What a fun experience! NO sign on the outside to tell that you are at the right place. NO sign on the inside. Just wander to the back, down the stairs, and there's the door! NOTE there are no reservations but it only seats 36, so you will likely be on a wait list. For a Saturday night, however, we only waited 5 minutes for 3 of us. We got a front row seat to live jazz music. It is a VERY small space. The tarot cards at the table are different cocktail mixes, very fun! Overall a very unique experience.

The Drifter has a fantastic vibe and even better drinks. A chicago speakeasy of note - to get in go into Green Door Tavern. Go through the room keeping the bar on your left, keep going left and you'll see stairs going down, go down these stairs and through the hidden door in the bookshelf. The Drifter does a cabaret style variety show on each hour- we got to experience a burlesque show and guitarist both were fantastic. The drinks - each note you get a random choice from the broader library of tarot cards for that night's cocktails. All of ours were very unique, some served with Andes mints, flowers or cocktail onions depending on what fit. They have other drink options as well as snacks available. Get there early as it is a small bar with very limited seating. Restrooms are just out the secret door across the hallway still downstairs.

This is one of my favorite bars in Chicago. The tarot card themed cocktails are all amazing. There were some great little shows on stages while we drank, too. It's a friendly atmosphere with attentive staff, definitely a hidden gem.

Was one of the most unique drinking and entertainment venues (Speakeasy) I've been to Chicago hidden behind a bookshelf door downstairs of the green door. We made a reservation which I wouldn't recommend unless you really, really want to ensure you reserve your seat because you have to pay $75 per person which does go towards your bill but is still unreal to me. We got there at 9:30p so it was hard for us to spend through that even with four people. I think you could get in just fine without making a reservation if your group is <4 people. The drinks come on tarot cards and are all very different, so you may have to do some exploring before ordering. The table next to us told me to tell the server what we liked and the bartender would make us something but when I told this to the server, he seemed annoyed and essentially told us to order from the cards. Burlesque shows every 45 minutes which were really fun and unique, but I would only go for around two shows or so then move on. Experience: 5/5 Drinks: 4/5 Service: 3/5

My mind was blown away. We were a bigger party so had to wait about 2 hours and I have to say it was worth it. The cocktail I got wasn't great, I shouldn't have chosen a random tarot card. But the performances were incredible, I felt like a child being mesmerized by one of the performances. The ambience is incredible and I would definitely go back here again and choose a better cocktail 🍹

It was definitely an adventure to get into this place and I STRONGLY STRONGLY recommend emailing them for reservations well ahead of time. Doing the night before isn’t enough. My fiancé and I were EXTREMELY lucky to get into this place and definitely felt exclusive. The history of this place is so freaking cool! The drinks and food were very good for the price. My fiancé and I each got 2 different cocktails and 1 non-alcoholic cocktail. We split cheese curds and since we each got different cocktails we were able to try almost all their cocktail specials before our time was up. It helped that we shared the cocktails as well. For 4 cocktails, 1 non-alcoholic cocktail, 1 order of cheese curds, and 3 shows before our time limit was up, it was only $100.08 for both of us before tips. That’s not bad in my opinion, mind you my fiancé and I aren’t really drinkers to begin with. (This was actually both of our first ever bar/speak easy experience since my fiancé recently turned 21 and when I turned 21 it was the beginning of COVID-so no first time bar). On average the performers went on every 30-45 minutes and they usually play between 7pm-12am (we got in around 9pm and left sometime around 11:30? We got back to the hotel before midnight). It’s definitely cozy as they only have a max capacity of 40-something that’s including the staff. It can get loud because it’s such a small space so if you’re neurodivergent with sensory issues like my fiancé and I are, might be a little rough trying to not get overwhelmed but don’t let that deter you from a once in a lifetime thing. Bring sound dampening earbuds or sensory fidgets to help. Also, their main form of entertainment is burlesque, so if you’re not comfortable with that, then don’t come here or before/after the entertainment window which is usually 7pm-12am. Even when no one is performing and the curtains are drawn, they do project vintage burlesque on the curtains (at least when we were there) Im glad we were able to come here for our first experience and the story of how we managed to get in and the horror story (not related to The Drifter) we had leading up to this will surely be in our memories forever. Also, the last performer had me dancing with her on a chair which wasn’t something I was expecting but I’m so glad I did! I was already buzzed in heels and scared of falling but it was so worth the video my fiancé captured.

