For our first round, it was the freezer door vesper ($16) for my partner, with Stray Dog and Tanqueray gins, California citrus vodka, Lillet Blanc and the aperitif wine Kina L’Aero d’Or.
I had a harder time deciding. The cocktails are West Coast-inspired, too, and another deviation from the norm. I ultimately chose the bitter and orange ($14), with DeGroff bitter aperitivo, orange juice and San Pellegrino blood orange soda. It was fun and refreshing, a needed burst of citrus on a February day. The bartender was patient with my indecision, too.
Double Fun is from Footman Hospitality, the same group behind Fulton Market cocktail bar Bisous and the Gold Coast’s Sparrow. (In fact, Sparrow is in the same building.)
Double Fun does not take reservations, but we had no trouble walking in and saddling up to the bar when we arrived. By the time we left, though, the place was full. Couples who lived nearby, after-work gatherings, the start of date nights — you name it.
Unlike other cocktail spots that raise question as to whether they are bars or restaurants, Double Fun is decidedly a bar. There are some snacks, like Thai spiced peanuts, local potato chips and those cheese balls. But if you go after work, don’t come hungry unless you have dinner plans after.
The bar is open every day until 2 a.m.
2 W. Elm St. | doublefunchicago.com
For a taste of vintage West Coast in the Gold Coast, look no further than Double Fun.
The cocktail bar, which opened in mid-November on the corner of Elm and State streets, channels 1970s California with warm hues, sunset-colored tiles and brown trim. Partner and beverage director Peter Vestinos told Crain’s earlier this year that he had the design team give it a “Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood” feel.
The decor is a splendid deviation from the standard Chicago cocktail bar atmosphere. Even the tile choice in the bathroom — a combo of plumy mauves — was delightful.
My drinking partner and I arrived about 5 p.m. on a Thursday.We were determined to show up during happy hour, held every day from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., because the website promised free cheese balls. Indeed, there they were, sitting in bowls on the bar.
Photos courtesy of Garrett Sweet
Double Fun
We ordered a couple of drinks to start, because the sun was out and why not celebrate that? My dining partner had the martini saporito ($18), a house cocktail with Bordiga gin, tomato water, Carpano Bianco and basil. I had a glass of the La Staffa ‘Mai Sentito!’ ($17), a fizzy number from the Marche region on Italy’s Adriatic coast.
We paired our drinks with the anchovy crostino ($14). The thick, crusty bread was topped with whipped butter and a pile of pickled fennel, and we managed to cut it in half for sharing without too much destruction.
I had the smoked chicken salad ($19), which was big and fresh and beautifully green. The mortadella sandwich ($17) that my partner ordered came on a pillowy bun with garlic aioli, provolone and arugula. The mortadella was sliced paper-thin and piled high. We split fries ($8) of the skinny variety, paired with a smoked garlic aioli.
At the end of the meal, a work obligation popped up that I had to deal with immediately; out came my own laptop. Though we were pushing up on 2 p.m., when lunch service technically ends, they did not bat an eye when I asked if it would be OK to order a double decaf espresso ($5) and linger.
Photos courtesy of Matt Haas
1110 W. Carroll Ave. | 312-463-4303 | bartutto.com
Lunch on a sunny Friday is alive and well at Bar Tutto in Fulton Market.
The restaurant, which opened in December, is an all-day Italian café from celebrated chef Joe Flamm. The fourth spot from Flamm and his company, Day Off Group, it occupies the ground floor of the Flora, a recently completed, 368-unit luxury apartment building.
We arrived slightly before 12:30 p.m. and Bar Tutto was in full swing. I spotted Flamm circulating among the tables. More than half of the seats at the bar were occupied and the café area was full of people working. In the dining area, too, some folks had their laptops out. A bustling lunch business nowadays, it seems, must include the remote work crowd.
The atmosphere was inviting, with big area rugs giving a welcoming feel. We had walked to lunch, desperately grasping at a few warm rays of sunshine, but arrived feeling windswept. Views of the fire in the kitchen soothed.
Courtesy of Garrett Sweet
Bar Tutto
We went in with an ordering plan — budgets and whatnot — that we threw out the window the minute the server mentioned the restaurant’s cheddar scallion biscuits ($12). The order came with four biscuits, reminiscent of Red Lobster (but better, obviously), and a plate of smoky-spicy chili butter molded into the shape of a cow’s head.
The steakhouse, a sister to Gold Coast Italian spot Adalina, does offer a three-course power lunch that includes a salad or soup, a main course and soft-serve ice cream for $35. We went a different direction.
My partner started out with a Hopewell First Pils ($9) and a bowl of New England clam chowder ($17). It came topped with bacon and crispy potato with a tiny jar of Tabasco sauce on the side. I’m always amazed at how well clam chowder holds heat and warms you with just one bite.
