Summertime calls for drinks in the sky, and there are more options than ever with a handful of flashy new openings this season. We know your time is precious, so we’re checking them out to determine what’s worth the trip. Up first: Aire at Hyatt Centric The Loop Chicago vs. LH Rooftop at LondonHouse.
THE CONTENDERS
Aire
100 W. Monroe St. 312-236-1234
The cherry on top of the 24th floor of Hyatt Centric The Loop Chicago, this 5,000-square-foot open-air rooftop deck opened in May and offers 360-degree views of surrounding Loop buildings.
LH Rooftop at LondonHouse
85 E. Wacker Drive 312-357-1200
The 3,500-square-foot outdoor terrace you can’t stop hearing about sits on the 22nd floor of the historic Loop building recently renovated into a hotel and offers sweeping views of Michigan Avenue, Wacker Drive, the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. The tri-level experience also includes an indoor bar on 21 and a private cupola on 23.
THE VIBE
LondonHouse: On my first visit, I headed straight for the outdoor terrace. With space for 200, it’s narrower than I expected, and while guests can make a reservation ($50–$180 per person), 70 percent of the capacity is for walk-ins. My friend and I huddled around the corner of a short rail that overlooked the Chicago River. The view was absolutely breathtaking, but we were kicked out 15 minutes later when the area was closed off for a private party. Sleek couches and manicured greenery are part of the package for seated, ticket-holding folks, while the plebes are left to nab coveted seats at the bar or stand and enjoy drinks. The indoor bar on 21 is more open, but you don’t get the view, and the private cupola is closed off to the public. However, the Dom Perignon pass ($48) gets you one glass of the champagne and access to the cupola.
Aire: Spacious and sprawling, this rooftop deck lives up to its name. The Loop’s post-work crowd and hotel guests filled out the tables, making the wait for sit-down service about an hour and a half, but my friend and I found two open spots at the bar right away. Stone standing rails line the perimeter of the deck, dispersing the crowd so that the space, with room for 200, feels roomy. Cozy tabletop fireplaces, boxy brown and black striped umbrellas and large planters with trees and grasses invite guests to linger in the sky surrounded by architecture. It’s the ideal spot for drinks after work or a light bite before dinner downtown.
THE VIEW
LondonHouse: Located at the north-facing apex of Wacker Drive and Michigan Avenue, the view alone makes LondonHouse worth a trip. The deck overlooks the Chicago River and offers a glance of Lake Michigan. From the 22nd floor, the city looks like a diorama with sparkling buildings, tiny boats chugging under bridges on the glistening river and toy cars speeding down Mag Mile. All else aside, the view here is an Instagrammer’s best friend.
Aire: While Chicago architecture is most often experienced by looking up, Aire allows you to immerse yourself in the city’s diverse variety of styles and forms from four different angles. Old bricks and steel frames speckle the view with crystal facades so tall they blend into the blue sky. Gaze east to catch a glimpse of Lake Michigan peeking between the buildings. The greenery on the deck is a soft contrast to the surrounding industrialism, making Aire a garden retreat in the sky.
THE MENU
LondonHouse: With an ambitious assortment of cocktails by the glass, bottle and on tap, I had high expectations that ultimately fell flat. All five of the cocktails I tried during two visits had intriguing ingredients, such as lime sherbert fog in the Chess Records ($14), a rum-based drink with amaro and muscovado brown sugar. The lime sherbert fog is strictly an aromatic element (do not drink it) that’s served in a separate carafe with dry ice so the guest can add it to the top of the cocktail. While I enjoyed the interactive presentation, the drink itself was more like a standard rum and cola.
LH also offers three cocktails on tap at the indoor bar on 21. Hoping those options would be more promising, I was disappointed to find that two of the three were out, even at 5 p.m. on a Thursday. The EG&T ($12) with housemade earl grey tonic, gin and lime was OK but a bit on the sweet side. The three other cocktails I tried were all similarly lacking in balance and flavor, so much so that I couldn’t finish several of them. Given the price ($12–$16), I’d opt for something off the beer or wine list with less room for error.
On the food front, we weren’t able to find a comfortable place to order on the outdoor terrace, but a second trip to the indoor bar on 21 afforded the option with a slightly different menu. The vegan meatballs ($13), which are made from ancient grains and served with an heirloom tomato sauce and garlic-thyme-parsley puree with olive oil, would have been a solid meat-free option had the thyme in the puree not been so overpowering. The duck fat fries with black truffles and shaved foie gras ($20) were tasty but not worth the trip.
Aire: The hotel rooftop offers an edited list of signature cocktails, 11 craft and domestic beers by the bottle and five (mostly local) craft brews on tap. The city-themed cocktails ($15 each) boast cutesy names, such as the My Kinda Town and the Monroe mule. I went for The Speculation, a classic old fashioned with a bourbon-soaked cherry. It wasn’t great and ended up being too sweet to finish. My friend ordered the More Bang for your Buck with whiskey, lime juice, ginger beer and a splash of fresh strawberry juice, which she described as “liquified Pez candy.” I’d suggest skipping the cocktails and opting for beer or wine. The craft beer options offered a lineup of local favorites I can get behind including Moody Tongue Brewing Co. and Half Acre Beer Co. Wine by the bottle doesn’t seem like a bad idea if you’re planning to hang out awhile, and the menu offers an affordable variety ($36-$70, $12-$23 by the glass).
The food menu includes snackable appetizers, flatbreads and salads. The Clark flatbread ($14) alone is worth a visit to Aire with mozzarella, arugula and the freshest, tangiest olive oil-marinated roma tomatoes drizzled with a sweet balsamic glaze. Lettuce wraps ($14) loaded with Korean barbecue chicken, crunchy Brussels sprout slaw and a dash of black sesame seeds were a refreshing snack for a hot summer day, ideal for our pre-dinner outing.
THE VERDICT
LondonHouse: Go for the view and GTFO. The pricey mediocre cocktails and food are not worth the headache of making a reservation, but LondonHouse’s outdoor terrace is still a summer bucket list topper with picturesque angles of the city that you won’t find anywhere else.
Aire: A comfortable space with a unique view of Chicago’s best architecture, Aire is the perfect downtown hangout for those summer Fridays. Don’t leave without trying the flatbread, and do your best to snag a table to extend the evening.
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