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Categories: Lounges, American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: The LoopState/Lake (Orange, Brown, Purple Express, Green, Pink)
Lake (Red)
Clark/Lake (Pink, Brown, Green, Blue, Purple Express, Orange)
"wowza. i love this place. ive eaten here twice and ordered the same thing - center cut filet with mashed potatoes and spinach with a nice…" read more »
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Ambiance: I gave it a 5 just because it's always an adventure at the Roof. I once almost touched Mayor Daley there. You gotta see the Roof just for the chic ambiance. Very modern and stylish.
Food: Amazing fries. Sprinkled with speckles of Parmesan and parsley and served with some kind of delicious aioli.
Drink: Overpriced, of course, but the mixed drinks are amazinggggly smooth. My roommate and I tried to recreate their delicious blueberry drink-FAIL.
Recommendation: Go on a week night-there's still a crowd but no wait.
The ambiance is spectacular, the best I've experienced in Chicago. The decor was just super cool with great views of downtown. The bartenders are douchebags. I had two different male bartenders at the far north outside bar, both with brown hair, both with facial scruf and both with fucking attitude problems. The bartenders could at least stop their side conversations with each other for one minute while I'm trying to order, pay, and tip but no, they just talked right through it and didn't even show a sign gratitude or friendliness. Keep in mind there was no one at the bar while this was happening, then one person walked up afterwards.
The bar was completely empty except for one bartender making a drink for another customer after me. I forgot water for the wife and walked down to where the other was gossiping (instead of 'tending the bar'), after trying to get his attention and asked for a bottle of water. He walked away after nodding to me still talking to the waitresses and telling some guy that he was one of them now, must be a new hire or something. I walked 5 feet away back to my wife(which was the only person sitting at the bar) and I realized after 5+ minutes I had no water. I looked behind me and 5 feet away the bartender was still talking and the bottle was sitting on the bar in front of him. I got up and walked down to get it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not lazy but I'm pretty sure that's his fucking job to bring the drinks to me.
Applebee's has better and more friendly bartenders. Maybe you should send them there to train.
The place gets the 3 stars for coolness but there's a hundred other places where I'll feel welcome and be taken care of when I'm there.
I just had to check out this place after seeing it being built for months and all the long lines right since it opened.
I must say I was disappointed, although, not sure if it's because I was expecting something special.
The crowd here is very average - all types and kinds. The service is very A-OK. There is absolutely no vegetarian food at all. The music is generic. The decor and style are gorgeous though!
I went here on a weeknight recently (in November!!) and there was no line, no wait, the service was outstanding (from the doormen downstairs to the hostess upstairs) and the bartender made a perfect french martini. The decor is absolutely gorgeous. One of the most sleek and stylish spots I have been to in a long time. They had the heaters on on the roof, and it was absolutely a gorgeous evening to be had!
My girlfriend and I did not have any food, so I can't comment about that.
I tried going here once this summer, but I don't wait in lines. I will be back and report accordingly.
Definitely a fun spot with a great view. I really like the atmosphere that they created up there with the fire pits and seating variety. However, the service was pretty poor, as the bar was crowded (even on a chilly night). For people-watching, it's great. There were tons of cougars and cougar bait, so it made for a fun time to sit back and watch it all unfold! The drinks were tasty.
I definitely wouldn't wait in line to get up there, but if you are in the area or staying at the hotel, it's a fun people-watching spot!
Don't get me wrong, this is a nice venue. It overlooks downtown and has a great mixed crowd. However, on a nice night it is not great for large groups unless you plan to do the $1000 minimum bottle service and even then the space is limited to small booths.
I thought this would be a nice location to get some friends together to celebrate my birthday. I got there at 9pm assuming this would be early enough to get a table. 9pm was not early enough, we waited on a 1 hour line downstairs and table were only for bottle service; over half of the tables were empty.
On the plus side; the specialty food and the music was good. The crowd was mixed and everyone seemed friendly.
