CHICAGO BATH HOUSE
Mary Biancalana · 868 Google reviewsCHICAGO BATH HOUSE — neighborhood food in Noble Square. Contemporary look with thoughtful details. Expect something different from the standard lineup. Jacob Cocanig: "You must try the hot borscht—comforting, rich, and packed with flavor, it’s the perfect post-sauna treat"
What 995 diners keep saying
What 995 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“Amazing place, the bast of the bast. Steam rooms hot, cold tub stone cold. Resturant amazing food, staffing very friendly. Thank you…”
“Great banya with good old Soviet and modern food. Love pelemeni, chebureki, pickles and a whole chicken dish is to die for. Good selection at the bar, they even have my favorite Baltica beer. Friendly staff, great massages for post workout and overall good crowd there, so I always make sure to visit whenever I am in Chicago.”
“Best sauna place in the city, don’t expect luxurious amenities, but everything works and the saunas are great, cold plunge pool amazing, but the food is amazing. Just a great place to spend a fee hours weekly.”
“Neat place! I really enjoyed their sauna. If you want any of their special services, you definitely need to book beforehand.”
“53rd sauna/banya review: this is an old and proper facility for sure. Spacious. Men’s banya was 185f, coed around 230f. Serious temps. The men’s banya felt PEFECT with the enveloping humidity and high temps. This is not a banya for hanging in the top bench. Middle bench Larry’s all around here to enjoy the vibe as long as possible. Benches got a few missing panels in it, looks like maintenance a bit over due there. Cold plunge was crisp, hot tub was hot. Great chill out areas. Wood paneling everywhere. The minus star is the place feels really dated and not in a good way. Bugs in the shower, toilets gross, mold growing around some of the railings. If I could have just reviewed the banyas it’d of been 5 stars. The entirely of the experience was a bit of a dampener and pulled the star off.”
“The spa really beautiful and very affordable however, my second time coming there which the second time was today 5/25/26 early am my vehicle window was busted out and when I went to the front desk, he stated that it has happened before, but they do not have any signs indoor or outdoor for customers knowledge nor do give information as you are checking in but they have signs for you to park outside of the building and cameras pointing directly where my vehicle was broken into. They did have sympathy, but no refund no police showing up. I had to go do everything on my own.”
“I was disappointed with my experience here. They do not make it clear up front that their SOP (or "admission" fee, under the FAQ section of their website - who reads those when booking at a spa?) is to charge $45 a head to use all their communal facilities, which include their locker rooms with your own locker, sauna, jacuzzi, cold pool, and steam room. You can opt to just get the services you booked, but when I initially said I wanted to do that, the woman behind the desk got hostile and gruff. I decided to go ahead and cough up the money to get the full experience, and she slapped down a robe, towel and shower shoes on the desk in front of me. I'd wanted to have my massage first and then my facial, but she informed me they'd do my facial first and then the massage. My friend and I sat at the bar, where the bartender was the only semi-friendly/gracious staff member I encountered there. Then we checked out the downstairs. The locker room area was small and choked with people. We enjoyed the jacuzzi and steam room, but the sauna was disappointing - most saunas have a pleasant, relaxing heat to them, but this one was like stepping onto the planet Mercury. I jumped up in pain after attempting to sit down on one of the benches in it - it almost burned my skin, it was so hot. When it was time for my facial, the facialist was even gruffer than the receptionist chick. She directed me to lie on the table and pull down my robe a little so she could do the treatment. I told her it I'd be most comfortable just leaving it off and covering myself with the blanket. She actually said, "I don't care what makes you comfortable, I'm just here to do your facial." I should've just left at that point. However, the facial was decent. The massage was disappointing. The massage therapist didn’t ask me if I had any areas I needed her to focus on, as is customary. I asked her for more pressure a couple of times, and she let me know that what she was doing was the best she could do. It wasn't good. In summary, all but one of the staff were amazingly rude, the services were mediocre, and I didn't appreciate the steep, mostly-hidden fee. Will not be returning.”
“I rarely leave negative reviews, but this situation deserves attention from management. While I was receiving services at the spa, my vehicle was broken into. What made the situation significantly more infuriating was learning afterward that this was not an isolated incident and that break-ins on their property have reportedly happened multiple times before. Despite that, there was no visible signage, warning, or proactive communication provided to customers about the ongoing risk. I fully understand that businesses are not responsible for criminal activity itself. However, businesses are responsible for how they communicate known safety concerns to paying customers. Basic transparency and customer awareness could have allowed me to make an informed decision about parking or securing my belongings differently. What was equally infuriating was the overall response and apparent lack of concern once the incident was reported. There was little empathy, urgency, or accountability shown toward a customer who had just experienced something stressful and costly while patronizing THEIR business. That dismissive response added even more frustration to an already upsetting situation. Instead of leaving after an expensive spa visit feeling relaxed, I left with the unexpected expense and inconvenience of replacing a car window — turning what should have been a self-care experience into a costly and stressful ordeal. At minimum, I hope management takes this seriously enough to implement visible warnings, communicate risks to guests, improve how incidents like this are handled, and evaluate additional security measures moving forward. Customers deserve to be informed and treated with genuine concern, especially if this has become a recurring issue.”
“The staff it’s professional, the facilities (sauna, steam, hot tub and cold plunge) are well maintained. Service is good. The food is good. The massages are outstanding and the prices are reasonable.”
“Easily one of the best hidden gems in Chicago. The sauna sessions are incredibly relaxing, the cold plunge is invigorating, and the staff made us feel right at home. The atmosphere is warm and authentic — nothing pretentious about it. Will absolutely be coming back!”
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