My best friend came here a couple of years ago and loved it. She wanted to take me and fiancée. It's an underground speakeasy. Used to be a subway station. Historical and really love the atmosphere. Very laid back and not noisy. Even the music is not loud that you can have conversations without yelling. I highly recommend you make reservations. We didn't do that and only had to wait 20 minutes since it wasn't super busy at the time. It's an open bar, which when you are seated, you are waited on. They have everything from specialty cocktails, wine/sake, beer, non alcoholic, spirits and small snacks/appetizers. I got a glass of red wine (Tempranillo), my fiancée ordered the smoked Manhattan and my best friend ordered their specialty cocktail- Softer than my intentions. We really enjoyed our time and had a great experience. Don't sleep on Dayton. They have so much to offer and what a great hidden gem! read more

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Super pretty and intimate bar. Host was super friendly and quickly accommodating! Has dinner reservations upstairs but wanted to stop by for a quick cocktail. Bartenders are friendly and easy going, they have signature cocktails to pick from and a full bar in case you want something specific. The bar is quiet and warm would love to come back to just hangout and socialize since their little seating areas bring out a vibe! read more

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Clarified Milk punch was recommended What a drink: Clarified Milk Punch | 15 rum, bourbon, cognac, batavia arrack, absinthe, oleo saccharum, pineapple, lemon, green tea, paychaud's bitters, milk, spices Drink menu pretty cool https://www.tendermercy.com/drinks The bar area a little small with ok service. Would like to try more of the drink menu. read more

Tender Mercy - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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What a vibe!!! This was an amazing recommendation by a kind local man from Dayton. He said, go up the block, left at the light, if you go two blocks, you've gone too far, head down the stairs. It ended up as the coolest speakeasy but non-speakeasy experience I have ever had. Our bartender was amazing! Cool vibe, willing to explain, happy to create a mocktail based on taste. A creative type, for sure; I think they all are. We were in from out of town, looking to explore the city, happy to follow the rec and walk down the stairs to the EL, wait, that's Chicago, here, the stairs lead to the coolest spot for a local and a visitor in Dayton. Not cheap, yet casual, expert bartenders, perfect restrooms, just an all around A+ spot. Thank you Gabriel for an excellent experience, thank you Tender Mercy for a sick vibe and thank you handle bar mustache man on the street for the coolest recommendation. Check them out! read more

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I visited Tender Mercy for the first time on a Saturday evening before a show. We arrived around 5:30- shortly after they open and it was not busy, but by the time we left around 7 there were a lot more people there. Low lighting, neat stone wall and a big bar area, great ambiance for some fancy cocktails! We did not go to the restaurant which was in the same building we just had drinks. I started with the Darjeeling zest- bourbon, vermouth, and some other ingredients. It was strong and tasty! Lastly, I had the milk punch- rum, bourbon, cognac, milk, bitters, etc. It was delicious! Many different specialty cocktails, tons and tons of bourbon, good service and fun atmosphere! read more

Tender Mercy - Bar area - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

My fiancee discovered this place recently and thought we should try it out with some very close friends. It's definitely a speakeasy style place with a modern twist. The service is excellent, the staff are all very friendly, and the ambiance is very unique. Reservations are definitely recommended on weekends because they get pretty busy. They also have cocktail classes and wine tasting classes offered on their website. We rolled in on a Saturday night, and though there was a little wait, we didn't wait that long. Our server, Tiffany, was great. She took the time to explain the drink menu and gave us plenty of time to make our decisions. I went with a smoked Manhattan, my lady had a glass if tempranillo, and our friend had the Softer Than My Intentions. Their specialty cocktail menu is as unique as the place itself. Their smoked Manhattan game is definitely on point as are the rest of their cocktails. We really enjoyed this place and didn't feel rushed to drink fast and leave like some places. I could definitely see coming back for another round. read more

Tender Mercy - Smoked Manhattan... Mid-smoke reveal. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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Overall enjoy coming here for the ambiance. It has a nice dark and cozy feel to it and is a great place to come with friends. We went to try the ramen that they serve once a week and it was decent but not my favorite. It did have a more fusion feel to it. The flavor was also not as authentic as I was hoping for. Another down side is that the drinks are expensive unless you go during happy hour. Service is good but it can be hard to get a hold of someone if you go during peak hours. However everyone there is very nice! read more

Tender Mercy - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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Nice place very beautiful atmosphere. Only came for drinks. Service was great waitress provided recommendations. read more

