We came here because we were staying at the W. The bar was touted to have views but really did not. We also came because our hotel gave us free drink vouchers. The bar is on the top floor of the Foshay tower. It truly is like a speakeasy with small couches and high tops. We got an old fashioned and mango colada and maple leaf. The cocktails were delicious! Very sweet like drinking candy but filled to the brim. The staff did not rush us and was eager to give recommendations. Drinks are expensive but it was a nice night of prohibition fun! read more

Hella swanky bar at hella swanky hotel with hella swanky people. Seriously, I love the decor of this place. The old styled cabinets, bookcases, ladders, etc... all help you feel like you're back in the 20s. The alcohol list is also hella class. Rye whiskey and greyhound, come at me. The bar also offers a pretty good view of the city, but their windows are kind of small. When one of your biggest selling points is the view, you should probably get bigger windows. A great place to start the night off before your buzz leads you to do less classy things. read more

I stopped in after work and enjoyed An Epiphany cocktail with pear vodka, St. Germain and sparkling wine. Perfectly mixed, great atmosphere and friendly service too - great place to unwind after a busy day! read more

This is a pretty cool place to visit every once in awhile, or if you want to feel fancy and hip. This is one of those bars where everyone is looking around at what everyone else is doing, drinking, and wearing (and I totally admit, I did that a little when I was there!) I can't see myself going here unless someone comes from out of town and I want to show off the skyline (which is what we did), or I get a craving for overpriced drinks, and a desire to see and be seen. Yes, the views are amazing. The drinks are fancy and overpriced, but tasty. The setup reminds me of an apartment, with a series of smaller rooms with lounge chairs and couches. Appreciated that they didn't mind at all that we pull a few chairs from various spots in a room together. Bottom line, definitely check it out once on a clear day. read more

Your typical W bar. Swanky, sexy, comfortable with great (but pricey) drinks. From this particular locale - great views, especially of the sunset. Small menu, but you can order full menus from downstairs restaurant. Service is a tad slow and our server had a tinge of an attitude that was out of place. If you're staying at the W, this is a good place for a drink with colleagues. read more

I visited last Saturday night around 9pm with my boyfriend. The crowd was a strange mix of two bachelorette parties and middle-aged tourists, which admittedly made for some good people-watching. My boyfriend ordered an Old Fashioned and I had a Lime Gin Rickey. The bartender made these drinks STRONG, which made our $30 bill sting a little less. This had been on my list of places to try for a while, but unfortunately I don't think I'll be returning. This would be a fun place to take out-of-town guests, but as Minneapolis natives and as someone who works downtown, my boyfriend and I weren't super impressed. If you're in need of a craft cocktail and fun atmosphere, I suggest checking out the newer distilleries in nearby Northeast Mpls that serve the same quality drinks for a couple bucks less. read more

I spend a great deal of time on the road, and usually seek out speakeasies wherever I am. It's worth pointing out to fellow connaisseurs of cocktails that most of the drinks I had on their recently updated menu were rather sweet. In fact, several members of my party requested that their drinks be sent back and made less sweet, which the staff was happy to accommodate. Though it's called Prohibition, it's a little bit more of "girl's night out" sort of place than a "cigar-smoking mobsters swilling bourbon" sort of place. I would definitely return here for the atmosphere, service, and creativity of the menu - though I'd warn the bartender first that I like my drinks a little less pink zinfandel and a little more merlot, if you catch my drift. read more

I'm a big fan of stepping into the past, and Prohibition lets me do that. The Foshay is a beautiful building (have you seen the elevator doors? incredible), and while the W has stepped in and modernized it with their neon ground-floor club, the Prohibition keeps it classic with dark wood and stuffed chairs. Yes, the drinks are expensive - this could never be a normal haunt on my budget - but for the occasional visit it's worth it. I split the Bubbling Sex Pot (I think that's what it's called - it's a punch meant for sharing) and had a Pink martini - both were delicious. On a random note, I kind of love the bathrooms - ultra-private stalls (aka tiny little rooms) and a shared sink between the ladies and gents - good for semi-awkward meetings between strangers. With the diverse clientele you never know who you'll meet. read more

