I almost don't want to leave a review because I feel like this is the best kept secret in Pittsburgh. I've complained for YEARS there aren't enough dining options that are locally owned and not chains... Emerson's is the answer. Their food is amazing, the wine list impeccable, the service SO friendly and the vibe reminds me of New York or LA without appearing to try too hard. My favorites: Tuna Poke and Parmesan fries. Fried Chicken Sandwich. Their desserts - ugh. Tiny little pieces of heaven. I haven't been able to find Gruner Veltliner since moving from Austin and they always have cold bottles available. Did I mention wine bottles are half off on Wednesday? Don't sleep on this place. It won't be a secret for long. read more

Emerson's - So cozy. Fireplace not shown!! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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It's a great little place for an intimate and fancyish meal. It's a little pricey but the quality is there. Service is always friendly.

Cool spot - cool vibe! Service was great! Food was good the pork sandwich was good and the vodka pasta also good!

What a hidden gem! Great food, cocktails and staff. Highly recommend! It is in market square.

We went here because we stayed at the Fairmount and the hotel front desk agent recommended it. We walked in with no reservations but still got sat immediately. The waiter/host was the one who took care of us. He was very attentive and polite. Since this was an unplanned stop we just had cocktails and an appetizer. We tried the truffle fries and they were amazing. Definitely messy but worth it. We sat at a couch area too which made it comfy but a little harder to eat. Drinks were the best we had our whole trip to Pittsburgh. This place was all around awesome. Definitely recommend trying it out. I want to eat dinner here next time. read more

Emerson's - Cocktails - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I never heard of Emersons, but friends who recently moved into downtown Pittsburgh suggested going to dinner there. We arrived in time to get a drink at happy hour prices. We all tried a seasonal autumn cocktail. They were all good but not drink all night inexpensive. I recall that each was more than $10. The food was good. Burger and chicken sandwich eaters were happy, and my pumpkin gnocci was very good. The bar was fairly crowded with eaters and drinkers, who might have been younger business professionals in town for their day in the office. It was a pleasant place to eat or drink above market st. The entrance is a steep set of steps to the second floor. The decor is industrial with a historic, downtown look read more

Emerson's was the perfect date night. Smaller, intimate, with a romantic feel throughout. The wine menu was extensive and I was shocked at the pricing. So affordable for downtown. The menu has something for everyone and the portions are huge. The penne could have been 3 meals. The prices were fantastic for the quality and size. Will absolutely come back again and again. read more

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Emerson's is a go to downtown if you're looking for a chill, classy vibe. It's located right off of Market Square above Market St. Grocery and you can usually find that it doesn't have the lines that other spots in the area do on a busy night downtown. They have great cocktails and food, plus a friendly staff that keep me coming up. Definitely recommend checking it out if you haven't already! read more

Really high-quality food and drink; people who take their craft seriously and are also remarkably friendly to chat to. They obviously love PGH, and since I was here during a trip to figure out if I wanted to move here, that matters. Rolled in here under a serious grump, prepared to call it pretentious, but really what's not to like about people who love good food, good drink, where they are, and sharing all of it? read more

I'm obsessed. I had a sage whiskey sour from Emersons Market a few weeks ago and I'm still thinking about it. Accidentally ended up at Emerson's in Market Square due to a miscommunication, but what a beautiful accident ! This is the perfect cozy spot for sipping on a glass of wine or one of their featured cocktails at the bar, by the fire, or at a table with some friends and bites like the burrata. Add this one to the list this winter. read more

Emerson's - Sage whiskey sour - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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This new wine bar above market street grocery is so cute! I met a friend here last night for drinks and I was so glad she recommended the perfect spot! We drank the house Cabernet which was excellent and didn't break the bank at just $7 a pour. Their menu also features some charcuterie, salads, and some snacks, though we didn't eat. The only bummers are of course trying to park near market square, and the fact that they don't currently feature a happy hour. However, once you're inside sitting by the fireplace with a glass of vino, it's hard to be too upset. read more

