The Press Room

"When: Tues-Thurs 4-6pm The Deal: $2 Oysters, $8 Olives, $20 Charcuterie Board, $8 Old Fashioneds and Martinis, $10 Wine, $45 Dozen Oysters and Bottle of Sparkling Wine The West Loop has plenty of loud party bars—but after an exhausting day, sometimes the last thing we want is a busy spot filled with untz-untz music. Luckily, the area is also home to The Press Room, a speakeasy-esque, basement wine bar. And we like coming here for Happy Hour when we want a relaxing drink after impatiently waiting eight hours to set our Slack status to "Away." They only offer Happy Hour Tuesday through Thursday, but $8 Old Fashioneds and martinis plus $1 oysters are exactly the midweek pick-me-ups we need." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru

"The West Loop gets so busy that, at some places, it’s not unheard of to run routes like a wide receiver to get to the bar. The Press Room isn’t one of those spots. It’s a basement wine bar on a secluded side street, and feels low-key even when it’s crowded. They have a great selection of wines, really good cocktails, and a short snacky menu that goes well with both. You'll want to hang out all night with some chilled Hungarian red wine and chicken liver mousse, even if you claim to be stopping in for a just minute." - nick allen, john ringor, adrian kane

"The subterranean wine bar beneath West Loop B&B the Publishing House offers a global selection of more than 70 bottles. The drinking menu complements the season-driven fare — from cucumber salad to seared scallops — and a nice mix of cheeses and charcuterie. The indecisive can option for the chef’s choice of three savory items and dessert. Patio seating is available and happy hour offers deals on oysters and bubbles. Make a reservation through Tock." - Naomi Waxman, Eater Staff, Ashok Selvam

"The Press Room is a cozy basement space, an independent restaurant with a fun wine list and tasty food that contrasts the histrionic West Loop dining scene where greasy spoon diners — even ones from Top Chef champions — are endangered species." - Ashok Selvam

"Skip the crowded West Loop spots on Randolph and Fulton and hit up this wine bar instead. It’s on a side street in the basement of a building, and it’s rarely crowded. Even when it is, it still feels low-key - full of the type of people who’d rather hang out in a chill wine bar than deal with the Restaurant Row busy-ness. In addition to an extensive wine and cocktail menu, they have a great charcuterie and cheese selection, as well as dishes like duck breast and lamb meatballs." - adrian kane