50 Best Bars in Raleigh

“Reese is our favorite bartender. Always a great experience.“

“Great vibe! Mixologist Jefferson skillfully guided our craft cocktail selections. Impressive knowledge, real ingredients. At his recommendation we grabbed a couple of slices (authentic NY pizza) from Oakwood Pizza Box next door, that did not disappoint!“

“Was recommended to photograph a boudoir session here by two girlfriends who had stayed. And I loved it so much I booked my husband & myself the honeymoon suite for a romantic night away! This place is just magical and exquisite. The atmosphere was amazing, the staff was so accommodating and kind, and the cocktails at the cocktail bar were just divine. 10/10 recommend and I cannot wait to come back!“

“Best Moussaka in the area! But I noticed one of the waitresses has her very long hair down all the way to her waist. When she served food her hair was dangling in the way of serving. I was surprised that restaurant with very cleaned bathrooms would allow waitress to let loose her hair. Seems unsanitary.“

“Fabulous food, cocktails and atmosphere!“

“Beautiful restaurant great service huge variety of options. I had the best lobster mango sushi. My friend got the shrimp tacos, which were huge. We ended up sharing and another person in my party got a pepperoni pizza. There’s something for everyone here and it all taste delicious and the service is, absolutely the best“

“COMEDY & collabs w/ rad artists make this place so awesome!⚡️“

“Pasta me this, Pasta me that! this pasta focused restaurant is the place to go for an excellent pasta dinner in Raleigh.

The green and white checkered tile floor and the large pasta where all of their pasta is made fresh just scream authentic Italian. Although the menu has an awesome selection, the Tagliatelle is outstanding, and the fresh pasta is very refreshing.

Great food, great drinks and friendly staff, you just can't go wrong here. Cheers!“

“We went before a Hurricane’s game. Great to see all the ‘Canes fans. I also appreciated the discount parking for the game.“

“the best place in Raleigh and the bartender knows how to make drink“

“Excellent atmosphere and food. The chef knows how to hit the sweet spot of curated quality in a casual setting. The menu evolves with the season and keeps you intrigued even if you’re a regular. Happy Hour, Dinner, or late evening - you can’t miss.“

“Top notch brewery with a death theme.“

“Your food truck is parked in a handicap parking space!“

“Great beer and wine! Friendly ambiance.“

“Great vibe, friendly staff, nice game selection! Had an awesome time!!“

“Incredible food: can't decide if the pierogis and sides are the best or the desserts. Such a relaxing and fun atmosphere: you are able to mingle with friends while enjoying your meal at your own pace. Highly recommend for the menu selections (which are creative and delicious - try the smoked trout, mushroom and cheese pierogis, cheese spaetzle, peanut butter and banana pudding...!!) and atmosphere.“

“My favorite place in Raleigh! For a night out or any celebration! Live music for everyone!“

“One of the best live music venues in the Triangle. Consistently good bookings. And a record store above it!“

“Great bourbon selection including vintage whiskey. The craft cocktails are amazing! Beautiful and masculine decor!“

“Great neighborhood gathering place. Harding working staff that makes all feel welcome. A lot of beer to try and good recommendations from the staff and patrons.“

“Love coming to Pearl and Peril for the shot ski and the bartenders are awesome! Nick is the nicest and always recognizes us and says hi when we come in and the shot ski with the complementary Polaroid is our favorite part! Will always come here when we’re on Glenwood!“

“Last night was the first time I stepped into W&P. As soon as I walked through the door I thought…”what is this place and why haven’t I heard this before?!”. I looked around for my friends on the first level and couldn’t find them, then realized, “wait, there’s a downstairs?”. Walking downstairs it opened up to this cozy, eclectic, 70’s vibe lounge - think Mike Brady (The Brady Bunch) had a hidden bourbon/whiskey bar. The whole place pleasantly sucked me in. Joshua is a savant behind the bar when it comes to drinks…and his music choice was on point. Thank you W&P.“

“This is the first cigar lounge I’ve been to and we had a great time. It’s very laid back. The bartender was great and helped us pick the perfect cigar for newbies. Can’t remember the name but it had a smooth chocolate flavor. Drinks and cigars are reasonably priced.“

“Fun atmosphere with a wide range of patrons. Great spot for people watching and a wide variety of drinks. Recommend this spot for anyone looking for a quick drink. Will come here again!“

“This place is amazing. It’s like a speakeasy with a cool, loung-y area inside, winding hallways, and a torch-and-fire pit outside garden area with dim lit bars and chill cocktails. Great for friends, couples or a date. Highly recommend.“