Emerson's - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Came for dinner and drinks, but left after getting our own drinks at the bar and terrible table service. Atmosphere was ok, but they reuse stained paper menus. We ordered a charcuterie board, which was decent. It had a good amount of dried meats and cheeses, but had 5 dry crostinis, which is not nearly enough, and i could make them better in my toaster oven. At least they didn't charge us for the extra we ordered. No jams to balance the savory of the board. Basically, the service was so bad, we decided against dinner and went somewhere else. We were sat way before the table next to us, but sat and waited after they ordered drinks and apps. We still waited as the waitress went to a large table and took their order and headed to the back. By this time we got our own drinks from the bar, which is another story (debacle). Basically, if ur a female (95%females under 30), who wants a TikTok post, this is the place for you. It's not for people who love GOOD food experiences. I love TikTok when traveling, but TikTok let me down on this one, as we came in from Houston and were relying on recommendations when making our reservations for our stay. read more

We tried this place prior to going to the show. Our table was in the corner but the sound inside was so loud we couldn't barely hear each other. We ordered truffle fries and that was really good. Everything else just didn't have enough seasoning and was quite bland. We likely won't be back. read more

This place is complete trash. They didn't like how we looked and one member of our party had a declined credit card so after our first drink, they asked if we were overserved. We were there for my Aunts 70th birthday. The bartender made us feel like we weren't worthy to be in their "high end" and "hip" bar. It's Pittsburgh, get over yourself. read more

Nice, comfortable space with a modern vibe. Fireplace, comfortable seating and tables in a properly lit atmosphere. Reasonable prices for wines by the glass and drinks as well as a small food menu. Very friendly waitstaff we experienced. read more

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Ambiance was very minimalistic, almost felt like I was eating in a spruced up warehouse. The charcuterie board was small, disappointing, and our server didn't even explain what any of the cheeses were. I ordered the salmon with couscous. The salmon was good but the couscous was very salty. My husband got some type of steak which he enjoyed. We went on a weekday night and the ambiance felt dead and quiet, so I'm not sure if it was an off night, but overall would not go back, especially for the prices. read more

Can I live here? Seriously...what a gorgeous, cozy, chic spot. My husband and I dropped in last Friday evening for a drink and snacks after we attended a gallery show opening downtown. The glass of natural Pinot I had was delicious and my husband thoroughly enjoyed his upgraded Emerson 75 (highly recommend). We also split the charcuterie board which was the perfect amount of food for us to have as a hefty appetizer. The interior design is sophisticated, yet laidback with different seating areas, a cozy fireplace and intimate lighting that gives off romantic vibes. We can't wait to go back! read more

Emerson's - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This was our first time at Emerson's and won't be the last. The restaurant has a relaxed vibe with calming decor and relaxing music. We were greeted by a host/waiter that was respectful and informative. We started with a beet salad with feta and pecans that was delicious. As a bonus, Wednesday is half price bottles of select wines. The entrees were amazing. I had pesto with sunflower seed and basil with chicken added. My wife had vodka pasta with chicken. The food was satisfying without being too heavy. For desert we shared an eclair that rounded out a fantastic dinner. The bartender who opened the wine at our table was very personable and welcoming. Looking forward to next Wednesday! read more

Emerson's - Vodka pasta with chicken - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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We are at Emerson's for the second time in a month last night but this time we brought friends. Just like last time, we all loved our meals. The drinks were great, appetizers were delicious, and the main courses were all fantastic! The place has a cool vibe too. Highly recommend. read more

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What a nice experience here. The two of us sat at the bar and had wonderful service. The drink list has something for everyone and prices are surprisingly moderate. I say surprising because of it's downtown location and upscale and classy decor. The drink list isn't massive but it doesn't need to be. It's thoughtful and should satisfy cocktail, wine and beer fans alike. We only had the Brussel Sprouts to eat but the food we saw being served ensures we will be back to try more. Portion sizes are very generous. We can't wait to split the roast pork sandwich on foccacia. read more

Second time we visited. Amazing food with a variety of flavors. Excellent bar menu. From Brussels to burrata to beet salad it was all amazing. read more

The pre-batched cocktails were great. Truffle fries were also good. Chicken sandwich was pretty low quality. Caesar salad was mid. Would come back for the drinks. Ambiance was okay. Service was okay. Felt like everyone except our server was happy to be there. read more

Came here for happy hour with friends. We split the mussels, salad and meatballs. We enjoyed Hugo spritz and wine. Very cute cozy spot tucked away in market square. The food and drink were good but I'm docking a star because of service. At first our waitress was great and checked in on us often but then she seemed more interested in chatting with the other servers at the bar. At one point I had to flag down another server to get our servers attention. We did enjoy the Apertivo club below. Very small but the drinks were amazing. read more

