A $4 Cocktail In The Loop? Check Out Toni Patisserie

By Anthony Todd in Food on Aug 8, 2013 6:00PM

Clearly, we have no problem drinking $13 cocktails, especially if they have umbrellas in them and multiple kinds of rum. But we can be value conscious too, and have complained loudly in the past about cocktail "price creep." Luckily, Toni Patisserie is coming to the bargain-hunter's rescue with $4 cocktails and $2.50 craft beers (yes, you read that right) two nights a week.

Toni Patisserie has been a favorite of ours since it opened in 2011. It's one of the best spots for a casual lunch in the loop, and we're always surprised when people haven't heard of it. But it's tucked away in a corner, and, if you aren't as automatically drawn to a cake-filled window as we are, you might just miss it.

The french pastry shop has a full (huge) menu of savory sandwiches and salads, and in March they started serving wines and champagnes. It's only fitting for a French cafe to allow you to sip on a glass of wine with your sandwich. Now, they've done it one better - starting next week, they're launching a full cocktail and beer program. The cocktails include classics like the gimlet, boulevardier and mimosa, and their opening beer list includes craft beers from Revolution (Anti-Hero IPA and Bottom-Up Wit) and New Holland (Dragon's Milk and Sundog).

The most exciting part? The price. Normally, their cocktails are $8 and beers are $5, which for a drink in the loop across from Millennium Park is a pretty good setup. But on Mondays and Tuesdays, beers wine and cocktails are half off. That means $4 cocktails and $2.50 craft beers. What a deal!

Since drinks this cheap are likely a bit of a loss leader, you should probably order some food. Luckily, they've introduced an evening menu of small bites like warmed brie, mixed olives and chicken liver mousse, all for under $6 a plate. You can satisfy your liver and your stomach for under $10.

Toni Patisserie is at 65 E. Washington St.