The guys behind hot bar English are growing up, and their newest venue, Hubbard Inn (110 W. Hubbard St., 312-222-1331), proves it. The sophisticated Continental tavern opened fairly quietly in River North last week, but I'm guessing it will soon make a big noise in the local restaurant and bar scene. The 8,000-square-foot bohemian space — inspired by the travels of author Ernest Hemingway (weird, but true) — is totally unique and pretty awesome.

Executive chef Bob Zrenner, an alum of Tru and North Pond, has created a menu of affordable, European-inspired small plates, including braised short ribs with parsnip puree and a bone-marrow radish salad; steak tartare served with a quail egg; and pan-seared scallops with pumpkin puree and sage-hazelnut brown butter. Also look for inventive flatbreads topped with asparagus and mushroom ragout and white anchovies with olives and sheep's milk ricotta. The cocktails are equally alluring: mid-century cocktails like Manhattans, Sazeracs, and Hemingways, 22 craft beers on draft, an internationally sourced wine list, and small-batch spirits, liqueurs, cordials, and house-made mixers.

While the food and drinks are the real draw, the interior is also pretty amazing. Vintage books, furniture, and art found in England, France, Belgium, Italy, and Spain fill the interior of the two-story space. You'll enter through a lobby with floor-to-ceiling Moroccan tiles, Persian rugs, and black-crystal chandeliers, then move into dining rooms outfitted with brass light fixtures, antique church benches, custom-built libraries, fireplaces, and Balinese doors and reclaimed meatpacking carts recreated as dining tables. Suddenly everything old is new again!

Hubbard Inn is open Monday through Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m., and the restaurant’s two bar areas stay open until 2 a.m.

Source: Hubbard Inn