A Historic River North Landmark Gets a Bold New Life: The Carlyle Club Is Opening at 316 N. Clark Street
By Socialhood News · Near North ·
Near North neighbors, one of the Chicago Riverwalk's most storied addresses is welcoming a bold new chapter this month. The Carlyle Club, an upscale new dining and cocktail destination, is set to open at 316 N. Clark Street — inside the landmark Reid, Murdoch & Co. Building — adding another marquee name to one of downtown's most competitive riverfront restaurant corridors.
The building itself carries serious neighborhood history. More than a century later, that same prime stretch of the Chicago River is being reimagined for a very different purpose: modern dining, craft cocktails, and an expansive riverside patio.
The design vision at The Carlyle Club leans hard into the building's unbeatable setting. Plans call for a 72-seat patio, along with 10-foot-tall double doors designed to create an indoor-outdoor atmosphere and give nearly every interior seat a river view. In a neighborhood already packed with strong riverfront options — RPM Seafood, River Roast, Pizzeria Portofino, and the recently opened NAIA just a block west at 300 N. LaSalle — The Carlyle Club is positioning itself as an energetic, upscale addition rather than a quiet newcomer.
The space being activated is the former home of The Kitchen American Bistro, a well-regarded restaurant that vacated the riverfront room and left one of River North's most dramatic dining settings dark. The team behind Dēliz Italian Steakhouse is taking over the space, bringing established Chicago hospitality experience to a room that demands a confident operator. Their track record with high-end steakhouse service signals that The Carlyle Club will aim for a polished, celebratory atmosphere — the kind of place that fits equally well for a Tuesday business dinner and a Saturday night out with out-of-town guests.
For residents, the timing couldn't be more fitting. The summer of 2026 has proven to be a genuine re-tenanting moment for River North, with operators large and small moving into spaces that sat vacant or underperforming in recent years. The Carlyle Club's arrival at such a visible, architecturally significant address — a 1914 landmark whose red brick and clock tower are fixtures on the north bank of the river — underscores the neighborhood's continued pull as a destination for ambitious hospitality concepts. Living near the river means being close to some of Chicago's best restaurants, downtown offices, the Riverwalk, public transit, and cultural destinations, and The Carlyle Club is the latest evidence of that ongoing appeal.
The restaurant is expected to open this August at 316 N. Clark Street, steps from the Riverwalk and easily reachable from the neighborhood on foot. Final opening details are still being confirmed, so neighbors should keep an eye on announcements from the restaurant directly. Whether you're drawn in by the sweeping river views, the double-door patio design, or simply the thrill of watching a beloved old building come back to life, The Carlyle Club looks poised to become one of the more talked-about new riverfront openings of the year.
Have you walked past the Reid, Murdoch Building lately and noticed the transformation taking shape? Are you planning to check out The Carlyle Club when it opens? Share your thoughts and excitement with your Near North neighbors in the Socialhood comments below!
Sources:
1. https://www.optionpremier.com/blogs/the-carlyle-club-is-opening-on-chicagos-riverfront-in-river-north-this-summer
2. https://jproctorgroup.com/blog/river-norths-summer-of-new-signs-on-old-doors