Don't waste your time by coming here. Had family in from out of town to celebrate my father's birthday this past weekend and had dinner reservations downtown, so decided to stop in here for cocktails and give them a bit of the downtown vibe. Walked in at 6:30 Saturday evening with a party of 6. There was no hostess nor any sign about self-seating, so we walked up to the bartender to ask about seating, and he was a bit rude, but told us to sit wherever we wanted. We sat and waited for more than 20 minutes. As can be seen in the photos, the place was far from busy, with many empty tables. We finally left after receiving no service. This place is a gimmick for college kids, not a serious cocktail lounge, save your time and spend your money elsewhere. read more

Bernadette's Crystal Gardens - Empty tables on first floor. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Bartender Steve made the best lemon drop in the world!!!!!!! Trust me and the blackberry raspberry lemon drop as well. Killed it!!!!! The atmosphere was amazing. The stop you need to make in Knoxville. read more

Overall rating of 4/5 for at least 3 trips to date. Venue and vibe: definitely the strong suit here. Nice to have multiple floors and nice decor, really pops at night. Food and drink: we've snacked here and had drinks around with friends and most were pretty good; seemed pricey for any novelty cocktails Location and parking: market square rules apply, so best case are garages nearby Staff and service: has been hit or miss but the last two times have been just fine Cleanliness: venue inside looked great, outside needed some love the last time we were there but understandably with smoking allowed on the rooftop it can be tough to keep up with. read more

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Jamison is an amazing bartender. He is so attentive and has an amazing personality! The drinks he prepared were excellent (my boyfriend and i asked for custom-made ones), and the bar is just beautiful and serene. We will definitely be back! read more

My friend and I had a good time yesterday because of the DJ. They had us walk up the stairs (like 6 flights) to the rooftop when there was a perfectly good elevator that read "employee only" not being used. No bueno for costumers who are not used to walking at all. Ended up settling for beers because the drinks weren't that good. read more

FANTASTIC LOCATION!!!! This is a MUST stop on your next visit to downtown Knoxville Market Square! The decor is amazing! And the review about the bathroom mirror issue is COMPLETELY FALSE! I asked the bartender about the "hidden door" and she said it is in an area that is for office personnel only. If you come across a Hidden door, you have wondered where you were not allowed... Again, must come! Drinks are DELICIOUS!!! read more

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Brad is such a great bartender downstairs! Super friendly and learned that our favorite liquor was gin and made us special drinks accordingly Loved spending time with Brad! read more

Honestly Jamison was the best! The drinks were spot on! I mean I told him strong and shay told him sweet and he delivered! Thank you! Also if you need another bartender I'm your guy! read more

Beautiful ambiance! Glowing crystal bar and crystals around the booths! Their happy hour on Sunday's offers 4$ mimosas (of several different flavors) and 5$ bloody Mary's! Rainbow fries are served with a fun variety of sauces! Everything on the menu is vegetarian- lots of options from quesadillas to sliders! read more

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Amazing venue with great drink selections, incredible service, and an environment that is top-notch! Highly recommend! read more

Bernadette's Crystal Gardens - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Bridget is TOP NOTCH !!!! She made a custom cocktail for myself and my bestie called "The Bridgie" !! The best energy and personality. I can't say enough good things about this lady and this restaurant/bar !! Phenomenal service and vibes. read more

Bernadette's Crystal Gardens - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

My sister had just come to Bernadette's the night before with a friend and told me the next day that it looked like a place I'd really like. This is one of those tucked away, easily unnoticeable places since the entrance is just a door tucked between Scruffy City and Preservation Pub. When you walk in, there is a large purple crystal butterfly on the side of the wall--it's pretty eye catching and immediately you know you're in the right place. My sister and I went at 3:00-an odd time of day and a slow time for a Saturday but there were about two other groups of women there. We were greeted by the bartender as we took a booth. There are about 6-7 of these that are pretty spacious by easily fitting a group of 5-6 people and made comfy with pillows and low lighting. On the left is the bar with more seating there and a large corner booth for a little bit larger of a group. The two gender neutral bathrooms are at the back through the doors. They looked cleaned and well maintained. The bartender was very nice and took our drink order promptly. I ordered the lemon mimosa, partly because it sounded so lovely and partly because it was on special for $4 :) My sister ordered an espresso martini (it's not listed on a menu). My mimosa was as light and refreshing as I hoped it would be. My sister did not enjoy her martini though. It was super sweet and just didn't taste like the drink should. However, in the bartender's defense, the drink wasn't on the menu and she did say that she didn't have espresso and could only make it with an espresso flavor--so I think the drink wasn't her fault. My sister and I enjoyed our time there just lounging and chatting. I'm not sure what the vibe is like at night, but at least in the afternoon, it's a nice quiet place to sit and talk. read more

