Downtown Bar Crawl: 4 Stops, One Evening

This is a working bar crawl through Downtown, Cincinnati's most concentrated drinking neighbourhood. A Cincinnati drinking neighbourhood. Four stops, one evening, mapped by editors who actually drink here on Friday nights.

The order matters. Start polished, peak in the middle, end somewhere quieter. Every room listed below is within a 10-minute walk of the next one — that's the value of a neighbourhood crawl.

Total time: about five hours. Total spend: depends on you, but plan £60-£100 per person. Save this page, send it to whoever you're meeting, and let Downtown take care of the rest.

The Route

Four stops, ranked

Walking distance: under 1km between stops. Treat the timings as guidance, not gospel.

No. 01

Stop 1 — 18:00 Aperitif

Sotto

Downtown · $$$ · Cocktail Bars

Italian restaurant-bar with one of the city's tightest amaro lists.

Start at the most refined cocktail room in the area. One drink. You're warming up.

No. 02

Stop 2 — 19:30 First proper cocktail

Cloud Nine Rooftop

Downtown · $$$$ · Rooftop Bars

Hotel rooftop in Downtown with sunset views and a polished cocktail menu.

Move to the room you'd take a first date to. Sit at the bar, talk to the bartender, order a house special.

No. 03

Stop 3 — 21:30 The destination

Blue Note Lounge

Mt. Adams · $$ · Live Music

Live-music bar in Mt. Adams with bands every weekend, long bar, and a thirty-something local crowd.

The bar that defines the neighbourhood. Reservations help. Stay an hour.

No. 04

Stop 4 — 23:30 Last drink

Cellar 23

Mt. Adams · $$$ · Date Night

Wine bar in Mt. Adams with a tight natural-wine list and a small-plates kitchen. Best for a long Friday evening.

End somewhere unhurried — a wine bar, a music room, or a quiet hotel bar. One simple drink.

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