We were told about Alter Ego from their sister business "Rooster & The Till" as our server recommended we come and try it, and we loved everything about it. We came during a Michael Jackson themed night so the music was already amazing. Vibes here were absolutely unmatched, everyone was dancing having a good time. Bit of a wait to get inside but all in all it was totally worth the wait (about 35 minutes) the host at the door was extremely kind and friendly, the server who was attending us at our table was also very kind and attentive. The drinks were definitely the highlight of the night, I got the "What's Your Fantasy" and my Girlfriend got the "Like a Virgin" and we both loved the drinks, we also had some lemon drop shots to accompany our drinks. read more

Alter Ego - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I really like this spot overall...Alter Ego has smaller, moody dark vibes that feel super cool, with good cocktails and great music. It's got that all-around fun, energetic atmosphere that makes it a solid choice for drinks. Not sure how it is during the week, but it would make for a fun date night spot to grab some cocktails. That said, I had a real hang-up the last time I went with my girlfriend around Christmas. They tried to hit us with a $10 cover just to get in, on top of $15-20 cocktails. I don't mind paying for a nice spot, but the cover felt absurd, especially since it wasn't even busy. The bouncer said we could make a reservation to avoid it, so I did...and then he made us stand outside forever before letting us in. At that point, we should've just left, but since my friend had never been, we stuck it out to try the themed Christmas cocktails. Once inside, there was a two-drink minimum per person, which is kind of crazy. It feels like they jip you either way...cover or no cover, minimum spend or not. While waiting outside (for no real reason, since it was empty), we chatted with a party of six who came straight from Ash (the sister restaurant upstairs). They'd just spent over $1,000 on their meal and were still getting charged a cover to enter Alter Ego. That's poor business, don't force extra fees to guarantee money when good music, drinks, and vibes should bring people in naturally and make them want to spend. There's plenty of places on Water Street with great (and I'd say better) cocktails where you're not forced into minimums or covers. The Christmas cocktail menu was disappointing too, poor selections and way too sugary. Love the potential here, but the strict policies really turned me off and made me want to go elsewhere next time. read more

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The inside is super cool, especially compared to its counterpart Ash next door. Check out Ash so you can see how they compliment each other. Where Ash is light and laid back, Alter Ego is dark and moody, LED-lit and more mysterious. I came at Christmas time this time and it was so much fun. They have really fantastic cocktails which is why I would come back. The music is usually really loud inside which gives it more of a club feel which I don't enjoy as much, and that's where it's almost a hybrid type of speakeasy because it doesn't have as much of that laid-back feel. It's hard to have chill conversation, or much conversation at all because it's so loud. But you mostly cant go wrong with the drinks. They have a limited food menu as well that I haven't ventured to try. I'd really recommend their shots- they're super gourmet and it's fun to watch the bartenders put them together. The green tea shot in particular is fabulous, but they have rotating seasonal ones as well, along with the cocktails. It's a really fun place and again I'd recommend getting a reservation ahead of time so you have somewhere guaranteed to sit. It can definitely get a little spendy as it's usually $25 a person or a 2 drink minimum per person, which is of course more than $25. The staff have always been really nice and help make the experience better. read more

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The vibes are there 100%. Cocktails were pretty okay, nothing super great or crazy but still a solid drink. Fries were delicious with the herb salt on them and of course the dipping! But go for the ambiance. read more

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Small and pretentious. It's not what's it's worked up to be. Expensive drinks that were just ok and service was mediocre. Although my friend was dressed very nice the front door told her "flip flops" were not allowed even though they were nice sandals and others were dressed as if they just came from the beach. It was still early so they let her in with them. Music was so loud for a very small space and small crowd. Wouldn't recommend and hopefully won't have to return myself. read more

Alter Ego is cool....but not as cool as they think they are. We had an early dinner so thought we would check this spot out. I've seen a lot of mixed reviews, so I needed to investigate. They ended up letting us in without a cover during the last 30min of Happy Hour. I had a Whiskey Smash and my husband had a Paloma. The bat tender advised there is an automatic 30% top.. Ummm ok. We are usually good tippers anyway, so no big deal...just kinda weird. Most of the people there were dressed nicely and appears to be on dates. The place is cute, but there isn't much room to move around. The ambiance is what you are paying for here. It does look cool inside...but idk...the vibes were off iMO. read more

