• Smoke in public at Chicago's cigar lounges.cigare image by catherine PERARNAUD from Fotolia.com
  
  Cigar lounges are not as common as they were in the 1990s, but Chicago still has a few public places where smokers can relax and enjoy a good cigar. Illinois has a smoking ban, so cigars are not allowed in restaurants or bars, but there is an exception to the ban that eases the pain for smokers: In the Windy City, smoking is permitted on the premises of cigar shops.
  
  

TESA Cigar Company

• The newest cigar lounge in Chicago is one of the most popular. TESA Cigar Company is located just outside of downtown at the corners of Milwaukee, Grand and Halsted. TESA sells popular brands, as well as their own homemade cigars. The lounge is open every day except Sundays until 10 PM on weekdays and until 11 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. It is also BYOB, so you can bring a drink into the lounge as long as you buy one of their cigars. Sit outside on warm days on TESA's deck area.
  
  TESA Cigar Company
  464 North Halsted Street
  Chicago, IL 60622
  312-929-3075
  www.tesacigars.com
  
  

Blue Havana

• On the north side, in the rocking Clark/Belmont area, Blue Havana is next to the punk store and outlet, The Alley. Not only does Blue Havana sell cigars and permit cigar smoking, they have a hookah lounge as well. The lounge is open every day at 1 PM, closing at 7 PM on Sundays, 9 PM on weekdays, and 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Blue Havana caters to a more youthful demographic, not necessarily connoisseurs, but if you're just looking for a cool place to smoke, this north-Chicago staple has been a local favorite for years.
  
  Blue Havana
  856 West Belmont Avenue
  Chicago, IL 60657
  773-242-8262‎
  
  

Trading Post Tobacco & Cigars

• On the far northwest edge of the city, Trading Post Tobacco & Cigars is one of the busiest cigar lounges in Chicago. Connoisseurs come to Trading Post for Romeo y Juliet, Dunhill, Los Blancos, Camacho, and sugar cane/rum cigars. They open early, too, at 10 AM every day. Trading Post is open until 9 PM Mondays through Fridays, 7 PM on Saturdays, and 5 PM on Sundays. Their prices are among the most reasonable in the city, too. Check in for their monthly events with food and spirits in addition to fine cigars.
  
  Trading Post Tobacco & Cigars
  5510 West Devon Avenue
  Chicago, IL 60646
  773-763-8937‎
  www.tradingpostcigar.com