I would not suggest this place for a large group of people, unless you plan to do bottle service. But this is a great spot to get together with a few of the girls and have some drinks.
Swanky place full of jerks with too much money. I loved it anyway. Sometimes you just need to get away from the Lincoln Park college crowd. The Wit has fire-- literally. And besides that, it has nice lounge seats and an open rooftop. Add a Kettle One martini with bleu cheese olives, and you've got a perfect night.
I should also mention this place is somewhat cougar territory. Be on guard!
The view alone is worth going. It's the best sight seeing I've ever experienced at a bar, and I'm not talking about the people. You overlook Chicago for miles in any direction, and it feels like you're on top of the world.
Other than that, though, it's rather expensive for relatively light pours, and it's ridiculously packed -- virtually all the time. I'm surprised people will stand on State Street for hours on end just to get into a bar.
Note that I am totally opposed to standing in line for anything. So, we were there on a Sunday, we arrived at 11pm and went straight up, and even then there were a decent number of people there. That being said...The Wit has a fabulous atmosphere with a great staff. Even the doormen/bellhops look in your cab with a flashlight to make sure you didn't forget anything!
The roof is super swanky feeling, lots of cozy seating and fireplaces, they even have fire pits on the tables. Their drink list is long and they are open late! We stayed until 2am on Sunday. It was fabulous. Even the elevators are swanky.
This bar looks like Miami, ridiculous scenery. Def recommend this for a happy hour spot.
-Mike
Was not looking forward to going to a roof top bar on this rainy night but I had a great time despite myself.
First off, the view was great, of course. It's a roof top bar after all folks! Now onto the important stuff: the drinks were killer (maybe not as strong as I would have liked it, but that's just a Chicago thing). I sampled every one of their specialty drinks just to be sure. :) My favorite was their Blood Orange Sidecar.
The food was shockingly tasty AND innovative. It's not often I find a bar with food so good I make plans to come back for lunch!
And lastly- again, the staff here at the Witt are just phenomenal. From the valet and door men to the front desk and management. This is why people love Chicago: great service, great people. No wonder this place has a line by 9:30pm. That would never happen in Miami no matter how exclusive the club!
A must visit for any traveler in Chicago.
I went to this place with my friends after work. It was pretty cool. It has a beautiful interior and the view, of course, is amazing. One of our friends in the group, Andy, got there super early (4pm) and scored us a pretty cool corner booth so we felt like royalty and a little secluded from everyone else. Maybe it's my BIG EGO, but I wasn't as "intimidated" as I thought I would be at this place. The crowd was pretty "normal"....pretty diverse. I thought, by some of the other reviews, that it would be super pretentious and superficial. It was A-OK in my book. Especially since the beer was only $6. I was fearing the worse and thought I'd have to pay $10 or more for a brew. Maybe the fake vibe has worn off with time. I would definitely go back -but after 6pm so I could park on the street at a meter vs. the $14 I had to pay in a garage!!
Fabulously hot vibe.
Tragically lame clientele.
Been to Roof twice now, once on a weeknight and once on a Friday night... both experiences were completely on par with one another and I feel I'm making a fair assessment when I say it attracts some of the most pathetic louses around. Louse. Ha. Funny word.
I have to give props to the Roof staff though, they've really managed to successfully perpetuate this faux air of utter nightlight exclusivity which I'm sure takes some maneuvering. All those velvet ropes, long lines, special tickets (aka carnival 'admit one' stubs) required for entry... I'd have a less hard time getting into Harvard. Seriously. Problem is, once you're in, you find yourself standing between a Kenny G lookalike and his mature businessman 'friend' donning an ill-fitting suit and chasing 20 year old tail. Depressing.
Taking out of towners here was certainly impressive for the outdoor factor and sumptuous décor alone - the space is gorgeous, even if the clientele are not. Beautiful job on the fire and ice elements, clustered seating, sleek furnishings and glowy lighting. It's undeniably sexy even if you are fighting your way through a sea of dimwits. Sexiness these days however, comes at a price... brace yourself for sticker shock as a glass of champers at Roof (Henriot) will run you $20 p/glass. Gulp. Granted my champers preference was only roused, mind you, after sampling one of their entirely undrinkable specialty cocktails.
