Cantina Rosa
Cocktail bar · Hyde Park
5230 S Harper Ave, Chicago, IL 60615
Highlights
Agave spirits, tropical cocktails, and small bites in Hyde Park
Agave spirits, tropical cocktails, and small bites in Hyde Park
"A few steps away from James Beard Award-winning chef Erick Williams’ restaurant Virtue and more casual New Orleans-inspired Daisy’s Po-Boy & Tavern, Cantina Rosa continues his passionate work to shine the light on Hyde Park. Williams’ intimate lounge heads to Mexico for its drink and food menu. Stop by for happy hour 5-7 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. on Sunday for $10 select cocktails, and half off wine and beer. Pair those with $4 chicken tinga tostada, $7 lamb-filled quesabirria, and $11 chorizo and bean pambazo." - Lisa Shames
"Opened by a James Beard Award–winning chef as a cocktail lounge that honors Mexican spirits and family matriarchs, this spot pairs mesquite-style woodwork, monstera-leaf decor, and hand-stitched embroidery with blackened windows that invite a fully immersive experience. The bar program leans into lesser-known agave spirits—think small-batch fire-roasted raicilla and bacanora—alongside rare tequilas and mezcals, while the food menu offers comforting small bites like melty chicken and tomatillo salsa tamales and a sea bass ceviche with habanero slivers set atop a velvety leche de tigre." - ByKristin Braswell
"Erick Williams’ team at Virtue has dove into Latin America for inspiration in opening a bar around the corner. Cantina Rosa is a dimly lit bar with a good variety of agave cocktails. Ask one of the talented bartenders to mix up a margarita based on your preferences." - Sam Nelson
"The first bar from Virtue chef Erick Williams veers toward Mexican flavors with head bartender Maria Rodriguez leading the charge. These are more than margaritas; they have an eclectic variety of drinks. There’s also a frozen guava colada and a spirit-free horchata fizz. Visitors should be aware that there’s a 90-minute limit for stays; the host will politely inform you upon arrival." - Ashok Selvam
"This loosely Mexican cocktail bar is from the team behind Virtue and Daisy’s Po’ Boy And Tavern (two of our favorite Hyde Park restaurants). Cantina Rosa focuses on tequila, mezcal, and rum, and is opening just a few doors down from Virtue—so dinner and drinks basically plans itself." - john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen
