Valedor

Fun, lively atmosphere for cocktail hour. All cocktails are $12 and food is $8. The cocktails were well-balanced and the food has a comfort food vibe while still being fun and fusion. Get the cotton candy cocktail first and a good one to end with is the horchata. Their take on takoyaki is delectable. If you’re looking for a fun cocktail hour, this is it!

Very interesting Japanese and Mexican fusion cocktail bar. The flavors and custom drinks are very unique, well worth stopping in to sample over happy hour. There's a small tapas menu as well that continues the motif, reminds me a bit of an izakaya. What we got was flavorful and a nice compliment to our cocktails. We'll certainly be coming back at some point. If at least to try the rest of the menu!

Amazing decor and atmosphere, food and service was impeccable. Really great variety of cocktails. Really recommend the birria takoyaki! Would could back 100% next time.

Really cool cocktail bar in wicker park! I recently went with two of my besties to celebrate our engagement! The service and atmosphere was 10/10!

I recently visited Valedor in Chicago with two of my girlfriends, and it was an unforgettable experience. From the moment we stepped in, the ambiance struck us; it was dark and sultry, creating an intimate and cozy atmosphere. The place seemed perfect for a girls' night out or a romantic date. The drink menu at Valedor was impressively extensive. We spent a good amount of time just browsing through the variety of options. Each of us ended up choosing different cocktails, and each one was a hit - perfectly mixed, beautifully presented, and absolutely delicious. I loved the Tamarind Sour and the presentation for Autumn in August is very cool. Despite the tables being tiny, they were just the right size for our group. We ordered a handful of tapas, and not only did they fit comfortably on the table, but they were also a culinary delight. Each dish was a burst of flavors, beautifully plated, and just the right portion size for sharing. My favorite was the Birria Tacoyaki and the crispy rice. The overall experience at Valedor was fantastic. The combination of the moody ambiance, the wide array of drinks, and the scrumptious tapas made our evening truly special. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a chic spot in Chicago for a casual yet elegant dining experience.

quickly becoming one of my favorite cocktail bars because of the inventive cocktails and delicious food that perfectly blends mexican and japanese cuisine. we walked in around 7 and waited about 10-15 minutes for bar seats. they have a nice waiting area where you can mingle and order a drink while you wait for a seat too, which i really appreciate. i highly recommend sitting at the bar - the bar staff is so kind and knowledgeable, which truly adds to your time there. the drinks are insanely good - i love that you can still taste the spirit without it overpowering the drinks. just so well balanced! the ‘horchata two ways’ has the most insane horchata foam and the ‘we love lychee’ is so juicy and fun. the food is also surprisingly good. we tried the crispy rice with salmon, al pastor gyoza, and the ny strip katsu sando. our favorite of the night was definitely the crispy rice, but i’d order each of those again in a heartbeat. overall this place is perfect for a date night or a night out with the girls. looking forward to going back!

I loved the atmosphere! The visual board was incredible. The drinks and food during cantina hour were so good! The service and hospitality were top notch! Loved the vibe in here! Margaret and Neil were great staff members that were very hospitable and made the experience even better! Anthony also talked to us to make sure we were having a good time and wanted to know how we heard about them! A very easily enjoyable experience!

So good! Will definitely be adding to my happy hour roster. The space is *beautiful* Sit in the middle if you can so you can really appreciate the decor. Visually mesmerizing with the animated monitor. So let’s get into the drinks. I went for a random Thursday afternoon happy hour. We started with the passionfruit sakerita and the house margarita. Let me tell you it was sooooo good. We did end up getting maybe 4-5 more margaritas cus that one really took it for me. The Miss Fresca was also very good just a little sweet for me. I asked if the waiter (Harrison) could add a little more yuzu and he was so accommodating (pay Harrison more!!!) 10 out of 10 on the drinks. The sakerita I will say, although my favorite flavor, it was a lil small for $10. The other drinks I think were a decent size for the price. Now let’s talk about the HH tapas. They have shishito peppers, gouda katsu, and crispy salmon. Of course I had to get all three chile, at $6 a piece uhhhh YES. They were also so good, and we did have to get some more of the salmon and the peppers. The gouda was good (8 out of 10), but it’s really just fried cheese it’s a lil heavy so I had to let that one go. The salmon tho was so flavorful, and the peppers had this sauce that was oooooh I wanted them to bring some bread afterwards. 11 out of 10 on the peppers. 10 out of 10 on the salmon. Anyways highly recommend! I love finding new HH spots. Yall will be seeing me!!

