Top Near South Side Cocktail Party Venues

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 40-168 Guests
• 2 Restaurants
• 3 Bars
• 3 Total Spaces

Located in Chicago's River North neighborhood, Monty's Chicago and Motel Bar Chicago offer two distinct hospitality experiences under one roof, seamlessly transitioning from a bright daytime café to an intimate evening restaurant and cocktail bar. Guests can gather for everything from morning meetings and casual lunches to private dinners, cocktail receptions, holiday parties, and corporate events. Contemporary interiors, warm wood finishes, vintage-inspired design, and flexible private event options create an inviting backdrop for celebrations of all kinds. Whether hosting a small gathering or a full venue buyout, the space combines thoughtful service, elevated cuisine, and handcrafted cocktails in a welcoming setting.

• 2 Cocktail Party Albums
• Spaces for 12-250 Guests
• 2 Restaurants
• 2 Hotels
• 9 Total Spaces

Viceroy Chicago is an elegant, romantic space for your upcoming wedding, bridal shower, wedding rehearsal or any other event you plan to host. The Viceroy Chicago has many event spaces, dramatic in style, that are sure to wow your guests, such as a pool complete with its own bar and lounge, and a luxe golden indoor bar. The rooftop of Viceroy Chicago offers sweeping views of Downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan. The suites at the Viceroy Chicago are very impressive with modern, sleek designs and glamorous details. Nestled in Chicago’s historic Gold Coast neighborhood, Viceroy Chicago combines timeless elegance with contemporary sophistication. Built on the site of the original 1920s-era Cedar Hotel, the property seamlessly blends the building’s classic brick and terracotta façade with a sleek glass tower, creating a harmonious mix of old and new. The hotel offers 180 thoughtfully designed guestrooms and suites, each featuring Art Deco-inspired touches, luxurious bedding, marble bathrooms, and stunning views of the Chicago skyline. Guests can unwind at the seasonal rooftop pool or stay active in the state-of-the-art fitness center. Dining at Viceroy Chicago is a highlight, with Somerset serving modern Mediterranean flavors in a chic atmosphere. For an elevated cocktail lounge, Pandan, on the 18th floor offers handcrafted cocktails and Southeast Asian-inspired small plates, all with panoramic city views. Viceroy Chicago’s prime location places guests steps away from the Magnificent Mile’s shopping, dining, and entertainment. Oak Street Beach within easy reach. Whether traveling for business or leisure, Viceroy Chicago delivers a refined, memorable experience that celebrates the city’s rich history and vibrant culture.

• 2 Cocktail Party Albums
• Spaces for 150-400 Guests
• 2 Outdoor Spaces
• 1 Event Space

Ignite Chicago is one of the top 5 glass studios in the country, which has working glass blowers, hosts all types of events including weddings, corporate functions, non-profit events to corporate team building. Our unique event spaces include an industrial loft like space with a wall of glass doors to an urban garden and a rooftop deck with amazing views of the Chicago skyline. No matter what type of event you're hosting, Ignite Chicago can accommodate your every need and create an event you'll never forget. The vision behind Ignite Glass Studios is connecting people back to the process of creating art and engaging in the beauty of the time-honored craft of glass blowing and the exquisite art it produces along with building a new sense of community through the interactive experience of blowing glass and glass making. Ignite Glass Studios is a thriving glass art community in a space where artists can create and grow, novices can experiment and learn, and young people’s lives are transformed by the power of this collaborative art form. Ignite sparks the imagination and the creation of amazing works of art, creates a space for unique, memorable events, and opens opportunities for individual growth in a learning community that values difference, participation and collaboration. Providing a safe place for youth to explore, grow and draw inspiration is a fundamental element of Ignite’s vision. Ignite Glass Studios’ commitment to strengthening community is enhanced by its partnership with Ignition Community Glass (ICG), a non-profit serving Chicago’s youth through the arts. ICG leverages the power of hands-on glass making to foster positive youth development and offer youth from Chicago’s under-resourced communities’ access to this powerful art form.

