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Bisous

Chicago

From the Footman Hospitality group (Spilt Milk, Bangers & Lace and Emporium Arcade Bar) together with veteran barman Peter Vestinos – who opened the sultry Cuban-inspired drinking den Sparrow – Bisous is a Fulton Market gem with drinks and decor inspired by 1960s Paris. It is one of the only standalone cocktail bars in Chicago's famous Restaurant Row, making it an ideal pitstop for a first date, pre-prandial Martini, or quiet nightcap after dinner. From the romantic globe lighting to the weighty marble bar, cozy velvet booths and lavishly patterned wallpaper, no detail was overlooked in creating an atmosphere that feels sophisticated with a touch of French joie de vivre.

The cocktail menu matches the mood with a rich collection of French wines, ciders and spirits and upscale bar snacks (think caviar and chips, marinated Manchego and olives, rillettes and an array of premium tinned fish). The highlight of the drinks programming is Bisous's magnificent martini menu, which serves as a love letter to sometimes overlooked iterations like the alaska, gibson, martinez and vesper, each made with subtle updates to help ferry the vintage drinks into the modern age with grace and elegance. For something ultra-savoury, there's the house Olivette, made with olive leaf-infused gin, vermouth, and saline solution; for something more refreshing, look to the restrained list of house highballs, including one with whisky, Pommeau de Normandie and tonic, and another with strawberry and pomegranate aperitifs, absinthe and Sicilian lemonade soda. 

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