The experience here was overall good. The entrance area of the bar is a bit too tight for comfort. The room with all the games is much more spacious, but the seats right by the bar mean you're going to be a bit constrained when it comes to movement. Overall, the drinks were solid, the staff was friendly, the place felt safe and relaxed. Plenty of screens all around. Good variety of games in the back. Bathrooms were clean and tidy. read more

Went here with a group of friends after a birthday dinner and unfortunately it was not a great experience. The bar itself is super cute, aesthetic, and definitely the type of vibe me and my friends would normally love. We were excited to hang out for a bit and enjoy the night, but the staff and overall energy completely threw it off. From the moment we walked in, people were rude and unwelcoming for no reason. We weren't causing problems, just trying to have a good time, and we didn't even stay longer than about 25 minutes because the atmosphere felt so uncomfortable. As a group where half of us are POC, the experience honestly didn't sit right with us. It's disappointing because the place has potential visually, but customer service and the way guests are treated matters way more. read more

The Retreat - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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The Retreat is truly a treat and has a special place in my heart. I'm a dive bar connoisseur and love finding the best hole-in-the-wall spots with cheap drinks and a great vibe. This bar is casual, has a jukebox, and the walls are full of character. There's definitely a loyal local crowd and the same bartenders every time. The layout is perfect. You can sit up at the bar or head to the back if you want a little space from the staff. They also have games like pool, darts, and basketball, which is a huge plus for a dive bar, you want to be able to play games! We always bring a deck of cards too. There's good seating, it's open, and the whole atmosphere is just perfect. read more

The Retreat - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The decoration is cute and perfect for a dive bar. Unfortunately the vibe in was very off putting. The white patrons were giving very weird and annoying looks/stares towards the people in our group who weren't white. I don't like going anywhere where everyone isn't welcome. Music sucked too. read more

Unfortunately we walked in and walked out due to the smell of cigarette smoke. I'm sure this establishment offers great libations but the smell of smoke was just too much to bear. Wasn't greeted or made feel welcome upon entry. read more

The Retreat - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

pls i love this place. take me back n leave me here to rot! grungy, dive bar where u will make a lot of fun memories. service was great i loved our sweet bartenders read more

The Retreat - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Would be zero stars if I could. Rude staff, skip songs you pay for, and demeaning bartender. Horrible place, don't go.

Cozy place, kinda hipster without the attitude... great food and wine/beer selection... thd Ringlings would be proud.

Fantastic happy hour and ambiance. The service is what I appreciated most. The staff is extremely attentive to their customers and always make time for good/fun conversation with anyone that comes through their doors. read more

I went on opening day years ago when I went to UT. Prior it was a dive bar. Love this place. Recently went back and stopped in for a pint. Just like the old days. read more

Best bar stop on way home . To the best place to live Valhalla (D.I.) great bartenders and lots of eclectic people read more

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place has such a fun atmosphere but bartenders are disrespectful and treat you horribly for no reason. with normal bartenders and or owners it would be one of the best bars in Tampa. such a shame read more

Best prices and staff around! So many studs with beards work here! And a few pretty ladies also! Check it out and try a Murphy bomb!

Hands down one of my favourite bars in Tampa! Jeremy and the staff are awesome, definitely made us feel at home. We will definitely be back, highly recommend! read more

Went the other night, left my debit card there on accident .. picked it up in the morning.. my tab was $31. My bank statement says $55. They tipped themselves over 70%- I'm also a bartender at another nearby restaurant and we'd be fired for doing this. So if this restaurant allows this, that's INSANE. Good luck I won't be back ever to this establishment, that's complete fraud read more

Easily one of my favorite bars in Tampa! A true Tampa staple! One of the oldest bars in Tampa, with lots of charm, overly adorned walls, the old school mirror behind the bar, fair priced drinks, and college students in and out. Whats not to like. read more

Atmosphere is great. Plus the taco truck is a bonus. My review needs at least 85 more characters to post

The Retreat was the perfect ending to an amazing girls' night! The staff is amazing and the atmosphere is fun! We had a great time playing pool and dart boards with great drinks from the bar. I would highly recommend it! read more

The Retreat - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Review 300, woot! This is a fun dive bar in Tampa that's laid back, serves good drinks, and has a chill ambience. After leaving a different place that didn't have great service, we ended up here and it was a welcome difference. The bartenders were friendly and the prices were much more reasonable. It was a great spot to end our evening in Tampa! I'd definitely come back next time I'm in town. read more

The Retreat - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

To the retreat!!!! That was our motto, in the 90s. We created this place, as it is today. The way times go, and "progress". Back then the area was much less built up, and the original retreat was a complete dive bar, and we loved it. UT was tiny and crappy, and there were Lloyd 5 bars in walking distance with 3 dollar pitchers. The crowd was different, mostly dock workers and a few of us hanging with them. The feel was similar, but kitschy. You can smoke there, so if you doozy like that, don't bother going in. Good drinks, nice bartenders, original artwork. Totally cool. read more

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Most amazing bar in Tampa, hands down! The bartenders are helpful and courteous! They are truly caring and want everyone to have a good time. This bar has some of the best locals in it! The locals will seek out newbies and speak with them, making sure they have a good time. Very friendly and happy place. Please make this a stop during any trip to Tampa, as it's living history read more

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Extremely poor service, bartender told us to "get the f*** out" after he denied my 30 year old friend's US issued foreign ID

MY FRIDAY HAVEN! I've been coming to The Retreat for years and now come here after work on Friday's with coworkers. For me the downside for me is that people can smoke inside however it's important to those who do it. For me, I leave smelling like an ashtray however it's worth the company when I'm with my friends. The bartenders are attentive and talk like they've known you for years. I love this joint because It feels chill and divey. I usually get beers on draft as they are cheaper during happy hour. It's hard to just have one beer here. read more

The Retreat - Happy Friday beer. - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Had a great time here while I was in Tampa. Bar reminds me of a 50s diner. Good drinks, cool atmosphere that's like two places in one...music in the back and more chill in the front. Our bartender was Kaitlin and she was amazing. She was super friendly and accommodating. We enjoyed her so much we doubled back the next night. Whenever I make it back to Tampa, I will be stopping in here. Thanks for a great couple of nights. read more

The Retreat - Bar and mirror - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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If you like smoke.... It's the place for you! Great people! Dive bar..great prices. 20 and older...

