Renshaw\u2019s resume reads like a greatest-hits list of Chicago cocktail institutions, from Moneygun<\/a> to The Aviary<\/a>, with national accolades including U.S. World Class Bartender of the Year<\/a>. Now, Bar Bambi is her chance to distill all of that experience into something distinctly her own. The result is a confident, welcoming space at 1703 West Chicago Avenue, just steps from Brasero<\/a> and Beatnik<\/a>.<\/p>\n At Bar Bambi, the drinks lead the conversation. The cocktail menu is both playful and precise, emphasizing techniques like clarification, fermentation and forced carbonation without tipping into show-off territory. Cocktails range from freezer-cold and clarified to breezy and carbonated to everything in between, with a menu that rotates often enough to keep regulars curious. Spirit-free drinks get the same level of attention and are built to feel intentional. A thoughtfully edited wine list that spotlights women winemakers, plus local and approachable beers, rounds out the program.<\/p>\n For food, Renshaw teamed up with Chef Nicklus Byrns, whose background includes Blue Hill at Stone Barns<\/a>, Pineapple & Pearls and Elske<\/a>, to create a menu of bar snacks that goes beyond the norm. Think fried spicy dill pickles with curry-ketchup energy, a crispy halibut sandwich and chicken liver mousse that\u2019s unapologetically rich. Sharp-eyed guests will spot subtle nods to the bar\u2019s namesake tucked into the menu.<\/p>\n The space was designed with Gensler, featuring a 50-seat bar that layers soft textures and mirrored surfaces. There\u2019s even a color-shifting lighting installation by Lightology that can pivot with the night, while floor-to-ceiling windows give the room a cinematic glow after dark.<\/p>\n Bar Bambi will be open Thursday through Monday, with late nights on weekends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Chicago\u2019s West Town has never been short on good bars, but it\u2019s about to get one with a…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":577880,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5124],"tags":[10633,960,5386,1818,65560,988],"class_list":["post-577879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-chicago","tag-categories-restaurants","tag-chicago","tag-il","tag-illinois","tag-news-drinking","tag-restaurants"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116041783725316813","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=577879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577879\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/577880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=577879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=577879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=577879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"bar](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770656959_652_image.webp.webp\")
\nPhotograph: Courtesy of Garrett Sweet
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\nPhotograph: Courtesy of Garrett Sweet
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