The Aviary is famous for their super aesthetic cocktail book. As I recently picked up bartending as a hobby, I started to want to explore some of the more creative elements of cocktails, and this place does it right. Although the flavor profiles are not outstanding relative to a handful of bars (which is probably why they are not in any top 50 best bars in the world list), the creativity is impressive. We made a la carte reservations for 4 people for a Thursday, and reservations were not too hard to get one week in advance. We still were able to partake the 3 cocktails for $75 deal, and people in the party don't all need to participate. To maximize value, I opted for the 3 cocktails and chose the more expensive ones, while my friends that don't drink as much opted for the other cocktails we wanted to try. For drinks, we got: Summer in Mallorca - fairly showy, flames cooking the drink. This one was sangria like Two to Tango - not as aesthetic, but love the egg white foam with the general composition of the drink Jungle Bird - aesthetic in color, and the popping boba is actually lots of alcohol so it was a palate shocker That Drink in the Circle Thing - their signature, infusion of different herbs and fruits, a bit sweet Ferrands with Benefits - a bit too sweet for my liking, but loved the dry ice show in the teapot (the actual drink is just the teacup) In the Rocks - nice experience, fairly strong drink as it is mostly liquor. You slingshot into the sphere of ice to break the ice so the drink flows out Each of us also got the truffle explosion as a splurge, $19 each. I prepaid for one but my friends fomo'ed and wanted to get theirs too. This is a one bite experience and there is nice truffle flavor. Not all of them arrived at the same time, so mine ended up cold. The server in the end was nice enough to give me one more truffle explosion at no added charge with the right temperature because mine went cold and we were not told there was a time window to eat it. Service overall is good based on the above and that water refills were frequent. The drinks came out at a nice pace and there were lots of explanations about the drinks so I got to learn a bit more into how they make the drinks. As a home bartender, I wouldn't find it efficient or cost-effective to make some of these drinks, so I am glad to try this place out.

As a disclaimer, my review should be taken with a grain of salt as I ordered exclusively mocktails. However, they were all delicious and offered the same presentation and experience as their alcoholic counterparts. I came here for the first time several years ago and was absolutely blown away by the cocktail presentations and the atmosphere of the place. My friends and I still talk about our time here as one of our most memorable experiences together. I do feel that the ambiance has changed here; it feels much more much more casual, and less of an upscale experience. I personally can't speak to the quality of the drinks, as I had the alcoholic bevs last time, and non-alcoholic this time, but the group was overall less impressed this visit. These are all minor criticisms, but I feel that they should be mentioned considering the high price point of their drinks.

This was our second time at the Aviary, the first time being five years ago. The last time we came, my friends and I had an AMAZING experience and ordered a ton of drinks and talking about coming back one day even before we left. That's why when we decided to all come out to Chicago again we said we had to come back. Sadly, I feel like the experience just wasn't the same. One, there is much more casual atmosphere than the previous visit. Two, the drinks just didn't feel quite as impressive as our first visit. Everything was still very good but there just wasn't the same level or excitement when the drinks came out. I'm not sure if it's because we've since been to many impressive cocktail bars or it's just the current lineup of cocktails at the Aviary. They do have an nice list of non-alcoholic cocktails though that was no less creative which worked out well since one of our party wasn't drinking alcohol. And flavors of course are still spot on, just presentation doesn't seem to be quite the same level, at least not to my memory. We didn't have any food though and ordered drinks a la carte.

Where do I even start? My husband's and my date night at Aviary was nothing short of magic - both in taste and presentation. I'll keep my review on the shorter side because I think this is a place where you should go with little expectation of what's to come and let them amaze you! We made reservations for post-dinner drinks here during the weeknight. Honestly, we probably didn't need the reservations - most of the place was unoccupied, but I imagine it probably gets really busy on the weekends and earlier in the evening as well. We were seated right away at the couch in the back of the bar, away from the cage. The vibes were very much classy, dark, and quiet (but not too quiet). Definitely a place where you can have a conversation. The artwork also gave the same aesthetic. Our server was amazing - she took the time to explain the menu to us and guide us through our drink choices. The menu starts light in terms of flavor and liquor and then gets darker and bolder towards the bottom. There are also birds to the side of each drink that rates each drink in terms of the theatrics of the presentation - the more left the bird, the more magical the presentation. What a neat idea! I started with the Two to Tango (which was like a dessert!) and ended with Summer in Mallorca (which they can make vegetarian) and my husband got That Drink in the Circle Thing and Ferrands with Benefits. We were both left awestruck in terms of the taste, flavors, and the presentations of each drink. The drinks aren't cheap, but I truly think you get what you pay for all things considered. I do kind of wish we had gotten some food or done a tasting menu, but at least we have a reason to come back!

Very unique concept and great experience. I've been here three times. And each time I've had a different experience with their tasting menus. The drinks are strong and delicious. The food pairings are great and well thought out. The service is always kind and accommodating. The vibe and decor are very elegant classy. Great place for a date night.

I tried the Aviary on my bachelorette trip after seeing so many instagrams from other friends from this place! This is a high end cocktail bar that is located near Alinea (the famous three Michelin star restaurant) and boasts a variety of cool drinks. For my drink I ordered: * summer in Mallorca - this was a really fun and unique presentation that I really enjoyed. The drink was fruity and had a light flavor which was nice * two to tango - my friends ordered this one and it was my favorite - it was a fun fruity slushy like drink which was the perfect amount of sweetness * jungle bird - if you want a strong drink with rum Boba this is a good choice. The presentation was also very colorful which was cute Overall the drinks were unique and fun but definitely on the very pricey side! Worth for an experience though. Service was also wonderful.

A very nice, upscale cocktail bar in West Loop! My boyfriend and I came in on a weekend without a reservation and were able to snag a seat right away. I ordered the Two to Tango, which had a blackberry sorbet at the bottom which gradually melted as you drank it. It was very sweet and definitely more of a dessert than a cocktail I think! My boyfriend got an old fashioned style drink, I believe that was very smoky. I thought The Aviary was very nice and had a great ambiance. This would be perfect for a date night, but I think Chicago has so many new bars that serve elevated cocktails now, especially at lower prices.

Incredible experience. It's pricy, but worth it in my opinion. The cocktails are next level. So much care and attention put into the ingredients, how they work together, the presentation, and how the flavors change through the course of you drinking it. The bites are also excellent. The single ravioli might seem pricy...well it is at $19 for a single ravioli.. but it's one of the most memorable bites i have ever had. It's a truffle soup dumpling basically. The soup filling explodes in your mouth and you're hit with a strong savory flavor. It's perfect. I ordered second one. $40 for two bites. Shoot that hurts. But it's maybe a once in a lifetime splurge haha Service is top notch. Very limited seating so make a reservation x