I'm a biggg fan of Halloween so I knew when I went to Philly for a work trip that I had to look up some Halloween bars. I was thrilled to find a couple and made sure to work a visit into my schedule. Tinsel was great! Both floors were decorated top to bottom with spooky decorations. We stopped by early in the night so we had the place to ourselves to really explore. The staff was great and offered some advice on which speciality drink to get. When you get one of their Halloween drinks, you get to keep the glass it comes in too, which was awesome! 10/10 was a great time!! read more

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The kitsch isn't worth the hype. The best thing about this place is the bartenders and others who work here. The rest is a bit exhausting. 4/10 on Ambiance. Leave it. read more

Average experience with friendly staff and comfortable seating though wait times and limited menu variety reduced enjoyment leaving the meal feeling ordinary today for most casual diners during recent visit. read more

I've been going here since 2020 hoping it'll get better over the years and I'm underwhelmed every time. Decorations are cool but at the end of the day it's just an overpriced bar in my opinion. Staff is nice but the drinks just aren't that good. The one nice thing about Tinsel is that you do get to take the cups that your drinks come in home though. Also, shout out to the clown actor that was walking around, she was awesome. read more

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Absolutely loved our stop for some drinks at this bar! The atmosphere was neat, with all the Halloween decor, and the bartenders were nice. We came in on a Saturday afternoon before going to a haunted house and had a great time. At the bar downstairs, I asked the bartender if she could make me up a mocktail and she asked me what flavors I usually like. She got creative and made me a yummy drink! The others in our group got their own drinks and we began to explore. We ended up checking out the bar upstairs where we had a great time chatting with the bartender. We talked about sports and haunted houses near the area, and he gave us some really good recommendations. Overall, a great spot to stop in to get some good drinks and have some spooky fun! read more

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Love the Christmas vibe, but the drinks were disgustingly sweet and no place to sit and hang out.

Checked out Nightmare Before Tinsel on Halloween and it was cool. All of the creepy decor was fun to see at the pop-up bar! Since it was Halloween night when I stopped by, I believe this is why they had a $5 cash cover to get into the bar (I stopped by previously on the weekend and there was no cover). Before entering, the staff asked for id (that they scanned), proof of vaccination card or wear your mask while in the bar (if you did not have the vaccination card). The space is not that big (even smaller with a lot of people in there...yikes). I decided to keep my mask on for the most part of my time there, looked around at all of the cool decor, places to take pictures/selfies, music playing, there was a guy dressed up as a grandma that was in full character (funny lol), also grabbed a pouch drink (the drink was good: Red Bull, tequila, and I forgot what else lol). I enjoy stopping by Tinsel when they're open! Will be back for their Christmas pop-up! read more

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I LOVED this place!!! I had the blood bag drink which was a little too sweet but super adorable. I also got a drink in a skull cup which was actually just a vodka soda bc I couldn't do another fancy cocktail. They also had a great craft beer selection, I introduced my bf to zombie dust. Definitely a fun spot!!! read more

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Fun experience. Made sure to visit right when it opened so it wasn't too crazy busy. The blood bag tasted good, the chocolate coffee one was not so great though. Both overpriced, but expected for the experience. Would stick with seltzer or beer in the future. Would go again, still right when it opens! The place is small and cramped and the line can get long. read more

Nightmare Before Tinsel - Blood bag and the coffee chocolate drink - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Spooktacular! This Halloween-themed bar shares the same space as Tinsel (Christmas-themed bar). We enjoyed "ho-ho-ho-ing" it at Tinsel last year, and we enjoyed our creepzilla jaunt at Nightmare as well. The drinks are sugary-sweet (it IS Halloween, after all) and the Bag of Blood cocktail looks downright gnarly (in a good way). I flip-flopped between being intrigued, to being grossed-out as my better half enjoyed this blood-red drink out of a mock medical bag. The Candy Corn tasted like a (very) sweet Malibu Bay Breeze, and the Ecto Cooler Shots were donned with dry ice and a surprise gummy eyeball at the bottom. I "see" you! Props to the gentlemen at the door, as crowd-control was fantastic. We were able to walk around the space and marvel over the festive decor without our toes being crushed. Tinsel was PACKED, but Nightmare was comfortably busy without being a fire hazard. Try arrive early to avoid the astronomically long lines (we did). Expect long bathroom waits, so practice the "PBYG" method (pee before you go). Go get your creep on! read more

