Freaking LOVE this place. It's a St. Louis staple and one of mg favorite bars to go to for a night…read moreout :) Food is always delicious. Service is always friendly and the vibe is SO GOOD. Love the design choices :) 10/10. Brennans is my home.

I visited with coworkers on a Monday evening for a celebratory happy hour. The location is…read moreconvenient to the medical center, with nearby metered street parking. There is some limited outdoor seating on the sidewalk and indoor seating. Our group enjoyed delicious appetizers, and there were limited happy hour specials from their cocktail menu. I wanted wine and must say that they have really great wine - I enjoyed both the Pinot Noir and the Chardonnay. Also they had the most adorable bathroom with framed high school photos of celebrities (St. Louis is the most high school fixated city in America, IYKYK). The service was friendly but a bit uneven, considering how empty it was when we first arrived. There were some long waits for drinks, and a couple of mix-ups. I believe the main source of confusion was that one big check had been started, but with people coming and going at different times, it had to be split into separate checks on the back side so people could pay before leaving. I do recommend them for happy hour and plan to return.

I came here on a date and have come back often since. I love bringing my friends who enjoy a good…read morecocktail. They have such an incredible menu, but I always seem to stick with the same drink. I can't wait to try Pagan next door.

My bartender did an excellent job making tasty mocktails. He was attentive and a good vibe. The…read moreambiance in his speaks easy is definitely dark and moody and is super cute for a date night.

Bel Air Social is a new discovery for me and it's a pretty new place for St. Louis, too. Food, a…read morebar, gelato, and I don't know what else is here. I love the branding. Very 1950s/1960s. It has me interested in Hotel Indigo. (Bel Air Social is inside the hotel.) I first went on a whim when passing by earlier this week and now I'm a fan of the bar. The cocktail I'm liking is "I hope this email finds you well." It's the only of the drinks I've had and it's one of those rare menu items that you fall for on your first visit and probably will rarely, if ever, deviate from... unless the menu is seasonal. Oh, that would be a bummer. Let's hope this is an evergreen cocktail. It is so well-balanced, yummy, and prettily presented. I plan to return to this bar often. The pistachio gelato was good, but a little pricey. I may like the gelato better if I try a sorbetto flavor.

Super disappointed with the service. This place has the potential to be great, but unfortunately,…read moreour experience was not good. We arrived with a larger group and were told by the bartender to sit wherever we wanted and that a server would come to us. We all sat outside and saw the waitress walking around several times, but she never came to our table. What made it more frustrating was that the place was VERY empty--maybe 9-10 people total on the patio and only a handful of people sitting around the bar inside. Eventually, we had to go inside to place our drink orders ourselves. The drinks came out incredibly slowly and strangely staggered. One person received a seltzer first, then about five minutes later two Cokes came out. After sitting outside for about 20-25 minutes waiting for the rest, someone from our group finally went back inside and found our drinks just sitting on a serving tray, melting. We asked if we could just take them ourselves. We still had a couple of drinks coming and were told those would be brought outside, but once again, my friend eventually had to go back inside to get the final two drinks. Unfortunately, the overall consensus from our group was that the drinks weren't very good either--even something as simple as a vodka soda with lime juice. I'm really not sure what was going on with the bartending and serving staff that evening, but the entire experience was disappointing. Another friend and I actually suggested this place to the group because we had heard good things and seen the positive reviews, so it was especially disappointing that everyone left feeling let down. We ultimately left without finishing our drinks. There's definitely potential here, but the service needs significant improvement.

Fun arcade bar with nostalgia for all ages!…read more There are 2 floors with multiple bars and arcade games of all decades throughout. There's also skeeball on both floors but we prefer playing the one on the lower level. Pinball machines are also on both levels. Tokens can be purchased at the bar or from one of the several token machines. UpDown has friendly bartenders and frequently has theme nights and seasonal cocktails to match the holiday or theme. You can order pizza at their pizza window and it is the only food they offer. The slices are huge though! During summer, it's fun to sit on the patio off the upstairs level. Been going to UpDown for years and it's always a good time for everyone!

