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    The Whirling Tiger

    4.5 (51 reviews)
    ModerateBars, Music Venues
    Open 8:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    The Whirling Tiger Photos

    Business Info

    THE WHIRLING TIGER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Hipster
    Casual
    Trendy

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    Recommended Reviews - The Whirling Tiger

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    Reviews With Photos

    Colleen G.

    In need of a festive, holiday, pick me up - OR - just need to add to your already festive mood?... This IS where you need to go to accomplish either Check it out before the seasonal menu - decor are gone Popped in here Tuesday (mostly to sit beside the decor) & for a holiday coffee with a small bite. The moment you walk in you're engulfed in kitschy decor and... it's GREAT!! My server was so nice. Showed me their standard menu & the holiday menu. Even pointed out there was an upstairs ((which wasn't aware of)) I placed my order: peppermint mocha & a sausage egg cheese croissant. Neither disappointed! They also have seasonal cocktails as well.

    Edwin M.

    Looking to support a local brew house? Look no further than Whirling Tiger. This awesome coffee shop/mini arcade/bar set in what looks like a home is the place to go. The theming is old school home, with them decorating for the different holidays. The coffee is awesome and fresh with the typical coffee shop offerings that you can add some syrup flavoring to. As well as coffee they also have cocktails and drinks that you can pick from. There is also a few baked goods which we did not try, but they looked good. The service was awesome and after purchasing some coffee beans (yes they sale some beans from their shop) the barista let me sample the dark roast so I knew what I was buying! Over all and awesome experience so go check them out!

    The leg lamp from the greatest Christmas movie ever!
    Laura R.

    This was our second time coming here (only because we don't get out a lot). It was decked out in Christmas decorations. We got there pretty early like around 9 and there weren't too many people there. We got drinks from the bar. I got the Grinch holiday drink....it was gross! I don't recommend. lol They have a pop up bar upstairs. It's $10 a person to just go up there, I wish it came with a drink ticket, but it's cool! It was pretty empty when we got up there about 9:20pm. They have a Nintendo 64 hooked up. We played for a bit and raced some other people. By the time we were done upstairs about 10pm it was much busier and downstairs was packed. I love the vibes of this place! I tell people about it all the time. I describe it as going to your Grandma's house from the 70's/80's. Complete with the Shag carpet. It is a great place to check out!

    Liquor selection at the Whirling Tiger.
    Joe B.

    We ended up taking shelter at the Whirling Tiger after a downpour soaked us during a Butchertown walking tour. The staff were very friendly and a number of us decided to order a drink or a coffee while there. I was able to get an espresso before they shut the machine down since it transforms from a coffee shop to a bar at night. I was just thankful to get a hot drink to warm me up after getting wet.

    Dance floor
    Harriotte D.

    Great drinks and love the old timey vibe inside! Love that there is a dance floor with the disco balls too. Was a little hot but I think the AC was broken?

    Inside
    Annie O.

    Such a cool bar! Came with my bookclub and they were decorated for Halloween. Lots of diverse seating options including coaches and an awesome upstairs area! Drinks were yummy and the staff was great!

    Me and friend Sarah
    Silas H.

    We do like this place and have been coming here for years but last night was kinda crappy. It was my friend's birthday and DOOM GONG was playing their long awaited return show. These are our homies and we support local bands and businesses. For some reason the people doing ticketing decided to single out my friend's girlfriend for "being too drunk" and "unable to walk" simply because she was grabbing and leaning on my friend. They were not causing any disturbances and she was NOT falling over. THEY KICKED HER OUT I have a big problem with this for several reasons: 1.If you think she's too drunk then cut her off don't throw her out in the cold 2.She was factually not "too drunk" she could stand on her own and was coherent / aware of her surroundings (just holding on to my friend because she has anxiety). 3. This affected the whole group because of course we're not going to just leave them outside when we're celebrating his birthday. 4. We paid to see the show and as Louisville locals have been patrons of Whirling Tiger for years. They made us miss over an hour of our friend's performance. The amount of disrespect is crazy. They did eventually let her back in but only after being difficult for no reason. OH WOW people get drunk at bars never seen that before ?!? I guess it was the girl doing ticketing who had an issue and dude was "laying down the law" but this sort of arbitrary enforcement of power for no legitimate purpose other than feelings is weird and puts a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Please do better and train your staff to know if someone is actually a problem. Why make a problem out of nothing? We won't be back for a while.

    Nancy P.

    Popped in for an afternoon coffee, awaiting an Elite Yelp event this evening in the area. The building is interesting, numerous smaller sitting areas upstairs and down with vintage, meaning old and worn out furshings. I suppose it is part of the vibe. Barista waited on me imediately and was friendly but not real talkative. I ordered a large caramel latte in a regular cup. And took it upstairs to drink. Nice relaxing music and no one else upstairs. That was nice as I wanted to read and write this review. You can look out and see the traffic on Story Avenue. I do belive as I sit hear I hear birds chirping in the rafters, could be outside. Latte was good. Street parking, but not a problem on a Tuesday afternoon. I would recommed furniture updates, not necessarily new but cleaner, non-broken seating.

