Chicago definitely boasts some of the most beautiful rooftops in the Midwest. The newest exciting offering is the 101 Club, which has taken over the former Conrad Hotel at 101 E. Erie. The space offers three event spaces: the 101 Club Patio, the 20th floor restaurant, and the 101 Club and the rooftop deck Sky Terrace.
My friend and I highly enjoyed our visit to the grand opening of the 101 Club. This is a chic and sophisticated outdoor rooftop, bar and restaurant, overlooking Michigan Avenue and Lake Michigan.
The rooftop was intimate and featured stunning city skyline views (though I would strongly recommend visiting when it is not crowded for an overall more enjoyable experience).
The patio was also a very nice location to sit, chat with friends and grab a drink or bite to eat. The inside was elegant and modern, with cascading chandeliers and retro framed posters and Chicago photography decorating the walls.
But yet again, it was not as enjoyable as it could have been due to being extremely crowded. It was also a challenge to speak and communicate with the servers, as many did not speak English, which was frustrating.
The 101 Club, on both the ground floor patio and on the rooftop, had quite the selection of creative cocktails and delicious appetizers to choose from such as craft cocktails created by Mary Bridget, a strong selection of wines by the glass highlighting Rosé from around the world and beers from local microbreweries such as Revolution.
Amazing cocktails were created onsite for guests, such as “Finish Your Fashion,” which has a smoke station for condiments (cinnamon sticks, cloves, anise), choose your own bitters, fruit, berries, chocolate covered espresso beans and citrus peels.
The menu samples provided something for all its guests including mouth watering small plates such as jumbo shrimp cocktail, crab claws, creamy hummus, shrimp and octopus ceviche, fried lobster rolls, crab cakes, a variety of tacos, burrata, smoked salmon, oysters and delectable falafel.
For the true carnivores, there was the 101 Burger (American cheese and special sauce), Chicago style mini hotdogs, southern fried chicken and grilled lamb chops.
The dessert selections were their own delicious and sinful entities. There were gelato sandwiches, layered chocolate cake, macarons, cream puffs and much more. Part of me will visit the 101 Club just for the desserts!
Overall, I enjoyed my experience at the 101 Club and Rooftop Sky Terrace. It offers a very promising new downtown hotspot to go to whether with friends, family or a romantic date. Just go when it is less crowded for a fully enjoyable experience.
Photos: Jennifer Lunz
For more information on the 101 Club or to make a reservation, please visit the website.
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