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Philadelphia is great for most things, but in years recent the cute Pop-Up bar culture that you see in LA and NY has been missed here in the city of Brotherly Love. That being said, I'm extremely impressed with Tinsel's efforts to encompass the market for Halloween Lover's interests for their newest venture "Nightmare Before Tinsel." Because there are a lack of options when it comes to theme bars in the city, I would highly suggest you leave this one off your list for a weekend spot. The space is tiny (however, wonderfully decorated) and can become extremely uncomfortable during high volume hours on the weekends. My friend and I decided to visit on a Monday night around 7:30, and Nightmare wasn't eerily empty, but was at a comfortable level to enjoy the space without feeling claustrophobic. Now onto all the decorations (what we're really here for, right?): You enter the bar through a wall of spiders and their thick web to open up to the bar on your right with a custom bar top painted by local artists. Walk through to the back and to a wall of faceless figures and severed doll bodies hanging from the ceiling. Creepy, but effective. There is a small "room?" in the back left hand corner filled with creepy doll heads that had this Halloween fanatic thoroughly creeped out. They offered a pretty entensive menu of themed cocktails that were rather expensive, but these type of bars have to make back their money spent of decorations somehow so it's understandable. We opted for the "Blood Bags" with Faber Orange Vodka, red bull, and grenadine served in a cute blood pouch for extra spooky vibes. Overall not the best Pop-Up Bar I've ever been to, but the best one I've been to in Philly. The owners really did a good job on the decorations, and the drinks albeit expensive, are awesome in playing off the Halloween theme. If you're someone who starts Spoopy season as soon as it drops below 70 degrees, this place is for you. read more

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Nightmare before Tinsel probably is the best themed pop up bar in Philly as of 2019. Many probably thinks I'm over exaggerating, but you will understand where I'm coming from once you were inside Tinsel. For me, Haunt was a huge disappointment. Lightly decorated, short menu offerings, etc.... I caught a glimpse of how Tinsel was gonna look on PhillyMag, not much but very impressive. Word of advice, AVOID SATURDAYS NIGHTS!!! Man, that line extend all the way down and around the other street‍. Me and hubby decided to go after work on Saturday. We arrived at Tinsel around 10:15pm, lines were long but not as bad. Let's just say, half an hour pass, that line looks so freaking scary. We were glad we made it at the time when we arrived. We probably got inside by 11:30(there is $5 cover charge, CASH ONLY). The moment we stepped inside, instant WOW factor. Decorations everywhere, from the walls, restroom, bars, to the ceilings etc...... Is really hard pushing my way to the bar, boocoo amount of ppl. I made it to the sticky(maybe to represent bloody??)bar after 20 minutes of pushing lol. We purchased Elvira $12 plus $5 to put in a Tinsel souvenir skull mug and Blood Bag $16. I didn't like Elvira but we love Blood Bag. read more

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I am a sucker for a good theme, so I had a blast at Nightmare Before Tinsel! This is usually a Christmas pop-up bar, but this year they did a Halloween pop-up as well. It is not a huge space, but every inch of it is covered in Halloween decorations that are horrifying in the best possible way! I came here with a group of friends on a Monday night. Apparently it can get pretty crowded on the weekends, but it was pretty empty when we went, which allowed lots of opportunities for photos with the cool backdrops that they had. It also gave us plenty of room to look around and really see all the decorations. The fun part is that all the cocktails are halloween themed! I had the vampire's kiss, which was essentially a blood orange margarita with a hint of jalapeno. It was super tart, which I loved. Not only do they have Halloween cocktails, but they also have some Halloween themed beers! I had so much fun here! If you are looking for something to do around Halloween to get you in the spooky spirit, this bar should definitely be on your list! read more

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We arrived to Nightmare before Tinsel during Happy Hour time and had to wait a few minutes to get in. Once we did, it was pretty packed. Photos were a must before we lost our ability to move without spilling a drink. They go all out on their decorations and I'm glad we made it there. The drinks were just okay, nothing special, but the blood bags were interesting. I'm just happy we didn't go the weekend night we were trying to. Stick to the weeknights to be able to get in sooner. I think we'll take this advice when we try to get to Tinsel later in the year. read more

