.
Note: This recently arrived in the mail from our Arts & Culture Correspondent. Nice work by the people at this establishment for having postcards on hand, so patrons can send them out and spread the word. It got them free exposure on this site (for whatever that’s worth). Give their house rules a quick read. Poll is underneath.
.
Loading ...
I would never make this my regular bar, but I could see it having its place occasionally.
Some of the rules are great (proper attire, no jager-bombs, etc) but some of the rules are just dumb (no grey goose, no party add-ons without prior notification). I could see it being a nice place to go to from time to time but it would never be my regular place.
This is as douchy and obnoxious as the bars that serve $1 bombs and PBR to frat boys in popped collars and ufc imposters in affliction tees. It’s just on the other end of the spectrum. I can’t help but notice that they don’t ban ironic glasses, too-tight man pants and bad facial hair.
IMO the Violet Hour makes some of the best cocktails in Chicago. Yes maybe the strict rules are a bit pretentious, but it does keep the d-bags out which is nice.
Don’t criticize it unless you’ve been there. Fantastic place, though it’s gotten a bit popular lately. Highly recommend getting a seat at the bar and chatting with the bartenders about the various drinks they serve.
FWIW, never seen anyone’s “attire” checked. More than a few t-shirt and jeans folks in there regularly. Then again, I pretty much only wear baseball caps at actual baseball games.
Can definitely see it as a nice change of pace, but too uptight for a regular joint
It’s just one click too far, IMO. Especially with the “no party add-ons.” It reminds me of a coffee shop in my neighborhood that requires people to buy one beverage per hour if they are busy or they ask you to leave. It makes people not want to come back.
How do they keep track of your drink purchases, do they come by and chalk your shoe like a meter maid?
Even though I fit within their rules, it sounds awfully pretentious and not somewhere where I’d want to be a regular
They have decided to be a certain type of bar. There are many places that have rules similar to this, they just don’t publicize it. I think not serving certain types of drinks is more of a choice about the concept of the place than it is some kind of militant stand. Is it pretentious? A little, I guess, but it is also shrewd marketing.
I’d probably like this place, but I like almost any bar. I like “frat boy, bud light bars” as well as these types of places. But since we’re talking about style, the explicit rules are kinda lame. You should be able to achieve your desired atmosphere organically. In other words, “show, don’t tell.”
I would live at this bar
I really like their drinks to, but I think part of my issue with them is that they just SEEM pretentious – like, that’s their schtick. In 2007, when their clientele was younger and better dressed (I know, that doesn’t happen too often) it felt nice. Now that it’s older suburbanites coming to the neighborhood for a “night out,” it seems pretentious.
I agree with Jose_Jackson, the atmosphere can be set by the ambiance and the staff, those that wander in contrary to this should still be served and treated respectfully and given the establishments alternatives to “lesser class requests”, chances are they will feel a bit out place anyway and make it a short stay. Few things are more pompous then establishments that open their doors to general public then whine about having to serve everyone. Make it reservation only and clearly explain the rules at the time of reservation if you’d like it that way.
I would find myself here on a regular basis.
If I were still in college and just want to get messed up and stupid, I’d consider this too much. But I’ve grown up and really appreciate having a good place to hang out and enjoy some real drinks, without the idiots whom those rules keep away. Thumbs up! (I’m extra supportive based on previous comments about this place being nice.)
Keep in mind, just because those are the rules, doesn’t mean they have to be enforced like a police state. They’re probably there to give a tone for the bar they want, but also some weight to kick out someone who is impacting other guests.
I’ve never been here, but I don’t know. Seems like they think they’re doing you a big favor by letting you be a customer. That’s not a good sign to me. Even if I do agree with a couple of the rules.
Joe was in Chicago recently?
as long as they aren’t on this list, its all good:http://www.complex.com/city-guide/2012/04/the-25-douchiest-bars-in-chicago Not bad rules – the vibe of the bar isn’t my thing though. Often times I will rendezvous with friends, so our party will expand or contract…. so this would rarely work for me.
I would prefer a place like Barrelhouse Flat or Longman & Eagle to Violet Hour. Then again, I also go to places like Will’s Northwoods Inn, because it temporarily makes me feel like I’m not in the city. But, to each their own!
Love it completely. I may just blow this up and post it on the front door of my house.
I like most of those rules (no cell phone use, no baseball hats). Some are just stupid (no add-ons) and some are unnecessarily snobbish (no Budweiser, no Grey Goose, no cosmos).
I don’t even know how to find bars with this kind of “atmosphere”.
Decent cocktail bar. Dont mind the rules or care if they are being a bit pretentious.
The outside looks like a boarded up building with graffiti all over it, but there is always a line unless you go later in the evening.
