VU Rooftop Bar (pronounced “view”) opened recently near Chicago’s McCormick Place. This must-try bar offers fine food and cocktails in a massive 13,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor space located 22 stories above the conference center floor. It’s got outstanding views of downtown Chicago as well as Lake Michigan.
It’s conveniently located near many of AMLI’s Chicago luxury apartments. VU Rooftop Bar is a less than 2 miles south from our Printer’s Row apartments and our South Loop apartments. Let’s check out this fancy new rooftop bar in Chicago’s near South Side.
Inside
Upon arriving, you’ll see a grand floor-to-ceiling light fixture that shows off the 15-foot ceilings. The interior has a large bar with a wood oven in the center and 40 stools for guests to sit. The video wall spans the entire 100-foot length of the interior is really an incredible sight to see. Covering another of the interior walls is an abstract mural painted by Todd Murphy titled Hidden Figures, created specially for the space. The exposed kitchen is run by Chef Nolan Narut, of Stefani Prime fame. He and his team cook up a tasty selection of appetizers, shared plates and brunch on the weekends. In addition to the restaurant, VU Rooftop Bar features a karaoke room as well as a club room for private events.
Outside
Both outdoor terraces have seating and fire pits for guests. The east terrace features breathtaking views of Lake Michigan, Soldier Field and Northerly Island. On the west terrace, you’ll see an impressive water and fire fountain in the center of the rooftop, as well as views of Chicago’s iconic skyline. One of the outdoor space’s best features are the solarium windows that can be opened or closed to protect guests from the outdoor elements—or let them in.
Experience
Visitors will find nothing cookie-cutter about this South Side rooftop. Not only does it possess one of the newer vantage points of Chicago and its skyline, but you can have an open-air dining and drinking experience to go along with it. Dishes are a diverse cast of mostly small, shareable plates that touch on flavors from various cuisines around the world. On the booze side of things, guests can sip on fancy renditions of martinis, daiquiris, juleps, and other specialty cocktails, along with a large selection of beer and wines. VU Rooftop Bar is undoubtedly bound to become one of the hottest destinations for conference goers in Chicago.
About
VU Rooftop Bar was opened by the Concentric Restaurant Group, who also own ROOF on theWit—another stunning rooftop bar in Chicago. Concentric has several venues in Atlanta, and projects underway and/or completed in Louisville, KY; Charleston, SC and Columbus and Toledo, OH.
Plan your visit
133 E. Cermak Road
Hours of operation:
Sunday-Thursday: 4pm-1am
Friday-Saturday: 4pm-2am
Weekend brunch: 10am-3pm
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