50 Best Cocktail Bars in Kansas City

“Merci was pleasant and knowledgeable. Great job!“

“I am soo glad Nicole, the owner of the City Market Coffee House has decided to share her recipes with the rest of us! The breakfast/lunch menu was full of the no fuss kind of meals you could make at home, but she makes them much better. Not over priced huge mounds of food, but delicious, reasonable priced items with wholesome ingredients. (And the bloody Mary's are a meal in themselves ;-)“

“Lots to like about this place. It’s a beautiful space with great service and drinks, and easy parking. Highly recommend — especially when they have live music, which is often. Adrian Bartholomew is our favorite!“

“Great experience! Welcoming to all!!“

“Fantastic Service and Amazing BBQ!! We got Pulled Pork, Brisket, beans and coleslaw. All of it was fantastic, 10 out of 10 recommend 😋“

“This lounge is moody and eclectic. The vibes are always present every time I step in. The staff in its absolute entirety is TOPNOTCH. You can see the amount of detail that went into the entire process from the staff, the interior, the drink menu, the music. Everything in this bar feels as though it was handpicked. The long ways cocktail is hands down the BEST drink I’ve ever had when I want something that packs a punch but is absolutely delicious from beginning to end.“

“Beautiful music and perfect ambiance! Will definitely come again.“

“Was really good! Some of the best cocktails I've ever had. Came in during Sunday happy hour after 4 and was told all cocktails are $2 off, however got charged full price for one of hours. Bartender was too busy to ask about it after we got the itemized receipt. Overall, delicious. Just wish we would have gotten the full special.“

“I came from Colorado and was introduced to cliffs taphouse, I got a chicken bacon club sandwich. This was the best sandwich I have ever had! After eating at this restaurant my only complaints are that we don’t have it in Colorado ☹. every day after eating this sandwich I have dreamed of eating another. If your ever in Kansas City and you don’t visit this restaurant you are making a HUGE mistake.“

“The owner is so friendly, the drinks are sooooo good. Fun atmosphere, come check it out!! Great girls funday spot!!“

“the staff and meal were amazing“

“This may be the best place in KC. With a stunning space and an unpretentious staff, you feel welcome the moment you step in the door. We went last night to watch the USA game and appreciated the comfortable vibe. While it's no surprise the cocktails are great (the el mundo is perfect and the frozen hibiscus drink whose name I can't remember is off-the-charts good), I was also pleased to see some solid food offerings. We stuck with simple options: the guacamole and chips and salsa. They offer a hot, smokey salsa - admittedly not usually a salsa flavor profile I find most places can stick the landing for and I was very impressed. Can't wait to get back and try the rest of the menu and enjoy the warm hospitality.“

“Great food, better staff, good prices and AWESOME food!! Drinks are really unique too!!“

“Walking into what looks from the outside to be a tiny, intimate place, the expectation was high. Dark interior is elegant and the drink and food menu seemed quite good. That is until the food arrived. While salad was very good with fresh ingredients, everything else, from spaghetti with meatballs, deviled eggs, to calamari, they were with overcooked, lacked flavor, or simply wrong. Pasta should be more al dente while meatballs should be, well, meatballs instead of weirdly shaped salty ground beef. Deviled eggs shouldn’t taste chalky (that said, it was better as a cold leftover). And calamari would’ve been a better dish as grilled, not deep fried fast food. Given its excellent service and classy ambiance, let’s hope they figure out how to enhance their food situation.“

“This is such a charming bar. The decor, the lighting, the menu…loved it all! We came on a Friday around 4:30 for happy hour and were seated immediately. The service was wonderful and the menu was creative without being too obscure. Looking forward to coming back!“

“FABULOUS ALL THE TIME. Food drinks people are ALL AMAZING. If you know you KNOW if you don’t know you just have to EXPERIENCE IT YOURSELF.“

“This! Place a real good feel, it's the kind of comfy you-WE need!!“

“Lonnie (and his band) had an amazing performance. We loved the jazz music. Lonnie is super up-beat and engaging with the audience.

A great place to have a delicious dinner and listen to Jazz. Also a great place to celebrate!

I can’t wait to go back!“

“My boyfriend and I visited for our anniversary. our service was phenomenal, cocktails tasty, and the was in our top favorite meals we have ever eaten! He had the Pork Chop and I had Prime Rib! Very Good!!“

“Love it! Great atmosphere, very friendly staff!“

“This is by far one of the best dive bars around! Well worth it and everyone is friendly and fun!“

“I like Grinders but the description of the “preferred viewing upgrade” was completely misleading! It was crazy hot so we got it strictly for the A/C Not anywhere near the stage and could barely hear the music when we went to get a beverage at the coffee shop (which is the a/c “lounge “) And the view was of the side of the stage and could barely see any of the performers. I will never pay for that upgrade ever again. Someone definitely needs to update the info on their ticket and venue site.“

“Great atmosphere and tour! Whiskey was great! A very good time! Highly recommend!“

“Great music!!! I was there Friday night and the community atmosphere was electric!“

“Grace Jeffries was amazing and very fun! Thank you Grace! Digging the mullet! 😜“

“AMAZING Staff, Great DJ Entertainment & A Very Grown & Sexy Classy Environment!“

