- Credibility:
WICKER PARK — In a sign that winter may finally be on its way out the door, The Robey hotel will open “Cabana Club,” its rooftop bar and pool, on Saturday.
Positioned on the sixth floor of The Robey at 2018 W. North Ave., Cabana Club overlooks the Wicker Park neighborhood — 360-degree views of the city skyline are accompanied by views of the Damen Avenue CTA Blue Line stop and the bustling six-corner intersection of Milwaukee, North and Damen Avenues.
Wicker Park has other rooftop bar offerings, but Cabana Club stands out thanks to its pool and “unobstructed” views of the neighborhood and the city skyline, said Danny Park, The Robey’s food and beverage director.
Credit: ProvidedOn Sunday mornings, Cabana Club offers 9 a.m. yoga classes at $15 per class. The bar was open last summer, but this year drinks include a customizable Red Bull slushy and a 64-ounce frozen margarita, Park said.
“You can get anything as a shared item,” Park added.
In an effort to keep up with the pace of the neighborhood, Kevin McAllister, the executive chef at Cafe Robey, recently changed up the menu in the hotel’s restaurant to be more comfortable, accessible and family-friendly.
A couple of months ago, McAllister swapped out his upscale French bistro menu for a much simpler, more comfortable and more approachable family-oriented menu that plays upon the Midwestern family dinner table.
Credit: Perry FishInstead of choosing from an array of complicated dishes that are pre-paired with equally complex sides, the new menu is intended to be viewed as “family-style,” where guests order a-la-carte, McAllister said.
In other words, McAllister said, if people want a fancy dinner, they go to “restaurant row” — a strip of Michelin-starred restaurants in the West Loop.
“People come here [to Wicker Park] to hang out,” he said.
The 1929 Art Deco-era building that houses The Robey is one of Chicago’s landmarked buildings. The neighborhood-oriented rooftop bar and restaurant allows locals to experience a part of history while enjoying a night out in the ‘hood, McAllister said.
“It gives the building back to the neighborhood,” McAllister said.