Three strikes, you're out! 'Tis time for this Roof to beat the street.
Great view, good service, busy enjoyable atmosphere. Crowded, but easy to share tables (we shared when we arrived, shared with others when we were finishing). Nice selection of cocktails. We were so occupied talking, drinking, and enjoying the view that we didn't bother people-watching. I guess we'll save that for the next visit. Once again, absolutely great view.
This is my absolute favorite place to go downtown after work. The views are incredible and even now, in late October, the heat lamps are strong enough that if it's not too cold out, you can still sit very comfortably outside.
Service has always been friendly and prompt and the drinks taste delicious. They're expensive (about the same as you'd expect from the swanky location and clientele) but strong. I particularly like the pumpkin-bourbon drink they've currently got on their menu. Perfect fall drink! I've never eaten there but the food sounds appetizing, looks great and is reasonably priced.
My main complaint is that their menus -- which are only printed on paper, not even laminated -- have outdated drink prices. So it says drinks are $12 but really they're $14 and you don't even find out until you go to pay.
The crowd is after-work business usuals, professionals from say late 20s to mid-40s. The crowd gets more gray-haired the later you stay.
Why pay all this money to create a fantastic rooftop deck just to stop there? Seriously, this place is spectacular but tragic due to the crowd and the music. When I heard we were heading to Roof I was super excited to spend my night outside, but after I got there the evening was mostly disappointing.
The people there are tragic; most women scream high class hooker or otherwise. As for the guys, most are middle age men who spend the night trying to scope out women to take advantage of. I got a free drink out of the deal, but it was disappointing not to find someone my age or close to my age to flirt with.
With the long wait and the expensive drinks I expected more. It didn't live up to my expectations, so needless to say I probably wont be heading back.
Ok probably best summertime bar in loop. But drinks are nothing special, and over priced. And crowd seems pretentious and wanting to be seen. I wouldn't wait in line for this. Hit it on a week night.
I went twice in October and sat outside one night. The views are great, there was no wait, even on a Friday night and the drinks are stiff and good...The appetizer menu could have more variety, but I enjoyed the pizza. Obviously, it's pricey, but I feel like it's worth it. I'm a Chicago native moving back to Chicago soon and I suspect I may be returning to the Wit with some frequency. (p.s. My bf said that the men's room is weird--- no urinals! He thought he went in the ladies room by accident, but he had the right place. I think it's funny).
The Roof has a Miami/Vegas vibe to it being that it's located in downtown Chicago. It's def. a nice change of pace but the crowd can be a hit or miss.
One out of the 3 times I've been there I truly did enjoy it. The other times it was stocked up with out of town older business man trying a bit to hard to pick up girls at all cost.
The view is great in the indoor area and the outside section is awesome when it's a perfect summer night!
Note: They need to find a better DJ!
Roof on the Wit Hotel is a great roof top lounge. The modern decor with open air feel is exceptional for Chicago especially in the middle of the city. Some areas are partial covered but is relaxed during the weekdays I have frequented, Never been on a weekend night but would imagine it would be pretty filled.
I have only had drinks here and have never had any food.
They have a live DJ which I have never experienced but during the week the music is lounge oriented. It is a good alternative to a night club or a neighborhood bar.
Nice for groups or a date. I give four stars to Roof for the atmosphere and good drinks.
GROAN!!!
This place could be great if it got a MAJOR attitude adjustment. The venue itself is inarguably beautiful but don't expect much from the crowd. If puffed up egos and bad fashion are your thing, you'll get lots of it here.