• 3 Cocktail Party Albums
• Spaces for 100-1,200 Guests
• 2 Restaurants
• 3 Bars
• 3 Total Spaces

Nestled along Chicago's iconic North Avenue Beach, Shore Club Chicago offers a one-of-a-kind lakefront setting for weddings, corporate events, brand activations, and social celebrations. Just minutes from downtown, the venue seamlessly blends coastal-inspired design with the energy of the city, creating a destination that feels like a beachside escape in the heart of Chicago. With versatile indoor and outdoor event spaces, panoramic views of Lake Michigan, and customizable food and beverage experiences, Shore Club accommodates everything from intimate gatherings to large-scale receptions and experiential events. Whether hosting a waterfront wedding, corporate celebration, networking event, or private party, guests enjoy elevated hospitality, vibrant cuisine, and an unforgettable setting that captures the spirit of a Chicago summer.

• 3 Cocktail Party Albums
• Spaces for 175-20,000 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 4 Outdoor Spaces
• 8 Total Spaces

Imagine gorgeous indoor and outdoor space all in one venue! Café Brauer is one of Chicago’s most highly prized rental venues for good reason. This timeless Prairie School- style landmark, completed in 1908 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, offers both earth-toned elegance and unparalleled location. Its second-floor Great Hall is the centerpiece, with its soaring, skylit roof, Tiffany-inspired glass chandeliers, stained-glass windows, tile mosaics and flanking, curved oudoor loggias providing spectacular views of the surrounding park and city skyline. A newly landscaped circular drive greets guests on Stockton Drive, but the horticultural pièce de résistance lies immediately to the east and south: Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo, a thriving prairie pond ecosystem teeming with native plants and wildlife.

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 450-1,500 Guests
• 1 Event Space

Located at Fullerton Avenue and Lake Shore Drive, Theater on the Lake is a historic building that offers breathtaking views of Lake Michigan and Chicago’s skyline. Designed in 1913 and constructed in 1920, Theater on the Lake, is a Prairie style structure constructed in brick with sweeping steel arched pavilions throughout. Theater on the Lake is the most unique venue in Chicago with flexible event space for groups of 25 to 1,500. From corporate events to weddings and social galas, Theater on the Lake is one of the only Lakefront event venues in the City. The fully enclosed space offers clean, open sightlines without pillars and a gorgeous view South to the skyline while overlooking Lake Michigan. Elegantly restored and enhanced to its deserved beauty, Theater on the Lake joins many of the other iconic architectural gems of Chicago. The fully enclosed and air-conditioned space offers clean, open sightlines without pillars and breathtaking views of the city and lake.

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 16-250 Guests
• 5 Restaurants
• 3 Bars
• 5 Total Spaces

Nobu Chicago offers our guests renowned Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's signature dishes, sushi, cooked dishes and unparalleled service. The venue features a beautiful restaurant space in addition to the private dining rooms on the mezzanine level, allowing guests to experience the energy of the restaurant while enjoying privacy. At the Rooftop lounge, the guests can indulge in handcrafted cocktails and Nobu-inspired bites while enjoying the sweeping view of the Chicago skyline. Nobu Hotel Chicago offers a ballroom with stunning city views, and can host up to 100 guests for a reception. The Nobu team will create a one of a kind event for you, whether it’s a private celebration or a business occasion. Whether it’s a special celebratory event or a business meeting, we make sure you enjoy memorable experiences around exceptional cuisine.

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 20-275 Guests
• 7 Restaurants

Only greatness is served up for your special occasion. Anniversaries. Business Dinners. Bachelor Parties. Birthdays. When you’re ready for a private dining experience that’s a cut above, we’re ready to deliver a truly remarkable night. When it comes to private dining, we deliver an experience that lives up to the prestige of a legend. Choose from our customizable menu and beverage packages. You can plan your event in Michael Jordan’s favorite private dining room, on our main floor or in a more informal setting that includes an interactive wine tasting. It’s your party. You call the shots.