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I had made a reservation a week prior to celebrate a friends birthday. Although we were 5 minutes late, the hostess disregarded the 15 minute grace period and gave away our table. We had called to let them know we were on our way, and no one would answer the phone. We drive all the way there, and was told our table we had booked for a week was given away. The hostess was very rude when talking to us, but we decided to go in anyway to avoid being charged the reservation fee. From the second we walked in, the vibes were weird. No one was having a good time. We went to the standing bar all to walk in to every single table being open, and it smelling like a toilet pipe burst. We got 3 cucumber gimlets that were room temperature, tiny, and spent $80. Will never be back, and will most definitely never recommend to anyone. read more

First time here. Great concept. Very small intimate space. I didn't expect it to be as quaint as it was. Didn't order food but had the Pisco Sour. Nice sipper drink with a light froth. Our server Aries was great. She was quick and friendly Dj played some great music! read more

Had an enjoyable experience here. I went on a Thursday and the vibes were great. It has a very grown and sexy vibe to it. The music was great too. My group didn't order food, but we had some great drinks. The drink menu was specially curated for a weekend event happening. I initially got a Margarita with Mezcal and asked them to make it spicy. Really good!!! It had a perfect balance of all flavors. I then ordered a P-star Martini. The passion fruit was delicious and it came with the shot of prosecco on the side, I feel like some places don't even do that anymore. Our waitress was amazing, we've had her a few times before and she always does an amazing job taking care of us. The only critique I have is the price of the drinks..I feel like they're a little overpriced. read more

Alter Ego - P* Martini - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Such a vibe. It had speak easy vibes with the dim lighting, luxury decor and layout. The music was on point, the ambiance was grown and sexy and the section we had was perfect. My group had a table in the corner where we could enjoy the view and enjoy intimate conversation. The environment was pretty loud but we we still had a great time and could hear each other over the music. We ordered drinks and something to snack on. We got their loaded fries and they were delicious and the perfect compliment to our drinks. For my drinks I got the passion fruit margarita. Also delicious. We would definitely come back. I recommend reservations for the best experience. read more

Alter Ego - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Alter Ego was super cute! We went pretty early but they have a happy hour that is so good!! The espresso martini shots are the best. The ambience is great and the bartenders were fantastic and very personable read more

Alter Ego - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Sooo, I've been to Alter Ego twice, once at night and once around 5 PM. The inside is low-lit with music-themed decor, and the vibe depends on what time you go. I appreciated the music more during the 5 PM visit compared to the later time, so I'd return earlier next time. The time I went later, we had reservations to celebrate my sister's birthday. The odd thing was that when we got to the door, there was a cover charge which caught us off guard since we're all in our late 30s to early 40s. It made sense once we got inside because the crowd gave college vibes, which wasn't what we expected. Not that it was horrible, just not the scene we were looking for. We stayed for a bit and then went elsewhere. Hopefully, downtown will eventually have more regular lounges for people in their later 30s, it's just a different vibe. Overall, it's a cute spot. read more

Alter Ego - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

What a really cool bar in the water Street area of Tampa. You could honestly walk past this place and miss it but when you walk in the vibe is so cool, the lighting is perfect, and the size is just right. I loved that the menu Gave popular culture song references, but did not give all of the ingredients in the drinks. It was exciting to be experimental with cocktail choices. We ordered the passionfruit, and the lemonade by Gucci Mane. My friend ordered rosé. The passionfruit with the mezcal was stellar, and the lemonade was super refreshing. The whitefocaccia pizza was also really good, the right size, and extremely flavorful. Aries was our waitress and her service was 10 out of 10. I cannot wait to visit this bar again with the best part of the night being the DJ. The DJ played the vibes all night And it just set the scene. read more

