River North’s Getting a Sea Monster-Inspired Bar

Cocktail maestro Benjamin Schiller (The Sixth, Berkshire Room) and The Fifty/50 Group are going from high to low at the Dana Hotel and Spa. After the success with opening Apogee, the hotel’s rooftop bar, Schiller and Co. have another project: Leviathan, inspired by the sea creatures illustrated by 19th Century French artist Gustave Doré. The monster-inspired cocktail bar will be located on the second-floor of the Dana, Chicago reported.

Schiller tells the magazine that his drink list will use a lot of rum and gin. The bartender has a reputation for some of the most creative drinks in the city, with beverages based on Calvin and Hobbes at The Sixth and from toadstool mushrooms straight out of Super Mario Bros.

Chicago also spills details on the Dana’s ground-floor restaurant. It’s called Portsmith, and chef Nate Henssler is promising some of the freshest seafood in Chicago. He has familiarity with the Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, having worked at Homestead, the group’s West Town restaurant.

There’s no opening dates, but both spots should debut this summer. More to come.