Bottle & Bottega

This was my first time doing something like this. I went with a group and we had the back room. You have to bring your own wine and at this location you draw the picture your going to paint yourself which is good because it makes everyone’s picture unique (i heard at other locations you just paint the stencil) The instructor was great. She showed us step by step what to do and how to mix colors. The only thing i didn’t like was the parking out front was meter only. You can probably find free parking if you drive around. Everything else was nice. I will definitely go back on my own!

This was fun! I was in charge of planning a night out for some girls at work and we decided to do this for a group of 14 of us. We did one of the pop ups that was held at the New City Mariano’s, and it was great! They were very easy to work with us and our larger group and worked with me to set up an event that could hold all of us.
Our event included «wine and light snacks» with our entry fee but this was much more than expected. There was terrific unlimited wine, a huge plate of cheese and crackers, fresh fruit and bread with olive oil and we all got much more than we expected (or needed!) and there was an area reserved for us near the bar area.
The painting was fun and we were all close enough to talk to each other but still hear the instructor and see what he was doing. Tyler guided us easily and gave good directions that were easy to follow, and none of us were ever short on paint or extra napkins or any other supplies.
They also took pictures during the event and said they would send them to me so I could share with my group, which was great since we were all covered in paint.
Overall a fun experience and something I’d recommend for a girls night out, team building activity or a solo paint night. Give it a shot and don’t beat yourself up over your painting not being perfect like I did, it’s just supposed to be fun!

Really fun activity! I went with my mom and a bonding event and it was very easy going. You get there, they seat you, give you a rundown of supplies and you start sketching and painting. Our instructor was very helpful and incredibly positive. The reason I’m docking one star is because a few things weren’t ideal. The tables were incredibly tiny and water/​wine kept being knocked over. Secondly, it felt slightly rushed towards the end and no one fully completed the painting. However, it was a really fun girls night and I would definitely go back.

Unfortunately I went on a day when there was a group of young girls who were loud and obnoxious talking about smoking weed, popping molly, and getting messed up the whole time. Sadly our «instructor» seemed more interested in hanging out with these ladies after the class then he did in creating a fun environment and in helping the other participants. On top of this there was little to no room to put our pallets and our drinks while painting. Also, after visiting other sip and paint companies that had a bar at the venue and much larger canvasses to paint on, I was extremely underwhelmed. It’s always fun to get creative but I feel as though there are much better venues and better companies!

Any excuse to drink with my girlfriends is a good excuse, but I won’t do it here again. The employees were friendly enough, but there wasn’t enough table space to work, and the instructor went way too fast and gave incredibly confusing directions. I lost count of how many times we all got lost trying to follow her, and many times her instructions seemed downright backwards. The entire experience was incredibly frustrating, and none of us really enjoyed it until we said, «eff it,» and started doing our own thing.

My charity recently held our first ever event at bottle and bottega. Alli and Mark were a pleasure to work with throughout the process. The night of, Megan was so accommodating to our group. Thank you so much to the entire staff for making our fundraiser such a success!

In my Freshman year, «Drawing I» course my best grade of the semester was on a drawing that I completed after finishing off a 6-​pack of beer– true story. That day I learned what the fine folks at Bottle and Bottega also know, booze does wonders for the creative process.
I spent an evening at Bottle and Bottega for a friend’s bachelorette party and had a really great time. They allowed the bridal party to set up a table with a whole spread of food accompanied by wine and champagne. We had time for chatting and then each of us took a seat in front of our easels and got started as the instructor provided direction. Each of us had a picture of the same painting to work from and the instructor was great at giving the group step by step instruction as she demonstrated on her own canvas. This made the class great for true beginners. I, myself, have my BFA so I kind of ignored the instruction and went off on my own but could see how well they create an atmosphere where everyone can enjoy themselves.

I was so excited to come here and sadly it did not live up to my expectations. I would be willing to try again, as I think much of it had to do with the instructor. My boyfriend and I came for «Couples and BFF night» and were sat near the back of the space. They definitely cram as many people in the room as possible, to the point where there is barely any room for your wine glass and paint palette on the table. Due to the odd shape of the room and our location, we had SO much trouble hearing and seeing the instruction. I have no art background and definitely needed direction, whereas many other people knew what they were doing and went to work right away.
The instructor moved very quickly (a bit too quickly…) and I found myself getting very frustrated since I could not keep up and couldn’t see or hear what was happening in the front of the room. We eventually just went rogue and tried our hardest to imitate the goal art piece since we were getting very little instruction or assistance. To make matters worse– after class, the instructor went around «taking photos for Facebook» of each couple with their masterpieces– she stopped to look at ours, then kept walking to photograph those next to us so ours were not documented! We laughed at how we were «the worst in the class» but were also slightly offended. C’MON! We tried!

What a fun night! I wasn’t thrilled at the thought of flexing my creative muscles (spoiler alert: I have none), but the Bottles part appealed to me, as well as the promise of a fun catch up night. I was pleasantly surprised at what a great time I had!
The instructor breaks down the steps so it’s not so daunting, and comes around offering pointers (or, alternatively, walking away in the spirit of if-you-have-nothing-good-to-say-don’t-say-anything-at-all). So we drank some wine, laughed at our attempts at art, drank some more, laughed some more, and eventually ended up with decent pieces.
If you’re looking for a fun group activity (or even a date idea, there was a
group in the other room), give it a whirl! No artistic panache needed!

