Photo: Anna Knott

Here’s a primer for your visit to the Dec Rooftop Lounge + Bar, the Ritz-Carlton’s new sky-high terrace, and one of the top 12 rooftop bars in Chicago.

The good: You can choose from 10 signature cocktails featuring exotic ingredients and befitting the dramatic skyline vista. You’ll balance your $14 drink with free entertainment in the form of a stainless steel sculpture—picture Millennium Park’s Bean reshaped as a doughnut—that lets you sneakily scope out the crowd in its reflection.

The bad: If you’re feeling peckish, you will likely find the snack offerings more goofy than appetizing. (Case in point: Chi Style Hummus, described by a server as a Chicago-style hot dog in mousse form.)

The clubby: Once the sun sets, you’re in for an LED light show behind the bar and inside your cube-shaped table.

The bottom line: Sip a Long Ride (bourbon, pineapple, lemongrass, Thai chilies, maple syrup) at dusk, then move on.

160 E. Pearson St., 312-573-5160.