Marty’s Martini Bar

Great space — tight but worth it. Great drinks — strong. Super friendly and the best waiters anywhere. No one can have a bad nite or time at Marty’s. A most for friends — people watching — always bring my out of town friends here!!! Be prepared for very tight space or move on.

A friend recommended this place. So, I decided to check it out, but not before Unilocaling it. The place has great reviews. My friend and I went on a Thursday evening around 6ish. As stated by previous Unilocalers… its small, and quaint. The waiter offered a seat at a small round table or alongside the window. We chose the window seating which is across from the bar. The waiter came over and asked if we needed a minute and we said yes. We had a few questions /​recommendations that we wanted to ask the waiter. However, he was engaged in conversation with one of the patrons at the bar for awhile. We waited thinking he would see us or remember to come over… he didn’t. Finally, he looked our way and I thought he was coming over, he took a few steps and said he couldn’t get through to walk over to us, and to just give him our order. Let me just say it wasn’t that crowded that he couldn’t get to us. Secondly we had questions. Lastly as we were kind of shouting our order and asking him what he thought. His response was very nonchalant and unfriendly (like yeah it’s good). WTF. If you couldn’t get through to talk to us, how were you going to deliver our drinks to us??? We shouted to disregard our order and we left. I was sooooo freaking excited to try this place. However the service we encountered sucked, and we didn’t feel welcomed also I don’t believe they gave a shit. It clearly hasn’t been the same for the majority of the patrons here. I will say this encounter lead us to a next door establishment called REPLAY BOURBON AND BEER… great service and drinks.

A totally cool martini bar catering to a mixed crowd in Andersonville with a great Prohibition-​era feel serving up some incredibly well-​crafted (and potent) cocktails. We managed to snag the table right by the window, allowing us to enjoy our drinks and talk while taking in the fun vibe on a busy Saturday night.
The drinks are made with top-​shelf ingredients, and you can tell that the bartenders take great pride in their craft. For me, it was a negroni for starters (yeah, it’s not a martini, but I guess everything becomes one at Marty’s when served in a martini glass), with one of my friends then ordering me a chocolate martini. Both packed quite a whallop… let’s just say that it was a late start on Sunday morning…
It’s a bit of a hike from the Loop or Mag Mile, but it’s definitely worth the trip. A long-​ish walk from the Berwyn Red Line station, but cabs are easy to find, or just grab yourself an Über. You’ll have a great night out, for sure!

Delicious martinis and great friendly staff and very nice atmosphere, no tvs and very intimate
A definite go to when friends and family in town

Lovely martini bar! A bit on the small size and when it got busy, it was a bit uncomfortable as martinis arent necessarily the best to be in a busy crowd with. However, excellent martinis and z great variety of them to enjoy. Decently priced too.

The Dirty Bird is the word! I love a good martini. I also love a bar that always makes them the same. Only once did I think it was too dirty. 1 out of 30 times= not bad at all! My only complaint is I can never pick up straight men there but I guess it is considered a gay bar so that’s my problem really. Wont stop me from going! Looking forward to the new patio!

Small place, but the martinis are large and delicious. Very cozy and warm, dark.
You can tell they know how to make drinks — they have a lot of options for dinner or after dinner martinis. You won’t even need more than one to really feel the alcohol.

Great outdoor patio, stylish and speedy bartenders, good selection and nice crowd. For a $ 14 martini, they use well vodka… which would be a problem if you could taste it. The French was very good and not too sweet. I’m wondering if they actually use real Chambord. I also had the funky monkey which was blended nicely as well. I would check it out if you live in the neighborhood.

Amazing martinis. Classy ambiance. Cozy. Wonderful Service.
Marty’s is absolutely a classic and throws in a twist on the classic martinis with some decadently tasty drinks. But, be careful, if you’re having more than one you might want to really consider if that’s a wise choice.
I love this place, and the only reason it doesn’t get a 5 in my book is because of how «cozy» it can be when it’s packed. It’s often shoulder to shoulder and the limited space really takes away from the feel of the bar. Often times it’s standing room only and in the close quarters it often means you’re still accidentally sitting in someone’s lap unintentionally.

Marty’s makes EXCELLENT martinis. We had The Dirty Bird, vodka, olive juice with blue cheese stuffed olives. The Caramel Apple, chilled vodka, butterscotch, sour apple in a caramel drizzled glass, The Apple martini, and last but not least The Funky Monkey, chilled vodka, cream, banana liquor and Irish cream, all were delish, but the last one is so strong that it will put you on a***. ;) Our bartender Brendan was the BEST!!! We will definitely be back.

