Cleopatra Ink Tattoo & Piercing Chicago Studio

I apologize for the long review, but I wanted to be thorough. I am writing a review of my experience at Cleopatra Ink Chicago. This is not in reference to any of the other Cleopatra Ink studios elsewhere. Simply put, my experience was perfect. The best I have had, and I have had several tattoos done at various shops across the U.S. First, Melih helped with my consultation. I was nervous about this tattoo for two reasons: 1) it was a memorial tattoo for my dog, Sid, and it was very important to me that it looked like him, and 2) it was the first tattoo I will have in an area that is difficult to cover with clothing (on my forearm). So this tattoo had to be perfect (spoiler alert, it is). Melih was very chill and reassured me that they had the right artists for the job. I brought in a photo of Sid, and Melih did a fantastic job working the image until I was 100% satisfied. I originally thought it would be in color, but after the consultation we decided black and grey would be best. As for the artists, you can’t go wrong at the Chicago location. They are all amazing artists. I asked to work with Ozguc Bulut “Ozzie” because of his expertise with black and grey. The photo of tattoo I attached is right after it was finished, so it is still swollen, but I can assure you this image looks exactly like Sid. It is a fitting tribute to my best friend. Ozzie had a very calm aura. In fact, everyone in the place has a calm soothing vibe. I’ll be honest, when I went in for the consultation I thought they may be putting on an act, but they are all genuinely nice people. Ozzie’s attention to detail is like nothing I have experienced. It took about three hours, and we took a few breaks. He is obviously skilled, not just as an artist, but in the art of tattooing. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND OZZIE. I have read some reviews that are critical of Cleopatra Ink in general (not specifically the Chicago location) and I hope this helps people: Frequent criticisms I came accross were: 1) the price, 2) the amount the artists receive, and 3) they are a large tattoo company not a local shop. As for the price, it was expensive. It was way more than I ever intended to spend. But I have had other tattoos that were somewhat less expensive (all great tattoos, but tattoos are generally expensive) but none have this level of detail. You are paying for a tattoo that many artists out there cannot do. You are paying for their expertise in photo realism. Maybe you can find another artist somewhere else for less. I shopped around and could not find anyone. Was it worth the extra expense? For me it was. For others it might not be. Besides the highly skilled artistry, the experience I had was top notch. They constantly checked in on me. Asked if I wanted water, coffee, or something to eat. They were all amazing. As for the second issue about what the artists are paid, I do agree the artists should make more. Even though I paid a lot for the tattoo, I did give Ozzie a tip because the skill required to create such a beautiful memorial to Sid was worth extra to me. I hope everyone is tippping their artist no matter where you get yours! Maybe he should have received more of a cut from the cost of the tattoo from the company, but to be honest I don’t know how much other artists have to pay the shops they work in. The tattoo will last forever, so I felt it was money well spent and that I got what I paid for. As far as it being a large global tattoo corporation or whatever it is, with AI art on the walls (another frequent criticism, I don't understand. I liked the images), that just didn’t bother me, and I care more about the image that ended up on my arm that what is hanging on the walls. Only criticism from me is I wish they had t-shirts. ; ). Thanks for that awesome tattoo! I will be back!

I had an absolutely amazing tattoo experience and the result is truly unbelievable. The artists are incredibly talented and professional. The studio is super clean hygienic and well organized. All the equipment needles and inks were high quality and strictly single use which made me feel very comfortable and safe throughout the whole process. From the design stage until the tattoo was fully completed the manager Umut took great care of me and made sure everything was perfect. He is genuinely passionate about his work and it clearly shows in the final result. This was my first tattoo and I honestly could not be happier with how it turned out. I highly and strongly recommend this studio to anyone looking for an unforgettable tattoo experience.🙏🏻

The staff is truly amazing, incredibly helpful, friendly, and they made me feel completely comfortable. They answered all my questions with patience and were genuinely excited to be part of my first tattoo journey. ​The artist did an absolutely phenomenal job on my design. The work is clean, the lines are crisp, and the final piece is exactly what I dreamed of. Plus, they were so efficient, they managed to get it done quickly without ever feeling rushed. ​If you're looking for a great tattoo in a shop with stellar people, this is the place to go. I'm already planning my next one!