Have been hearing about this place for years an so glad we finally got to go. If you are in Duluth and love speakeasy's, this is a must. The vibe is a little lounge-y and a little downton abby. There are little nooks to sit in everywhere. We got there early in the evening so it was quiet as far as people but the music was cranked up to club level. We ordered our drinks at the bar and were a little disappointed when the bartenders did not engage at all. Even when we asked questions. The drinks were done really well. All in all it was a fun place to check out! read more

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Kind of a disappointment. The drinks are expensive ($15 average for a cocktail) and our server was chatting behind the bar while we waited for another round. It is a neat place given the history of the building but underwhelming overall. Not sure if we'd be back. Definitely a cool place to try out if you're not from town. read more

Amazing atmosphere for a speakeasy and drinks were equally amazing!! The Rathskeller has live music later in the night, which adds to the speakeasy vibes. The drinks were perfectly executed, such as "Justin's Paper Plane", thanks Justin for making this excellent cocktail!! read more

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The ambiance is the primary draw to this unique bar. The drinks were good, but over priced. There was a slow server the evening we went, I think we saw him about 2 times. We will try it again in the near future. read more

The Rathskeller - Seasonal drink: peppermint chocolate martini. - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

We ordered the seasonal Christmas drink . This place was a great combination of vibe, ambiance and carefully curated drinks. Loved the experience. Another speakeasy in the books . read more

The Rathskeller - Mrs Claud drink and new leaf drink - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Yes, as most have said, the ambiance here is spot on.. almost to a fault. SUPER dark.. the picture of my wife was using effects so you could see her. Had to use the phone to see the menu, but loved it. The vibe is totally cool. The music, however, wasn't. Don't know who is running the playlist, but it wasn't good and was just a bit too loud for my wants at a speakeasy. Our server was cool and brought our drinks out fairly quickly, fixing an error in mine extremely fast and that was greatly appreciated. The drinks themselves? Meh... I had a Manhattan and my wife had a dirty Martini. Never tasted a Martini that felt 'weak'. My Manhattan presented well and had decent flavor, but again... tasted weak and was fairly small. It also appears we were triple charged, but waiting till it moves from pending status to dispute. Glad we stopped, but would not go back again. read more

The Rathskeller - Diggin' the vibe with a Dirty Martini... - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Stopped in for a drink after dinner and it's pretty clear that the entire reason to go is the ambiance. It's a gorgeous space in the basement of a building off the main drag and you have to go down a cool set of stairs and through a few curtains. The drinks were ok but nothing to write home about. Don't come here if you have any plans afterwards because it took about 1.5 hours to get a single round of drinks. They were a little busy but it wasn't a crazy weekend. Just seemed very understaffed with only 2-3 people both taking orders and making drinks. If you want to hang with people for a long time in a club that looks like a speakeasy this is right up your alley! Not my think but I can definitely see the appeal. read more

Pretty good speakeasy style, celler feel. Good music. Staff was good and eager to talk about drinks, liquors and what you might be wanting in a drink if you don't have an exact option. I think they are limited on the beer to 4 options. Its more of a cocktail bar than a beer bar, but if you're "that guy" and come to a cocktail bar to order an IPA then.........ok. read more

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Very unique bar. Underground with live music and mocktails to rival any alcoholic drink. Just what I wanted! When I am in town, this is a must. read more

I visited for the first time on Halloween. I really felt like I was walking into a speakeasy from the prohibition. The furniture and low lighting set the mood. I was there with my husband and it felt romantic as we shared a love seat and we toasted our fancy drinks. I love the exposed brick and the archways throughout. The drinks were fun. Hubby had the sidecar made w/ Cognac and I had a Lemon Drop. Both were very good. The staff was attentive and friendly. Lots of smiles. This bar got busy quickly as it may have been a part of the bar crawl. We will be back for another drink. read more

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Really cool place but we didn't get our drinks for like 20 minutes and it wasn't busy

Great ambiance and great date vibes. Super unique area. Strong drinks!! Prepare to order a late night pizza after your visit and lose your id and keys. You might even text your priest. read more

The Rathskeller - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Maybe I was a vampire in a past life-- but sexy cocktails in the soft velvet dark will keep me coming back. read more

The Rathskeller - the interior of a restaurant - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

This place blew me away! It's underground and feels like a cave. Lots of great cocktails and perfect for an intimate date or small gathering with friends. A must try in Duluth! read more