Walk into the Foshay on any given weekend night and you'll hear the steady untz untz untz of dance music which is coming from the hormonal bloodbath known as The Living Room. Keep walking through to the lobby, take the elevator up to the 27th floor and walk out into the slightly less awkward environment that is Prohibition. I have to admit, for someone still in his mid twenties, I gave up on the whole downtown scene a while ago but make a few exceptions for special occasions like bachelor and birthday parties. One of my good friends wanted to have a dress up and go out downtown night for her birthday which is how we ended up here on a recent Friday night. Stepping out of the elevator doors you'll notice that the space is smaller than The Living Room but that the atmosphere is also more laid back. We were able to snag a table and couple of couches above the bar which was nice as we were able to keep everyone in our group together. As other people have said the drinks here are pretty expensive but that should be a given since it's in the W and downtown. I ordered a tequila drink ($14) which was OK and came with a Corona but then opted for a slightly cheaper $8 beer later in the night. The crowd here seemed to be an interesting mix of individuals from all walks of life which I cannot adequately describe to you (just go sometime and check it out for yourself) in this review. On the elevator ride down to the lobby I was privy to a deep conversation between two girls explaining how they were able to convince guys in the bar to continually buy them drinks. One of girls explained how she only had $17 in her checking account, which is why she needed these unlucky fellows to purchase her booze but also added that she was not a "whore". Luckily I was standing in front of them so they couldn't see my facial expressions as I tend to be very bad with my non-verbal queues after drinking. read more

Beautiful bar with great views... but seriously terrible cocktails. Our group of four had several different cocktails, from their specialties to classics to simple vodka sodas and they were all awful. My friend tried one of their fancy cocktails (Thai Kiss, I think) and it was undrinkably sweet. Like, sickly sweet. I had a sazerac that was too sweet! What?!? How do you make a sazerac too sweet? It also had a ton of absinthe in it, which I like, but it completely overwhelmed any whisky flavor. Yuck. I switched to wine while my companions gamely stuck to cocktails. Simple things, like a vodka with a splash of sprite. Or what it turned out to be, a Sprite with a splash of vodka. It was barely possible to detect any booze in the drink. Thankfully our server was nice and worked tried to fix the situation, but it was no help. The bartender couldn't mix a cocktail to save their life, which was especially frustrating when paying $10-15 for drinks. If you come, stick to wine and beer. read more

Good happy hour special! Buzzed up to Prohibition for a quick cocktail before dinner. I wanted to check out the cool drink specials from 5 - 7 every night, which is a good deal, especially since it's good on Fridays and Saturdays. The seating arrangement was cool, but we were kind of tossed to the side. We sat in a couple of arm chairs with a side table between us. The bigger seats were taken up by some drunk d-bags just coming from a sporting event and the other places were all occupied. Round 1 - I started out with a Chile Willy. Mmmm, good. It was melon-y and sweet, but not overly sweet. Dining companion had some drink with Hendrix gin and cucumbers which always puts him over the edge. Round 2 - I had a mojito with blackberries and dining companion had some margarita like thing. We also ordered a cheese plate. My assessment - my drink was too sweet, but he loved that margarita. The cheese plate with fruit was AWESOME! 3 kinds of cheese, 3 kinds of fruit, and 2 different crackers/flatbreads. It's a cool place to check out and hang for a while, but the price tag can't justify me going there all the time. read more

Happy Hour Only. This place is GREAT for happy hour. If you come anywhere from 4-7, you are set. beer and wine and Prosecco for $4-5. Small bites for the same price, and you can get a specialty drink on the menu for about HALF what it costs on the real menu. This place is pretty close to my work, so it is easy for me to pop in once in a while. If you have ever been to any other W hotel in the world - this is pretty much on par with the rest of them. This one has a cool vibe and a little more dark and relaxed feel than many of the others, but I think that is a good thing. The bartenders are friendly and were not afraid to help with suggestions and keep refilling my glass. Definitely come here if you want more than a pub or typical restaurant happy hour experience. read more