“what can you say ...those dranks!!“

“Flo’s is an institution of Waldo. Gotta come here and join the family.“

“We hosted our cocktail hour for our wedding at The Kill Devil Club while we had our ceremony and reception at The Gallery and it was SO FUN!!! It was the perfect spot for our guests to go while the ballroom was being transitioned into our reception! I would highly recommend Kill Devil to anyone having their wedding at The Gallery Event Space!!!“

“I love this spot! the drinks are made with so much thought behind them. lovely atmosphere. great music.“

“Went to Cheval on a Tuesday late afternoon. Beautiful place for a cocktail. Gorgeous gothic look with antique wooden bar and circular conversational tables. Many drink options to choose from. Not sure if they provide food. It was February so we were a bit cold in the corner near the windows. Bartender was okay. Made good drinks but not 100% menu knowledgeable or friendly. Needs to work on his presentation of the cocktail and not pull old wrinkled napkins out of his apron. We enjoyed experiencing something different in KC.“

“My friends and I went to the Hey, Hey Club to do some celebrating!! Our waitress was phenomenal! Thank you for a great night!“

“My favorite Pop Up Bar! Maxwell & Thomas are Great“

“Absolutely one of the best SOCCER ( futbol) venues in the country as they have hosted the EPL's supporters club of Newcastle United. Great TV's, great food, great drinks, great service and a loyal following. TOON ARMY !!!“

“Amazing food and great atmosphere!!“

“This was a great choose for a small relaxed family dinner. 4 stars for food, only because some meal portions were smaller than desired for the price however hats off to the cook the evening of 07/11/26; the flavor and presentation was perfect. 3 stars for service just because our hostess could have been more welcoming; personable and informative about the menu offerings etc, maybe she's just not the talking type who knows but everything else about the visit here was much enjoyed.“

“Daiquiri’s & chicken wings!!😍❤️❤️“

“Have an absolutely lovely time every time we come here. Seriously impressive drinks and very friendly staff in an absolutely beautiful space.“

“Great tacos on Thursday and very friendly staff!!“

“Five stars because I love this bar and it’s my go-to dive bar. I will say this though because I’d never want to ruin a star rating but I feel strongly about saying that the bartender working on Memorial Day evening around 8:45 reflects the opposite of what hospitality should be. I asked for a Negroni (a three ingredient, equal part drink) and the bartender laughed and said you aren’t a cocktail bar. Of course and that’s why I love Chez, but I thought I’d ask. The bartender didn’t even look up at me, zero eye contact for me and the other two members of my party. It would’ve been so simple to kindly suggest another option or at least smile, but it felt so extremely unapproachable and unkind. I’m very familiar with the bar scene in Kansas City and frequent chez Charlie, but was disappointed in the complete lack of warmth or friendliness. Genuinely impacted my night in a negative way and that just stinks! Let’s just be nice to one another.“

“Patrick's is a great neighborhood bar. Everyone is friendly, the atmosphere is warm and inviting, music is great, lots of tvs to watch sports, an outside porch and great snacks. I always have a great time when I go! My favorite bartender is Jennifer!“

“By far my favorite little lounge in KC. It’s just a short 5 minute walk from my apartment so the convenience is there. I love the retro aesthetic mixed with modern design, and when there’s a DJ it adds even more to the experience. My drinks are always great and the customer service is attentive and friendly. The little burger truck outside, Disco Burger, is sic a fun and amazing addition on those tipsy nights you’re craving a good burger. My friends and I LOVE Varisty Club, and our favorite bartender is Caleb. He’s always so nice and efficient with us. Such a vibe. I would give 10 stars if I could.“

“Only been there once but had a great experience. Went on a Friday night. Staff was friendly and professional. Lots of open space that quickly filled with tons of happy, interesting people. Bathrooms were clean. Drinks were just as ordered and made quickly. Will visit again!“

“Great Place to enjoy drinks“

“Fish and chips were amazing!“

“Kudos to you for your courageous stand during the pandemic. I know that cowardly Corey Owens, whose business is PaintingSolutionsSKC, a painting company with what he and his wife think is a “clever” logo featuring two intertwined Nazi swastikas, left you a bad review for requiring vaccination for your customers during that dangerous time and I just want to commend you and thank you for doing your part to protect fellow Americans. Stubby little Nazi coward Corey can’t even spell “riffraff” but I’m glad you made sure he knew he was a piece of it. You are not alone; crappy Corey is coming after my community too, focusing weirdly and troublingly on victimizing our children. Nazi Corey is both pathetic and dangerous and needs to be kept out of places where decent people go. Good luck and thank you again for your courage and strength.“

“Staff, dinner, wine, and ambiance were all amazing. Great NYE dinner! The scallops were cooked perfectly! Highly recommend to all!“

“Well priced, amazing tasting, craft cocktails!! I popped in on 10/4/2025, just before last call. So it was loud in there, but only because everyone seemed to be having a great time! The server and the bartender were very kind and gave fantastic service!“

“Very nice atmosphere, delicious wine, and they have Joe for a bartender! Who could ask for more? We’ll be back!“

“Great burgers and steak. The Spanish nachos and cheddar bread pudding were also hits. Good cocktails and beer list. Very reasonable price points“