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 42-350 Guests
• 4 Restaurants

Bar Siena, the two-story, 8,000-square-foot restaurant is located in the heart of ‘Restaurant Row’ in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood. Overseen by DineAmic Group partners and Top Chef Fabio Viviani, the menu is inspired by expansive Italian street food such as antipasti, pizza and calzones. Similar to sister venue, River North’s Siena Tavern, all dishes are made in-house, from-scratch; however, at Bar Siena they are served cicchetti-style –brought to the table to enjoy as they are prepared and intended to be shared. A lively bar occupies the ground level while a vibrant dining room is located on the second floor, both connected by an arresting illuminated sculpture inspired by Siena Tavern's olive tree icon.

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 12-200 Guests
• 3 Museums
• 3 Landmarks

21c Museum Chicago offers unique spaces for memorable events, from weddings to corporate meetings and special events. Leave the boring reception hall behind… Didn’t mom always encourage you to try new things? 21c Museum Chicago is perfectly situated in the heart of River North shopping and dining. Find a new kind of experience with our multi-venue museum and hotel featuring 106 suites. 21c Museum Chicago features over 10,000 square feet of art-filled exhibition and event spaces perfect to host your contemporary gathering. Celebrate in an environment that simultaneously reflects global contemporary culture and Chicago’s personality and perspectives. Our event venue spaces are perfect for: Seminars & Conferences Board meetings Company off site retreats Private dining events Holiday parties Family reunions & celebrations Weddings & receptions Baby showers

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 150-350 Guests
• 2 Ballrooms
• 2 Event Spaces
• 2 Total Spaces

Foundry Rooms is a hybrid event space in the heart of River North, offering a flexible combination of modern, industrial-chic rooms designed to adapt to your event. When booked together, the Main Stage, Vault, and Forge provide approximately 2,000 square feet of total event space, accommodating up to 350 guests for receptions and large-scale gatherings. Ideal for: Corporate meetings and trainings Networking events and product launches Private parties and celebrations Social and community events Each room can be used individually or combined to create customized layouts, allowing for smooth transitions between guest check-in, cocktail hour, presentations, and entertainment. Located in River North, Chicago, Foundry Rooms offers a central, accessible venue for corporate and social clients looking for a versatile, stylish event space.

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 25-500 Guests
• 3 Bars
• 5 Event Spaces

Elevate Your Next Event! Turn your event into a landmark occasion at 360 CHICAGO. Located on the 94th floor of the former John Hancock Center, 360 CHICAGO features the best views of the city’s skyline and lakefront. Let 360 CHICAGO Elevated Events take your next event to spectacular new heights. Whether you’re planning a high-end social occasion or a business event that towers over the competition, 360 CHICAGO provides the space and flexibility to make your next occasion a high point for business guests or family and friends! We offer 5 flexible event spaces on the 94th floor of the former John Hancock Center, all with stunning views, which can accommodate groups of 10-500 people.

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 50-12,000 Guests
• 7 Museums
• 7 Landmarks
• 10 Total Spaces

Dine beside a WWII submarine or a 40-foot tornado, sip cocktails with a Mars Rover, or mingle beneath historic aircraft. From the welcome reception to dinner and dessert, amaze your guests with an unforgettable event. Griffin MSI is the premier Chicago destination for unique and engaging special events. In addition to our awe-inspiring and interactive displays, enjoy private guided tours, gardens surrounded by century-old oak trees, or open-air dining on our breathtaking porticos. Our world-class culinary and special events teams will customize your entire experience, from handcrafted cocktails to an innovative seasonal menu and decadent desserts. We have events down to a science!