Tender Mercy - Gardenotic - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

I will say, we had crossed this place off our list after a bad experience (I didn't previously review because while I believe in being honest, I do not believe in trashing a business based on one bad experience). Friday evening, we journeyed downstairs after dinner at Sueno because it was just not time to go home yet:) Reservations are no longer required, so we were able to have a small table with swanky bench seats. I felt kind of like the Foundation Room at House of Blues- but not really because there's more room! The food menu is now sushi and looks fun to try, I will bring my daughter soon to give it a taste. My hubby and I stuck to drinks. I had the Gardenomic. I described it to him like Violet from Willy Wonka! I tasted the beets, then the ginger and then the flowery flavors before it was gone. It is acidic so I only had one, but I will return for another and you should definitely try it especially if you are a fan of beets. The hubby had the Pear O' Nuts because why wouldn't you?! lol it was refreshing and he ordered another before we left. I highly recommend stopping in to this wonderful Dayton Gem. It is beautiful inside, with well crafted flavorful drinks that will not send your blood sugar soaring. Thank you Tender Mercy team for the welcome and wonderful service, we will visit again!! read more

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We love the ambience and creative drinks. Special events like the sushi and sake pairings are fantastic. It's been a favorite spot to take out of town guests. Throw in the easy valet parking and follow drinks here with a yummy dinner upstairs at Sueño, it makes for a great (and convenient) night out. read more

Such an enjoyable and relaxing atmosphere. Drinks were unique and well made. Each time we've visited, we received excellent service with knowledge of the menu. read more

Oh the smoked old fashion made with red label mold Weller! MWAH! Chef's kiss...or should I say bartenders kiss? The bar tenders are very knowledgeable and will make custom drimks if you tell them what you like. The ambiance is very nice....first of all, it's underground! Second of all, the incentive se burning smells wonderful. There are 2 seating areas on either side of the bar. They don't take reservations, but they do have same day call ahead seating. read more

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Vibes are on point! Seriously love this place. Little speakeasy vibes. Perfect place to go with friends or a date. Everyone is so hip & cool. Cocktails are usually amazing. Only thing I dislike about their specialty cocktails is that they are batch made. When I go to an upscale cocktail bar, I want a fresh MTO cocktail... not one from a tap. But other than that it's a dope place! read more

Very swanky and cool vibe, drinks are very nice. The bartender, Ryan, was very friendly and accommodating read more

This is a pretty cool speakeasy downtown with fun furniture! The ambiance is relaxing and the artwork is unique. They offer both regular flat water and sparkling water. The drinks are usually good and they have them on rotation so there's a variety. The service was a little slow but we were also in the back with a large group. read more

Tender Mercy - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

Still in shock that Dayton Ohio landed a spot like this! We loved visiting Tender Mercy and cannot wait to go back. The entrance is a sneaky downward staircase in the middle of the sidewalk, kind of like a NYC subway entrance. The atmosphere inside is intimate, classy, and impressive - overall just an elevated experience. Seating is comfortable and spread out enough so your party will feel like you truly have space of your own. Drinks were the best we've had in Ohio (we've spent loads of time in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and many cities in between). Waiters/waitresses were great and attentive hosts. Pumped to go back! read more

Tender Mercy - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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Great all-around service. Great atmosphere, great bartenders and servers and great drinks and food!

Great service, amazing drinks, and a really cool atmosphere. The staff is friendly and attentive, the cocktails are on point, and the vibe makes it easy to stay longer than you planned. Highly recommend! read more

I love that this cocktail bar is underground. The drinks, the atmosphere (vibes), and the bartenders are excellent. Knocking one star off for the price of the drinks. I totally understand it being because it's more of an *experience*. One of the cocktails I had was $17; just seems pricey to me for downtown Dayton. I'd expect that in a bigger city, but idk maybe I'm wrong. However, the cocktails I did have were VERY tasty. Not too boozy, just the right amount and well balanced. They have a residency menu where each month one of their bartenders specially curates their own cocktails and menu. This month (Feb) I tried the Baba Yaga, which I enjoyed, as well as, Attack! Return of the Killer Robots -- both were great! They definitely do a good job of having the kind of friendly service and atmosphere that make you want to keep drinking. I went with a girl friend and she ordered a classic Clover Club which she said was delightful. Our bartender was very helpful in answering our questions and steering us in the right direction for our preferences and gave us several *free* samples if we wanted to taste. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Where do I begin? The bar is very interesting, I want to love it but, it fails epically on every other front! Their specialty cocktails are premade and if you order outside of that list you may receive the worst version of your cocktail of choice. We ordered apps for the table and they were disappointing. The "charcuterie box" was laughable with an odd mushroom, dill pickles and very stale crackers and crostinis. This was our third visit, each being worse than the visit before. Tender Mercy is a fail. read more

