- attentive waiter - super intimate, cute, and lovely concept - lots of creative drinks! and they find great ways to balance the strong alcohol especially as a girl who doesn't like the taste of alcohol read more

Bar 86 - vibe - Speakeasies Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Bar 86 is such a fun addition to Old Town Alexandria! If you're looking for more than just great cocktails, this is definitely a spot worth checking out. What makes this place stand out is the interactive cocktail experience. The owners, Jacob and Sammy, created a hidden menu where every cocktail has its own story. This month's theme is inspired by their travels through Phuket, and each drink reflects a different memory or experience from the trip. It made ordering cocktails so much more fun because there was a story behind every sip. Some of my favorite drinks were the Salt & Shame, Pearl Necklace, Tuk-Tuk Tumble, Ladyboy Lullaby, Asian Gossip, The Happy Ending Mishap, Floral Floreplay, and the signature 86 Carajillo. Every cocktail was beautifully presented and unique in its own way. The food was just as impressive. The Pommes Sautées were perfectly seasoned, the Bok Choy had a delicious balance of ginger, garlic, sesame, and soy, and the Lamb Naan Pizza was packed with flavor. For entrées, both the Steak and the Thai Red Curry Salmon were cooked beautifully and complemented the cocktail experience perfectly. The atmosphere ties everything together with an intimate speakeasy vibe that's perfect for date night, catching up with friends, or celebrating a special occasion. If you're someone who appreciates creative cocktails, immersive dining experiences, and hidden gems, Bar 86 is absolutely worth a visit. I can't wait to come back and see what theme they create next! read more

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Bar 86 in Alexandria, VA is an absolute gem if you're looking for a more intimate, elevated night out. The ambiance is one of its strongest features dimly lit, cozy, and perfectly set up for a relaxed but upscale vibe. It feels tucked away from the usual noise, making it a great spot for a date night or a small gathering where you actually want to enjoy the conversation. The drinks were truly magnificent. You can tell a lot of care and creativity goes into each cocktail everything was well-balanced, beautifully presented, and packed with flavor. Whether you're into classic cocktails or something a bit more unique, they definitely deliver. Overall, Bar 86 nails both atmosphere and quality. If you're in the Alexandria area and want a dark, intimate setting with top-tier drinks, this place is absolutely worth checking out. read more

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Checked out Bar 86 in Old Town with a friend, last night, and overall enjoyed the experience. The vibe is intimate, and a little mysterious in a good way. It has low lighting, and stylish décor that makes it easy to settle in, and relax. There was no hostess to initially welcome us, in the hallway of the building, so it was a little confusing, at first, figuring out exactly where the bar was located; however, once inside things flowed well. The cocktails were the highlight. One arrived in a mini bathtub topped with bubbles, which was a fun touch and tasted good. The tiki drink was more flavor forward, and not spirit forward, which I appreciated because it was smooth and balanced. You can tell they care about presentation, and quality. Our server was welcoming, and very knowledgeable. He explained the journey the menu is designed to take you on, which made it feel curated, and intentional. We did not try any bites; however, other patrons seemed to enjoy them. It does appear they are still trying to get their footing; however, because of our server I bumped this up to 4 stars. He really helped add to the night. Nice spot to catch up with a friend, and a good place to start, or end the night in Old Town. I would go back to explore more of the menu. read more

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Recently opened, late-night, bar in old town Alexandria The service was good and the staff was very friendly and talkative all throughout the night! The drinks were extremely fun and very thoughtful in terms of their naming conventions and presentation, however we did try about 6 drinks and they were all pretty sweet, so I would be mind full of that. We did try the frites and were a little disappointed by the potatoes & its presentation. Will likely go back to try more drinks though! read more

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This is a great speakeasy because Will makes amazing drinks and is funny as...heck. Amazing ambience and very unique drinks. Come find it! Okay, it's one of the easiest speakeasies to find but the drinks, atmosphere and Will are worth it! Just don't be a hungry pants and try to steal the corn nuts! ‍ read more

Bar 86 is tucked neatly inside of Cafe du Soleil coffee shop - to be honest, it doesn't feel like a speakeasy (which I believe it markets itself as). While it is dimly lit and lavishly furnished, I didn't like that you could see the next door coffee shop or see outside to the street level so clearly (through the lowered blinds blocking the windows). Took away the hidden or exclusive feeling. We got there just after 6pm and were quickly escorted inside by a friendly host; the bar was fairly empty as it had just opened. There is one small bar that seats 5-6 and then several 2 and 4 top tables for larger parties. We got the espresso martini and famous bathtub drink; both were okay but we were turned off by the $20 per cocktail price (they weren't THAT good). I do appreciate how creative the menu was, both in the story that it told about the bar and the drinks as well as the drink offerings. The waitstaff was friendly and attentive; though it took much longer than expected to get our first round of drinks even though there were only 3 parties there when we ordered. The bar started to get more crowded around 7-7:30. There was a line of folks waiting to get in as we were leaving around that time. Try to swing by early to avoid the wait. Overall, an okay spot to stop by if you're in the area. Nothing really pulled me in to make me want to return. read more

