Drumbar Ready to Add a New Beat to the Nightlife Scene

Grid View

• Will you have a permanent seat here this summer?
• Head this way to the VIP den
• Great people watching spot
• Kick back with a cocktail in the library-like nook
• The great room features 25-foot-tall vaulted ceilings
• A great living room or a cool cocktail lounge?
• The fire pits add a touch of modern design
• The views off Drumbar can't be beat

[Photo: Tim Hiatt]

Ready for a towering new hotspot that's not on the beaten path of Hubbard Street? Drumbar, officially opening Friday, sits high atop the Raffaello Hotel on the 18th floor in a now-unrecognizable former meeting space. Walking in, you feel like you've entered an elegantly restored prewar home showing a mix of classic elegance with hip, modern whimsy.

The 100-seat indoor space is broken out into a few cozy sitting areas, all with tufted leather couches, moss-colored upholstered foot stools and touches of home, like old books and an antique gas fireplace in one space. Dark woods encapsulate the space, but are accented by streams of light from numerous windows. Just off the thick, white marble-topped bar is a great room, with numerous couches, a 25-foot vaulted ceiling and its own full bar.

Step off the great room and follow the black-and-white checkerboard marble floor through a short hallway with seats and bright green tables to the VIP den, an intimate space with private roof access that can be reserved. And then there's the roof. Talk about killer views.

This 1,500 square-foot, 80-seat terrace has views of downtown and the lake. The patio is somewhat shielded from the wind with higher brick walls on two sides and glass enclosures on the other. Seating abounds with couches and chairs that are accompanied by planter boxes, flowers and stone-and-concrete fire pits.

But other than the gorgeous room, the real focus here is on the drink program, which is being overseen by Benjamin Newby, the VP of nightlife for Menin Hotels. Newby, formerly of the Underground, has created a program that focuses on a mix of seasonal cocktails along with attention to bourbon and whiskey. Drumbar will also offer a variety of craft beer, Champagne and, of course, bottle service. A menu featuring an assortment of light bites will be created by Pelago chef Mauro Mafrici. Drumbar will be open Thursday through Sunday nights and during the day on weekends.

Drumbar Cocktail & Food Menus