Tender Mercy - Stale soft crackers - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

THE coolest cocktail lounge in Dayton ... and they have a long bar too! As a party of 5 they gave us a dark alcove, very much our own room painted black with quirky dark 1920's videos playing on the ceiling. The drink list was amazing, so many delicious choices! But first they give you water, served from a snake embossed brown jug in short glasses. Service was great! We ordered a smoked old-fashion, a very tall tropical rum drink that they lit on fire (can't remember the name), the Buffet Style (a drink with everything in it ;), a duck rabbit stout, and someone wanted a Jack and Coke .... sadly they said, they only had Diet. NO didn't want that. We ordered a second round - Cocktails are $13 - $15 a little pricy for the midWest, although they were delicious I highly recommend this hidden gem of a bar.... if you can find it... read more

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What an interesting place. First off it you didn't know about it you would never find it. There is no sign outside just a flight of stairs that look more like you are heading to the subway then a bar. This underground speakeasy is nicely decorated adding to its charm. The speciality drinks were interesting as well as delicious. I was sorry to have only had time to stop by for a quick drink before dinner I would definitely recommend this place as a must see if you're in the downtown Dayton area. read more

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Dark, sexy atmosphere with great drinks and really nice staff. Very accommodating and pleasant, they make a fantastic cocktail too. Really nice for a date night cap or starter cocktail. read more

Tender Mercy - Cocktail at the bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

Awesome dining experience! Food and drinks were unbelievable and the staff was excellent. The ambiance is amazing too! If you want a great dining experience in Dayton come here. read more

Underground bar complete with mood lighting and on tap cocktails, sign me up. Made a trip to Dayton and after eating upstairs at Sueño we decided to go downstairs for a delectable treat. This place is built for style and comfort. With the dark mood lighting and couches tucked away along with ample bar seating this is perfect for a group or to cozy with that significant other. They serve cocktails on tap which means you get a consistent great cocktail every time. And because they are on tap they can serve you quicker but they still put on a show for you nonetheless. The cocktails are competively priced but you won't lose your wallet here. The staff were also very helpful and chatted with us extensively and made us feel comfortable. Service is quick wqhich makes this place perfect for a stop in when waiting on your reservation or a table nearby. Tips to make your visit a success: 1) These aren't basic drinks. Their selection is both amusing with their names and intriguing do to the ingredients. So ask your server to help you pick something that will please your palate. 2) Snacks are a must. Though the snack menu is light it's perfect for getting the munchies out of the way. A must try is the Adult Lunchable. Make your way to Tender Mercy today!! read more

Tender Mercy - Snack menu - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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Drinks are amazing and Service was remarkable. Truly enjoyed the different atmosphere. For something different, a must go to and sit at the bar. read more

We stopped here to relax before we went upstairs for dinner. What a great place! I had a Byzantine Erotica drink. The bourbon came through with a nice background of Sherry. I really liked it. My SO had a Boy Trouble. Delicious, reminded me a bit of a Mai Tai from years ago. It was great. We will be back, it's worthy! read more

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Heard about this place for their cocktails and it did not disappoint. The ambience and the decor was very good. An awesome place for celebrating. They also have a restaurant Sueno, so food should also be great (I didn't try their food) but will definitely go again. The staff were friendly and polite. I highly recommend this place. read more

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Way cool bar on the basement. Lounge atmosphere with many cocktails to offer. The bartenders do a residency to invent or create different cocktail. Menus on line. Street parking with valet if you choose. After a long week this Painkiller hits the spot! Yahoooo!!!!! read more

Well we have found the cutest Dayton gem. We scored by getting the lil corner booth that had more privacy and I want to reserve that every time! The server was amazing, he gave us great suggestions. The drinks are unique and on point! read more

Tender Mercy - Couples Therapy - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

