Sangria Late Nights - a Chicago Latin Hotspot

Sangria Restaurant and Tapas Bar has made a name for itself among Chicago's restaurants, but it is also one of Chicago's best Latin dance clubs. On Friday and Saturday nights, the Latin hotspot of the Weed Street District pushes back the tables and turns the music up.

Walk into the room and you know that a great night of music and dancing is ahead of you. The decor transitions well from restaurant into nightclub, the lusty reds and yellows pull you into the warm atmosphere. The dim lighting and seductive Latin beats work their own magic to get you in the mood.

The restaurant itself is split in two by a full service wraparound bar, this set up gives the room the perfect balance of seating and dance space. To the immediate left of the bar, when you enter, is the impromptu dancefloor with permanent booths around the perimeter. On the opposite side of the room, more inviting booths beckon the overflow number of guests from the dancefloor and around the bar.

Both Friday and Saturday nights have earned a good reputation for themselves, but Friday nights are always busier. Sangria promotes Friday nights as their Ladies Night, ladies enter for free all night, and there are generally several drink specials. The night usually starts out with Meregue and Bachata but as the dance floor fills up the Dj starts spinning Reggaeton. On Saturday nights you are likely to hear more Merengue, Bachata and Salsa due to a slightly lighter crowd.

A nightclub would not be complete without a great bar, the same goes for Sangria. The service and drinks are up to par with the rest of Chicago; the drinks were strong, bartenders plentiful and friendly, and prices were comparable to other locations but getting a drink can be a task of epic proportions. If a guy offers to buy you a drink, make sure you have plenty of small talk in mind because you will need to fill in plenty of time while you wait for that drink.

The immediate area around the bar becomes extremely packed and impossible to maneuver around once the night begins. Sangria has managed to attract the city's entire population of bar huggers, the stools that line the bar during the dining hour are left in place creating a near impermeable barrier. To overcome this problem I suggest sending one person, preferably the smallest, to the bar to order for your entire party.

Because of the intimate setting that Sangria's has I think a live Salsa band would suit the crowd and atmosphere better, especially on Saturday nights. Otherwise, there is little else to improve upon. Sangria has managed to provide the Latin loving population of Chicago with the perfect dance party.