    Joe H.

    Gotta love the Christmas vibes here. Consistently good DJs, bands. I love the loft and lounge areas. Even though the pinball machine ate my quarters, this still may be my favorite bar in the ville.

    Breakfast sandwiches and baked goods
    Cathy F.

    Tried the coffee place, and it was really good. Inside is very quiet and cozy. The employees were nice and welcoming. I got a hot vanilla latte and a toasted plain bagel. Both were very good and hit the spot after running a 5K.

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    4 months ago

    1st timers and we feel in love as soon as we walked in. Great bar and music venue. Friendly stay and one of the coolest atmosphere.

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    2 months ago

    i love this place!!! so much seating (check out the upstairs!) but also dance floor, excellent balance. great vibes!!

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    7 months ago

    Cool vibes, great drinks, serves the community. Hit coffee in the morning and crushed ice at night

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    2 years ago

    Coffee shop by day, event space, lounge and bar by night. One of the most beautiful bars in Kentucky!

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    Business owner information

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    Mark E.

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    2 years ago

    Good chill spot with good drinks. Nice place to come with friends and just enjoy the vibes.

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    2 years ago

    Drinks were not made very well and service was slow. The place was very neat though and I loved the old building.

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    Ask the Community - The Whirling Tiger

    I have a disability and cannot stand for more than 15 minutes at a time. Is there any seating?

    Lots of seating. One area has couches and chairs. There are chairs at bar, tables and chairs in the back.

    Being that they don't serve food, does anyone know if they allow you to bring in something or have food delivered there?

    Yes, you are still able to order in. Pop ups and food trucks hopefully coming in eventually.

    View All 3 Questions

    Review Highlights - The Whirling Tiger

    We checked out the event space and it looks like they've added more seating and two big projectors, which is awesome.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Headliners Music Hall

    Headliners Music Hall

    3.8
    (89 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    We attended the monthly Moth StorySlam hosted here at Headliners by our local public radio station…read more These occur regularly usually on the 4th Tuesday and we purchased our tickets online, although a limited number might be available at the door for an increased price. Ten storytellers have 5 minutes on stage to address the topic of the evening. Tonight's topic was "Revenge" with many inspirational stories referencing ultimately "choosing peace". The highlight of the show was getting to see local comedian, Mack Dryden, perform his unique wry schtick in unparalleled storytelling style. He brought down the house with his saga of battling squirrels while living in California. The venue has a small parking lot in front of the building, a larger parking area next to the property, and large amounts of free on street parking along Lexington Road and the surrounding side streets. Doors opened and lines moved quickly through security for bag checks, ticket scanning, and locating a seat. There were rows of folding chairs in front of the stage as well as 2 to 4 seat small pub tables placed along the walls. There is also an overhead balcony viewing area with tables and chairs. We did notice an odor in the building that was a bit offputting at first and then I suppose we eventually became nose-blind. It was a hint of a musty, urine, spilled beer, dive bar mix. We also exited the building around 10:30 PM following the show and were slammed with the familiar Butchertown pig slaughterhouse odor and almost ran to our cars to make our escape. Restroom was large, clean, and fully stocked. Large bar area near the back of the room. Easily able to see the stage from any vantage point in the large space. Audio was fine. Would love to return here for future events, including The Moth.

    I attended a Moth storytelling event at Headliners, and overall it was a good experience, but I'm…read moregiving it four stars because of the parking situation. I have accessibility needs, and when I arrived they told me I'd have to pay $5 cash to park (which I didnt have) in a handicapped spot. It felt frustrating, especially since I drove myself and couldn't just park farther away and walk. After some discussion (thankfully, my friend spoke up), they waived the fee, but it seems like that's the default expectation, which isn't ideal for people with mobility challenges. Also, the venue itself isn't wheelchair accessible, so that's something to keep in mind. That said, the event itself was fantastic. You should definitely arrive early because most of the seating is on one level, and if someone tall sits in front of you, you might struggle to see. There is a balcony area for extra seating, though. The bar is on the pricey side--a soft drink in a 12 oz cup is about $3--but they do offer some alcoholic beverage specials. Overall, I love the storytelling events and will probably keep going, but I hope they improve their accessibility policies in the future

    Photos
    Views of the overhead balcony area
    Views of the overhead balcony area
    Views of the stage
    Views of the stage
    The stage for the StorySLAM.

