Welcome to Boleo, the Latin American inspired bar and longue on the rooftop of the Kimpton Gray Hotel. Think trendy party space with a live DJ, where the music is heating up and the open roof makes the city feel alive. Boleo has major Latin sizzle as the food is a mix of Peruvian and Argentinian. It is the perfect place for a quick after work cocktail or place to keep the drinks flowing into the night…
We started the night with cocktails made by the head bartender Jessica and team. Boleo offers many standard Latin American combinations, as well as unique options that change seasonally. The two drinks on our radar were ‘Only Girl in the Room’ a delicate mix of aperitivo, lemon and cava and ‘Poetic Justice’ with rye, sherry and bitters.
The chef was willing to make some modifications, and even with modifications we were still able to experience the authenticity of the traditional dish. Here were some of the meal highlights: the camarones was a shrimp ceviche with colorful peppers marinated in a lemon citrus sauce. This dish was quite satisfying! Next up was the salmon dish ‘tiradito’. The chef recommended rolling it up to taste all of the flavors in one bite – FYI the pepper sauce had a slight spicy kick. Topped with micro greens, this dish was beautifully presented. The blue fin Tuna Tataki in the anticuchos section were sliced up into cubes on skewers with salmon caviar on top. This dish was light, fresh and easy to eat! The Pulpo listed as a platito was a grilled and charred octopus on top of a fried potato and green salsa. This was the most adventurous dish as it mixed many textures.
What to order next time? Would love to try a non-seafood dish to mix it up! All of the food was very fresh, high quality and great sharing portions – like a tapas street food style. This happy hour rooftop spot in the Loop is a must do from the cocktails to appetizers. Don’t be afraid to experiment here and add a little spice to your night!