Popped in for a drink before heading over to Alara for dinner. Both drinks we enjoyed were pretty good and as expected of what they were. The atmosphere was very chill. The seating is nicely thought out and arranged for whatever kind of party you may be bringing. The little back area would be awesome for a small gathering! Unsure if it was because of the staffing on the night we visited, or it is always this way, but despite being tables all over, there was no table service. All drinks had to be ordered at the bar and carried to the tables - there was no indication of this. Our initial wait at the bar was unmet, so we went and sat at a table assuming we'd be helped there instead, then after some time of nothing, one of us returned to the bar and waited again for service... so it was a pretty clunky start. read more

Placebo - Espresso martini - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This bar is so cute and cozy! My friend and I have been here quite a few times since we just live up the street. I love all the different and cool concepts for drinks they have and they also seem to have a special every night for different spirits which is so fun. I'm sure you'll find a drink you'll like too, and I also love when places have mocktails too! The only thing that is kind of annoying is that they don't have a food selection so you'll have to eat before you come. I do see some people bring in food from element eatery so I think that is allowed. My friend raves about the espresso martini and one of my favorites is the role model (add gin if you want a cocktail)! I do like how they have some seasonal drinks or fun drinks for the holidays/time of year! read more

Placebo - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Enjoyed a friend's birthday celebration at Placebo a couple weeks ago. I find the location at Medpace Way complex to be a bit secluded and antiseptic, but Placebo has a warm and inviting atmosphere. In terms of drinks, they have plenty, as well as an easily accessible water fountain. The chunky wood tables are pleasant and the squashy booths are quite comfortable. I particularly enjoyed the room off to the right side as it offered a little calm and pleasantly isolated corner to ourselves. I was also happy to find the bank of private bathrooms, though some of the sliding doors were challenging to operate. This is a fancy bar without servers, so you will have to walk up to the bar to order. Prices are a bit on the high side. My date and I spent over a hundred dollars on drinks in a single evening. You have been warned. read more

This bar is so beautiful & the staff are so nice!! One of the best liquor selections I've seen locally, Lots of top shelf to pick from and they don't try to break the bank ;) The Cocktails are different and modern, lots of options and plenty ingredients go into crafting a perfect drink. read more

Stopped by Element Eatery and spotted this place while eating outside. After looking it up, decided to pop in. We were greeted by friendly bartenders and Kevin was knowledgeable about every drink. The Phase 3 was my favorite, the best way to describe it: upside down margarita lol. The Chivo had root beer and was perfectly sweet. I was very impressed with the espresso martini as well. Drinks are well crafted for sure. The space is super swanky. Almost like La Cantina & Anjou had a baby, very similar spaces. They have a small private space that seats 25, with a large curtain for privacy. I would consider using this space in the future. This bar is very cool and I'm glad I discovered it. read more

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Very very cool spot, came by here with a group to hang out after a day of sales training. Nice sized place, very clean and very nice staff. We didn't eat there as we had a cocktail hour prior with food being served but the old fashioneds there were very good but slightly too sweet for me so thats why the 4 stars which is a dam solid rating. read more

Placebo - Old fashioned - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Pricy mediocre cocktails. Not much else around the bar right now besides the eatery. I believe they are going out of business.

As a guest of the wedding I feel it's important to echo my disgust in the events that occurred on Saturday. The bride and groom were so excited to continue their celebration at Placebo and I personally was excited to check out the bar. This was my first visit and the bride had talked about how great it was. Well it turned out to be the opposite based completely on the staff. The bartenders were rude and their actions were racist. For a bartender to escalate a simple question from a patron is unbelievable. Then to not even attempt to resolve the situation and have a calm conversation is mind blowing. If you read other reviews you can see the bartenders clearly have a complex that causes them to behave in a way that they believe they can do and say whatever they want to their guests. I was very excited to try this new bar and unfortunately will not be returning. It is my advice that the management team works to publicly address this situation as just saying it is "resolved" is not enough. Your own manager admitted this bartenders are a problem but you as owners will not do anything about it. read more

