Consider your next date night planned. The Willow Room (1800 N. Halsted St., Lincoln Park) has that cozy-romantic vibe down pat. Dine upstairs on Marissa Janz's refined fare, then retire to the intimate basement bar for a nightcap.

The place is located on one of Lincoln Park's more scenic stretches, and the clientele is appropriately stylish, with blazers and boat shoes aplenty. They set up camp on velvet stools and sip cocktails in clusters of two or three.

Here's what we saw when we stopped in.