Nightmare Before Tinsel - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I'm really glad I read the reviews about the long lines and big crowds before trying to come here on a weekend. My husband and I came this past Thursday and arrived a little after 5:00. We had to wait about 5 minutes to get in, which I was a little surprised about on a weekday afternoon. I guess a lot of people might have came in right after work. Yes it was crowded, but not so obnoxiously crowded that you can't move. Yes the drink prices are high for small drinks in plastic cups. $16 for a blood bag. $14 for a pumpkin bourbon drink I got. But you are paying for the experience and all the time spent putting up all the decorations. It was very well decorated and we enjoyed our time here. Loved how the decorations were very over the top and every inch of the place decorated. We came a few years ago when it was tinsel, and plan to come back around Xmas time for tinsel again. I told my husband I want this amount of decorations at our house next year, haha. read more

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A must see if you love Halloween like I do. I went last Saturday with friends. There is a long line, but you get to look at the Skeleton outside! Inside it is really packed, but the bartenders are speedy and efficient. I love the decorations, but it got super crowded so we didn't stay long. Go in, grab a drink, take some photos, and bounce. read more

Nightmare Before Tinsel - Outside - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This was a pretty cool event that I have been wanting to come to for years now. With the admission, there was also a haunted house to walk through which was pretty awesome! I got a good scare and screamed cause I am a big baby! I ended up buying a blood bag for 16 bucks, just cause i thought it looked cool, but as far as taste, it was eh... not great... more like juice again, but after I had a buzz... so guess there was some alcohol in it. I was hungry too and ended u ordering dinner, i got a fish and chips platter that came with potato wedges and peas, and wow it was delish! I forget where they said they get there food made from, but it was really yummy and worth the 16 dollars I was spending on it. I look forward to coming back next year, and enjoyed the time out with my sister and niece. read more

Hands down one of the most amazing theme decor spots in the city. I went around Halloween and they go all out. I was obsessed. What I was not obsessed with was how crowded it was. There's bad crowded and then there's you've let way too many people in and this might be a hazard. It was so crowded we couldn't even get to the bar, which is so sad because the drinks look so cool. I'll try again and arrive earlier, which hopefully means I'll get a drink. read more

We're fans of Tinsel, the holiday pop-up bar that looks like Christmas on steroids, so naturally when we heard they did a 'Nightmare Before...' version for Halloween, we knew we definitely wanted to check it out! We're so glad we snuck a visit into the the craziest that is our October. The decorations and experience did not disappoint! The place is jammed packed with creepiness....the blue body bags over the bar were an excellent touch! The moving one was awesome! I loved the baby doll feet hanging on the back room too. I mean, what's more disturbing than that! I just sat and wondered how they got them up there. The classic horror masks and room for photos were great ideas too! Sure, You're going to overpay for your themed cocktail, but this is once a year ana it's so fun! The blood bags were awesome, and of course make for that amazing insta photo! In case you didn't know, children ARE allowed into these pop-ups. We bring ours to Tinsel for Shirley Temples every year. This however may be a bit scary for the real little ones. My kiddos who are now 8&10 had no issue. They may have stayed a bit closer to us than normal though hahah Kiddos are cool to enter from 2-7pm with a guardian. A spooky time was had by all! I really hope they bring it back next year! Its such a fun was to celebrate Halloween in the city! I appreciate not having to leave the city to get in on the horror fun! We had no line on mischief night and combined with a great meal in the city afterwards! Makes for a really rad night! I knew what to expect from the crowd and ability to move around, but others may find it a bit claustrophobic. You will be squished next to others, but I didn't find it to be annoying. Some may. read more

Fun themed Halloween bar! I believe this is the first year that they have revamped the space into a Halloween nightmare. We arrived on a Friday night and waited in line for about 30 minutes. There is a $5 cover some nights, or you can get in for free if you have a costume. Entering the bar you walk under a web of spiders. There is a bar to the right and a smaller bar in the back. Of course we had to order the blood bags which is a cocktail with Red Bull and vodka- not my favorite, but it was drinkable. The whole space is decorated in classic monsters, body bags, hanging dolls, and creepy masks. It wasn't frightening, but it was definitely a creepy Halloween vibe. Really the space is decorated for one big Instagram photo-op. "Satan's throne" is in the back and is the main photo-op for the bar. They played some spooky music and some hits. The theming was fantastic. This is a bar that you can spend up to an hour in enjoying one drink, but the drinks are too expensive and the bar is too crowded to spend your night here. read more

