Inkwell opened in 2024 on Lake Street in the West Loop, taking the literary bar concept more seriously than most. The shelves are actual books, the cocktails include a tequila martini and a Saturn, and the happy hour from 4 to 6pm daily brings $12 select cocktails.

It's part of a small group with a location in Omaha, and the Chicago version brought the same formula: dark wood, brown brick, a neighborhood bar sensibility with better drinks than the neighborhood expects. Open most nights from 4pm.