The Aviary is a James Beard Award winner for best cocktails in the nation. The ethereal drinks are like nothing you've laid lips on before. Some arrive with Bunsen burners, others with a slingshot you use to break the ice. They taste terrific, whatever the science involved. It's wise to make reservations online. Drinks range between $21 and $29 each.
Various tasting menus let you sample the wares; some come with avant-garde, small-plate food pairings. The man behind the scene is Grant Achatz. Aviary sits beside his hot restaurant Next, though the bar is more in spirit (pun!) with his Lincoln Park restaurant, Alinea. Note the bar's entrance is actually on Morgan St.