The Commons Club

The Commons Club is a cute lounge/​restaurant inside of the Virgin Hotel. I’ve been several time’s now. I’ve eaten here once and wasn’t that impressed with the food (moreso the price/​portion size), but it’s a nice place to grab a cocktail. I love the vibe of the room with the huge round couch. It reminds me of Austin Powers with the décor, but has always been a good time. I went recently to celebrate their 1 year anniversary with $ 1 cocktails. Great way to celebrate and I really like the vibe of this hotel and the restaurants.

The Commons Club is a cool place. It is on the second floor of the Virgin Hotel, and has a very trendy ambiance. The cocktail list is great, and this place is known for making their own tonic for gin and tonics. Hands down, this was the best gin and tonic I have ever tasted. My only complaint is that I went for the one-​year anniversary happy hour, in which they were featuring $ 1 champagne. However, they ran out of champagne 30 minutes into the happy hour, which was a disappointment. If they advertise another $ 1 happy hour in the future, I would hope they would stock enough of the featured drink to make it last. Other than that, it’s a cool place with creative drinks and fun atmosphere.

Came here three night straight! Special thanks to the server, Zachary! I had a great time spending at this bar. The drinks and food were so delicious.
Zachary and other servers made sure I was having the best time at the bar. People here are super nice. There are many people coming to the bar to socialize and hang out with their friends!
The foods I ordered was unique and tasty! I never tasted such an amazing sauce for most the food I ordered at the bar. I would definitely recommend the Japanese pretzel dip and chicken mustard.

LOVED the décor (be sure to note the bookshelf chair! coolest piece ever!) and ambiance. Food and cocktails good. Just a little overpriced on the food side — the portions were pretty small so we had to keep ordering stuff as we kept finishing stuff, and eventually ran out of the things to order. Definitely more of a drinks only place — but honestly the décor is just so cool that I still gotta give it 4 stars.

What a difference two months makes. This time, the signature fatty noodles (lobster udon) were very disappointing. Unlike last time, they were served in a bowl with broth rather than on a plate. And the ratio of noodles was much lower. These changes combined to make the dish way too salty and nothing like the version I enjoyed so much in July. A real shame.
The lobster caviar pizza recommended by the waiter was also mediocre. Separately the ingredients were top notch, but the whole was way less than the sum of the parts.
But at least the drinks were free during social hour!

I wish, I wish I wish I would’ve have taken photos of this place! We started here over the weekend to celebrate my dear friend getting hitched. Hence, I do not own any pictures First, let’s talk about the ambiance. It gives you true 1960’s old Hollywood style. It’s just so cute. It’s perfect for a girls night out or a cute first date over cocktails. Second, the menu was limited. Unfortunately, it left most of my party desiring more options. Even so, I went with the Ribeye and Bone Marrow as my dinner selection. Yummy!!! Kudos to the chefs for the amazing creation. Unfortunately,‘that was about it! None of mine
Companions food has the same delightful
The taste they spent their time, trying my food. (I shared.). Finally, I loved the staff! They were great. Our server was amazing and even the security guards were nice.
My only other complaint would be that you cannot get to the rooftop after finishing dinner. You have to stand in line and after eating there, I think that’s a bit unreasonable. For that and the limited menu, I just couldn’t give this place the 4 my ½ wanted. :(
I suggest you try it out for yourself and tell me about it! I’m going to definitely go back for a second try!

We made early dinner reservations before going to a show. We had excellent service from various wait staff. The cocktail menu was excellent as was the food menu. The sliders had an excellent taste but over priced to get only 2 for $ 18. The tuna tartare had amazing layers of flavors. The roasted chicken was terrific. The 2 criticisms were the lobster flat bread was way overpriced to get approx 4 mini pieces of lobster. As well as the chocolate torte did not have a great chocolate flavor. I will return a bit later in the Eve next time to re order the tuna tartare and try many more of their signature cocktails.
Great décor, great music! I will return!

