Orlando is home to some of the country's most over-the-top watering holes. However, we also have quite a few small, under-the-radar bars serving great drinks. Here are some of the smallest bars in Orlando that you should know about.
10 tiny Orlando bars you should probably be drinking at more often
By Orlando Weekly Staff on Fri, May 26, 2017 at 7:20 pm
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The Treehouse
68 E. Pine St., 407-205-2062The Treehouse is so perfectly twee that it makes you feel like you're drinking in an elf's apartment. Find the green door on Pine Street and walk up stairs carpeted in fake grass and under "branches" that frame the stairwell, into a cozy wood-paneled room scented like pine needles. Craft cocktails are the bar's specialty, but be forewarned: The menu skews toward the sweet. Fortunately, the bartender was more than happy to mix us something a little less cloying off-menu.
Photo via thetreehouseorlando/Instagram
What to expect here:
They put an adult twist on some of your childhood favorites, like Blackberry Lemonade.
Photo via thetreehouseorlando/Instagram
They put an adult twist on some of your childhood favorites, like Blackberry Lemonade.
Photo via thetreehouseorlando/Instagram
Tap & Grind
59 W. Central Blvd., 407-455-1100Tap & Grind is one of the stellar downtown businesses hidden at the bottom of a huge parking structure. The “Tap” part refers to the loads of well-curated craft beer handles lining the wooden bar; the “Grind” might seem to refer to the skate decks hanging on the wall, but actually the bar opened with the intention of offering third-wave coffee along with the beers, a dream that they promise to revisit soon. In the meantime they don’t open until late afternoon, serving beer and several wines from Quantum Leap. This may be the most chill little space in the CBD – a tiny, relaxed, surf-centric room where you’ll get well-informed guidance through the beer menu and feel the day start to slide off your shoulders. Still feeling tensed out? Visit the bathrooms, which are tiled in a dizzying mosaic of inspirational mantras (and flip on the blacklight to hit another level of mellow).
Photo via tapandgrind/Instagram
What to drink here:
The extensive craft beer list continuously rotates, so you can find a variety of brews nearly every week, like J. Wakefield Paan Wala.
Photo via tapandgrind/Instagram
The extensive craft beer list continuously rotates, so you can find a variety of brews nearly every week, like J. Wakefield Paan Wala.
Photo via tapandgrind/Instagram
Hanson’s Shoe Repair
27 E. Pine St., 407-476-9446The speakeasy theme has been done to death, but Hanson’s does it right – you have to call ahead to get a password; only a limited number of people are allowed into the dim, narrow, impeccably designed space; and the craft cocktails are out of this world. No vodka served here – vodka wasn’t part of the American cocktail lexicon during the Prohibition era – but the bartenders will be happy to mix you something that’ll prove even more satisfying than that Cosmopolitan you may have had in mind.
Photo via hansonsshoerepair/Instagram
What to expect here:
The cocktail menu is always being refreshed, so try the bartenders’ latest concoctions, like the Au Revoir Ete.
Photo via Hanson’s Shoe Repair/Facebook
The cocktail menu is always being refreshed, so try the bartenders’ latest concoctions, like the Au Revoir Ete.
Photo via Hanson’s Shoe Repair/Facebook
The Courtesy Bar
114 N. Orange Ave., 407-450-2041One of the first Orlando bars to kickstart the craft-cocktail movement here, the Courtesy is a don’t-miss on any true connoisseur’s barhop. Truly creative drink recipes are tested exhaustively before hitting the menu – no “hey, this might be good” sloppiness here – and only a few customer favorites stick around through the menu’s seasonal updates. In addition to the delicious drinks, the vibe is sophisticated without being stuffy: Lighting and sound levels are both pleasingly low, while style points for the vintage furnishings and long banquette are high.
Photo via thecourtesy/Instagram
What to expect here:
The cocktail menu frequently changes, so you can try the bartenders’ latest concoctions, like the "Love Me Dead," with Toki Japanese Whisky, Banane Du Bresil, Peychauds Aperitivo, Dolin Blanc and orange bitters.
Photo via blakejones/Instagram
The cocktail menu frequently changes, so you can try the bartenders’ latest concoctions, like the "Love Me Dead," with Toki Japanese Whisky, Banane Du Bresil, Peychauds Aperitivo, Dolin Blanc and orange bitters.
