The best places to meet singles in Chicago

Chicago’s lesbian nightlife destination is the ‘70s fern bar of your dreams, with strong cocktails, cozy booths and a friendly clientele. A host of regular events, including karaoke, burlesque shows and monthly astrology evenings give you plenty of reasons to visit, but it’s worth checking out on a regular night too.

If you’re looking for love, farmers markets should be one of the first stops on your list. Rivaling the “horny” Logan Square Farmers Market, Green City isn’t too far behind with more than ample opportunity to canoodle amongst the organic produce and homemade soaps. The market goes indoors at Rockwell on the River in Avondale during the winter months and reopens in Lincoln Park during the summer so the wooing can continue year round. Join in fun and flirtation every Saturday from 8am to 1pm; get your tote bags and best pickup lines ready.

Whether you run a Catan table like the Navy, fight over every word in a round of Scattergories or prefer a relaxing round of Wingspan, Thursday nights at Bucktown’s vaunted and vibe-y board game cafe are where you want to be. The low-stakes, low-pressure weekly mixers are perfect for game enthusiasts of all skill levels looking to connect with new people over an activity. With drink specials, bar snacks and game teachers to help you navigate the more than 400 titles, there’s bound to be some combination you'll enjoy.

You’d be hard pressed to not find a conversation starter in the Chicago Athletic Association’s dark wood-paneled rec room, especially if you’ve got a competitive streak. With billiards, skeeball, checkers, shuffleboard and foosball, you’ve got enough options to keep the games and good times going for hours. Afterwards, you can take a break with a local brew or seasonal cocktail, split a pillowy-soft pretzel and talk strategy for the next round.

This karaoke bar is the perfect place to meet other singles in the city—potentially with the help of some liquid courage. Every night, Brando’s Speakeasy hosts on-demand karaoke for adventurous performers to gleefully sing their hearts out with the rest of the bar. Invite someone up for a power ballad duet or serenade the eligible singles with your favorite love song. This form of melodic matchmaking is a great way to shed the formalities and create some great connections.

You can’t go five swipes on a dating app without running into someone who insists what they want most is someone who can make them laugh. You could be that person for someone! Surround yourself with funny people (or at least, people who think they’re funny) by taking a standup class or hitting up one of the many eclectic shows at this Logan Square comedy showcase, from the intimate poetry gathering Giggle Hour to the wild gross-out fun of Ladylike. And hey, if meeting people here doesn’t work out, at least you’ve got new material.

Unlike most of our picks on this list, Chicago AF is not a brick-and-mortar space, but a group with events all over the city for people looking to make friends or more in an alcohol-free environment. It offers three standard monthly gatherings—a book club, a coffee club (at rotating coffee shops around the city) and a brunch meetup—along with exciting seasonal activities like Cubs games, cooking classes and even a harborside Bears tailgate sponsored by low-alc beer brand Years. 

The sport of bouldering is many things: Fun, dangerous, a stimulating challenge for body and mind, and perhaps even a pathway to finding love? If you want to meet new people doing something active but bristle at the idea of another beer-league dodgeball season, First Ascent, with four locations across the city, puzzles for every fitness level and an enthusiastic, friendly community, may be for you. Events like Mindful Climbing and Queers on the Rocks help newcomers beat the jitters and get to know their fellow climbers. Heights make you nervous? Don’t worry, they’ve got yoga too.

Volunteering for organizations or causes you care about is an excellent way to meet new people while giving back to your community. And with a strong local presence, tons of volunteer opportunities at events all over the city, and most importantly the potential to meet lots of very good dogs and cats, no-kill shelter PAWS Chicago is a great option. Even if you don’t meet that special someone, you’re still helping animals in need—everybody wins! If you’re an avid runner, consider joining Team PAWS for access to races and a supportive community. 

Listen, we love to slowly binge through all 52 seasons of Chopped, too, but what if you took your passion for food and wine into the real world? At the Lakeview-based "Party School” of cooking schools, you can meet new people and develop your culinary repertoire so you’re ready to wow your person on date night. Joining Get in the Kitchen’s monthly social club will grant you access to their raucous events where you may make dumplings alongside a drag show or canapés during a karaoke night—plus you get a bottle of wine every month.