I had such high expectations. I made a reservation on Wednesday for my husband’s birthday dinner (On the following Friday). The phone call I had with the lady setting it up was cordial and professional. Upon making the reservation she asked me regarding the occasion as well as seating arrangements. By the end of the call I was confident this was going to be a special dinner for my husband in a booth of the restaurant.
Arriving to the hotel: you are greeted with a smell that is what I would imagine an 8^th grade boy to smell while getting ready for his first dance (WAY TOO MUCH COLOGNE). We quickly walked up the stairs to the restaurant…
The restaurant: we were early so we waited at the bar. No big deal. At 7pm sharp we were taken to our table. This was not a booth and my seat was in an area with a lot of foot traffic behind me (Guests walking around, people carrying boxes and crates). Also– my chair was half on rug half on hard floor no matter what I did, so it was pretty annoying as it was unstable. There were open booths so I have no idea why we didn’t get one of those spots! I was so jealous of the various couples I saw on what seemed to be a much more romantic date as they shared a quiet booth with a view while we were in the middle of the dining room with a a very large and loud group behind us.
Our waitress: The only great thing about this place! She was super nice and pleasant to work with!
Our food: Snapper– good, truffle steak– excellent! It came with bone marrow Mac and cheese served on the bone and it was delicious! Half a chicken– way too salty! I was so disappointed. It was served with a purée that was much too grainy and overall just overly seasoned, however the chicken skin was a nice touch. I ended up scraping the seasoning off of the chicken…
Cocktails: I ordered the dirty pretty lover which contained champagne, bitters and bourbon which I enjoyed and my husband ordered the broad shoulders… Which basically tasted like an old fashioned.
We didn’t order dessert because to be honest I just wanted to go home… But either way… no mention of my husband’s birthday… (The hostess should have told the waitress).
We got our bill and left. While we waited downstairs for our über I decided to check my voicemails… One was from the commons club! They just called earlier in the day to confirm our reservation for my «husband’s birthday with seating at a window booth» Ha! (And it is really not that necessary to call back restaurants to confirm requests as I’ve never had an issue before).
So 3 stars it is for basically: Not following through with our requests, poor table, and an unappetizing chicken meal, but what kept it from being one or two stars was an awesome waitress, good cocktails, and one good steak and Mac and cheese.
I won’t be back for dinner but I may be back for a cocktail at the bar.

Came here for a few drinks after work on a weeknight and loved the vibe. Great cocktail list, but the beer and wine selection isn’t lacking.

The Commons Club has a very cool feel. In the Virgin Hotel and up the stairs the feel of the club is comfortable yet still feels very upscale. The cocktail list is creative and fun. We tried multiple drinks and liked the variety of them all. My first choice was a Bluebird & The Honeybees. I chose it because I love the frothy drinks with egg in them. The flavor was mild and very smooth. Next was the Bittersweet Symphony. This pink drink I enjoyed as well even though it was quite strong and tart. My last choice was the Island Escape which I chose because I tasted my friends and it was a stark contrast to the Bittersweet Symphony in that it was very smooth. The flavors were subtle but the most impressive part was how smoothly it went down. My favorite of the ones we tried for sure. My friend also ordered the Broad Shoulders and The Pretty Dirty Lover. He enjoyed them both and I enjoyed the bourbon soaked cherries :)
Over all I really enjoyed the place. The service was good and the people watching was fantastic.

Looking for a hip and cool place to grab some drinks after work, then come here! You’ll find this place on the second floor — just follow the red carpet up the stairs when you first get into the hotel.
We went here around 6:30pm on a Wednesday night and the place was packed already — luckily a group just left at the table near the front so we snagged that quickly.
Drinks were good and seemed reasonably priced for a downtown Chicago hotel bar but what really made this place special was just the overall look/​feel and vibe. Also, they have fun games available at the funny library next door! They’re located below the seats that are against the wall, so make sure to look for them.
Food was just OK and quite expensive for the portion size. If the food was better, the rating would be 4 stars overall. Also, service wasn’t great as our waitress rarely came back to us and drinks seemed to take too long.
Anyway, you can end up spending a lot of money here if you stay too long when you’re engrossed with the fun games and keep ordering drinks.
The live DJ also made the atmosphere feel more clubby and her song choices were mostly questionable and very repetitive but still pretty cool nonetheless.
I’ll certainly be back here for more fun times and hopefully the food and service improve over time. It’s probably best to get here early to secure a table since they don’t take reservations but will put your name on a list waiting for a table once you’re there.

The food was better downstairs but the ambiance is superb upstairs! We ordered a salad and the Asian paella. The cocktails we got was good. Awesome for enjoying listening to international accents and checking out european clothing styles of other patrons!

