Always good! Craft cocktails you won't find anywhere else. Great vibe for dinner or an after dinner drink. read more

Voltaire - Espresso mocktail - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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~On Thursdays, we go to Voltaire~ Voltaire is an easy favorite and it's all day happy hour on Thursdays. Overall, there's lots to like about Voltaire... The food is quality and delicious - the hummus plate is unmatched and during happy hour it's only $9. Additionally, the service is excellent - the bartenders have always been super friendly and accommodating. And no notes for the atmosphere/ambiance - the vibes are good. read more

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Had dinner here on Saturday night.. we drover over from Lees Summit to give Voltaire a try for dinner. Previously, we stopped in for drinks when we've been out and about. We started off with the baked ricotta, which was amazing, but could've used maybe two more slices of crusty bread . For dinner I had the skirt steak which was cooked perfectly to medium, and the new potatoes and pepper. Romasco were nicely done. My partner had the special for the day which was a grilled mahi-mahi, which was delicious. Next time we go back, I'll be trying the Polo Oaxaca. I'd be remiss not to mention the beauty of the facility, bringing you back in time to win the star yards or core to Kansas City. That encourage anyone in the greater Kansas City area to give this location a try. read more

Great happy hour drinks & snacks! The seating, the lighting, the classic music on vinyl, the friendly staff all make Voltaire unique. Parking can be unpredictable in this area but not an issue for happy hour. Recommend! read more

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Listen, any midwestern bar that quotes Princess Nokia on their menu gets an immediate 5-star review from me. My wife and I stumbled into Voltaire on a whim while visiting family in KC and were delighted. The space was moody but welcoming, perfect for a nightcap, date night, or just to have a drink and kill some time. They had ample vegan snacks and alcohol-free cocktails, which were perfectly complimented by the vinyl playing through some notably high-quality speakers. Service was quick, friendly, and the Summer Crush I ordered was perfection. We'll absolutely be stopping by during our next KC trip. read more

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BRUNCH IS BACK. My husband and I would come down for brunch a lot pre covid days and we always loved it. When I saw they were bringing it back on Mother's Day I immediately booked a reservation. Now we have a 2 year old daughter and though I know it's not exactly a place for kids, I did risk it for Mother's Day. Everyone there was so sweet and accommodating. They found us a high chair and even a plastic cup with a straw for my daughter to use! We probably could've been fine with my daughter sitting next to me in the booth but the fact that they took time to find a high chair for her was really special. And I could have my brunch with both hands free! Everything was so good I forgot to take pictures! I got a Garibaldi cocktail and a cappuccino and for food I ordered the lemon ricotta pancakes. Their pancakes were just as good as I remember with lavender ricotta and a blueberry compote on top. No syrup necessary. This place has a beautiful bar and a fun atmosphere. While we were there they were playing a Blondie vinyl. My Mother's Day was made so special by being able to have brunch there. read more

Voltaire - Cappuccino and a Garibaldi - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Drinks before the American Royal. Sat at the bar, Lucy was our server and is exceptional. Vinyls on the record player. Always a cool vibe. read more

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It was six of us today, with three of us ordering the same plate (pozole soup) and the other three ordered some regular breakfast dishes. The pozole earned three stars as it lacked flavor. I had egg Benedict. Unfortunately it was salty, the hollandaise sauce tasted bitter and most the potatoes were hard. In general, four plates received three stars and two received 4 stars. It was a very cold day and they were very short of staff so the food took a while however we were not in a rush so we had a great time visiting with friends. The server was fantastic. I may try again to give a second chance. Probably was just a bad day. read more

We stopped into Voltaire for a cocktail and happy hour spontaneously. We were immediately greeted by the friendly staff and bartender and loved the vibes of this old school feeling place. Their happy hour menu was really impressive and affordable. I had a Paloma and 2 oysters. The Paloma was great and my first oyster tasted really good, but I'm 99% sure my second oyster was a spoiled one. I ate it because I was expecting it to taste like my first but the taste was extremely off putting. I should have said something to the staff but it was already too late and we needed to leave to catch our dinner reservation. I'd honestly come back because of the service, drinks and food choices, but I will avoid the oysters next time. read more

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Stopped by Voltaire for happy hour... and was reminded of how good this place is! It is just as good as I remembered... if not better! We sat at the bar, grabbed some happy hour drinks and snacks. Service was great, drinks and food were delicious. Portions sizes were great! This may be my new favorite happy hour spot! read more