“Attention to detail, quality and customer service. Outstanding place to relax and have a cold one.“

“We were in town for the weekend from Tampa and we came here twice! The staff was very friendly, and the beer was amazing! The Oktoberfest was on tap when we were here and it's one of the best I've had. Plenty of variety in their beer styles, and of the few we tried, each were well done. I would recommend stopping by and having a pint while you're in town.“

“Love HH and they always have a good vibe and great selection of craft beers!
Love how it feels like a great spot for the residents in the area too, but on trivia and event nights parking is very limited but that’s not a negative just a heads up!!“

“Great spot for drinks on the rooftop patio, everything we had was great!“

“Best Bar I’m downtown. Highly recommend!!!!!!“

“Will there be a Christmas party held this year“

“This bar has the best golf simulator in town, you rent it and have the room to yourself. Different surfaces for fairway, light rough, tall rough, green bunkers, fairway bunkers. The plate even shifts to simulate the angle of the course - really so much better than other golf sims I have used.As a bar, lots of great beers on tap, fun regulars, and the staff are all amazing.Only downside is the owner seems to think Lebron is better than MJ, but I guess nowhere is perfect.P.S. Contrary to the other review, I think there is the perfect amount of Marxism here.“

“Jason was wonderful. The beer was great, and the company was even better😝“

“I was surprised to find this bar located literally below street level, but once I walked through the doors it made sense. The moody lighting paired with neons, and the jazz-y painting paired with 80s synth pop music never should have all worked together, but it totally did. The staff was helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly, and went out of their way to accommodate us and our questions. And the drinks were delightful after a long day waking around. We loved this spot!“

“I love coming to this barcade and think it is one of the BEST arcade bars around. It has wonderful staff and interesting drinks. They are always getting new pinball machines and games here which makes each experience unique.

Parking: I would totally show well before 6pm as you might have to drive around a lot for parking otherwise. If you get there before 6pm you can usually get prime parking.“

“Went for the first time Saturday night planning to listen to music about an hour. We ended up staying over three hours, until the music stopped. Joe and Storm brought it, the energy was amazing and the staff so friendly. We will definitely be back with a crowd next time these two are performing.“

“Football at its best- and that is coming from an English man. Although the owner kev is a gooner fan but hey ho lol. Check it out.“

“Veggie sliders are amazing!“

“delicious😋 I recommend 10 out of 10!“

“This is one of the coziest scenes I have experienced here in North Carolina. I've lived here for aomost 5 years! The people and the vibe are extremely relaxed. Such a chill place with great beer( I am not a beer drinker bit I really like theirs!!!) They bring in great vendors for a variety of food on Thursdays and the service from the bartender, Gabz is super fun behind the bar. PS... bring your dog and kids! Totally family friendly! Great crowd!!“

“Live music 🎶, Great 🍺 🍹and the best Wings in Raleigh, hands down!!! You won’t be disappointed at this place! Come in during the week for some music 🎵 bingo or karaoke 🎤.“

“Great Green Bay packer bar!“

“This place is really great!
Went there on a weekday and it was mostly empty but then people started to come in and it was great, it has a rustic look to it which adds to the appeal.

Food was great, service was awesome(serving staff is super friendly) , people around were great.

Definitely a great restaurant to visit and have a good time with your family and friends!!!

Kid-friendliness: I took my 17 month old and he had a great time, they had good high chair , clean and servers were friendly and were trying to make him feel comfortable.“

“Awesome vibe for real, patrons were all friendly and amazing 👏“

“great place for a cocktail and an awesome craft beer“

“Great bar great atmosphere and staff! Defiantly a staple of any night out in dtr“

“Great place for a daytime drink regardless of season but especially nice for a snow day. The hot cider drink is quite lovely on a cold snowy evening.“

“Chill neighborhood dive bar with a pool table and a slide. Knowledgable staff. Highly recommend.“

“We LOVE the Mixx - It's our go to hangout on chill weekend ends and/or Wednesday nights after work. Their wine club is an excellent deal and has opened our pallet to new wines and regions we would not have purchased otherwise. If you have the chance, sign up for one of their private events they are phenomenal!“

“We got the pretzel burger and Mediterranean wrap with a couple beers. We were there for lunch and ate outside on their beautiful patio. Overall a great experience! The service was really good, everyone was so nice, and the food exceeded expectations. I would definitely recommend what we ate and appreciated that so many of the beers were local.

Parking: It’s in a shopping plaza. We went when it wasn’t busy (11am) so we were able to easily find parking right out front“