I came here for lunch last week with a couple of friends. The space was great — full of light, modern décor, and comfortable seating. The food was pretty good (I had the lobster udon) but slightly overpriced compared to other dining establishments in the area. It was also extremely spicy, and I typically love spicy foods. I wasn’t very hungry so my portion was a good size for me, but my friend ordered the chicken and the portion was really small.
I was most disappointed by my cocktail. If the first ingredient listed in your cocktail is bourbon and the last is sparkling wine, your drink shouldn’t taste like prosecco with a small splash of bourbon. When you’re going to charge over $ 10 for a cocktail in the city, I expect amazing cocktails. There are so many other bars and restaurants in the city with fantastic cocktails for the same price, so I wouldn’t return to The Commons Club purely for their drinks.
I will probably give The Commons Club one more try for lunch because there were some other items on the menu that looked really good, but I will definitely stick with a beer or glass of wine.

Place is eh at most.
Ambience: best part of this place, modern but inviting. Different but «cool».
Food: delicious but way over priced and very small portions. Good for people who don’t really like calories but personally I enjoy food too much.
Drinks: specialty cocktails are awful
Service: terrible, you will wait 20 minutes for a drink
If your looking for a cool new place, this is it. But I think one visit is enough

A welcome addition to the neighborhood for after work cocktails. Sometimes you just don’t want to deal with The Gage and it’s even CLOSER to my office. We are a lazy, lazy bunch.
After getting distracted by the egg-​shaped dog bed (unfortunately unoccupied at the time), we found our way to the 2^nd floor where we had no trouble getting a table for 10 on a Friday at 4:15. I had called ahead to alert them, though they don’t take reservations. The space was attractive and had a few different types of seating. Our corner table was perfect.
The drinks were tasty and interesting and I relished the opportunity to have a male coworker order the «Dirty Pretty Lover» first so I could cackle and then say «I’ll have the same.» The scandalous cocktail in question was very nice. Another coworker ordered something with raspberry in it that as far as I’m concerned both looked and tasted like David Bowie. Shared tots, cheese, and charcuterie hit the spot.
I’m sure I’ll be back after work for a drink and perhaps to try out some of the heavier menu items.

I spent a lot of time here during my stay. Although it is the hotel’s primary restaurant, its is also a loungey/​library area where you can enjoy your coffee and relax. 2 Apple desktops available for use. In the evening, it’s a bar, lounge, and dining room. Loved the use of space. Food and service was on point. Unique dishes I’ve never had anywhere else. Creative, delicious shareable plates. Décor super trendy and comfy at the same time; warm & welcoming.

You have arrived to an airport bar! Wohoo
Service is good, cocktail list is nothing special

A friend of mine and I came here to check out the buzz behind the first ever Virgin Hotel. We came for cocktails, and small plates and we were not disappointed! I ordered the Bluebird & The Honeybees. My drink consisted of Belvedere vodka, Cointreau, blueberry, honey, lemon, egg white, and soda. It was a lightly sweetened, frothy, light-​tasting cocktail that isn’t too strong with vodka, but not too sweet with the honey. I feel the egg white balanced it out nicely.
The bartenders and service staff here are wonderful. Very attentive, friendly and enjoyable to converse with. We sat at the bar (which seemed to be the best place to sit) in these really comfortable leather high-​chairs. There are also small tables and booths arranged beside the bar. It’s a large enough space to hold plenty of customers, so we definitely would come back. Hopefully when more people become aware of the location. It seems it could be a frequent hotspot on the weekends!

Ok. It’s a hotel bar. I think my expectations were too high, so I may have set this place up to fail in my mind. Our server was very attentive for a busy Saturday night and we got a table right away. We only had one drink and left so I don’t have a full experience to report.
The music was dated, I was thinking it would have a more up to date vibe. The clientele was older and diverse.
I think this place might be OK, but I had something in my mind that it would be really unique and it didn’t live up to that. If you go with no expectations I think it will be a really good spot.
Once they get their lobby dog, I would probably bump this up to a 4 :) Who wouldn’t want to be greeted at the door by a dog ha!

This is the first of five eating options that the recently opened Virgin Hotel will offer. The space is pretty swanky, and is what you would expect from a Virgin property. I only stayed for cocktails and had a vodka honey drink which was delicious. My friend had a bourbon drink that was made from bourbon soaked in leather and had a truffle oil floater on top. The bourbon drink was also delicious, although I missed the truffle floater. All in all, decent place will definitely be back for an after work cocktail. Can’t wait to see what the other restaurants have to offer!