Of the three projects that Grant Achatz planned to open this year, the bar underneath Aviary has easily been the most mysterious. Next and Aviary opened to incredible acclaim a few months ago, but Achatz announced that the “14 seat speakeasy-style bar” — which we first learned about back in February — just opened last night. It still has no name, unless you count the sign for “The Office” that hangs on its door. If you can possibly believe it, the chances of you getting in are actually less than with Next; Nick Kokonas claims that you can only enter if they personally invite you.
Unlike Aviary, the cocktails will all be stirred or shaken, and will be served in classic coupes. That said, The New York Times claims that the “opulently retro den” will use classic cocktails as something of “a launching pad” for new drinks. The paper also wrote that the bar is accessible “only by going through the prep-kitchen guts of the place,” and that it will probably be one of the “most exclusive bars in the country.”
So, yeah…good luck getting in.
Unnamed Speakeasy Bar, 955 West Fulton Market, Chicago, Illinois 60607
GAchatz/Twitter
Now Tippling, Windy City Speakeasy [New York Times]
