Bar Bambi: appetizing cocktail shot showing atmosphere

Bar Bambi: appealing cocktail shot in venue

Bar Bambi: appetizing food and bar atmosphere

10 photos

Bar Bambi

★ 4.8 · 96 reviews Chicago Opened February 2026

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Carbonated cocktails under a squiggle of neon

Katie Renshaw was named US Bartender of the Year in 2019 after stints at The Aviary, Billy Sunday and MoneyGun. Bar Bambi, which opened on West Chicago Avenue in February 2026, is the first bar she owns outright.

The drinks lean on clarification, fermentation and forced carbonation, the last of which pushes bubbles through the whole drink, spirit included. A clarified martini with lychee, bell pepper and crème fraîche shows it best. Gensler designed the 50-seat room around a glass-block bar and one long squiggle of neon. Snacks run to naughty eggs, chicken liver mousse and a crisp halibut sandwich.

Good to know

Opens at 5pm, Thursday through Monday.

What guests say

Reviews by Google

V P 95 reviews · Local Guide 27 July 2026

Very cute cocktail bar in West Town with a cozy vibe and cool, moody lighting. We stopped in for drinks and the brown butter cake. The Three Decibel Rule is great if you like stronger cocktails, while the Miss Scarlet was fruity, refreshing, and made even better with the raspberry sorbet. The brown butter cake was moist and tasty, but a little too sweet for my preference. Overall, it's a great spot for creative cocktails, and I'd definitely come back to try more of the menu.
Arielle Steward 28 reviews · Local Guide 26 July 2026

Wow she is a CUTIE!! This is a great spot for drinks after or before dinner. I feel like I was transported to a futuristic artsy lowkey bar. Also Elliot our bartender was amazing!! So friendly and addressed us by name. Also put his BACK into these drinks. Which by the way, can we talk about the menu? So unique and makes choosing a drink (and then enjoying it) that much more exciting!!! I can’t wait to come back!
Jason Kim 8 reviews 27 June 2026

Everything was really unique, and the flavors of the cocktails were on point. I especially loved the Mandela Effect. The deviled eggs had a great flavor with the addition of potato chips for texture. Fries were good with the sauce that had an aioli with green oil (this made the sauce light and vibrant). The salmon crudo was a bit too overpowering with the nuoc mam (which is Vietnamese fish sauce). It was hard to taste the salmon until the very end. I would have liked it more if it had a lighter, maybe a citrus taste, or if the fish sauce was diluted with a light soy sauce or citrus juice. Somehow, extract the umami flavor from the fish sauce. Also, the toasted rice was a little hard to chew, as if I was just eating raw rice grains; it would probably be better with a toasted rice puff. Overall, a nice experience.
Ariana Hernandez 6 reviews · Local Guide 16 June 2026

Drinks are superb! Never thought to have a Martini with a Japanese pear- it was delicious 10/10 Very good addition to the West Town area - their raspberry sorbet cocktail was so refreshing. Staff was super kind and attentive. Even gave me a sample of their orange wine 🍷 Will 100% be coming back ☺️
Matthew Plese 89 reviews · Local Guide 22 May 2026

Best drink spot on West Town. All the cocktails were top tier. Beautiful presentation and great service. Fish sandwich and chicken nuggets were both excellent too!