Perhaps I'm bias because back in my college days, this was my go-to. I went to the University of Tampa from '04-'08 and back then this bar was the most convenient and affordable place to spend your meager income. I recall (well, barely remember) so many Wednesday nights having $1 Bud Selects or $5 pitchers after class and then stumbling my way back to my dorm on campus. It was a dive and the best place to gather any night of the week after class. It was always crowded and loud. Now it's quite different. I went here on Saturday night with a fellow UT alum for cocktails. The bar was relatively empty and the crowd was older and more mature. I think I may have seen a total of 5 college kids over the course of our time there. The bartender was fantastic and told us about the history of "The Trap" and his experience over the years. This place has evolved into a very nice bar located close to The Oxford Exchange and there is a nice pizza place next door (TamPiz). I had a dirty martini, which was made well. Not gonna lie, it felt weird ordering anything other than a crappy beer, but I wasn't up for a PBR on this particular night! Although PBRs were only $2! Whether you're a college student or a mature adult looking for a nice place to sit down and have a drink near downtown, the Retreat is appropriate. It has evolved from a rowdy, dingy college bar into a classier downtown drinkery. I approve :) read more

The Retreat - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Classmates recommend to come and check out this bar. It's an ok bar. That have good happy hour. They only have one red wine which was cab, so that wasn't a Problem for me, I believe they have two white wines and the rest are mainly beer. They were only allowing 6 people per table, they came to check on us often which was nice. Service was good and quick. They don't have any food. I would return again. The only thing I wasn't a fan of is smoking inside. That's the first bar I see that have smoking inside other than that it was great. read more

I love a good dive bar! You can smoke inside. There are a few tables outside and three pool tables in the other room. The drinks were average price. Music was a little too loud. I could not hear my friend 2 bar stools away from me. Younger crowd. Coach Cooper, Killorn and the Stanley cup showed up which was pretty cool! read more

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So appalled! I walked to the bar to order a cocktail and the bartender named "Josh" immediately said "What can I get you nigga?" Do people really think this is a way to address people?! I was so embarrassed! There was an African American individual beside me and he heard it as well. He was livid. Don't bring your business here. read more

AMBIENCE: 8/10 SERVICE: 10/10 BAR PRICES: 10/10 All of the bar tenders are excellent and personable! A great place to unwind. You can actually smoke cigarettes inside! read more

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Rude staff, terrible service, bad pool sticks, horrible felt, skips songs paid for on the juke box and will not refund money. The list goes on absolutely atrocious place 0/10 would never go again. read more

One of the better and cleaner dive bars in Tampa. Good drinks and drink prices. Nice welcoming atmosphere.

An absolutely fantastic place! Our casual hangout. Come for the drink specials! Pool, darts, shuffleboard, basketball and our favorite......Golden Tee Mini Golf! The bartenders are the BEST. Great for pre and post event drinks! read more

The Retreat - The bar! - Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Horrible treatment , incredibly discriminatory , denied my ID AND passport which I only happened to have because of my recent traveling. Claimed that they were both fake despite them matching?? Like what? Also said the two photos of me weren't the same person because I wasn't Smiling in one?!!! Wth. Honestly shocked they're able to keep a business afloat with this kind of logic. Oh well, place was a dump anyways. read more

Would rate with no stars if possible, stopped in for a beer one night with a friend and bartender Jeremey was unbelievably rude as he proceeded to call my friend's real ID fake even though it had successfully scanned, passed the blue light check AND she had two other forms of ID (credit card and passport) to prove it further, all with which Jeremy was incapable of doing the basic abilities of a bartender and denied her of service in an incredibly rude manner. He then proceeded to kick my friend out who was not creating a scene or acting up but just simply asking why he refused to serve her (with which he could not answer). Awful service, the bar itself was physically disgusting and an unwelcoming environment. read more

This was a cool find that we stumbled upon one night. Not in an obvious location but definitely a cool local dive bar, more upscale than most. Has really good drink specials and pool (pay to play). This is nice place to stop for after work drinks. read more

The most anti veteran bar I've been to. I've lived in Seattle, NYC Miami, Dublin. The 4th of July the staff was horrible. We asked for green tea shots and they said best we can do is Jamison. They then forced us out. I got a silver star and they told me I was a horrible human. Please contact me at 509two-nine-five-1855. Please don't go If you are a vet read more

The waitress was very rude and didn't know what a Real ID looked like. She was rude from the start and refused to double check our guests ID. The place reeks of cigarette smoke. Overpriced drinks and poor lighting. If you want your night ruined, hit up the retreat! read more

Would give 5 stars, but smoking is allowed inside. Used to go here years ago when I attended UT, stopped by this past Saturday while bar hopping in DT Tampa. Drinks were good, bar tender was attentive. read more

Great bar, great bartenders, fun atmosphere!!! Mel and Jeremy are amazing!! Always have a wonderful time when I stop in. :)