Cocktails were awesome and service was even better! First time going and one of the best cocktail spots I've been to in Cincinnati. Has some Great Gatsby vibes to the decor. Very nice inside. read more

We went to Placebo on a quiet Saturday afternoon before a Xavier game! (Go, Muskies!) We stayed at the Summit hotel so this was perfect because we could walk there for spirits. The bartender blended the perfect cocktail for each of us. read more

Visited on a Friday night around 9 PM - there were a few people in the bar but it was not extremely crowded. The place is very beautiful - rich velvet booths, lots of gold accents, pretty white stone bar with unique U shape, etc. We were very excited to try this place and appreciated there was no line to order - my partner ordered the Minimal Risk (overproof bourbon, cream sherry, crème de cacao) which he said was VERY chocolate and sweet. I had a very hard time picking a drink which was disappointing for I generally drink any clear liquor (i.e. gin, vodka, tequila, etc.) but all of the combinations on the cocktail list either looked extremely sweet or a strange flavor profile. Specifically I asked about the Phase 3 (mezcal, bitter vanilla, smoked lime ice) and the bartender told me 99% of patrons send this drink back after they order it! My mind was blown - why would you continue to offer a drink that gets sent back! I ended up ordering a Hendricks & tonic after spending a good 10 minutes going back and forth with the bar tender on potential cocktail options which was a little disappointing as I was excited to try this new cocktail bar. I'm sad to write this place off so I will have to come back again in another season to see if they switch the menu up and have something I like then! read more

Pt 1 of my review- The reason for my rating is solely rated on the service of the bar tenders that worked on Saturday May 27th 2023. I was part of a wedding group that came to this venue after a wedding at The Hotel next door. I went to the bar to order 5 drinks. My order was for Bailey's and 4 Tequilas. The bar tender that took my order went to start making the order and came back and informed me that you had ran out of Baileys. I asked him to switch it out with Khalua. He informed me that it was going to be a black drink instead of the light creamy color or Baileys. I told him I did not realize that would be what it came out as and asked him to show me the bottle he would be pouring out of an also for a sample because I was ordering on behalf of someone else. At this point by doing this I did not realize that this was being perceived as an argument. He went ahead and poured a sample of the bottle that you had into a shot glass. I looked at the bottle and told him it read something else and not Kahlua. I asked that he leave out that drink from my order and pour the other drinks. That is when he proceeded to tell me he was not going to pour out the rest of the drinks because he felt he was being called a lair. He proceeded to inform me that he poured out the rest of our order because he felt that he was being called a liar. He told me he had worked in the business for multiple years and knew what he was doing. This is when I realized I he did not take the dialogue we had the correct way. I asked if the words that I was calling him a liar had come out of my mouth, to which he couldn't respond because they had not. Another member of my party that wrote a review picked up on the fact that there was misunderstanding and asked that instead of working with him to complete our order, we could work with someone else to complete our order. He had initially agreed and then proceeded to tell the rest of the bar tending staff not to serve anyone that was part of my party. We came in with a group of 60 people. Another member of our party had ordered an old fashioned that I needed to pay for while this was going on. I informed him that I was paying for a lot of the drinks that were being ordered. The bar tender we were dealing with instead of taking payment decided that drink was on him before he could take payment. At this point I asked to speak to a manager at which he insinuated that his counterpart that he asked to cut off the rest of the group was the manager. I tried to speak to his counterpart and explain what was going on to which he said "I don't care" I mentioned that it felt discriminatory that service was being extended to everyone else in the bar except the group of African Americans that walked into the bar. This was met with another "I don't care- we back each other up" I proceeded to tell him as the manager because I thought he was I did not feel the situation was being handled well especially since we were having levelheaded conversation without curse words, no raising of voices. As members of my party noticed what was happening, they all spoke to various people that were working at behind the bar. The gentleman that all this stemmed from called over a lady whose initial response was to ask everyone from my party that was trying to explain the situation to leave. She was standing behind the bar at this point to which I asked her if she did not want to hear out her customer complaints about the discriminatory service we were receiving. We initially had a conversation while she stood behind the bar and she ended up coming to the front to talk to Kevin and I to understand the situation. I walked her through the whole situation and as we kept her engaged in conversation the bar tender from which all this escalated tapped her on the shoulder as we were in conversation to let her know he needed her help in the back. "I believe this was code to remove her from the conversation" I pointed out to her that it was not right and he did not understand the gravity of the situation when we are trying to explain the discriminatory nature of the service and the discomfort we noticed in her team when dealing with black people. The fact they could not deal with disagreement and only response was to tell us they did not care was alarming. The conversation at this point was deeper than the drink situation but how it was being handled. read more