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Absolutely love the vibes here. I've been before a year or so ago for a Friday date night and there was nowhere to sit and the music was way too loud but that was when they first opened and it's clear they have worked out the kinks since. I went on Thursday night for a book club event and it was an immaculate experience. For one, loved that there was a happy hour menu until 9 pm (except only drinks and no food - I do wish bites were discounted as well). We looked at the regular menu because we were hungry and the smothered fries & cacio e Pepe arancini stood out to us immediately. The smothered fries with wagyu beef cheeks, black garlic butter, & Parmesan literally melted in your mouth but don't wait to long to eat or I could envision them becoming soggy. This would also be really good on a mac n cheese. The cacio e Pepe arancini with chives & egg yolk jam WOWWWW. Tasted like the mac n cheese balls from the Cheesecake Factory except way more high end and aesthetic. Our server told us an order came with 5 but they gave us 6 (an extra since we had a table of 3). Little things like that always really stick out to me and shows the staff pays attention. Didn't try any cocktails and the staff was also cool with our Diet Coke & water vibe which you sometimes don't get from all servers. I find that sometimes servers want you to get drinks to bring up the bill but they made it clear they were open to whatever we wanted & were there to serve us. I was overall super impressed and will definitely be back - maybe next time to try the cocktails and more of the menu. We were recommended the pizza but weren't in the mood so that is something it seems worth trying! Also the moody lighting was spot on and the dj hipster vibes of the music really topped it off to be perfect. read more

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The feel and vibe of this place is so fun. It's great cocktail bar for a chill night and the drinks are always amazing. We love the djs and the bartenders are always friendly! read more

It is such a vibe in here. The lighting, the colors, the seating, it all feels luxe but not snobby if that makes sense. The service was great never waiting too long waiter had great knowledge about the cocktails and made us feel welcome (so mad I can't remember his name). We had Nebraska mini mart burgers and fries as part of a pop up so I already knew it was gonna be amazing. The drinks were all well balanced and the music was great we caught ourselves singing along to most of the songs . read more

Alter Ego - Interior and bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

It was a great place to meet up with friends for cocktails. Tonight they were serving specialty controls which were delicious. It has an almost 50s ambience despite its modern decor. Seemed there weren't enough bartenders to handle the crowd. But they actually were able to get every one crowded around the bar served in a timely way with very few disgruntlement. read more

Alter Ego - Welcome - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Dropped in for a quick drink to see what this establishment has to offer. Upon entry we were greeted, given a menu & proceeded to the bar. The establishments soft lighting can create a romantic ambiance. We ordered a Manhattan and a strawberry Mai Thai, both drinks were 10/10 and $20 each. Hope to try the food one day. They have a DJ but we departed before he began. Seems like a dope spot to frequent. read more

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An awesome chic cocktail lounge! I went for a date and enjoyed a few different drinks including the bee's knees and miami vice. It's a really fun vibe for a night out on the weekend! Highly recommend reserving a table if you get a chance- the staff were kind enough to let us snag a table when another party no-showed their reservation. We had excellent service and the staff were super friendly and kind. We will definitely be back! read more

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Went on a Tuesday night to meet a few friends. The place is really cute! The food was ok, we tried a few items. The pizza was my favorite, oysters were the least favorite of the crowd. The servers & bartenders were nice. read more

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Great speakeasy! The outside is kind of unassuming, but as the night goes on there is a line of ppl, so dead giveaway. The inside is intimate and well put together. The drinks were fantastic! They even customized them to your taste buds! Highly recommend! read more

Okay so the vibe of this place is super cool and kinda speakeasy like. There's no signage outside, so it can be hard to miss but just look for the address on top and large double doors. When you walk in there's a hostess to greet you and the space gives off a moody vibe. Velvet curtains,cool neon fixtures and intricate details, definitely an impressive spot decoration wise. As for the drinks, they were somewhat unimpressive. We ordered the pisco sour, $21 and the highball, $18. I thought they were kinda expensive, somewhat Miami level. The pisco sour had a not so typical taste, they threw a spin on it with lavender. The highball was basically a bunch of long ice cubes and no drink. The taste was a little strange too. It was super crowded on a Tuesday night at like 9:30. The space is a little on the smaller side and it seems like there's a DJ on the weekends. Definitely gram worthy and a hot new spot. But I give the lower rating for sup par cocktails and steep prices read more

Alter Ego - Drink menu 4/24 - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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such a cute and bougie vibe!!!! i came for latin night and aries was a breath of fresh air. usually in a packed club im understanding of slow service, but aries made sure that wasn't the case! the drinks were absolutely delicious and well worth the price. i'll definitely coming back. read more