Definitely a hidden gem in the city! Great tasting cocktails with delicious bites to go with. We got most things on the menu (to eat) and some of my favourites were the shishito peppers and the birria dumplings! The cocktails we tried were also super creative and fun - I really liked my beets'n'yogurt stranger things special - felt like a childhood yogurt drink but with some added magic (booze) Service was great! Both servers were so friendly and nice! The interior design was also nicely done - felt luxurious but also gave a relaxed and laid back vibe

Valedor is a great moody bar, perfect for a date night or group outing, with delicious Japanese + Mexican inspired cocktails and food! I recommend getting a reservation ahead of time through their website, otherwise you may wait a while to get seated. The drinks were all so unique and tasty, and the presentation for each of them was well thought out. Photos of each drink are available on their website. I came here with my partner before a concert nearby. We started with the mizu fresca and the Pina colada. I enjoyed the mizu fresca, the aloe and cucumber notes were super refreshing. The Pina colada was good, especially if you have a sweet tooth. It came with a fun coconut cookie/cracker on top. For the second round we got the greener the better and cucumber sakerita. The greener the better cocktail was presented with a chip on top with a wasabi guacamole dip which was really good. The presentation was memorable as you sip out of a bowl. The cucumber sakerita comes in a sake can with some lychee foam. This was my favorite drink of the night. We ended by sharing a midnight espresso, which was really tasty and had the perfect amount of caffeine to keep me up for the next two hours. The taste reminded me of the Kopiko coffee candies. We got some nice seats along the back wall with a great view of the bar. The service was really on top of it, coming by frequently to place orders and bringing out drinks pretty quickly. The bathrooms are really clean here too. Definitely recommend this cocktail bar and I'm excited to try out their happy hour (5-7pm) deals in the future. Also I appreciate that there wasn't a strict dress code. It is a nice establishment so you would want to dress somewhat nicely, but you can get in wearing a nice polo and jeans/chinos. I enjoyed the moody but casual vibe.

Incredible drinks! Lovely flavors & great ambiance. Sakerita was so delicious! Ask for harrison he is great!

Such a cool spot! Cantina hour was so fun to be a part of this dim upbeat ambiance and try a nice cocktail. We got to try some tapas too - they came around with samples of off menu items like the fried zucchini and cucumber salad. These were tasty sample portions. We also ordered the karage, crispy spicy salmon rice, and shishito peppers. All were delicious! It was a fun time!

Excellent ambiance that matched service and drinks/food. I celebrated my birthday with pre-dinner drinks and snacks and am so glad that I spent a portion of my evening here. The passion fruit Sakerita was refreshing and was topped with this incredible lychee foam. The autumn in August cocktail was boozy and smoky from the applewood infused smoke and well prepared. We also ordered the chicken and oyster mushroom karaage off of the happy hour tapas menu and the food was crispy and the accompanying dips delicious. Our bar tender brought out drinks on the house to celebrate my birthday and it was such a nice gesture/surprise. Valedor is up there on my favorite places to go for a drink and I'll be looking forward to the next time I'm back.

