10 New Venues in Chicago for Fall 2023 Meetings and Events

In the Loop, TheWit, a 310-key hotel, unveiled a top-to-bottom renovation in June. The new decor is meant to channel the home of a worldly art collector. Decorative touches include colorful objects juxtaposed with plush textures and warm tones; there’s also a 12-foot live floral installation in the lobby. In the reimagined guest rooms, decor includes origami-inspired light fixtures and mirrors trimmed with lipstick-red accents. The hotel has 14,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space and can hold receptions for 25 to 325 guests.

The Museum of Ice Cream got a new addition in August with the opening of its Banana Room. Now a permanent installation, the room pays homage to banana splits with pink and yellow bananas hanging from its ceiling. In total, the museum has 12 installations, including dessert-themed putt-putt and a pool filled with sprinkles. The space can be bought out to host receptions for 300 guests. Packages include ice cream snacks, specialty cocktails, and customized team-building exercises. Smaller spaces are also available for rent, including the Ice Cream Lab. It can hold ice cream-making classes for 25 guests.

In June, InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile unveiled renovations to the 477 guest rooms in its Grand Tower. Inspired by Moorish architecture, the redesigned rooms offer elevated minibars and remote working spaces. The hotel has other renovations planned, with details forthcoming. In the meantime, the venue offers more than 45,000 square feet of event space, which includes six ballrooms.

Monarch & Lion, a British-style pub, came to Streeterville in June. Michelin-starred chef Jitin Joshi oversees the menu, where items include chicken tikka masala, fish and chips, and shepherd's pie. The venue hosts seated dinners and cocktail parties. Its main bar area, known as The Pub, can host happy hours or cocktail receptions for 50 guests. A semiprivate dining room, known as The Queen's Quarters, can host dinners for eight guests. The upper-level Derby Room is available for buyout and can seat 65 guests or hold 100 standing; it's also available for partial buyouts. The Derby Room South and The Derby Room North both seat 40 guests or hold 60 guests standing; they're outfitted with pub tables and TVs. The Royal Ballroom, which has soaring coffered ceilings, chandeliers, and a fireplace, can seat 100 guests or hold 75 standing. It can also be divided into smaller spaces to host receptions for 75 guests or seated functions for 50.

Ummo, a contemporary Italian restaurant, came to River North in August. The first-floor dining room seats 100 and is available for buyouts. The upstairs Loft, which is the primary event space, seats 200. It can accommodate multiple seating configurations including cocktail receptions, a king's table option, or a traditional seated dinner. There’s also an intimate private dining room upstairs, which hosts meetings, lunches, or dinners for 16 guests. The menu changes seasonally. Offerings might include tortellini with Sicilian pistachio pesto, roasted chicken with creamy polenta, and halibut in a Mediterranean mussels broth.

Tacombi came to Fulton Market this July. Decked with bright tiles, the taqueria is available for buyouts. It can hold receptions for 110 and has the capacity to seat 85 guests. The 3,800-square-foot space has a retractable garage door and a counter serving crispy fish tacos, burritos, and more. The venue also serves Mexican cocktails, including a spicy margarita and a paloma.

Marina's Bistro and Rum Bar, a Puerto Rican restaurant and bar, opened in Uptown in August. The 500-square-foot venue seats 30 and is available for buyouts. The menu spotlights traditional Puerto Rican dishes, including mofongos, arroz con gandules, and tostones. Handcrafted cocktails are also on offer. Accented with bright flowers and lush greenery, the decor is inspired by Puerto Rico. It's filled with natural accents, bright chairs, and earthy tones. The restaurant also caters off-site events.

Sifr, a Middle Eastern restaurant, opened in River North in June. Its main dining room can seat 10 to 20 guests for a semiprivate family-style dinner; it can also be bought out to host seated dinners for 65 guests or cocktail receptions for 100. The main bar can hold 20 guests for a cocktail reception or seat 14 for a family-style dinner. The rooftop patio, which has its own bar and restrooms, can hold 100 guests for cocktails or seat 65 for a family-style dinner. Menu items include harissa shrimp, lamb kebab skewers, and flatbreads. Most of the lamb, beef, and chicken dishes are certified halal.

Asador Bastion, an intimate, Basque-inspired chophouse, opened in a historic River North townhouse in March. Decked in dark woods and leather accents, the homey venue has three event spaces. On the lower level, the Bar Room seats 35. Upstairs, the Dining Room (pictured) seats 45 guests; it can also seat 55 if the chef's table is included. Alternatively, the chef's table can be reserved on its own to host private dinners for 10 guests. Menu items include grilled fish, steaks, garlic prawns, and octopus a la plancha.

For an intimate dinner party, Sushi by Scratch hosts omakase experiences for 10 guests. Billed as a "sushi speakeasy," the under-the-radar venue is tucked in River West bar The Drop Inn. It opened in February. In the dimly lit, 10-seat space, guests sit in front of the chef’s cutting boards as he prepares a 17-course tasting menu. Fish and shellfish is flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market two times a week. The venue also serves a full selection of sakes, Japanese whiskies, and other libations.