If you’re looking for a cocktail bar, there are plenty of great options in town. According to Yelp rankings, these are the 25 best cocktail bars in town. They range from cider houses and tiki lounges to whiskey bars and circus-themed operations, and naturally the list includes the classic cocktail joints you’ve come to know and love over the years, so all bases are covered.

Vosh 1414 Riverside Dr., Lakewood “Food is excellent and the night life is superb. Went here for dinner on a Friday night and the food/prices were excellent. We stayed for the live music afterwards – band was great and there was a good crowd/mix of people,” Dredrick T. on Yelp Photo via Georgetown and Vosh/Facebook
The Spotted Owl 710 Jefferson Ave., Cleveland With a detailed eye, reclaimed wood and stained-glass windows, the beautiful Spotted Owl came to Tremont in 2014. A cocktail bar at once sophisticated and approachable, with drinks that change as the Owl debuts new menus throughout the year, and which are seriously and thoughtfully constructed. Photo via @SpottedOwlBar/Instagram
Porco Lounge & Tiki Room 2527 West 25th St., Cleveland Porco Lounge & Tiki Room is only about six years old, but its dedication to professionally blended cocktails — even silly sounding ones — has helped its reputation grow at a brisk rate. The Mai Tai is the best of the bunch, a cold fusion of fresh fruit juices with coconut rum and a soupçon of almond. In 2016, the Food Network named the bar one of the best tiki bars in the country. Photo via Porco Lounge & Tiki Bar/Facebook
Lava Lounge 1307 Auburn Ave., Cleveland “Omg loved the place. Masthead Coffee stout is perhaps the best stout I’ve ever had. Another happy, happy, Happy Hour for my hubby and me. We ordered the pasta fagioli and a burger from the happy hour menu and roasted Brussels sprouts from the specials menu. Food was awesome. Cool intimate place. We will definitely go back,” Stephanie N. on Yelp Photo via Lava Lounge/Facebook
Velvet Tango Room 2095 Columbus Rd., Cleveland “Boy do I look forward to special occasions because of VTR! It’s a rare and classy place you go for a special day and my experience gets better every time. I’ll start off by saying it is most certainly the #1 spot in Cleveland for your exotic cocktails. I’ve had a few here and there’s not one that I would say gets below 5 stars. My go-to cocktail tends to be the Pisco Sour…In general, I adore this place for its cute hidden spot and it’s inability to even look like a bar but instead just an average house on a street.. towards the back you’ll find yourself in a dim and relaxed atmosphere. Couches if you’re feeling it or 2 seat tables if you want a more focused attention atmosphere. This place woos me enough without their extraordinary live jazz band that just adds to it! Whether it’s just happy hour or for a special event, this is your place. I promise you won’t be disappointed,” Rosa Y. on Yelp Photo via
LBM Bar 12301 Madison Ave., Lakewood “Amazing drinks. Don’t know if I’ve ever had better even at Velvet Tango Room. Staff was awesome. I’ve never had watery eyes from joy eating a burger like they have there. Making reservations is easy and they get right back to you. Epic place. Going back soon,” Colin W. on Yelp Photo by Emanuel Wallace
The Fairmount 2448 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights “The food and the service here are amazing! 4 of us dropped in without a reservation and they snuck us in. We ordered drinks, apps, and even some stuff to go. The Buffalo tempura cauliflower is to die for and the flat bread pizzas are killer. Can’t wait to head back there soon!” Mark B. on Yelp Photo via The Fairmount Cleveland/Facebook
Bourbon Street Barrel Room 2393 Professor Ave., Cleveland “Stop what you are doing right now and head to the best NOLA spot in Cle.This hidden gem is so worth it, we waited 20 minutes for our table. Once seated, the server was super nice and attentive to our party’s needs. We loved the atmosphere and great cocktails. We ordered some appetizers to start and had lots of seafood for dinner. The dessert was just the cherry on top, Creme Brulee with fresh fruit. This place is phenomenal. Every time I come in I remember why I love this establishment so much. Can’t wait to go back and great the beignets,” Melissa P. on Yelp Photo via @BSBRCle/Instagram
Brothers Lounge 11609 Detroit Ave., Cleveland “LOVE coming to Brothers Lounge! I like that they have almost 3 different areas that you can enjoy. The wine bar area for a more intimate and relaxing atmosphere with live music, the bar area to grab a quick bite to eat or drink, and then the live music venue in the back. The food is delicious and the drinks go down way too easy there,” Jill R. on Yelp Photo via Brothers Lounge/Facebook
Prosperity Social Club 1109 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland Cozy and retro, this former workingman’s watering hole serves up food, booze, and a bowling machine along with the live music. You’ll find locals laying down everything from lounge and jazz to folk and bluegrass. They also have a kitchen that stays open nightly until midnight and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Photo via @ProsperitySocialClub/Instagram
Funhouse 1539 West 117th St., Lakewood This small dive bar is truly like no other in town. They of course have beer on tap and interesting signature drinks, but they also have a sushi machine, a cotton candy maker, corn dogs and popcorn. It’s all carnival all the time and it’s a trip. Credit: Scene Archives
Coda 2247 Professor Ave., Cleveland “Coda is AMAZING!! So glad this place is finally open in Tremont. Went there last night to hear some live music. The music was awesome, the decor of this place is so cool and the atmosphere makes it that much more awesome.The bar is small but has a wide variety of good drinks. And then there’s the food. My God was the food fan-freakin-tastic!!! Get the spaghetti & meatball pizza. You will not regret it! We ordered that pizza and grilled mac n cheese w/ Cheetos and they accidentally brought out the wrong order but let us keep that food too! It was amazing!! You’ve got to come to Coda, I can’t rave enough about all it’s awesomeness!” Jane F. on Yelp Photo via Scene Archives
