This place blue my mind…read more I was visiting my best friend while in town for a conference on amusement ride standards. We had a reservation for Blue Door for Saturday night, and it was amazing. Now while she was vaguely aware of their "spirited kingdom" menu, I had NO CLUE. It was the best surprise! They have such a cool menu with a full theme park map containing 4 lands with 4 cocktails each. The cocktails all match the type of ride they are, it's honestly such a cool idea, and it was so well done. I loved the art. I will say, I was skeptical that all of their drinks would actually work and worried that they'd be too caught up in the theme to make results but . . . Oh my goodness I was so impressed by the drinks here. I think a lot of bars these days can get so caught up in trying to be unique that their drinks become nearly undrinkable. This place definitely doesn't suffer there. They brought us an aperitif when we came in, but unfortunately I have a blueberry allergy so we skipped that. We had 4 drinks between the 2 of us and they were all awesome. I ordered the star breaker and the green dragon (what can I say, I love gin and a good coaster), and they were both balanced and tasty. My friend got the diablo and the neon shift, and they were both fantastic as well! The neon shift was served with a black light too which was super cute. The one drink I have to call out specifically is the green dragon. There was something about this drink that was so unique, I have genuinely never had anything like it but I would order it a thousand times over. It's so good. It keeps me up at night. It haunts my every bar order. I will be writing home about it. What else can I say about this place - the service was great, the atmosphere was fun, and the DJ was amazing. I thought "wow this guy really likes sax covers" only to look over and see him PLAYING HIS SAXOPHONE LIVE?? Iconic. This place was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing about it. The spirited kingdom menu will only be around for 6 months according to the waitress, so definitely catch it while it's there! If I'd heard about it sooner, I would've maybe descended upon them with 200+ theme park engineers in town for the conference (maybe it's a good thing I didn't know they were there until after it was over), but instead I will just say DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW

3.5/5 stars. Went back to Blue Door to give it another chance with the new menu... it's still my…read moreleast favorite cocktail bar in all of charlotte. The menu this time is theme park theme... again, a fun concept but not well executed. Pretty overwhelming, especially with the bartenders explaining the menu to us twice with the same spiel there is too much to look at it makes it difficult to pay attention to the drinks. I really did not love my drink (starbreaker?) you could only taste the lychee The bartenders not a vibe, it was not that comfortable to sit at the bar. They now serve food, hotdogs... which do NOT match the vibe at all, so that was interesting that their only food (other than the free popcorn) is not hot dogs..

This cool little speakeasy in South End is worth a visit any time of the year, but is especially…read morefun during the holidays, when it turns into a festive wonderland of cocktails and magic. Located behind the SoundBound taqueria on South Blvd., this small space comes alive between Thanksgiving and Christmas with fun decor, holiday-themed drinks and even indoor snow. On a recent visit, I enjoyed a delicious Snowball Old Fashioned while my wife sipped a rum-infused Yippee Ki Yay MotherF*****r! The menu also includes non-alcoholic cocktails and shots. In classic speakeasy fashion, you access the lounge by picking up a hallway phone and giving a 'secret' password that's available on the Backstage Instagram page. On our visit on an early weekend evening, the phone wasn't working and the freezer door leading to the lounge was already ajar. A bit disappointing, but nothing that took away from the overall experience. Service was great at the bar, and the lounge also has booths and tables for larger parties. Definitely one of the best speakeasies in Charlotte, and one of the most enjoyable pop-up holiday bars you'll find anywhere.

Stopped in to Backstage for the Christmas pop up and was not disappointed. It's Christmas overload…read morein the best way, if you're looking for something fun and kitschy. They have a Christmas drink menu, mostly sweet, but they also offered to make some minor modifications. I had the Koala LaLaLa, which was more tart with some apple and bitters. Probably not everyone's jam, but I loved it. All the bartenders were great-Star kept us laughing, and they moved quickly considering how busy the place got. I recommend going early to get a good spot to people watch. I plan to come back at least one more time during the holidays. 10/10!

Love this bar and the design. Great nod to the historic building in south end, shout out to the…read morestaff who work really hard with the heavy traffic of people on the weekends.

