Chicago After Dark: Top Spots for a Night Out

Chicago comes alive after dark. The city's nightlife is as lively as it is varied, from old-school blues clubs and dive bars to bass-thumping nightclubs where DJs play beats inspired by the Chicago house music of the early 80s.

Dance, Dance, Dance!

Nestled beneath Metro—one of Chicago's top rock venues—Smart Bar is rapidly becoming one of the city's premier dance clubs. Its sleek look, killer sound system and cutting-edge DJs make Smart Bar a reliable place to dance the night away. It offers a good time on any given night, but the place really comes alive right after a big show closes down in the larger venue upstairs.

Be Crafty in Chi-Town

Fountainhead is a craft beer lover's paradise, the kind of place where you can sit down, check out a beer menu as thick as a Russian novel, and try some of the best beers you've never heard of. It's a great, low-key hangout, serving tasty upscale pub food in the barroom and seasonal rooftop garden. Fountainhead regularly hosts tastings by local breweries, wineries and distilleries, so you never know what you might get to try.

Get into the Groove

The inclusive vibe at Berlin makes everyone feel welcome. When you step inside this cavernous dance club, you’ll see people from all different backgrounds and all walks of life. Enjoy the friendly atmosphere and cheap drink specials at this local nightspot. You'll be hard-pressed find a more diverse crowd out on the dance floor anywhere else.

Singin’ the Blues

This is the kind of place that proves that Chicago nightlife hasn't changed much in the last half century. Before house music, Chicago was the home of the blues, and it still is at Buddy Guy's Legends. Amazing blues acts take the stage almost every night while the kitchen prepares out-of-this-world Southern soul food. Buddy Guy himself performs several shows a week during his annual residency in January.

Tacos and Tunes

Big Star is Chicago's self-proclaimed "bourbon and beer-focused, taco-slinging, late-night honky-tonk." It's where you go at 2 a.m. when you need a beer and a taco right this minute. The food and drink are top-notch, the atmosphere is fun and relaxed, and the jukebox lets loose a steady stream of old school country and classic rock.

Go Underground

Neo has been one of Chicago's leading underground dance clubs since 1979. That doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon, despite the club's forced move from its original Clark Street location in 2015. Within its dimly-lit concrete walls, the DJs at Neo spin throwback grooves that recall the pulsing 80s electronic music that Chicago unleashed on the world decades ago.

A Bar for Music Lovers

The Empty Bottle offers up a respectable selection of low-priced beers, but the drinks aren't really the main attraction here—the music is. It's a rare night that you won’t find an indie rock band rattling the walls of this small, tightly-packed space. From top local talent to the next-big-things from across the country, the Empty Bottle is where you go to rock out to your new favorite band until the wee hours of the morning.