The J. Parker
1816 N. Clark St. 312-254-4747
The scene: My opening-night visit to Hotel Lincoln's 13th-floor rooftop earlier this week was pretty breezy, so hold on to your hats, cocktail napkins and tips for your bartender. Sweeping vistas of the lakefront, downtown skyline and Lincoln Park beat the building-blocked views of most rooftops bars. Some space is saved for walk-ins and there¿s a bit of standing room at the outdoor bar, but a reservation for one of the high-top tables or clusters of couches is recommended.
The crowd: The fashionable sort I expected for a new spot from Boka Restaurant Group (which runs Perennial Virant on the same block, plus Girl & the Goat, GT Fish & Oyster and others) sporting designer shades, bowties, cocktail dresses and suits. Most everyone clutched signature versions of classic warm-weather drinks--sangria, mojitos, daquiris--and took breaks from sipping to snap smartphone pics of the view.--Lisa Arnett