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CALLING ALL HALLOWEEN LOVERS!!! IT'S HAPPENING!!! My absolute favorite Halloween Party Scene is open!!! Seriously- I have yet to find a Halloween themed bar that tops Nightmare Before Tinsel. Nightmare Before Tinsel (NBT) is an old jewelry store turned into a holiday themed pop-up bar (In December NBT turns into 'Tinsel', which is a Christmas lover's dream come true). The space is small and in previous years (especially on weekends) the line can be very long. That being said, the spooky, brilliantly designed bar is well worth the wait. The decorations are impressively detailed-- providing plenty of picture opportunities for you and your crew! The cocktails are crafty (though a touch sweet and a tad pricey) and super fun. Costumes are not mandatory but obviously encouraged (especially closer to Halloween). Pre-COVID, I would plan Halloween themed nights- a quick dinner in Old City (The Bourse Food Court, Buk Chon BYOB, Lucha Cartel are all good places to start), a trip to the Ghost Ship (@ Race Street Pier underneath the Ben Franklin Bridge) and a quick stop at Independence Beer Garden before heading to our final destination, NBT. I am SO HAPPY that Nightmare Before Tinsel is open this year and looking forward to visiting Philly next weekend! read more

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This place looked so cool. The place was decked out with Halloween decorations, it looked awesome. There was cool a small room decorated with dolls, perfectly creepy for selfie. Even the bathroom had cool decor. The drinks were halloween theme too. Definitely recommend this spot. read more

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Such a great concept! Went on a Wednesday night with some friends and we didn't have to fight the crowd to get drinks. Took home my crystal skull shot glass as a souvenir. The creepy doll room was my favorite. Looking forward to next year's return. read more

Nightmare Before Tinsel - Outside of the building. - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Had a really fun time checking out Nightmare Before Tinsel around Halloween w my boyfriend after getting dinner. I recommend stopping by next year as a before or after dinner drink spot. They went ALL OUT with the decorations. I think that's the best part is getting to take in all of the spooky! We enjoyed 2 Halloween themed shots that came in festive glasses with misty smoke bubbling from them (fun to drink and get pictures of!) The service was okay, but I wouldn't expect top notch service at a crowded bar anyway. That's just how it goes. They were packed and we were happy to just squeeze in somewhere to grab a drink. Drinks were a bit overpriced with added fees. But you pay for the experience and I think it's worth checking out at least once! 3 for overall experience due to not being blown away by overpriced drinks and service butttt I would give the ambiance a strong 4 read more

Love the decorations and some of the drinks. It's just expensive and gets crammed easy and also wish more sections for another seat or two. It is nice to go for Halloween and Christmas though. read more

Fun experience, great server, drinks were not bad. Had the vampire kiss, con azucar and a watermelon margarita. read more

Nightmare Before Tinsel - Yumm corn - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The nicest crew working the bar yesterday. Stopped by with a friend before catching the train and it was so fun. Bartenders were nice, attentive, polite and kept dancing , because they we're having a good time! The decorations were amazing. I highly recommend this place. read more

Admission is only $5 cash, but you will literally see why it's only $5. First off, the bar is ridiculously small. You're lucky if you can even move around with one other person with you. They removed the seating at the back, so me and my friends were standing the entire time. Most of the drinks are literally $15+ and they aren't that good. I actually caught the bartender stealing money from me. He thought I was too drunk and wouldn't notice. A blood bag is $16, I paid for two on two separate times of the night with two $20. For the first bag, I received $4 back. The second, I received only $1. When I confronted the bartender about it, he had gotten sassy with me and said, "there's a $3 tax." But I wasn't taxed the first time? Cool appeal though, ridiculous experience. Don't waste your money. read more

Whoever is in charge of decorations here is beyond amazing. The Halloween decor was on point. From the doll heads to the hanging baby bodies to the hands coming out of the wall. Incredible! It was nostalgic for me to have an ecto cooler drink!! It would have gotten 5 stars, but due to the fact that the drinks were grossly overpriced for 6oz plastic cups. I would make a visit once for the season but probably no more than that. read more

Nightmare Before Tinsel - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This pop up has a goal in mind and they execute it well. It is the perfect mix of campy and creepy. Drink prices were a little high especially compared to the adjacent bars but they made them pretty strong. read more

