Violet Hour

The Violet Hour has been praised for their creative cocktails, the romantic ambiance (everything is candle- and chandalier-lit) and the  swanky – yet minimalistic – décor. What it could lose, and still be just as amazing without, is the pretentious attitude.

Violet Hour’s rules are posted just inside the door, but in case you cannot find the door I decided to post them here. Why would you not be able to find the door? Unlike many clubs that have a sign and a club-front that would proudly display the name and welcome people in, the Violet Hour, located at 1520 N. Damen Ave. in the Wicker Park neighbourhood, secretly hides behind what looks like a demure construction site.

Oddly enough, this “hidden” venue actually stands out like a sore thumb in Wicker Park’s downtown, dawning what looks like a neatly boarded up front with only two doors: one of which, pompously enough, has a massive, painted bust of a man  (circa 1952) with a smarmy grin on his face pointing at the wrong entrance. That’s right. A fake entrance. For such a nice, classy place you think the Violet Hour would not have to try so hard to be cool.

Once you get in the door, be prepared to get friendly with a whole group of people shoved into a small, dark corridor waiting for the bouncer to give you a once-over and lead you through a heavy purple curtain. Bigger parties will wait for a longer time and do not worry your little head about not being dressed to the nines: it is so dark, no one will notice your jeans and Chuck Taylors.

After you are led to your (tiny) table and you quit gagging on Violet Hour’s ego, you are in for a laugh.  Because of the chairs and the setup of the bar, there is a possibility you will be sitting across from your date and you can giggle at how it looks like the two of you are sitting in facing electric chairs awaiting your imminent death. The only thing those chairs are missing are the wrist shackles. Opt for chairs that are sitting next to each other if you want to talk to your date.

Sit with the menu for a while and finally remember why it is you came here: The cocktails are amazing. I went for an Etiquette that had Gruet sparkling, house-made raspberry syrup, Tabernero Pisco Acholado (a Peruvian distilled grape alcohol) and Aperol (an Italian aperitif).

I am not a huge cocktail drinker but I can honestly say that this was, by far, the best cockatil I have ever had. The sweet and bitter bite along with the refreshing bubbly made it go down smoothly. So smoothly, in fact, I could hardly tell there that it was laced with a ton of alcohol. Dangerous!

Really, once you are inside, the Violet Hour is not at all as stilted as it seems. The servers are friendly, the bartenders really want you to enjoy the drinks they make and the bouncer came by the table just to check up on us and make sure we were having a good time, which we were.

I just do not think the Violet needs to put up such a front just to be considered a secretive and posh bar when they have all the class and modesty of English royalty. In other words, they need not be chavvy and flaunt a label when they can wear a bespoke suit from Jermyn Street that says it all.

This is the violet hour, the hour of hush and wonder, when the affections glow again and valor is reborn, when the shadows deepen magically along the edge of the forest and we believe that, if we watch carefully, at any moment we may see the unicorn.
- Bernard DeVoto “The Hour”

Dev xx