Coming to River North: Tini Bar Debuts With a Ceiling-Fed Martini Tap

This November, LIA Tavern co-owner and chef Justin Vaiciunas will open Tini Bar, a 30-seat cocktail bar beneath the River North restaurant at 11 W. Illinois St. Inspired by the house parties and drinking culture of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, the 630-square-foot space will combine midcentury modern design with a cocktail program built around nostalgia, unexpected presentation and one particularly unconventional way to pour a martini.

Guests will enter Tini through a large sliding door inside LIA, stepping first into a small red room beneath a disco ball that serves as a visual transition between the two concepts. Another door leads downstairs into the bar, where an 11-foot ambient red light fixture hangs above the red glass-tiled bar.

At the center of the room will be a T-shaped bar set at counter height rather than traditional bar height, bringing guests closer to both the bartender and one another, with much of the drink-making happening at seated eye level. Chrome cocktail tables, chartreuse drapery, lime-washed walls, burgundy-and-steel shelving, plush couches and lounge seating will give the room the feel of a midcentury cocktail party rather than a traditional bar.

The centerpiece will be a custom ceiling-fed martini tap system created for Tini Bar. The Warhol Martini on Tap, made with gin, vodka, Mediterranean lemon, olive juice and orange bitters, will be batched, kept below freezing and continuously stirred by a hidden magnetic spinner to keep the ingredients integrated. Instead of being shaken or stirred to order, the cocktail will be released at the push of a button through a sleek metal tube descending from the ceiling directly above the bar.

“I wanted the martini to be a showpiece,” says Vaiciunas. “Freezer martinis and martini carts have become so popular, so I kept thinking about how we could do something different. That’s when I came up with the idea to run the tap system through the ceiling.”

A “Mad Men”-inspired Old-Fashioned will arrive in a chrome-rimmed rocks glass accompanied by a faux cigarette that releases a puff of smoke-like vapor. The Midori Melon Sake Sour, “The Overpour,” combines junmai sake, Midori, citrus and lychee and borrows from traditional sake service, with the glass placed inside a sake box and intentionally filled until it overflows. A matcha piña colada will bring a contemporary ingredient to another retro cocktail.

Tini’s opening menu will feature approximately 15 to 20 cocktails, including five to six martinis, alongside beer and wine. Rather than simply recreating period drinks, Vaiciunas is using them as a starting point for contemporary interpretations.

Guests who want to go beyond the à la carte menu can opt for a six-drink guided cocktail tasting, featuring smaller-format cocktails and selections that may not appear on the regular menu.

Food will follow the same house-party philosophy. Rather than a traditional dinner menu, Tini will serve a concise selection of Tini Bites intended to be eaten without forks or knives, including Tini Weenies, savory mini cones, pickle dip and miniature prime rib sandwiches.

Music will bridge the same eras, incorporating recognizable elements and lyrics from the 1950s through ’70s into contemporary house tracks.

In place of a traditional photo booth, digital cameras will be available for guests to use throughout the space. The cameras will capture photos with a nostalgic, less-polished look while allowing guests to transfer the images directly to their phones.

Tini Bar is expected to open the week of Thanksgiving 2026 and will operate on a first-come, first-served basis with no reservations. Hours will initially mirror LIA Tavern, with the possibility of later hours on weekends. The space will also be available for private events and full buyouts.