Neptune's can have some very different feels depending on the time of day (or specifically day) you hit it. Located in the basement of King's, you'll quite possibly stand in a line on a Friday or Saturday night to get into the bar turned 'hipster dance club' (and possibly pay a $2 "membership fee"). This place gets popping late night, I've seen people twerking on the walls, it was a memory that has been seared into my minds eye. Two single stalled bathrooms might leave you running for the door if you have to go after all the dranks, which they've got you covered on: draft beers (about five on tap) and have a decent cocktail list (they also serve up a tasty michelada). Neptune's website will help you find a list of their cocktails and daily specials (Sunday's and Monday's: $1 PBRs, $3 Fireball Shots; it's going down for real!) but don't be fooled by the photos. This place is dark, even in off hours it's a very dark, basement feel. Overall, Neptune's definitely puts on an interesting calendar (including open mic nights and live DJ's) and depending on your level of hispterness and tipsiness, they can definitely turn your evening upside down. Pro Tip: if you got to get out fast, go through the staff only door on the bathroom wall, it'll lead you to a staircase putting you back out on Martin (and you can always play off that you were too tipsy to know any better if someone catches you). read more

King's and Neptune's are such fun places :) you can go downstairs and dance your little heart out, or you can go upstairs and jam out to whatever band they have that night. Neptune's was much busier than King's when we went 2 weeks ago, but they were SO fun!! Not sure how we ended up here after First Friday, but I don't regret it at all :D Neptune's was hot, because there were about 100 people dancing their asses off. The house DJ was really good! The bar was a little slow but it was ok, the people all went with the flow and it was a great night! read more

$10 cover for mixed drinks with no booze and a 15 minute bathroom line. Should've stayed closed

Always commendable service when I go to Neptune's. We went on a less than busy day this week and enjoyed our time. We were able to sip on a tasty beer, conversate with the bartender and each other as well as play a few games on their multicade. Parking was not bad, but it is street parking in downtown Raleigh so be ware. Fun place with cool lights !! read more

Neptune's Parlour - a woman standing under a ceiling covered in red lights - Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I dig Neptune's MAYYJAHHLY! I think it's a great addition to the Raleigh night scene, esp. to counterbalance the completely pretentious recent openings of Mirage & Still Life. The crowd is the type that likes skinny jeans on men & women & V-neck short-sleeves on men. I would say they are the hipsters of the Triangle, but not the same breed as hipsters of Toronto/Vancouver. It's in the basement, I think there's a cover or a membership fee? Nothing that will make you go "WTF, you know we're in RALEIGH, right?!!" Space is limited, there is seating all along the wall w/ tables to chill @ (usually taken up by 10pm). There's a bar that is often crowded. WARNING: Only 1 bathroom per gender!!! I've never seen a line build up outside the men's room like the way it did @ Neptune's! The dancefloor is decent sized, the DJ has an elevated booth area & played cool retro mixes (from my pre-fetus days), the crowd is at first very shy about dancing. But they won't gawk at you if you dance and once they get a few drinks in them, the dancefloor was packed by 1am. Good stuff, will repeat for sure! read more

Neptune's is subterranean -- dark, low-lit, and cool. I'm a sucker for this kind of ambience, hence the 4-star rating. I came for the dancing, but 10:30 is a little early for that in Raleigh on a Saturday. Though there was plenty of standing room, all the seats were taken, mainly by post-hipster yuppies like myself. Bartenders were friendly; the beer and liquor selection was decent. The place does fill up quickly though come serious-drinkin' time. read more

You know that one grimy bar with really sticky floors, cheap drinks, creepers, drunk chicks using the men's bathroom because the women's bathroom is constantly full and broken glass shards everywhere? That's Neptune's Parlour. However, despite all of that, they always have the best music and the most interesting crowd (if you can overlook the bros and drunk chicks). If you're looking to get trashed and just have a good time, then Neptune's is the place to be. If you're looking for any and everything else, LOL don't come here. read more