He also ordered the turkey club ($18), which came stacked high and accompanied by fries. I had a glass of the Château Sainte Marguerite Rosé Symphonie ($15). To eat, I added three grilled shrimp ($4 each) to a truffled Caesar salad ($14). It was delicious, with black garlic Caesar dressing and fun pink peppercorns. It was the perfect portion size, too. No one wants to lug leftovers back to the office.
360 N. Green St. | 312-690-3333 | adalinaprime.com
When the owners of Adalina Prime began laying out plans for their airy, Fulton Market steakhouse, they hoped for a built-in business crowd that craved a place to wine and dine throughout the day.
After all, the restaurant occupies the ground floor of a Sterling Bay-developed, 24-story office building that counts Boston Consulting Group and Miami-based Greenberg Traurig, one of the largest law firms in Chicago, among its tenants.
Adalina Prime’s owners put their theory to the test earlier this year with the launch of lunchtime service. Now on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the steakhouse shows off its 22-foot ceilings, soaring faux trees and two-story wine cellar to a daytime crowd.
On a recent, chilly Thursday, my dining partner and I were immediately seated for our noon reservation. The restaurant was by no means full. We were seated in a central area adjacent to the bar with all the other diners, grouped together to make the smaller-than-dinner crowd feel intimate and lively. It worked. I watched the seats around us fill up with business diners — teams out to lunch, one-on-one meetings over a meal. Servers walked by with comically large pepper grinders and the food from nearby tables was tantalizing.
Photos courtesy of Matt Reeves
Adalina Prime
We began with charcoal grilled cabbage ($24) with Wagyu bacon, gorgonzola, yuzu kasu dressing and an egg. It was a flavor explosion, with the smokiness from the char, savory bacon and pungent cheese. We ordered the hummus ($16), too. Topped with olive oil and vibrant green garbanzo beans, we scooped it up with a warm, charred pita.
Our cocktail glasses drained, we turned to the wine menu. I had the Tsiakkas Xynisteri ($21), a crisp white from Cyprus, and my partner had the Domaine Skouras Moscofilero ($17), a white from Greece. Mine was fresh and bright, lovely with the salad and the scallops ($48) with miso cauliflower velouté, Swiss chard, purslane and preserved lemon. My partner was surprised by how well her glass paired with the Wagyu kafta ($20), cutting through the slight spice in the dish.
Up next, pasta. We chose the black truffle shish barak ($38) with smoked ricotta, pinenuts, mint and pecorino. For dessert, it was Susu’s take on baklava ($18), a fluffy yet crunchy number adorned with honeycomb bits and edible flower petals.
In all, we were there almost three hours, an ideal amount of time for a dinner serving as the evening’s event. Also notable: Besides a gathering in the private dining room at the back of the restaurant, there was only one other party there the whole night. An unexpectedly quiet atmosphere, with plenty of privacy for business conversation.
652 W. Randolph St. | 312-248-8097 | susuchicago.com
Heading to my reservation at Susu, a “Mediterrasian” restaurant that opened in the West Loop two months ago, I was intrigued.
Its menu has a blend of mezzes, pastas, fish and Wagyu steaks. Its wine list features alluring terroirs like Armenia and Lebanon. There’s this bit of history, too: Susu operates in the space once occupied by Grace, a three Michelin-starred restaurant that closed in 2017.
I ordered a drink at the bar while I waited for my dining partner to arrive on a recent blustery Tuesday. The bartender suggested the Yuki No Mori ($21), with Mijenta Cristalino tequila, soju, bamboo, amaro, oolong tea and Chartreuse. “It’s supposed to be like you’re drinking a cup of tea in a snowy forest,” he told me. Sold.
When my friend arrived, we were shown to our table and told dishes were meant to be shared. We ordered all at once and the staff coursed out our meal. The service was slow — someone had called off, so the general manager served us — but exceptional. He cleared the table of cold courses, boxing them up so as not to crowd out the hot dishes. There were complimentary amuse bouches to start and dessert drinks to end.
Photos courtesy of Matt Reeves
Susu
The warm brie gougères ($16) were a delight and easy to share — and there were so many, I couldn’t finish my full allotment. Next up was the shrimp with rémoulade and chicories ($24), unexpectedly one of our favorites. The tarte flambé ($18) was topped with mushrooms, crispy and paper thin, leaving plenty of room for the coming courses.
When it came time for round two, my partner ordered a second vesper; he was taken with Creepies’ version of the cocktail. Longing for my own frosty coupe, I ordered the Dirty ($16), a martini riff with orange oil vodka, brine, aromatized wines and olives.