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 84-250 Guests
• 4 Event Spaces

With its grand staircase, intricate architectural details, and spacious halls, The Newberry Library is a unique, historic and world-renowned research library offering distinctive gathering spaces for special occasions. The Newberry collection—some 1.6 million books, 600,000 maps, and 5 million manuscript pages—is a portal to more than six centuries of human history, from the Middle Ages to the present. We connect researchers and visitors with our collection in the Newberry’s reading rooms, exhibition galleries, program spaces, classrooms, and online digital resources. Since its founding in 1887, the Newberry has remained dedicated to deepening our collective understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Holding your event at the Newberry will support our mission of inspiring research, teaching, and learning in the humanities. Nestled just steps from the Magnificent Mile, and across the street from the city’s oldest public park, Washington Square Park, the Newberry Library offers indoor event spaces with various capacities for intimate presentations, performances, formal ceremonies, fundraisers, galas, high-end corporate entertaining, all-day conferences, workshops and trainings, dramatic cocktail receptions, elegant dinner celebrations, and multimedia presentations. Rooms may be combined for greater capacity and for varying program components. The fully restored Lobby is a showstopper. Featuring a Romanesque entryway, distinctive chandeliers, 20-foot ceiling and broad marble staircase (great for photos and a grand entrance) it lends itself beautifully to cocktail receptions and dinner parties. Our largest event space, Ruggles Hall, can accommodate up to 160 guests in a warm and cozy library atmosphere created by its mahogany paneled walls and broad windows overlooking Washington Square Park. For more intimate gatherings, the newly created Rettinger Hall and Baskes Boardroom feature beautiful marble floors and specialty recessed lighting, and are lovely complements to the Newberry’s unique aesthetic.

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 120-150 Guests
• 1 Restaurant

Located in the heart of the Gold Coast, The Bellevue is all about the finer things in life. An elevated restaurant and bustling first floor bar and patio offer a menu of timeless classics and fresh takes, this is the place for sophisticated socializing.

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 20-750 Guests
• 4 Event Spaces

IT’S THE CORNER OF ORLEANS AND HILL, BUT WE LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS THE INTERSECTION OF WANDER AND WONDER. INSIDE OUR REIMAGINED MID-CENTURY SCHOOLHOUSE, YOU MIGHT DISCOVER AN 18TH-CENTURY CHANDELIER; OR ROAM UNTIL YOU FIND A PERFECT 1930S TILE THAT MIGHT BE A PIECE OF ART, OR A PIECE OF YOUR BACKSPLASH. YOU MIGHT DISCOVER YOUR NEW FAVORITE NATURAL WINE, GRAB A SLICE OF INCREDIBLE PIZZA, JOIN A PICKLEBALL GAME, RESURRECT SUNDAY BRUNCH, MAKE NEW FRIENDS, IMPRESS OLD ONES, LEVEL-UP DATE NIGHT — AND IF THAT WORKS OUT, FIND YOUR FUTURE WEDDING VENUE, TOO. HOW DO WE GET ALL THAT INTO ONE DESTINATION? WE HAD A HEAD START: IN CASE YOU’RE WONDERING, YEP, WE’RE THAT ARCHITECTURAL ARTIFACTS, HOME TO STUART GRANNEN, CHICAGO’S PATRON SAINT OF SALVAGE AND HIS EVER-EVOLVING COLLECTION OF SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST INCREDIBLE FINDS. WHEN WE SAY THAT STUART’S LATEST CHAPTER IS LIKE NOTHING YOU’VE EVER SEEN, WE MEAN IT. WE INVITE YOU TO COME IN AND GET LOST (WITH A DELICIOUS DRINK IN HAND); OR GET FOUND, BY JOINING ONE OF OUR EVENTS OR HOSTING ONE OF YOUR OWN. IF YOU LOVE FASCINATING BACKSTORIES, AMAZING FOOD AND GOOD COMPANY AS MUCH AS WE DO, WE CAN’T WAIT TO GET TO KNOW YOU.

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 25-120 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 1 Outdoor
• 1 Event Space

Sophisticated and eclectic, SOPHY® Hotel embodies the crafts and passions of art, science, literature, and music that are the inspiration of today’s Hyde Park. At the turn of every corner is an eclectic collection of art that celebrates community and the artists and artisans that create it. Our stunning restaurant, Mesler with our intimate Private Dining Room provides an inspiring setting for 50-75 guests. Begin the celebration with cocktails in our outdoor Sanctuary or in the bar and lounge area followed by vows and a reception in Mesler and our Private Dining Room. Our Opus Suite allows the curious visitor to delight in discoveries at every turn. This spacious suite offers a large living space, a private king bedroom, and a dining area ideal for an intimate gathering of your closest family and friends. 1411 East 53rd Street. 773.289.1003. sophyhotel.com.