Hyde Park’s multi-hyphenate culture and party space is a winner for finding your person by virtue of sheer breadth and depth of events to mingle with all kinds of people. From concerts to trivia nights to markets to tailgate parties, ”something for everyone” is more than just buzzwords here. You’ll find Latin dance celebrations and "silent' juke jams. If you’re an early bird, they’ve got bumpin’ day parties. Check out frequent storytelling showcases for perfect "plus one" events. In the warmer months, the spacious patio makes for the perfect backdrop to keep the conversation going somewhere a little quieter.

The sheer size of the behemoth gay Chicago institution can seem intimidating, especially on weekends, when the place is packed with revelers. But with multiple bars, ample seating and an airy roof deck, you’re bound to find a bar with your vibe. If the pumping music videos and boozy slushies aren’t doing it for you, the ice-breaking activities like trivia, storytelling, Drag Race watch parties and the infamous showtunes sing-along nights might. Sidetrack hosts Dog Day Saturdays usually during the summer, where you can bring your four-legged friend, because they deserve a meet-cute, too.

If bonding with a potential partner over a carefully dissected owl pellet sounds like your idea of a good time, Logan Square’s ethically sourced taxidermy nature museum and event space may be the place for such a romantic affair. Curious nature lovers can connect over the space’s diverse event offerings, from the friendly acoustic jam sessions to more offbeat options like snake yoga and “Marsupial Masterpiece” sip and paints featuring Hazel, the resident opossum and local celebrity.

While the beers are naturally the highlight at this Bronzeville brewery, the friendly atmosphere at the taproom inside Sip and Savor is also worth making the Red Line voyage for. Events like sports watch parties, live music and a regular spelling bee provide opportunities to mix and mingle, but even on a regular day, the brews—from the peanut butter-basil-jalapeno IPA to the signature Queen’s Legacy, a Caribbean-style stout aged in Uncle Nearest whiskey barrels—are sure to be conversation starters.

Flirt in French or smooth talk in Spanish with plenty of potential suitors at Int’l Cafe Chicago at Revolution Brewing's taproom. Once every few weeks, dozens of people gather at tables dedicated to a different language—perfect for anyone practicing their speaking skills. So whether you’re trying to brush up on your high school-level Japanese or even learn the basics of American Sign Language, the awkward part is already over as you’re encouraged to spark up conversation!

Nothing says “looking for love” quite like ripping your date’s heart out in a gory finishing move—and if you’re into that sort of thing, Logan Arcade offers casual Mortal Kombat matches on the first Monday of the month. With dozens of vintage arcade games and pinball machines to choose from, for just a pocket full of quarters, you’ve got a night full of opportunities to spark up a conversation, some friendly competition, and hopefully, something more. There’s even a five-on-five cabinet, Killer Queen, that players flock to on league night every week.

Follow the neon chihuahua sign inside Moreno’s Liquors in Little Village, and you’ll be met with one of the city’s best speakeasies, an inviting celebration of neighborhood spirit, and alcoholic spirits. Although Osito’s hosts cool liquor tasting events and seminars, DJs and even a lotería night, the creative cocktails like the Malörti-infused Chicago Sling and impressive mezcal flights are conversation starters themselves. A compact patio is perfect for leisurely summertime mingling with your cocktails.

Find your fellow art fanatics at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Tuesday evenings are free admission for Illinois residents so you can peruse the art to your heart’s content. See someone especially enthralled by your favorite painting? Strike up a conversation about the artist or the exhibit. If art’s not entirely your thing, make sure your ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ are loud enough for any potential suitors to know you still take it seriously.

There are several reasons Friar Tuck has been a popular destination for Chicagoans looking for love for more than 50(!) years. It’s unpretentious but full of unique touches, from the iconic cask door to the fireplace. It’s easily accessible on foot or via public transit for Lakeview and Lincoln Park dwellers. It’s got plenty of activities like game nights, trivia, bingo and karaoke to help temper the awkwardness and give you something to do. Oh, and the cheap, regular drink specials will help you get up your nerve to talk to that cutie at the bar. 

We get it. You’re over swiping. The idea of small talk between sips of too-expensive cocktails bores you to tears. You just want to dance. The longtime Avondale Polish dive bar saw a post-quarantine renaissance as a dance party destination, and following a recent renovation, you can catch the best local and touring DJs from across a wide, global spectrum of dance music, from rave to drum ‘n’ bass, from perreo to Italo disco. Go forth, and meet somebody on the dance floor.