THE LOCATION – 24 EAST GOETHE, CHICAGO

WHERE ROCK ROYALTY ONCE WHISPERED SECRETS OVER CHAMPAGNE

Beneath the scenes in Chicago’s Gold Coast lies a hidden gem that once echoed with the footsteps of legends—Maxim’s de Paris. This subterranean sanctuary, a faithful replica of its Parisian namesake, wasn’t just a restaurant—it was a velvet-lined portal into a world of haute glamour and underground indulgence.

From 1963 to 1982, Maxim’s was the city’s most exclusive salon, where Old World elegance flirted shamelessly with New World fame. Audrey Hepburn dined under the glow of Art Nouveau sconces. Sinatra crooned from his corner table. Andy Warhol, Grace Kelly, Lauren Bacall, and even European royalty called it their Chicago escape.

And then came the rock stars.

On August 11, 1966, The Beatles addressed the world’s press from the hotel ballroom above, where John Lennon famously said "I suppose if I had said television was more popular than Jesus, I would have got away with it.” That same week, they descended into Maxim’s—where velvet curtains muffled the chaos of Beatlemania and candlelight lit the faces of revolutionaries in tailored suits. The Rolling Stones would follow, making Maxim’s a decadent crossroad where rock and royalty mingled over martinis.

Just steps away? The original Playboy Mansion—sealing the neighborhood’s status as the beating heart of 20th-century glamour, scandal, and late-night legend.