D4 Irish Pub. Chicago, Illinois

345 East Ohio Street / Grand Avenue

Guinness Tag: $6.00HH, $10.00 | Overall Rating: 8.90

Today's Dedicated Pint: Michael Collins

D4 Irish Pub of Chicago's Curb Appeal

In 1992, the owner of D4, Brendan, originally from Ballsbridge, had previously opened an Irish Pub down the street called Lizzie McNeill's, named after his daughter. It's still standing and still dishing out the Craic, and certainly worthy of a visit. In 2007 he decided to open a new Pub in Streeterville, naming it after the native zip code of Dublin: D4. This time, he wanted to open more of a proper Pub, and he did just that. This place makes you feel like you're lucky to be there off of the sheer fact of how visually appealing it is. This place isn't for everyone, and that's my favorite thing about it.

The vast majority of the lower working class isn't coming in here to hang out. As the etching on the window out front says, "proper attire required, gentlemen must have sleeves." It sits inside a beautiful building and presents a very decadent and elegant curb appeal. You'll find nice patio tables and greenery upon the entrance door during the summer months along with string lights above your head. One distinctive thing about D4 is that it has its own library! It's a perfect little spot to nestle in during the colder months and you can rent it out for a private gathering.

The interior of the place is modeled after a traditional Irish townhome and as you can see, it's incredibly charming. It's proper, yes, but it also has a good touch of "soda-pop" and "roaring 20's" in my opinion. The ceilings are high, the floor tile is sumptuous, the furniture is polished, and the craftsmanship behind the bar and along the windows is terrific. The lighting is magnificent everywhere you look, whether it's from the natural lighting coming from the surrounding windows or the different chandeliers to choose from. One of the most important things about creating a perfect atmosphere is the lighting. During the nightfall, the Pub's light fixtures really come to life and provide a heck of a comfortable vibe, especially the domed lighting above the glassware.

As you sit at the bar and look around, you don't feel like you're inside just any other bar or restaurant, which is a great indicator that Brendan's vision was a worthwhile one! When we were there, everyone around us were in good spirits with smiles on their faces and laughter for noise. I would have taken photos of the library, however, there was a small private gathering at the time and I wasn't about to be "that guy." The high-top tables in-between the bar and windows are beautiful, giving off a fine "ice cream parlor" vibe accompanied by stunning, leather barstools. If you haven't taken notice by now: I really like the aesthetics here. They aren't what I normally crave out of an Irish Pub, although every once in a while, interiors like these really deliver the duty.

Yes, dude, yes!

The Craic inside D4 is definitely a little lopsided, whereas it's coming from the guests by a much larger degree than the staff. The staff (aside from the awesome gentleman at the host stand) has a bit of that typical "service industry" aura, giving off "Hey what do you want, ok I'll see you when your drink is basically finished, bye" vibes. Don't get me wrong though, I wouldn't place a Pub on The Drunken Mallard's Highest Rated Pubs List if it didn't have any Craic! It surely has it, it's not as prominent as many others out there.

They pour their Guinness the right way, inside a traditional pint glass with a moderate pour. They offer a rather basic draft beer selection, although their whiskey selections are better than most. You'll find about 4 TVs scattered around the place, giving anyone the opportunity to watch whatever's relevant at the time, without taking away from the Pub's overall emotion. The toiletries? They get the job done, alongside a lot of painted drywall. I do wish they decorated their bathrooms with a little something. Give me some pizzazz, will ya?

A Guinness Pour inside D4

At the end of the day, you're going to want to visit this Pub if you're in town for a day or two. I wouldn't recommend that you go too out of your way to get here though, as there are other Pubs nearby that I'd tell you to go to instead (depending on where you're staying). Don't come here as your last stop of the night; this is definitely a Pub that you want to start the night off with. If you do happen to arrive (or leave) D4 Irish Pub a little intoxicated then be careful, as they have some pretty fun and comical t-shirts for sale by the host stand! It's certainly not a Pub that I would frequent to every week if I lived nearby, but you can bet your ass that it would be the place that I'd take someone to if I was looking to impress them.

Thanks, D4. I don't know if I'll ever be back, but here's to hoping so! Slainte.

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