When is it time to walk out of a restaurant? How many red flags must go up before you make the call? Let's see: We spent 15 minutes walking around outside (in the snow) looking for this spot. There is no outside signage, but a small one on the door leading upstairs. Tried calling to ask for help, but no one picked up. #1 Red Flag After a long trip up the stairs, We felt like We had arrived at a secret little spot. Very cozy and freshly decorated, very mood enticing. We were excited about the food that awaited us. It seems they were understaffed, so we stood there waiting for some one to greet us (no hostess) and was finally seated by the window. (Due to Covid staffing issues, I'm going to ignore that red flag) My server approached the table and asked if we wanted something to drink. We wanted water, a cocktail and to ice the bottle we brought. He looked at the bottle and said it could go in the cooler or in a wine holder. I requested the wine holder. It was immediately apparent to me that he was not a trained server. He knew nothing about cooling wine AND he knew very little about the "craft cocktails" served. My sister asked for a specific gin in her cocktail and was told that they were all pre-mixed. Hmmmm..... #2 Red Flag After ten minutes of looking over the menu, we had a few questions. If the drink order made us question his competence, this simple exercise completely confirmed his utter lack of training and knowledge of ANYTHING food related. He hadn't tried most of the dishes, he said the chef recommended a "well done" salmon and a medium done tuna steak, and said he wouldn't recommend some of the dishes offered. He wanted to open our wine, but didn't have a wine key. #3,4,5 RED FLAG We ordered the dishes that seemed "safe". By this time, we had been there 30 minutes, we asked to ice our wine twice, and the cocktail had just arrived. In order to help him out, I took my wine (I brought it from a favorite vineyard not offered on the menu) up to the bar. I patiently waited and asked for some ice to chill it and a wine key to open. A woman behind the bar looked at me and told me that it was a screw top. I politely said it wasn't and it just needed a wine key, she disagreed. I politely said it needed a wine key. She asked where I got the bottle. I kindly told her that I brought it myself and would like to pay the corkage to open it. Instead of politely telling me their policy, she scolded me and said they weren't allowed to open it because they had a full liquor license. I explained that other places had all allowed a bottle to be opened for a substantial corkage fee and I would be happy to pay. She rudely declined and offered no alternative. #7 REEEDDDDD FFFFLLLAAAAAGGGGG After returning to the table, we politely called over our waiter and decided that we were going to leave. We left $15 for our one drink and were headed to another spot. This woman had the nerve to approach us, not to apologize, but to insist that we pay for the food that we had ordered (that we never received). Had we known we couldn't open our bottle, we would have NEVER ordered food!!! In 35 minutes, anyone could have told us of their rule and we would have politely declined service and headed elsewhere. With a rude manager, poorly trained staff, and questionable food/cocktail knowledge, I would never return to this spot. It has so much potential, but seriously lacks leadership to make it great. Don't let the pretty decor and fun menu distract you from the MANY red flags that you see. read more

So I'm not a downtown kinda girl. But let me tell ya, I felt right at home here!! So chill and laid back, very spacious and great views! I found a great parking space which was a bonus. The bartender (her name was something cool like nicoletra, or nicolina, idk...) whipped up a million fancy drinks while I sat alone and checked out the menu. Cool music, looks like they have a spot for a DJ... cool open concept overall. And the food? I got the "Bianca" (white pizza) and it was delish!!! Tomatoes were so fresh and such good ricotta. And verrry affordable!!check this place out! A little hard to find but worth it!!! read more

Nice spot for a family birthday dinner-- the server communicated well with the kitchen to ensure any specifications were accounted for. The cocktails were fun and festive, and dessert was delish! It's super small, so I would definitely make reservations although there are some cozy seating options surrounding the fireplace! read more

i walked in and immediately knew I did not want to be there. it was incredibly loud in there despite there not being a ton of people. The space is just very echo-y and it felt more like someone's apartment rather than a restaurant. Once we were sat, I noticed that it smelled like pee. I asked my friends if they noticed it too and they said yes, so we just got up and left, so I can't speak on the food or drinks, but the ambiance is awful. It looks like they tried and failed to make it trendy. read more

Everything 10/10.. so so good & fresh! I got the salmon salad & buttenut squash penne. Large portions & so good! read more