Went here as one stop on a 'cocktail safari' tour for a friend's bachelorette party. It really was a great experience. Located in the upper part of the W Hotel in beautiful downtown Minneapolis, Prohibition is one of those places that is just cool. It's not like every other cocktail bar you've been to. There are great views of the city from nearly every spot, and the seating is broken up into a bunch of secluded little nooks for you to sip your cocktail with that special someone or a few friends. Yes, the cocktails are expensive, but really not that bad. It's a classy place in an awesome location in a big city. Cocktails tend to be $12-15 in such places. For our event, there were about 12 of us, and we were given our own little landing which overlooked the lobby with the elevators and bar. We were really pampered by our waitress who really seemed like she wanted us to have a great experience. Included in the safari were supposed to be 3 cocktails at each bar. One of our friends who organized the party had been on a safari stop there before and was particularly excited about a certain drink she'd had that time. When the waitress discovered that that drink was not scheduled to be part of our 3 drinks, she gave it to us anyway for no charge! So we got 4 drinks for the price of 3. NICE! She totally didn't have to do that as everything was pre-paid so she really had nothing on the line. Overall, it's a cool place to see, not just another bar. Definitely try it out if you're in the mood for a few nice cocktails. read more

Prohibition is great to impress out of town guests. The almost 360 degree view from the 27th floor was phenomenal from the tiny windows. But I can get that from my apt across the street. The 1920's art deco setting is perfect for the Foshay, the drinks are priced for the W - be prepared to split a bottle of wine with a friend or two, or drink rail here. But the experience is worth it. We did have a server break a glass at the lounge we were sitting on and wasn't really quick to clean it up but did offer a drink in exchange. The lines at the bar were too long for my liking. Don't expect this to become your everyday spot, but it's nice once in a while. read more

Andrea is hands down the best server! Nice chill spot. Views are great. Perfect place to go after dinner in the city.

This is the place to go to be seen. Also this is the place to go if you are on the prowl. Plenty of cougars, ex-frat boys, girls in skimpy dress and wealthy guys. If you are looking for commitment and meaningful conversation, this might not the right place to visit, but if you are looking for fun this seems the place to be. And if you are not looking, well you can still do some great crowd watching. Drinks are good and Tony the bartender definitely knows what he is doing. Drinks are also relatively expensive, but I'll take one good drink over 5 poor ones, so I'm good with that. Music also pretty good, unfortunately there is never enough space to dance. read more

This review is for the $5 drink Happy Hour. We arrived promptly at 5 PM ready for a drink. We quickly found a spot near the windows. The view was a little disappointing as it was blocked by the stone balcony outside. The lounge was also much smaller than I thought it would be. However, there were just 2 of us so it worked. We only had a half an hour so we went to the bar to order our drinks. My drink was promptly crafted but my husband's drink took longer. They didn't have all the needed alcohol ready which seems odd because he ordered one of only a handful of the HH specials. He ended up having to order another drink but the bartender did make it on the house which made up for the wait. The drinks were tasty and strong. I would go back again for their HH but I don't think I would shell out $10 a drink, $5 seemed about right. I recommend the happy hour but beyond that it's probably not worth it. read more

Good place to take out of towners. 9 out of 10 times people say "this isnt' what I was expecting." Service was a little slow, and drinks are a pretty penny, but come on, for setting and style, you have to have your expectations right. If you want a $3 Corona, put someplace else in your GPS. I wouldn't spend a lot of my paycheck on hitting this place up every weekend, though. The interior decorator totally earned every penny of their invoice on Prohibition. Creatively chic and fun and "I want to look around without a lot of people realizing I'm looking around..." read more

we were a group of 6 on thursday night. what an amazing location,great service ,great food with amazing value. prohibition is cool venue with a great vibe! read more

