Quick answer: Chicago has 28 cigar lounges and tobacco shops in the CigarFinder directory, from the Loop to the neighborhoods. Illinois law only allows indoor smoking inside qualifying retail tobacco stores, which cannot run as bars, so Chicago's public cigar rooms do not sell drinks. Iwan Ries, founded in 1857 and the city's oldest tobacconist, is the anchor.
Chicago has one of the oldest cigar cultures in the country and one of the strictest smoking laws to work around. The Smoke Free Illinois Act shut the door on indoor smoking almost everywhere in 2008, but it left a narrow opening for tobacco shops. That opening is why the city's best cigar rooms are humidors you smoke inside, not bars, and why an 1857 shop on Wabash is still the heart of it.
Where Can You Smoke a Cigar in Chicago?
Chicago has 28 cigar lounges and tobacco shops spread across the Loop, Old Town, the Gold Coast, the West Loop, Bronzeville, Little Italy, and the Northwest Side. The Smoke Free Illinois Act of 2008 bans indoor smoking in nearly all public places, including bars and restaurants, with one exemption that matters for cigars: a retail tobacco store that earns at least 80 percent of its revenue from tobacco and does not operate as a bar or restaurant. Shops open before 2008 were grandfathered in, and newer ones qualify only in freestanding buildings. That single rule shapes everything. It is why Chicago's public cigar rooms do not sell you a drink, why some let you bring your own and others do not, and why the scene is anchored by old-guard tobacconists rather than cocktail bars. Iwan Ries, in business since 1857 and Chicago's oldest tobacconist, sits at the center of it.
Top Cigar Lounges in Chicago
These are eight lounges and shops worth your time, pulled from the CigarFinder directory and sorted by reputation, not paid placement. Every address is verified. Because of Illinois law, expect each to be built around a humidor rather than a bar, and ask about the drinks policy before you bring a bottle.
Iwan Ries & Co
- Address: 19 S Wabash Ave, 2nd floor (the Loop, on Jewelers Row)
- Vibe: The institution. In business since 1857 and one of the oldest family-owned tobacco companies in North America, set on the second floor of the 1881 Jewelers Building, one of the oldest surviving Adler and Sullivan buildings, which the company has owned since 1968.
- Hours: Store Mon to Fri 10am to 5:30pm, Sat 11am to 5pm. The lounge, The Front Room, runs Mon to Wed 10am to 10pm, Thu and Fri 10am to midnight, Sat 11am to midnight. Closed Sun.
- What to know: Day passes get you into the smoking lounge, and you can bring your own cigars. Ask at the counter about current pass prices and lounge membership.
- Best for: Anyone who wants to smoke inside history, from a lunch-hour cigar to a late one.
Up Down Cigar
- Address: 1550 N Wells St (Old Town)
- Vibe: An Old Town fixture with roots in 1963, when the late Diana Silvius began selling tobacco at her Old Town gallery; the shop has been on Wells Street since 1975 and still keeps one of the best-kept humidors in the city.
- Hours: Open daily; call to confirm where smoking happens that day
- What to know: Spotless cabinets and genuinely knowledgeable staff. Ask about the smoking area before you settle in.
- Best for: An Old Town afternoon with a well-chosen stick.
The Clayton
- Address: 212 N Canal St (Fulton River District, West Loop)
- Vibe: A stand-alone building on the Chicago River, opened in 2016 and now run as a private members social club of about 16,000 square feet, with a cigar retail space inside.
- Hours: Mon to Wed 1pm to 9pm, Thu and Fri 1pm to 10pm, Sat noon to 6pm, closed Sun
- What to know: It sits in its own freestanding building, the route Illinois law requires for any smoking room opened after 2008. Membership is by application, so this is a pick for locals who want a club, not a walk-in stop for visitors.
- Best for: Chicagoans who want a private club near the West Loop.
