Bisous

Vestinos opened Bisous in January 2024 as the follow-up to Sparrow, and it lands with more confidence than most bars manage after years in business. The room pulls from mid-century Paris in ways that feel researched rather than costumed: textured wallpaper, lush booths, gold lettering on glass, white curtains diffusing the Fulton Market noise. The cocktail program leans on brandy and fortified wine as modifiers in ways that most American bars haven’t figured out yet.

The freezer martini called the L’Jardine became the drink to order within weeks of opening, and Esquire’s “Best Bars in America” nod for 2024 confirmed what regulars already knew. This is the room you bring someone when you want to look like you know Chicago, because it’s the kind of place that doesn’t advertise itself loudly enough for tourists to fill it.