"Bacchus hath drowned more men than Neptune." - Thomas Fuller Neatly tucked away under Kings Barcade is Neptunes Parlour, another one of these Speakeasy, subterranean bars. Downtown Raleigh seem to have a lot of them lately. Besides the standard draft/bottle beer selection, undoubtedly Neptunes also carries a fine selection of well made cocktails with a focus on fresh ingredients and flavors. The drink/cocktail specials "change with the weather, using local ingredients when they're at their best in delicious, fun and affordable libations," as indicated by the proprietor. I just recently tried the "Apricot Royale," which has Pisco, lime, pecan "Orgeat", gomme syrup, egg white, apricot brandy, black walnut & Angostura bitters, brandied dried apricot. It's funny they use "Parlour," of old French origins 'parleor,' or "to speak." It's the same thing I kept wondering about these kind of bars: If it's SPEAKEASY, why is it always so HARD to SPEAK even to the person next to you, over the DJ/live music (but 90% of time it's actually from Pandora/Spotify on one of the bartenders' iPhone/iPod?) But I digress. Neptunes also has some pretty swag classic arcade games and pinball machine. I set the top score on Pac-man just last week! The crowd here is... peculiar. On most nights, especially if there are live performance upstairs in Kings, you will find large crowd here before and after the show, and they will be very HIP in nature, (I wasn't allowed to use the word anymore, the word that starts with 'H' and rhymes with "Ipster.") But one Tuesday night I stopped by here with a friend, and there was no more than a handful of people sitting at the bar, a DJ spinning some pretty lively tracks, and one lone dude, breaking his dance away. Oh yea! we are talking all the all school moves: the sweep, the heli, even timed his pose perfectly at the end of "Sandstorm." read more

Soooooo, this review may be a month late, but here ya go. Neptune's is where anyone who loves to dance can get down with his or her bad self. It's a place of contradictions and surprises. When I walked in, I immediately expected lots of house music, maybe a little emo thrown in there (why hasn't anyone made club remixes of Dashboard Confessional yet?), but was very wrong. And luckily it was good to be wrong in that situation. We danced to everything from Jay-Z and Beyonce to the Temptations and the Bee Gees. It was fun because we never knew what decade we were going to end up in with the next song. The person who made my night: the man with the squeaky shoes. I don't know if you're out there, but you, your dancing, and your noisy black Converses are absolutely hysterical. read more

An addendum: I had a hangover-relieving bloody Mary there recently that kind of changed my life. Fresh tomato juice, and a mix of spices and seasonings that clearly includes crack. And homemade pickled onion. Pickled onion! A. Maze. Ing. read more

I have a crush on Neptune's parlour. From from the literal "dive" down to its subterranean reaches, to its eclectic assortment of hanging lantern lights, to its fancy cocktail menu, this place does it for me. I was in the mood for one of these fancy drinks, and luckily, my husband knew how to get there. There's something a little speakeasy-ish about the entrance, and I must say, on my own I would have passed it by. As a part of King's Barcade, it's well situated in downtown Raleigh for pre- or post- dinner drinks at Capital Club 16, Sitti, Beasley's, etc. The vibe down there suggests that a some point during the week, this dark den may be filled with emaciated hipsters who are garnished with ironic, greasy mullets and wearing too small t-shirts. If that's true, it would make good people watching from the strategically placed stool perches, or better yet, the old school semi-circle booths by the DJ box. My husband opted for a beer, and commented that they have an interesting rotation of selections. Me? I had the apricot royale--a cocktail based on a pisco sour, which included a bourbon-soaked dried apricot garnish, black walnut bitters, and whipped egg whites ("boozy meringue", as I liked to call it.) Apricot as a cocktail flavor? Well, I never! But I should more often. And now I know where to get my boozy apricot meringue on whenever I like. read more

I'll admit that I'd be the last person heading to a club scene, but it was New Years Eve and the group demanded a sacrifice. We ended up walking amid the chaos of NYE and it was a pleasant stroll to the Parlour. Thankfully we ordered our tickets in advance and printed them out because the line started to stretch from people hoping to buy entrance at the door or snag their roll call. We were allowed cutsies for our smart pre-planning and were quickly ushered in. Initially we went down to the basement, looking to score drinks at the subterranean bar. Downstairs we found the place littered with bros, sloshed sororities and inebriated hipsters still in sunglasses. We weren't able to spot any free tables and quickly made a judgment call to head up top. Upstairs offered a surprisingly better scene, I loved seeing Statler and Waldof from the Muppet's mounted on the wall in their customary place, perch on the balcony. A wide variety of people decked out for New Years wandered around, dancing, drinking, and mingling. A live band was on stage with good music and helped count down to 2013. The bar had a great location to the back right with a very accessible horseshoe shape, making it ideal for service. They had a handful of bartenders slinging drinks so it wasn't too long of a wait. I got a couple of Dark & Stormies and they were textbook. When I threw a wild-card into the mix by ordering a half dozen PBR's, the bartender didn't bat an eye and cranked them out like a factory worker in ten seconds, popping tops with a domino effect. I enjoyed the atmosphere, respected the service and had a great time! read more