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This has quickly become our new favorite restaurant! We were absolutely blown away by the entire experience. The staff, food, and drinks were all outstanding. They are incredibly food allergy-friendly and highly knowledgeable about their menu items. They even provided me with a personalized menu specifically labeled for my tree nut allergy, which was so thoughtful. The atmosphere was fantastic, and the food was truly out of this world. We tried the Duroc pork and duck, and both dishes were exceptional! The drinks were equally impressive--we had the Lady Head and the Three Cacti Makes a Pear, and they were both phenomenal. Overall, this was hands down the best meal and dining experience we've had in a long time! read more

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Came for happy hour on a Thursday night. They had a special including $20 on select wine bottles as well as happy hour pricing on various small plates from 5PM-6PM (short time). Food was decent, not mind blowing, but solid for happy hour. We started with the mussels and pommes frites (best item we had), as well as the pommes aligot, both very tasty and delicious. Other dishes we tried included the hummus plate and seasonal salad. Loved the salad, perfectly dressed and lots of crunchy pistachios and whipped chèvre cheese that made for the perfect bite. Service was sort of slow, especially for there only being 3 parties in entire place, but not awful. Overall would give probably 3+/5 stars for food and service. Restaurant itself is beautiful and definitely fits well in the West Bottoms. Would still say worth trying again maybe for an actual full dinner..we all have off nights sometimes. read more

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Amazing!! Had the Spanish octopus which was so good. Drinks were creative and delicious, and ambience was moody and fun. Definitely want to come again and try some more stuff! read more

I'm normally down here visiting the dive bar next-door called lucky boys but decided to have a nightcap and grab a cocktail before heading back home. The cocktail chai and love again caught my eye immediately after looking at the menu. It was beautifully crafted, and so delicious and warmed my tummy. The space was also super cool. I loved the record player that they had in the window and the bookshelf of records by the bar. I don't think I've ever been in a bar with an actual record player playing music before, so that was very interesting to see. I'll have to stop by again soon to check out more of their cocktails. Unfortunately we only had time for one. read more

Voltaire - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Very cute spot located in a seemingly hipster area. The menu is a tad limited, but we had a good time. The food was a little too salty for my tastes & the service was a bit slower than other spots we tried in KC. Worth it to try for sure! read more

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Had a great dinner at Voltaire. Service was great, and everyone's meals were delightful. This was the pork tenderloin that was Korean bulgolgi inspired with kimchi and pear on top. I am personally not a fan of fruit with meat, but everything was flavorful and seasoned very well! I had their one mocktail on the menu which was not the best, but it is a mocktail, so it's not a fair judgement on their cocktail menu! Would definitely go back to this quaint but vibrant spot to try their other dishes and cocktails. read more

Voltaire - Pork Tenderloin - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Quaint, dimly lit restaurant with great drink options and pretty good food! I loved enjoying their oysters which were on their special menu that day. Great date night spot! read more

Voltaire - Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Quaint spot with unique dishes. Service was great and staff was knowledgeable about the menu. Great spot for a date night or night with friends! I had the Lobster Pappardelle with house made noodles and it was delicious. We ended the evening with an Affogato. read more

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Nice restaurant. Elegant..all them fancy words. I went in for the cocktails on a happy hour. I left out feeling good, but if I had to be honest ... there not an extensive cocktail menu. However the wine and beer menu I didn't get food, but I shall return to give that a try next time! read more

Voltaire - Concrete Forester - Old Forester 100 proof bourbon / Red wine syrup/ Lemon egg white - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Charming, beautiful spot in the west bottoms with a great menu. The Szechuan steak au poivre was delicious! Perhaps my favorite item on the menu is the Lisbon cake. Great date night spot. read more

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Met Jill(Owner) at the brewery across the street and she recommended trying the brunch on Saturday/Sunday. I was beyond impressed with the food and the mimosas are freshly squeezed. Will definitely be coming back! read more

Only came for drinks, but I'll be back for food next. Great service, and super LGBT friendly. There was a DJ at 7 on a weeknight. I asked for their whiskey of the moment and got to try something I've never had. Fantastic cocktail selections, and a full bar--so you can ask for something not on the menu. read more

Stopped by after my daughter's graduation at hyvee arena. We had drinks, tried the shrimp tacos and mussels! Was soo yummy! Loved the atmosphere! We will be back! read more