Cute martini bar on W Balmoral in Andersonville. The patio is inviting and private. Sting lights at night add a cozy and festive feel to the patio. A small fireplace adds another touch of intimacy to the nice outdoor space.
Service is prompt and friendly. The inside is a bit small, but again, very inviting.
They have a list of signature drinks and beers to choose from, or you can ask for your favorite and they will sure make it for you.

Marty’s makes some of the best martinis in the city. Marty’s doesn’t cheap out and use pinnacle vodka for their flavors like some third rate lounges — their liquor quality level starts at absolute and moves up from there. You will always get an expertly made, quality cocktail. Marty’s menu moves from traditional dirty, to fruit and sour, and finishes with a list of sweet and dessert cocktails.
The bar’s seating is limited. Cocktail tables fill up fast and, in the summer, their lovely outdoor patio is always booming. If you go in the evening, expect that you will likely have a wait for a table and, on busy nights, a wait for bar seating.

Expertly crafted martinis, no matter your martini style. Very stylish ambiance, but a cozy atmosphere and a popular spot, so seating gets scarce as the night gets later.
I got an extra dry three olive gin martini and my lord it was delicious. A friend got the chocolate hazelnut martini and it was like a glorious dessert. I think all martinis on menu $ 9, which is very reasonable.
Excellent service. The waiter walked through the menu, came back to check on us, and could transport a very full martini glass to our table when all of his tables were empty.

As someone who works in the industry, I was just disappointed. First experience was terrible. Incredibly dark, tiny, crowded, and loud. Overall uncomfortable atmosphere. Had the Chocolate Valencia martini. Had two sips and didn’t finish the rest because the cream in it was curdling and I didn’t like the taste of it at all. Bartender didn’t ask if there was anything wrong, instead he handed me our check. $ 42 for 3 martinis. $ 14 a martini. That’s an incredibly top notch price for a bottom shelf drink. Oh, I also walked out and realized that there was gum on the stool I was sitting on that got stuck to my leg. Wonderful.

The Good: Staff was friendly. Also good is if you’re an actor and get a role in a movie playing a sardine, this is an excellent place to get into character.
The Bad: Smallest place of business I’ve ever been in. It was so crowded I started having a panic attack. It had to be way beyond whatever fire code the city has in place. It took a coon’s age to get our order, and the drinks were crazy expensive.

Gp with an open mind for a diverse customer base. Great place. Also bring your drinking boots as those martini’s and made in what seems to be in bottomless glasses. Seriously 1 and you are toasty! Awesome hole in wall premier martini bar. A must see and enjoy spot.

best martini in Chicago
Don’t drink more than 2 cause you will be on the floor
small space — get there early or expect people to brush up against you all night
professional staff (not friendly but professional — they take what they do seriously)
Strawberry Shortcake — perfect blend of cream and alcohol — so good
Dirty Bird — I can eat those stuffed olives all night
Great place for a drink or two before going out in the Andersonville neighborhood

Went to this bar for the first time this weekend and had an awesome time. They serve up all the traditional martinis — cosmo, dirty martini and french 75. They also serve some not so traditional ones i.e. peppermint patty. The latter is not my style but it’s awesome that they have it as an option. Service was great, my friend I went with didn’t enjoy what he ordered so they tossed it out and made him another one with no issue or complaint.
Glad I tried this place out because I will definitely be back.

Love this little bar. Perfect place to start out the evening before grabbing dinner in Andersonville. They are known for their cocktails but also have wines by the glass and a few (3 to be exact beer options). My suggestion to them would be to offer a few more beers and upgrade the wine selection slightly. The white and sparkling is fine but the red selection could use an upgrade. Anyway onto the positive the service here is upscale and highly professional in their appearance and their demeanor. It’s a small place and popular but if you get there early you should luck into a seat. In the summer it had a wonderful patio. Last summer it was under construction so I am looking forward to seeing what they have done when the patio re-​opens in 2015.

Expect to get hammered.
Perfect martinis (and I’m a dick). Caveat: make sure to tell them your gin, or you’ll get well de facto. Small space (don’t go with a group), pretty much the gayest spot on earth — bartenders wear tuxedos and they’re playing Donna Summer, except the crowd is average age 41, which is about perfect. You can specially ask for small martinis. You’ll come out staggering and $ 100 lighter, but for atmosphere and fun bullshit chit chat, can’t be beat.