Bars, restaurants, clubs, and venues open after 5. Hours, phone numbers, and vibes included.
New Orleans-themed lively venue with a beer garden and live music. Brings the French Quarter south of Chicago with Cajun-inspired food, craft beers, and a festive atmosphere.
Head to Hyde Park for serious Caribbean fusion done right—14 Parish stocks over 100 rums and mixes them into cocktails that'll transport you straight to the islands. Their tropical bottomless mimosa brunch is the move for weekend hangs, but stick around after dark when the place transforms into a legitimate late-night destination with proper energy.
Lincoln Park's aliveOne is the neighborhood bar that gets it right with live music, trivia nights, and a welcoming vibe that never feels forced. Solid happy hour and regular themed events keep the calendar interesting and the regulars coming back.
From the team behind two-Michelin-starred Oriole, All Well landed in the West Loop with a $120 five-course tasting menu from James Beard winner Noah Sandoval and chef Larry Feldmeier. Stay late for the bar menu — short rib sandwich, raclette potatoes, tempura maitakes.
Classy and energetic River North jazz club with excellent drinks paired with blistering, fast-paced traditional and modern Chicago jazz performances. A full dinner menu complements nightly shows.
Bucktown's wildcard cocktail lounge pairs craft-forward drinks with 11 axe-throwing lanes and 4 rage rooms inside a moody, industrial-chic space. Once you've worked out the aggression, settle into the DJ-fueled nightlife side with dim lighting and layered textures that make this spot unlike anything else on the strip.
Weekend-only nightclub in Wicker Park spinning EDM, house, and Top 40. Open till 5 a.m. with a relaxed dress code and reasonable table service — a solid alternative to the River North club scene.
Lakeview's Annoyance Theatre has been a legendary force in Chicago comedy and improv, launching careers and hosting original shows that push every boundary. The full bar helps — you'll need a drink after laughing that hard.
Uptown's Aragon Ballroom has been hosting major music events since 1926 in a nearly 5,000-capacity room with jaw-dropping Moorish-inspired architecture. The ornate details make even a general admission show feel grand.
Arbella in River North is your after-hours playground—globally inspired cocktails and small plates that keep the kitchen humming until 3am on Saturdays, because sometimes dinner isn't the main event. The moody, sophisticated space shifts effortlessly from early evening dining into full-throttle nightlife mode, drawing serious drinkers and late-night food enthusiasts who know the difference between a cocktail bar and a *cocktail bar*.
Asador Bastian in River North, Chicago, offers an upscale steakhouse experience with a lively, lively ambiance that blends fine dining with a dynamic nightlife scene. Its sizzling USDA Prime steaks and inventive cocktails make it a worth visiting for those seeking indulgence in a sophisticated, energy-filled setting.
Avondale Music Hall anchors the neighborhood's live music scene with DJ nights, themed parties, and touring acts in an intimate room. A no-frills venue where the sound is tight and the crowd actually came to hear the music.
A tropical speakeasy tucked inside Three Dots and a Dash in River North. Strong tiki drinks, an intimate basement setting, and some of the most flamboyant cocktails in the city. Enter through Three Dots at 435 N Clark St.
Bandit is a sleek Chicago cocktail bar hosting happy hours, networking events, and social gatherings.
Barraco's Evergreen Park is the ultimate 24-hour food anchor on the South Side, serving Italian favorites and pizza around the clock at 3701 W. 95th Street. With a full sports bar, spacious banquet and party room, and catering services, this location is one of seven Barraco's spots across the Chicagoland area. Open seven days a week with no closing time, it is the go-to destination when hunger strikes at any hour of the night.
BaseCamp Pub keeps it raw in Lakeview with underground DJ nights, punk shows, and the kind of divey energy that bigger venues can't replicate. Cheap drinks, loud music, no pretense.
Ukrainian Village's Beauty Bar is a retro salon-turned-nightclub with pink-hued interiors, disco balls, martinis, and DJs spinning Y2K classics. If you want to dance to Destiny's Child on a Saturday night, this is the move.
Oak Forest’s Blarney Stone Pub has been pouring craft beers and hosting open mics since ’94—think 40 drafts, 80+ bottles, and a kitchen open ’til 2am. A neighborhood staple with live tunes every week, it’s where locals sip pints and stumble into impromptu performances.
Bustling, legendary late-night blues club in River North with an enthusiastic crowd dancing to world-class local bands. Operating since 1985, it offers authentic Chicago Blues every night.
BOOKCLUB is a Chicago electronic music venue built for DJs, dance nights, and late-night energy. The sound system is dialed and the crowd comes ready to move.
Behind a hidden grass door on Division Street in Wicker Park lies Bordel, a Parisian-inspired speakeasy lit entirely by candlelight. Nightly jazz, burlesque, and live entertainment share the room with savory small plates — it's moody, romantic, and very hard to leave.
Tucked in the West Loop, Bottom Lounge delivers raw, unfiltered rock, metal, and alternative shows in a converted warehouse that feels more like a gritty backroom than a venue. No velvet ropes or polished floors here—just high-octane performances and a crowd that’s all about the music, not the decor.
Bourbon on Division is a top nightclub located in the heart of Wicker Park, offering a dynamic multi-floor experience that blends engaging themed events, high-energy DJ sets, and captivating drag performances. Known for its stylish interiors and curated nightlife programming, the venue is known for Chicago's upscale club scene.
Pull up a stool at this no-frills Archer Avenue institution where $3 domestics and neighborhood camaraderie are the main attractions—order a Italian beef from Ricobene's and have it delivered straight to your seat. Bridgeport's realest dive bar doesn't pretend to be anything it's not, which is exactly why locals keep coming back. The jukebox, the regulars, the dive bar smell—it's all authentically Chicago.