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    The stage for the StorySLAM.
    Old Forester's Paristown Hall

    Old Forester's Paristown Hall

    3.9
    (34 reviews)
    1.0 mi

    Old Forester's Paristown Hall is my favorite place to catch a show in the city right now…read more Established only recently in 2019, I love how much the name (even with a brand sponsorship in it) sounds like an Established 1819 sort of place. It's a modern take on the standing-room-only "Big Rock Show" venue, with well stocked bars on either side of the stage and a cool balcony above (often reserved for VIP standing or sitting, and with its own bar and bathrooms). One of the twists to the venue that is in my understanding still greatly under appreciated is that the Louisville Orchestra collaborated in building Paristown Hall. The stage can fit the whole orchestra, the acoustics are good enough to showcase that, and the A/V system is deep enough capture most of it. How many orchestras in this country have a venue that they can regularly play that gives off "Big Rock Show" energy? Paristown Hall is also the reason that Louisville had one of the few active, working orchestras (and paid salaries to them!) in the country in the early 2020s. (Those live streams meant a lot to me as a fan of live music in those years.) I try to buy any Paristown Hall ticket that sounds even of passing interest. I especially buy a ticket for every Louisville Orchestra show at Paristown Hall before even reading the description, because any show our Orchestra thinks needs to be at Paristown Hall is a show I don't want to miss. (Absolutely my recommendation to everyone: if the Louisville Orchestra is playing at Paristown Hall it will be a treat and you should buy tickets.)

    We arrived for a Friday night Violent Femmes concert in October and this was a first time visit for…read moreme to this venue. Bag checks and security were efficient and the scan for my ticket QR code made it simple and easy. This venue has a large bar across the entire back wall, which is on the opposite side of the room from the entrance. The restrooms are located on the left front side of the building when facing the bar. A large balcony for the VIP patrons wraps around the second level for more than half of the room in a horseshoe shape. It appears to also have a decent amount of seating. This is in contrast to the ground floor general admission area, which is standing only. Over 2 to 3 hours of standing on a concrete floor is a foot annihilator, but was so worth it to me this time around. Stage was able to be seen fairly well from most vantage points. Projection images of the stage were seen on 2 walls on either side, which helped supplement what we could see. Sound system was top notch. I'm still half-deaf almost a day and a half later. I'll probably take at least some light hearing protection with me to future events. Overall, great venue. Good value. Plenty of nearby parking and places to dine before/after events.

    Photos
    Old Forester's Paristown Hall
    Old Forester's Paristown Hall
    Old Forester's Paristown Hall

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    Kaiju

    Kaiju

    4.2
    (68 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $

    This bar has an obvious Japanese pop culture theme, but has an equally prevalent American counter…read moreculture vibe. The folks here are very friendly and chill. It was my first time in Louisville and I saw that this place was really close to where I was grabbing dinner, so I wanted to stop by and grab a drink and check this place out. I'm assuming the area this bar is located in is the hipster area of Louisville. I'm not 100% sure, but having lived in Silver Lake (LA, CA) for a few years, there definitely was some recognizable symptoms of a hipster neighborhood. There's different sake beverages on the menu as well as a really solid, albeit small selection of whiskey (with more than reasonable prices too!). I ordered one of the individually packaged sakes and it was tasty. I got to look around and talk to the bartender a bit. He mentioned they had karaoke on Thursdays and are open to 4am (holy moly - so used to 2am on the west coast). I really wanted to come back, but was just so spent after dinner. It's a shame I couldn't hang out longer or just experience more of what this bar has to offer, but from what I experienced so far, a really great place!

    This was an unexpected stop on a night out. Front part of bar was a bit crowded but plenty of space…read morein the back. They have a decent selection of snack food-- we got chips & queso and a spicy chicken quesadilla. Both were good. They also have sushi which looked good, too.

    Photos
    Decor
    Decor
    Inside - bar area
    Inside - bar area
    Kaiju

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    Holy Grale

    Holy Grale

    4.3
    (596 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    Holy Grale is just that. If you're picking something else, you "chose poorly". Delicious beer…read moreselections freaky fresh on tap. Marvelous atmosphere with an interconnected beer garden in the middle. Stunning food offers that shine on their own and sing louder when paired with their beers. The team at holy grale also bring it all together with incredible service. The burger is incredible, but I always come back for the schnitzel platter. I only wish they had a spaetzle to go with it! The fries are proper chippies, thick square cut and long. Crispy outside, fluffy inside. And there are so many dips to choose from. Salads are crisp and light and a marvelous side. I cannot say enough good things. I love the grales.

    This place is definitely worth a visit just to see it. Fun spot and a very cool vibe inside. This I…read morebelieve was our 7th stop on our tour of Louisville distilleries and bars. We had a couple cocktails in here and the service was excellent even though it appeared they were filled to capacity. There were 4 of us in our party and we were seated at a table in the corner near the bar. Was definitely a cozy spot with so many people being in there and the bar being full. I had The Holy Ghost cocktail and it was a pomegranate hibiscus sour, it had just the right amount of sour! I do not like bitter drinks and this one was good and easy to drink. My husband had a couple of dark beers, I do not remember which ones but he liked them. They had a nice outdoor area but it was a bit too cool for that but it may be worth a return in the Spring to check it out. Bathroom was also really cool as the decor and theme spilled over into it. We will be back.

    Photos
    Holy Grale
    Shishito & mushrooms in romesco w. sunny egg
    Shishito & mushrooms in romesco w. sunny egg
    Bar area

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    Bar area

    The Whirling Tiger - bars - Updated August 2026

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