Placebo had such an elegant ambiance. The bartenders, Walter and Erik, made the experience amazing. They had great recommendations and were very attentive. Great cocktail bar! read more

The drinks and service are amazing hands down one of the best bars around. All of the bartenders make awesome drinks. read more

Placebo - New York sour - Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Love this hidden gem in Madisonville. Great drinks, beautiful space and a nice compliment to the other options in the area. Emma, the manager is so awesome and was extra accommodating to my gin cocktail request. read more

Cute place but sadly seems like a younger crowd bar.. Was slightly concerned if they were serving under age people but what do I know.

Placebo is a place where anyone can relax and have a good time. Best espresso martini I've ever had, and made with local coffee!

I love this place!! I am a regular and love coming here after work. Great bartenders, good service, and a beautiful place! Can't wait to come back! read more

Placebo had great service and the drinks are amazing. The ambiance is wonderful and it is a great place to rent out for a small event. The staff was very accommodating and made the event go smooth. I will rent the space out again in the future. read more

Visited multiple times and thoroughly enjoyed each visit!! Nostalgic and cozy with a hint of elegance. Service was excellent the drinks were amazing! You can enjoy the patio in summer months, the openess of the bar inside or privacy sitting room off the main bar. Something for everyone drinkers or non drinkers alike. I've personally had their mocktails and wow taste like the real deal!! Will be returning here frequently! read more

Super nice atmosphere and very yummy drinks! The bartenders also know their stuff and they have a lot of seasonal drinks and great weekly specials. One of my favorite spots for a nice cocktail after work! read more

Excellent drinks and atmosphere! Drinks are great especially for the price and the service is excellent. Good vibes good drinks good time.

I was part of a very large group spilling over from my daughter's wedding across the street on Saturday, May 27th. What started as a beautiful day and blending of two families ended with the stark reality that racism is ever present. There was no reason for the mistreatment of our guests. I have worked in customer service roles for many years, and this was blatant racism in the way our black family members were treated versus our white family members. I will not support this treatment and behavior. The fact that management stood by and let this happen is even sadder. read more

We had been promoting Placebo with our wedding guests as it was nearby to our venue and what we thought was a great atmosphere. However, a great atmosphere and service were not what our guests were met with. One member of our family had ordered a drink and respectfully told the bartender (I believe his name was Jack) that the drink that was presented as what he ordered, seemed like it was something different and asked to clarify. This could have been remedied with a simple "sorry about that, I may have misheard you" instead, the bartender accused our family member of calling him a liar and then cut him and everyone else in "his party" off for the remainder of the night (even from non-alcoholic drinks). While other guests who had considerably more to drink and should not have been served, were able to continue ordering drinks. The difference between these guests - the color of their skin. What they didn't know was that we were all members of the same party, but they perceived us as different parties based on the different ethnicities we had in attendance and were treating each differently. When we asked to speak with the general manager to clear this up that night, we were given the runaround but were finally able to talk with the manager (I believe her name was Emma). She mentioned that Jack and another bartender on duty that night, I believe his name was John or Don, have had incidents like this before. She agreed to meet with a member of our family on the Tuesday following this incident but when the time came for this call, she never answered or returned it. I am extremely disappointed and quite frankly disgusted in the racist actions of not just the bartenders on this night, but the management and ownership on how this has been handled and seemingly allowed to continue to happen with these employees. read more

