Spy Bar in Downtown Chicago

Spy Bar is located in the same buildnig and right below my favorite bar in Chicago, Hop Haus. And as much as I like Hop Haus, Spy Bar is just not my type of place. Even though I very much enjoy going to other clubs (such as Crescendo, Le Passage, Sound Bar, Crobar, etc.). Here are some positives and negatives I can share about Spy Bar.

Pros

Spy Bar has a real underground feel to it - like you are at a hidden party that only cool people know about.

Cons

SPy Bar has a real underground feel to it - like you are in a crammed basement of an industrial building.

This club feels like a a hallway - it is long with the entrance on one side, though there is a wider area at first, where the main bar is located, it still is always severly overcrowded (at least it feels that way). I understand that some people like the crowded feel of clubs, but I don't - at least not that much. The situation is made worse by the fact that it is very hard to walk around the club due to its narrow walkways. This club feels like the biggest safety hazard to its patrons - crowded, narrow, exit all the way on one side, small stairway leading to the exit... I'm sure there are additional exits (as required), but I just don't know about them, thats why I'm saying that it only "feels" unsafe.

Summary

Music is great (to my likes), there are two bars, lighting on dancefloor is appealing, the confetti that they sometimes rain on people is fun, crowd is nice, though I saw fights there 2 times out of 3 or 4 times I've been there. But, this place just feels like... small! I didn't think that I was claustrophobic, but the ceilings, the "narrowness" and darkness (its dark in the rather long hallways connecting main bar and the "dancefloor") of 70% of the club. It just takes away from this place for me. If I remember correctly, Spy Bar is more of an afterparty place for many people - perhaps thats why people enjoy it more. I was rather sober there, maybe when you are drunk it doesn't seem as gloomy and small.

I know that my thoughts about this place are rather negative, but I definitely don't hate it. The thing is - I Like venues with higher volume, with high ceilings, wide walkways. I don't really like small college type bars and other small crowded places. I think that small cafes and sushi bars are great, there are no drunk people standing around, and the small space makes them feel nice and cozy. If there Are drunk people standing around - I want the venue to be large. Though I know that there are a ton of people who do not share this opinion with me (why else would college bars be so damn popular).

If you haven't been to Spy Bar - go check it out yourself!

Le Passage Nightclub in Chicago Downtown

Le Passage is located at 937 N Rush Street, just a little south of the intersection of Rush and Division and Level Nightclub. It is rather hidden from street view without a flashy entrance and a huge crowd. Yet, it looks like a very cool place with a high-class, somewhat underground feel.

Inside Le Passage

When you arrive at Chicago's Le Passage dance club, you pass by the bouncers on Rush Street, and follow an alley with a red carpet for almost 100 feet. It’s an alley, but it’s well lit and clean... and it has a red carpet (small thing that is almost pointless, yet makes you feel nice). There is a smoking area to the side from the entrance, and the nice thing about it is the fact that it is in a pocket between tall buildings - making it free of wind and not as cold during winter.

As you enter through a small door of La Passage at the end of the red carpet, you have to go down a rather narrow flight of stairs, then through some more corridors... then you start seeing people behind white draped curtains (so the high-class feel adds to the cool underground vibe). This club has a bunch of cozy vip "rooms" that are separated by the white curtains from each other. Thus, this place appears to have more seating than any other downtown Chicago nightclub. And they feel much much nicer than most vip areas in other clubs – not too modern with uncomfortable couches, yet, not too retro with couches that you would see in an old-school British mansion. Cozy. The lighting is also just right – that seems like a small thing, but actually is important as some places make seating areas really dark.

Dance floor, bar and DJ at Le Passage

The dance area is not very large, but I think they are going more for a dance-lounge feel for Le Passage and not a super dance club. If I remember correctly, there is only one bar, which seems like not enough. But the bartenders were quick and it took me only 1-2 minutes to get my drinks every time I went up there. DJ was pretty good – played both hip hop and house music. I heard some older hip hop, too. Overall, I really liked the music – it was fun, not only electro, but also something that people were singing along to a little bit, yet not like some bars that play almost county that drunk people yell along to non-stop (I actually like some country, just not in a club/bar).

Drinks are somewhat expensive – a jack and coke plus red bull vodka added up to $21. Though it seems the same as most other Chicago nightclubs.

Overall thoughts

I loved this place last Saturday night. The crowd appeared friendly and nice, place has a really cool feel to it. I’m sure I’ll be going there again in a few weeks.

Underground Nightclub

Anybody ever been to Underground in Chicago? I've heard about it and read about its founder - read about him in my university's newspaper! Apparently, he went to the same university as I did, so they wrote an article about him. It was an intersting article. Anyway, if you have been to Underground nightclub in Chicago, please leave a comment here and let me know how it was and what is the best way to get into it.

By the way, I added some new comments to the Crobar review.

XO Sky lounge/bar in Wheeling

The first thing about XO Sky is its interior. XO Sky lounge has a nicer looking interior than any lounge/bar/club I've been to in downtown Chicago. Perhaps it looks so great because this place was opened very recently, but it looks very nice. Their decorative lighting makes it look very high-class.

The next thing you notice is that it is rather small, its cozy and classy, but still a little small. It could probably seat about 80 to 90. On the other hand, XO Sky is a hybrid of cafe, lounge and a club (at least on Saturdays) so half the people don't need tables and just hang out in the decently sized area by the bar or on the dancefloor - thus allowing maybe up to 200 guests at the same time. There is only one horseshoe-shaped bar but its size is sufficient for the size of this cafe, and it's a great looking bar.