It all comes down to customer service and this place gets a big FAIL in my book. We spent $600 at CiboMatto and got flack for trying to not wait in line. After producing the receipt they very reluctantly let us upstairs without standing on the street for two hours. Aaaaaaannnd, we turned around and walked right back out. Lose the attitude, be nice and concentrate on creating an environment of quality. Another flash in the pan seedy club is the last thing this city needs.
Okay, so I'm more comfortable in places where there's more leather and tattoos (even though I don't have a tattoo and I'm a vegetarian), but Rooftop is cool. Awesome downtown views, good beats, waitresses that will hook you up. Ask 'em. For (almost) anything (but behave, please).
It's expensive, too, k? So don't go here if you're trying to save a buck. Still, you gots good people watching, there's lots of fire pit-thingies and cool furniture.
Oh, and as of the time I'm writing this, there is usually a line out front that you have to wait 30 mins in. So be patient, too.
I live down the street from this place, so I've often walked by on a Friday/Saturday night and observed the ridiculously long line out the door, down the street. Occasionally I'll bother asking how long of a wait it is, and it's usually like... 2 hours.
Anyways, this past weekend my friend and I *finally* made it up, because, well, it's Chicago in August and of course it's 55 degrees with expected rain. Which meant only a 20-30 minute wait! Hooray!
The view was disappointing. I live in a building with roof access on the 60th floor. Roof is on the 27th floor. I was looking *up* at my unit. And my drink (ginger+cucumber mojito) was just all right.
That said, the ambience was fun and exciting. Felt very VIP. Decent music with a good lounge type set-up. Would go again.
I wanted to love this place, really, really, I did. I mean, there's not a lot of outdoor dining in the loop, and I love roof bars and restaurants. The drinks are decent and the food is hit or miss. That's not what you're here for though - it's all about the view and the crowd. In the end my problem with this place is most likely because well, I'm just not part of the group they're aiming for.
I've definitely had a few bad notes, here. On my first visit, I ordered a bombay G&T, and watched as my distracted bartender poured half the gin outside my glass because he was talking to one of the servers. When I asked for more gin, he argued with me about it and said that he "always pours an ounce and a half, hon." Seriously? This is wrong in so many ways. First, of all, an ounce and a half in a large glass doesn't cut it, and won't in a lot of bars. Second, don't "hon" me, and third, you might actually have poured the alcohol outside my glass. Take a moment to think it over before snapping back at me.
My other bad experience? We were there on my birthday and had been in place for over an hour when we got booted from our table. There was no reserved sign on our table, and we'd had a server who brought us food and drinks without ever saying a thing, but a VIP showed up and wanted that spot. Thanks Roof. Happy birthday to me.
If it's raining and you're stuck inside, it's really hard to hear - this place was definitely designed with the the open air space in mind. Don't get me wrong, it's got great modern design, an excellent view, and lots of pretty people. Unfortunately, I'm low key, and this place is see and be seen with all the attitude that comes with it.
Came here last night for post work drinks. We ordered a bottle of the cava ($39) and paired with parmesan fries with pesto aioli ($10) .. yum!! Prices are a bit high but it was a time to celebrate... A rare (nice) fall evening in Chicago!
I think The Roof (The Wit) is appropriately titled. After going here one Saturday night, one definitely needs a sense of humour to stick it out here. I wanted to go there for the longest time because I really do appreciate Chicago architecture and modern design. The whole concept of a hotel in the Loop opening up their rooftop is a brilliant idea. The Loop in general does not have much going on for classy, entertaining late bars, so I expected The Roof at The Wit to be a little different.
Well, well. Here goes...
The first thing I noticed upon arriving was, there were lots of people totally shit faced in front of the hotel, which I thought, was bad for business. There were a lot of staff available at the front of the hotel, so why the manager would not want the hotel to remain classy and have it cleaned up, I do not know. If you present yourself as a top-notch hotel, then seriously you need to keep up with those standards you present.
