Piano Bars in Chicago, Illinois

Piano bars and Chicago are like peanut butter and jelly. You can’t have one without the other. While there are many piano bars throughout the Chicago area, there are three that make it to the top of my list: The Redhead Piano Bar, Grape Street and Vine piano bar, and Howl at the Moon piano bar. These three piano bars cater to Chicago tourists and locals alike. So, if visiting the windy city puts you in the mood for a little crooning and tickling of the old ivories you should definitely check out some of these great local piano bars.

The Redhead Piano Bar is a well-known Chicago piano bar. Tourists and locals crowd into this popular nightspot located just a few blocks off of Michigan Avenue and all of the shopping. Dark, moody, cozy, and definitely a Chicago feel are all parts of the cool atmosphere at The Redhead Piano Bar. You can request songs from the piano player. My Kind of Town is almost a prerequisite for almost any evening in Chicago, so save your requests for something out of the ordinary and the crowd will thank you!

The Redhead Piano Bar is advertised on the local tourist channel that is played in all of the downtown hotels, so you might find the crowd heavy on the tourist side and lighter on the local side, but the piano music is always good. The Redhead Piano Bar is located at 16 West Ontario Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60610. They can be reached at (312) 640-1000. Grape Street and Vine piano bar happens to be about twenty feet outside of my doorway. The atmosphere is dark and cozy. The staff is mostly pretty girls wearing an odd combination of black dinner jackets and shorts with fish net hose, but shorts are back in style right? If you can get past the uniforms though, The Grape Street and Vine piano bar has quite a lot to offer.

This is one piano bar in Chicago that combines a lethal dose of lively piano music with a lethal selection of over 100 martinis. The piano player is great whether you have a martini or not. If you decide to splurge and partake of their massive selection of martinis though, I recommend the grape flavored martini. It has a beautiful purple color, doesn’t taste like alcohol, and is garnished with the cutest little purple bunch of grapes. Don’t be fooled by the great taste, there are two shots of vodka in this deceptively sweet looking drink. Call ahead and ask if the trumpet player will be in while you are in town.

While the piano player is great, it is a whole new ball game with a little trumpet added in. Grape Street and Vine is piano bar is located at 226 East Ontario Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60611. They can be reached at (312) 642-7440. Howl at the Moon is located a little more off the beaten path in the super popular River North neighborhood of Chicago less two miles outside of downtown. So, if you are looking to really do some people watching and take in the local atmosphere Howl at the moon may be exactly the kind of piano bar you are looking for in Chicago.

Dueling piano players keep the atmosphere lively and upbeat. The crowd is a great mix of young, old and everything in between. Howl at the Moon is definitely a great place to take a large group. Everyone is sure to fit in and have a great time. Out of these three Chicago piano bars, Howl at the Moon definitely has the best menu. Ribs and BBQ sandwiches are washed down with their selection of specialty drinks. You might think you are somewhere in New Orleans based on the menu. Hurricanes are a house specialty and they have quite a few varieties of this popular Southern drink on the menu. Howl at the Moon is located at 26 West Hubbard Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60610. They can be reached at (312) 863-7427.