What to Eat, Drink, See and Do for The Holidays in Chicago
Swissotel Chicago
It’s time to put up your lights, cue the holiday music, and get ready to fill your calendar with plenty of holiday happenings for the next few weeks! Good food and good times will abound across our favorite city, along with plenty of holiday magic. Chicago is stepping up to provide festive fun for all kinds of holiday revelry! Here are some not-to-miss happenings…
Swissotel Chicago Santa Suite
If you’re still looking for a place to host a holiday party or a larger family gathering, there’s one person you should add to your guest list: Santa himself! He will be visiting the Swissotel Chicago Santa Suite for the season, and you can rent out the 2,000-square-foot suite, decorated with 17 trees and plenty of festive touches for events. The hotel also has a variety of festive stay packages for smaller groups too. Santa will be waiting for you 🎅
Tokio Pub Ugly Sweater Beer Dinner {Monday, December 13}
Join Tokio Pub in Schaumburg for an Ugly Sweater Beer Dinner with Revolution Brewery to show off your best holiday fashion! This dinner includes four-courses with beer pairings so you can show off your ugliest holiday sweater (and maybe win a prize) while you dig into cozy dishes from Chef Naoki Nakashima! All reservations will be seated at private tables too, so it makes for a great family or friend outing.
Santa’s Bar River North Pop-Up
Sometimes you just want to make a quick stop for a dose of festive joy! Santa’s Bar is a smaller pop-up that’s still PACKED with holiday joy, right in the heart of River North. Pop-in on Fridays and Saturdays in December for a Christmas Vacation cocktail (Old Forester Signature, Demerara, allspice, orange bitters, angostura, and burning rosemary) before your dinner reservation or to kick-off a fun night out. Just make sure to snap some pics while' you’re there!
Santa Baby Bar
This fan-favorite holiday pop-up bar is back in Wrigley for another year of truly over the top holiday spirit! Two stories, multiple rooms, and even a covered patio full of the best in holiday decor and cheer will put a smile on your face from the minute you step through their doors. Plus, they have some dangerously delicious cocktails - we recommend the Jingle Juice and Spiked Colossal Cocoa - to sip on while you enjoy the festivity.
Dickens' Holiday Punch House at The Violet Hour
The Violet Hour is cozy and inviting all year long, but especially during these winter months. This special holiday experience will have you tasting and sipping on a pre-fix tasting menu of punches and bites from mid-19th Century England. It’s the perfect way to immerse yourselves in the holiday spirit, revel in memories of Christmas’ past, and make plans for Christmas’ future!
The Christmas Inn: Holidays at Hubbard Inn
Celebrate the holidays on Hubbard at one of River North’s favorite hot spots. They have multiple floors of festivity, plus festive cocktails, instagrammable moments and live entertainment throughout December. Trivia nights and mixology classes, ornament decorating and happy hour deals… oh no! So many fun events, so little time before Santa arrives 🎅
“Oy to the World” Half-Hanukkah Half-Christmas Bar
No matter what holiday you celebrate, this Lincoln Square bar has something for you! Through January 9, they’ll be slinging both Loaded Latkes and Candied Yams, “Gin and Tanukkah” cocktails and Revolution Fistmas beers. Come one, come all, and celebrate the season!
White Truffle Menu at Osteria Langhe {December 24}
Your Christmas Eve Dinner is about to reach new levels of decadence with Osteria Langhe’s White Truffle Menu for the holiday. The unique flavor and fragrance of the seasonal truffles are both incorporated into dishes like Stracciatella with creamy polenta and pork belly or Pana Cotta topped with sweet and savory truffle honey.
By Kaleigh Glaza | Market Editor