I actually heard about this spot through Instagram and have waited to be in Dayton late enough to check them out (they open at 6pm and I'm usually in the area on a day trip). LOVE the ambiance and the drinks. The staff is awesome. I would say prices are about what you would expect for a cocktail bar. There's no food and I'm not sure if you can bring any in. This is definitely a late night drink spot for a date or a group of friends. Dress up to give it an extra touch of fancy. read more

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Can't beat the atmosphere here. From the moment you walk down the stairs to the entrance, it's a whole vibe. We decided to sit at the bar originally but all the cozy seating made us want to move. We got drinks then asked to move. We didn't love the mixed drinks we ordered. My husband drank his but mine was so sweet I couldn't drink it. Once we moved, we ordered red wine instead and I asked the server to take my mixed drink. She immediately said it would be taken off our bill. This was unexpected but appreciated! Much happier with the red wine. We would definitely recommend tender mercy. read more

Location: 607 E. 3rd Street, Dayton OH Website: https://www.tendermercy.com/ Price: Average . Cocktail prices are $12-$13 range. Parking: Good luck. Street parking is limited. Surrounding lots appear to be private for event space. Plan accordingly. This modern cocktail house requires reservations. Go to the website and reserve your space in this unique establishment. Located in the lower level of the 3rd street block in one of many up-and-coming areas of downtown Dayton and accessed by a virtually unmarked set of street stairs, you feel like you are in a secret society or a flapper during Prohibition. The space pulls off elegance, style, and coziness in this stunning den of indulgence. Four spaces, you enter and are greeted at the host station to check your reservation and led to your assignment. You walk through a lounge area with separate seating/conversation pods through the bar area (where our party of 3 was seated). On the far end of the bar is another lounge area with separate seating areas and at the end of that section Is a space called 'forgiveness' which has a dedicated bar and seating for up to 50 as a private event space. (25 during Covid) The guests were diverse and uniformly happy with the space and drinks. The cocktail menu is broad, with more than a handful of signature cocktails based in the expected basics of bourbon, gin, and/or tequila with some unexpected ingredients to make it difficult to narrow your selection(s). The features are promised to change so I won't detail my choices other than there were 3 and they were all quite good. Definitely looking forward to returning. Tips: 1) Do not arrive hungry. There is no food. Prior to my first visit, there was a 'snacks' menu tab which had a single entry: hummus. It is gone. 2) Do arrive thirsty. The cocktails are quite good. read more

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Love the energy of this place, the service was great & the drinks were so good. It's one of my favorite spots for girls night read more

Tender Mercy - Pineapple mojitos - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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Super cool place in downtown Dayton. Everything from fancy cocktails to Coors Banquet in a paper bag, lol. My only regret is not going sooner! read more

This review mainly is for Dozo, the extension of Tender Mercy, serve 4 course of dishes. This is a MUST GO place for people who LOVES sushi. I was there almost every other week within 2 months! YES, it was that good. I took my mom there to celebrate her birthday, and now she said she wants to go there often. Tender Mercy is an underground, very hip bar, and Dozo Sushi is at the end of the "tunnel". It is reservation only and you need to pay for the reservation. It will go towards your final bill. If you have to cancel or reschedule the reservation, be sure you do so at least 24 hours prior to the reservation time. The service is top notch, the chef is very friendly and love all the feedback. I enjoy sitting at the bar watching the chef preparing our next course, and really enjoy the conversation with the chef. Highly recommend to sit at the bar if you're going with just your friend or significant other. I failed to take the picture of each course because the excitement of seeing the familiar food, and it simply just tasted so good that I truly forgot taking the picture. The sushi is so fresh that it melt in your mouth, the buttery texture of it is amazing. Totally bring me back to the time when I visited Japan. There is nothing like it around here in Dayton area, and once you have the sushi here, you'll not like other sushi elsewhere. I just recent gone back to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday, and I had a question about my bill after I got home. Long story short, the issue was resolved within 24 hours. I was truly appreciated to receive a call from the general manager to explain everything to me. Their service is truly amazing and everyone is so friendly and hips!! You sure can count on me to go back soon! read more

