drive, 3rd floor, (312) 840-6600. Small Plates and Cocktails 4 PM–10:30 PM.
• The Terrace at the Peninsula, 108 E Superior St, 4th floor (312) 573-6744.  Lunch 11:30 am to 2:00 pm (Sun – Sat), Cocktails* 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Sun – Sat), Dinner 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm (Sun – Sat).  *The Terrace Bites menu is offered during cocktail hour. Full food service resumes with dinner at 5:00 pm. Menu.
• Upstairs at The Gwen, The Gwen, The Shops at North Bridge, 521 N Rush St, 5th floor, (312) 645-1500. Daily 3:30PM-1:30AM. This rooftop can be accessed in the back of The Shops at North Bridge via elevator by Nordstroms.

North Michigan Avenue Patios

• Bar Toma,  110 E. Pearson Street,  (312) 266-3110.  Good, low cost pizza and wine of tap.
• Beatrix Streeterville, 671 N. St. Clair St. (312) 642-0001. M-Fri 11:30am-11:00pm, Sat 3:00pm-11:00pm, Sun 3:00pm-9:00pm.
• Café Des Architectes,  Sofitel, 20 E. Chestnut Street, (312) 324-4063. Every day 6AM-10PM.
• Howells & Hood, 435 N. Michigan Avenue, (312) 262-5310. Located in the plaza adjacent to the Tribune Tower.  M-W 11AM-11PM, Thur-Sat 11AM-12PM, Sunday 10AM-11PM.
• Pierrot Gourmet at The Peninsula, 108 E. Superior Street, (312) 573-6749.  7:00 am – 9:00 pm (Sun to Thurs), 7:00 am – 10:00 pm (Fri to Sat).

River North Rooftops and Happy Hours

• Apogee (formerly Vertigo Sky Lounge), Dana Hotel, 2 W. Erie Street, 26th floor, (312) 202-6060. M-F 4PM- 2AM, Sat 5PM-3AM, Sun 5PM-2AM.  Patio closes at 12am on weekends and 11pm on weekdays. Opening May, 2017.
• Bernie’s Lunch & Supper, 660 N. Orleans St. 2nd floor (312) 624-9892. 4PM-7PM. Large rooftop. Sun – Weds 5pm-10pm, Thurs, Fri & Sat 5pm-11pm.
• Citizen Bar, 364 W. Erie, (312) 640-1156. Sun-Mon 11am–12am, T-F 11am-2AM, Sat 11am-3am. Check website for daily specials.
• Fremont, 15 W. Illinois St., 2nd floor, 312-874-7270. Retractable roof. M-F 4PM–2AM, Sat 10AM–3AM, Sun 10AM-9PM.
• IO Urban Roofscape, Godfrey Hotel, 127 W. Huron, 4th floor, (312) 649-2000. Sun-Fri 7AM-2AM, Sat 7AM-3AM, Brunch Sat-Sun 11AM-3PM  Menu. The roof is retractable so it’s open year round.
• Joy District, 112 W Hubbard St, 3rd floor, (312) 955-0339. M-F 3PM-2AM.  Sat. 3PM-3AM, Sun. 3PM-2AM.
• The Kensington Roof Garden and Lounge, 812 N Orleans, (312) 380-0004.  Tues, Thur-Fri 5PM-12AM, Sat 7PM-12AM.  Enter through Parliament or through the alley on Orleans.
• Tanta, 118 W. Grand, 2nd floor, (312) 222-9700. Sun-Mon 5PM-9M, Tue-Thur 5PM-11PM, Fri-Sat 5PM-12AM.
• Zed451, 739 N. Clark Street, 2nd floor, (312) 266-6691.  Daily 4:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. Menus.

River North Patios

• Eating and Drinking along the Riverwalk
• Baptiste & Bottle, 101 E. Erie St. 20th Floor. This is converting to a Japanese restaurant in later summer 2017.
• Beatrix River North, Hyatt Place, 519 North Clark Street, (312) 284-1377. M-Th 11:30pm-10pm, F 4pm-11:00pm, Sat 2:00pm-11:00pm, Sun 2:00pm-9:00pm.
• Bub City, 435 North Clark Street, 312-610-4200. Large garage doors open to the outdoors. Sun-M 4pm-10pm, Tues-W 4pm-11pm, Th 4pm-12am, F 4pm-1am, Sat 4pm-2am.
• River Roast, 315 N. LaSalle Street, (312) 822-0100. Lunch M – F 1130AM- 3PM, Limited menu 3-5PM, Dinner M-Th 5-10PM, F – SA 5-11PM,  Sun 5-9PM.  Brunch Sat-Sun 11A – 3PM. BAR M-F 11:30AM to late night, Sat-Sun 11AM to late night.

South Loop Roof top

• Plymouth Restaurant, 327 S Plymouth Ct, 4th floor (312) 362-1212. Monday – Sunday: 11 a.m. – 12AM.  Menu.  The roof is retractable so it’s open year round.  Nice view of the Harold Washington Library Center.

Streeterville Rooftop and Happy Hours

• GreenRiver, 259 E. Erie, 18th Floor, (312) 337-0101. Under review. M-F 5PM-10PM, Sat 5PM-11PM.
• Streeterville Social, Loews Hotel, 455 N. Park Drive, 3rd floor, (312) 840-6600. Small Plates and Cocktails 4 PM–10:30 PM.