The Rathskeller - Bar - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

I can't believe we didn't know about this place before. It is a really cool dungeon-y speakeasy in the basement of the old courthouse. The bartenders were excellent, and we really loved our drinks. We will definitely be back as soon as we are back in Duluth! read more

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Great ambiance with a nice hidden feel. A perfect stop if you are visiting Duluth and want a dark cozy vibe to finish your night. Great drink options. read more

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I am in love with this place! My best friend and I went to Duluth to celebrate my birthday weekend. I wanted to try out this speakeasy I had heard about and it was within walking distance from the hotel... Score!! So we got there on the earlier side of things, but once you go in, you lose all sense of time... No problem, we had all the time in the world! I've read previous reviews that say you have to go to the back of some restaurant and go down an elevator... not the case. The Rathskeller has a bright red door right on the street... not hard to find. We sat at the bar and looked over the menu, it was quite large... lots to choose from, beers, whiskeys... the lot.. as well as a full specialty cocktail menu. I got the Raspberry Beret, the Battle For Asgard and the Cappuccino Martini. Not all at once of course. My friend got the Raspberry Beret, the mezcal old fashioned and the Black Manhattan... and since we were celebrating, we had the bartender, Isaiah, smoke the liquor in this one. It was such a process to watch and really fun to taste the flavor of the drink. Kind of tasted like a really tasty campfire, and it was soooooo good! We also ordered the charcuterie plate which was plated beautifully, however besides this and a selection of snack nuts or pretzels there is no other food offered here. However, they do encourage you to go to the restaurant upstairs and order to go and bring it down and eat while you continue drinking their amazing cocktails. Thank you Isaiah for making my birthday special!! read more

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Super cool place. A must see! Drinks are pricey and the service was slow but the ambiance was well worth the wait!

Very cool ambiance. Solid bartending staff. We went back a couple times. Good small group intimate destination

The Rathskeller is overall a very cool place. I love cocktail bars with a speakeasy vibe, and it doesn't get much more authentic than Rathskeller. Located in the basement of the old city hall, you'll a quiet, cozy place to pick up one (or a few) of their many unique cocktails. I was in Duluth for the weekend and my boyfriend and I loved this place so much we went back a second time. We loved everything we tried. The server we had (same person both nights) was knowledgeable and helped us decide on what we'd like based on our preferred flavor profiles. This is definitely going to be a place I'll visit every time I go to Duluth. read more

The Rathskeller - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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Swung in for an after dinner drink on Thursday evening. We were just in town for the night and we're so glad to have found this place! It's an old speakeasy and definitely still has that vibe. They did a decent job decorating and it's trendy while leaning into the natural decor of being in an old (like 1800's building). The cocktails we had were great! We ordered a Last Word and Smoked bourbon cocktail. The bartenders knew what they were doing and were friendly and knowledgeable and the selection. It wasn't busy at all when we went (around 8pm on Thursday) just a few other tables and seating areas filled. Would definitely recommend to check this place out! I always love speakeasy's and cocktail bars and this is one of the better ones I've been to in the Midwest. read more

Excellent vibe and great drinks! Speakeasy thing going on here. Would definitely go back. read more

The Rathskeller - Atmosphere and decor. - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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Was looking forward to going here for weeks. We finally made it there last night and was immediately in awe of the interior and atmosphere. Drinks were very good, but a little overpriced for the area. Only complaint is that to get the drinks, you need to line up at bar. Okay, but then the bartenders need to keep aware of who has been there and take people somewhat in order. I had at least 7-8 people that were behind me go to the left side of bar. Once again, fine but the two bartenders on duty need to stay in their respective area not both go down to one end and take care of the newest arrivals. It did not ruin the experience but is some constructive criticism from someone with decades of bar, bartending and service experience. read more

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This place was cool! Neat history, good drinks, but just seemed to lack something. You walked in and after the good first impressions I was left going ok done that! It would be like a going out with a stripper and than hoping for a quality conversation! I digress.... I would go back again but not high on the list. Drinks were good, atmosphere nice but just missing the personality that takes it to the next level. You know like my stripper analogy. read more

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This place is cool. Real cool. Priced like you would think being that it is a Speakeasy. To get there you have to take an elevator down to -1 and immediately as the door opens you can see the old brick and arches. The story of the building is pretty cool as well being that it is the old town hall. The selection of whisky is large. Not a lot on tap but they had several local beers. read more

