This place is incredible- amazing. For the love of god, ask for Nicky. She knows what's up.

Lost Saint can be easily missed, and is tucked away in the basement of Tavern & Grocery. It definitely fits the speakeasy vibe with its lighting and decor, providing a great "pre-dinner drinks" atmosphere on a Saturday night. Cocktails, while on the pricey side, are unique. I tried their twist on a margarita that had allspice in it, which was yummy and had an interesting flavor. I wouldn't make this my go-to place, but it's definitely nice when I'm in the mood for a fancy cocktail. read more

Really fun, beautiful spot, but I can't say the cocktails are really that special. I can't even remember what I ordered - it was that forgettable (& I no I wasn't blackout, I only had 2 drinks). For this price tag, I expect more. read more

I travel to Cville often and I'm really disappointed in the direction of Lost Saint. It used to be this cool cocktail bar where you could get drinks on par with Chicago or New York. Now, the drink list is wholly unimaginative with banal drink names. There seems to be a new staff that is less interested in curating a great experience and more interested in being regular bartenders. #keepthelightoff read more

Very cool atmosphere! I felt like I was on an old ship. There's low, warm lighting, an old piano, a beautiful bar, and a fire crackling in the fireplace. Old fashioned was delicious and the bartender also made us a custom cocktail that wasn't on the menu. Salmon tartare was AMAZING and squid ink tagliatelle was quite good too. Would definitely bring out of town guests here for a really special experience! read more

GO HERE! Their bartenders are really nice and they have a great selection of cocktails. Their prices are right on for a crafted cocktail selection and they even have funny rotating lists of options. Definitely worth giving some preferences and asking the bartender to make you whatever they want, you'll probably find something new to enjoy!!! P.S. they make a mean seelbach! :) read more

My best friend was so excited to come here for her bachelorette weekend. We arrived with half of our party of ten and were told they really don't want to let that many people into the bar at once. The host said they could maybe seat five of us in 25 minutes and then the other five of us would have to wait an additional 20 minutes. Meanwhile the capacity at the bar is thirty and they only had about ten people down there at the time. He said we would take away from the other patrons' experiences if we all went in. We jokingly asked if it would be better if we pretended to be separate parties and entered one at a time and he said yeah that might be better. Whaaaat?? So we complained outside and walked away. It's too bad they turned our business away. read more

Attempted to try this place. Went with a group, ordered drinks upstairs in the tavern first and asked if we could be seated downstairs and we were told the wait was about an hour. No problem- we enjoyed our drinks chatted with several of the employees. The place was dead so we asked again if we could be seated downstairs. The employee we asked disappeared and never answered us. About 20 minutes later we asked again if we might go downstairs. This employee also never got back to us. Finally after being here for at least 1.5 hours we decide to just walk downstairs and take a peek. There were maybe 10 people down there . We expected it to be packed since we had waited so long. There were 3 bartenders working for maybe 10 people. The bartender seemed irritated that we were there and said he could get to us in a little while so we just left. Their loss. read more

I don't normally write Yelp reviews but I feel that the Charlottesville community should know about my experience at Lost Saint. Last weekend a friend and I visited the 'speakeasy' style bar and waited 30 minutes to be seated. That was fine because we had a lovely drink at the Tavern & Grocery bar. The same cannot be said about our experience at Lost Saint. We were seated at the bar, which was adorning some tacky tiki decorations (not sure if this is permanent or not). Ambience aside, our service was truly terrible. We both ordered dirty martinis, which we expected to be well made since we were at a craft cocktail bar. At first the bar tender didn't want to make them and he told us to look at the menu instead. After we said we still wanted martinis he begrudgingly made them slowly. It was not very good. The bartender was exceptionally rude to us even telling us not to return. Trust me, I won't. TLDR; weird ambiance, rude people, bad drinks. Will not return. read more

Went here for my first time, because my friend loved it there & wanted to show us. We get there and waited for a bit, which was not bad at all. We wait in line for drinks, and one of the bartenders ask for our ID & some other proof of identification.. which no other place In town does. So were like okay we're about to place our order, well NOPE! we waited for a bit and then she finally made us a drink. Secondly, red haired bartender had an attitude. She looked angry, and kept yelling, "get out my way". Drinks are overpriced as well, your going to pay double than what your used to other places. Loved the crowd, & location. Has a lot of history. If the service is going to be like that next time, I don't think I would return. read more

We went here with some friends on one of our rare nights out and had a great time. Service was above and beyond, the cocktails were excellent, and I'm definitely ordering the fried olives every time I go back. Perfect place to go for a low key evening with friends, but if, unlike us, you don't need to be at home by 9:30 to relieve your babysitter, it's probably a great place to go nuts at too. read more

My wife and I were traveling through Charlottesville and she knows I love a tasty adult beverage. She said I'm taking you somewhere I know you'll enjoy. First it was an adventure where it's location is but yelp helped us find our way. The bartender who was also the owner, I believe was the only one working and she was amazing. She could pair you with a delicious handmade cocktail by asking just a few questions. The menu was clearly well thought out and well planned. The service was quick and very personal. I believe I chose the drink that is the bartenders choice and it did not disappoint one bit! I would kill to have something as great as the lost saint in my area but I don't.... read more

