Amidst the sloppy, sloshed St. Patrick's Day revelry that overtook River North this weekend, the bar at Celeste (111 W. Hubbard St.) was a swanky respite. Part restaurant, part lounge, the multi-level space has a seductive craft-cocktail list (we liked the Golden Filigree, a milk punch with bourbon, cognac, and dark rum.) It's got plenty of comfy nooks for settling in, an approachable yet high-end menu of noshes (baby octopus cooked sous-vide, anyone?), and music tuned to a conversational volume. It's by far the sexiest-feeling bar open until 5 a.m. on Saturdays.
Here's what we saw while scoping it out this weekend.