The Sinibar Room offers some of the sweetest taste treats in town beyond its chic little doors. Tasty delights, from the mouthwatering cinnamon-apple ice cream to the sexy, soulful tunes playing in the background, make this place quite tempting.
Touted as a dessert lounge, Sinibar is one of many new theme clubs that caters to an upscale audience looking for spicier nightlife options. Themes include everything from clever wordplay to combinations of restaurant-nightclub in order to attract scenesters who appear to have bottomless wallets.
Sinibar is actually an extension of a new restaurant, Thyme, which features French- and Spanish-inspired cuisine. According to Joe Russo, co-owner with chef John Bubala, the thought behind Sinibar was to offer Thyme diners an alternative to make dessert a little more interesting.
Sinibar has been in existence for two months, and it continues to be a flavor of the month. Thursday through Saturday, the cinnamon-colored room is packed with a downright gorgeous crowd of fashion plates chilling out on the buttery smooth leather banquettes. Celebrities like Kevin Costner and “Titanic” star Billy Zane have stopped by. In addition to the exotic desserts, ice cream and sorbets, appetizers from Thyme’s menu, exquisite dessert wines and a full-service bar are featured. Though there’s a deejay pumping out rare grooves, jazz, funk and Latin, there’s no room for dancing. This is the kind of place where you just wiggle in your seat.
Sinibar is at 464 N. Halsted St.; 312-226-6092. Hours: 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesday-Friday, 8 p.m.-3 a.m. Saturday.
Live the glamorous life in these other posh new theme lounges around town:
– If you dig sushi, you’ll love the Dragon Room (809 W. Evergreen St.; 312-751-2900), the city’s only nightclub and sushi bar where you can chow down until 4 a.m.
The atmosphere fuses a snazzy lounge setting with Asian influences. Plush, crimson sofas on the lower level and upper VIP area add to the mix. The ladies’ room even has a full-service bar. Deejays spin acid jazz, house, hip-hop, dancehall and alternative rock on three levels for patrons to dance to. Dragon Room is also about two months old, and it’s already attracted the likes of Tiger Woods, Mariah Carey, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stone Temple Pilots. Hours: 10 p.m.-4 a.m. Sunday and Wednesday-Friday, 10 p.m.-5 a.m. Saturday.
– Pasha (642 N. Clark St.; 312-397-0100) is a South Beach, Miami-inspired club, perfect for the 30-plus crowd looking for a cool place to unwind. On one side, it’s a French continental restaurant; on the other, it’s a booming scene. For the lucky souls who get there early, the luxurious sofas are positioned right in front of open, picturesque windows. The long bar, which features an impressive wine and champagne list, has some of the most comfortable barstools in town if you miss out on the sofas. Another bar, tucked away in the ladies’ washroom, serves champagne and shots. And in addition to delectable desserts with names like Black Passion, Pasha’s full dining menu is offered until closing. Deejay Nathan Larson spins jazz, disco and uptempo grooves from 9 p.m.-closing Wednesday-Saturday. Hours: 5 p.m.-4 a.m. Sunday-Friday; 5 p.m.-5 a.m. Saturday.
– Big Wig (1551 W. Division St.; 773-235-9100) is a former Polish bar that’s been turned into an urbane and hip little scene. This club’s claim to fame is its decor; it screams a beauty-salon theme with genuine salon chairs for sofas, those plastic bubble hairdryers as chandeliers, mannequins with splashy, colorful wigs, and displayed cans of mousse and hairspray.
The idea of a beauty-salon-themed club originated in New York. The Beauty Bar, in the East Village, is actually a hair salon transformed into a nightclub. At Big Wig, the music is loud, but it’s so crowded that there’s no room for dancing. Hours: 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Sunday-Friday; 9 p.m.-3 a.m. Saturday.
– It’s all about “The Benjamins” at Mint (201 N. Green St.; 312-492-6468), a glitzy new club that has currency as its theme. This dimly lit hipster’s paradise, according to owner Jim Kallas, is modeled after lounges in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood. The bar’s top is adorned with currencies from around the globe. There’s a definite loft feel here; the wood ceiling and pillars are unfinished, and there’s plenty of floor space. The musical style is a blend of acid jazz, funk and house. There are two VIP rooms, and a spacious dance floor is downstairs. Hours: 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Wednesday-Friday, 9 p.m.-3 a.m. Saturday.
