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  5. Bucktown / Wicker Park
The Violet Hour, Chicago, IL

The Violet Hour

4.6
4.6
162 Reviews
$31 to $50
Cocktail Bar

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 42 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Good for special occasions
  • Romantic
This James Beard award winning bar program, serves seasonally-driven libations amongst candlelit tables and a sprawling marble bar. Centrally located in the heart of the vibrant Wicker Park neighborhood, surrounded by delicious restaurants and boutique shopping. Cocktails are inspired by trailblazing head mixologist Toby Maloney.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Cocktail Bar, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Dining Bar
  • Hours of Operation
    Daily 5:00 pm–1:00 am
  • Phone number
    (773) 252-1500
  • Website
    http://www.theviolethour.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Private party facilities
    The Violet Hour would be thrilled to host your next special event. Events are organized in "cocktail party" fashion with passed drinks and appetizers available from our seasonal menus.
  • Location
    1520 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
  • Neighbourhood
    Bucktown / Wicker Park
  • Cross Street
    N Milwaukee & N Damen
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    - 1 minute walk from Damen Blue Line Station - 1 min walk from Damen & Milwaukee North Ave Bus Stop
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • The Fireside Experience

    US$100.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Multiple dates available
    Indulge in a flight of 3 bartender-selected favorites from The Violet Hour's exclusive back-catalog of cocktails paired with each beverage's origin story. Enjoy reserved VIP seating at the hearth of our beautiful fireplace as our team leads you through each handcrafted beverage.

  • Old Fashioned Experience

    US$30.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Multiple dates available
    Join us in an interactive evening with "front row" bar seats as our team guides you through the creation of The Violet Hour Old Fashioned. Learn the tips and tricks to crafting this classic cocktail. It is the perfect way to kick off your evening. Guests are welcome to order a la carte following their demonstration. The experience is about 30 minutes.

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 162 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Violet Hour offers an exquisite cocktail experience with "amazing cocktails" and "incredible service." Guests adore the unique, expertly crafted drinks and the "warm vibe." While occasional seating issues arise, the intimate atmosphere and knowledgeable staff make it a "fantastic experience" worth revisiting. Perfect for date nights and special occasions.

163 Reviews

  1. Denise

    Milwaukee

    20 reviews

    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Speakeasy with creative cocktails. The front room is quieter and intimate, the back room has more energy. We prefer front room which is mostly for parties of 2 but a couple of 4-seaters. Cocktails do not disappoint so be prepared for an adventure

    Is this helpful?

  2. Jalisa

    Chicago

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Burger was great. Drinks were good and strong. Our server LaLa brought us one round of drinks and food then proceeded to disregard us for the remainder of the night.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Mike

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Was super disappointed by our trip to the violet hour. We had reservations at 630 but waited 20 minutes to be seated. Clearly they were understaffed. One person at the front was seating the line of people waiting to get in who also mostly had reservations. All the tables were full but for some reason only one person was taking orders. It took us about 20 minutes after seating to place an order. The order came out quick but then our server never came back to check on us. In all we spent an hour and a half there and were only able to get one drink. We were very excited to get cocktails and would have ordered quite a few if they ever came back to take our order. No one checked in on us. We’ve been before and had a much better time. Disappointed our date night was ruined by poor service.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Darold

    Dallas

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Just an outstanding experience. The ambience and the drinks and service were top notch. It is a bit dark in the room, however my wife and I felt it added to the environment as we arrived at 9:30pm. We can’t wait to go back

    Is this helpful?

  5. OpenTable Diner

    Louisville

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best cocktails in chi town. Bartenders are professionals. They know their craft well. Phenemenol mixology.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Heather

    Chicago

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Drinks were tasty and ambiance was cool… but felt more like a bar than a speak easy and service was slow.

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  7. Matt

    Nashville

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best speak easy in North America. Knowledgeable service and great choices. Always love coming here.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Randy

    Chicago

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on December 20, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Entrance to restaurant was hard to find. Had to wait 30 minutes after our reservation time for our table. Service was good but slow. Food was just okay. Great selection of interesting cocktails.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Kim

    Atlanta Metro

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 15, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had an awesome waitress who helped highlight and explain several drinks. She was so personable . Loved the vibe and the experience.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Allison

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 14, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Murdock was an amazing host and made my boyfriend’s birthday an amazing experience! The individual cocktails were delicious and I would recommend this experience for anyone wanting a unique and fun celebration.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Violet Hour offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (773) 252-1500.

The Violet Hour is rated 4.6 stars by 162 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 42 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Violet Hour

1520 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    N Milwaukee & N Damen
  • Neighbourhood
    Bucktown / Wicker Park
  • Hours of Operation
    Daily 5:00 pm–1:00 am
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Cocktail Bar, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Dining Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    - 1 minute walk from Damen Blue Line Station - 1 min walk from Damen & Milwaukee North Ave Bus Stop
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.theviolethour.com/
  • Phone number
    (773) 252-1500
  • Private party facilities
    The Violet Hour would be thrilled to host your next special event. Events are organized in "cocktail party" fashion with passed drinks and appetizers available from our seasonal menus.
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