Willis Tower Club Debuts a New 66th-Floor Restaurant and Lounge

A new private club opened last week on the 66th and 67th floors of Chicago’s fabled Willis Tower that includes a restaurant that’s open to the public. The club, the Metropolitan, includes a restaurant and lounge for members, as well as plenty of co-working space. Additionally, a public component, the East Room, is open for dinner daily.

The club inside Chicago’s tallest skyscraper recently underwent a makeover for the 40,000-square-foot space split among two floors. The co-working portion of the revamp should be finished in September, but on Thursday, June 21, the tower debuted Craftsman, an upscale restaurant inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and Frame, an all-day lounge. While those two spots are for members, the general public can order from the same menus when they dine at East Room.

Metropolitan GM Simona Blaugh described the menus as a tribute to all 77 Chicago neighborhoods. She mentioned places like Chicago’s French Market and Revival Food Hall (which, when opened, was described as a one-stop-shop for downtowners to experience neighborhood restaurants) and places where the club drew inspiration. One of the cocktails, the Marion Mahoney, is named from the first architect hired by Wright. It’s made with Mathilde Poire, honey, lemon, and thyme. Blaugh described Mahoney’s Prairie School influence. It’s not the first Chicago bar with influenced by Wright.

There’s a business-casual atmosphere inside. The dishes include foie gras with cherry-port chutney, a Chicago-style calamari tossed in giardiniera, and an assortment of steaks including a 32-ounce a la carte tomahawk ribeye ($90).

Opening the space to the public will hopefully encourage new members, Blaugh said. It also showcases the views from the skyscraper. Check out the opening menus below.

The East Room in the Metropolitan on the 67th Floor of the Willis Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive, open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Saturday.