What an awesome spot in Wicker! Loved the vibe/interiors. Thought the prices were reasonable and the cocktails were delicious. Although I do wish the service was a little better, felt like I was chasing the bartender. Mizu Fresca was perfect and the Passionfruit Sakerita is a great summertime drink - loved the foam on the Sakeritas. Even the tapas were enjoyable - tried the Chicken and Mushroom Karaage, the Birriayaki and Salmon Crispy Rice. Would definitely come back for the cocktails!!

One of my new favorite cocktail bars! An incredible happy hour that includes weekends and it's the perfect place for a girls night or date night. The cocktails are so unique and have such nice presentation. Servers are super friendly and bring around 1-2 tapas as you order drinks. They also have some tapas on their happy hour menu and everything we tried was great. Would definitely go back!

Finally glad I was able to check this place out! If you go for cantina hour 5-7pm, drinks are $12 and tapas are $8. Drinks were fantastic and definitely offer a great variety. We also ordered some spicy tuna crispy rice on their tapas menu. Those were tasty but very small portion. Cannot wait to go back!

Very cool renovation of what used to be a Coffee Shop on Milwaukee in Wicker Park. Great cocktail bar vibe. I would go for drinks. Crispy rice was lacking and the spicy salmon was ok. The Steak Sandwich was way over done and was missing elements of texture and flavor. Bartender was the right amount of attentive and friendly.

You need to try this place for happy hour (5-7 PM)! I went with a group of friends for their drink/tapas deal. Great prices on drinks, plus they bring out extra tapas to try (free of charge)! The tuna poke tacos were my favorite of the tapas, and I'd recommend the watermelon cocktail (recommended by our waiter). Service was top notch - very attentive, friendly, helpful recommendations. Looking forward to visiting this place again! Very convenient location as well - right off the Damien stop.

vibacious cocktail bar with a fun menu! i thoroughly enjoyed both the horchata 2 ways and the beats n yogurt, however, if i had to pick a fave it would be the horchata drink. the drink was so indulgent but not cloyingly sweet - the whipped cream especially is out of this world! my friend's espresso martini was good too but nothing inventive. i wish i had tried the tapas as i'm sure they're great.

Drinks were great, however if you are looking for great bites you should eat prior to going. I came with a large party, I tried ordering from the bar like some of the other patrons-the bartender quickly told me that I would be charged 20% gratuity even though I was not ordering with the group. He stated since I'm with them it didn't matter. I was flabbergasted, it definitely appeared at that moment I was being taken advantage of.

Small and intimate bar/lounge. Cute place for a date. The food menu was small but good for snacking- small bites. We were able to come in without a reservation, sat at the bar, and the happy hour specials were worth it. The cocktails were boozy. Shishito Peppers had a nice char, and the Cilantro Lime Crispy Rice was fresh and light.

Valedor isn't just another cocktail bar. It's sophisticated without being snobbish, welcoming without being mundane. If you're in the Chicago Wicker Park area and you're not stopping by Valedor, you're missing out on a piece of what makes this city bar scene great. IG: @Polished_Pours / polishedpours.com

Small but very cozy with excellent food. Walking in I had no expectations, I was just interested in hanging out with a friend at one of the newest spots in town. When I walked in, I loved how dim and intimate it was. The place was quiet, grown and sexy, there's street parking on all sides(some you have to pay for so don't say I didn't tell you). The service was awesome to say the least. From the host all the way down to the bartender. Everything came out in a timeline manner. THEY EVEN HAVE EARLY SUNDAY EVENING HAPPY HOUR, woot woot! Cilantro rice was amazing, I enjoyed two portions of those. The margarita was to die for and even the old fashion my friend and I both ordered but didn't bother to take photos of because we were having such a good time and the cocktails were so well crafted. Definitely a go to spot and a place to frequent if you're looking for vibes. Enjoy!