Prohibition has a welcoming atmosphere. But, Stepping off the elevator you immediately feel a classy and cool vibe... it's the perfect noise level, lighting, and seating setup. The views are amazing. Make sure to try many of the drinks; the main bartender is so incredibly nice and helpful it's stunning. read more

While the drinks are a bit steep, you are really paying for the ambiance and the fact that you're on the 27th floor. The views are truly stunning, and the layout is intimate, cozy, and inviting. A great spot for date night, friends night out, or just to grab a table by one of the windows and gaze out, because there really is no such thing as a bad seat in this joint. read more

I wanted to like Prohibition! I really really did! Being a NYC transplant, I was looking forward to a bar with a view. Well, the view and decor didn't disappoint, but the drinks did. The martinis are way to sweet, and the wine list is "meh" too. Still worth an occasional trip, but not going to make my top Minneapolis bar list. read more

This is more of a place out-of-towners will frequent rather than local people. However, I definitely would recommend for locals to check it out at least once. I tend not to do touristy stuff when I'm living in a city -so it's easy to miss this place out of sheer habit of just preferring going to my other local spots in the city. I thought Prohibition would be a stuffy, boring, old people lounge, but actually, it's quite classy and swank. But yeah, there are alot of old people too, from late 30s and up. Nothing wrong with that. Everyone is dressed nicely and the mood was right. No one obnoxious on the night that I went. The cocktails were delicious and stiff, and priced around $15 -$17 dollars. I would recommend going during their happy hour from 5pm -7pm so you can save some cash, but also get to enjoy the chic atmosphere and glittering views before going out for dinner or dancing. The windows aren't as grand as I would have liked. You can still see great cityscape views but it would be more impressive if the windows were larger. One thing that seemed off, is the style of bartender they have. He mixed great drinks, but had such a drab personality and was overly hyper concerned about checking IDs of old people like me. Funny thing is, the bartender is a young man, likely 6-10 years younger than me. America is the only country that is this hyper anal retentive about checking IDs of old people. Europe doesn't do this, Asia doesn't do this, South America doesn't do this. Ironic that this is the case at a place called "Prohibition" based off the prohibition days! Anyway, I'm going off on a tangent here, but I will say, I would recommend hiring bartenders with a more charming and dashing personality to match the establishment. Personality makes such a difference. read more

Prohibition is a great bar away from the crowds of other downtown hot spots. It's probably telling that I came here with my mom. Take note though, that it was a Sunday, so the place was empty and may be a totally different place on busy nights. The manhattans and deviled egg plate we ordered were good, but the view was amazing and we found a couple chairs in a room all to ourself. It was refreshing to be able to hear each other talk without shouting. This would be a good place to take a date if you want to actually talk to each other! The drinks were a bit spendy for my student budget at the time, but my mom picked up the tab ;) read more

Prohibition was exactly what I wanted. It was beautiful, off the beaten path and somewhat classy without pretentious guests. There are great views--I'm not quite sure where some of the other reviewers were standing or looking--even if some of the windows are petite. We had a fabulous waitress that was very attentive on busy a Saturday night. The specialty drinks are fun, and yes they're expensive around $10-$13, but that seems pretty standard in this town. The music was vibrant, but low enough to carry on a conversation. I was there with 4 friends, but I wouldn't recommend it for much larger groups. read more

Kicked off my bachelorette party at the top of the Foshay! Glad we did. Our theme was burlesque and we fit right in with the Prohibition decor. The bartender did ask where our "penis necklaces" were, but we were trying to keep it classy :) The first five girls to show up shared the Bubbling Sexpot drink - it's got champagne and some other stuff in it with dry ice so it "smokes" and bubbles. It looked cool and tasted great. And provided a great photo op. I don't know if I could've handled the late night crowd, but for a pre-party drink before the crowds, this was a great spot! read more

Go for the Happy Hour where you can get martinis for $5! Coming from LA, at that price they might as well be free. Phew, good thing we were staying at the hotel and didn't have to drive! This was the perfect place for me to meet up with several of my hometown friends. The bar, located on the 27th floor, used to be the boardroom for Foshay back in the glory days. Now, it's a dark wooded, dimly lit lounge made up of several small rooms. We got there early and snagged an entire corner for ourselves. Great views and very good drinks! read more

