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The slick spin-off of the Fairmont's adjacent Aria aims to draw hipster and foodie attention to the East Loop.
Blending equal parts restaurant and lounge, Aria Bar is an adult's playground, anchored by a gold amorphic sofa and an illuminated sushi station, Aria Bar is a sensory experience set to a global soundtrack. Sari-inlaid tables, influenced by traditional noodle houses in Japan, provide communal space to enjoy aria bar's noodle menu, while private recesses enhanced by gold and amber shears provide a discreet getaway to experience aria bar's exemplory sushi and sake. East meets West at Aria Bar, Chicago's only sushi club.

• Culturally Inspired
• Sari-inlaid Tables
• Traditional Noodle House

The slick spin-off of the Fairmont's adjacent Aria aims to draw hipster and foodie attention to the East Loop.

The Scene
Amber and violet lighting wash the oval room. Metallic tiles play nicely with shimmering drapery. The bar to the right offers stool seating, but modish lounge configurations throughout are more inviting for cocktails. A central communal sushi bar is glass and glows blue and offers a more serious eating space for loners or couples. Techno is perhaps too aggressive, and maybe too loud, but reinforces an intended nightlife vibe.

The Food
From the illuminated sushi bar (and hidden hot kitchen) comes a pan-Asian menu focused on well prepared and dramatically presented sushi. Hot starters jump from Chinese--crispy and richly filled lobster spring rolls--to Thai--Sriracha-spiked chicken satay. Sushi is about quality and subtlety, like freshly grated wasabi root and expertly formed and seasoned rice. Notable pieces include velvety fatty tuna and briefly torched salmon. Rolls are few but astute: toothsome nori holds creamy tuna and prickly scallion-jalapeno sauce.