Alter Ego - bar area - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I loved the decor in this place it looks really cool on the inside. The space up is a lot smaller than expected, and there isn't a lot of seating so you'll have to make a reservation to secure a seat. The drinks are good but definitely really expensive (but it is in downtown). I went for happy hour and cocktails were 12$, shots were 10$ and snacks were about 8-20$ depending on what you get. I also got the smothered fries which were really good! They were pretty expensive, 22$ for a small plate, but super good I'd recommend trying it if you go! Not sure if I would ever go back which is why I'm giving it 4 stars, I feel like this was fun as a one time experience. read more

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Alter Ego is a spot like no other in Tampa! It's a welcome edition to the cocktail lounge scene. The cocktails are fantastic. The decor is swanky and warm. The music is phenomenal. Think b-sides, soulful house, etc. It's really great vibing music. I went on a Wednesday and the place was packed! Alter Ego has total speakeasy vibes. There is no signage on the two big black doors coveting the entrance. But it's easy enough to find right next to its sister restaurant Ash. Definitely check it out! read more

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Eclectic soulful House FULL!! Alter Ego is warm yet upbeat and I enjoyed the vibe as well as the interior!! The drinks are cute especially the Mocks!! My server wa Austin & he was super nice & eager to pour. I had the Milk Punch: chamomile, voudovan curry, coconut milk makrut lime, semillon verjus, & honey It's quite tasteful. **Call me Honey bear!! I will be returning because they have a fine list of Miami D.J.'s coming in on Saturday 4/20 & I'm excited. This place has a great deal of sets already -you can see them listed on their ig social & website. read more

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Arrived 20 minutes late for our reservation due to traffic and the roads being closed, the staff was very accommodating. Cute cozy tables, dark ambiance but each table has a little light which adds to the vibes. Happy hour until 7 even on a Saturday and the fries and the rice balls we're both really great, highly recommend for a drink / snack read more

Alter Ego - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Went to alter ego for their girls night out. The dj was amazing!!! The place was smaller than I thought it was my first time there but no one was dancing. Everyone was casually dressed just sitting and talk or just standing around. Not the vibe I was looking for unfortunately. Maybe alter ego would be better as a speak easy where people just sit and eat . They do sell small bites but me and my friend both were very underwhelmed by their small bites menu, the margarita I had was very good though. read more

Very nice ambiance, dark and mood yet still very sexy. I went for a R&B girls night where the two DJs were women!! I really enjoyed the music. There are booths to sit at but the tables are for reserved seating. I ordered a No scrubs which seemed like a mojito highball, very good! Additionally we had the lemon drop martinis and green tea shots which were good, I'm not w lemon drop girly so i think that's saying a lot. The price for the drinks were to be expected since the place is near the Amelie arena, but for ladies night i thought we'd have a special. For all 6 (2 green tea shots, 2 lemon drop martinis , 2 no scrubs) drinks we spent roughly $107. Bar service was as good as it could be with the sheer volume of people at the bar....remember to sit at a table you have to reserve it. Very cute nightlife experience if you want something less crowded but high enough energy to dance with a friend. read more

Alter Ego - Green tea shots, lemon drop martinis - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Here's the deal.... The vibes here are HIGH. The DJ was KILLING IT. The space is GORGEOUS. Service is on top of it!! But the drinks suck and are dumb prices. Multiple people at the bar and I, who weren't connected to my party, were incredibly underwhelmed by the drinks. If I'm paying $20 for a manhattan or a margarita, it better be damn good. And theirs just weren't. The only reason it even gets 2 stars is the decor/the vibes. If they improve their drinks, I'd go back! But I definitely recommend skipping this place if you're looking for a good cocktail. read more

Only for the grown and sexy. Love this speakeasy concept. Chill vibes and good music. Cool place to hang out and sip on crafted cocktails. I really enjoy that they bring in DJs from around the country, with a focus on those that still play vinyl. Don't forget to try their truffle fries but remember the kitchen closes at 10. I highly recommend reservations if you want a designated area to yourself or to sit. Because of how small it is, the door man manages the line dependent on how many people leave so keep that in mind (only 2 or 3 in at a time). Tommy and Austin (who also worked at Ciro's) are very attentive and make sure you're having a great time. read more