Food and Drinks

I only went to XO Sky cafe in Wheeling (the town might also be called Buffalo Grove or Arlington Heights) once - for a birthday party with bottle service and food (yes, they have food). Thus, I cannot really jugde their drink prices. However, I was told that it was priced very reasonably. And their food was really good! Their shish kabob, chicken dishes and salad were on a level of a fancy restaurant - very very tasty. Though I didn't like the calamari...

Music at XO Sky by KGBeats and dj Baton

On the night of my visit they had djs Baton and KGBeats playing music (I'm pretty sure that they were the DJs playing when I was there). Music was not really the same as in mainstream nightclubs. And this actually made this place appear more prestigious - their music is a little lighter and "happier". Something in between a groovy lounge and a danceclub. It was very "danceable", yet is nice to also just listen to.

Crowd

The night started off with half of the guests aged over 40. But most of them left by 11 and were replaced by a crowd that averaged about 25 years old. The club filled up at around 11:30, if I remember correctly. Dancefloor was full at 12 (dancefloor at XOsky club isn't the biggest ever - its designated area would probably comfortably fit 40 people).

Overall impression of XO-Sky bar in Wheeling

I think this place is great. If the owners will be able to keep it clean and new looking, then it is sure to be one of the most appealing places. I really liked their food. The crowd appeared positive. There is plenty of free parking right in front of XO sky. The only bummer was that they made guys pay cover charges even though we had the bday party with bottle service and food - but i guess they need to make the money somewhere... I will be glad to go there again on a weekend on one of their dj nights.

Ruby Nightclub in Downtown Chicago

I remember in the winter 2 years ago i went to Ruby Nightclub several times. They also had some kind of big prizes for amateur stripper competitions on Tuesdays, I think. That was one of the first clubs that I actually liked, it always had a younger crowd (which is great for me since I'm only 23), cool music, and a cozy atmosphere. Perhaps, it was cozy to the point of being a little too small... but I liked it anyway. Still roomier-looking than SpyBar :)

I drive by the place where I remember Ruby is located almost every weekend, but I don't see it anymore. Perhaps I'm just not noticing it - Ruby's was, in fact, my first favorite downtown Chicago nightclub.

Paris Cafe on Belmont in Chicago

I have been going to Paris Cafe, which is located a few blocks west of Cicero on Belmont northwest of downtown Chicago, nearly every Friday for the past 2 months. Its actually a cafe (thus "Paris Cafe"), but at night they have a dj there. On Thursdays they actually have karaoke, though since this place is predominantly Polish, most songs are in Polish language so it might be so much fun to go to Paris Cafe on Thursdays if you are not Polish...

On Fridays, however, its like a small club - djs there are pretty good, they play the same house music that big clubs have and also some older techno songs which I happen to really like (it gets Paris Cafe more of a euro vibe).

Fridays at Paris Cafe

It gets busy after around 10:30 - though people don't usually start dancing until after 11:30. And it usually starts with half a dozen of beatiful girls coming out to the dance floor (after they had enough to drink to start the party). Though in the end, only about 30-40 people fit on a dancefloor, I like the fact that this is actually small - makes it more cozy and comfortable. There are often a few tables available so there is also a good chance of getting a place to sit and relax. Food is available and decent. Drinks are $3 for anymixed drink on Friday!!! Which is probably my favorite thing about this place - the drinks taste good, are decently strong, and cost 3 bucks. For seating, there are restaurant/cafe type tables with chairs, or lounge type couches with coffee tables. Though you usually need to reserve the couches.

There are two bars (even though the place is rather small), so there is never any long wait times. There are also waitresses that could take drink/food orders from tables, but they usually take a rather long time to bring drinks back.

Parking at Paris Cafe

There is a tiny cramped parking lot right in front of that cafe. But I strongly suggest never leaving your car there. Since the lot is so narrow, there isn't barely enough space for cars to back out of their spaces... It gets especially complicated when people leave after having a few drinks. I once saw a guy hit another car while leaving the lot (made a hole in the bumper), well, he just sped away. There is a larger parking lot across Belmont from Paris Cafe - this is a much safer and easier place to park. Additionally, there is usually a few empty parking spots on Belmont on the same block.

Overall Impression

Obviously, I like this cafe. Thats why I've been going back here frequently. If you don't mess with the other patrons, they tend to be pretty cool (I'd suggest not picking fights because a lot of people know each other there). The crowd is good-looking and happy most of the time, consisting mostly of Polish people. "Euro" style dominates this place - so black shoes, slimmer jeans and white shirts are worn by half the male patrons. I'd suggest giving this place a try.

The Embassy Nightclub, Former Theatro Ultra Lounge in Chicago

I spent my Halloween night at the Embassy nightclub in Chicago. It is a small/medium size "loungy" club just west of downtown Chicago. It used to be called Theatro Ultra Lounge, but seemed to exists under that name for only a few months.

To be completely honest, I was a little drunk that night. Neither was this a regular night - it was Halloween and it was crazy. We had a corner table there with bottle service, so there wasn't much need for the bar.

Since that place is slightly west of downtown, there was no problem finding parking. Though there is a train line (CTA) above the road right in front of the front entrance of Embassy nightclub, so its somewhat annoying staying in line there or smoking outside because the trains are very loud while they pass. However, there is a separate smoking area which looks like a narrow balkony and is on the side of the building on second-story level. Its probably allright there when its dry, but it rained a little before that night and there were a few small but annoying puddles on the floor (its all concrete without real drains).

Its cozy inside, the whole club is actually at a 2nd floor and there is no basementish feeling that most other smaller clubs have. There is (I think) one long bar against the side of building.

They were playing house music all night, dj was good. However, since this was a special event they might have had a guest dj.

I actually had a blast there - the best time I've had in a club this year. Thus, I obviously loved that place. I just hope that it is comparably good on regular nights.