Well, it keep out a certain class of d-bags. But let’s not kid ourselevs, they’ve infultrated all walks of life. The Violet Hour is just choosy as to which type they want.
There’s a place like this in san jose called Single Barrel. Some like the speakeasy throwback vibe it emits. For me, the strict rules about volume and where I can put my chair is a turn off.
Hilarious, and right on, IMO. It’s like they’re trying so hard to NOT be something, that they end up being something else just as ridiculous.
Douchebaggery notwithstanding, I would still go to this bar for maybe one or two drinks near the end of a romantic date. Not for a night out with friends, though.
I dig it, we also have a speak easy bar here with similar rules. The only thing I find pretentious about it is the silly 1930s way the staff dresses, which makes it feel more like a Disney attraction than a real bar, but the rules and the people it attracts are much appreciated.
Or they could make flyers that have their rules clearly outlined on them?
Why rely on the atmosphere to (possibly) dictate the tone you’re trying to set? Frat guys, for lack of a better term, don’t care about your expectations of creating a desired atmosphere. If the rules are too much for you, don’t go. No need going and expecting one thing, or making other patrons feel awkward because the rules arent clearly outlined.
No Budweiser?
I respect all the other rules, but Budweiser is pretty classic.
I’ve been here. It’s not bad. Keep in mind it is right in the heart of Wicker Park, the pretentious hipster Mecca of Chicago.
Exactly. Spelling out the rules (which I mostly agree with) is lame. If you don’t want frat boys and hipsters in your place, don’t stock PBR and Jagermeister. Decide who you want to cater to and set your prices accordingly.
What bothers me is places that have the nerve to market themselves as “upscale” and don’t live up to the standard. Shabby, outdated decor, poor Scotch selection and so on.
I agree with the posters that say don’t judge it until you’ve been there. This is not a bar to get drunk with your buddies, it’s a chill lounge where you can enjoy amazing drinks and great conversation. It’s not pretentious or douchey, they are trying to create an atmosphere which sets them apart from other establishments. Not uptight either, but I guess it speaks to a certain maturity level. I think I’ll visit it again soon.
This place might be a lot of things, but it’s certainly not a hipster bar if that’s what you’re implying…
This place might be a lot of things, but it’s certainly not a hipster bar if that’s what you’re implying…
Yes they do. “Proper Attire Requested.”
I respect the choice of those that want to go to a sports bar in flip-flops and watch the game with a bucket of Bud. I like a can of PBR and game of darts as much as the next man: when I’m in the mood for it. But for that, we have infinite choice of venue in the US. There ought to be choices for other folks too, though.
Perhaps with these rules they’re wearing their aesthetic on their sleeve a bit. I agree to some extent with Prime above– surely by merely not serving Budweiser the clientele would regulate itself to a good degree.
In any case, I like well-made cocktails, and bars that I can visit in a suit without feeling like the d-bag myself. A place where I don’t feel pretentious for asking for an old fashioned. I’m not trying to lord my oh-so-recently-acquired sophistication over others, I’m just enjoying my tastes. Speaking of, it’s nice to go to a bar where you know the women will be dressed in something other than running shorts and t-shirts. A place where you can say to your girl, put on a cocktail dress, we’re Going Out.
We have a place like this in seattle, modeled after the speakeasy:
http://www.kneehighstocking.com/#12
These rules might seem officious, until you actually GO to the Violet Hour. It’s in Chicago, in Wicker Park. Their drinks are works of art, and space is limited with very long lines at peak hours. It’s only pretentious if it fails to achieve what it claims to.
“No Budweiser” cracks me up. As someone who can count the number of times I’ve actually had a Budweiser on one hand (just not my thing), this seems incredibly ludicrous and condescending – especially so coming from a bar that serves plum flavored gin cocktails. I bet they have a killer soundtrack at this place too. This bar sums up the reason Chicago will always be known as the “Second City.”
I appreciate all of the sentiments, as I think jaeger bombs and baseball hats don’t really belong in a good cocktail bar. But if they were as refined as they’re trying to be, they would find a way to set the tone for their bar without the obnoxious, pretentious sign. It’s sort of the reverse of “if you have to ask …” If you have to put it on a sign, you’re probably doing something wrong.
We have a few like that in Seattle (which is great), but this sign takes a much more gracious tone that that of the Violet Hour, to the same effect.
Visited the Violet Hour while on vacation last week and it was absolutely a highlight of our trip. It’s probably ruined other cocktails for me for awhile (three words: root beer bitters). Plus the servers were friendly and I even got to talk to the bartender about shoegazer music. Yeah, the rules seem like a shtick, but it’s not the kind of place you’d go to for a Budweiser anyway. At the same time, we passed on Aviary because it just seemed a bit *too* overdone, but I won’t hold that against them. They’re just bars. Plenty good ones around.