The first Sunday of the month is family friendly. One of my kids is a gamer and this was a perfect…read moreplace to spend some time. Please note: the place was packed with kids and adults. Do not let that deter you. The space is much larger than it looks. There is an indoor bar and an outdoor bar with some table games and outdoor seating. There is a separate pick up window for snacks. They offer pizza by the slice, hot dogs and other goodies. The food is cheap and the pizza was solid for the price. The games require tokens which you can purchase at the bar. They have just about every game you could want! Even had a Super Nintendo set up, Dane Revolution, and my all time favorite skee ball!! My Zennial spirit was happy for this bit of nostalgia.

Went to Platypus for wedding welcome drinks and it was a fun spot. Drinks were really good and the…read morestaff was great. It's definitely more of a darker, dimly lit, hole-in-the-wall vibe. I didn't try the food, but it looked and smelled really good. Good spot for drinks if you're into a low-key vibe!

I've been here a handful of times with friends and it never disappoints. The crowd is really…read morediverse and the vibe is super welcoming. Great spot for anyone in their 20s and 30s looking for a chill but fun night out. The main bar area has karaoke nights and people get INTO it! They're so talented. If you keep walking through there's another room with games and a small kitchen for food. The menu is simple but the food is unexpectedly amazing and leans mostly vegetarian. The tofu is an absolute 10/10, the fries are good, and the buffalo cauliflower and chicken poppers are both must orders. Oh and the drinks are fun and the bathroom is a whole little experience on its own. Overall, it's just a good time. Definitely coming back.

Fun neighborhood bar with excellent service and laid back atmosphere. Drinks are reasonably priced…read more They offer pizza and snacks for sale.

If you are visiting the CWE area and want to get drinks for affordable prices with excellent staff,…read morethis is your place. The neighbors are super friendly, and the bartenders are chatty! For parking, you have street parking, and some of them are paid depending on the hours, so beware and read the signs, or else you may get a citation.

Shhh..... can you keep a secret. If anyone asks, you most certainly did not hear this from me…read more A speakeasy at City Foundry hiding in plain sight. I've passed this entrance plenty of times, and had no idea what was there. Walk in, knock three times, there may or may not have been a password. Take the long winding hallway to the heavy steal door. Behind the door is a lovely cocktail lounge. We did make reservations to ensure we had a comfortable table to accommodate our group. Cozy couches and plump club chairs huddled around small tables made for an intimate experience. The drink menu is long!!! Not in the mood for cocktails? They offer bourbon and whiskey tastings. We tried several of the cocktails. The drinks were well balanced and delicious. We appreciated the use of the proper ice based on the drink. The attention to detail is top notch. Cocktails and socializing can leave me feeling a little peckish. NOTA has a small but nice offering of small plates. There were six of us so we ordered several things to share. My favorite was the focaccia bread and the tiny cherry peppers. This was an enjoyable experience. We plan on visiting again soon.

None of the Above is a hidden speakeasy tucked inside City Foundry STL, and I'm so glad I found it…read more I came with a girlfriend for happy hour, and it's such a great deal: $9 classic cocktails Sunday through Thursday, plus Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. Everything on the menu looked divine, and I wish I got to try the food. I ordered the lychee martini, and honestly, I could have stayed all night having a few more. It was fantastic! The whole speakeasy experience was so fun and enjoyable. More people need to check this place out. It's perfect for date night, a girls' night out, or just something fun to do while you're in the City Foundry area. I can't wait to come back!

