Rooftop bar season is year-round in Chicago. These seasonal spaces are the perfect place to cure your cabin fever with a healthy dose of the outdoors. Sip festive cocktails, roast marshmallows over the fire, or even work up a sweat with a curling match. Just make sure to get a reservation before the weather warms up.
Winter Wonderland at I/O Godfrey
I|O Godfrey, the year-round rooftop bar atop The Godfrey Hotel, launches its annual Winter Wonderland on Nov. 23, 2019. The ultra-festive space features their popular heated igloos, where guests can warm up while enjoying sweeping city views. Outside the domes, bar-goers can roast s’mores over the fire pits, order from a menu of wintery craft cocktails, and get cozy with plush blankets and robes. There’s even a snow machines to create picture-perfect flurries no matter the weather. Reserve your igloo today.
Curling at The Gwen
The Gwen’s winter terrace will return this Nov. 23. The fifth-floor rooftop features an iceless curling rink, next to with a cozy wood-paneled cabin featuring a porch with Adirondack chairs and swing seat for two. Inside, guests can get cozy in the cabin’s rustic living room with an electric fireplace. Outside, iceless curling lanes are ready to play. Curlers can order from an Alpine-inspired menu or try one of the large-format hot cocktails. The space also features a communal table with a fireplace, heat lamps, and lounge seating. Make your curling reservations.
Sky Rink at The Peninsula Chicago
Glide across the ice four stories above Michigan Avenue at The Peninsula Chicago’s Sky Rink. The 2,100-square-foot rink, which opens for the season on Nov. 23, 2019, features views of The Magnificent Mile and surrounding cityscape. The Sky Rink’s charming chalet serves a selection of hot drinks and snacks including spiced cider, hot chocolate, and other treats. Admission for the rink is $20 for adults, $10 for children and includes skate rentals. All proceeds will be donated to two Chicago children’s charities. The rink is open daily through the first week of March 2019, call ahead for availability: (312) 337-2888.
Enchanted Forest at LH Rooftop
Overlooking the Chicago River and bustling Michigan Avenue, LH Rooftop is becoming a sky-high Enchanted Forest this holiday season. The tri-level rooftop bar, located on the 22nd floor of the LondonHouse Chicago, will be decorated with sparkling lights and snowy trees to create a winery oasis. Check out cool events like a DIY hot cocktail and cocoa bar on Nov. 23. And if you start to get chilly, just head down one floor to the cozy indoor lounge area.
Curling at Whiskey Business
Bundle up and get your game on with the winter rooftop at Whiskey Business. The Wicker Park bar has decked out their 3,000-square-foot rooftop with three curling lanes, ’80s themed ski lodges, and a DIY hot chocolate bar. Curling lanes are available to rent by the hour for groups of two to eight on weekdays and two to 10 people on weekends. Reservations are available through March 2020.
