Dress: If, by any chance, you happen to know Donna Karan, you might want to call in a few favors before heading to this super-swanky West Loop lounge. Servers may look like they just walked out of an old James Bond film (leather mini-skirts with attached halter tops), but the crowd is as modern as they come: lots of black, lots of nylon and lots and lots of hair product.
Vibe: The only thing missing to perfect a "London, 1968" motif are skinny models in heavy mascara and pageboy haircuts chain-smoking Benson & Hedges. Professional-looking patrons chat discreetly over Eames-style chairs and oblong glass tables, some munching on tuna tartare, others nursing apple martinis.
Quick tour: A former meat-locker, the Victor Hotel boasts three divinely retro bars that seem to extend into the abyss and are amplified by sleek tile floors and alabaster rafters. Photographs straight out of Oui magazine dot chicly painted walls that pave the way toward some kind of super-modish epicenter. Two large palms stand vanguard over the lounge's premier bar, casting shadows over deco-ish banquettes and crimson colored barstools. Crowds meander from one room to the other, so it always seems much less crowded than it really is.
Crowd: Sophisticated early thirty, white-collar folk who enjoy the progressive lifestyle but don't mind probing the city's industrial roots to get there. Due to the Victor Hotel's immense size, there is very little intermingling between individual sects of loungers, but that doesn't stop people from sharing a table or two. Expect to be ignored but not maligned; clearly the Victor Hotel's days in the "meat market" are long over.
Night to go: The question isn't so much the best night to go (Saturday, obviously), but rather the time to go. Arrive before 9 p.m. and you may end up conversing with your own echo. Get there after 11 p.m., and you'll have trouble wading through the bar lines. Just arrive around 10 p.m. and soak in the artsy, retro atmosphere.
Claim to fame: Please. It's the new Jerry Kleiner place. The restaurant mogul behind such gastronomic powerhouses as Gioco and Marche pulled out all the stops at this low-key chill spot. But if lounges aren't your thing, at least come see the rotating art displays, some of the best the Chicago modern art scene has to offer.
You'll feel like you're in: A Fleet Street nightclub during the summer of love.
Music genre: Schizophrenic but generally pretty mellow. Mostly electronica but don't be surprised to hear an occasional Motown or disco tune. Alicia Keys played several times during one stay.
Beyond the barstool: Not much in the way of grub, but meals aren't the Victor Hotel's principal draw anyway, especially with so many fine dining establishments just a few blocks away on Randolph. Still, entrees such as chilled beef carpaccio, an array of Italian-style sandwiches and sashimi tuna tartar are available for less than $20.
On the shelves: Like most places these days, Victor Hotel is martini-heaven, with the gamut of perfunctory libations and a few specialties for the more daring. The wine list is small but comprehensive, adroitly balancing foreign and domestic vintages. Most bottles can be purchased for about $60, with glasses in the $9 range. Champagne prices are reasonable (most at about $120), and for a place that doesn't specialize in the stuff, the selection is extensive.