Gilt Bar

“Arrived at 515pm on a Friday to a packed house and an 8-person deep wait for a single table. Took my chance at the bar and scored after about 15 minutes. Cocktail specialties here: drinks are the jam. Whiskey sour was potent and all too easy. The Hemingway daiquiri was equally perfecto. The double wagyu cheeseburger felt under-priced at $29: it came with fries and a mayo-y dip. Asparagus on the side was roasted, salty, and smoky - super good. Bartender was conversational. The crowd feels like finance employees on dates and group chat threads, mixed with Gen X drinkers (me?) and some tourists. Crowded as heck because it’s high quality, finely detailed, comfortable, and decadently dependable.”

“Never disappoints. We’ve been celebrating all our birthdays, anniversaries, and special moments at Gilt Bar for the past three years, and it’s consistently amazing. The service is always top-notch, and the food is absolutely phenomenal. You’ll thank me later if you order the truffle pasta and the mushrooms carbonara - it’s the perfect combination. Another favorite of ours is the truffle mozzarella sticks. If you come between 4–5 PM, you can catch their happy hour and order tiny martinis, plus try some of their signature bites like the bone marrow, fries with aioli, and mussels in a creamy sauce. And if you’re celebrating a birthday or anniversary, they treat you to the most incredible ice cream with melted chocolate. Truly love this place.”

“Perfect setting for an end of the year dinner with my friends. We let one take the wheel and order for the table. Our favorites were the steak tartare, carbonara, burger with fries and the martinis! I did reserve for main dining area but we ended up sitting in the basement which was a much better vibe for our party! Don’t forget to check out the Photo Booth if you are already down there.”

“We had a great dinner at the Gilt Bar! We all sat in the library speakeasy and it was a great spot. Cool corner table. Yes, lights are a little dim, but part of the ambiance, kind of loud as it is packed with people, but a cool place with huge bar, older speakeasy hallways, and the $5 Photo Booth is a nice touch! Food was really good, and portions were all shareable. To start we got the truffle mozzarella sticks and the Delice de Bourgonge. Plenty of bread and cheese to share! Great taste and flavor! For our entrees we ordered the spicy orecchiette and the vodka rigatoni, both were good. The orecchiette was a tad salty. We also ordered the side item hard to see on the menu, double wagu cheeseburger, $30, honestly wasn’t the best burger we had, good taste but dryer than id like, personally not worth that money. I’d go with other Italian pasta items for that cost they are known for. They are known for home made pasta. The service was really good. We ordered a bunch of martini and all were good, Tom was our server and took care of us. Ordered a Makers and Sprite, came out watery…they took that one off our bill! The other servers assistants were all very good, always cleaned up the table, fresh water and nice people. Tom brought us out some complimentary ice cream! Tom took all the menus so they wouldn’t get messy during the meal! Price wise, 5 of us….2 drink each, 4 entree’s and also apps, close to $500 in case you need a ballpark. Restaurant does add a “restaurant charge” automatically to the bill. Nice place! We’d come back for sure.”

“My first visit to Gilt Bar completely blew me away. I’m usually skeptical of restaurant hype, but this was genuinely one of the best meals—if not the best meal—I’ve had in Chicago. I came for Restaurant Week, which turned out to be an incredible value. We started with the bone marrow. I’d always been curious but hesitant because of the texture, yet it was rich, savory, and far more approachable than I expected. The beef cheek pie arrived with a beautiful presentation and delivered warm, comforting, deeply flavorful meat—perfect for a cold Chicago night. The mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts were excellent, but the real surprise was the aioli served with the fries. Whatever magic they put in that sauce, I would happily bathe in it. And then there was the burger: the undeniable showstopper. It’s easily the best burger I’ve had in Chicago, and honestly might be the best burger I’ve ever had. An absolute must‑order. We finished with the chocolate cream pie, which was decadent, silky, and perfectly whipped—a flawless end to the meal. I will absolutely be back as soon as possible.”