I'll keep this one a little more brief, as my mom (Christina P) left a nice long review of our visit here. In short, we had a lovely experience at Voltaire. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it had been on my list for a while so away we went! I find the ambiance to be quite nice. Dimly lit with a bit of a hipster vibe. One thing that surprised me is that it felt more like a local coffee shop (or place where regulars visit) as opposed to a nicer restaurant. It definitely is nice though and the food was great. Probably the best raw oyster i've had. It was mini and they had a variety of sauces to add to it. Only $2 on happy hour! The drinks are fun and the dishes are unique. Check the menu ahead of time, because it isn't for eveyrone. I ordered the quinoa with black beans and we also got the beet ravioli. All good, though a bit lacking in flavor. I think that the West Bottoms is really starting to flourish and Voltaire is certainly helping! read more

Seems like a nice quirky place down near HyVee arena. Met there with a group of six . Like everywhere else, I would assume they were short staffed and we had a significant wait between placing food orders and actually receiving our food, and even the ln two of our party were still waiting on a salad when most of us were halfway finished. I thought it was fairly expensive for what I received. I ordered a summer pasta dish for, I believe, $23. It was flavorful, but I had trouble with the beans in my fettuccine; it was a texture thing for me. Wine was nice, and appetizers were tasty. read more

Voltaire - Summer pasta dish - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

We went on a Friday night and had a reservation although it was not busy at all! We decided to split a few apps for dinner. We tried the hummus plate, pommes aligot, and chicken livers. I was super excited about the pommes, but it was more cheese than potato so more like a fondue than cheesy potatoes - not what I was expecting but still solid! The hummus was delicious and we enjoyed the sides. The chicken liver was an out there pick for us. The flavor with the gochujang was really good, but texturally got very challenging as I started overthinking! Would not order again but it was fun to branch out. We also tried a cocktail and a mocktail that were really good. Our service was quick! Would love to come back when the pretzel is back on the menu!! read more

I enjoyed a nice dinner before a show down at Crown Center with my daughter at Voltaire. It's a hidden gem in the West Bottoms area close to HyVee (Kemper to us older folks) Arena and Amigoni Winery. Nestled inside an charming little store front across from the Golden Ox, the space is inviting and eclectic. The bar offers an interesting selection of creative cocktails and happy hour (Wednesday thru Saturday 4-6 pm) specials change weekly. We took advantage of the special on oysters, croquettes, and mussels. They were all excellent. Wine by the glass is only $4 during happy hour as well. Our entree choices were the vegan Quinoa con Frijoles Negros and the Beet Ravioli. Everything tasted fresh and the presentation was very colorful and pleasing. I highly recommend Voltaire, especially for happy hour. You will get an interesting, high quality, great value experience. It's a great date destination as well. My next stop there will be to enjoy an after dinner Affogato and to try their Grapefruit Beignets! read more

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Second time visiting Voltaire but it was our first time eating here. Voltaire did not disappoint. First off, you can't go wrong with any of their cocktails. I always order a margarita which isn't on the menu but its always so refreshing + not sugary! But my favorite cocktail I have ever had is their espresso martini. It is probably one of my most favorite ones I have ever had. Food? Woah... where do I even begin? We started with a few apps to get us going! We started with the dumplings, mussels and two sides of fries to split between 6 of us. The mussels were my favorite. I'd also like to add that the amount of mussels are very large. Like much larger than you would normally get at a smaller plate type restaurant. Every entrée we ordered was also spectacular. The service was a little on the slow side but the food + cocktails made up for it! read more

Tucked in the Stockyards district, Voltaire was such a great find. I've heard great things and my friend and I decided to try it for my birthday. First off we started with a $20 bottle (such a deal). We got the Rosé by suggestion of our server and it was crisp and tart and SO GOOD! We started off with the pomme frites and the pakora but the star of the meal was the Szechuan Steak Au Poivre. It was cooked to perfection and the turnips had the perfect flavor and texture balance. We ended the night with an Affogato which was also delicious! Lastly, the ambience was great and the service was excellent. Everyone seemed to be having a great time and the server was the perfect amount of attentiveness read more

Voltaire - Szechuan Steak Au Poivre - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

I tried this place the first time pre-Covid because I showed up to The Campground on a Wednesday having forgotten they were not open. So I walked a couple doors down to Voltaire. Over a year later I finally made it back, and it was even better than I remembered. Their cheese and charcuterie board is perfect, so good that I am craving it even now just mentioning it. They have great happy hour cocktail prices. I really enjoy how they make an old fashioned neat but ice cold. My wife and I need to keep returning so we have a chance to try more items from the menu. read more

Our waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu and suggested great drink options. The food was delicious. I would stay away from the lamb & ravioli as well as the wings. The lamb ravioli was gamey and the ravioli was rubbery with no filling. The wings needed a little salt and to be fried crispier. But the steak and the Spanish octopus was AMAZING!!!! read more

