After seeing several reviews online, I knew I had to check out this speakeasy! It's tucked away in…read morea residential area, so I could see how parking might be challenging. Luckily, I had no issues finding parking during my visit. Reservations are available online, but by the time I decided to book, it was too late. We decided to take our chances and showed up without a reservation. After ringing the bell, we were warmly greeted by the hostess, who was able to seat us in the cozy couch area. Our server, Francesca, was wonderful and gave us some great drink recommendations. We ordered a few drinks and settled in to enjoy the experience. Even reading through the menu was fun--they have some unique rules that definitely add to the speakeasy atmosphere. The only downside was that the party seated next to us was extremely loud, which happened to go against one of the rules. Unfortunately, their volume didn't seem to be addressed. Aside from that, we absolutely loved our drinks and had a great time. Overall, we're so glad we got to experience this place. It was a fun and unique experience, and we're definitely thankful we made the visit!

Amazing experience at this beautiful speakeasy! Love the entrance, the staff, the drinks! Ambiance…read moreis perfect for date night or an evening with friends! Reservations recommended!

Such a cute place. The ambiance is amazing. Boho vibes with lots of beautiful plants and cozy…read moreseating. You walk in and just get swept into the atmosphere. Great drink selections (I really enjoyed the lavender lemon drop). Charcuterie is available for purchase as well. The bartenders are friendly and really seem to enjoy what they do. A great experience for a fun girls day/night.

Went to an event at The Willow, a lovely wine bar on National Avenue. It's like sitting in a…read moregarden, but indoors. A peaceful little place for a glass of wine or a cocktail, quiet and comfy. 68

After my previous bad experience at Thirsty Fox (reviewed separately), I was looking for a vibe…read moreshift. Ona provided it! A foosball table, a backgammon set, deep wood colors and an art deco vibe. This dark, moody little bar had a friendly bartender and unusual drinks. I had the "I Go Where I'm Led," made with kimchi infused vodka, gin, dolin dry, and celery salt. It did indeed taste like kimchi and was certainly weird. I also had the "Need 3," made with prosciutto basil infused gin sotol, amaro obscuro, bitters, and soda. Also a savory, bizarre drink that I'm glad I tried, but wouldn't get again. They have more conventional cocktails as well, like the Paper Plane, Naked and Famous, Corpse Reviver #2. They have IPAs and plain Miller Lites. They have basic red, white, and sparkling wine. Prices range from 8-13 dollars.

Stopped by in hopes of a relaxing drink. Service was terrible. It was not busy and it took 20…read moreminutes to get served 1 beer and a cocktail. They served others who entered the bar after us, doing shots with them. The bartenders were very rude, online it says they close at 2, one of the bartenders yelled, "It's time to get the fuck out" at 1:10, right after they had finally served us. All the workers were clearly intoxicated/on drugs, and were dancing to static playing on the speakers. I was hoping for a better experience, instead I felt uncomfortable and unwelcome.

