AfterBar
Bar · West Loop ·
Craft cocktails, elegant bar snacks, park views, intimate lounge
Craft cocktails, elegant bar snacks, park views, intimate lounge
"After, the companion lounge to two-Michelin-starred Ever, has ceded its cocktail menu to one of the world’s top bartenders. Ryan Chetiyawardana, known as Mr. Lyan, has transformed the menu bringing his knowhow to the lavish Fulton Market space." - Ashok Selvam
"The sibling bar to the Michelin-starred restaurant opened in 2022; Muser, a sommelier by trade, was credited with creating many of the drinks there." - Ashok Selvam
"This pricey West Loop cocktail lounge is dark, moody, and looks kind of like a billionaire supervillain’s hideout, and it’s also home to some incredible Vietnamese duck wings. $20 only gets you two drumsticks, though they’re decently sized and worth the splurge. Each piece crackles like peanut brittle, while buttery meat waits underneath. The best part is the sweet and savory fish sauce glaze, which makes us wish we could take a growler of it home." - john ringor
"Unlike some of the other places on this list, After’s fireplace area feels less like a charming cabin in the U.P., and more like a private nook in Lex Luthor’s evil (and expensive) lair. It’s dark, moody, and luxurious, courtesy of leather couches and modernist walnut paneling. Every detail is accounted for, down to the After logo carved into ice cubes. Plus, since you can reserve the fireplace section, it’s perfect if you and up to seven friends want to sip on well-crafted (and expensive) cocktails with a little more privacy than the main dining space." - adrian kane, john ringor
"After is a cocktail lounge in the West Loop from the same team (and right next door) to the fancy tasting menu restaurant Ever. Like its sister spot, this place is luxurious—there’s a circular glowing bar that looks like it was designed by Apple, and there's a private couch area with a fireplace. Sure the cocktails are fantastic, but we’d come here just for the food, like wagyu skewers or crispy Vietnamese duck wings glazed in a sweet and savory fish sauce. Drinks are pricey (hovering around $23) and so is the food, but it’s nowhere near as traumatizing as Ever’s $325 price tag. Plus, you can fit a lot of skewers in your purse." - adrian kane