Previously we took a look at restaurants that will be ringing in the new year with fab dinners. If you're more the "let's pop some bottles" type, read on for a roundup of Chicago bars and clubs that will send 2008 off in style and usher in the new year with ... a hangover? (No worries -- next we'll look at New Year's Day brunches that will cure what ails ya.)
You would think Pops for Champagne, a sleek, bubbles-centric lounge in River North, would be a tailor-made choice for New Year's Eve, and you would be right. Pops has planned a bubbly bash in its upstairs bar with an open bar package featuring Piper-Heidsieck champagne, passed hors d'oeuvres and party favors (9PM-12:30AM, $130 per person, $150 for a reserved seat). Downstairs in Pops' jazz lair, two shows by the Ava Logan Quartet take place at 6-9PM ($30 per person) and 10PM-2AM ($65 per person including party favors).
The annual "Champagne Supernova" event is being held at the newly renovated Congress Plaza hotel in the Loop this year. Hosted by club promotion company Another Level, Clubline magazine and Spybar, more than 2,000 people are expected to attend the over-the-top bash. A four-hour premium open bar, hors d'oeuvres, a champagne toast, a ball drop and a rotating roster of DJs are all part of the festivities (9PM-2AM, $130-$400, various VIP packages available). The party continues into 2009 at Spybar's exclusive after-party, featuring a cocktail reception and more club beats for $80 per person.
Celebrate "Fiesta de Ano Nuevo" at River West's Carnivale, where the entertainment includes a DJ, a stilt walker, a magician, a balloon drop and a champagne toast at the bewitching hour. Carnivale's Latin-fusion menu will be served.
At Lincoln Park's Landmark, a spacious, stylish hangout, a $110 ticket will get you access to an open premium bar from 8PM to 1:30AM, organic passed hors d'oeuvres and a food station, and a festive champagne toast at midnight.
A sexy supper club vibe will take over Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club in Lakeview this New Year's Eve. A roaring '20s theme complete with flappers, tuxes, retro cocktails and jazz will complete 2008. Two dinner seatings (7PM for $75 per person and 10PM for $85) offer a five-course meal, a complimentary cocktail, a champagne toast and live entertainment by the Kit Kat Divas.
SushiSamba Rio's New Year's Eve blow-out is done Brazilian-style. Dubbed "Reveillon," the party mimics Brazil's annual ritual honoring Iemenja, the goddess of the sea. Guests are asked to wear all-white, and white flowers and candles will decorate the sprawling space. Downstairs at the River North hotspot, guest can order from a special New Year's menu, while upstairs in the Sugarcane Lounge, a DJ spins from 9:30PM-2AM, and a full bar and passed hors d'oeuvres will keep the party crowd fueled. ($130 per person, private tables $170 per person).
Spend your NYE high in the sky at NV Penthouse Lounge in River North. The eighth-floor nightlife destination is hosting an all-inclusive, general admission bash from 9PM-1AM, featuring an open bar and champagne toast, passed hors d'oeuvres and party favors ($145 in advance, $160 at the door). Table packages are also available for those looking for a more intimate affair.
Indulge in wine, cheese and chocolate to ring in the new year in style at Eno at the InterContinental Chicago. Open from 4PM-1AM, guests will have a bird's-eye view of the revelry on Michigan Avenue while sipping on special flights of rose wines and champagne ($16-$20).
Lumen, a Fulton Market lounge with a chic, contemporary look, will offer a premium open bar with various organic ingredients for creative cocktails, an assortment of small bites and a champagne toast for its 2008 send-off. A special performance by DJ Whiteshadow, accompanied by Lumen's signature mixed-media enviroment and motion-sensored LED lighting, is sure to wow the crowd (9PM-1AM, $115, get your tickets here).
