Bordel is upstairs from Black Bull on Division Street, accessed through a door with minimal signage. The name is French slang, and the concept leans into that: a Parisian-Pigalle-inspired cabaret with velvet sofas, candlelight, and performers who actually know what they're doing.

On any given night there might be burlesque, jazz, magic, or some combination. The "World Famous Spanish Coffee" is a signature and a bit of a show in itself. Chicago Magazine called it a sexy throwback speakeasy when it opened, and a decade in, the description still fits. It's intimate to the point of being cramped on busy nights, but that's part of it.