A chthonic, subterranean experience, but happily cooler than the poorly-air-conditioned King's upstairs. I didn't come here on a regular night--I flowed with the crowd from the PechaKucha night upstairs into the after-party at this locale. The music was loud, as can be expected, but the seating arrangements were comfortable and surprisingly conducive to just-audible conversations. No one was dancing on this particular night, so I can't comment on its efficacy as a dance club, but the bar seemed highly active and had a good beer selection (OK, I admit that I just got a PBR, but I'd already had two "quality" beers upstairs at King's). The mood was subdued, and probably because of the after-party nature of the event, people were more talkative and gregarious. I'll have to try coming here on a regular night, even though I dance like I have the epilepsy. read more

With the Demise of the best hipster bar in town - the Jackpot, Neptunes has emerged from the former site of the Alibi to fill the void. They do more than that - as they are the perfect blender for all types of folks. Their best nights are Sun-Thurs as Fri and Sat can get super packed with the out of towners but the place is SOLID any night. Excellent Beer Selections, Full Bar, great music and some of the best bartenders in the industry make this place a perfect place to while away the evenings/nights.... The door situation can be a bit of a problem - as i've had issues with one particular bozo but if he's not there, or you avoid him - its all good... This is a great bar - easily top three in Raleigh.... read more

Paid for a double titos vodka. Watched her pour about half an ounce of liquor into my drink. Crowded and expensive with no redeeming qualities read more

The clock is about to strike midnight and once again I find myself walking down the stairs to Neptune's. I have no idea why this always seems to be my late night spot oh wait I know because after a few cocktails while hanging out with your girlfriends all of a sudden everyone wants to dance WHAT?? Yup this is true it never fails the tipsiest of the groups first line is always "let's go dancing". So Neptune's it is! I wish I could say thanks for the awesome dance floor but really all I have the next day are regrets from drinking too much and bad memories of all those embarrassing moves I made on your dance floor. However I can't say I'm not enjoying myself while I'm there. This place can get crazy packed so I really don't frequent here if I'm just looking to chill and get a drink. It's hard to get a beverage on most weekend nights and sometimes the crowd is just too much for me. If your looking for more of a club and some rowdy folks then check it out and dance your ass off! read more

For every bar crawl, we always end up in Neptune. I'm pretty sure I have 3 neptune membership cards sitting around somewhere. Neptune plays good music, serves pretty good drinks for a above avg, but not ridiculous price. Recently, they changed their menu, and I wasn't impressed with their drink choices. The pear drink I got smelled like wet dog, and a drink my friend got smelled like herbal tea (at least to me). However, she passed her drinks around our table and people agreed on some sort of vomit, or bad beer. Anyway, I very much enjoyed their old menu. Not sure why they changed their menu. Maybe they should re-taste their drinks... They still get 4 stars because I know (hope) they will change their drink menu. Their bartenders are always very pleasant and nice. The music is great and it attracts a very diverse crowds. Geeks, chapel hill like hipsters, crunchy hipsters, jocks, gays, straights, blacks, asians and whites. All sorts. As a people watching lover, I appreciate. We also never fail to find seating which is important for girls in heels. The decor is also pretty rad. read more

Downstairs downtown cool, with all the atmosphere you'd expect from a basement location, Neptune's offers surprisingly classy cocktails along with underground charm. I've only been for drinks and no other events, so I can't speak to its functionality as anything other than a bar, but it certainly does that well! The last time I went I had a cocktail accented with figs and herbs that was so good it made me forget how much I don't like gin (though sadly, its lack of agreement with me was remembered later that night!), and the laid-back vibe went well with the cool-but-still-bands-I-know music. Hipstery? A little; not to the point where you can't turn around without hitting a pair of unflattering glasses or ironic facial hair, but enough that I think I might be a little overwhelmed on a packed night. Speaking of crowds, given the layout, ceiling level and interior materials, I'd also bet that the noise level on a busy night would likely leave my slightly hearing-impaired self depending on texts to be part of the conversation. I'll probably stick to Foundation overall for my subterranean imbibing needs, but if a visit to Neptune's came a-knocking I wouldn't turn it down! read more