Biggs Cigar Emporium
- Address: 1150 N Dearborn St, inside Biggs Mansion (Gold Coast, a short walk from the Magnificent Mile)
- Vibe: A cigar shop inside a restored Gold Coast mansion, opened in September 2014, with a semi-private cigar lounge added later. Cigar Aficionado has featured it in its Where to Smoke series.
- Hours: Noon to midnight Monday to Saturday, noon to 9pm Sunday, per our directory (confirm before you go)
- What to know: Its Gold Coast location makes it the easy walk for anyone staying downtown or shopping the Mag Mile. Ask about lounge access when you arrive.
- Best for: Visitors who want a cigar stop without leaving the tourist core.
Jack Schwartz Importer
- Address: 141 W Jackson Blvd (the Loop, inside the Board of Trade building)
- Vibe: A Loop tobacconist since 1921 tucked into the financial district, a small room with a few prized chairs and standing room that fills with regulars.
- Hours: Mon to Fri 8:30am to 5pm; closed weekends
- What to know: Weekday-only hours tell you who it serves: traders and office workers grabbing a cigar before or after the bell. A true business-district institution.
- Best for: A weekday Loop stop between meetings.
Ralph's Cigars
- Address: W Taylor St, Little Italy (confirm the street number before you go)
- Vibe: A neighborhood favorite on Taylor Street, in business since 1997 and described in 2015 as Little Italy's oldest cigar shop, with one of the higher review counts in the city, friendly and unpretentious.
- Hours: Mon to Sat 10am to 7pm, Sun noon to 6pm
- What to know: The Little Italy setting makes it an easy pairing with dinner on Taylor Street before or after.
- Best for: A relaxed West Side smoke with a neighborhood feel.
Windy City Cigar Lounge
- Address: 4310 S Prairie Ave (Bronzeville)
- Vibe: An evening-focused South Side lounge that runs late into the night, filling a real gap in that part of the city.
- Hours: Wed and Thu 5pm to midnight, Fri and Sat 5pm to 1am, Sun 11am to 11pm; closed Mon and Tue
- What to know: The late hours make it one of the few South Side rooms you can actually use after dinner, and it is BYOB.
- Best for: A South Side nightcap smoke when everything else has closed.
Norwood Royal Cigars
- Address: 6046 N Northwest Hwy (Norwood Park, Northwest Side)
- Vibe: A 4.9-star neighborhood shop and lounge run by the Shah family, which became J.C. Newman's 38th Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge in June 2023. J.C. Newman says it has the largest humidor in the Midwest.
- Hours: Mon to Thu 10am to 8pm, Fri and Sat 10am to 9pm, Sun 10am to 6pm
- What to know: For smokers up by O'Hare and Park Ridge, it is the closest serious humidor and lounge without driving downtown.
- Best for: Northwest Side regulars who want a local room.
What Makes a Chicago Lounge Worth Visiting
Three things separate a Chicago room worth visiting from a counter you hit once. First, does it actually have a smoking lounge, or just retail? Iwan Ries, Windy City, and Norwood Royal all let you sit and smoke inside. Second, the public rooms do not sell drinks, so the experience hinges on the space, the seating, and the staff rather than a drinks menu. Some rooms, like Windy City, welcome your own bottle; others do not, so ask. Third, humidor depth and freshness, which high review counts tend to track. If you are still figuring out what to look for, our guide to choosing a cigar lounge walks through the basics first.
Visiting Tips for Chicago
- Ask before you bring a bottle. Illinois law keeps these rooms from running as bars, so the public ones do not sell drinks, and each sets its own rule on outside alcohol.
- Ask about outside cigars. Iwan Ries lets you bring your own; other rooms would rather you buy from their humidor.
- Mind the seasons. In a Chicago winter, head for an indoor lounge like Iwan Ries or Norwood Royal.
- Check the hours. Several rooms keep short or weekday-only hours (Jack Schwartz closes at 5pm and skips weekends), so confirm before you go.