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I was unfortunately disappointed by this spot. I'll preface this by saying we were in town for Easter/spring recess weekend at the university, but being from an even smaller college town, I expected there to be more people out and about. We paid $10/person to get in the door to a space that was gorgeously decorated but entirely dead. The server downstairs was very friendly and made sure we were able to get drinks quickly before venturing upstairs, where we could hear very loud music and we were sure there was dancing. When we went upstairs and were surprised by how empty it was at 10 p.m. on a Saturday! There were maybe two small groups on the dance floor - 20-25 people, tops, including us - and they were mostly just standing in their own little circles. We stayed maybe less than an hour. It's a gorgeous space, but $10 cover is ridiculous when there's nothing going on inside. read more

Bernadette's Crystal Gardens - a pair of butterfly wings - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

One of the coolest, most unique bars that I've ever been to. Their specialty cocktails are great. I tried two, the Garnet and the Moonstone, and I enjoyed them both. This place has four floors, including a roof top bar and a dance floor with a DJ. There are beautiful crystals on display all through out the place. All our bartenders were excellent and the place is very clean. We paid a $5 cover to get in and this covered three different places that are all right next to each other (Preservation Pub and Scruffy City). This will be our new go-to place when we go out in downtown Knoxville. read more

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Bernadette's has 3 floors, with a different atmosphere on each. My favorite is the 1st floor which is beautifully decorated with gems, minerals, and accent lighting. The bar selection has options you don't normally find other places, and a few signature drinks to choose from. You can even get a glowing ice cube if you'd like! While the 1st floor has a chill atmosphere, the other floor have more of a dance/clubby feel. All in all, a great spot to stop along the square. read more

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*************************************************************** DO NOT GO HERE!!!! DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!!!! THE KITCHEN STAFF LITERALLY WALKED IN ON MY FRIEND WITH HER PANTS DOWN ON THE TOILET USING A HIDDEN DOOR IN THE BATHROOM MIRROR !!!!!! ************************************************************* There is a HIDDEN DOOR in the full length mirror in the women's second floor bathroom which leads to an office and secret passage way that can be opened by ANYONE from inside the secret room or via key fob from the bathroom sign outside the real door. I went here with a large group of friends to grab food and celebrate a birthday. We saw this bar and thought it would be fun to check out since its new, the drinks looked delicious, and the decor looked cool for photo ops. Before even ordering, the girls went to use the bathroom while the guys waited by the bar to order their drinks. At least two of us were in line and had used the bathroom before my friend was last to use the bathroom. When my friend whose privacy was violated told us about the incident, we asked the female staff but even they had no idea what we were talking about which is concerning, especially since the mirror has hinges on it (!) Once we were able to speak to Bernadette, she apologized and showed us inside the hidden door. It leads to her office and another open passageway + stair well. Supposedly the kitchen staff didn't know the establishment was open and using it as a shortcut to the kitchen. Granted we arrived around 5pm on a Friday, this explanation doesn't seem plausible as many of the kitchen staff had passed us while we were lingering in the hall waiting to use the bathroom and at the bar next to the kitchen as well as different groups people already eating and drinking on the roof. There is also a camera in front of the bathroom on the ceiling and a service elevator right next to the bathroom. If the kitchen staff need a shortcut to the kitchen, then why aren't they using the designated service elevator which is located literally right next to the women's bathroom!? As far as we know, it is NOT a double way mirror, just a piece of plywood on the back of the mirror, but this bar is new and you NEVER KNOW IF THEY WILL TURN IT INTO ONE! Please keep this in mind for other * SCRUFFY CITY * affiliated bars. Stay safe!!!! read more

A bit disappointing. I was so excited about this place opening. There was a lot of hype. Yes, the decor is interesting, loaded with colorful crystals and geodes. And the staff is awesome and dressed in cool chic attire. But, they haven't captured the cool, upscale lounge atmosphere I had hoped to see. This is basically the bar next door with a colorful makeover - and unfortunately the cigarette smoke from the bar next door makes its way into this place as well. Only 4 signature cocktails on the menu, and the 3 we tried were only fair at best. Lots of ice and tiny pours. Even a standard Old Fashioned was a miss. The beer selection is a lot of regular everyday brews. The tiny food selection is very basic bar food, such as standard French fries with some sauces, and sliders. Nothing elegant or creative. The neon lights were overdone, and the music was club dance, not lounge or chill. My neighbor just visited and had the same opinion. I really hope management will read these reviews and make this place what we all had hoped for - a cool cocktail lounge with a great vibe and creative cocktails. New places need time to work out the kinks, so I will certainly visit again. read more

Bernadette's Crystal Gardens - people in a dimly lit restaurant - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

It's uncomfortably warm within the place (to the point of stagnant air) and there was seemingly only one employee. Apparently there's a $10 minimum per person cover that you have to hit, which we were absolutely not ok with considering the short responses we got from the only employee there. My friend went up to use the women's restroom and the mirror in there was cracked open. It was A DOOR. In the women's restroom! That is so not ok! And not safe at all! Hidden door in the hall? Sure, I get it. But in the bathroom?? We left immediately. That was way too sketchy. The menu was.. lacking. So we didn't miss much by dipping. Unbelievable. read more

