Bar Sótano

My partner and I sat at the bar, where they have an open kitchen, and we watched them prepare all the food while we drank, incredible! The cooks and chef were so thoughtful explaining all the dishes, would highly recommend .Thank you Bar Sótano

I recently tried Bar Sótano with my friends on a Friday night and it what a great experience! I never noticed this bar until a friend recently recommended. It is located right next to Three Dots and a Dash! The checkin process was easy and the overall process was pretty smooth. We ordered a Oaxacan drinking snacks platter to share along with our drinks. My friends and I tried Mezcal Martini, Mango Chamoy and 3 Chile Bourbon. Mango Chamoy was our favorite and it is usually served in a small cute bag! They have a limited vegan/ vegetarian menu but the hostess mentioned that a lot of their dishes can be customized. I tried Memelas le tinga tacos as I love mushrooms and it was really good! My friend ordered one dish from their happy hour menu which is Squash Blossom Tlayudita. It was pretyy good as well.Overall, I'm pretty impressed with this cute speakeasy bar and I'll definitely recommend it to people to try authentic Oaxacan dishes and drinks!

Wondered in here after trying to go to three dots and a dash without a reservation on a Friday night (dumb, I know). The security guard at three dots and a dash recommended it to us and we were so happy! We were pleasantly surprised with how delicious the food was! Walking in, knowing nothing about the history of the restaurant or the owner made it all the better. I can definitely see why this restaurant is on the map. I took off a star because of how small the portions were and their preset service charge. We ordered an entree from the larger side and it was still relatively small. I get it, nicer food usually comes in smaller portions. But, we were still kinda hungry leaving after a salad, larger entree, and a dozen oysters. They also added on a 20% service charge for two people. I get it - the wait staff needs to be paid fairly. But, I will tip on my own. Don't put it on my bill when I sat at the bar. My subtotal was $129. Total after service charge and tax was $173. Yikes. We also had two of the signature drinks. They were very good and the staff obviously knew what they were doing. It was a very nice touch to be able to watch the chef work from our seat. It's a cool vibe for sure. Great option for a first date if I say so myself.

Chicago has a dearth of great restaurants. Here's one, a new one opened by a Chicago restaurant maven, Bar Sótano (by Rick Bayless). But when I walked downstairs to the restaurant, I was curious as to who the chef that is cooking because Rick Bayless was at the counter dining with his wife. If the owner is dining in his own restaurant, it must be because the food is good, he doesn't need to make money. He's already very successful with his three other restaurants. Lol.I found out the chef's name is, Jackie Hernandez chef at Sótano has worked for Rick Bayless for over 6 years. And now she is on her own here with Rick as her patron. And Oh man!, you are really good Jackie. The mole was a cut above, not anything I've had in california it had layers of mushrooms and peloncillo. The oysters were covered in delicious ceviche. The duck was out of this world (not pictured, I had 4 margaritas LOL). Our plates here reminded me of a famous modern resto in Mexico City with a touch of home flavors. Service was attentive but mixed. I got the sense the wait staff need more practice listening to guests. But not worried , it was still a very good experience. In love with Bar Sótano and will come back. EOY!

We needed somewhere quick to grab a bite to eat and a drink before a show at House of Blues and stumbled upon this cute little basement bar in the alley! It is right next door to Three Dots and a Dash, and you have to enter through the alley (don't try the street). We didn't have a reservation but were still able to get a table for two. I ordered the habanero orange mango cocktail and it was really good! The mango puree made it slightly thick and sweet, but the sharp kick from the jalapeno balanced it out well. For food, I was SO excited to see they had a lion's mane mushroom taco on the menu! I rarely see that offered in restaurants. It had a great crispy exterior but was still light compared to meat. The tacos are very expensive and small. I would need at least 3 for a meal. But lion's mane is a bit more rare for an ingredient so I think it was worth trying!

Came here for Happy Hour with a girlfriend and I'd say that the drinks beat the food for sure. I enjoyed our hibiscus drink thoroughly. It was mixed very well and was tasty and hit nicely. Now their food options on HH wasn't really a deal so we just opted to share an order of their birria tacos on their regular menu. As you can see it came with 2 small tacos. We left hungry but it's okay. Now, we did get 1 thing off their HH for food which was 2 oysters because my friend hadn't ever tried one so we decided to do it then. Safe to say she probably won't be ordering oysters again lol. The Bar itself is so cute and intimate. The service was just okay.. she gave people at the table next to us shots, but not us, so not sure why that was.

Swung by Bar Sotano for the Happy hour. Loved how the entrance is hidden and the actual bar is downstairs. Gives a true speakeasy experience. It might be hard for some people to find the entrance of this place though. We tried the cocktail de dia which was a spicy berry margarita. It was sooooooo good. We also tried a couple tequila blanco shots and they went down smooth. We ordered the chips platter that had peanuts, guac, chips, salsa and some fried crickets. The fried crickets were interesting but I am not a fan. The chips were so earthy and crunchy and the guac was really fresh. I also tried a mezcal margarita and loved it. The server was very friendly and sweet too. Such a great bar! I will definitely visit again.

Went for happy hour and they have great deals! $1 shucked oysters and yummy drinks for $4-10. Highly recommend for delicious food at great prices. Kitchen was open so you could see the chefs at work. And service was lovely. 10/10!

Came here on a Wednesday - which is the move since it's Happy Hour all day. I had their HH old fashioned with mezcal & the tequila - both quite delicious & very well balanced, though I preferred the mezcal version because it was slightly less sweet.Their $1 oysters (from the Gulf) were surprisingly divine. They were served with salsa negra (5/5) & an orange mignonette, also 5/5. I continued on to their dry-aged albóndigas - slight spice, but nothing crazy, again, magnificent. Their taco of the day was so good we had 3 of them. Fried chicken from the HH menu was so tasty. Mushroom taco 4/5. We finished it all off with the Mexican Paella - 5/5.Ambience was casual - dark lighting, great music & solid service for being how busy it was. I heard great things about Bar Sótano but my experience was better than I anticipated. Try to make reservations beforehand because seating can be limited

A vibrant, intimate space that serves good cocktails -- the mango chamoy was my favorite -- and good food. I recommend the happy hour oysters as well as the sótano ceviche and pulpo. Everything was quick and staff was friendly.