The Bristol
2152 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL
About This Vendor
Trendy Bucktown Chef-Driven New American Cusine
Named one of Chicago's 10 hottest restaurants by Chicago Magazine. The Bristol has helped shape the Chicago hospitality scene since 2008 as a neighborhood staple. Chef Larry Feldmeier now evolves the vision of The Bristol’s cuisine with highly seasonal menus. The food is deliberately created, packed with flavor and unpretentious. The menu is a hybrid of classic and contemporary, and while based in French techniques, remains New American with farm-fresh produce and rooted in Midwest sensibilities. The Bristol’s wine program is built on a foundation of producers that are the benchmarks for their regions and styles of winemaking, while also focusing on the new generation of producers who’ve taken the baton and are re-shaping their regions’ historic styles. This philosophy trickles down to every element of The Bristol’s ‘Nouveau/Classic’ beverage program. From redefined classic cocktails to classic Euro beer styles done in American palate – the goal is for the beverage program to be as “New American” as the food. The Bristol’s second floor features a spacious private room built for any number of events, from showers, rehearsals, and wedding receptions. Great for family-style dining or a Chef's tasting menu for up to 60 guests. Your experience at The Bristol will be met with a smile, warmed with hospitality and filled with great food and drink.
Amenities + Details
Indoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Ceremony Types
Civil Union, Commitment Ceremony, Elopement, Interfaith Ceremony, Non-Religious Ceremony, Religious Ceremony, Second Wedding , Vow Renewal Ceremony
Guest Capacity
Up to 100
Settings
Restaurant
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks, Cakes & Desserts, Food & Catering, Service Staff
The Bristol Reviews
Share your thoughts with other couples
Our celebration came off without a hitch. As a former caterer myself, I am always on the lookout for glitch. Michelle got all the details right, and smiled thru my know it all requests and questions.The staff and kitchen delivered delicious f...
ood and service. The food is why I sought out the Bristol, but when I saw how great the room was I was sold. The room set up is ideal. Private, a permanent bar and all equipment is included. The pricing is more than fair as well. Our party came off without a hitch as well as the surprise! Book an event there now!
I am genuinely happy to have picked The Bristol for our wedding reception a little over 8 months ago. The staff was wonderful (and Michelle), the service was exceptional, the space was intimate and the food was delicious. We didn't have dancing...
at The Bristol, but we did have both kids and adults in the space. The event was positively memorable for everyone. Both my husband and I love to eat here when we can. We never had a bad dish or drink and the shared servings are always ample. They cater well to diverse foodies from people with specific allergies, pescatarians, vegetarians and carnivores. I've been in the Bucktown area for over a decade so I'm not a stranger to other venues in the area. I highly recommend this place—but note that their basque cake is not to be skipped!
Last August my husband and I choose to get married at The Bristol and we couldn't have been more pleased with our experience!! We had a very small wedding, less than 50 people and so when researching venues we wanted to find a place with a rel...
axed atmosphere, good food, good cocktails and excellent customer service and The Bristol absolutely fit all our criteria!! The event coordinator was extremely helpful!! She was always flexible with meeting times and would return my emails immediately. We were allowed to bring our own flowers and desserts. Our wedding day was amazing, everything went smoothly, the staff was so amazing and friendly. All our guests loved the food and drinks and complemented us on what a nice evening we planned. My family loved the food so much that we went and had dinner there 2 days after our wedding!! Anyone who is looking to have a small no fuss wedding with amazing food and drinks should seriously consider going with The Bristol!!
We hosted our son and daughter-laws rehearsal dinner at Bristol's in October. The atmosphere was a perfect setting for a magical evening. Everything was exceptional !! The food, drinks and service were over the top. We would for sure host ...
another party at The Bristol!
Our daughter and husband had their rehearsal dinner at the Bristol and loved it so much, that 1 year later, we hosted a baby shower for them there as well. 2 very different types of events and 2 wonderful experiences! The upstairs room is great...
, very open with a great bar, and restrooms conveniently located. We were at full capacity for the dinner, and everyone had a great time. The food is served family style and is excellent, very farm to table. For the shower, we had a much smaller number, but was still very intimate and the brunch menu was yummy. Service here is an A+. They will work with you on pretty much anything. I planned everything over the phone with the events planner, Michele Gnau who I knew would not be there on the day of, but no worries, everything was as promised! The wait-staff was fabulous, and worked to make sure all the guest were happy. Over-all, a great experience!
The Bristol planned and executed an excellent Wedding Rehearsal dinner for us....The food was excellent and the service we received from the staff was great !!! The Bride and Groom to be and all of our guests had a wonderful time at The Bristo...
l !!!
My husband and I had a great experience at The Bristol. We took a different approach to our reception and hosted a brunch for our friends and family. Everyone loved the idea, and we received so many compliments on the delicious the food, and ...
the amazing room.
Everyone at The Bristol was easy to work with, and it was a stress-free planning process. The staff was responsive to our questions and requests -- we could not have asked for a better experience.
I had the pleasure of hosting an event at The Bristol and it was an incredible experience. I worked with Michelle to schedule everything and one of the best parts of the experience was their willingness to go the extra mile as well as their fle...
xibility with change of plans. The staff at the event was pleasant and helpful. The private bar, bathrooms, and dance floor made for a truly unforgettable evening. Thank you very much again for everything!
My husband and I held a joint graduation party in May of 2015 for 2 of our sons; one graduating from college and one from high school. We had about 30 people of all ages. From the first phone call to the end of the evening, our experience was...
outstanding. Michelle and her staff were extremely responsive and helpful in the party planning. They were accommodating of our requests. The room was lovely and looked beautiful, despite an unusually dreary May evening. We had a private bar with great cocktails and beer choices and a very fun and engaging bartender. And most of all...the food was wonderful. It impressed even my nephew that considers himself quite a gourmand. I would highly recommend The Bristol for a private party for any occasion. Looking forward to my next graduation so we can do it again.
Had a September wedding in the upstairs space at the Bristol and it was everything I could have ever wanted. I decided on the Bristol because I wanted really good food and drinks at my wedding, and so many people came up to me afterwards to say...
that it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding. Seriously, my dad still talks about how tasty the chicken was, and I decided to put a photo of a waiter carrying the parker house rolls in my wedding album.
Plus, the service was wonderful. The servers and the bartender were amazing, bringing out more food when people polished off their first helping, making INCREDIBLE cocktails, and just generally being courteous and fun and helpful.
The space is really ideal for a simple wedding--we had 60 people fit very comfortably in the space, we used the fireplace area for the reception and later for the dance floor. We didn't have a budget for music, so we plugged an iPod into their sound system and we were ready to go! Plus, working with a restaurant meant that we didn't have to think about tables, chairs, linens, place settings, etc. They took care of all of that, and it was all lovely. At the end of the night they even boxed up our extra cake for us so we could have it for breakfast the next day.
Contact Info for The Bristol
2152 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL
Meet the Team
Elizabeth Bolger
Events Director
Elizabeth worked for 13 years with Rick Bayless and the team at Frontera Grill before heading to BIN 36 to run their bustling events program. Most recently Elizabeth was Sales Director with Darden Restaurant Group before coming on board with the BHospitality Team as Director of Sales.
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