Lazy Tiger is a part of the Yellow Belly and Extra Wavy family of restaurants that focuses on…read moreinventive cocktail creations and seafood forward dishes. The restaurant itself is quite small and is located on the other side of Yellow Belly. The entrance has minimal space that looks to be able to accommodate 4 or 6 people if you're waiting for a table. Inside, the spacing is fairly decent for being a smaller location. I didn't feel too crammed dining and the 2-seater table was of normal size so there was enough room. We were seated right by the entrance with a curtain separating the area. True to its name, a Tiger statue sits at the entrance which is decorated in tropical manner. The theme continues within the restaurant. Lazy Tiger has a happy hour which if I remember correctly, ended at 6:30. Their cocktails are $12 during happy hour (rather than $14) and they have a selection of snack type items which you could have as appetizers if you'd like. We both got a cocktail. My husband had the human costume (gin, amaro, blanc vermouth, melon, gnartruese, malic acid) and I had the humble brag (gin, rhum, salted banana, forbidden rice, coconut, lemon). Both were refreshing and different but in a good and surprising way. We started with the nachos from the happy hour menu and added some pork belly per our writer's recommendation. I love pork belly anything anyway. The nacho was a huge serving! And it was very tasty with a good amount of crispy pork belly peppered throughout. I had the Morrocan spiced halibut served with couscous, asparagus, Spanish chorizo, tomatoes, pistachio dukkah. Halibut was well seasoned and prepared perfectly. We also shared an order of the vegetable fried rice and added some spam because I am a sucker for spam fried rice. It came with some chili crisps which brought the dish to another level. My husband had the tamales which he thoroughly enjoyed. I didn't get to try some but it looked fantastic. We ended up taking home the rest of my meal and the rest of the fried rice which have been devoured over the weekend. Service was fantastic. I love the vibe, I love the food!

Didn't know if we should enter - the sign for please wait to be seated is right inside the door and…read morethe restaurant is separated with a drape. I peaked my head in and no one was around I asked a customer if I come In it was awkward. The hostess was great and our server was great also! Explained all drinks and about the place. The food was so amazing - we got a bunch to try and liked each thing. The place is small and cozy without feeling crowded. It was a little dark

Pagan Wine Bar is situated in the Central West End, not far from Euclid and Lindell. Parking is…read moreeasier the later it is at night. I ventured to this bar for the first time three years ago and am now a more frequent customer with my beau. On weekends, Phil is the expeditor while the sole bartender, Ed, creates magical drinks from behind the bar. Seating is very limited with no reservations, so bear that in mind. Also, the last call ends promptly at 1:00 AM, and 1:30 AM is the absolute cutoff for finishing up your experience there. Every drink I have had there has been excellently crafted and consistently good. It is pricey but worth it. My only critique would be the gender-neutral bathroom. It could use some love and a deep clean, but otherwise, it is a great place for a nightcap.

The best kind of cocktail bar: moody ambiance and made from scratch drinks but lacking insane…read morelevels of pretension. The two bartenders here were as knowledgeable as they were friendly. I had two delicious cocktails but, more importantly some deep conversation with strangers.

Maryland House fills a niche in the Central West End. There are a lot of different restaurants to…read morechoose from, but not that many that work more on the bar/club side. To get to the Maryland House you start out in a courtyard and then take an elevator (or stairs) to the top of the building. It is a fun, almost speakeasy type entrance. Maryland House has an indoor area and then a relatively large outdoor space. The crowd has had a lot of energy and a good vibe every time I've been. Overall it tends to be crowded. There is a food menu, but I will be honest I've only ever come later at night. The drink selection is very good although when it is very crowded it can be hard to order. The last time I was at Maryland House was after my sister-in-law's wedding. They had actually paid to reserve space. When we got there though, nothing was set aside. It was pretty frustrating. After about 30 minutes they opened up a side room for us. It was late though, and that kind of took the wind out of the sales. I'm not sure what happened there, and it was kind of a dud way to end the night.

I had been wanting to come here forever and finally made it here with a big group of about 7…read morepeople. First thing I noticed was that it's way more spacious than I expected. The inside is dark and dimly lit which sets a nice mood. The vibe is a cool mix of modern, classy, and a little grungy all at once and it really well. I walked by a private area that had a wedding shower going on, so they have good event space too. We were seated on the patio area which is covered with shade, so it was comfortable and still felt like part of the whole atmosphere. The cocktail menu is so fun, they all have hilarious names and I love that. We ordered a bunch to share around the table. The toasted marshmallow cocktail is an absolute must. So good. For food we got a bunch of shareables. The charcuterie platter is great for a big group, easy to grab as you please. The salmon dish was so yummy and the flatbread was simple but really solid. Our waitress was sweet and friendly throughout the whole night. I also heard they do events here pretty regularly, like weekly or monthly, and I really want to come back for one of those. Definitely a spot I'll be returning to!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​