Kumiko
West Loop·Cocktail bar·$$$
Kumiko treats a cocktail the way the best kitchens treat a tasting menu, which is why no bar in Chicago drinks better.
Momose built Kumiko around the idea that a drink can carry as much intention as a dish, and the menu’s spirit-free and low-proof work is as serious as anything boozy. The room is low-lit and quiet enough to actually talk, the ice is flawless, and the bartenders read a table without hovering.
Downstairs, Kikkō runs a counter omakase for the truly committed, but the main bar is the reason it sits at the top: precise, generous, and never showy. Order something stirred, trust the staff, and settle in.
Drink
- A spirit-free seasonal pour
- Anything stirred with Japanese whisky
- The omakase pairing at Kikkō