Photo via blakejones/Instagram
Ivanhoe Craft Bar & Packy
1915 N. Orange Ave., 407-270-4685The owners of the Savoy bar and Ivanhoe Spirits liquor and package store have merged part of one with the other and created the Ivanhoe Craft Bar & Packy, a place where you can sit and sip a properly built craft cocktail or a beer from a wide-ranging list, or just pick up the ingredients to make/sip your own at home.
Photo via ivanhoeorl/Instagram
What to expect here:
The drink menu is ever-changing, so you can try new drinks every week or so, like the Basil Papaya Smash.
Photo via ivanhoeorl/Instagram
The drink menu is ever-changing, so you can try new drinks every week or so, like the Basil Papaya Smash.
Photo via ivanhoeorl/Instagram
Belle Isle Yacht Pub
7521 S. Orange Ave., 407-850-3491You hear this a lot, but the Yacht Pub really is like drinking at a friend’s house (well, the big covered porch is, anyway, with its dartboard, air hockey table and random assortment of battered couches). Inside it’s a compact, cozy spot to get a decent beer or three, watch the game, or maybe take in a band on the tiny stage.
Photo via inoculum/Instagram
What to expect here:
The beer menu rotates, so the craft beers on tap are constantly changed up.
Photo via Belle Island Yacht Pub/Facebook
The beer menu rotates, so the craft beers on tap are constantly changed up.
Photo via Belle Island Yacht Pub/Facebook
The Thirsty Topher
601 Virginia Drive, 407-491-4342Even after moving from its first location, the Thirsty Topher isn’t any less of a cool hangout. There’s a massive amount of interesting beers, a well-curated wine list, and well-informed bartenders to help you make good choices – plus interesting decor and outdoor tables. To top it off, they have food trucks come through for some interesting eats. Meet a blind date here if you want to seem cool, or bring your regular honey for a low-key but grown-up date night.
Photo via The Thirsty Topher/Facebook
What to expect here:
The extensive craft beer list continuously rotates, so you can find new brews nearly every week, like J. Wakefield Orange Dreamsicle.
Photo via thirstytopher/Instagram
The extensive craft beer list continuously rotates, so you can find new brews nearly every week, like J. Wakefield Orange Dreamsicle.
Photo via thirstytopher/Instagram
The Caboose Bar
1827 N. Orange Ave., 407-898-7733The Caboose is as unpretentious as a bar gets, with loud music, a piecemeal approach to furnishing the space – which is now twice as big as when they started – and no-frills ways to get wasted with stiff drinks and domestic pitchers. You can disappear here.
Photo via The Caboose Bar Orlando/Facebook
What to expect here:
On Friday nights, there’s a $5 all-you-can-drink Bud Light special from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Photo via The Caboose Bar Orlando/Facebook
On Friday nights, there’s a $5 all-you-can-drink Bud Light special from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Photo via The Caboose Bar Orlando/Facebook
The Hideaway Bar
516 Virginia Drive, 407-898-5892The Hideaway is open at 7 a.m. every day but Sunday (when they open at 9 a.m.), so it’s very aptly named any time you want to duck away. The bartenders have got your back day or night, making anybody feel welcome but sternly against any bullshit in the bar. It’s a perfect place to catch a game, shoot pool, bury your face in a dark room with fried food, or post up on the patio and watch another day in the Ivanhood slip by.
Photo via thehideawaybar.net
What to expect here:
The beer menu is constantly updated, so there’s typically a good list of new (and sometimes seasonal) craft beers available.
Photo via hideawaybarorlando/Instagram
The beer menu is constantly updated, so there’s typically a good list of new (and sometimes seasonal) craft beers available.
Photo via hideawaybarorlando/Instagram
Celery City Craft
114 S. Palmetto Ave., Sanford, 407-915-5541Have you been to Sanford lately? If you haven’t, you’re missing out. Celery City Craft is one of a bunch of cool hole-in-the-wall places that make this city perfect for bar-hopping. It’s a friendly place if you’re by yourself, there are 51 craft beers on tap, and there’s a lovely back deck for summer beer-sipping and a bistro menu of soups, sandwiches and snacks. Go for lunch, go for a light bite or just go and have beer for dinner.
Photo via Erin Sullivan
What to expect here:
The extensive craft beer menu continuously rotates, so you can always find new brews.
Photo via lance_el/Instagram
The extensive craft beer menu continuously rotates, so you can always find new brews.
Photo via lance_el/Instagram
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