When you walk in, be prepared to blinded by red lights. The lobby glows and when you get to the lounge on the 26th floor (I think), you will see even more. I went here with a couple coworkers and it was about 15 of us in this tiny lounge. The drinks are a bit pricey but I think that is sort of expected at lounges nowadays. With that said, our waiter was great at remembering drinks and as well as food orders. It shocked the crap out of me (15+ people). The ambiance of the place is nice and like I said before it has a red glow to the place. I suggest checking this spot out if you are visiting Minneapolis for a weekend or a week. read more

If you are going to charge $14 for a drink, at least have a view. The views are blocked by the concrete safety rail in the old Foshay tower. The wood work is great, the waitresses are scantily clad, but all in all I'd rather have a drinky at street level for a lower price since there is no view. read more

Nice view on the top of the W Foshay Towers. Pricey drinks, but more reasonable during happy hour. Nice place to hang late night for a post dinner drink. read more

Based on the reviews I was a little apprehensive about heading to Prohibition for the first time for my friend's birthday, but I was impressed! The view is incredible, the servers were delightful, and the drinks were delicious. It's definitely pricey if you don't go at happy hour, but it's a great experience. read more

Nice atmosphere. Good service. An excellent selection of old time cocktails that are well-made. Lots of comfortable couches. A fun place for drinks. read more

Hidden in plain sight near the top of the W Minneapolis - Foshay Tower, this series of rooms were originally designed to be the residence of the eponymous Mr. Foshay. The W has turned it into a great cocktail lounge with a fantastic view of downtown (especially in the evening). Rooms are also available for special events. Drink prices are high (it is a hotel after all) but the view makes it worthwhile. Thumbs up: view, history, quirky Art Deco ambience. read more

Just an okay place because of the view... kind of crowded.. small bar.. nothing special... I'll be okay with never coming back here.

I wouldn't say this place is bad. It's just not what was expected. Mediocre service and atmosphere. Would be good for something like a bridesmaids party or something similar. Was not as romantic for my wife and I. read more

I love The Prohibition in The Foshay tower. Wonderful ambiance, attentive and sexy wait staff, great little nooks with comfortable leather chairs and lounges. The drinks are exotic, wonderful and strong, although a little pricey. Overall, this is a great date destination. Semi-casual, although you can't overdress, either. If the nooks and lounges are full, the bar is a fine place to congregate, although not as romantic. read more

I wish I could give 0 starts to this place and even better, negative stars. The staff is very rude and the bar is nothing special. Yes it has nice views that you do not even get to enjoy because the bar is so small that everybody gets crowded. You have to wait a lot of time if you wish to sit down. If you wish to have a nice time and not having to deal with a terrible and rude staff, go somewhere else. read more

Terrible service and rude management. The place is more of a tiny studio apartment more than it is a bar and its not worth your time. Try another bar and come during the day for the view, but avoid this bar like the plague. read more

I'm on the fence about Prohibition. It is very beautiful with a lot of opportunity for intimate conversation. For the amount of money spent on drinks, the service was extremely poor. My usual drink didn't taste as it usually does (Kettle One soda with lime). We had to track down our waitress to get water, another drink, and eventually the bill. The view was a tad disappointing. From where I was, I could barely see through the cement outside of the window. read more

Very cool place with beautiful views of the city. It was smaller inside than I expected but there is plenty of seating and a good mixture of tables and more lounge type seating. My recommendation is to go between 5-7pm for their happy which includes 4 different drinks. The happy hour drinks change frequently though typically you have 3 "craft cocktails" and a classic Martini (vodka) your choice for $8. The normal craft cocktail prices are pretty high but you are paying for the atmosphere and view. I met a customer here for a meeting at 5:30pm and it was a perfect spot for that. That early in the day it doesn't feel too "nightclub" and is full primarily of business people. read more

Prohibition - Vodka Martini at happy hour prices - Lounges Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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