I very much enjoyed my experience here, from what I remember... It's a really cool, chill, 70's feeling hole-in-the-wall bar. I felt like I had been rewinded to the days of the 8-track and wondered why everyone wasn't in a leisure suit (though I think some were). They have very creative drinks, and other very affordable ones. I really look forward to returning here. I think I will become a regular here. The only thing I worry, is that it might become a little too hipster-ish. I think it's just a...groovy...kind of place and it's a lot of fun! GO! read more

You'll have one of two experiences at Neptune's: a jam-packed hipster dance club, or a chill hipster cocktail lounge. The former is fun, if you're in the right mood and willing to wait for a drink. On occasion, I've had free a free PBR can handed to me by strangers (or employees?). The line for the bathroom can get long, and it can get kinda smelly/sweaty near the dance floor. The cocktail lounge experience is probably the one that you should go here for. Neptune's has a seasonal cocktail menu with some of the best bartenders in the city. A long time ago, they introduced me to the michelada, which is essentially a beer drinker's bloody mary. They have board games available behind the counter, a couple arcade games, and one pinball. There is also usually ping pong on Sunday afternoon. Try getting a cockital before a show at King's or before dinner at Garland or Capital Club 16. Lately, I've noticed that Neptune's has been experimenting with live music. I'm looking forward to checking out a show there some day. Usually they just have a DJ. read more

Very fun, unique bar downtown. Lots of eclectic people. The music can be hit or miss but when it's good music it is amazing- fun new music and throwbacks! Big dance floor and pretty big bar as well. You have to pay a membership cover to get in so don't forget your card once you pay once. It also gets so hot down there it's crazy- you WILL sweat. read more

Neptune's is great for getting down with your bad self, drinking Tecate in recyclable aluminum vessels, low light and brick walls, taking breaks from pretentious bands upstairs at Kings, and watching preening hipsters pretend to be unconcerned with how they look. Highly recommend. Music is really hit or miss and bar service is slow, but you don't visit a dive bar for the great service. read more

Dropped into this spot for a few beers before heading down to the African American Cultural Festival and it was a great little spot im glad i found. as said by other reviews you have to go down this little alley way and through a door and down the steps and then boom the perfect hang out is right in your face. the place was kinda empty but the few people that were there were great company. and the bar tender was one of the coolest cat i have seen in a while. after slamming a beer or two and playing some old school NBA arcade games, we left with a since of having found one of the best kept secretes around. Rock on Neptune! read more

We had a freaking blast here. Clouds Brewing on tap and tequila all night. Danced our ass off until 2 in the morning. The top floor had country music (which we didn't go for) and the basement had hip-hop and dancing music. For being a basement, the temperature and smell wasn't bad at all. Usually basement bars are muggy but it was a decent temp all night. Definitely worth checking out after a pre-game at the house or other bars close by. read more

I have been frequenting Neptune's for a long time now and I have put up with a lot. I think I am almost to my breaking point, however. I visited there this past weekend (after Thanksgiving) and took with me 2 family members from California. I have a membership but, was told I could only bring in one person and the other would have to buy a membership to enter. I explained that they both live in California and it would be pointless for them to buy a membership however; the rude man at the door didn't think twice before telling me that I could either pay or leave. I was really upset by this because, like I said, I have continued to go back there time and time again even when the service was poor. I don't think I'll be making it back anytime soon. If you are looking for a chill place in downtown Raleigh to have a few drinks, I would look elsewhere. read more

So not my favorite place to dance in Raleigh but it's not bad. Neptune's is located in a basement beneath Garland and Kings. It's always dark and the decor fits nicely. They usually have pretty decent beer specials as well as other specialty drinks. They also have an old school TMNT video game to play. Every time I have gone with my friends (who love the place) I've been disappointed with the DJs. There are usually long pauses between songs or weird transitions. It can be difficult to dance to. I also wish there were more bathrooms but that can't be fixed in their small space. read more

