A New Rooftop Bar With Global Flair Is Coming Off the Mag Mile

Chicago has finally managed to hit the 60-degree mark today which means the city’s thoughts begin to turn toward rooftop bars and al fresco dining. One new option will be Z Bar, a new rooftop bar that will debut in early June off Michigan Avenue inside the Peninsula Chicago hotel. The bar will feature food and drink recipes from across the globe.

Named for Maria Zec, the first woman to work as a general manager for the Peninsula Hotels (she took the job in 2002), Z Bar will focus on fancy cocktails. It’ll have a roving cocktail cart as well as mixology classes and cocktail pairing sessions, according to a news release. Chicago bartending veteran Vlad Novikov, who specializes in classic cocktails with his own twists, is handling the drink list. Being a rooftop venue the menu will carry the popular sharable and small plates format. Given the draw of international tourists off the Mag Mile, Peninsula officials told the Tribune that they’re bringing global flavors into the bar to help make visitors feel like they’re at home.

The Peninsula opened in 2001 and in 2016 underwent at $37 million renovations. The hotel already has a popular outdoor option in The Terrace, a separate venue from Shanghai Terrace, its chic Chinese restaurant. Z Bar resides two levels above the terrace and features views of nearby downtown landmarks including Water Tower and the building formerly-known-as the John Hancock Center.