Best Jazz Club in Chicago · Chicago, IL
The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge has been pouring drinks in Uptown since 1907, making it one of the oldest continuously operating jazz clubs in the country. In the 1920s it was a favorite of Al Capone's outfit — his booth is still there, with an escape route to the tunnels below — and the green-velvet, art-deco room has barely changed since.
Revived by Dave Jemilo in 1986 and home to the original Uptown Poetry Slam, the Green Mill remains Chicago's definitive jazz room and the 2026 Centurion Award winner.
Each Centurion Award is a dated record tied to one year’s evaluation — earned annually, never carried over. Open a year for the full citation and verification details.
Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit Green Mill Cocktail Lounge
This page is the standing record for Green Mill Cocktail Lounge (2026). It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
If you’ve put in the years, you may already clear the bar. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.