Great cocktail bars inspire this kind of behavior (through prices, menu selection, location, decor….) rather than demand it.
“This bar sums up the reason Chicago will always be known as the “Second City.””
You’re just as condescending as the bar.
I live 3 blocks from the joint. It’s definitely not my usual watering hole – fun for an occasional romp. The drinks are fantastic though.
..and yet, that one ‘rule’ alone could accurately describe the atmosphere you’ll expect (or not expect) there. Sounds effective to me.
Really? One rule at one establishment sums something up?
I would give it a shot. Some of those rules aren’t really even rules. They’re just declarations like “we don’t serve bad beer here”. And the rules that are rules, aren’t particularly stringent rules. The seating rules are wierd, though. I could see that being a major inconvenience for some people.
In response to the option “Nope. Seems like they might take themselves too seriously.” I just want to say that I think they just appreciate quality time. It’s not a place that allows in people who are going to be douches, but there’s nothing in here restricting having a freaking awesome night; only from having a half assed fun night.
Could someone explain the issue with cosmopolitans i’m a guy so I don’t understand the issue.
Seems a little tounge-in-cheek to me, but I could see how it could come off as pretentious. But the last part? How could anyone take that seriously? How would they possibly enforce that? It’s just trying to set the tone for the place, set them apart as being more “sophisticated/upscale”
This is a bar owned by pretentious, condescending jackasses for pretentious, condescending jackasses. Congratulations and good luck with that.
The Violet Hour is one of the best bars in America and a favorite of mine when I get back home to Chicago. They take their drinks and their business, making people feel they are out for a special night, seriously. You want a different experience and get quality drinks? Go to the Whistler on Milwaukee Avenue. You can go to the Green Eye on Milwaukee as well if you want some quality beer and some low key good times. Nice thing about those bars is that they support each other. The bar tenders at the Violet Hour not only told me about the Whistler, they comped me a drink. Anyone who thinks the place is pretentious or for pretentious people should visit first before offering an ill informed, fact-free opinion.
There are plenty of craft beer bars in Minneapolis that don’t stock macro lagers like Miller or Bud. Nothing pretentious in that, just economics– they simply don’t sell because the people who frequent these establishments don’t buy them. Better to be upfront about what kind of place it is so people know what to expect.
Cell phones at the bar are one of very few things that truly cause my blood to boil. That being said, rules are generally off-putting when it comes to drinking.
Interesting idea. I’d certainly check it out and see what the Violet Hour has to offer.
Their drinks are awesome though
The staff are always jerks at places like this!!! They think their rules put them above everybody else. The “no bud, no bombs” rule is quite pretentious as well.
This place is just down the road from me. Its sort of a pain. More for taking visitors, or for dates etc, sort of a “desination” bar. That said at least it is clear on its vision, many bars have an atmosphere dictated by whatever patrons have taken a shine to it lately. As a business, if you can have a focused vision, it makes it easier to target and advertise and for prospective patrons to determine if they want what you offer. I’m a bit too working class to do this place without a good reason.
This is a copy of the bar Milk&Honey in NY and London. Their house rules come across a lot better thou. http://www.mlkhny.com/house-rules.php
They don’t allow “bros,” but do allow the older douchey guys with their golf polos.
It’s in Wicker Park, so it’s the hipster epicenter of Chicago (think Williamsburg). That neighborhood attracts hipsters, ditzy bohemian girls, girls who want to be ditzy bohemian girls for the day, and bros looking to pick up said fake ditzy bohemian girls. That means they’re in enemy territory and can be difficult to walk the line.
The grey goose rule is a good one. It keeps the Trixies and Chad’s out. Google Lincoln Park Trixie.
It’s not really hipster either. More like graphic designers (the older, sophisticated cousin of a hipster).
Patterson House in Nashville has very similar house rules, with the added stipulation that gentlemen should not approach a lady/group of ladies without a proper introduction.
Exactly. Restaurants, workplaces, and country clubs do the same thing – a nicer, classy place will attract the right people on reputation, appearance, expectations, and menu choices alone. Outlined rules are for shitty country clubs. The same applies to bars. Run a decent establishment and the right kind of people will show up. Rules like this scream desperation AND pretension – an insecure combination.
Sounds like a cool place. I don’t know that they have to post a sign saying no Bud or light beers. Presumably if they just didn’t carry them, word would get around. I don’t like the no add ons rule. I can’t figure out the justification for that one. However, I would go there, assuming it wasn’t too far out of my price range.
I wonder what “First City” has in store for cocktail hour. I guess keepin’ it real is only for such cities.
“Second City” is actually a moniker that is a reference to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The city needed reconstruction surgery in order for it to function and be livable after the incident. Only those with bitter pills uses it to malign it.