The bar itself is nice and the food was acceptable; however the bartender "Will" was disrespectful and arrogant, two signs of a bad bartender or to use his words mixologist. First he walked away multiple times while taking our orders. Then would not accommodate a request to retrieve two requested bottles of bourbon from the top shelf stating "surely you can find something from these" pointing to the house rye bourdons. Then he forgot to add bitters to standard old fashioned and made a reference to size of manhood when the old fashioned was delivered and the pour size was questioned. He also challenged a member of our party for eating the popcorn from the drink preparation of the 86 Negroni before it was delivered. He demanded "are we good" and offered an empty basket of beer nuts and stating "you can eat these Mr. hungry pants". We "Will" not be back. It's a shame, the place had a cool vibe and story, but he ruined it. Most people left the bar while we're there after one drink. Obviously he can't keep a crowd. read more

I was in the area for a solo work trip and decided to stop in to this fine establishment. The bartender Will was very knowledgeable and charismatic. The vibe of the place was on point with low lighting and a very solid sound track. The story they carry in their menu is an absolute adventure and Will did a phenomenal job of matching drinks to my requested flavors for both an on menu and off the menu experience. I'm super glad I chose this spot as my night cap and if I am ever in the area again would love to stop in and see where their menu takes me next. read more

This place needs a lot of work. Huge supporter of Cafe du Soleil but the Repeal Dat ball is an amateurish event. We went for the first one and it started over 2 hours late. I asked for a refund and the staff kindly agreed. They took down my phone number and credit card. I never got refunded and their mailbox is full. Unfortunately, Bar 86 is damaging to Cafe du Soleil reputation. read more

A nice sized group of us came in late on a Saturday night for "end-of-night" cocktails and this experience was very nice! They nice a nice cocktail list and their service is great. The vibe is chill and nice for a place to chat with a large group and get loud, but allow for others to have an intimate time to themselves. All the cocktails were great and we even tried their potatoes as something to nosh on - those things were amazing! Definitely would recommend stopping in... I'll definitely return! read more

Cocktails are creative and delicious!! Owners are passionate and care about the details and experience. read more

Bar 86 - Speakeasies Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This place is a hidden gem in old town Alexandria, the theme is unique, drinks are amazing, the menu takes you into a story book that makes the whole experience to another level! Service is attentive, and they will ask you preference in order to recommend a fun drink! Definitely visit ! read more

Service was horrible waited about 40 minutes for one round of drinks, we were denied seats at the bar. Server spilled drinks on my girlfriend and her friend. #not chill #donotreccomend #werentcomped They do have silly cups though #chill #2starsforthechillcups Never mind this place is way too expensive hidden fees and charged me for the wrong drink...#iamsadnow #26dollardrinks read more

I had the cauliflower steak, a mocktail espresso martini, and the crème brûlée. The cauliflower's sauce was addicting, the mocktail perfectly sweet, and I love that they used a wider dish for the crème brûlée because I got more caramelized surface. The bar is very chill and moody, and despite my server being the main bartender during peak hours he was very attentive! read more

Bar 86 - Bar area - Speakeasies Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

The cocktails were well crafted and had complex and unexpected flavor. Ask the server for his favorites and you won't go wrong. My drink was sweet and smoky which created a dark caramel effect that evolved on the tongue. I didn't try the food. It was an after dinner event with around six friends. We sat near the window on lounge seating and had no trouble hearing each other or getting comfortable. We stayed late and enjoyed the ambience. read more

I think they're still working out some minor issues such as when we showed up there was no one out front so we waited for a bit before another employee when to go grab someone. That was a minor hiccup though and we would definitely go back again! The atmosphere inside is very cozy and the drinks were delicious! You can tell they really care about the quality of the cocktails they make and are passionate about the menu. When we went there was only one bartender, so unsure if that is normal but it might be a slower paced evening. read more

Overall it was a terrible 0/5 star rating. To start off, the waiter dropped drinks on my soon to be wife and then proceeded to charge her double. Turns out it wasnt even her drink. Manager went and hid around back like a little boy. Overall never come here theres better bars read more

Food was decent price, and well made. Took a while to get. Service was nice but never stopped by to ask us for another drink. Drinks were fine, but were 22$ each so definitely way too pricey for what we got. read more