This place is awesome!! And the crab cakes are wonderful
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crab Cake
Jessie Broome
You can’t beat the vibes of The Velvet Hippo! The design itself will transport you to a jungle cocktail bar (or a cozy ski lodge in the winter!). Rooftop is stunning. The cocktails are always on point and the staff is incredible. Highly recommend for a date night or celebration and if you want to dance, go on the weekends and enjoy their DJs!! Order the spicy girl SZN and the cauliflower hummus. You won’t regret it.Vegetarian options: Lots of vegan/veggie options. Mushroom sliders and the elote dip are delicious!Parking: On weekends the lot and garage are free. Otherwise, it’s an hourly fee but it’s worth it because you’re right beside the bar. You can also find street parking on a week night anywhere downtown.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A Lewis
I absolutely love this place! The rooftop is amazing, offering stunning views and a great ambiance. The food is delicious and the drinks menu is extensive, with both cocktails and mocktails to choose from. However, my only gripe is that they charge the same price for a mocktail as they do for a cocktail, which seems a bit unfair considering there's no alcohol in the mocktail. Otherwise, it's a fantastic spot to hang out with friends or for a casual date night. Would definitely recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Neeral Patel
We went on a Saturday night and had a blast! Great music and cocktails, especially the espresso martini. It’s a very open space where you can choose to be on the dance floor, or hang out on the rooftop for a more relaxed atmosphere. I’ll be coming back here soon to try out other drinks as well as their food options.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Cameron Clark
The venue is really nice, but @jorden.the.dj kept throwing the vibe off with his “mixes”. We asked if we could request music, but he said, “the dance floor is full, so I’m good.”
Atmosphere: 1
Deanna Hardesty
This had been one of my favorite places to grab a drink for awhile, and I decided to have a party here to celebrate some milestones for a few people. It’s very clear that their events manager, Kirk, is passionate about helping people celebrate. Thanks so much to the entire Velvet Hippo team for a lovely day
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Emily Crum
Kid-friendliness: No changing tables
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
Martin (Marteen)
Dear Diary - first time trying this place during a work visit. As you find the entrance of the location, it looks like a shared office space. You walk up the flight of stairs and finally reach your destination. My first impression was, "this has a really good vibe to it". It wasn't crowded during my visit as I was there during the weekday, but I had a fantastic time, talking to wonderful mixologists/bartenders. I even tried the food menu and it was pretty good. They do have an opening to the roof area, however I did not venture out there to see myself. Overall, I enjoyed my time there and will definitely visit this again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jess Poot
The view at sunset was beautiful from the roof top! The flowers inside make the Velvet Hippo feel magical and welcoming the moment you walk in. Incredible customer service and delicious drinks! Leslie and Walker were the kindest and thanks to them, delicious Prosecco and the perfect atmosphere, I’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shannon Sunset
Amazing place and lots of fun. It's really hard to locate as the sign and lettering are not very bold.
Beer so small makes me feel like a giant. Love a roof top bar just don’t get sad!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adam Franks
This place is awesome! Very friendly to everyone, even smokers! Try to chefs kiss cocktail and you will not be disappointed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adam Atashi
The Velvet Hippo is a vibe in itself! I first went months ago and I haven’t stopped coming back! I love this spot and highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t yet! It’s spacious with an amazing outdoor area overlooking downtown Durham. The decor is incredible and one of a kind which only increases the welcoming yet groovy atmosphere! The drinks are always well thought out and balanced and the food is always delicious! Having said all that one of the biggest reasons I keep coming back to this rad women owned spot is it’s staff! They are all amazing! Especially Sarah! No matter how long my week might have been I know I can always come and immediately be cheered up by her infectious personality and friendly demeanor! She always has a smile on her face and never fails to entertain! Not to mention her A-plus skills behind the bar. She is one of my fav bartenders in the triangle! So do yourself a favor and put the Velvet Hippo on your itinerary for a night out in Durham! You won’t regret it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
James Kempski Your Triangle REALTOR 919-308-7597
Great drinks and small food bites.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
maria t.
Mixed feelings: When my friend told me that there is a bar in Durham which is not your typical sports bar (screens everywhere, lacking character and style, smell of beer), I was thrilled to try it! The bar didn't disappoint! Well though indoors and outdoors space that reminds you bars in more metropolitan cities. Also, they have special offers each day and Monday was 50% off wine bottles which is an amazing deal even though their wine list is not very extensive. I liked the fact that that had some imported wines from countries like Greece and Italy. HOWEVER, the bartender who served us was unfriendly and rude. She didn't seem to like her job or people in general. I would like to believe that she was just having a bad day. Also, although the small food menu seemed interesting, we weren't excited with what we tried. We will go back because it is a truly nice bar in the heart of Durham.