Fun, lively place…read more My friends and I were in town and wanted to have one last drink before we jetted out the next morning, so we ended up in trendy South End. First thing we noticed was how HUGE this place is. I feel like everywhere we turned, each section had its own vibe and its own designated bar. With the loud music, it was more loungey than anything and the crowd was on the much younger side. Canopy seems to be the go-to place in the South End. We did not encounter this kind of lines or crowds anywhere else in the area. Ordered a grapefruity drink (Our Flowerchild) off the menu and it was pretty good. Price was alright - definitely cheaper than what I'd pay in NYC (which is already atrocious in itself).

This place is so cool. It is down an alley with a bunch of other bars! It's upstairs. It's small…read moreand the drinks and service were amazing! Shay was our bartender and she recommended a drink that she created and it was amazing. It was sort of raspberry and citrusy! We loved the vibe and the quaintness!

The ambiance is trendy, southern-rustic mixed with wood and night lounge vibes. The aroma of the…read moreroom smells like roasted marshmallows. The service is great and the bartenders are more-so artists.

The service here was immaculate. It was so refreshing to be greeted by a lovely staff that…read moreexplained the parking situation to us with ease. Ask for Bu for a classic (secret) cocktail at the first bar of THREE. Ask for Chet for anything at all, what a gem! What great few hours to spend. 10/10 would recommend.

I honestly love the Puttery--this was my third visit. The bar area is great for cute pictures, and…read morethe food is good. This visit, though, was all about the golf experience. Walking to play, the floors were sticky from drink spills. In theory, having bars on the courses is a great idea, but in practice it slows everything down. If the group ahead of you doesn't enter their score, the game stalls unless someone from the next group inputs it or a staff member comes over. We had to figure that out on our own. On my previous visits the staff explained how the scoring worked, but that didn't happen this time. Three groups ahead of mine didn't know how to enter their scores or forgot, so they just stopped playing. I also think the reservations could be spaced out better. Groups ended up stacked on top of each other waiting for the same hole. Thankfully, everyone was still pleasant about it. I'd definitely go back, but I hope they make a few operational improvements.

This place is permanently closed. The service staff posted about it on social media but no where…read moreelse. Sucks because this place looked cool but I guess cocktail bars are not Charlotte's forté.

We were looking for a nighttime venue for Saturday night. You had to make the reservation in…read moreadvance of going to the venue for bottle service. The reservation information was very detailed. It informed you of the maximum number of people per table and the minimum spend. When we arrived we were taken to our table. We wanted to order the Teremana, but it was sold out. So we ordered Casamigos. Charlotte is one of the few places I visit that locks up the liquor bottle in a case at the table. Sabrina was our Bottle service waitress, and she was great. By the end of the night, our waitress switched to Mariah she wasn't as attentive and didn't provide great customer service. My sister ordered hookah, and there was a 20% gratuity added to the hookah that was separate from the bottle gratuity. The venue was nice. There were several slogans on the walls, and the graphic art was nice. The DJ was great. There was a sign to not make any music request.

This venue starts off strong as a stylish and comfortable lounge type area which was great for…read morewinding down with friends or easing into a night out. The ambiance early in the evening is relaxed outdoor seating needs to update the benches they're not comfortable and the woods starting to warp but, decent music, and a solid cocktail menu. It's the kind of place where you can actually hear your conversation and enjoy the atmosphere without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. However, as the night progresses and the vibe shifts into more of a "clubby" scene which ended up being a perfect combo but let's talk charges.. feels steep for what's essentially a modest venue without standout features. Drink prices were high like the cover but not in a way that reflects upgraded quality or service. For the area, there are other spots offering more for the same price or even less but with cozy comforts and inside seating, nicer facilities so it's easy to find things not to love if you come here to support a DJ friend like I did than pay the cover and mingle. It's not a bad place by any means, and the early lounge experience is definitely a highlight followed up with the banging DJ club scene after...it's just the paying premium rates for a relatively average experience for me.

It was the last day of a 4 day conference and the company known to host the best party had a battle…read moreof band event at the Music Yard. Great vibe. Service was excellent. You knew everyone was invited. A perfect closing party.

