Raleigh-Durham Bar Guide
30+ bars across the Research Triangle, curated by editors who know the area.
The Research Triangle drinks better than its size suggests. Foundation in Raleigh has held a James Beard semi-finalist nomination most years since 2014. Durham's natural-wine scene quietly runs as deep as Brooklyn's. The two cities are 25 minutes apart and the locals bar-hop between them most weekends.
Five neighbourhoods cluster the action. Downtown Raleigh runs the polished cocktail-room spine. Glenwood South is the bar-crawl strip. Durham downtown holds the natural-wine and creative-class layer. Five Points is the small-bar residential quarter. Brightleaf Square in Durham is the heritage-warehouse drinking district.
Cocktails run $11 to $14. Pints $5 to $7. Tipping is 20 percent. Most bars run to 2am. Reserve Foundation and Watts & Ward on weekends.
Browse by occasion
Cocktail Bars in Raleigh-Durham
World-class cocktail rooms
Rooftop Bars in Raleigh-Durham
Skyline drinks
Date Night in Raleigh-Durham
Romantic spots
After Work in Raleigh-Durham
Apéro-hour bars
Live Music in Raleigh-Durham
Bands and DJs
Craft Beer in Raleigh-Durham
Microbreweries and taprooms
Hidden Gems in Raleigh-Durham
Unmarked doors
Sports Bars in Raleigh-Durham
Watch parties
Top Picks This Week
Foundation
Triangle's most awarded cocktail bar. James Beard semi-finalist. Speakeasy basement under Wilmington Street. Classic-cocktail-leaning menu, leather banquettes. Reserve.
Watts & Ward
Speakeasy reached down a staircase off Fayetteville Street. Long marble counter, candle-lit, and a tight rotating cocktail menu.
Bar Brunello
Wine-and-cocktail bar with one of the Triangle's best Italian wine lists. The kitchen is excellent. Best for a long Friday-evening tasting.
Whiskey Kitchen
American whiskey bar with a long bourbon-and-rye list and serious bar food. Skews late-twenties to thirties professional.
Alley Twenty Six
Durham's flagship cocktail bar. Long bar, classics-leaning menu, and the Durham cocktail-industry's regular spot. Reservations recommended.
Ponysaurus Brewing
Durham's flagship brewery. Fifteen house taps, outdoor patio, and the most communal Durham weekend evening.
Neighbourhood Guide
Downtown Raleigh
The cocktail-room spine. Speakeasies, awarded bars, and the densest concentration of serious drinking in the Triangle. Walk Fayetteville and Wilmington.
Durham
Twenty-five minutes west of Raleigh. Natural-wine cellars, brewery district, and the most creative-class drinking in North Carolina.
Glenwood South
Raleigh's bar-crawl strip. Twelve bars in five blocks. Cheap drinks, college-town energy, and the loudest weekend nights.
Five Points
Raleigh's small-bar residential quarter. Wine bars, neighbourhood cocktail rooms, and a thirty-something local crowd.
Brightleaf Square
Durham's heritage-warehouse drinking district. Converted tobacco warehouses now hold cocktail rooms, restaurants, and one Michelin-starred dining room.
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