This place is awesome!! And the crab cakes are wonderful
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crab Cake
You can’t beat the vibes of The Velvet Hippo! The design itself will transport you to a jungle cocktail bar (or a cozy ski lodge in the winter!). Rooftop is stunning. The cocktails are always on point and the staff is incredible. Highly recommend for a date night or celebration and if you want to dance, go on the weekends and enjoy their DJs!! Order the spicy girl SZN and the cauliflower hummus. You won’t regret it.Vegetarian options: Lots of vegan/veggie options. Mushroom sliders and the elote dip are delicious!Parking: On weekends the lot and garage are free. Otherwise, it’s an hourly fee but it’s worth it because you’re right beside the bar. You can also find street parking on a week night anywhere downtown.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I absolutely love this place! The rooftop is amazing, offering stunning views and a great ambiance. The food is delicious and the drinks menu is extensive, with both cocktails and mocktails to choose from. However, my only gripe is that they charge the same price for a mocktail as they do for a cocktail, which seems a bit unfair considering there's no alcohol in the mocktail. Otherwise, it's a fantastic spot to hang out with friends or for a casual date night. Would definitely recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We went on a Saturday night and had a blast! Great music and cocktails, especially the espresso martini. It’s a very open space where you can choose to be on the dance floor, or hang out on the rooftop for a more relaxed atmosphere. I’ll be coming back here soon to try out other drinks as well as their food options.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
The venue is really nice, but @jorden.the.dj kept throwing the vibe off with his “mixes”. We asked if we could request music, but he said, “the dance floor is full, so I’m good.”
Atmosphere: 1
This had been one of my favorite places to grab a drink for awhile, and I decided to have a party here to celebrate some milestones for a few people. It’s very clear that their events manager, Kirk, is passionate about helping people celebrate. Thanks so much to the entire Velvet Hippo team for a lovely day
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kid-friendliness: No changing tables
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
Dear Diary - first time trying this place during a work visit. As you find the entrance of the location, it looks like a shared office space. You walk up the flight of stairs and finally reach your destination. My first impression was, "this has a really good vibe to it". It wasn't crowded during my visit as I was there during the weekday, but I had a fantastic time, talking to wonderful mixologists/bartenders. I even tried the food menu and it was pretty good. They do have an opening to the roof area, however I did not venture out there to see myself. Overall, I enjoyed my time there and will definitely visit this again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
The view at sunset was beautiful from the roof top! The flowers inside make the Velvet Hippo feel magical and welcoming the moment you walk in. Incredible customer service and delicious drinks! Leslie and Walker were the kindest and thanks to them, delicious Prosecco and the perfect atmosphere, I’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing place and lots of fun. It's really hard to locate as the sign and lettering are not very bold.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Elite Dip, Crab Cake
Restaurantji Recommends
Beer so small makes me feel like a giant. Love a roof top bar just don’t get sad!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is awesome! Very friendly to everyone, even smokers! Try to chefs kiss cocktail and you will not be disappointed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Velvet Hippo is a vibe in itself! I first went months ago and I haven’t stopped coming back! I love this spot and highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t yet! It’s spacious with an amazing outdoor area overlooking downtown Durham. The decor is incredible and one of a kind which only increases the welcoming yet groovy atmosphere! The drinks are always well thought out and balanced and the food is always delicious! Having said all that one of the biggest reasons I keep coming back to this rad women owned spot is it’s staff! They are all amazing! Especially Sarah! No matter how long my week might have been I know I can always come and immediately be cheered up by her infectious personality and friendly demeanor! She always has a smile on her face and never fails to entertain! Not to mention her A-plus skills behind the bar. She is one of my fav bartenders in the triangle! So do yourself a favor and put the Velvet Hippo on your itinerary for a night out in Durham! You won’t regret it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great drinks and small food bites.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mixed feelings: When my friend told me that there is a bar in Durham which is not your typical sports bar (screens everywhere, lacking character and style, smell of beer), I was thrilled to try it! The bar didn't disappoint! Well though indoors and outdoors space that reminds you bars in more metropolitan cities. Also, they have special offers each day and Monday was 50% off wine bottles which is an amazing deal even though their wine list is not very extensive. I liked the fact that that had some imported wines from countries like Greece and Italy. HOWEVER, the bartender who served us was unfriendly and rude. She didn't seem to like her job or people in general. I would like to believe that she was just having a bad day. Also, although the small food menu seemed interesting, we weren't excited with what we tried. We will go back because it is a truly nice bar in the heart of Durham.