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The Lunatic, the Lover, & the Poet Loosens Up the Stuffy Wine Bar

The name’s a mouthful, but the wine flows (very) freely.

By Peter Ranvestel and Carrie Schedler

Published April 17, 2017

It was a quiet night at the Lunatic, the Lover, & the Poet (736 W. Randolph St., West Loop) on Saturday, thanks to the combination of a Blackhawks playoff game, the first 80-degree day in who knows how long, and it being Easter eve. Even with a small crowd, though, you could get a sense of the charm of this new wine bar.

First off, there’s not a TV in sight to distract you from the selection of wines on tap, in bottles, or by the glass. Though the spot’s name has Shakespearean roots, there’s been a more free-wheeling feel to the spot, we’re told, in contrast to the stuffy image of a certain set of wine bars. There’s a dinner menu and a private dining room, too; eventually, a second floor will be opened.

Here’s what we saw when we stopped by.