Wow what an experience! I'm in Charlotte for the weekend, and my good friend's colleague…read morerecommended we come here after dinner for drinks. There's outdoor seating, and initially we wanted to sit outside but we didn't have reservations. Luckily, they seated us at a small corner section near the back of the bar. It's very cozy and intimate inside. Just my type of vibe. The service was top tier. They were unable to validate our parking because of some sort of discrepancy with the signage outside and lack of having the proper equipment for validation. To make up for it, they offered us complimentary champagne to start. We were not expecting that, and pleasantly surprised! Their menu has an eclectic selection of cocktails, both full and mini. We opted to order from the mini cocktail menu, and we each ordered two drinks. I had the Creepy cucumber cocktail and it was refreshingly sweet and probably my favorite drink of the night. I also ordered the Don't Shy Away which was a sour and spicy rum concoction with carrot in it. It was definitely spicy and had a puréed texture. I really enjoyed it. And, then don't get me started on the music!!! The dj was masterful. He played all the types of music I love and he mixed them in such a refreshing way. I ended up asking him for his contact information before leaving, and whether he does weddings because my fiancé and I are currently looking for a DJ. He was just that good. This would definitely be my spot if I lived here in Charlotte. It was the perfect way for us to end the night.

Ugh, I so wanted to LOVE this place! It's in my friend's neighborhood and near some other spots we…read morelove. But it just hit me as average. It's a small intimate setting and I do love the dark aesthetic they did. Gives it a swanky vibe and makes a great date spot. But they were burning incense in the tiny space and it was overwhelming. The other bar guests sitting next to us agreed. *They did finally pick up on it and the staff moved it toward the kitchen door* Staff was friendly as well, though, it was busy and looked as if they had a trainee in tow, so attention was lacking just a bit. So why we came: The drinks were average to me. One was weird (Pineapple Fried Rice) and I just couldn't get it sit well on my palate - and I tried - sip after sip. But the mixologist saw my struggle and swapped it out for a different one. I did like the Don't Shy Away - it was an interesting take on a margarita with a strong carrot base. The Whispering Dove was a take on a Paloma and I couldn't find the lemongrass infusion on my palate. So I found it pretty basic, but pricey. So overall, decent. And I might stop buy if I was stuck in the area again.

We didn't make a reservation and just walked in, but if you're planning to get a booth or table, I…read moredefinitely recommend reserving ahead of time. We arrived around 5:30-6:00 PM and were told the next available table wouldn't be until 8:30, so we ended up sitting at the bar instead. Luckily, the barstools were comfortable, so I didn't mind at all. The service was great--fast, attentive, and the bartenders were really friendly. The drinks were also really good. I had a lychee martini that was strong but delicious. We also tried a few of their shots--they had a unique, acquired taste. The only one I didn't enjoy was the Hierba shot because the aftertaste reminded me of licorice, which I'm not a fan of. But if you like licorice, you'd probably enjoy it. As for the food, everything was amazing. The yuca balls were a 10/10. We also had the "Pulpo Anticuchero", which was a Spanish style octopus that came with roasted potatoes that were cooked perfectly--crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, very fresh and flavorful. I ordered the arroz con mariscos (seafood rice), which included calamari, octopus, squid, and more. It was really good, and the portion size was huge--definitely enough to feed 3-4 people, so keep that in mind when ordering. The ambiance was really nice as well. The music was good and not too loud, which made it easy to enjoy the overall vibe. Overall, I'd give this place a 10/10.

An afternoon of volunteering followed by an amazing date night here. Food was more than delicious,…read moreflavors were on point. It was our first time and my hubby isn't into raw fish but I loved the maki and shrimp croquettes. Great ambiance and service as well. Definitely make a reservation in advance, bar was cool but not super comfy. Our waitress Jonathan gave great recommendations. Next time will definitely try the tiger milk ceviche.

I came here on a whim midday on Monday to do work and grab a coffee. Boy am I glad I did. This may…read morebe one of the most beautiful bars/coffee shops in CLT. The barista was so nice and the music was 10/10. I ordered a Madeline latte, was absolutely delicious. I am def coming back:)

Absolutely love the cocktail menu at Folia! My fave was the lychee cocktail which I highly…read morerecommended. The night I came, the DJ was also really good!