This content was originally published by The Hop Review, a digital magazine that joined the Hop Culture family in March 2020.
This piece was written by Nick Costa.
LOOP, CHICAGO
Downtown’s newest gastropub looks to bring a neighborhood feel to the heart of the city. Located at the Fairmont Chicago (200 N. Columbus Dr.), in the old Aria space, Columbus Tap will bring elevated pub food with a thoughtfully curated tap list that is sure to attract locals as much as visiting hotel guest.
The draft list is almost exclusively Chicago breweries, but it is far from a gimmick. General Manager Joe Bunke spent months developing a list that is as balanced across styles as it is with the local breweries. Columbus Tap will also feature an exclusive collaboration brew with Logan Square’s Maplewood Brewery, the aptly named When Life Gives You Kumquats citrus saison, which will sure to be a crowd pleaser as the weather warms up. In the off chance you can’t find something to quench your thirst from the 16 handles, Bunke has created a bottle and reserve list that ranges from Old Style to a three year vertical of Revolutions Deth’s Tar barrel-aged stout.
As equally impressive as the beverage program is Chef Atticus Garant‘s menu. Like the draft list, the menu is Midwestern-focused with standouts like the tongue and cheek Animal Crackers–pork cracklings dusted in a secret spice blend; and the Upgrade burger, which is topped with braised beef cheek and tomato bacon jam. While Garant claims pork is his favorite vegetable, there is a great selection of open faced toasts and options from the garden if you are looking for something on the lighter side after work.
Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week–and just minutes from the Aon, Blue Cross Building, and Millennium Park–Columbus Tap is sure to a hit with locals and tourist alike.
“We hope to create an environment where both hotel guests and Chicagoans alike embrace the restaurant as their own neighborhood gem.”
All images provided by the Fairmont Chicago & Columbus Tap.