RH Chicago and 3 Arts Club Cafe is Luxury Furniture Meets Modern Art
Hey girl!
Ready to dive into furniture heaven with a glass of pinot noir in hand? Well, I managed to stumble upon the ultimate art gallery and cafe in the chic Chicago neighborhood of Gold Coast. Restoration Hardware, also known as RH Chicago, is a total bougie vibe. It’s a six-level furniture gallery with a rooftop park and conservatory, and also home to a grand courtyard dining experience known as 3 Arts Club Café.
I discovered this gem shortly after my recent move to Chicago’s bustling River North neighborhood, meeting a potential business partner here for lunch. While I had originally been in search of all the hip coffee shops nearby, what attracted me initially to this place was the mention of their wine vault!
Yes, you read that right. Not a wine wall or a wine closet, but a vault. Anyone who knows me knows I have way too much wine at home already through my wine club subscription, but that sure doesn’t stop me from plunging into the opportunity to visit a wine wonderland.
An Indoor-outdoor Feel
Upon first walking inside the all-brick building of RH Chicago — passing the valet stand of course, which tells you to expect serious class — a suited or well-dressed host greets you. During my first visit, I figured this guy was the restaurant host, but then as you go further into the next room you see the actual cafe hostess stand and the breathtaking view of the room itself.
The cafe is a vast room within the gallery with a glass-and-steel atrium that lets in a lot of natural light and allows you to see the sky above. There are also gorgeous olive trees and a fountain that add to the ambiance. Looking up, you can also see windows of different floors of the gallery that makes it feel like you’re on an outdoor patio surrounded by hotel rooms or apartments. And as you visit the different floors of the gallery, you can peer out of the windows to look down on the cafe as well, as if you’re in an actual room with an outdoor view.
Furniture with a Dual Purpose, Perhaps?
On either side of the cafe are two corridors of living room furniture like couches and tables. So originally, before learning this was an art gallery, I assumed these areas were just places to sit and wait for your cafe table or even a good place to bring my laptop and work remotely!
And to be honest, I don’t think any of the workers at RH Chicago would say anything if I did set up camp there for a few hours LOL. All the levels are quiet enough with a sparse amount of employees that you totally could relax for awhile and be totally undisturbed. We even saw a group of visitors upstairs who grabbed a glass of wine from the bar downstairs and just hung out in one of the lounge display rooms.
Charming and Delicious Cafe Meals
3 Arts Club Cafe offers a brunch, lunch, and dinner menus with a curated list of wines that can be enjoyed with a meal, by itself in the wine vault, or toted around the gallery. I highly recommend booking a reservation. It seemed like during the week for lunch it was busier than on a weekend visit.
I tried the arugula salad that comes with fennel, grapes, sunflower seeds, parmigiano-reggiano, and citrus vinaigrette. For how simple this salad was, it was still pretty tasty. And I was impressed with how big the portion was.
My guest ordered the avocado toast with charred sourdough and della terra aged balsamic, another hefty portion. For drinks, I ordered an iced matcha latte with almond milk and she ordered a latte. It was nice to have my drink come out in a tall glass with minimal ice compared to the rip-off you typically get nowadays at Starbucks!
There’s No Cheaping out When it Comes to Class
Be prepared to spend a little extra money here. Non-alcoholic drinks average between $6-7, glass of wine or cocktails are around $15, and the lowest you’ll find for a side is $9. But again, with how big the portions were for everything, it doesn’t feel expensive.
Furniture as an Art form
RH Chicago considers itself an innovative retail concept that displays furnishings in a gallery setting. So basically, these pieces you’ll find are definitely available to purchase or to give a very thoughtful gift card to your furniture-obsessed friend! But instead of being a traditional furniture store, all the rooms are arranged to look like actual bedrooms and living rooms that are quite livable as is.
The three main concepts include Interiors, Moderns, and Outdoor. Each floor has a different theme or multiple themes — me and my boyfriend’s favorite was actually the teen and children bedrooms floor! Despite the name, their style of these rooms were much more unique and in tune with our own styles over the boring “adult bedroom” designs. The rooftop conservatory was definitely another obvious favorite simply because of the view!
In the entire gallery, you’ll find everything from living rooms furniture, dining room displays, bedding, bath, lighting textiles, rugs, windows, and miscellaneous decor. You can see MANY of my favorite rooms and displays in all of the galleries above and below.
Ready to Design Your Future Home?
Idk about you, but I sure am! Keep an eye out for when Aidan and I buy a home in the future because we will definitely be creating a very lavish RH Chicago registry. Not ready to furnish your place with such elegance? No worries — for now, settle up with a glass of wine in the wine vault and peruse the various halls of furniture luxury. After all, you can never do too much dream-building!
Sincerely,
