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Top 10 dance clubs

1. Smartbar

8.1
3730 N Clark St (btwn Grace & Waveland), Chicago, IL
Night Club · Wrigleyville · 56 tips and reviews

Time Out ChicagoTime Out Chicago: This venerated dance club housed in Metro’s basement received a makeover in 2006, slicking up the looks significantly and bringing back a vibrant crowd. Read more.

Spybar is one of Top 10 dance clubs.

2. Spybar

7.5
646 N Franklin St (at W Erie St), Chicago, IL
Night Club · River North · 56 tips and reviews

Time Out ChicagoTime Out Chicago: This basement club in the River North gallery district has had the deep, underground techno sound on lock for some time now. It still has the illicit feel of an after-hours spot for big-name DJs. Read more.

The Underground is one of Top 10 dance clubs.

3. The Underground

6.6
56 W Illinois St (at N Dearborn St.), Chicago, IL
Night Club · Near North Side · 61 tips and reviews

Time Out ChicagoTime Out Chicago: With populist hip-hop and house remixes, the sleek, dark, militaristic space comes alive. Celebrity command performances might not always be A-list. Read more.

Sound-Bar is one of Top 10 dance clubs.

4. Sound-Bar

7.1
226 W Ontario St (at N Franklin St), Chicago, IL
Night Club · River North · 89 tips and reviews

Time Out ChicagoTime Out Chicago: On weekends, resident DJs, costumed dancers and powerful sound create a spectacular scene in the multiroom venue. Read more.

Evil Olive is one of Top 10 dance clubs.

5. Evil Olive

1551 W Division St (at Ashland), Chicago, IL
Night Club · Noble Square · 53 tips and reviews

Time Out ChicagoTime Out Chicago: This spot may have changed names more than any other venue in town, but it’s become an unlikely young hipster hangout thanks to long-standing weekend dance parties. Read more.

The Shrine is one of Top 10 dance clubs.

6. The Shrine

2109 S Wabash Ave (at E 21st St), Chicago, IL
Night Club · South Loop · 55 tips and reviews

Time Out ChicagoTime Out Chicago: Channeling the spirit of the late, great Fela Kuti, this South Loop night spot serves as an ideal place of worship for music heads and lovers of everything from house to hip-hop and soul to Afrobeat. Read more.

7. Berlin Nightclub

954 W Belmont Ave (at N Sheffield Ave), Chicago, IL
Night Club · Lakeview · 63 tips and reviews

Time Out ChicagoTime Out Chicago: This freak-friendly dance destination in Lakeview built its reputation back in the mid-’80s with a mix of German new-wave music, art installations and transvestite shows.

Funky Buddha Lounge is one of Top 10 dance clubs.

8. Funky Buddha Lounge

728 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL
Bar · Fulton River District · 20 tips and reviews

Time Out ChicagoTime Out Chicago: The vivid colors and exotic look of this cozy establishment have weathered to ridiculous kitsch, but the spirit at the venerable venue is strong. Read more.

Hearts is one of Top 10 dance clubs.

9. Hearts

1115 N North Branch St (at Division St), Chicago, IL
Night Club · 15 tips and reviews

Time Out ChicagoTime Out Chicago: Gothic with its dominant black interior and red chandeliers, the space is the new home for quality house in Chicago.

10. The Mid

306 N Halsted St (at W Fulton St), Chicago, IL
Music Venue · Fulton Market · 97 tips and reviews

Time Out ChicagoTime Out Chicago: Two stories allow for dancing and drinking on weekends, but smaller nights see just the main floor used for everything from indie bands to up-and-coming DJ talent. Read more.