Arbella
Cocktail bar · River North ·
Globally inspired cocktails with eclectic small plates and DJs
Globally inspired cocktails with eclectic small plates and DJs
"What the booths at this small plates restaurant and cocktail lounge lack in luxury materials, they make up for in creative design. They have two distinct textures—iridescent pleather on the front ends with patterned fabric at the back of the curve. This booth exudes “Business in the front, party in the back.”" - adrian kane, john ringor
"This cocktail lounge is from the same people behind Tanta, but while Tanta is Peruvian, the food and drinks next door at Arbella are from all over the place. The map-like cocktail list reads like something you’d use to find Carmen Sandiego, with drinks inspired by places like Philadelphia (dark rum, pimento spiced liqueur, and a whole egg), Peru (pisco, guava-basil vodka, and ginger beer), and the North Pole (fernet menta, lemon, and chocolate chip cookie syrup milk). Big booths make it a comfortable place to hang with friends, but the bar and dark, candlelit tables in the back are great for showing off your knowledge of 4th-grade geography on a first date." - veda kilaru, john ringor, nick allen
"Arbella, the sibling to Peruvian icon Tanta, is a sleek bar with great drinking food that can make for an impromptu meal. The lounge’s bold NA drink lineup includes Smoking Kills (lemon-ginger kombucha, lime, ginger beer, infused smoke) and Secret Window (London Dry spirit-free, hibiscus, Peachtree sipping vinegar, fruit)." - Nylah Iqbal Muhammad
"This is a cocktail bar that’s doing a lot. For $50, they’re offering large-format cocktail kits of their specialty drinks (like the peanut butter and jelly vodka cocktail) for carryout. They also have food available, and have even compiled a playlist for you to listen to while you get drunk." - adrian kane
"Arbella is right next to Tanta, and owned by the same people. Tanta is Peruvian, but Arbella’s drinks and food are more global, and the map-like cocktail list looks less like a menu and more like something you’d use to find Carmen Sandiego. The cocktails are inspired by various countries on the map, like the “PB&J” (peanut butter infused vodka and jelly ice) for the US, or a “snow cone” with sake, pisco, and Red Bull syrup for Antarctica, which helps explain why no one lives in Antarctica. As for food, you can expect bar snacks like shawarma empanadas, and small dishes like Korean fried chicken, tacos, and bao." - adrian kane