So... I go in the lift to go to the roof of The Wit and that's when I realised what I was letting myself in for :O(
Upstairs it was like a frat party. People were wasted everywhere, men were thrusting girls, I even got my own taste of a free 'Chippendales' lap dance and I was with a man! To be honest it was kinda gross. The sound system was blasting so loud after a while your ears started to hurt because it was not balanced. The music was fairly diverse and kept me entertained.
I went up to the bar to order a drink with cash in hand and I waited 10 mins to be served. Not acceptable! I counted 6 bar staff behind the bar and most of them were messing around or either consuming quick drinks. (They were alcoholic ones for sure. I saw them pour them) The staff were partying like the clientele except for Ed and one other guy (who was older) who clearly took their job seriously and were very frustrated with the lack of help that was provided at the bar.
I do not know who the manager of the bar is, but Ed was very gracious to serve me and apologized over and over to a number of people waiting about the lack of service. Drinks can be pricey, but Ed made a mean margarita that I have not had in a while. Yum!
I find it interesting that there are lots of bouncers circling this place; I guess it's to keep people in check? (Ummm?) I have to say it is good people watching but I have been to many top-notch hotels with decks like this all over the country and I have never experienced anything so tacky like The Roof. Most of the places I have been to have seriously maintained their standards (along with their hotel standards) by requesting dress codes, (not too fussy, but smart casual) and have also worked diligently to maintain a consistent ambiance to go with the decor. That is what disappointed me the most. Here you have the decor that looks like it could be something from Cali or Miami, yet they cheapened the whole place by letting fast revenue take precedence over quality and service.
A lot of my friends go there after work on the weekdays and I will give it a second chance to see if the clientele and ambiance is a little bit different. I think the novelty of this place will wear off fast. I feel they will get an influx of curious visitors and partiers but not a loyal clientele. My advice is clean The Roof up else you'll become a bar like you belong Division street. ;O(
Revisited the Roof recently only to find that the music was a bit lamer and the clientele a bit more cliche.
The main reason for my return to the Roof was to order the ever politically correct "Mexican Mule" specialty cocktail. I was disappointed to find that the powers that be had removed this drink from the menu. Hmmm... I wonder why that would be????
Needless to say, our return to the Roof was just not the same.
Went to a show at the Chicago Theater last night (sat) and we decided to check out the uber-hyped… Read more »
Eeh...I don't know what to make of this place. I'm scared of the cougars and the viagra triangle. The view is great but damn lady put those boobs away... please!!
The wait wasn't too bad, around 30 minutes on Friday and you can totally park your car right around the corner on Lake street after 11 p.m.! Apparently no one but us knew of this as my Accord was the only car parked there? (But damn it looked GOOD!)
As for people watching, meh. I think the bums outside are more entertaining.
I probably never would have ventured to Roof, had it not been for a bartender friend getting a job there. However, I've been up there a handful of times over the past couple of months, both on the outdoor patio and at the interior bar.
I must say, the people watching at Roof is like nothing I've ever experienced. Tourists, professionals, douchebags, ghettos, elderly couples, hipsters...and other categories of people that I have yet to stereotype because they seem to exist nowhere else. My friends and I have often found ourselves laughing hysterically at the display.
Other than that, the service and drinks at Roof are horrendous. The first time we went, our waitress was completely strung out and, consequently, completely retarded. She messed up at least one drink in every round. By the end of the evening we'd returned at least six specialty drinks, all of which were not what we ordered or just tasted plain horrible. In subsequent visits we have stuck to wine or basic mixed drinks.
The food, however, almost makes it worth dealing with the annoying people, crappy drinks and horrible service. The french fries are amazing, and the flatbreads and lamb burgers are great as well. Stay away from the parmesan chicken sliders--the chicken was not only gray in color but also fell into the category of what I call 'funky chicken'--very low quality.
The view is what it is. Cool to be up that high, but not THAT cool.
Considering the laughable patronage, poorly crafted drinks and growing line to get in, I don't imagine that I'll be visiting Roof on my own accord anytime soon.
