Velvet Tango Room

One of the top cocktail bars on my list for Cleveland! Pro tip: Make that reservation to have a more intimate experience in the secret back room! Make sure you get there about 15 min early to find street parking on Columbus, or the surrounding blocks. (Drink responsibly, obviously, and call a ride share if needed). I've been twice for late evening cocktails and the staff are so welcoming. I love the live jazz in both areas, setting such a mood. I mentioned celebrating my partner's birthday and, a few minutes later, hearing a happy birthday melody playing on the piano - it was a lovely touch! We found out another group was celebrating a birthday as well! Would recommend sitting at the bar if you're curious about a custom made drink. Everything was spot on and it was such a treat to watch them craft the drinks so expertly. The front space gets packed pretty quickly but has more of a traditional bar vibe. A bit louder and more crowded, so it's easier with a small group. The back room has a few seating arrangements where you could fit up to 6, or 8 possibly, but reservations go quickly. I'd love to come back in the warmer weather when the back patio is open. Note there is a dress code so why not use this outing as an excuse to dress up!

I loved VTR about 13 years ago. Maybe it's me, maybe it's them, but this is no longer what it used to be. The drinks were very traditional, without any innovation at all. In addition, instead of manually shaking the drinks, the bartenders had a mechanical shaker.... Furthermore, it was approximately 10° outside. The bartender stated that she was "too cold" and ended up turning on the air conditioning inside the bar - it was blowing COLD AIR on us! Not really caring about the patrons at all. This place needs to be shut down and revamped for something completely different.

VTR never disappoints. Great atmosphere and drinks. Always recommend to family and friends coming into town to visit.

This cute little speakeasy has hand muddled and specialty drinks. The ambience is super cute. They do have some small bites. Every time I've been there's been a piano player. They have a lovely backyard with a little putt putt game, outback. Check this spot out.

Cool atmosphere. Good drinks Bartenders will listen and recommend We didn't have any food because the kitchen was closed for a large party - they only have a few "heavy" snacks Cocktails are $20

Velvet Tango Room is such a lovely experience every time I come. It has a very intimate, jazz, speakeasy vibe going on. But, no matter how many people are packed into this bar, they make you feel like the only people there. Very attentive, helpful, & friendly! The cocktail menu (or should I say book) is very large, so you will definitely be sure to find something you like! It is sorted by alcohol type, so it is very easy to navigate - don't be afraid to ask questions if you have any! Most of their drinks are around $14, but are worth every penny - they are handmade in front of you and are very delicious! These are some of the best cocktails I've had in Cleveland and I know if you give it a shot you're going to enjoy them too!

Stumbled into this spot around 8 on a Saturday and easily got a table but instantly watched the place fill up after that. Server was incredibly friendly and candid about the cocktails. They have alll of the best classics and some fun seasonal offerings. There was great live music and the space was cozy. There's a great lounge area with a couch that looks almost like a living room and is perfect for groups. A bit loud due to the music in the background but a great spot for a well made drink with art nouveau / art deco vibes.

Expensive but quality & inventive craft cocktails, comfortable setting. Excellent service.

Just a bizzaro world experience of poor service and false accusations at this place. We weirdly got accused of swearing at the hostess and got kicked out even though we never swore at the hostess. We couldn't even figure out what could have been misinterpreted as a swear word. It was one of those alternative universe moments.I usually want to give servers and hostesses the benefit of the doubt because I know it's rough having to deal with people all day, but this was just insanity, especially as the hostess had been kind of rude (and a little spacey - it was weird) with us from the moment we walked in and asked for a table. It was such a bizarro world moment and counter to how I have ever been treated in any other establishment in this city - including many places classier than VTR. The only thing we can figure is maybe she wanted to give our table to someone else? Otherwise I have no idea what was going on. When we arrived she claimed it was an hour wait for a table as she had just seated all of the tables. Fine. Not a big deal. We tried to ask about other places in the area as we didn't want to wait an hour and she just acted annoyed. We then noticed a table was getting up and we pointed it out and asked if that table would work and she then gave us the table. There was a weird side issue because we said we were a party of 5 - we said this a few times to her as when we first arrived she tried to seat us at a 2 person table and when we reminded her we had 5 people, she said they would only be able to serve 2 of us so we said that wouldn't work. When we got to our table we realized the table only had 4 seats. We asked about adding a 5th chair and the hostess wouldn't let us add a seat even though there was plenty of room (VTR also doesn't allow standing so we kind of needed the seat if we wanted our whole group). Then one of our party said it was fine as she was just going to head home as we didn't want to cause issues. Why wouldn't the hostess just say she can't seat 5 and be done with it if it was an issue? We clearly were going to just go elsewhere if there wasn't room for us so it wasn't a big deal. But she just created a disaster situation and then made up stuff to her manager? It was just weird. And the manager didn't even ask us what had been going on. None of this was handled as it should have been for a high end establishment. I obviously will never be going back to this place. It's not the same under the new ownership. We then went to a different wonderful new establishment a little further west (LVL on the window - where clifton martini bar used to be) where we were warmly embraced the moment we walked in and got wonderful cocktails and when we shared the story of the craziness we had just experienced, they tended to favor the wanting the table idea. So I will be continuing to frequent the many amazing bars and restaurants this city offers, just not VTR. Such a bizarro world moment in my life, but I guess an interesting story.

Velvet Tango Room used to be one of our favorite spots. We've been coming here for years, always loving their drinks and service. If a drink wasn't to our liking, they'd replace it without hesitation--no questions asked.This time, we came to celebrate my wife's 45th birthday, and things were completely different. She ordered her usual drink, but it wasn't the same. When we mentioned this to the waiter, he arrogantly told us they had changed the recipe, as if it was our fault for not knowing.We asked to replace the drink with an Old Fashioned, and he brought out half a glass. When we questioned it, he argued that's how it's supposed to be. At that point, we just asked for the check--only to find out we'd been overcharged for both drinks. When we brought it up, the waiter reluctantly adjusted the bill but acted like he was doing us a favor.On top of that, the ambiance has completely changed--and not in a good way. The once classy, upscale decor has been cheapened. It looks like they cut every possible corner, and it shows. Even the bathrooms, which used to feel luxurious with lotions and perfumes, now feel like a gas station restroom. They're stocked with the cheapest toilet paper and paper towels imaginable--so thin they practically disintegrate in your hands.If you came here 2, 3, or 4 years ago, you know why this place was rated as a top 10 bar in the US. It's not even in the top 500 now, and it's because of experiences like this. To make matters worse, when we asked to speak to a manager, we were told the waiter was the manager.We are never coming back. This place is quickly becoming a dump under this new management.