Valedor is a new bar located in Wicker Park close to the six corners intersection. Who knew that a Japanese-Mexican cocktail lounge was needed but this place sure is cool. From the moment you enter the aesthetic is moody, with a nice balance between Mexican and Japanese styles. There is a large LED screen showing a virtual fish tank above bar which definitely makes the space. Menu was pretty extensive without being overwhelming. Lots of interesting drink combinations, which expertly melds two very distinct cultures. Of course we had to try the sakerita flight, because why not. Table favorite was the cucumber. Also had the horchata which was pretty good, a little on the bland milky-side, but it's a start. Also had "The Greener The Better", which had combo of gin and sake and kiwi flavor. Didn't try any of the small bites but they looked tasty enough. Would give 4/5 stars, definitely worth the stop if you are around.

It's been a minute since I've been out at the bars in Chicago and I came across this place with my boyfriend. I love the ambiance and the decor inside of this intimate dark lounge bar. Plus the entrance doors are magnificent. It has Mexican and Japanese roots for their cocktails. We ended up ordering a couple drinks the bartenders recommended: the Tokiol 'Fashioned, the Mizu Fresca and the Sake Gazpacho. The latter of all was my favorite because it was a sweet and salty clarified drink that hit my cravings. I wasn't able to catch their names, but the two bartenders there that night were super kind and knowledgeable about the menu and were able to give their recommendations based on what we were interested in. Will definitely stop by this place more often now that I know about it and will try out more of the drinks the bartenders recommend!

Valedor offers an incredible ambiance, with its dark and moody atmosphere complemented by vibey music. The seats were not the most comfortable, but not a dealbreaker. The servers were excellent, providing attentive and friendly service throughout our dining experience. We indulged in a variety of bites from the menu, excluding the shishito peppers, gyoza and each dish was delightful. The drinks were very tasty as well. Overall, we had a great experience at Valedor and look forward to returning!

One of my new favorite cocktail lounges! Valedor's ambiance is incredible - dark and moody with vibey music. My group of 6 were seated on one side of their larger booths. Our servers were great! Super fun and friendly. We ordered all of the bites on the menu with the exception of the shishito peppers. They were all delicious - my favorites include the birriayaki, al pastor gyoza and chicken + mushroom karaage. The cilantro lime crispy rice was good but our table wished the rice was more crispy. The drinks were also good - the sakerita is an easy one to drink so if you're a fan of sweeter drinks, this is the one to get. The espresso martini isn't my favorite in the city but they were huge so i'll give them that. We ordered it because we had a couple minutes left before happy hour ended. Can't wait to come back and try more drinks!

This place is so cool. It hits every mark for having a sick vibe, incredible food, and amazing/creative cocktails. The portions for the food were definitely more tiny tapas so don't go for a full meal. More snacks when drinking. Drinks were really creative and pretty strong. Only callout is that the place is tiny and the seats are practically on top of each other. Definitely more of that cocktail bad vibe vs an actual sit down spot.

Wow what a seriously fun and cool place. Mellow lounge vibes, makes for a chill time with my wife and friends. Definitely one of the best happy hours in the city with a fun and diverse cocktail and food selection. The servers were attentive and knowledgeable and the space was super sexy and cool. Will absolutely be returning for the crispy tuna tacos and some drinks. My only complaint is that the seating is a little too tight and small especially for the amount of food we ordered it barely fit on the little tables but otherwise very positive experience.

Tried everything on their food menu and the sake flight. Nothing was bad. Nothing special. Everything was just decent.

My husband and I stopped here on a Friday night after we came back from C2E2 to continue celebrating my birthday. This place has been on my bucket list to try and decide my birthday would be a perfect occasion for this. We can tell we definitely stuck out like a sore thumb as we were mostly dressed from con and not as nice as everyone else there. Place is pretty small, and you're seated pretty close to everyone, which we overall didn't mind. Place was dark and exuded a fun, romantic and eclectic vibe. Our server was great on checking up on us. We probably we the odd ones out as we kept ordering rounds of drinks instead of chilling and vibing, but hey I was out to enjoy myself. Drinks tasted great, but definitely were not strong at all. We thought about ordering some small plates, but when we saw how little they were, decided against it. Highly recommend eating something before coming here, food is NOT worth it for price and portions. A nice place to have a romantic night out or to chill with some friends.

