Chicago | Hidden Bar in S.K.Y. — Le Mistral 🥂

Ever since S.K.Y. moved from Pilsen to near Lincoln Park, I hadn’t visited until recently, when I heard they opened a hidden wine bar inside called Le Mistral. Naturally, I had to check it out! Le Mistral is indeed tucked inside S.K.Y. — to be exact, you have to walk through S.K.Y.’s kitchen to reach the dimly lit, intimate bar space 🍷✨. Maybe because it’s still under the radar or because we arrived early, even on a Saturday night it wasn’t crowded and felt wonderfully quiet. Le Mistral has its own menu, but when we asked if we could also order from S.K.Y.’s menu, the staff kindly brought both over. Here’s our mixed menu review: 🍴 Corn Madeleines — crispy outside, truly a Midwest flavor signature! 🌽 🍴 Truffle Potato Gnocchi — absolutely heavenly! A hundred times better than the overly salty truffle dumplings I once had at Alinea 😅 🍴 Signature Lobster Dumplings — wasn’t planning to order, but the chef recognized us in the kitchen and gifted us a plate 🦞❤️ 🍴 Mushroom & Avocado Salad — could’ve been great, but unfortunately included goat cheese (not my favorite 🧀) 🍴 Sichuan Spicy Meat Sauce with Cheese — so authentic! Anyone who tries it would say it’s true old-school Sichuan flavor 🌶️🧀 🍴 Duck Confit with Celery-Apple Salad — refreshing and light, paired with an apple-based sauce 🦆🍏 🍴 French Onion Soup with Braised Short Rib — a brilliant combo! Like “soup and meat marriage” — unexpectedly perfect together 🍲🥩 🍴 Chocolate Cookie — looks simple but rivals Levain’s famous gooey center! About one-fifth the thickness but just as decadent 🍪🤤 Since moving to Lincoln Park, the space is noticeably larger and feels more date-friendly 💑. The menu has evolved, but S.K.Y.’s spirit remains strong — highly recommended! 📍 S.K.Y. 2300 N Lincoln Park W, Chicago, IL 60614 #ChicagoEats #HiddenBar #LeMistral #SYKRestaurant #ChicagoFoodScene #WineBar