Cleveland has cocktail rooms worth choosing for the setting as much as the drink. Some keep the lights low and the music close; others go all in on a theme. These are places from our newly researched cocktail guide that lend themselves to a longer night out.
The list below is a starting point, not the whole ranking. For all 28 bars, scores, photos and a map, open the updated Cleveland cocktail bar guide.
Hidden doors and themed rooms
Where to go for a speakeasy or theme bar night
Tremont
Velvet Tango Room
Best for: A classic cocktail with live jazz
Velvet Tango Room is the classic cocktail lounge of the group, on Columbus Road near Duck Island, just below Tremont. The reason to go is the house cocktail list, with live jazz and a piano setting the tone in a room that suits conversation.
On a warm night, carry your drink out to the quiet back garden. It is a strong choice for a date or for two couples who want to talk more than shout.
North Olmsted
Seeing Double
Best for: A speakeasy night without driving downtown
Seeing Double Speakeasy Bar brings the format to North Olmsted, on Brookpark Extension, so west side suburbanites can get a craft cocktail close to home. The calendar mixes trivia and live music with a happy hour, which makes it a more social night out than a hushed lounge.
Like Society, it leans into Christmas decorations during the holidays.
Tremont
Porco Lounge & Tiki Room
Best for: Rum drinks on a flamingo patio
Porco Lounge & Tiki Room is a tiki bar on West 25th Street in Ohio City, and the theme runs all the way through, down to the flamingo decorations on the patio. Order a rum drink, expect it to be strong, and settle in.
The staff are welcoming and there are sliders if you need something to eat. It is at its best outside on a warm night.
Tremont
Cloak & Dagger
Best for: Craft cocktails and vegan food in Tremont
Cloak & Dagger on West 11th Street in Tremont is built around a Dungeons and Dragons theme, with craft cocktails and a vegan kitchen that does a lot with seitan.
Seating is limited, so it suits two or three people better than a big group. It pairs well with Velvet Tango Room, a short ride down the hill toward Duck Island.
West Park
Bad Medicine
Best for: Inventive cocktails and records on the turntables
Bad Medicine is on Lorain Avenue on the city’s far west side. The cocktails are inventive, dual turntables handle the music, and lamb sliders are the food order to know.
Happy hour deals make it an easy early evening stop, and it is a short drive from LBM if you want a west side pairing.
Cleveland Heights
Quintana's Speakeasy
Best for: A quiet date night
Quintana's Speakeasy in Cleveland Heights is a hidden bar behind Quintana's barber shop on South Taylor Road in Cleveland Heights, reached by buzzer. House originals sit next to the classics, with infusions like orange bourbon and peach mezcal, and there's a bourbon room upstairs.
The room is small, so book ahead on weekends. Live music on Thursdays and a monthly cocktail class. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Willoughby
Westel's
Best for: A bourbon cocktail in Willoughby
Westel's in Willoughby is a cocktail bar on Erie Street in Willoughby with a seasonal list of signature drinks, classics and martinis, house syrups and its own barrel-pick bourbon. Regulars ask for their bartender by name.
Dog-friendly patio. The hidden 1920s speakeasy room is for private events. Open late every night.
Planning a route
Where to start your night
Pair Porco in Tremont with Velvet Tango Room near Duck Island if you want two very different rooms close together. Cloak & Dagger also fits a Tremont evening. For a west side night, try Bad Medicine in Cleveland, then plan a separate visit to Quintana’s in Cleveland Heights or Seeing Double in North Olmsted.
These bars vary in reservations, hours and seating. Check each business page, then confirm with the bar before leaving.
Explore the ranking
Find the right cocktail bar for you
The full cocktail guide has 28 bars with individual profiles, photos, hours, Hype Scores, sentiment scores and an interactive map. Search by name, filter by area or style, and compare places before you go.
Good to know
Questions before you go.
Which Cleveland cocktail bars have a speakeasy feel?
Velvet Tango Room, Seeing Double, Quintana’s and Westel’s each offer a different take on a low-key cocktail room. Check the full guide for current details and locations.
What is a Hype Score?
It is a Cleveland Guides editorial measure of local buzz relative to the other bars in the guide. It is separate from Google ratings and the sentiment score.
Keep exploring
Explore all 28 ranked cocktail bars
Compare the complete guide with photos, maps, Hype Scores and a business page for every bar.