Meh. Such a good concept, but poorly executed. The entire experience was a bit uncomfortable. Seats were uncomfortable - they have those "seats" that look like tree stomps, the entire place felt small and tight. To make it worse, there was an influencer sitting next to us using their extremely bright light to take pics of everything. There was only one server and her trainee, but there were probably two managers and two owners catering to the influencer table. At some point, they moved them to the only normal table in the entire restaurant, which they should have done from the get go since it's kind of away from the other tables. Drinks we had: Tamarind sour 3/5 - not enough tamarind flavor Sakerita (passion fruit) 3/5 - it was tasty, but just tasted liked passion fruit juice. I didn't like the random ice cubes but loved the lychee foam Valedor margarita (mezcal) 4/5 - it was boozy and tasted exactly the way it should've Food we had: Cilantro line crispy rice 2/5 - I liked the crispy rice but the salmon had no flavor. I didn't taste any spice, cilantro or lime. Could've used some soy sauce Gouda katsu 5/5 - I mean it's hard to mess up fried cheese. I didn't like the presentation of the dry rice in a glass though, it wasn't aesthetically pleasing. There were only six small pieces Shishito peppers 5/5 - these were really good, but there were only about seven pieces Birria tacoyaki 0/5 - I have no idea what they were trying to do here. No flavor, no meat, just five pieces of dough Al pastor gyoza 5/5 - wish this was the first thing I ate instead of the last, I would've gotten 3 plates! Overall, I left feeling underwhelmed and hungry. Hopefully they get it together and have actual food that tastes good and not these bland sample plates.

This place has been on my list to try for the longest time and I finally got to try it. I went after work with a friend and we just sat at the bar and got some appetizers and a drink. The cocktail was recommended to me by the bartender and it was fantastic. We also ordered the tuna poke taco and the salmon crispy rice both very delicious. I also really liked the mood in there and the music in the background. Overall I will def be back they have a great happy hour and the bartender was super nice! Would recommend this as a date spot

Food was delicious! Drinks amazing! Service could use some serious improvement! Do NOT go here without a reservation. The host looked at us cross eyed because we didn't have a rezi and was very rude. We were lucky enough to score 4 seats at the bar, but even the bartenders acted as if we weren't worthy of being there. They sure did run my card for over $200 for a few light bites and drinks. I will say ambiance also great. They seemed to want to give NYC vibe, but I lived in NYC and spent a lot to go out to eat and drink and was never treated with such disregard. Not sure all be back simply because of the service.

Ahh! This used to be Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea shop, remember that? This is a Mex-Jap Cuisine, Mexican and Japanese. The staff and service is excellent.

Go for the Happy Hour specials to give you a good sample of the food and the drinks. It'll also give you a sense of what vibes it becomes when it gets busy.

All their cocktails are premade! Can hardly taste the spirit. Pretty surprising for a cocktail lounge.

This former Fairgrounds has been absolutely transformed by the blackout windows and the giant TV behind the bar displaying a digital aquarium. This is a place for drinks and snacks and not a full dinner. Seated tables looked very small. We sat at the bar for their happy hour deals with some drinks for $10 (normally $15) and bites for $6 (normally $9-$12). The crispy rice is the best deal on the HH menu and it's pretty tasty for $6, wish the rice was crispier. We also tried the Gouda katsu and off the regular menu the tacoyaki and the pastor gyoza. My fave thing was probably the gyoza -- stuffed with tasty pastor, served with a pineapple ponzu with chopped onion and cilantro. The sakerita was small and easy to drink. You can pick between cucumber, passion fruit or strawberry, or thetes also a flight option to try all 3. I only tried the passion fruit and it was yummy. The lychee foam is a nice touch. The Horchata 2 ways need some work, but they said they're still working on it. The horchata foam/whipped cream which was the 2nd way was super good though. We sat at the bar for HH, and service was very nice and prompt and they probably need to hire more staff as they seemed quite busy. Will definitely be coming back for happy hour and to try some of their other drinks. A welcome addition to the neighborhood!