Great idea for a bachelorette party. We had a private space, which was necessary considering our subject matter. To be honest, I was hoping to come out with a nice cityscape to hang in my apartment, but it was a bachelorette party. And in came «Roger,» and disrobed. He was a very nice young man, a good sport for a bunch of giggly girls, and very well-​groomed. ;)
The instructor was patient with us and led us through a very detailed instruction of what was a potentially embarrassing, and difficult to paint, subject. But once everything was broken down into shapes and primary colors, I think most of us were good. It was really interesting to see how different everyone’s painting was. Different eyes see different things!

This place was super cute and fun. It’s definitely something you try once. Either with a group of friends, or even on a date with the hubby. It’s different, relaxing, and fun.
They let you bring small appetizers, and wine. You get about an hour to chat and drink with your group. Afterward you can bring your wine over to the table to paint.
I recommend it, and am looking forward to another outing in the near future.

For the most part this was okay and what you’d expect — people painting and drinking wine. I went with my fiancée, brother, and his wife.
The assistants who walked around were pretty helpful, refilled your paint and provided tips. They were nice and friendly.
I’m giving this 3 stars because 1) the instructor was a bit rough around the edges and 2) the blatant marketing efforts by the instructor that clearly show their focus on future customers instead of current customers.
Instructor: As we were getting started, she was asking everyone to quiet down as though we were a bunch of elementary school students. Also, my fiancée asked her for a couple tips as she was doing her painting. Rather than simply answer questions and provide guidance, the instructor took my fiancée’s paint brush and just started painting for her. My fiancée didn’t ask her to do that. The woman was clearly irritated and I think needs to focus a bit more on customer service.
Marketing efforts: they kept talking about these bottles and bottega bucks or something, basically a currency to only use at Bottles and Bottega. If you shared or liked things for Bottles and Bottega on social media, you earned bottles and bottega bucks. They plugged this several times in a couple hours. They mentioned a couple ways to do this — have people in a group all pitch in and earn bucks and use the bucks to buy a frame for a friend or for themselves. I think it took multiple «likes» or shares to achieve much in bottle bucks, which is kind of nuts. I can’t even imagine how many of my friends would unfollow me if I filled their newsfeed with multiple stories about bottles and bottega. I think it’s pretty reasonable to just mentioned social media once at the beginning or end, but this was overkill.

This seems to be like the new activity wine and art. I attended with five other girlfriends to paint a Van Gogh piece. The instructor was very good. However, you have a limited amount of time to finish a masterpiece. I was following her as best as I could until I started falling behind. However, the teachers encouraged your creativity. At that point, I just did my own style. It’s really nice to see other people’s art too because everyone’s interpretation is a little different. I’m waiting for my sister to fly in, so we can do something like this together and I think I’ll be heading to this location.

Not bad. I came on a Sunday evening and did on of the painting classes. Usually I love anything BYOB but I had just suffered the worst hangover the day before and not ready to start kicking back the wine, so I was really just there for the painting. The instructor was good, but moved really slowly. Mainly for the class I guess. We did a painting of the Sears Tower and took like an hour just painting the buildings. Oh well good news for beginners.

This was my choice for date night and what a choice!!! This place is wonderful. They were well-​organized and welcoming. Everything was set up and easy to navigate. The wine buckets were paint buckets (cleaned obvi) and they had ice and openers and really nice glasses.
The painting was fun and the instructor was great. I am a first-​timer and wasn’t totally embarrassed about my creation, I actually liked it a lot. There was a lot of freedom in terms of what you could do. They encouraged creativity!
The best part for me was the music! Seriously, I couldn’t have picked a better soundtrack for the relaxing painting experience! It was wonderful!

I saw some of my friend’s artwork prior to going to a public paining event at Bottle & Bottega, and thought surely my friends are gifted. So many of the paintings were so well done, that I thought I’d pass as my attempt would be rubbish.
But ooooh no. I went, I drank, I painted, and I rocked. Our teacher was fantastic and now I feel like Picasso. Yeah, I’m that good. So for a fun night learning how to paint and drinking wine, I highly recommend checking out Bottle & Bottega!

I love Bottles and Bottega! It is so much fun for a girls night. The first time I went there, the painting they showed that we were going to paint was so intense with a lot of details. I seriously didn’t think I could paint it. The instructor was great and patient. I was definitely the one who kept asking questions. I like the final product. It was a painting of the Chicago Bears’ bear logo. The next time, I went we did a crayon painting picture which was a lot easier, but still fun. That instructor was also great. They are very friendly there. You can bring in your own drinks and food too. They have water and bread and oil. There is easy street parking.

Wow wow wow. This place is super. I think the location is fantastic, the décor inside is so warm, its like painting in a Pier 1. The byob is the bomb, and the class was really fun. The staff was helpful and kind. I have no complaints other than the price. I was able to find a coupon which is good because I brought my family when they visited Chicago. I would do it again if they offered a groupon or other discount again.

Normally, I do not give establishments a 5 star rating, but B&B exceeded all expectations. My friend (who’s from STL) visiting Chicago and myself made reservations for this past Saturday (⁷⁄₁₉) for a session. Granted we were lost but the first 30 min is for cocktails and mingling, so we weren’t late for the actual class. The hostess at the door was extremely welcoming and inviting! The instructor, I believe her name was Claire, was fun and didn’t rush us through the class. The image we painted was awesome! All of the staff was friendly and extremely helpful.
I’m already looking forward to the next class!

Had an awesome time here with my friends! Very nice way to spend a Sunday evening:). Class size was not too large. Back ground music was awesome. Instructions were easy to follow. BYOB with glasses, ice and corkscrews provided. Plus a masterpiece (ish), depending lol, to take home at the end of the night! What more can you ask for on a chill Sunday evening?:)
Oh, and did I mention meter parking is free on Sundays? Bonus!