Kingfisher

I am a former bartender, and don't go out for drinks much - I can generally make myself something wonderful at home. While in Durham for a conference, I stopped in here for Tuesday night jazz. I was not expecting to be blown away by the cocktails, but here we are. It was late summer, and the tomato margarita blew my mind. It was absolutely outstanding, and I have never had anything like it before. This was everything I have ever fantasized about a cocktail made with fresh tomato water, garnished with tomato and all. The rye morning glory was no slouch, either; the slice of sweet potato with spices was ::chef's kiss::.Please note: they proudly display their James Beard Outstanding Bar Semifinalist award by the bathroom. As it should be. Kingfisher, I love you.

Wow. Finally made it to Kingfisher late on a weekday evening, and I can't wait to go back. A certain class of cocktail bar attempts to pull off inventive, outside the box cocktails with unusual local ingredients and in my experience these efforts usually fail. Kingfisher succeeds wildly. They offer several pages of seasonal cocktails, none of which are based around a base spirit or vintage cocktail. Instead, they are based on an idea or scene or ingredient (sweet potatoes anyone? They make it work!) I had a cocktail based on a patch of honeysuckle at night, and damned if it didn't evoke exactly that experience, down to a hint of wet grass.The decor is funky yet welcoming, with a circular bar as the centerpiece and comfy lounging areas around the perimeter. It's an understated and fun mix of dark 50s lounge with a dose of modest psychedelia.It was pretty quiet when I visited, so I got excellent attention from the bartenders. They're total experts and it was fun letting them riff about cocktails, ingredients, etc.

Too cool for school. We show up 20 minutes before close on a Friday night and they've already made last call. No problem...we will all order the same drink...we just parked and came just to go to this bar. But they can't be bothered to honor their posted closing time. Places like this ruin cities. Next.

We have been wanting to check this place out. We've heard great things, but left very disappointed! The ambiance was cool and thought drinks were creative. However the prices were outrageous! We paid $42.55 for two drinks. There are too many other affordable options in the area. We will not be back.

Vibey little cocktail bar with creative cocktails and enthusiastic servers. Stopped in for a drink and the server recommended and excellent whiskey drink! Only complaint was that it took 20+ mins for the drink to come out but they recognized and remedied this by giving us half off!

So many fun drinks to choose from it was hard to decide. I enjoyed sitting at the bar and watching them mix up some of the drinks. I chose the watermelon daiquiri after seeing them make one for another customer. The drink was tasty! They have a lot of cool seating areas if you are with a smaller group.

Holy cow. Talk about walking into an amazing basement speakeasy. The cocktails are handcrafted to perfection. They are concerned all the way down to the shape and color of your ice. Their servers are friendly and efficient.

Kingfisher is a must visit! This bar/lounge is perfect for a date night or a small gathering with friends. You can make reservations for a table, sit at the bar or chill in their whimsical back patio/garden. They have an extensive cocktail menu including fun seasonal drinks. My brother enjoyed his rye old fashion and I was adventurous; trying their summer drink with Italian Ice with Miller Lite (shandy).The drinks here are pricy but the quality, attentive staff and ambiance are worth it!

Our last stop on the Durham food tour was the perfect way to end a great day eating and drinking all the goodies with great friends Bellevuebrownie & marshmallow

Had a GREAT first experience at Kingfisher! The staff was very friendly and helpful in picking out drinks. It feels like a speakeasy vibe, which I loved. My favorite part is how the bar is so much bigger than you initially think. I went with a group of 5 and we were taken to a back room with a circular couch which was a great atmosphere to hang out with friends.