The Best New Bars in Greater Cincinnati, According to CityBeat Readers

No. 10 Best New Bar: Merchants Club

18 Distillery Way, Newport
Tucked behind Newport’s Party Source, cocktail bar Merchants Club says it's the only club in town where everyone is a member. The space evokes the memory of its namesake — a long-gone mob haunt from Newport’s seedier days. The space is both sleek and welcoming, with leather and velvet accents and a menu of strong and delicious drinks.

Drink recommendation: Merchant 95: Old Bardstown BIB, apricot Munyon's, lemon and prosecco.

No. 9 Best New Bar: The Well

8 W. Seventh St., Covington
Described as equal parts cool and casual, The Well provides a laidback and cozy lounge, as well as a large patio, with plenty of seating throughout and large-screen TVs, making it a great game-day destination.

Drink recommendation: The Pickle Theory: El Jimador tequila, triple sec and Grub Local pickle juice.

No. 8 Best New Bar: Alive & Well

3410 Telford St., Clifton
Spirit-forward cocktail bar Alive & Well opened in Clifton’s Gaslight District in August. Owner Andrew Salzbrun says the bar provides an “out of the norm” Ludlow experience, blending the grandeur of the building’s historic Art Deco façade with a punk-rock ambiance. The drink menu features a curated selection of top-quality spirits, as well as cocktails and wines.

Drink recommendation: A&W Float: Graeter's Madagascar vanilla bean ice cream, Bumbu Rum and root beer.

No. 7 Best New Bar: The Rooftop at 21c

609 Walnut St., Downtown
After a rebrand of its rooftop bar, 21c Museum Hotel opened The Rooftop at the 21c, offering guests a relaxing place to lounge while they enjoy a cocktail, some snacks and an incredible view of downtown Cincinnati. New chef Zachary Barnes’ menu has transformed the bar into an oasis with Peruvian-style fare and coastal-inspired cocktails.

Drink recommendation: Frozen Roasted Peach Sangria: A wine blend with roasted peach, citrus and agave.

No. 6 Best New Bar: Juniper’s Gin Bar

409 W. Sixth St., Covington
Gin is the centerpiece of Juniper’s cocktail menu, with drinks that are crafted with time-tested techniques, but through a lens of innovation that keeps everything exciting and fresh. The bar features a collection of over 200 gins — which is always growing — and an Old World-inspired aesthetic, with low lighting and decor that looks straight out of a Victorian parlor — perfect for sipping on some botanical delights.

Drink recommendation: First Kiss: Fords Gin, Giffards's crème de cacao and chocolate bitters.

No. 5 (TIE) Best New Bar: The Flock

927 Race St., Downtown
A new, laidback LGBTQ+ ultra-lounge hatched in downtown Cincinnati last summer. Following Ignite Entertainment turned its former The Birdcage bar into The Flock. Owner Juan Imeroni says he wanted The Flock to marry the vibe of The Birdcage to the intimacy of a lounge. Plush seating, backlit tables, lounge spaces and a lowered ceiling along the bar were added, along with aviary-themed decor and accents.

Drink recommendation: Visit for the Friday happy hour (5-8 p.m.): Half off wells and calls — Tito’s, Jameson, Absolut, el Jimador, Tanqueray and Barcadi — or half off domestic beers (Bud Light, Miller Lite, Mich Ultra).

No. 5 (TIE) Best New Bar: The Red Leprechaun

20 W. Freedom Way, The Banks
Ireland came to The Banks with the opening of The Red Leprechaun. The concept is led by the Fishbowl at The Banks team, and owner Daniel Scott partnered with chef Brian Duffy from the Spike TV series Bar Rescue to create the menu. Scott describes the spot as a traditional Irish pub with a modern flair, from their menu to the live music. But unique to The Red Leprechaun is the vintage bar, complete with stained glass and imported from Malahide, Ireland. It was built in 1957 and stood for 62 years until 2019 and was refinished for the pub’s opening.

Drink recommendation: The Galway Girl: Lillet Rose and sparkling wine, topped with sparkling cotton candy — or the classic Irish go-to: a Guinness.

No. 4 Best New Bar: Killer Queen

180 E. Freedom Way, The Banks
Killer Queen is a cocktail bar and pizza joint with a menu that focuses on build-your-own pizzas, plus appetizers like salads and soft pretzels. They also boast a cocktail menu featuring eight drinks “inspired by the most treacherous kings and queens in history,” the bar says. The restaurant and bar has a high-energy atmosphere with an Americana-style interior, including a wrap-around bar, and is a catch-all for any activity, whether you’re enjoying daytime drinks, watching the game or dancing until 2 a.m.

Drink recommendation: The Killer Queen: El Jimador tequila, Aperol, St. Germain elderflower liqueur and ginger beer, garnished with rosemary.

No. 3 Best New Bar: Binski’s Bar

2872 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington
When Binski’s Bar opened last year, it did so with the goal of being Camp Washington’s communal watering hole. The bar sits in a bright green building from the early 1900s that was originally a saloon and boarding house (wink wink). An Old Style sign hangs outside — "a signal to anyone in Chicago you’re about to walk into a great bar,” says owner Kiel Erdelac. Inside, visitors will find some classic bar staples like a CD jukebox, darts, rotating drink specials and a community that makes you feel welcome.

Drink recommendation: The beer on the sign: Heileman's Old Style.

No. 2 Best New Bar: Level One Bar + Arcade

1331 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine
You can put your old-school video gaming skills to the test at Level One Bar + Arcade in Over-the-Rhine, with its catalog of classics like Donkey Kong, Q-Bert and Mortal Kombat and an impressive collection of pinball machines. (This house of nostalgia also has Nintendo 64 and Game Cube, the realization of which just made millennials everywhere collectively groan – or that could have just been all of our backs and joints giving out at once.) At the bar, there are two dozen local beers on tap along with game-themed cocktails.

Drink recommendation: The Tron, a bright blue concoction of blueberry vodka, blue Curaçao liquor, lemonade and soda.

No. 1 Best New Bar: Second Story

100 W. Sixth St., #2, Covington
Covington’s Second Story bar, the latest vision from Lost Co., is an artistic, Southern Gothic oasis for every sort of reveler. Like its sister bars Somerset and Alice in Over-the-Rhine, Second Story leans into Lost Co.’s fanciful designs and concepts. The bar’s main space is a large room with stylish and comfortable seating, dazzling chandeliers and hand-painted murals, complemented by large windows. It also brings some garden vibes indoors, featuring a giant artist-created tree “growing” behind the bar that houses bottles of spirits. Second Story also treats its cocktail menu like a conduit between the bar's three pillars — conversation, art and music — to make all three work together.

Drink recommendation: Tropical Tempest: Dark rum, Velvet Falernum, ginger, prickly pear, bitters, lime and soda.