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 75-120 Guests
• 1 Restaurant

Mesler, a full-service Chicago restaurant, bar, and lounge is artfully composed with a contemporary library and an intimate Private Dining Room offering an inspiring setting for 50-75 guests. Begin the celebration with cocktails in our outdoor Sanctuary or in the bar and lounge area followed by vows and a reception in Mesler and our Private Dining Room. Designed to stimulate thoughtful conversation, the private dining room is ideal for petite weddings, brunches, showers, rehearsal dinners or engagement parties.

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 50-299 Guests
• 2 Restaurants

Kashmir. Located at the end of Randolph Street in Chicago’s Fulton Market District, Kashmir is an escapist nightlife experience, where exclusivity meets abandon. From international hospitality group Bonhomme, Kashmir is an homage to the over the top parties of New York and London clubs in the 80's, set in an intimate room filled with Italian panache and Parisian chic.

• 1 Cocktail Party Album
• Spaces for 30-400 Guests
• 3 Restaurants

Bambola // Turkish restaurant & cocktail bar exploring the flavors that span from Italy to China in Chicago’s Fulton Market District. From Italy to China, passing through Greece, Iran, India, Thailand, and Vietnam, Bambola offers an aesthetic and culinary expedition for guests that wish to explore the mosaic of flavors, colors, and textures that characterize the acclaimed cuisines along the legendary Silk Road. This multicultural exchange, created by merchants centuries ago, is now brought to life in the kitchen of our restaurant and cocktail bar, exploring the shared cultural heritage between the East and the West, using Istanbul as the historical gateway that connects both territories. Chefs Marcos Campos, Erwin Mallet and Shannah Primiano have traveled along the Silk Road to create a menu inspired by the rich traditions, ancestral techniques, exciting products and flavorsome spices widely exchanged and mastered by Eastern and Western cultures since the 13th century. Led by industry vanguard Brian Sturgulewski, Bambola’s bar celebrates modern beverages inspired by timeless ingredients from the historic Silk Road. Inspired by the amalgamation of cultures along the trade routes, our creative craft cocktails combine local drinking traditions, global spirits, complementary spices and ingredients. Nonalcoholic drinks have also been a mainstay of the beverage program since day one with spirit-free cocktails that share the same flavorful, colorful and fun originality as our spirit-friendly creations. Bambola’s wine list transports you to some of the most exciting regions of the planet through the lens of our favorite iconoclastic & natural winemakers of the moment. We aim to tell these winemakers’ stories while gently urging you to explore regions and styles that fall outside of “typical wine” parameters. We believe that these ancient techniques and wine styles incite the adventurer in all of us. Culture, travel and style are at the heart of everything we do at Bonhomme. Designed by our studio Maison Bonhomme, Bambola is a romantic voyage along the Silk Road as imagined through the travels of a bon vivant and connoisseur where one city, Istanbul — as a historic gateway between East and West, Asia and Europe — is our constant touchstone due to its peerless mix of influences and cultures, textiles and objects, highly decorative details, and a culture of hospitality. Bambola’s rare, imaginative and jaw-droppingly diverse array of artistic elements is a testament to the crossroads of Eastern and Western civilizations. Bambola is filled with Italy’s finest textiles, furniture by some of the most exciting designers of the 20th and 21st centuries, and Popham Design’s dramatic handmade cement tiles juxtaposed with museum-quality 18th and 19th century antiquities and rare furnishings collected from China, Thailand, Burma, Pakistan and India in collaboration with Doug Van Tress and Chauwarin Tuntisak of The Golden Triangle. Bambola is warmly illuminated with one-ofa- kind chandeliers from the masters of hand-blown glass in Milan and Venice to elevate the standard for restaurant lighting.