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This might be one of the best hidden gems in Dayton. Unassuming and easy to miss, this underground bar has some of the best vibes I've ever had in the entire city. I am ecstatic that I found this place, and I genuinely can't wait to return. NOTES: -Tender Mercy is down a flight of stairs. I did not see any elevator, so I'm unsure if they have a service elevator that could be used for wheelchairs. -It is VERY dark inside Tender Mercy. Once your eyes adjust, it's the perfect ambiance, but if you have issues with low light areas, this place might be a bad fit. Most of the walkways are pretty wide and open when they're not busy, but I could see this being a place where a ton of people would stand around the bar area when they're busy which could make it dangerous for you to get around. -Lots of very sturdy couches for seating of multiple body sizes. The majority of non-couch seating is the high top options at the bar. PROS: -Very small business, and I love that about them. When we were ordering, the manager apologized when we ordered something that wasn't available yet for a few more hours, and went into the back to literally remove it off the online menu. -That "thing" we tried to order was their "Residency" menu. Essentially, they feature one of their bartenders and allow them to make their own, shortened, personalized menu of the creative drinks the bartender wants to make. You can only order those drinks when that specific bartender is working, so that menu didn't start until 6pm (versus the 4pm open). When we did end up getting one of those drinks, it was VERY unique (not necessarily for us, but very cool nonetheless), and I'm happy to see somewhere that supports their bartenders so amazingly. -The ambiance is freakin' unbeatable. It's dark, moody, sensual, and mysterious. Lots of shadows (once your eyes adjust to the darkness here in Tender Mercy, going back outside to the sun was genuinely uncomfortable) with intentional lighting to highlight the features they want you to look at. Glass tables with lots of gold accents. Tons of sensual (not explicit! But bare legs up to the mini skirt line) art on the walls. -If you like your cocktails on the less harsh side of things, I'd recommend the Clarified Milk Punch (it isn't milky!) or the Attack! Return of the Killer Robots. The "Snaquiri" isn't bad, but it isn't the lighter taste I'd be expecting with the name. None of the cocktails here are sugar bombs. -All of the cocktails are designed with "fancy" in mind. This isn't necessarily the place you go to simply sip on vodka; the real attention is to their bartender's creativity and work in crafting flavorful beverages. When we were talking to that aforementioned manager, he was telling us about their multi-day process to make just ONE of the ingredients in the Clarified Milk Punch. It's more effort than I'm willing to put into just making my own coffee. -The presentation and vibe here is gorgeous. It's hard to get good photos (because it is genuinely dim enough that your phone will struggle), but their presentation is on-point - including serving some of their drinks on fire. It's a place to impress. -Their mocktails are impressive and have deep flavors. Honestly! I've never been served a non-alcoholic cola that tastes as deep and flavorful as the "mocktail" they made here. It's well beyond the standard "here's some sugar with flavoring" that most mocktails tend towards. CONS: -Prices reflect the ambiance. They're running closer to the large metropolitan pricing than the standard Dayton bar pricing; keep that in mind. (BUT I love them for publishing their prices on their online menu. You know exactly what you're getting into before you head in.) read more

Moody. Chill. Cool. Superb Lounge! Whether it's date night or a girls night out, this is the place to have a good cocktail and great conversations. Great place to check out! Don't wait. Just go. Best speak easy in Dayton. read more

A hidden gem in the gem city. Walk along a sidewalk and you will stumble upon a set of stairs that lead down to this hipster/unexpected spot for downtown Dayton. It is made out to be a New York style club space but there is no dress code. The drinks are just as expensive as you would expect in New York and the music level can sometimes be too much. You can NOT place a reservation over the phone and it's almost impossible to get a booth when you walk in, especially on the weekends. The host will advise you to walk over to the bar and cram yourself in this small standing room only area and have you wait 20-30 minutes until a booth is open for you and your party. One of the more unique and upscale spots to grab a drink downtown, but it comes at a cost. read more

On a recent trip up to Dayton I finally made it to Tender Mercy! We arrived around 9:30 and there was a 45 minute wait. This meant we had time to grab a cocktail somewhere else while we waited, which was nice. When a table was available, the host messaged us, we were seated at a booth. Tender Mercy is a really intimate setting, with mostly booths and small tables. The lights are dimmed, which made for a relaxed vibe. Our server greeted us quickly and put in our drink orders. The drinks were tasty, and there was something for everyone. Cocktail prices ranged from $11-16. The second round of drinks did take a while to come out, but that can be typical at a cocktail bar where most drinks take multiple steps. Something to keep in mind about the menu is some drinks stop being served at 11pm. I'm not sure if this is bc they are the most difficult drinks to make and it's too much for late night, but something to keep in mind if you have a certain cocktail you want. Overall the vibes and drinks were good, so I will be back next time I'm in town! read more

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