Carlyle Club Chicago: Steaks, Sushi & Riverlight at Reid Murdoch
Carlyle Club Chicago is the riverfront night you plan when you want flame-kissed steak and a sushi counter under the same chandelier — windows on the Chicago River, a long marble bar under globe lights, and a patio that sits right on the water. Opening October 1, 2026 inside the landmark Reid Murdoch Building at 316 N Clark St, Carlyle Club Chicago is built for the long evening: lunch when downtown still hums, happy hour when the bar glows, dinner when the second bottle feels inevitable.
This is not a booking tutorial. It is a reason to go — what the room feels like, who is cooking and pouring, how the day stretches from noon to DJ, and the light practical notes that keep the night smooth. Reservations are already open on SevenRooms.
What is Carlyle Club Chicago?
Carlyle Club Chicago is an all-day restaurant and social house on the ground floor of the Reid Murdoch Building — a red-brick landmark on the Chicago River since 1914, protected as a city landmark since 1975. Roughly 8,200 square feet of dining room, bar, private dining, and river patio share one address. The concept is deliberately double: a classic American steakhouse at one end of the room and a sushi bar at the other, with house-made pasta, caviar, cocktails, and a cellar that Master Sommeliers Ken Fredrickson and Fernando Beteta are stocking past 2,000 bottles.
Public channels worth bookmarking:
- Site: thecarlyle.club
- Reservations: SevenRooms — The Carlyle Club
- Instagram: @carlyle.club
- Phone: 312.701.1000
- Address: 316 N. Clark Street, Reid Murdoch Building, Chicago, IL 60654
Eater Chicago named Carlyle Club Chicago among the city’s most anticipated summer 2026 openings; Chicago Planner Magazine mapped the private-dining and patio capacities for planners who need the room as well as the table. The house itself puts it simply: steaks, sushi, cocktails — meet me at CC.
Why does Carlyle Club Chicago feel like a night on the river?
Because the architecture does half the hosting. Ten-foot doors along the southern exposure open toward the water; a reconstructed riverwalk stretch outside connects Clark toward LaSalle. Inside, Social Design Studio kept the building’s Chicago brick and concrete columns, then layered warm woods, marble, burgundy drapery, zinc tables, restored French chandeliers, and a long marble bar under globe lights. The dining room looks straight at the river. The patio — about 72 seats — puts you even closer.
Later in the evening the volume rises. The house plans a DJ after dinner without turning the floor into a nightclub — acoustic treatment in ceilings and walls is meant to keep conversation alive as the room wakes up. That arc matters: lunch can feel bright and businesslike; dinner can linger; the bar can become the reason you stay.
What should you eat at Carlyle Club Chicago?
Think one room, two kitchens. Prime steaks over an open flame share the night with a sushi counter (public materials flag a tight six-seat counter), seafood towers, house-made pasta, caviar service, and American classics with a global tilt. Chicago Planner’s preview points to lobster pot pie, burgers, French dip sandwiches, Australian wagyu, and fish sourced with Japanese precision — treat those as signals of range, then confirm the live menu when you sit.
On @carlyle.club, the kitchen has already been teasing the mood: a French dip stacked high and paired with French onion soup; salmon rolls with avocado and chili crunch; seafood towers with king crab, oysters, and sashimi on ice; caviar as a starting point rather than a stunt. The official site’s food stills show bone-in steak beside nigiri, truffle-topped comfort, roasted chicken, and lobster under pastry — the dual identity on one table.
Order for the night you want. A client lunch can be steak and a crisp white. A celebration can start with the tower, move to wagyu and nigiri, and finish at the bar. The room is designed so sushi is not a side quest — it has a seat at the table.
Who is behind Carlyle Club Chicago?
Steve Gogolab leads as owner with partners from the team behind Bucktown’s Dēliz Italian Steakhouse, operating under Group LV Hospitality. Chef partner Jakob Peterson shapes the dual kitchen with the same group DNA that made Dēliz a neighborhood destination for beef and hospitality. Jordan Mendez and Omar Douglas round out the public leadership named in Eater’s summer openings list.
On wine, the house went heavy: Master Sommeliers Ken Fredrickson and Fernando Beteta — fewer than three hundred people worldwide hold the credential — are building a cellar of more than 2,000 bottles, with Champagne, sake, rare pours, monthly wine dinners, and temperature-controlled lockers for guests who want a bottle waiting next time. That program is not wallpaper. It is part of why Carlyle Club Chicago wants the second bottle to feel inevitable.
When does Carlyle Club Chicago open, and what are the hours?