Adega 2017 East Ninth St., Cleveland “Last night our group of 9 people descended on Adega without a reservation. They were more than accommodating and quickly found us a table. The service was outstanding, the cocktails were generous and well prepared. The food was served on a timely basis and everyone completely enjoyed their meals. The dessert that was provided without asking was first class,” Gary R. on Yelp Photo via @AdegaCle/Instagram Credit: Scene Archives
Cloak and Dagger 2399 West 11th St., Cleveland “This is my favorite cocktail bar in Cleveland/Tremont!!! When you first walk in, dark academia hits you in the face. Next is the welcome shot, which switches up depending on the season. My friends and I keep coming back again and again. Greatly appreciate the vegan food menu, which is routinely updated by the chef. Enjoyed by non-vegans equally (I think). The special holiday drink menus, and the attention to detail in the staple cocktails, are just so great it’s uncalled for. The vibe is whimsical, but dark? You will not be disappointed!!! Great for dates and smaller groups…Very ~creative~ and ~quirky~ and in high demand,” Abby M. on Yelp Photo via Scene Archives
Gigi’s on Fairmount 3477 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights “Gigi’s on Fairmount is absolutely perfect in every possible way. You’re immediately greeted by a friendly face once you walk in the door, and even on a Saturday evening, we got a table for two within a few minutes (don’t get me wrong, the place was full). It was our first time at the restaurant, so our server patiently walked us through the menus. The wine list is impressive, and the cocktails are delicious. We shared a variety of dishes, starting with the cheese board, followed by a Mexican-inspired soup and a delicious vegetarian panini, and ending with a bruschetta board. Do not leave Gigi’s without having their bruschetta,” Akshay H. on Yelp Photo via @GigisOnFairmount/Instagram
Literary Tavern 1031 Literary Rd., Cleveland “My absolute favorite place to eat in Tremont! The food is so well made and very affordable for the high quality of their dishes. They always have great specials. On top of all this their bartenders are top class and really know how to make a great cocktail,” Marty K. on Yelp Photo by Douglas Trattner
The Speakeasy at Quintana’s 2200 S Taylor Rd., Cleveland Heights Walk through the barbershop, up the staircase, and find the secret passageway by choosing the right book on the bookshelf. You’ll be greeted with craft cocktails, a lounge, and, hopefully, a good time. Photo via speakeasyqbds/Instagram
Vault 2017 East 9th St., Cleveland “If you need a socially distant cocktail, you need to go to Vault. It’s located underneath The 9 in Downtown Cleveland. All parties must remain seated and service is great. The drinks are unique and delicious. I recommend the Black Market cocktail, because the blackberries are muddled to perfection. You truly can’t go wrong at Vault. Makes an amazing date night spot,” KayLyn G. on Yelp Photo via Scene Archives
Society Lounge 2063 East Fourth St., Cleveland Everything about this space, from the lit up drinks, to the classy, modern design, is just really cool. Located in the basement of an East Fourth Street building, this place is definitely worth checking out for the decor and the craft drinks. Photo via Scene Archives
Ledger Bar 2017 East 9th St., Cleveland “We came here for a nightcap. Much to our surprise the bar atmosphere was lively, fun and inviting bartender came out to greet us and asked us what type of cocktails we liked. We let him go with it and use his creativity. Boy was that the right move with a special spicy smoked margarita and another tequila based drink. These 2 drinks were easily the best drinks I’ve had ever. The charred half jalapeño in the spicy margarita was an amazing addition and the additional second tequila cocktail was bright crushable and amazing. If it wasn’t time to head to bed I could easily have had 15 of those,” Sachin G. on Yelp Photo via Ledger Bar/Facebook
Bar 32 100 Lakeside Ave. East., Cleveland “Beautiful views, good drinks, appetizers and spacing. There was even live music this evening. I’ve waited 3 years to finally visit and it was well worth it…Had calamari which wasn’t on the menu. Anyone who loves pretzels needs to order the pretzel. It’s huge!!!!! Anyhow, anyone else who wants a great view and a drink should visit as well,” Refugio L. on Yelp Photo by Emanuel Wallace
Char Whiskey 19337 Detroit Rd., Rocky River “I think amongst all of us we tried every drink on the drink menu – all exceeded expectations, and there are so many whiskey flights to choose from and I got to try so many whiskeys I hadn’t had yet. The lobster mac and cheese was definitely the favorite, and the Char burger is super unique and totally instagram worthy and tastes as good as it looks! Being born and raised in Rocky River and coming back years later to find a really high quality restaurant like Char in my hometown makes me super proud.” Kevin B. on Yelp Photo via Char Whiskey/Facebook
All Saints Public House 1261 West 76th St., Cleveland “I am so happy places like All Saints are popping up over Cleveland in recent years. This place in particular I instantly fell in love with. The ambience is amazing with the jazz cocktail bar vibes. And then the drinks they are known for are amazing. My girlfriend got 2 of their mojitos, and she usually is one to only get a single drink at dinner. And here she pretty much instantly downed both, saying they were just that good. And then the food was wonderful. As was the service. I see some other reviews here complain about bad service. But ours was anything but that. Will easily come back again,” Ben G. on Yelp Photo via Scene Archives

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