- Expect a markup. Shelf prices run higher than online thanks to overhead and Illinois tobacco taxes. Compare a cigar across online retailers before buying a box, then save the lounge for the room itself.
Is Indoor Cigar Smoking Legal in Chicago?
The Smoke Free Illinois Act took effect in 2008 and is one of the strictest in the country, banning smoking in essentially all enclosed public places, including every bar and restaurant. The one exemption that keeps cigar lounges alive is the retail tobacco store provision. A store qualifies if it earns at least 80 percent of its gross revenue from tobacco and tobacco accessories, files an affidavit with the Illinois Department of Public Health every January, and is not part of a bar or restaurant. Shops operating before January 1, 2008 were grandfathered in; any opened since must sit in a freestanding structure occupied solely by the business. That rule is why Chicago's public cigar rooms do not sell drinks and why you will not find a cigar-and-cocktail bar like the ones in Houston or Las Vegas. You must be 21 to buy tobacco, under Illinois law since July 1, 2019 (Chicago set 21 in 2016).
How to Find More Cigar Lounges in Chicago
The eight above are a starting point, not the full map. To see all 28 and filter to what you want, use the on-site tools:
- Tap the location pin in the search bar. It uses your phone's GPS to surface the nearest lounges first, handy when you are downtown and the next room could be in Old Town or the West Loop.
- Filter the city directory at the CigarFinder Chicago directory. Narrow by type (cigar shop, cigar bar, lounge), Open Now, and amenities like parking, Wi-Fi, lounge seating, and humidor lockers. Sort by Most Reviewed and Biggs (673) and Iwan Ries (619) sit near the top.
- Switch to Map view. The List and Map toggle is the fastest way to pick a lounge by how close it sits to your hotel or your dinner reservation.
- Go statewide at cigarfinder.com/lounges?state=IL when you travel beyond the city.
Where Should You Buy Cigars in Chicago?
If you want to take cigars home, Iwan Ries on Wabash carries one of the deepest and most storied humidors in the city, including Davidoff, and Norwood Royal on the Northwest Side runs a Diamond Crown lounge around its big humidor. Both keep proper climate control. For everything in between, browse the full single cigars selection to see what a given brand runs, then decide whether to buy local or order online. When you cannot get to a lounge, check active retailer codes for shops like Famous Smoke Shop and Cigars International and compare the total against Chicago shelf prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cigar lounges are in Chicago, IL?
Twenty-eight cigar lounges and tobacco shops appear in the CigarFinder Chicago directory, across the Loop, Old Town, the Gold Coast, the West Loop, and the neighborhoods.
Can I smoke cigars indoors in Chicago?
Only inside a qualifying retail tobacco store. The Smoke Free Illinois Act bans it everywhere else, and a qualifying store cannot run as a bar, so Chicago's public cigar rooms do not sell drinks.
What is the oldest tobacconist in Chicago?
Iwan Ries and Co, founded in 1857 and one of the oldest family-owned tobacco companies in North America. It still operates on the second floor at 19 S Wabash, in the 1881 Jewelers Building, with The Front Room smoking lounge open to day-pass holders until 10pm or midnight.
What is the best cigar lounge in Chicago?
Iwan Ries for history and a lounge open late, Norwood Royal for its Diamond Crown lounge and big humidor, and Biggs on the Gold Coast for a stop near the Mag Mile. All three have a place to sit and smoke.
Can you bring alcohol to a Chicago cigar lounge?
It depends on the shop. Illinois law only exempts tobacco stores that do not run as bars, so the public rooms do not sell drinks. Some, like Windy City, are BYOB; others are not. Ask before you arrive.
Are Chicago cigar prices higher than buying online?
Usually, yes, because of overhead and Illinois tobacco taxes. Comparing a cigar across online retailers before buying a box can save real money.
Where can tourists smoke cigars in Chicago?
Biggs Cigar Emporium on the Gold Coast and Iwan Ries in the Loop are the most accessible for visitors staying downtown. Iwan Ries sells day passes to its lounge.
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