Green Mill Cocktail Lounge

The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge on North Broadway in Uptown is one of Chicago's most storied music venues. Its roots go back to Pop Morse's Roadhouse, a saloon at Lawrence Avenue and Broadway; city records date the original saloon to 1898, although 1907 is the year usually quoted. In 1914 Tom Chamales replaced the building with Green Mill Gardens, named after the Moulin Rouge in Paris, and the present venue dates from 1935.

The club's past is part of its draw. Around 1926, Jack McGurn of Al Capone's Chicago Outfit became a part-owner, and a curved booth known as Al Capone's booth is still in the room, with a small table behind the bar serving as a Capone shrine. Over the years the stage has hosted performers including Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday, and modern jazz musicians such as Kurt Elling, Patricia Barber and Von Freeman have recorded live albums here. Dave Jemilo opened the current incarnation of the club on 19 June 1986.

Today there is live music every night, and the calendar is the best guide. Recent schedules show regular weekly residencies: swing, traditional jazz and organ groups in the evening sets from 8pm to midnight, early-evening sets on Thursday and Friday, and late-night sessions after 1am on Friday and Saturday, including a jam session. The Uptown Poetry Slam, which began here in 1986, runs on Sunday afternoons, currently on the third Sunday of the month. A modest cover charge applies to some sets; for example, the late-night weekend shows have a small cover.

The Green Mill suits jazz fans, couples on a night out and anyone interested in Chicago history. Plan dinner beforehand, as the club is about the music and the drinks. Arriving early on weekends is the safest way to get a seat, and note that the club closes for some holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Contact details and directions are given on the club's website. The club is on North Broadway in Uptown on the North Side, reached from downtown by "L" or taxi. Combine an evening here with dinner in Uptown, or, for blues on the same night, take a taxi south to Kingston Mines in Lincoln Park, which stays open until 4am at weekends.