All Shook Up
At Martini Park, Planet Hollywood meets Las Vegas meets lounge chic.
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But where's the accent?
River North is so saturated with nightlife options these days, how's a person to choose? Joining the fray is English (444 N. LaSalle St.), a new bar from the Eat Well, Drink Better folks (Grand Central, Central, Bar Celona, Union Park) that's been packing them in since mid-July.
Despite the name, there's not much of an air of the isles about this place; the bar most closely resembles a three-story Rockit. Climbing up is a bit of a chore, but scenesters have been congregating at the third-floor pool tables and booths. Expect a neighborhood crowd on weeknights, business types for weekday lunch, and a mix of neighborhoodies and cabbers-in on weekends.
A couple of points in English's favor: There's no cover and—echoing Martini Park's bucking of one seriously overplayed trend—no such thing as a VIP. "There's no bottle service or even bottled water," says marketing director David Mitria. With this bar for the everyman comes a line for everyone, so plan to arrive by 11 p.m. on weekends if you don't want to get stuck standing outside.
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