Voltaire - Bar with specials on mirror - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

My husband and I came here for my birthday dinner on a Friday night. It was an odd experience. I have heard great, amazing, wonderful things about Voltaire and was very excited. We made reservations on Tock and referenced that we were there for my birthday. We were seated right away one we arrived but then it went downhill from there. Our server finally came to our table after we had been there for about 15 minutes, she was friendly and seemed nice. She explained how the menu worked and then said she'd come back for our order....she finally came back about 20 minutes later. We ordered the pommes frites, they took about 20 minutes to come out. Now, the fries were delicious, absolutely amazing. The food was amazing, no doubt about it. We were about half way into our fries when she came back to ask us how it was and then darted away. We thought this was odd because we were going to put in entrees. Well, we finished the fries and they sat empty on our table for about 15 minutes, someone else finally come and picked them up. 10 minutes after that she came back and asked how it was, we said great and asked her if we could put food in so we finally did. I ordered the shrimp pasta and my husband got steak. The food took about 20 minutes to come out. Once again, the food is very good and delicious, smaller portions but not unexpected for a place like Voltaire. By the time we got our food we had been there an hour and a half. We ate our entrees and then again they sat there...empty on our table for 10 minutes until someone came and got the plates...we sat there again...our server was no where to be seen. She finally came over about 20 minutes after we had finished with a dessert menu, we figured we'd try one more time and since it was my birthday we were going to get dessert. Well she didn't come back to see if we wanted any dessert for 20 more minutes, and when she did come back she had our check so we just decided it was time to cut our losses and leave. We had our card on the table for about 10 minutes before she finally came and got it. Overall, we were there for almost 3 hours. I appreciate not being rushed, but this was on another level. We were not drinking, as I am pregnant. The place wasn't very busy. Our server did have one other table of 12 so that took some of her attention, but they didn't arrive until an hour after us, and we saw her at their table frequently compared to us. The restaurant had about 4 bartenders too so it didn't seem like they were short staffed. It was just overall such an odd experience, I wish I had chosen somewhere else for my birthday. Again, our server wasn't rude, she seemed friendly enough but she was just missing a majority of the time. We should have just left after the appetizer. The food is good, I'm sure everything else is wonderful, the atmosphere is very hipster, but cool. I am in no hurry to every come back, which is disappointing because most everyone else loves this place. So odd. read more

Voltaire - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Another review that is months late. I swear you'd think after 10 years I'd figure out a way to stay on top of my reviews, but clearly I haven't yet. Thank goodness I like to Instagram- my food on date nights otherwise I wouldn't be able to tell you we had for dinner on our random Wednesday date night back in August. We decided on dinner out at Voltaire afternoon at KC Wineworks, because it was close and a new spot we hadn't yet tried. So of course, I insisted we have dinner here. Given this was during the summer COVID times, we sat outside. While service was good, the one not so great aspect was that we would periodically get face full of smoke from the smokers outside. I don't begrudge them being outside by our dining area, more just wish that the wind blew the other direction. Anyway, on to the food (can you tell that I've maybe had a drink tonight?) - to start we had the pommes frites (fancy french fries are never a bad idea) followed by (based on my Instagram photos) the hanger steak and the duck. If memory serves we both enjoyed our dinner but now looking at the menu again as I write this...I think we need to go back and try some more options. Overall a great little spot to enjoy a random weekday date night at the end of summer. read more

Very cool vibe kind of place. We stopped in for a nightcap and it was the perfect destination. They're quite busy so next time we will make sure to rsvp. The space is very cozy abut the decor is top notch. Our cocktail was delicious! Server is very attentive and knowledgeable. The play their music out of the wall of vinyl, how cool is that! While we're there the food smell so good...so we will have to come back for dinner and drinks next time! read more

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Cool vibe. In the historic stockyard district. Ordered a midsummer cocktail. Bartender (Kim) was very friendly and knowledgeable about the history of the space. We will definitely be back. read more

Voltaire - Enjoying the vibe at the Voltaire. - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Went for brunch and it was busy! All the food looked great. We had two cocktails- well balanced and boozy. To eat we had the waffle the malt didn't disappoint. I would recommend sitting at the bar, bartenders are really helpful. read more

Voltaire - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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Stopped in to Voltaire for happy hour with a few good friends after it was highly recommended by several people. Love the ambiance in the space - music from a record player, solid mood lighting, and plenty of seating options (lounge, outdoor patio, tables, and the bar). Drinks are made fresh to order with great craftsmanship by the bartenders. Make sure you're there for happy hour from 4-6pm, as there's some great food/drink specials (see photo) available for purchase. Even the bathrooms are well-maintained with hand lotion, hair pomade, toothpicks, and mints. Only complaint during the visit was with the order of chips and dip - the chips were quite crumbly, which made it difficult to dip in the delightful blue cheese/French onion dip. read more