Opening day: October 1, 2026, per thecarlyle.club. Reservations for October and beyond are already live.
House hours published on the site:
- Lunch — daily 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
- Happy hour — 3–6 p.m., bar area only
- Dinner — Sunday–Thursday 5–10 p.m.; Friday & Saturday 5–11 p.m.
City licensing moved in public view in late September 2026, with consumption and outdoor patio approvals issued for the 316 N Clark address — useful confirmation that the riverfront patio is part of the real opening plan, not only a rendering.
How do reservations work at Carlyle Club Chicago?
Book on SevenRooms through the house reservation link: sevenrooms.com/explore/thecarlyleclub. The site’s message is blunt and welcoming: tables are booking now for October and beyond. Prefer the house path over random third-party redirects if you see them.
For private dinners and larger nights, the room scales. Chicago Planner Magazine lists approximate capacities worth knowing if you are planning a group: main dining about 92 seated (or 150 standing), private dining room about 20 seated (40 standing), bar about 30 seated (75 standing), waterfront patio about 72 seated (up to 200 standing), and full venue roughly 220 seated or 400 standing. A closed-door private room with a long table under a chandelier is part of the design; A/V, coat check, accessibility, and valet are among the amenities the venue lists for events — confirm details when you inquire. For press, partnerships, or careers before the doors open, the house points to 312.701.1000.
What does the Carlyle Club Chicago room feel like?
Walk in and the floor pattern — black, white, and charcoal geometry — sets a supper-club tone before you see the water. Stairs with underglow lead past brass fretwork screens toward a glassed wine wall and crystal chandeliers. The bar is a long stretch of veined marble with high-backed stools, brass dome lamps, and a deep burgundy ceiling cove. Daylight turns the booths toward the river and the skyline; night lights the umbrellas on the patio and the sign that reads Steaks · Sushi · Cocktails.
Social Design Studio’s brief reads as polished without stiffness: banquettes, linen, burgundy curtains, illuminated wine, candlelight. Acoustic work is meant to absorb the later energy so the room can host a DJ without erasing the table conversation. If you have been hunting for a River North destination that feels special without feeling like a museum, Carlyle Club Chicago is aiming at that middle — landmark bones, modern glow, and a menu that lets you chase steak or sushi without splitting the party.
Where is Carlyle Club Chicago, and how do you get there?
316 N. Clark Street, Reid Murdoch Building, on the Chicago River in River North — walking distance from downtown offices, hotels, and the Riverwalk. Clark and LaSalle put you near transit and rideshare drop-offs; valet is listed among event amenities. Arrive early if you want daylight on the water; stay late if you want the bar after the kitchen softens.
How does Carlyle Club Chicago compare to other Chicago riverfront nights?
Against pure steakhouses, Carlyle Club Chicago adds a real sushi counter and a cellar run by two Master Sommeliers. Against sushi-first rooms, it keeps open-flame steaks and American comfort (French dip, pasta, lobster under pastry) in the same arc. Against rooftop-only river views, the patio sits nearly at water level — close enough that the boat traffic feels part of the soundtrack. Against River North “see and be seen” spaces that burn out by dessert, the house is designing for the long evening: lunch, bar happy hour, dinner, then music. If your Chicago list already has temple omakase and classic beef temples, Carlyle Club Chicago is the night for both under one roof — river light included.
FAQ
What is Carlyle Club Chicago?
An all-day steakhouse and sushi bar opening October 1, 2026, at 316 N Clark St in the Reid Murdoch Building on the Chicago River, from Steve Gogolab, chef partner Jakob Peterson, Jordan Mendez, Omar Douglas, and Group LV Hospitality.
When does Carlyle Club Chicago open?
October 1, 2026, per the official site. Reservations are already open on SevenRooms.
How do I reserve Carlyle Club Chicago?
Book through SevenRooms via thecarlyle.club or the Carlyle Club SevenRooms page. Call 312.701.1000 for press, events, or team questions.
What are Carlyle Club Chicago hours?
Lunch daily 11 a.m.–3 p.m.; happy hour 3–6 p.m. at the bar only; dinner Sunday–Thursday 5–10 p.m. and Friday–Saturday 5–11 p.m.
Who runs the wine program at Carlyle Club Chicago?
Master Sommeliers Ken Fredrickson and Fernando Beteta, with a cellar of more than 2,000 bottles plus Champagne, sake, and guest wine lockers.
Does Carlyle Club Chicago have a patio?
Yes — a riverfront patio of about 72 seats (larger for standing events), with doors connecting to the dining room and outdoor dining approvals issued for the address in late September 2026.
