Maxim’s

We had our wedding at Maxim’s on September 15 of this year. Nicole, the event coordinator for the venue, was a pleasure to work with. She was responsive and let me come by the venue a few times prior to the wedding to check colors, layout, etc as part of my planning.
Maxim’s is modeled after a restaurant in Paris from the late 1800s, so it has an art nouveau décor — large prints in the entryway, red crushed velvet seating in the dining room, gold trimmed mirrors and other decorative touches — absolutely gorgeous! We received a lot of compliments on the venue. It also has a unique layout which helped with the flow of the evening — a grand staircase coming down to the entryway (where we had cocktail hour), a bar area (where we had dancing and cocktail hour), and a dining room (which we kept open after dinner for those people who wanted to sit and chat without the dance music). I was able to fit a photo booth in the entryway under the staircase with no problems. And Maxim’s provides tables, chairs, linens, votive candles (and vases if you want to use them for centerpieces, which I did). They also validate parking for a lot across the street, and they allow you to bring in your own alcohol (to be served by the caterer) — a big cost savings.
Overall, great value and a unique space for anyone not looking for a traditional hotel ballroom. I highly recommend!

My lovely new husband and I were married at Maxim’s on January 21^st. It was an incredible venue and we were so, so lucky to have it. When we looked for a venue, we were picky, as we wanted to have an incredible, beautiful wedding in a space that fit our budget and wouldn’t overwhelm our 85 guests with too much space.
Maxim’s turned out to be a lovely choice, and we used it for our ceremony as well as our dinner and dance. The ceremony was a fairly traditional ceremony and that took place just at the foot of the curving staircase. It was a lovely space for a ceremony and our guests were comfortable there. We had cocktails in the bagatelle area, which was really nice. People were able to spread out and have a wonderful time. Dinner was in the dining room, and it was the perfect size for a gathering of under 100. It felt much more like a restaurant filled up with our nearest and dearest than a banquet hall. Dancing took place afterwards, back in the bagatelle, which can be outfitted with a dance floor as needed. If you have a group of under 100, I recommend dancing in the bagatelle rather than in the entryway, as it will keep your group close together.
Our guests raved about the wedding and the space, it is a wonderful Chicago gem. The space was wonderful, but the best part, the absolute best part, were the people. Allen Nichols was by far the most reassuring and comforting thing about my whole wedding. He went above and beyond, as did the rest of his staff. He’s a bride’s best friend-​classy, savvy, funny and kind. Kudos, all the way around!

I went to hear The Rose Colella Trio at Maxim’s last night. No kidding, this was top-​notch entertainment for a great price and at an amazingly beautiful venue. I would highly recommend spending an evening there.

I completely agree with the first review of Maxim’s. I looked at this place for our wedding reception. I loved the history behind the place (the Beatles partied here!). It definitely had that retro classy feel, red velour interior, grand piano, separate bar. We decided not to go with this place because it was too small for our party and we worried it might be a bit hot in the summer. Allen Nichols was excellent to talk with (he told me that they allow you to buy your own liquor and if any caterer gave us trouble, they’d have to answer to him!). If we ever have a need for this venue, I will not hesitate to use them.

What a great place for a wedding! As a wedding officiant I always leap at the chance to do weddings at Maxim’s. Allen Nichols, who manages the venue has got the ceremony logistics down pat and offers an elegant and beautiful means of bringing the wedding party together. He and those who assist him are helpful, engaging and always willing to go the extra mile for the brides and the officiant — seeking only to make sure the event is everything the bride and groom had hoped for.

There are a few of things you should know about Maxim’s. First, it is now a special event venue, owned by the city and operated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. As stated in the brochure, «Maxim’s is a lovely setting for meetings, dinners, wedding receptions, benefits, and other special occasions.» And if I may suggest, it would make a wonderful spot for a Unilocal event.
Secondly, located in the lower level of an architecturally significant (Bertram Goldberg, architect) mid-​century modern high-​rise, it’s an exact replica of the famous Maxim’s restaurant in Paris, France. It opened in 1963, when Chicago was celebrating its second city status, I guess, at least with restaurants, by copying an existing restaurant from a bigger and more world-​class city. So, in a sense, it’s wonderfully kitschy and classy at the same time. Think big sweeping Art Nouveau details, sconces and lighting, plush red banquettes, red flocked wallpaper, stained glass and rich mahogany woodwork. It’s a period movie set just waiting for an opportunity.
The venue is also known as «The Nancy Goldberg International Center» because The Goldberg family bequeathed the restaurant to the city. Nancy Goldberg developed the restaurant in 1963, brought top French chefs and haute cuisine to the city, and for a time was the most expensive reastaurant in Chicago. It was definitely the place for celebrities and kind of a private club for Chicago’s elite inner circle. And it happens to be right next door to highly celebrated Pump Room.
And finally, there are occasional public events here. First, there is «Live at Maxim’s with Rick Kogan», where Rick, a Tribune columnist and WGN radio personality conducts interview/​tapings with local celebs and people of note. I was there recently for his interview of David Manilow, the creator and executive producer of «Check Please.» These are fun, informal sessions held around 6PM on Wednesday evenings. If you want to experience an old Chicago clubby vibe, you may want to check it out. It feels more like a private party than a public event. And there’s a nice little «after-​party» at The Pump Room where you can chat up the host and guest if you like. I got some good advice there of how/​how not to get on Check Please. There is also a once-​per-​month cabaret series called «Play On Cabaret.» All events are listed on the above website.
So if you tired of Pilsen Aristocracy, Ukrainian Village People and the Wicker Park hoi-​polloi, check out this little historic retro gem where some of the old Maxim’s crowd still shows up.

We recently (8÷31÷08) had our wedding/​reception/​dance at Maxim’s and we could not have been happier. Allen Nichols, the property events manager, was very helpful and responsive by allowing us to view the property on 2 different occasions as well as meeting with our caterer, DJ and florist. Allen has worked closely with many of the larger caterer’s in Chicago, and they know that he has high standards and makes sure that events go off without a hitch.
The venue has a great intimate feel to it, and now that it is 1 month after the wedding people are still complimenting us on what a fun and unique place it was. The layout allows for an event that seemlessly flows from wedding to cocktail hour to dinner and finally to dance. There are many fun little details that add to the night, such as the hidden vestibule behind the mirrored wall that opens up to allow for a great space for live musicians to perform during dinner.
Another aspect that I absolutely loved was all of the built in seating that allowed for people to sit back and relax/​rest while enjoying watching the dancing, or to sit in a cozy seat while having a drink at the beautiful bar.
We had a reception of 75ish people and we felt it was a perfect amount for the space. Another huge plus to this site was the incredibly large kitchen (it was a restaurant at one point) which allowed our caterer to prepare most of the food on-​site, allowing for much better tasting food.
We looked at numerous venues that we really liked, but the intimate atmosphere, the individual attention from Allen, large kitchen and overall unique experience all contributed to us choosing Maxim’s and now that the day has passed I couldn’t have been happier.
–Chad–