In Chicago, it’s hard to keep a secret. It’s steel, glass and concrete, laid out on a grid – outside of the astonishing skyscrapers and glorious architecture, there’s not a lot of room for a surprise. So turning the corner off the Magnificent Mile, you don’t expect to find a 19th-century mansion. Imagine then finding out that behind that façade lies a five-storey magic house with a restaurant in the middle.
The Arrival
The rules come first. Cocktail attire is strictly enforced, and a sticker goes over your phone camera before you’re through the door. No photos, no filming, so everything is seen first hand. Then comes a coloured lapel pin, matched to your booking time, which decides where you go for the rest of the night. Each group waits in a small holding room until the curtains open onto a velvet-lined lounge, where a pianist plays you in.
The House
Floors are themed and named – the Conservatory, the Hourglass Floor, the Library, the Lower Level – as are the rooms. The Coliseum is a small, round gold theatre built around a single walnut table. The Monarch is lined with blue velvet panels stitched with pearls, and the Vault puts you on curved pews facing a wall of old safety deposit boxes. Between rooms, the house works like a museum of curiosities – antique magic artefacts, a fortune-telling fox, a telephone booth that doubles as a doorway. There’s a map, which I needed, but the staff were usually quicker – pointing the way or sharing a joke.
The Shows
The coordination is impressive. Each colour is passed from host to host and led between three shows, each in a different style: close-up sleight of hand, card tricks, and a much sillier set from a British magician who spent a fair portion of it on the state of our teeth. Guest performers from TV drop in too, which tells you a bit about the exclusivity. Audience participation is constant but light-hearted, and being picked felt like a treat. You hold the cards, you think of a number, you draw a picture, you watch it happen in your own hands, and you still can’t say how.
The Dinner
Dinner is served on the Hourglass Floor between acts, a proper sit-down break before your host gathers the group for the next show. The menu draws on Chicago’s own history – chicken Vesuvio, prime beef carpaccio, relish plates and grasshopper baked Alaska – with a signature burger, bacon-wrapped dates and hand-pulled burrata alongside. Either side of it, the evening moves through bars and lounges where a pianist is always playing, and nobody is left standing without a drink for long.
The Verdict
Acts, styles and menus change regularly, so no two visits match. It’s likely the world’s best first date. Phones are covered from the door, every show gives you something new to talk about, and there’s a fair chance one of you gets pulled up to help with a trick. Hidden in plain sight in the middle of the city, it’s worth planning a trip to Chicago around. Book well in advance.