I genuinely cannot believe the racism I witnessed at this bar. I was there on Saturday night with my friends who just got married. A ton of out of town guest attended and we thought this bar would be a great way to end the night. Unfortunately that did not go as planned. The bartenders were without a doubt racist. My friend went to order drinks and the bartender tried to pass something off as baileys. That is not what my friend ordered and they politely said that's not what I ordered and asked for something else. The bartender was then super rude, and stopped serving him. The bartender was serving other guest who were white. The manager alluded to this happening before, but said she cannot fire them and said the owner will also not fire them. How can you manage and own this bar KNOWING this is happening. SHAME on you. Each one of these people working at this bar needs to learn what diversity is and take a second look at themselves. A suggestion would be to have trainings on diversity and reevaluate who you have representing this bar. Disgusted that I even have to write this review. read more

We had a very large group (around 50-60 people) come here after my sister's wedding at the Summit Hotel the night of May 27th, 2023. Unfortunately, our group was served with racism as opposed to a great time. I was at the bar when a member of our group was served a drink different than what was ordered. He politely tried to check that the bartender (I believe his name was Jack) had poured the correct drink, because the bottle didn't look like the correct one. At that point, the bartender got hostile and told him that he was cut off, because he wouldn't serve someone that was calling him a liar. The bartender then told the other staff to not serve anyone else in the party. Another bartender stepped forward, who I believe was the manager, and the original member of our group and two others tried talking to him to explain what had just happened. He refused to listen, stating that he didn't care, and that the staff backed each other up. These members of our group are African American. While this was going on, I saw that the white members of our group were still being served on the other side of the bar with no issues. Another African American member of our group tried to order a Red Bull, and the staff informed him that he was cut off and would not be served anything. We then got to talk with a woman on staff, who I believe was the General Manager. The entire time our group was trying to explain the situation to her, the original bartender who started the whole thing was pacing behind her glaring at us, and kept tapping her on the shoulder aggressively trying to get her away from us. Not once did any member of our party raise their voice, or use foul language. The fact that the African American members of our party were cut off over one person asking for clarification on the type of liquor that was poured is a blatant act of racism. I'm disappointed and disgusted in the way our group was treated by the staff, and would highly discourage anyone from frequenting this establishment. read more

I went to The Placebo with a very large group (around 50-60 people) after my sister's wedding at the Summit Hotel the night of May 27th, 2023. Unfortunately, what was supposed to be the continuation of a beautiful, joyous night turned into a disgusting experience of blatant racism. I was at the bar when a member of our group was told he couldn't purchase a Red Bull, and nobody in our group was allowed to give this particular member anything to drink- even nonalcoholic beverages. It turns out he was served a drink different than what was ordered. He politely tried to check that the bartender, Jack, had poured the correct drink, because the bottle didn't look like the correct one. At that point, the bartender got hostile and told him that he was cut off, because he wouldn't serve someone that was calling him a liar. The bartender then told the other staff to not serve anyone else in the party. Another bartender, John, stepped forward, and the original member of our group and two others tried talking to him to explain what had just happened. He refused to listen, stating that he didn't care, and that the staff backed each other up. These members of our group are African American. While this was going on, all the white members of our group were still being served on the other side of the bar with no issues-myself included. We then got to talk with a woman on staff, Emma, who I believe was the General Manager. The entire time our group was trying to explain the situation to her, the original bartender who started the whole thing was pacing behind her glaring at us, and kept tapping her on the shoulder aggressively trying to get her away from us. Not once did any member of our party raise their voice, or use foul language. The fact that the African American members of our party were cut off over one person asking for clarification on the type of liquor that was poured is a blatant act of racism. This cannot be denied because they wouldn't even let him get a Red Bull! I have worked in the hospitality industry for 8 years at various restaurants, bars, a winery, and a brewery- and would NEVER treat any customers who I was serving in their manner. I'm beyond disappointed and disgusted in the way our group was treated by the staff, and would discourage anyone from frequenting this establishment or encouraging others to frequent this establishment. read more