Why does it seem that the higher up a bar is, the more odd the people are? The people here are soooo oddd! The douchebaggery was set to high. Sooo many graphic tees and stillettos, sooo many. And on a Wednesday night nonetheless! Oh and how could I forget the guys with shaved legs and the mismatched couples.... so freaking odd. None of them looked like they belonged together. Maybe it was because it rained, maybe it was because it was night, maybe it was because it's mostly filled of tourists. I mean, some of the girls looked like wet chihuahuas...I suppose I'll never know.
Well, I suppose I should review the place...
Peoplewatching: 5 Stars
Roof Deck: 4 Stars
Wait Staff: 2 Stars
The views up here are amazing of the city. It's ultra modern and really tries to provide that upscale downtown roof deck feel. The only issue I really had was that the waitstaff acted like they never have worked with customers before. One girl spilled wine all over the place, and walked away, not even saying anything about it. I was staring in horror at the lost wine all over the table and floor, but I guess we were expected to just deal with it ourselves. We had to go up to the bar and get a towel, but they did end up comping one of the bottles, so I guess I can forgive them since they did something to try and make it right. Maybe she was new, maybe it was bc it looked like the wine bottle was the heaviest thing she could lift, who knows... If she needs wine pouring lessons, she can come over to my house. Not a drip is wasted. I consider that a party foul.
All in all, this levels out at a mediocre 3. It's pricey, but that's what you get when you want to be on the roof of a hotel. I did not have the food, but people were telling me they enjoy it.
Roof Bar at Wit Hotel, Downtown Chicago: I waited till the hoopla died down and have been twice (early Oct 09) and would recommend it. Even when the main outdoor space is closed due to bad weather, it wasn't too crowded, and we scored relatively comfy seats with great or good views. I like that you can get a beer for $5 or 6 (hey, upcharge for the view) ... as for food, we've just had the wood grilled pizza, which seem a bit small for $16, so be careful there. Not quite worth it, though the mushroom one was tasty. I will be back.
Fabulous, just fabulous.
Denton headed here around 4:45PM on a Tuesday to score us some seating as I had invited a small group of friends to join us for drinks. I was lucky because if I didn't want to stand on my birthday. Well, we only had two seats, which meant that part the group sat while other stood. Not ideal but it was worth it.
Briana J. ordered some appetizers. They were pretty good. I loved the french fries with sort some of rich, delicious sauce that made them heavenly. I also enjoyed the tuna salad but was not into the fried mozzarella. To be fair though, I never really like fried mozzarella.
I didn't come for the food though; I came for the views (fabulous!) and scene (equally fabulous). I want to go back but I am not sure about the wait on a Friday night.
Okay okay....you got me. This place is awesome.
Rarely would I give 5 stars to somewhere that I had to wait 45 minutes to get into. Arriving here on a Friday at 4:15pm (geez, I even took off work early to come here!), we didn't get to actually enter Roof until 5pm. But after waiting forever, I was kind of thankful because they don't pack people in and make it uncomfortable. Instead, once you are in you are able to make your way up to the bar, sit on the couch, order food, etc. in peace without lots of crowding.
The space is gorgeous. As close to sexy LA as you can get in Chicago. Roof truly delivers in their design of the canopy, the booths, white couches, plants, drinks, etc.
Speaking of drinks, these things are STRONG. I was drunk as could be after 2 blueberry drinks. These blueberry drinks are like heaven in a cup, so I highly recommend them. It's on the specialty drink menu.
Come to Roof. The people watching is fantastic, the atmosphere is amazing, the drinks are smooth, and you'll feel transported from the grind of Chicago. Just make sure to come early.
I hesitate to write this review because I fear that it will make the already long lines to get on the Roof at the Wit even longer! The shortest time I've waited is 30 mins. and that was when we arrived at around 8:30pm. The longest wait I've experienced there has been 2 hours (arriving at 9pm!!!). It's crazy. The crowd is a great mix of tourists and locals and people from all different professions.