Alter Ego - vibes - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

It took us a while ago here, but I absolutely love this place! If you go after nine, you do have to pay to get in so I recommend trying to go around 8:30 so you can avoid that fee. However, live music starts right at 9 o'clock, and it is totally a vibe! The drinks aren't the best, but the service and the atmosphere makes up for it. I wish that they had a dress code so people would walk in a bit nicer and you're not seeing people just in random shorts and baseball caps, etc. Definitely would go back here again and again. Highly recommend getting a reservation for a table if you want a seat cause it gets really busy. However, you can just go ahead and walk in and do the standup room and have a grand old time. read more

Cutesy little speakeasy with what seemed like a never ending happy hour. I love how cute the inside was. There are a few tables and plenty of open space near the bar. The mixed shots were delicious and the drinks were great. read more

Super cool spot for an intimate evening. There's a mid century, speak easy feel to the place and the music is chill, some 90s hip hop with electronic beats. Photos tell the story better. read more

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This place is a vibe! It's dark and has great music. We didn't have a reservation but were able to sit at the bar. Every bartender was attentive and sweet gave us great drink recommendations. If you want an intimate setting this is the place. It did start to get crowded later in the evening around 11pm so we left but 9-11pm was more couples enjoying a date night. read more

Alter Ego - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I like this new nightlife addition to water street. I like how they bring in different DJs. The inside is smaller so I would recommend making reservations because it is still pretty popular. You can put yourself on the waiting list but you will have to wait in a line outside. They have seating areas and enough standing room to listen to the DJs. read more

Alter Ego - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Vibes are cool. Place is much smaller than anticipated and I wish the DJ was more elevated and centralized. He's tucked beside the bar and not really visible. Cocktails were good and priced at the expected price point for water street. It was a cool spot for a pre-dinner drink. We stayed for about an hour and then went to dinner. read more

Alter Ego - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I checked out Alter Ego and it definitely gives an NYC speakeasy vibe as there is no sign but it is right next to Ash (same owner). The vibe is moody and chic and I came here before dinner. I would say during the week this would be a great nightcap and also a great date spot. On Thursday to Saturday, they have a DJ from 9-2am. I wasn't too impressed with the drinks but again, fun place to check out! read more

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Alter Ego is a newer cocktail bar to the Downtown Tampa area. I had the chance of giving them a try before a concert the other night. It's a great prime location because it's literally a few minutes walk away from the Amalie Arena incase you want to do a bit of pregaming before attending a sports event or a concert. If you're walking too quick you'll almost miss it being that the sign is almost hidden and it doesn't directly say Alter Ego on it. Upon entering you're greeted by a host who will ask if you have reservations or just walking in. We happened to just be walking in on a Sunday at around 6:30 PM. It's got a low light with neon signs lit up throughout in a red hue. Very much a cool intimate hipster vibe which is right up my alley. There's limited bar seats with also some actual seats and couches available with tables. The aesthetic is very nice and low key while having an upbeat feel due to the music playing. It's reminiscent of a speakeasy in New York or a vinyl listening bar in Tokyo. Great environment for date night or drinks with some friends. Next to the bar they have a DJ booth, they've got rotating DJ's throughout the week so if you keep in tuned to their instagram you can see the different types of music they'll be playing throughout the week. As for the actual drinks, I can't give too detailed of an opinion on that as I got some traditional shots. I will say their menu did have some semi unique options on there that seemed worth exploring. Our bartender was really present and helpful and did a great job at pointing out some drinks to us and making something specific based on the preference of my party. Bottom line, a cool chill intimate spot with low lights, good music and cocktails that can be a tad bit overpriced but there is a tax for the area for sure. I'd come back here for sure read more

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What a fun and funky concept for a cocktail lounge. My friend and I made an early reservation on a Saturday evening since we heard it books rather quickly. To our surprise there was a Happy Hour menu, which offered a variety of cocktails and snacks. The 19th Century was very nice, along with the classic Cosmo and Adonis. The space is dark, mysterious, sexy and the music selection brings it all together. This is the perfect place to grab pre-dinner drinks or a nightcap. read more

Alter Ego - Love the space! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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