Marty's Martini Bar

Marty's Martini Bar
Exterior sign, 2023
Map
Restaurant information
Established2006 (2006)
Street address1511 West Balmoral Avenue
CityChicago
StateIllinois
Postal/ZIP Code60640
CountryUnited States
Coordinates41°58′47″N 87°40′07″W / 41.9797°N 87.6687°W / 41.9797; -87.6687

Marty's Martini Bar is a cocktail bar in Andersonville, Chicago, in the U.S. state of Illinois that opened in 2006.[1]

Description

Marty's Martini Bar is a small,[2] upscale, "Toulouse-Lautrec-styled" cocktail bar in Andersonville, Chicago.[3][4] The interior features gilt-framed mirrors and posters.[2] The Not for Tourists Guide to Chicago has described the bar as "compact and classy".[5] The guide has also called Marty's a gay bar.[6] Moon Chicago says Marty's "becomes a gay bar late at night".[7] In 2016, Time Out Chicago said of the clientele: "it seems the straight folk tend to show up first for a predinner cocktail and the gay crowd comes later. Like gentrification, but in reverse."[8]

The Chicago Tribune has said the "cozy" bar serves "classic" cocktails.[9] Drinks come to two sizes. The menu has included the Black Velvet, Cosmopolitans,[10] the Crème brûlée, the Dirty Bird (olive juice and blue cheese-stuffed olives),[2] and the Pineapple Upside-Down martini.[3]

Reception

Fodor's has said the bar serves "some of the tastiest cocktails in town".[11] Marty's was included in Eater Chicago's 2014 list of the city's ten "most overlooked" cocktail bars.[10] In 2022, Shone Palmer of San Diego Gay and Lesbian News included Marty's in an overview of Chicago's best gay bars, writing: "Marty's Martini Bar is the best place to go if a night in with candles, a glass of wine, and sade playing on vinyl seems like your idea of a good time. You won't find a more spectacular or fantastic homosexual bar in all of Chicago than this one. The club successfully combines coziness, luxury, and comfort. There's a reason why people go to Marty's: the atmosphere is friendly, the service is impeccable, and the drinks are top-notch."[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "2 New Bars Add To The Spirited Clark/Balmoral Intersection | Edgeville Buzz". Archived from the original on 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  2. ^ a b c Lemer, Ali; Zimmerman, Karla (2023). Chicago. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-83758-146-7. Archived from the original on 2023-08-10. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  3. ^ a b Kolars, Emily (2017-10-05). "Marty's Martini Bar". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 2021-09-20. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  4. ^ "TR Napa Valley and Eduardo's Enoteca: Two New Teensy-Weensy Bars in the Gold Coast". Chicago Magazine. Archived from the original on 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  5. ^ Not for Tourists Guide to Chicago 2014. Simon and Schuster. 2013-10-08. ISBN 978-1-62873-581-9. Archived from the original on 2023-08-10. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  6. ^ Not for Tourists Illustrated Guide to Chicago. Simon and Schuster. 2015-05-12. ISBN 978-1-63450-117-0. Archived from the original on 2023-08-10. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  7. ^ Holland, Rebecca (2018-04-17). Moon Chicago. Avalon Publishing. ISBN 978-1-63121-721-0. Archived from the original on 2023-08-10. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  8. ^ "Marty's Martini Bar". Time Out Chicago. 2016-08-03. Archived from the original on 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  9. ^ "Andersonville gay bar crawl". Chicago Tribune. 2012-09-19. Archived from the original on 2021-07-16. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  10. ^ a b "10 of Chicago's Most Overlooked Cocktail Bars". Eater Chicago. 2014-10-21. Archived from the original on 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  11. ^ Fodor's Chicago. Fodor's Travel. 2015-12-22. ISBN 978-1-101-87910-8. Archived from the original on 2023-08-10. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  12. ^ Palmer, Shone (2022-11-30). "Best Gay Bars In Chicago - 10 Places To Hangout!". San Diego Gay and Lesbian News. Archived from the original on 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2023-08-10.