My favorite bar in Raleigh! I go here way more than I should, but it's a place of comfort and I hope that never changes. The staff is always friendly, even on the weekends when the place is flooded with assholes. When there are 50+ people crowded around the bar and there are only 2 bartenders, you can't rationally expect a drink within a few minutes. Generally I go just for drinks. But lately I've realized how fun it is to dance here on the weekends, depending on the music being played and the crowd. Trivia night hosted by the Buchanan brothers the first Tuesday of every month is also something worth experiencing! I've never won, but maybe one day... read more

Let me admit that this is one of the best places for late-night dancing in Raleigh. But unless I've already had a few drinks and a bunch of friends convince me to stop by...I just won't be back (and it's a shame because I've had great experiences at King's and Garland). It's a lovely basement space below Garland and Kings off of Martin St. Beautiful fake wood bar and light fixtures. However, when the bar isn't in Friday and Saturday late-night mode, it's a wasted space, awkwardly laid out (so it can turn to dancing later), and playing a random assortment of bad music. The cocktails are cheaper than other cocktail bars, but stronger and not very good tasting (go with the $2 PBR or a $5 draft). And, the bartenders are downright rude and unfriendly. Once I stopped by for a drink alone on a weeknight after a show at Kings. My friends had headed out, and I wasn't quite ready to walk home. The place had about 10 people there. Sitting at the bar, I had to flag down someone to order and got ignored the rest of the night--not even an attempt to make small talk, ask me about my drink, etc. (I've been there on other nights, when the bartenders also ignore most of the customers and only talk to old pals or each other.) A friend left her purse on a hook under the bar on a Saturday night. When we came back to get her bag, everything was intact, but quite a large amount of cash was gone. The employee first smirked, then told her it was her fault for carrying so much cash around in the first place (how did he even know that it was a lot of cash stolen?). I understand that it was out fault for forgetting her bag (and we were thankful to find it), but laughing at her misfortune was really unnecessary. (And the afternoon was somewhat infuriating because their website said they opened at 3pm on Sunday, so we were stopping by every hour, and it was closed. Turns out they actually open at 7pm, despite what their website says.) Come here for late night dancing. Drink $2 PBR. Watch your stuff. Bring lots of friends so you can ignore the surly bartenders. If the bar was run differently, it could be such an awesome space--sadly it's the Boylan Bridge Brewpub of the city's cocktail bars. read more

Haven't been to the bar since 2014 and I wanted drinks for the nostalgia. Basically there is no knowledge of a Vegas bomb and if you're just trying to get fubar-ed order any drink because it's straight liquor with a splash of whatever mixer. I'm not saying the bar is bad, I'm just disappointed in the drinks. read more

Neptune's is one of my favorite Raleigh bars. Its pretty relaxed whenever I've been during the week, and has great dancing (without the creepy dance club feel) on the weekends. Not to mention AWESOME DJs! I love when I can go somewhere and dance to something besides Top 40s. Neptune's will play tons of throwbacks from earlier decades, and less popular hits (while occasionally throwing in a Top 40 track or 2). The main reason I wanted to review them is because of how cool they were when I accidentally left my tab open last weekend. I always pay in cash at bars because I'm HORRIBLE at remembering to close my tab, but I forgot to get cash Friday night. Anyways, I came back around when they opened (6pm) on Saturday with my head hung low and the bar tender was totally cool about it. They had already ran my card (with a 20% tip, which is totally fair) and just joked about it with me. If you're not as forgetful as I am, and have never forgotten to close your tab, know that this is an awesome reaction! I've gotten a lot of rude treatment for this at other bars, and sometimes they'll even charge you a fee for it. read more

Neptunes is easily the best bar in Raleigh. They have creative and delicious cocktails made with fresh seasonal ingredients as well as a diverse beer selection. The bartenders are fast, friendly and knowledgeable about the drinks they serve. They have the best music in town-- by far. The wood wall and vintage pinball machines are awesome. Yay Neptunes! read more

Neptunes is one of the best new places in Raleigh. They have an eclectic choice of beers, which my friends and I appreciate, and they aren't too expensive. Last time I was there it was really chill...the bartender was playing a bunch of old records. Good music and atmosphere. read more

Stopped in after dinner for a fernet-branca and a beer and it hit the spot. Nice dark basement bar and was pretty relaxed even though dancing breaks out. read more