I always love a salad with French food, some acid to slice through the fat. The Little Gem with parsley root, pear and sunflower seeds ($16) did just that, adding freshness into the middle of the meal. Last, we had the fjord trout with salsify, buttermilk and buckwheat ($37). Roe added delightful bursts to each bite.
Do not skip dessert. Anna Posey is the pastry chef, and she’s won recognition beyond Michelin for her craft. We had the butterscotch custard with crème fraîche and lemon ($14). Divine.
1360 W. Randolph St. | 312-579-2727 | creepieschicago.com
Creepies is a new neighborhood bistro with a Michelin-starred pedigree, and it did not disappoint.
Anna and David Posey, the wife-and-husband duo behind Elske (just next door), opened Creepies last summer. The name spawned from an inside joke among the owners, but the atmosphere is about as far from creepy as you could land. Sconces with real candles twinkle on the walls and wood paneling cocoons you.
The pace of the meal was slow and meandering, truly French, and my favorite kind of dining. Creepies isn’t for the buttoned-up business meeting masquerading as dinner. It’s the kind of place you take someone with whom you have rapport. Maybe a favorite colleague or client is in town and your aim is to show off one of Chicago’s new and lovely dining spots.
We started with aperitifs, of course. My dining partner had a vesper ($16), with vodka, gin, Lillet Blanc, Cap Corse Blanc and lemon oil served in a frosty Nick & Nora glass. I had a two-ounce pour of the Normandin Mercier Pineau des Charentes Blanc ($14), a fortified wine from the Cognac region.
The server guided us through the menu and paced the coursing based on our chosen plates. There was no hurry, no push to free up our seat for the next guest.
Photos courtesy of Huge Galdones
Creepies
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I started with a classic vodka martini ($18), not too dirty. It was perfectly briny, ice cold and irresistible with the Caesar salad ($17) we ordered out of the gate. My partner had The Hot & Dirty, one of the Alston’s signature cocktails ($25) with vodka (gin is also an option), pearl onion brine and Tabasco.
We had a prawn cocktail ($8 per) and split the Foie gras torchon ($32), served with crispy brioche slices.
For the main event, my partner chose the six-ounce petite filet mignon ($61) with the peppercorn Sauce L’Alston (an extra $12) and a side of mushrooms ($21). We shared the mushrooms and still had enough to warrant boxing up the leftovers.
I ordered the dry-aged Wagyu burger ($28), with shallot marmalade and bone marrow. It came on a bun that was too high to eat with proper manners; I ended up removing the top half.
Predictably, given our mains, we turned to the red wine list when our martinis dried up. My partner chose a Côtes-du-Rhône ($14), the most affordable offering on the list, and I chose a cabernet sauvignon. It was divine with the burger, but at $30 — and not even the most expensive glass on the menu — it had me hesitating.
The Alston, though, is not a place for the cost-conscious. Our total with tax and tip soared close to $400.
The restaurant is on the third floor of One Chicago tower, a condo building that last year saw the 72nd-floor condo sell for $8.9 million, one of the highest-priced home sales of 2025. To that clientele, a $30 glass of wine might not give such pause.
My tip for a more intimate setting: Reserve a table in the bar area instead of the main dining room. It’s moodier, with lower ceilings and warmer lighting.
750 N. State St., third floor | 312-548-2556 | thealston.com
On a Saturday evening, the Alston is a scene.
The diners are dressed up, the music is upbeat and the martinis — a must-order at most Chicago steakhouses — arrive in sky-high triangle glasses that tower over the table settings.
It’s a spectacle, which could be exactly what is needed on an otherwise boring late-winter night.
The Alston, a steakhouse infused with French cooking techniques, opened last May. It is a collaboration between The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, parent of West Town Bakery and Roots Pizza, and Jenner Tomaska, the Michelin-starred chef behind Lincoln Park’s Esmé.
My dining partner and I arrived at the Gold Coast spot a little before our reservation and were seated immediately in one of the grand velvet-backed banquettes lining the soaring windows. They are nestled away from the bustle of the restaurant and a good locale to conduct business over dinner.
Photos courtesy of Anthony Tahlier
The Alston
Double fun
drinks
Bar Tutto
Adalina Prime
Lunch
Susu
Creepies
The Alston
Dinner
The best restaurants to take colleagues and customers do more than feed the table. They set the tone. We’ve collected a group offering the right mix of polish, comfort and quiet for deal-making, catching up and wooing clients. Whether you’re looking for a power lunch, a steakhouse splurge or a cocktail that extends the conversation, we’ve got you covered. From midday meetings to late-night drinks, these spots make a strong case for taking business out of the office. Select a restaurant to read more.
The best restaurants for business 2026
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Courtesy of Matt Reeves
By Ally Marotti May 4, 2026 8:45 AM CDT