Chicago, 2026

Kitty's Cosmopolitan Club

Conceived with Lettuce Entertain You beneath Crying Tiger in Chicago’s River North, Kitty’s Cosmopolitan Club is a speakeasy‑style cocktail lounge designed by David Collins Studio. An emerald, velvet‑rich palette with animal prints and burnished bronze sets an intimate, theatrical mood. Opened in March 2026, it channels the glamour of a private cabaret with modern craft at its core.

Emerald green drapery falls from the ceiling and gathers behind the bar, edging the room towards something tented and theatrical. Metallic bronze crackle-finish tiles wrap the columns; dark-stained timber walkways frame an abstract animal-print rug; plush banquettes sit against softly illuminated glass brick. The effect is a lush intoxication of green velvet, smoked mirror, polished nickel and low amber light.

Wallpaper* Magazine

David Collins Studio has designed the interiors of Kitty’s Cosmopolitan Club, an intimate cocktail lounge in Chicago’s River North neighbourhood, created in collaboration with Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. Located on the lower level of 51 West Hubbard Street, beneath Crying Tiger, the space combines a rich material palette with a sense of glamour, intimacy and theatricality.

Guests arrive at a host station at the foot of the stairs, where a backlit glass brick wall casts a warm glow into the interior. From here, the room is arranged across three symmetrical sections, with dark-stained timber walkways framing a central abstracted animal print rug. Decorative columns clad in metallic bronze crackle-finish tiles punctuate the space, while layers of textured fabrics and abstracted animal prints introduce pattern throughout.

At the heart of Kitty’s Cosmopolitan Club is the central bar, realised in textured stainless steel with organic overlays and topped with black granite flecked with metallic detail. Behind it, gathered emerald green reflective fabric creates a dramatic backdrop, complemented by floating mirrored glass and polished nickel display shelves. Sculptural tiger table lamps provide a visual connection to Crying Tiger above.

The room has been conceived to create a sense of intimacy throughout. Plush banquettes line the perimeter, set against illuminated glass brick walls, while concealed service stations are integrated between the existing columns. Pierre Paulin-designed bar stools are upholstered in red and metallic abstract animal print fabric, while central back-to-back sofas in emerald green velvet are paired with cocktail tables combining smoked mirror, timber and metal.

Handwoven emerald green macramé leather screens complete the interior, reinforcing a palette that moves between deep greens, warm metallics, mirrored surfaces and dark timber. Together, these elements create an immersive setting for Kitty’s distinctive approach to cocktail culture: rooted in the familiarity and ritual of the classic cocktail bar, while expressed through a contemporary lens.

Photography by Lindsay Eberly