Astor Club, the highly anticipated members-only private social club, is getting closer to opening in Gold Coast, located at 1300 N Astor St.
The new club will reside in the famous Astor Tower, in the former home of Maxim’s de Paris. Bertrand and Nancy Goldberg, the original owners of the space, opened Maxim’s in 1963 before famed architect Bertrand Goldberg gifted the area to the City of Chicago, according to the company’s website. Now, Victoria and Adam Bilter, who reside in the building and purchased the former Maxim’s space from the city last year, are getting ready to revive it as Astor Club, scheduled to open in Summer 2023.
The new owners have gotten closer to opening by recently applying for a liquor license. When Astor Club does open, guests can expect a dining room with live music, a cocktail bar, space for events, meetings, and work, keyless entry, lockers, and wifi. The Bilters managed to preserve the original interior from deteriorating through their restoration. Astor Club also has a team of world-class chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists to create a one-of-a-kind menu, cocktail, and wine list. The food and drinks will be professionally sourced and made with the freshest ingredients.
“We will be offering a continental breakfast and full lunch and dinner service,” Adam Bilter tells Classic Chicago Magazine. “Victoria and I spend part of the year on Lake Como, and we will be working Italian dishes into our European menu.”
When Nancy Goldberg designed the space, she wanted to pay homage to the flamboyant Maxims-de-Paris on Rue Royale, which opened seventy years earlier. At one point, Maxim’s was the only 5-star restaurant in Chicago and ranked among the top six gourmet restaurants in the country by Life Magazine. Countless celebrities have visited this building, including Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, Elton John, John Travolta, The Beatles, Truman Capote, and a whole lot more. The new Astor Club will also be used for cooking classes, fashion shows, live music, guest speakers, art events, and charity benefits.