My mom came here two years ago and had a great experience. There was a bar, crystal shop, and a shaman in the basement. Today (5/23/2024 at 5:30) after a 20 hour drive my friend and I went in hoping for the same experience, and were greatly disappointed. We asked the lady at the bar about the shop my mom had seen and got a "you interrupted my conversation", snotty, dismissive response from her. She told us there wasn't one and that they were only themed after crystals (despite my mom knowing otherwise) and wouldn't even clarify if there WAS a shop or anything like it in the past. She was so rude we didn't even bother asking follow up questions. Based on the vibes my friend and I got, I wouldn't put it past them that they just wanted us out of there. read more

My friend wanted to come here because she thought it looked cool and 5 of us were visiting from Chicago so I said ok that's fine. We had a group of 6 people and were hungry so we thought we would get some appetizers and drinks. Apparently there are 3 floors, but my boyfriend and I had only seen the first and second floor. The photo book on the first floor was pretty cool and the butterfly wings on the wall. We all decided to hangout on the second floor and my boyfriend ordered some Kombucha. The Kombucha was actually really good. I had to go to the bathroom so I just used the second floor bathroom (it's a one person bathroom) right next to the elevator, that my two friends had used before me. I locked the door and everything was fine, until a guy in a blue shirt (who works there) came through the mirror that was right next to the door while I was peeing. He said 'Oh sorry' and closed it. I was so freaked out, told my friends and boyfriend, and they wanted to see for themselves/talk to the owner about it. Bernadette showed us that the mirror in the bathroom is a door that swings open and leads to her office. Obviously the staff have a lot of floors they need to go up and down - so they use it as a shortcut. I understand the logic of it, but it's definitely not ok to keep doing that during business hours when there are customers there. It locks from inside the office and is just a big mirror to anyone who is inside the women's bathroom. Even if a woman staff member was using the bathroom themselves, that would still be uncomfortable for anyone to just be able to come in that way, even though the main door is locked. My one friend told one of the staff members about it and she had no idea about it. If it were in a men's bathroom, it would be one thing, guys wouldn't care. It is violating for a guy to be able to just walk into the bathroom of a place that's supposed to be running a professional business. Any staff or anyone that comes to visit be warned that the mirror in the women's bathroom on the 2nd floor actually is a door. I don't live in Knoxville, was only visiting a friend there, but definitely won't be back. I was freaked out and not myself for the rest of the night, just an experience I did not want to have. We hadn't even ordered any food before this happened, which is partly why we went there so we just left and went somewhere else nearby. read more

Bernadette's Crystal Gardens - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Their rooftop on a breezy day is wonderful. The specialty drinks are a little pricey, but delicious. Appetizers were really good. Service was top notch the night I went. read more

Great drinks, service, music and and awesome vibes. Great mimosas, slides and a happy environment full on positive energy. I love it!

A friend and I decided to try this place simply because the decor was beautiful! Once we were seated at the bar, the bartender was attentive. She told us how the owner designed the bar herself. Cocktails were so good, not overpowering with just the right amount of sweet & tipsy. read more

This was my first time here, but will not be my last. A girlfriend and I were in town for the weekend and Bernadette's was recommended to us. So glad we went. Service- awesome, food- very good, atmosphere- beyond, just beyond!! We are both jewelry makers and this place was really a great visual treat. Highly recommended. read more

The previous only review for burnadettes crystal gardens hits the nail right on the head. Tons of hype, absolutely no delivery when it comes to the menu which is exclusively tater tots. The owners of the bar have banned hip hop and house music from being played in the establishment because it "attracts the wrong crowd". Seems violently racist and elitist to me but who knows. If this bar manages to not close in trail of Rita's ice and tomato head's Space Head, i would be really shocked! read more

Fantastic atmosphere and creative cocktails. The crystals alone are something to behold.

This place looks like it would be awesome simply for the decor but the vibes were not right. My girls and I paid a 10$ cover just to be disappointed, drinks have fun names but weren't great, they were ok. Went upstairs because that's were the club/dance floor is. No one danced because the music the DJ decided to be blasting was more suited for a game room. The people sitting at the bar didn't look happy, everyone kept talking about the music that was playing and my girls and I took that as we need to get out of here. The ambiance the decor, fun gives this place a chic and almost high brow lounge my friend even said it looks magical but it didn't feel that way. It was awkward and it felt cheap. read more

We went here for dinner. The delay in getting our food was over an hour....for pizza and sliders. Ridiculous. And after driving for 12 hours across that day, the last thing we needed was this incredibly horrible service. read more

I had built up high expectations of Bernadette's Crystal Gardens and was a bit disappointed. The decor is fine, but not as exquisite as I had been led to hope. The drinks are high priced, and the appetizers are so so. I'm glad I went but won't be going again. read more