My favourite part about my recent trip to Chicago. If you want in, show up early as the wait is likely a minimum of two hours and we got there around 8pm. My partner and I showed up and put our names on the list, staff was super friendly and accommodating as we’re not American so had no phone number she could text us for our table, so she made a note of what we looked like and told us to wait in the tavern upstairs and she’d come get us when something opened up which is exactly what happened. The speakeasy is located behind a little hidden door and is very small, maybe 7 tables plus some spots at the bar. The cocktails are written on tarot cards which was super cool. The music and environment was great, and the burlesque shows were such an experience with different dancers coming on staged every 30 mins or so to perform. Super unique experience in a historic prohibition era bar. There was a 6$ per table cover that wasn’t mentioned until our bill came and the cocktail taro cards didn’t have prices but we’re 15$ each. They were excellent, had four different drinks between the two of us and we enjoyed all of them. Some small snacks on the menu as well all under 10$. We had the cheese curds and the Nutella toast both of which were awesome. Overall if I ever come back to Chicago I’ll be back to the Drifter.

Be warned that there’s probably a wait list. Bartenders were amazing. Lovely burlesque shows. They have a full cocktail bar. It’s a great place to sit and hang out for a couple hours. Cocktail menu is on a deck of tarot cards which is really cute.

Great speakeasy bar! I came around 6pm on a Saturday and immediately got a seat. Staff was friendly, and the bartenders were great! The pours were good and decently strong, but measured, and averages around 11-14/drink. Loved the fact they had a cover charge to pay the performers, a 15 min show and then a 45 minute break between each set. The tarot card drinks were innovative and tasty.

I decided to try this place for the first time for my birthday. We went on a Thursday evening and there was about a 20 minute wait which we were happy to wait upstairs at the The Green Door Tavern having a drink and we also decided to order some chicken strips while waiting. We were put on an app waiting list that we could follow to see how long the wait would be and we also received a, "your table is read," text message. We were asked to pay a $6 cover fee per person because the lady told us we would see a performance so we agreed. The performance was about 5 minutes long and it was entertaining so I guess for $6 was worth it. We did order drinks. I ordered a drink from the cards called Bye Felicia and my friend asked if she could have a chocolate martini in which the bartender belittled her and said I don't make chocolate martinis here. So she had a regular martini. Overall, the atmosphere was exciting, the drinks were good but the attitude of the bartender is a negative to our night. We did enjoy our time, the live performance and the secret door to enter. We would go back for sure but hope for a different bartender.

if you’re looking for some real speakeasy vibes, come to the drifter! This space has it all, fun and delicious cocktails, great service, and awesome performances. A great idea for pre or post dinner plans. I’ve been to my share of speakeasies in NYC and this one takes first place!

I love going to speakeasies and this place was great and unique with the tarot cards! The entertainment lineup too was really good! Highly suggest if you love speakeasies.

The Drifter is an absolute favorite of mine. The cocktails are served on tarot cards, the acts are fantastic. I’ve been many times and because they keep everything on a rotation there are always new acts and new cocktails; my favorites are the comic magician and the burlesque performers. It’s a tight place with limited seating so please be considerate of the waitstaff when making drink decisions, they are spread pretty thin & they’re doing their best.

Amazing hidden place, very cool speakeasy.... Really nice server, great shows and crafty cocktail menu. Our wait was long, but very much worth the wait! Would go back definitely

We decided to check out The Drifter while on a weekend trip to Chicago and it did not disappoint! The atmosphere is awesome and there’s a wide variety of drinks. They have over 100 cocktails printed on Tarot cards and each night the bartenders select a new menu. We joined the waitlist before leaving our hotel and enjoyed drinks upstairs at The Green Door Tavern while waiting for our turn. Highly recommended!!

SUCH a cool spot in the city for a date night/outing with a friend! The drinks were incredible and all so smooth, performers were so talented, and the bartenders were warm + friendly. I do wish they had more vegan options for food but overall LOVED it here.

Authentic Speakeasy! Original 1920's Prohibition speakeasy with daily "tarot card" drink specials. The vibe was perfect, drinks tasted amazing. Would definitely 💯 recommend and will go back when I'm in the area.

Amazing atmosphere and even better drinks! Absolutely loved the idea of the bartenders drawing the tarot cards to set the menu for the night. All the drinks were so unique and out of this world. Had a lot of fun talking with the bartenders and the burlesque show was enjoyable. Highly recommend and will return whenever I'm in the city.

Awesome place. Old school speakeasy. Feels authentic - small, basement hole in the wall. Drinks were pretty interesting/tasty.

One of the best speakeasy bars in Chicago. The service is great. The atmosphere is wonderful! The burlesque shows and overall vibes on a Saturday night were just so great. The drinks are very smooth and the bartenders are helpful. Always recommend this spot for after-dinner drinks .

Pretty cool place - went on a Thursday afternoon and wasn’t too busy. Had a few dirty martinis and tried the knockin boots which was very good indeed. $7 charge added to your bill but there is a show which was pretty entertaining. Good as a one off but probably not one I will be rushing back to.