I can't say enough about how much I love this place. I'm used to seeing Yelp reviews raving about "the cocktails" at various places, and being disappointed to find that when the reviewers say "the cocktails" they mean cosmos, straight spirits, and vodka-dominant drinks. This is not the case here. The cocktail list is thoughtful and creative, with intelligent use of spirits and amari. The drinks I sampled over two nights were very, very impressive. They have a deep understanding of the balance of the bitter, sweet, and alcoholic (sounds bad, but I just mean base spirits). Every drink I had there was a delight, and they seem to be constantly experimenting. Did I hear that this is the oldest commercial building in C'ville? Don't quote me-- I was compromised due to the insanely good cocktails they were creating. And my daughter was driving, so I felt free to explore their deep, deep repertoire. I am currently trying to plan my next visit to C'ville. Oh, no, dear daughter, it's entirely to visit you! Not to see my new buddies behind the bar at Lost Saint. (sadly, my daughter knows better!) read more

Amazing. Fantastic beer, top shelf liquor, awesome environment. Ask for recommendations if you don't know what you want. read more

Lost Saint - This is a small taste of the cocktail menu - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Love the subdued atmosphere. (If they'd add lounge-y cushioned chairs and loveseats, it would be even better.) Bartenders are obviously knowledgeable, and my drinking companions really liked their drinks. I ordered a Greyhound (for which they chased down a fresh grapefruit for juice), and it was a little more on the sweet side than I prefer. But the staff is very attentive, and I recommend the place. read more

Horrible. Waited forever to get downstairs, which was a shame because it was virtually empty when we got there. It was our second time there, and we were surprised that the menu hadn't changed since the summer. Nonetheless, we were excited because Emma made us some great drinks during our last visit to Charlottesville. Unfortunately, she left to go elsewhere and clearly the bar has taken a turn for the worst. Tacky decor included. The tall bartender was creepy and the shorter bartender with the mustache was (somehow) worse at making drinks than the tall one. They took shots the whole time and were pretty drunk during our visit. Take your money to Tavola instead. read more

Super-friendly hidden speakeasy beneath Tavern & Grocery, with phenomenal hand-crafted drinks, a super-friendly staff, and the best chicken sandwich on the planet. Highly recommended. read more

Great speakeasy bar! You have to enter the restaurant upstairs and ask to go into Lost Saint. If they are not crowded, they will let you in. Definitely worth visiting before eating dinner somewhere. The space is very cool, fun decor. The bartenders are so much fun. Passionate about what they do, very knowledgeable, and great to chat with. The drinks are so creative. If you're a Bud Light kind of person, probably not for you. But, if you're into interesting and tasty craft cocktails, then it's awesome. When we told the that we were visiting for the weekend, they took the time to write down a number of suggestions for restaurants and bars. We tried most of their recommendations and they were spot on. Definitely worth a visit! read more

Great cocktails and SUPER friendly staff. It's a great gem in downtown Charlottesville.

Cocktails not that great and service a bit weird. Prices way too high for the area. Ambience was non existent. Service friendly but flawed. Not worth the trip. read more

So much potential in this space. Drink menu included half a dozen featured cocktails that were interesting if not incredibly innovative. The main menu is a long list of "classic" cocktails, some of which you'll recognize as classic, some of which you'll need to Google. Not sure the bartenders wow'ed us as cocktail experts and they could be doing more to "sell" the $12 cocktail experience, but not terrible. A far cry from Alley Light but better than Cicchetti Bar in Tavola. That said, the space was relatively empty so it was easy to sit and enjoy, which is nice for a night when you don't feel up to Alley Light. read more

Hidden in the streets of Charlottesville. Serves great cocktail. Bartender is very knowledgeable of all the different options. Very good for small groups of friends/double dates. read more

I almost hate to post about how great a cocktail lounge this is, but the secret is out anyway. Let Carrie, Colin, and Mitra guide you toward new depths of mixologist magic, DON'T order your same old same old! read more

You'd have to try (or be incredibly difficult) to not walk out of this place with the best cocktail experience in Charlottesville. It may not hurt to be able to engage the bartenders in a conversation but you can find the same ones here every night and theres a good reason for that. If you they can't find a cocktail you like . . it's your fault. read more

I love the art each bartender possess in their drink knowledge and personality. The food is good too. Great spot to enjoy drinks and talk about them in a crafty way too. read more

Great service and an excellent list of drinks! Many of which I did a little research on while sipping something delicious. Carey was a wonderful bartender and made sure I always had a drink in hand! They were very personable which I appreciate. Drinking cocktails down in a swanky, romantically candlelit basement (with a slightly rugged touch) was a fun experience. The only reason I'd take a star off and (honestly only a half a star if I could) would be due to the lack of seating. Once this place takes off I can see it being a tough place to get into on the usual weekend nights. I understand the 'exclusive' feeling they are going for, but I wondered why more room from the old West Main setup wasn't available. At least enough room for a couple more chairs/couches for more comfortable areas to hang. I hate ending on a bad note for this place- it really is a hot spot and these bartenders know what they are doin! You have to try it out before or after a delicious dinner upstairs at Tavern and Grocery. I will definitely be going back! read more

Lost Saint - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Had great service and great, handcrafted cocktails. What's not to enjoy? Wish they offered a bit more food. Might be difficult to drive enough business without it. read more

The Lost Saint, the basement speakeasy below Tavern & Grocery, held such promise. They have a well-stocked bar filled with liquor and liqueurs you can't find in most places. So I was eagerly anticipating the "Aviation" I ordered. But then it arrived. It was yellow. The bartender told me that they did indeed have Creme de Violette, but apparently they forgot to use it, as the drink had nothing violet about it. And what makes things even worse was that, while charging a pretty penny for these cocktails, the drinks are served in those 3/4 sized glasses, which some cheapskate bars are using these days. Yet the small, kid's sized cocktails are still going for full price. An "Aviation" is violet-colored, and craft cocktails should be served in grownup glasses. read more