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Very cool and Interesting building. A local friend told me it used to be a prison. Don't like putting poor reviews so I'll just put, we stayed longer than we wanted to just because of the wait time on service. The two brunette Bartenders with impressive beards cannot multitask and speak to their customers. They tend to come off as sarcastic, rude and entitled. Wouldn't recommend. There are better drinks with far better service. read more

The ambiance of this place is really want makes it. I love the dim lit lighting and overall feel. read more

The Rathskeller - Person holding a drink. - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Service was horrible. Was not spoken to once the whole hour we were there. "Server" male with long hair purposely ignored my table and didn't look or check on us once. Came from out of town and was VERY disappointed with the service here. read more

Had a few good drinks, watched an obscure old movie (which was great), was very cozy. This is a fun little speakeasy, kind of looks like you're walking into a monastery where torture will ensue, thankfully craft cocktails and eclectic music dispell the gloom but keep the ambiance. Definitely worth a stop for a drink or two. read more

The Rathskeller - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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It was a little difficult to find the door to the bar. Drinks were nice and strong. We will be back.

Absolute must visit. Great variety of drinks. Awesome atmosphere. The only thing it was missing was a large fireplace!

This place has a really cool look and vibe to it, but service is terrible. After waiting at the bar for 10 minutes with no acknowledgment from the bartender, I decided to leave with no drink. The bar wasn't very busy, with only 4 other people sitting at the bar, but the bartender did not acknowledge me and simply say "hey, I'll be with you soon." Didn't really care to give them business if they didn't care to acknowledge me. My friends at the table did receive service, but when it came time to close out waitress was no where to be found, so they had to drop it off at the front. Bartenders make very little to no conversation with you. Just blah. read more

The place was in a cool location and the atmosphere was nice. Sat at a table and the waitress passed us multiple times and not once was I asked if I needed anything. I finally got up and went up to the bar and the bartenders just looked at me and didn't ask me if I wanted a drink or a menu. Terrible service. Would recommend to come here when it's not busy...so...never. read more

My favorite speakeasy! Down the stairs you go into a stone cave, lit up with candles and the smell of whiskey. Cool staff, one bartender was doing magic tricks which I didn't mind. Never had the food here, but the drinks are bomb!!! read more

Cabe's original hand crafted Smoked Maple Bourbon Manhattan is a must have. Imagine your favorite Bourbon with a hint of maple and smoke flavor. If Bourbon is not your thing, tell Cabe what you like and he will create your signature drink. He is one of a kind. read more

The Rathskeller - Cabe's original creation Smoked Maple Bourbon Manhattan is a must have. - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Amazing little hidden gem. Best Hemingway special we've ever had. Amazing atmosphere, comfy and private. Definitely will return.

I really liked this place! I might be wrong, but it seems like it's the only speakeasy in Duluth? Carries the town well anyways. It's underneath city hall with arched stone and old fashioned furniture. It's not super loud like the speakeasies I'm used to in the Twin Cities - you can speak at a normal level and here the person across from you just fine. Drinks are good (as you'd want). My friend got the Ginger Rogers and it was a treat! I don't remember what I got (something along the lines of Rum and Havana) but it was boozey and delicious. Drawbacks for me were that there only seemed to be one server yet the place was full and it was a Saturday night (she rocked it though) and the price of drinks in relation to their size. Ours were a teensy bit too small for what I'm comfortable paying $12 for but what do you? If you're from out of town or live here and are looking to spice up your night, this is a great place to start! read more

The Rathskeller - Main space - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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So I've been here a bunch of times. Currently Superior street is a disaster and the restaurant above Rathskeller has changed hands at least 5 times and currently an Asian place, but the bar has gone almost unchanged and I appreciate that. It's dark and dreamy with mixologist making tasty cocktails in a prohibition speak easy. A must try even thought it's a little on the hard side to find. Make your way into this swanky hide away and you won't be disappointed! read more

Sweet bar located in the basement of a building. It has a speakeasy vibe for location, looks and how to find it. The drinks are made with care and taste excellent. Service was great as was the music selection. Prices very reasonable for what you get. It was not very busy and that's a plus. Highly recommend out of all the bars I've visited in Duluth. read more

The Rathskeller - Bar area - Lounges Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Great setting, but the bartender seemed less than interested that we were there. The smoked bourbon cocktail was like drinking a campfire. Way too much smoke. We also ordered a dirty martini and no olive juice was added. read more