I love love LOVE the view, the furniture, the little bonfires at the outdoor tables, the heating lamps over the booths outside, and especially the view from the smaller VIP area in the southwest corner of the lounge. There is an indoor area and an outdoor area at the Roof. It kind of gets crowded leaving you with not much room to move or sit down. But regardless I always have a great time here and no one is overly creepy. All the patrons are there usually for a good time and it usually ends up being that way. I like that it feels like you're not even in Chicago, but instead at some trendy South Beach or Las Vegas club or something.
The times I've been there have been Saturday nights and I haven't had the food, but from what I saw, it really looked and smelled good. I was VERY tempted to steal a pizza or a fry as the waiters walked by with them. Drinks were great though -- service was quick and friendly. The outdoor bartenders make a really good Peach Bellini (whenever they don't run out Peach, otherwise the Mango one is pretty good as well).
I like that once you do get a seat, it can feel very nice just to relax there and take in the fresh night air. It can get a little chilly at night though and you do feel the wind a bit more up there.
I like the Roof at the Wit, but I don't recommend that people go there. Why? Because, as I said earlier, I don't want the lines to get even longer or the lounge to get even more crowded. The location seems ideal for happy hour or those staying downtown while visiting Chicago, but waiting outside can creep a person out especially if you're stuck standing in front of the vacant lot next to the Wit hotel where one can see many HUGE rats scurrying around. Ew! Once you're in, though, it's great! Enjoy!
Situated in Chicago's downtown loop area, Roof is located on the 27th floor of The Wit hotel and has quickly become one of Chicago's must-see rooftops. Stellar views of the city, a luxurious modern decor, and great atmosphere are a few things you'll be sure to enjoy at Roof. However, you must first brave the extreme line - - wait times often reaching 2-3 hrs - - before you can get a ticket and granted entrance to this illustrious spot.
If you decide to go I urge you get there before 8pm. I must really stress this because arriving after 8p will guarantee you a spot in the line... oftentimes lasting 2-3 hrs, and that's not an exaggeration. Making matters worse is the random eye sore building between The Wit hotel and Harold Washington College. Behind the rusting iron fence you'll spot multiple rats, yes RATS running amuck. I'm still baffled as to why the high end hotel has not yet done something about this. Hell, put up a mural against the fence... anything to not be forced to watch city rats go ballistic. I've been to Roof at The Wit about 3 times and EACH time seen NUMEROUS rats, once even managing to snap a pic.
If you're able to stomach the rats, harassment from local bums (the security does a pretty good job of keeping them away) and mind-numbing wait in line, there's a lot in store for you at the 27th floor. Upon receiving a ticket you're directed through the hotel lobby to the elevators. The express elevator takes you to Roof and finally you're on your way to enjoying a wonderful night full of drinks, great atmosphere and even better views.
**Update** At first I was thrilled to find this diamond jewel of a place but now I'm sad to report that someone in the hood must have gotten the memo because the crowd after 11p is NOT what's up. This isn't a club and shouldn't be treated as such so I urge everyone to categorize Roof as an after work lounge... be sure to leave by 10p.
So I had heard all about the long lines on the weekends, but that it is definately worth the wait. Luckily, I was here for a friend who was staying at the hotel and celebrating their birthday here so we got upstairs pretty quick. But while we were lounging downstairs waiting for our friend, we found it amusing the number of guys and chicks who were all dressed up and thought they were the shit, get denied access to the place through the hotel itself. If you want to be amused, then the Hotel Lobby is the place to hang out at. That said.....
Pros:
1) Beer is not that expensive, about what I would expect to pay at any place downtown. Buds cost $5, mixed drinks were around $8-$10. So really, not all that terrible.
2) Place has a pretty nice view. But for me, it doesn't get all that exciting as people crack it up to be.
3) People confused me for the manager. Heck, if I come on a regular basis, maybe I can give myself the hook up!
Cons:
1) WAY TOO CROWDED!!! My god, it was impossible to get to the bathroom or to get to the bar.