What are Dark Arts? "Magic, Occult, Mystery, Experimentation, Transformation, and the Unknown."…read moreAncient symbols from alchemy abound here in the darkly sophisticated decor, the beautiful bottles, and on the menus. On the tee shirts of the sharply attired staff. Not staff; "Spirit Guides" is what they're called here. 7 symbols from alchemy have been repurposed to represent the 7 stages of whiskey-making from crop growth to bottling. The menu? It's an astounding 35 pages long, with their spirts classified by the 5 ancient elements Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, and Ether. The Dark Arts theme was played so well it didn't come across at all pretentious. It's all pseudoscientific nonsense of course but all good fun. First off, this is not primarily a distillery. They do some limited distilling but they self-identify as a "finishing house", mostly buying sprits from other distilleries and blend, apply various finishing techniques (special woods, etc.) and age them further in house. I was skeptical when a bartender at another distillery enthusiastically recommended the place as a must visit but I'm glad I did. I had a flight of 4 from their Special Annual Limited Releases section. Descriptions were intriguing. For example the Blunt Blend Volume III: "113.8 proof, 95% rye, 5% malted barley. 8 year rye finished in Armagnac and Madeira casks, built to pair with bold flavors and deeper moods. Pine, manuka honey, toasted oak, and terpene-like depth. Not subtle -- and never meant to be." I really liked all of them, especially the Ripple Rye of which I bought a bottle. 2 ounces total for $13; not bad. Prices in general were very reasonable: most around $7-10 for 1-ounce shots and $12-16 for 2 ounce. I like having a choice. Some higher-end offerings up to $50 for an ounce if you want to splurge. As for cocktails, how about the "All-Seeing Eye" from the Water section: White Port-Finished Bourbon, Chamomile-Infused Honey, Orchard Pear, Fino Cherry, Cherry Bark Vanilla & Bolivar Bitters. Or the "Nocturne Noir" from Air section: Amburana Rye, Crème de Banane, Banane du Brésil, Fresh Cold Brew. As fascinating as these all sound, I couldn't stay here and drink all day though I much wanted to. Instead, I finished with a mocktail, an "Essence Of Mercurial Bloom": Housemade Joker Syrup, Lime Juice, Lemon Juice, Soda, garnished with mint and blackberry. A perfectly balanced refreshing masterpiece. Can't decide? Try a Mystery Cocktail Dice Roll: "Roll the dice and let fate decide your next pour. Each number corresponds to a different Dark Arts cocktail." Or get a flight and let the tarot cards pick your choices. One brief visit isn't nearly enough. So many things to try. And premium experiences like the direct-from-the barrel special tastings. I'm already fantasizing about a return visit though it is 900 miles away from home!

fantastic bourbon and experience! highly recommend…read more fantastic bourbon and experience! highly reco

Came with a friend to checkout Char tonight and will be back (actually made a reservation for my…read morebirthday in July before we left our table)! Such a great little place in Lexington. Our server, Emily, was great, super nice and around whenever we needed her but never felt rushed even after we paid and were just chatting a little longer. Started with a couple cocktails and the Rosemary Focaccia. The cocktails were refreshing and the flavor of the focaccia and whipped ricotta was great, but the focaccia itself was dense so not my favorite. I had the Carbonara and it was amazing, the perfect balance of rich and creamy with lots of guanciali that had been perfectly rendered. I will defiantly get it again, but want to try a couple other items on the menu before I repeat. My friend got the spicy meatballs pomodoro and raved about it. I was stuffed but got the chocolate cake to go. Stole a few bites before I put it in the fridge and it may be the best chocolate cake I have ever had. Highly recommend Char, the inside is tiny so suggest making a reservation.

Char on Ashland is a must-visit in Lexington! We tried five items and here's the honest breakdown:…read more The Cinnamon Bun is a 10/10 -- hands down the star of the visit. It's enormous (easily shareable between 6+ people) and absolutely delicious. The Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich was a close second at 9/10, a great classic executed really well. The Banana Bread Latte was an 8/10 -- very good but ask for it less sweet. The Iced Cinnamon Bun Latte and Eggs in Heaven both landed at 6/10. The latte sounds incredible on paper but the cinnamon bun flavor didn't quite come through, and while the Eggs in Heaven dish itself is a good concept, my eggs were unfortunately not cooked to my liking. We really enjoyed sitting outside and enjoying our breakfast! Service was good, a little slow but they were very friendly! Overall a great spot with a lot of potential -- the pastry alone is worth the trip. Will definitely be back to try more of the menu!

Went here for an event and enjoyed a bourbon espresso old fashioned ($15) with a north lime…read moredoughnut. They have live music that mixed Christmas music into the playlist. This place feels like a neighborhood bar, from the bartender's to the casual cozy atmosphere. Bartender's were busy at times but were not chatty as they slowed down.

Always lively atmosphere with music, games and couple of Lexington's best bartenders. Food is…read moregreat too!

