Cleveland is arguably a beer city, with 40+ craft breweries throughout the Great Cleveland area. The city does bars, breweries, and pubs very well – there’s literally something for everyone.
But what about spots for people who prefer cocktails to beer? Well, good news – Cleveland has plenty of cocktail bars, too!
Below is my list of the best dedicated cocktail bars in Cleveland, plus a few restaurants that also do notably great cocktails.
Note: This list specifically focuses on cocktails and bars that primarily specialize in them. If you’re looking for mocktail options, I have another post for that!
Cleveland’s best cocktail bars
Here are the best cocktail bars in Cleveland, roughly listed in order of my favorites – though it admittedly does change from time to time, and you really can’t go wrong with any of these!
Porco Lounge & Tiki Room
2527 W 25th St, Cleveland
Located between the historic neighborhoods of Tremont and Ohio City in Cleveland, Porco Lounge & Tiki Room is a hidden oasis of a cocktail bar in a rather unassuming building along W 25th. The tiki vibes are strong here – and the drinks are even stronger! (Seriously, I think they make the strongest cocktails in the city.)
Porco will transport you to the South Pacific with its tiki decor and tropical cocktails, and it’s hands-down one of the best places to get a unique cocktail in Cleveland. Porco uses classic tiki cocktail recipes, made with fresh ingredients and house-made syrups.
Most of their cocktails are $18.
- What to order: Tiki drinks, of course! My personal favorites are the Painkiller and Saturn, while my husband Elliot likes the Fog Cutter and Heart of Darkness. They also have a few shareable cocktails for groups, like the Scorpion Bowl. Find the full Porco menu here.
- Hours and reservations: This spot is open Wednesday-Saturday evenings, and reservations are highly recommended. You can call, or reserve a table online.
- Good to know: Porco also offers food from Pinoy Fine Foods! Highly recommended, as these drinks are super strong.
Cloak & Dagger
2399 W 11th St, Cleveland
Cloak & Dagger is giving dark academia with its low-lit bar and literary theme. This cocktail bar is located in Tremont, and is easily one of the best in Cleveland in terms of both drinks and overall vibe.
Cloak & Dagger is also unique in that they release a new “book” (i.e. a new menu) each season with brand new drinks. Meaning you can visit this cocktail bar over and over and always find something new to try.
All cocktails here are $16.
- What to order: The menu is always changing! But they always have a “Legends” section of their more popular and classic drinks. The Dagger Dagger and Rabbit’s Foot are favorites of ours. They can also make several of their cocktails non-alcoholic. See the current Cloak & Dagger menu on their website.
- Hours and reservations: Cloak & Dagger is open Tuesday-Sunday nights, and reservations are needed. You can make them online through OpenTable.
- Good to know: They also have a small menu of all-vegan bar snacks.
Amazonia
1640 Hopkins Ave, Lakewood
Listed on Google Maps as a pizza spot, Amazonia is also home to an incredible little speakeasy-style bar inside a converted house in Lakewood. The indoor bar space is dark and filled with antiques, trinkets, and the feeling of stepping into the attic collection of an old explorer.
The drinks here are inventive and delicious. Classic cocktails cost $13-$14, while themed specialty cocktails cost $16-$18.
- What to order: The drink menu has changed since I visited, but definitely take a look at their specialty cocktail menu, which is always themed and thoughtful! See the full Amazonia menu online.
- Hours and reservations: Amazonia is open Tuesday-Sunday nights, and they don’t take reservations unless you have a large group.
- Good to know: Amazonia has a great pizza menu, too, along with some small plates and a blackberry gelato that you really should try. It’s also connected to the patio at Hola Tacos.
Society Lounge
2063 E 4th St, Cleveland
Society Lounge is a speakeasy-style bar downtown that is designed to take you back in time to the swanky social scene of decades past. Walk down the steps from E. 4th street into the newly-renovated elegant space, and enjoy specialty hand-crafted cocktails using fresh ingredients and homemade syrups.
Specialty drinks here are all $18.
- What to order: My go-to is either the Burnin’ the Benjamins or Giggle Juice, while Elliot is all about the Legend of Bagger Vance. They also have mocktails See the full Society Lounge menu online.
- Hours and reservations: Society Lounge is open Tuesday-Saturday nights, and they do technically take reservations, though it’s through their “private events” page.
- Good to know: Society Lounge is also known for transforming into the festive Miracle Pop-Up Bar during the Christmas season, which is one of the best holiday pop-up bars in Cleveland.
Flower on Freeman
2102 Freeman Ave, Cleveland
Brand new in 2025, Flower on Freeman easily made it onto this list after just one visit. The bright bar in Duck Island (not far from West Side Market in Ohio City) feels both fancy and whimsical, with a colorful interior and a nice little patio space.
Drinks here average around $17, with a few more expensive ones. Mocktails are $7-$11.
- What to order: The hand-crafted drinks here are beautiful and unique; I really liked the Pocket Full of Posey, while Elliot enjoyed the Smoked Blossom. They also have some unique mocktails on the menu. See the full Flower on Freeman menu online.
- Hours and reservations: They’re open Monday-Saturday nights, and currently are not taking reservations, but that could change.
- Good to know: Flower on Freeman also serves some small plates, and the Gold Board (for either 2 or 4 guests) might be the most beautiful cheese + charcuterie board I’ve ever been served.
Velvet Tango Room
2095 Columbus Rd, Cleveland
Just around the corner from Flower on Freeman, Velvet Tango Room is one of Cleveland’s longest-standing craft cocktail bars, having opened in 1996. More than 25 years later, this cozy and intimate cocktail bar is still one of the best places to grab a drink in Cleveland.