This is a little late but I needed everyone to know how great Nightmare Before Tinsel was! My roommates and I tried but failed to go to a Halloween silent disco this past Halloween and after that mess (not to be dramatic) but we didn't know if we could save our Halloween. We had heard about Nightmare before Tinsel via visit Philly or something like that and we definitely wanted to check it out. Our night was saved! We had to wait a little bit in line but that's to be expected, so once we were in it was lit. Literally. There were lights everywhere and creepy/dope Halloween decorations all on the walls and ceilings. It was so cool! It's definitely a small bar so don't expect to have much room to walk on a busy holiday, but honestly it didn't seem that chaotic. I got a rum and Diet because I was being basic and cheap that night, but my roommates got the specialty drink that was in a blood bag so that added to the fun Halloween-ness of it all. The drinks weren't cheap so keep that in mind but it was worth it for the experience. Can't wait to go back for Tinsel (the Christmas version!) read more

Truly such a fun time! I love a good theme and must say the spooky vibes were even better than the Christmas Tinsel vibes. The decorations are incredible and the staff is in costume. Good photo opp. To drink, you gotta go with the blood bag. It's a twist on vodka Red Bull But actually good, and not as overpriced as I anticipated. Hoping they'll come back next year! read more

Nightmare Before Tinsel - Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Definitely worth the hype! The bar was decked out with skeletons and served Halloween themed cocktails and there were plenty of photo opportunities! Can't wait for the Christmas set up! read more

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Went for the Halloween pop up and it was so nicely decorated! The place gave off great halloween vibes w the baby heads and hanging corpses! It's a great place to go to! Only complaint is the price of the drinks, which were a bit too sweet, but it's the price you pay for the amazing pictures you'll get! read more

Unorganized. Unprepared. Overpriced. We made reservation for 8 people, and called & left message 4 hours before reservation to ensure we were sat together. When we got there, we waited over an hour to be seated, and we had to be split across 2 tables. There were 2 tables next to each other, but they refused to allow us to sit there without explanation so we were nowhere near each other. Decorations were not much of an experience. There was a 60 second long haunted house that was ok. They were out of most food items. Our server didn't enter our order correctly. Food was mediocre and kinda strange. The cheese quesadilla was 80% tomato with about 8 small beans. The blood bad drink was good, but thats about it. read more

Perfect pop up Halloween treat! The decor is spooktacular! Really, they did a fangtastic job decorating the place. There's something to see in each corner. We got here mid afternoon on a Saturday and walked right in. There were maybe 35 other people there, but plenty of space. I opted for a pumpkin beer, and I've seen higher drink prices, as I know others are complaining about them. It's a really cool place to check out and enjoy a drink or two. Saw others with the blood bag iv drinks- looked like a fun drink. read more

You have to walk into this bar with the understanding that 1). You absolutely will not be able to move and 2). You will be paying an extremely ridiculous price for a gross drink. With this knowledge, the entire appeal of this bar comes down to how absolutely amazing it is decorated. They take "theme bar" to a new level. I can't imagine the amount of time that goes into making this bar looks like it does, so kudos to whoever is the mastermind behind it. If you're a Halloween lover like me, it totally worth stopping by and taking a look around! read more

Rachael is the best server ever! Had great recommendations for drinks and super nice! Also drinks and guac were so good!!!!

Yeah I paid way too much for drinks in a rather narrow and cramped bar to wait in line for a photo op in a closet lined with baby doll heads. Do I regret it? Not at all--I look like I had a great time in my snaps, and honestly, looking back at the photos, I'll probably remember that I did, and I really kind of did, even though you can photo op your way through in 10 minutes if you show up early enough and be out of there stat to somewhere where the drinks are cheaper, better, and there's food, and you can sit, or dance, and hear yourself talk. Much like the smoking shot glass of dried ice I drank--gone so quick, mostly just ice, and definitely cooler-looking than it tasted--Nightmare Before Tinsel was about the visuals and much more enjoyable in hindsight. I'm glad it exists for that niche purpose. read more

I was super disappointed with this pop-up. I have visited Tinsel and had a good time, but the Halloween version felt a little flat. The decorations were very elaborate, but felt a little boring - like walking through a Halloween store. The drinks were very overpriced for the quality. And most people were doing it for the Instagram photo ops, which was expected yes but made it feel like a sham. I went a few doors down to Haunt and had a much better time. read more