My favourite restaurant in Lexington. Great staff and hospitality. The gangsta is also 2nd to none.read more

the food was amazing the becky and the gangsta are ths best tacos and the service is very good as…read morewell

I really enjoyed this bar! I went with a friend for a pre-dinner drink, and it was not crowded,…read morewhich was nice. It has a very modern lounge look with a great view of the street and people walking by. It was a beautiful day so the windows were open. You almost forgot you were in Lexington. I got the funkadelic drink, and my friend got the Clooney. Both were really good but completely different. I enjoyed the funkadelic, it was like having a drink on a beach.

When I lived in Lexington, this spot was a longtime deli that was pretty popular for downtown…read moreworkers. Georgie's only opened a couple of years ago and every friend I heard from that has gone raved about it. While bourbon is a longtime Kentucky treasure, the cocktail scene in downtown Lexington has only recently grown from a handful of weekend spots to a thriving business. On this particular occasion, my wife was at a banquet in the downtown Hyatt, so I took myself out for dinner and drinks at some new places. This was stop #3, and it was by far my favorite. I found a seat right at the bar and started looking over the extensive cocktail list. As I took in the atmosphere, I noticed several couches, a long bar, and some open area by the front. The bartender working while I was there was Jordan, who runs the bar as well as one of my favorite Lexington late night spots, Centro (another 5). And when I say he "runs" the bar, I mean it. He managed to make cocktails and keep the line moving mostly by himself while I was there. He recommended the Quiet Beatle, which I thoroughly enjoyed for a perfectly reasonable price. I got one more vodka soda when things calmed down a bit, and went on my way. There are little bites available, as well as an extensive cocktail and bourbon list. This is definitely a place you can meet a group of friends for happy hour or late night drinks, or have a nice date. I can't wait to come back!

This is an interesting place for sure. You get a card and self serve your drinks. When you hear…read moreself-serve, you automatically think it's gonna be beer, especially since the place is called Tapster. Well, it broke my stereotypes because they had wine, beer, cocktails, and mocktails. I ended up creating my own margarita swirl by mixing the margarita and sangria ($10.16). The price is about the same as most other places, but you get to get your drink whenever you're ready and you can close out quickly by dropping your card in a dropbox or go back up to the register and close out. The ambience is really cool because they had swings at their tables - not all of them but a good portion.

Tapsters is one of my must dos while I'm in town. It's centrally located, a great place to start or…read moreend the night and they always have such a good selection of beer, wine, bourbon, cocktails and mocktails. You can order whatever food you'd like here so it's a perfect hangout spot. Plus the staff is always so kind! If you're in town check this place out

This review is pointless I guess. They are closing as of January 1, 2026. Are they closing…read morebecause of the terrible service? Or did I get terrible service because they are closing? I sat at the bar and was ignored for about 15 minutes, even though they looked right at me. Finally one of the bartenders asked if I wanted food or drink, and I said just drinks. "I guess I can do that," he said, and then told me to move over to the other side of the bar to be closer to him (it was right by the door, so I got to experience cold rushes of air the whole time I sat there). Also during my time, a German cockroach skittered across the bar top. I thought maybe the bartender was just sullen, but he was very animated and interactive with the younger couple who came in after me. I had to flag him down for my second drink. Everything seemed like an imposition to him. The drinks were fine and well priced. But the drinks don't matter when the vibe is that bad. I got the check quickly and left.

Really cool atmosphere. Speakeasy bar style... 3 women set up and played holiday music on violins…read more It was lovely. Very reasonably priced as well. Server and bartender were friendly. I ordered the Cuban and the Patty Melt, both with fries. The Cuban was soooo good!! The bread is grilled and crispy, buttery and amazing. The pulled pork and ham were so flavorful and perfect with the melted cheese and pickles. I would 10/10 order this again. The patty melt was also great. They also have my favorite fries (similar to McDonalds style fries). I'm sad they will be closing at the end of the month. A wonderful dinner.