Emerson's - Salmon salad - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Stick with drinks here. The crab cake is mostly cracker meal, served on a bed of frozen lean cuisine fried rice. No bread with salads or any fresh ground pepper. Stale breadsticks are served with the not so tasty mussels. And don't ask for more Parmesan cheese on your pasta, they want to charge extra you for it. Atmosphere is fun though. read more

Wow. This place is quite unique. By narrowing down their meal options, Emerson's has created a selective elite. With our reservation, we were seated immediately and the waiter was very attentive. The drink menu was interesting in that every drink had some twist; something I enjoy but know others might not. It seems to be tailored toward wines, that I just wasn't in the mood for. The ambiance was strange: a very upscale but casual restaurant. That is for the staff, you will find the guests in buttons with the staff in jeans. A strange juxtaposition but I enjoy it. read more

I was blown away by the service. Every single member of the staff was well mannered and attentive. The cocktails were different and refreshing and we absolutely loved the atmosphere of the space. read more

Omggg! I found out about the second floor after shopping at Market St. Grocery. To be honest, I never really thought twice about it because the grocery store has a wine bar in the back and usually a pop up bar outside on the weekends. My friend and I decided to check it out on light up night and we both could not believe that we had never been here before. It's the coziest, cutest upstairs. We tried a new wine I had never had before, Chateau, which was perfectly dry with a hint of tartness to sweeten the flavor. We came for a glass of wine, but got so comfy that we stayed for some truffle fries and another glass of Sauvignon. The truffle fries don't compare to any other. They were perfectly crispy with a healthy shaving of parmigiana on top. It came with a delicious sage aioli that paired perfectly with the fries. Not your typical ketchup & fries which I appreciate. We ended up staying all night and forgot about our original plans of walking through the holiday market because we didn't want to leave. Bar, tables, couches, and a little nook in the corner were all available for seating with a window view of Market Square. I would even be back to get some work done with a glass of wine since they have late hours. I respect how their wine is properly stored sideways to keep the cork moist which is key for preventing the aging process. Love love love this place. read more

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Nice vibe. Love the slight industrial feel of the bar area. The food was reasonably priced and delicious. Loved the Burrata and my streak was delicious. The service was friendly and prompt. Highly recommend. read more

This is a sweet-spot. Great atmosphere, great drinks/snacks, and great people. The bartender Matt is an international treasure. I was at a party for a friend and was craving a Manhattan to which he said they ran out of ingredients to make them. So he literally ran down the street of Pittsburgh to get the goods to make it. WHO DOES THAT? The atmosphere it trendy with the low lighting, fireplace, and couches, and the charcuterie board is delicious! I will also recommend the gin and tonic with rosemary. I'll be back soon and often. read more

We were in a group of 7 ladies for my sister's birthday. It seemed as though we weren't their regular clientele, so they were so rude and slow almost forcing us to leave. We felt so unwelcome. read more

We live downtown, and we love coming to Emerson's for dinner or drinks. Ivan, Erin, Caty, Caleb & co always take such good care of us with great food and delicious drinks. Always a lively atmosphere, and now they do lunch too--can't recommend Emerson's enough! read more

This is a quaint little space with an interesting menu. I had the Italian Pork Roast Sandwich. It was a huge portion and really tasty. The fries were over cooked but I would not have eaten many of them. It was a nice but casual dinner spot in a great area. read more

We had dinner here before a show at the Benedum center, just a short walk over. The ambiance of the restaurant / bar is very nice, a very bright and open space with natural light coming in from the windows. We started with the Burrata and Tuna Poke. Both tasted very fresh. The Tuna was cut very nice and was a generous portion for me and my wife to share. I had the NY strip steak, enjoyed it a lot, especially for the price. My wife had a Salmon salad which she also enjoyed, again, everything was very fresh. We enjoyed the cocktails on the menu and also a very nice wine selection. We are excited to try it again! read more

Absolutely wonderful from start to finish! Booking our Valentine's day reservation was an absolute pleasure. When we arrived I completely fell in love with the aesthetics, very chic and cozy. Our server was attentive without being overbearing and very pleasant. The food and drinks all received top marks from even our pickiest eaters. After dinner being able to relax with a drink and chat in front of the fire place was a fantastic way to finish dinner. Love. read more

Emerson's - Charcuterie board and cheese board - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Great ambiance and service. Food is fine but the atmosphere is why I'd go back. Great for happy hour.