2) Also, this is a LOUNGE. Please....please...PLEASE turn the music down!!! Its not like I can get my dancing groove on due to #1
3) Creepy 50 yr olds hitting on my wife in front of me. Seriously? You got security running all over the place and they're not even doing anything. Of course if I become the avenger of all that's right and holy and try to retribute my vengeance upon the Viagra Crew, guess who get's kicked out.
So in my finale, as I walked out and talked to one of the employees, he informed me that the weedays were probably the best time to come because it wasn't as crowded and it was more of an after-work lounge at that point. I won't shut this place out just yet, maybe after a visit during the week I will have a better idea. But so far, its not some place I would return to on a weekend because the CONS outweigh the pros.
I recently went to the Roof of the Wit with some friends at around 3:30 pm on a beautiful Friday afternoon, thinking we would be able to get a table effortlessly. Well, we barely got a table and within 30 minutes it was one person in and one person out. Note: the 3 o'clock hour must be the "witching hour" for letting average looking people in the door. I half expected Carrie Bradshaw and her crew from "Sex & the City" to appear at any moment (they didn't, but you will find some lookalikes for sure).
I can't recall the name of the drink that I had but it was tasty. The service is something to be desired which is disappointing considering you need to take out a second mortgage to pay for a round of drinks.
The ambiance is modern and pretty and the city views are gorgeous; it's kind of like you died and walked into a west elm catalogue.
This is the place to be at the moment, so it's worth checking out. I would just go during a weekday evening to avoid major crowds. As I said, the views are amazing and the people watching interesting but ultimately not my scene. It would be ideal if I could have the entire place to myself with just my friends but somehow I don't think the Wit would appreciate that very much.
This is one sick spot. The decor is nice the scenery is awesome, 27th floor outdoor. The crowd is interesting and the drinks keep flowing. This has quickly become one of my favorite hang out spots.
It feels like I am on an episode of Entourage when I am hanging out here.
Yeah, D-bags galore.
Let's be a little fair though. To all the Neanderthal douches that come here, and Trixie idiots that probably don't Yelp and can't defend themselves; it's not your fault.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are very few posh lounges anywhere that get very good ratings. These kinds of places will forever be overpriced and overrated. And, of course, they will be inhabited by gaggles of "Yeah Dudes" and packs of "Woo Girls." This is technically their domain when you think about it.
And for the tourists, lets not be snooty New Yorkers. With our deficit, we could use some external cash. And with our sales tax, I'm surprise we have tourists at all.
The kinda people that Yelp, I think have a few things inherently in common. We want something nice, good service, and a fair value. But to look for that at a rooftop lounge is akin to looking for a pennant from the Cubs. Not in a hundred years my friend. Just ain't gonna happen. So I think Yelpers fool themselves thinking: "Hey, this might be the day I go to a lounge where the drinks won't be overpriced and the people won't be a buncha Euro-trash wannabe losers"
Granted, I'm not above this; I did end up coming here too. I also had the hopes that this would be some gem hidden away like a sorority girl's gut hiding away behind a garish belt. But no, it sticks out; like the chest hairs between the vertical stripes of a button up shirt.
For the record: the service was pretty good for me on the Wednesday night that I went. The marinated olives...ick; marinated in what? WATER?!
The drinks: overpriced, at least they had a few beers worth drinking (but cost an arm and a leg) and their mixed drinks were nothing special.
The venue itself is pretty nice. Half of the bar is open air. With an LA/LV kinda vibe to it. The view is too close to the Loop. Reminded me of work, no es bueno.
Drink a $6 Hoegaarden, say "Oh" 1x and "Ah" 1x; then go someplace else.
omg! went here last night to deflate after a long 6 weeks and it was a night of good decisions! i had the london in bangkok...who would have thought that gin, mango, and basil made great friends in a glass...and my friends' cocktails were pretty great also...and not to mention the atmosphere...most gorgeous view ever. i will def be taking friends here when they come visit chicago...at least if the weather is cooperating..lol..
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