Inside, you’ll find a wood-paneled bar and an absolutely massive cocktail list. All drinks here are $20 (except during Happy Hour Monday-Friday), and are made to order.
- What to order: There are so many cocktails to choose from. Under each type of alcohol on the menu you’ll find “Classics,” “Contemporary Classics,” and then “VTR Originals,” which you’ll only find at this bar. Last time I went I had an India Lime Fizz (a VTR gin original), and it was so good. Find the full Velvet Tango Room menu online.
- Hours and reservations: Velvet Tango Room is open 7 days a week, including late afternoons on Sundays. They do take reservations, and you can make them online through OpenTable.
- Good to know: Their dress code is “business casual.” You can often catch live jazz music here, and they also opened a back patio last year, which is open weather-permitting.
Vault
2017 E 9th St, Cleveland
If it’s upscale you’re looking for, head to Vault inside the Metropolitan at the 9 hotel in downtown Cleveland. This swanky cocktail bar is located in old bank vaults (hence the name) beneath the Cleveland Trust Co Rotunda.
If you want to drink in a historic spot with lots of gilded details, it’s hard to beat this one. All the drinks here are hand-crafted, and most cost $20+.
- What to order: There are about 20 drinks on the menu here, including local takes on all the classics. I like the Safety Deposit, and Elliot once tried the AZ85 (a bourbon cocktail), of which they only sell 10 per night. See the full Vault menu online.
- Hours and reservations: They are only open Friday and Saturday nights, and they do not take reservations.
- Good to know: You enter this one through the Metropolitan at the 9 hotel, and while there’s no published dress code, it IS a fancier place, and you’ll find most people in at least business casual wear.
LBM
12301 Madison Ave, Lakewood
I would perhaps argue that LBM is just as much of a restaurant as a cocktail bar, but it identifies itself as a cocktail bar first, hence why it’s on this list! Located in Lakewood, LBM is a Viking-inspired bar with a self-described Norse aesthetic, loud metal music, and inventive cocktails.
I LOVE this spot, and often take visitors here for the unique vibe.
Most cocktails here cost $15.
- What to order: They always have rotating seasonal cocktails alongside a list of classics (I usually like any of their punch-style drinks). See the current LBM drink menu online.
- Hours and reservations: LBM is open Monday-Saturday evenings, and they don’t take reservations unless you have a group of 6+.
- Good to know: LBM also serves excellent food – their burger is probably my favorite burger in Cleveland!
Western Reserve Distillers
14221 Madison Ave, Lakewood
Western Reserve Distillers is a family-owned organic craft distillery that was founded in 2014. The Lakewood distillery creates small-batch spirits, using grains from local Ohio farms. They have a bar and nice outdoor patio in the summer where you can try cocktails made from their award-winning spirits including vodka, gin, and bourbon.
Specialty cocktails here average around $14.
- What to order: They have a really extensive menu of everything from margaritas to mojitos. They have a big Old Fashioneds (Elliot’s favorite), and I always like trying something off their seasonal menu. See the full Western Reserve Distillers menu online.
- Hours and reservations: WRD is open Tuesday-Saturday evenings, plus for lunch on Friday and Saturday. You can make reservations online (but they aren’t generally required).
- Good to know: Western Reserve Distillers also has a full restaurant, and hosts fun events and cocktail classes.
Bar 32
100 Lakeside Ave E, Cleveland
If it’s a fancy bar with a view you’re seeking, Bar 32 is a good option.This cocktail bar is located on the 32nd floor of the Hilton Cleveland Downtown hotel, and has both indoor and outdoor seating with Lake Erie and Cleveland views.
- What to order: There’s a smaller cocktail menu here, and it changes seasonally. Everything tends to be visually pretty as well as tasty. You can see the current Bar 32 menu online.
- Hours and reservations: Bar 32 is open Tuesday-Saturday evenings, and they do not accept reservations.
- Good to know: The bar sometimes closes for private events, so double check online before you go.
And more!
A few spots not included because I still need to visit them:
- Quintana’s Speakeasy – 2200 S Taylor Rd, Cleveland Heights – “Hidden” upstairs from a local barbershop!
- The Whiskey Bar – 2767 Euclid Heights Blvd, Cleveland Heights – A small, cozy bar with a huge whiskey selection.
Restaurants that are also known for their cocktails
There are so many restaurants in Cleveland that also do great cocktails, but here are 3 that I go back to again and again.
The Fairmount
2448 Fairmount Blvd, Cleveland
The Fairmount is a restaurant and bar serving upscale pub fare and a variety of cocktails on the east side. It has a cozy interior and a beautiful outdoor patio for enjoying the weather on a sunny afternoon. Menus here change seasonally, and they always have patio specials during the warmer months. See their menu here.
All Saints Public House
1261 W 76th St, Cleveland
Over in Detroit/Shoreway, All Saints Public House is a restaurant and bar with a full menu, cocktails, an outdoor patio (it has one of the best patios in Cleveland!), and frequent live music. They always have excellent seasonal cocktails – see their menu here.
Rood
17001 Madison Ave, Lakewood
Known for its modern, inventive cuisine, Rood is a restaurant that turns into a “late night pie bar” after hours. You can enjoy craft cocktails throughout the day, plus fresh homemade pies for when you’re craving something sweet. See their current menu here.
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Who makes YOUR favorite cocktail in Cleveland?
Amanda was born and raised in northeast Ohio, and has always been a fangirl of her home state. Now, she’s sharing her love of the Cleveland area, highlighting all the best things to do, see, and eat in the CLE. She’s been running Cleveland Traveler since January 2019.