Room 43

I have attended two events that were held at this location and both were great. The staff is friendly and professional and the room can be transformed to fit any theme. If I had the need for an event venue, I would definitely consider using Room 43.

Hosted a private birthday party here recently. I didn’t feel welcomed/​wanted by the owner. I was told that my space would be for me and my guest exclusively during my event but the owner, staff not working my event, others kept entering my space. I won’t host here again.

My Mom, her childhood friend & I celebrated my Mom’s 65^th birthday at Room 43 in December 2013. Room 43 was my Mom’s back-​up Wednesday nite spot, after the celebratory stepping event she originally planned to attend that evening, was cancelled by the promoter at the last minute. I met them there and as soon as I walked in, someone asked me to dance and I cracked up on the inside and my inner voice said «DANG, can I at least take my coat off first?» LOL! Anywho, Room 43 is a classy place and if you’re a Stepper, check it out on Wednesdays. The music was great and we had a good time people watching. I was overjoyed when a gentleman asked my Mom to dance and she got the chance to do a «Birthday Step» (Chicago STAND-​UP! :) It was a Wednesday nite to remember, and I’m glad that the other event got cancelled ;) Room 43 is a gem, most def.

Room 43 is what you make of it. .. literally set in a clean modern cosmopolitan room, hardwood floors for dancing this 2 floor event space is ideal for social club events, private birthday parties or even a Meet & Greet reception like I hosted when in Chicago. There was no way I could get around to seeing everyone so I invited them to meet up with me at Room 43.
Food and drinks, DJ are available and compliment the party atmosphere in a comfortable grown-​up environment. The beauty of this space is that with the lighting, the music, the movable furniture, the choice of food, drink and decorations you get to create the ambience of your dreams at a more than reasonable cost.
Photos below limit your perspective. You do not have to have the tables shown, you can choose the bar tables and chairs if you want more of a dance space presentation as I chose. Like I said there are many choices to make to suit your vision of the space.
And further parking is available in lot across the street

Getting an appreciation for jazz has been on my To-​Do List for a while now and so I tasked my music sensei/​musician friend with this. He brought me here to see Vincent Goines (Winton Marsalis’ saxophone player) perform with his quartet. Unbeknownst to us, it was a Hyde Park Jazz Association event but that matters not. The room was packed but they found a way to squeeze us in. The music was amazing… the musicians were so talented… it just blows my mind to watch/​listen. My one criticism about this was that there appeared to be only 1 server working the entire room. She was working her ass off and doing the best she could… impressive to say the least… but they could have had 4 people there, it was so crowded. So. during a 3 hour set, we got 2 drinks. And we were smashed into the middle of the room so getting up for our own drinks was out of the question. (by smashed, I mean it was elbow to elbow). The space was nice, the crowd was friendly, the solo waitress was friendly, the music was amazing… all around a great night. I’d go back for sure!

I recently went to this place for a Wedding. The family decorated the place very lovely. The building itself is built and rehabbed well. However the owner apparently takes away the option of having your own caterers which would be great if there was good food or even food that wasn’t rationed out. They had no servers serve the food at such an occasion. They made you wait in a line that took over 2 hours and they barely had enough food at all. I had 4 vegetables on my plate and the smallest piece of chicken I have ever seen. I had to ask the the young lady for a regular size piece of chicken which she was reluctant to give me. The potatoes were those from a box and not the good kind. The food was served on paper plates, paper cups and plastic flatware. It was terrible. I’m sure this place overcharged my relative for this crap! When I left I went home and cooked dinner. Why would you charge people for this GHETTO Meal. You cant eat a nice building and enjoy it. ??? If you say your going to offer catering you need to have a tasting for the bride and groom with Real Food. The food was unacceptable. Everyone at my table and other tables were really unhappy with the meal and the way in which they suggested patrons get food at this establishment. They don’t really care about quality to their customers. They just cared about getting money. This was a Wedding not summer schools lunch in the cafeteria! Pick up a few Catering books and watch some David Tutera to figure it out. This was heartbreaking. Shame on You for taking money you didn’t earn.
If you want to have a good wedding reception where the Presentation matters to the staff DON’T GO HERE. Just my observation and about 10 others that mentioned it. I said nothing at the time. Not Nice. THEY SHOULD NOT CATER FOOD. Tacky.

This place is really perfect for small events. There is ample street parking, and it is in a quiet and more secluded area. We used this for a formal event for the school I work at. We are a small school so this even was perfect. It really has an old yet modern feel. The place has character. I was thrilled to be there in such an elegant place for this event. Very well done.

I attended a private Birthday party, not on the restaurant side, but the «loft» side, very nice venue. Its a blank slate and you can make it your own. there are two floors so plenty of occupancy. If I have a party or event, where I need a classy, clean, centralized space, I would defiantly remember this venue. Convenient and parking available.

Attended a private function at this location. The room is cozy and spacious. There were plenty of tables and still room for a dance floor.
The food was good. I guess I didn’t look around the entire facility, however, I would recommend Room 43 if you are looking for a place to host an affair.

Tucked away on East 43^rd Street near Lake Shore Drive in the Kenwood-​Oakland/​Bronzeville neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side is the best reception hall and event destination spot that most of you Unilocal’ers have never heard of.
Owner Norman Bolden renovated and reconstructed this building into *the* event space for South Siders and anybody seeking a lovely, centrally located and well-​appointed space. Its appeal lies in its loft-​style charm — a split-​level, open floor plan boasting gleaming mahogany floors and exposed brick that you can pretty much decorate any way you want for your event.
After attending almost a dozen birthday parties, holiday parties, wedding receptions and fraternity and sorority events at Room 43, I knew that this was the only place where I wanted to hold my dad’s 80^th birthday party.
It was the right decision. Rental rates are reasonable for the space that you get (there are two rooms to choose from) and a variety of chairs and tables are included for both the upstairs and downstairs. You supply your own linens, food, DJ and decorations. The onsite staff is also incredibly helpful. The facilities manager Richard is really great — flexible and accommodating for all of the last-​minute changes that come with party planning.
The 80+ guests at my dad’s party loved the venue. It’s easily accessible from North or South from the Oakwood exit on Lake Shore Drive, and also the 43^rd Street exit on the Dan Ryan. There is plenty of street parking as well. Lucky for the owner that he was on-​site and actually stayed awhile for my dad’s party, because several guests were so impressed they inquired about having their own events there.
One thing that some have complained about: You can’t bring your own liquor, and unless you pay for a tab, your guests are subject to a cash bar. I don’t honestly find this unusual, and I paid a tab that allowed guests to enjoy open bar for about 3 hours.
In addition to being a party space, Room 43 is also home to the Hyde Park Jazz Society, and you can catch all of their shows there on Sunday evenings.
Anyone who reads me, by now, knows that I am big on supporting local businesses, and for the quality, service and location, I absolutely recommend Room 43. Room 43 is an emerging destination spot and represents the best of the «new» Kenwood-​Oakland/​Bronzeville community. I would not hesitate to give them my business again!