Voltaire - Old Fashioned & Roasted, Spiced Nuts. - Bars Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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It was our first time last night and my boyfriend and I fell in love. The food was amazing, our waiter/bartender was awesome. Sorry, I can't remember his name :( This place is perfect for date night. It's a cool/sexy vibe! The Mahi Mahi was literally the best I've ever had! My boyfriend had the lamb and said it was amazing as well. We will definitely be back! Especially to check out Wednesday nights and happy hour! Thanks for a beautiful evening :) read more

Voltaire was in the same place where R Bar used to be in case anybody was wondering. There was a lot of street parking as well as a parking lot nearby (not across from Voltaire since that was for the Golden Ox parking). This area was pretty empty actually so I'm surprised these restaurants and others were still in business (though I could be wrong entirely). I met up with 4 others, who were all part of the KC Foodies Crew, on a Wednesday night. It was somewhat busy, but there were still a few tables available. The decor still reminded me of R Bar minus the big R on the wall. I took pictures of the Cocktail menu, but I doubt it will be readable. I know the actual food menu would not be readable since Yelp will shrink the pictures down more so I cropped it into two separate pictures to make them somewhat readable. Anyways, they had a wide selection of cocktails, wines, and beer. I ordered the Kansas City Sour ($8) which sounded good to me. I also ordered the Steak au Poivre ($18). We all decided to share some appetizers, entrees, and dessert, because that was what we did in the KC Foodies Crew; in addition, that allowed us to try the majority of the menu. Here was what we ordered: Artisanal Cheese & Charcuterie ($14), Yucca, Fried ($6), Apricots, Broiled ($9), Heirloom Tomato ($8), Rabbit ($18), Duck Breast, Seared ($16), Lamb Chop, Corriander Crusted, Roasted ($16), and Wild Coho Salmon, Ginger-Miso, Grilled ($15). The Kansas City Sour was very tasty and good so I would recommend that. I didn't eat a lot of the Artisanal Cheese & Charcuterie so I can't comment on that. The Yucca, Fried was delicious and I especially liked the serrano-kiwi ketchup that came with it. The Apricots, Broiled was not bad and definitely not what I was expecting. The Heirloom Tomato was good and the grilled watermelon was interesting since I would have never thought of grilling a watermelon. lol I didn't eat any of the Rabbit, but I did eat some of the Duck Breast, Seared which was great with the sauce. The Lamb Chop, Corriander Crusted, Roasted was okay but then again, I'm not a lamb kind of person. Finally, the Wild Coho Salmon, Ginger-Miso, Grilled was good even though I'm not a seafood person. They didn't have a physical dessert menu (at least our waitress didn't give us one), but our waitress did tell us the 4 items for dessert. We ordered all 4 to finish off our dinner. The Flan over the Chocolate Cake was the best dessert there in my opinion. It was better than the Carrot Cake, the Sorbet, and the cookies with ginger and spices in them. I thought the food was good here and definitely on the pricier side considering the portions; however, if you're out with a group of friends (or anybody really), then this place would be great to have a family-style kind of meal where everybody would try everything that was ordered at the table while sipping on a cocktail drink. read more

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Made reservations for a Saturday, options were limited for times. Neat area. Found parking about a block away. Voltaire has character. Tables, booths and a beautiful bar. Several staff members. They did dim the lights off and on through the evening. Great vibe. Waitress was nice but not overly friendly. She made sure our water was continuously filled but did not interrupt. I started with a Rum, Rabbit, Rum. I tasted no carrot but the drink itself was very very strong. Was fine but I would not order again. Friend had the Hemingway Spritz, she said all she could taste was the absinthe. Drinks were presented beautifully. Friends shared mussels and said they were fine. We also shared an order of Pommes Frites, again fine but not mind blowing. I had Golf Shrimp Tempura Tacos. Came with 3 street style tacos, each only had one shrimp. IMO it lacked flavor. I keep only tasting the char from the grill they put on the tortillas. Friends had Puntanesca Primavera and Lion's Mane Mushroom and both enjoyed their meal but no one was blown away. Bar was busy but the tables and booths were mostly free, which was interesting since reservations were limited online when she booked. Bathroom was clean. Overall, nice place. So many places in the city I am not sure this will draw us back, but definitely give it a try. read more

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