Amazing Japanese Mexican cocktails - speakeasy in wicker park, perfect for a cocktail after work

Service and drinks were amazing. Food was also perfectly flavored and prepared. Really happy with my experience. Recommend the horchata cocktail for dessert!

Great ambiance, fun drinks and tasty bites! Great as a happy hour spot before heading to dinner. Stared at that LED screen for longer then is likely socially acceptable.

What a great new spot in Wicker Park, Chicago! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with a smile and shown to our little table. The ambiance, food, and service was phenomenal! My girlfriend and I love trying new places and this definitely was an experience! Stephen, either the owner (or at least clearly the Manager on Duty at the time), came over to greet us and ask how everything was going. The drinks are definitely different, but in a GREAT way! My girlfriend does not eat cheese, but we ordered all the small plate items on the menu except the two with cheese. Our server (I forgot her name as it has been a couple weeks), was so kind, knowledgeable, and checked on us regularly. If you are looking for a fun new spot out for a bit and like trying food from different regions/fusion, this is a spot for you! PS: Amazing date spot!

Great happy hour items and great customer service. We tried few of the food and beverages on happy hour and I would highly recommend.

Happy hour is such a great deal here $12 cocktails and $8 apps. I had the crispy rice and the poke tacos and I think I could have had like 5 servings of each they were so good. Drinks are good too! I will admit the chairs aren't super comfortable and it is very dark, but between the food/drinks and friendly service it more than makes up for it.

Obsessed with their happy hour! Salmon crispy rice is so good. The saketinis are also delicious

this place is not worth your time. bad drinks and food, atmosphere was too dark. the only positive part was our server Kess, he was super friendly and attentive

This place is incredible. A Wicker Park lounge with cool people and great cocktails is my vibe. I came out on a solo evening and the bartender, Alex, was so kind and really made the experience. I had the shishito peppers and the tuna crispy rice and both were delicious. Highly recommend.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Happy hour is a screaming deal. My old fashioned inspired cocktail was quite good, the shishito peppers were the best we've ever had and the atmosphere was cool. Our server was attentive and offered really good food recommendations - get the katsu sando, and the gouda for sure

Remember when you were in college and it was 3AM and you found cold pizza in the lounge and ate it? Or maybe you were waiting for a restaurant reservation and ducked into the bar next door... noisy, a bit sticky, but they had beer and it was decent? That was my take away. Meh. Could I have gone my whole life without stopping in, yes. Did I have a magical experience, no. Valedor is the equivalent of drinking luke warm beer on a hot day at a game... you could do it, but why would you want to. They sprinkle cotton candy on an undeveloped Lychee martini which is too warm to have melting ice floating around in your glass. The margarita... stay away. You might as well head to Pilsen to have the real thing because you won't find it here. Looking at the sakerita? Prepare for your first gulp to be room temperature, followed by every degree before semi cold when you meet the ice at the bottom of your cup. Want to try the tapas, sure. Be prepared for dry crispy rice with no soy sauce in the building. Gyoza which was decent and a ponzu sauce that doesn't know what its flavor profile wants to come to work as. Look, if you find yourself here, and are looking for the next great bar in Chicago, let me save you some time, this doesn't even come close. If you want to Instagram some things, blackout on mediocre drinks and concepts of fusion that bring in Asian aspects via geishas hiding in corners and giant gongs.... Be my guest. I can't tell you who this place is for, but with the amazing scene that's in Chicago... there are way too many choices to settle for mediocrity.