• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

NC Triangle Dining Food Blog

The Best Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill

  • Home
    • Blog
  • Best Restaurants and Bars
    • The Best Restaurants in Raleigh, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Durham, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Cary – Apex, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Chapel Hill – Carrboro, NC
    • Best Food Specials and Deals in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill
    • The Best Bars and Lounges in Raleigh, NC
  • News
    • Coming Soon to the Triangle – New Restaurants and Bars
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Cary and Morrisville
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Chapel Hill and Carrboro
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Durham
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh
    • New Restaurants and Bars of the Triangle, 2022 Edition
    • New Restaurants and Bars of the Triangle, 2021
  • Index of Reviews
    • Cary – Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Chapel Hill and Carrboro – Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Durham Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Raleigh Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • NC Video Reviews
    • Travel Reviews
  • Food Photos
    • Food Event Photos
  • About
    • NCTD Blogger- Ron Wen
    • NC Triangle Dining Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    • NC Triangle Dining Blog Policy
    • Working with NC Triangle Dining
    • NC Triangle Dining Blog and Social Media Statistics
  • Home
    • Blog
  • Best Restaurants and Bars
    • The Best Restaurants in Raleigh, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Durham, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Cary – Apex, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Chapel Hill – Carrboro, NC
    • Best Food Specials and Deals in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill
    • The Best Bars and Lounges in Raleigh, NC
  • News
    • Coming Soon to the Triangle – New Restaurants and Bars
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Cary and Morrisville
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Chapel Hill and Carrboro
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Durham
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh
    • New Restaurants and Bars of the Triangle, 2022 Edition
    • New Restaurants and Bars of the Triangle, 2021
  • Index of Reviews
    • Cary – Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Chapel Hill and Carrboro – Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Durham Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Raleigh Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • NC Video Reviews
    • Travel Reviews
  • Food Photos
    • Food Event Photos
  • About
    • NCTD Blogger- Ron Wen
    • NC Triangle Dining Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    • NC Triangle Dining Blog Policy
    • Working with NC Triangle Dining
    • NC Triangle Dining Blog and Social Media Statistics

The Greenlight Bar in Raleigh, Find It For Speak-Easy Cocktails and Class

Home » Restaurant & Bar Reviews » Raleigh » The Greenlight Bar in Raleigh, Find It For Speak-Easy Cocktails and Class
May 1, 2014 by Ron Wen

Greenlight Bar, Raleigh- A cozy and lush bar for fancy cocktails and quiet times.  Don't miss the hidden entrance behind the library!

Speak-easy interior at the Greenlight Bar, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Speak-easy interior at the Greenlight Bar, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

It’s great to see all these bar-bars popping up in the Raleigh area!  What do I mean?  I mean places that are purpose-built to have a cocktail or mixed drink in.  Whether you’re talking martinis, gin and tonics or something fancier, when I first got to the area in 2008, bar-bars were few and far between.  It was always light beer in big plastic cups, ack!  But slowly, things started to change.  Craft beers and breweries have become predominant and real bars like Foundation, C Grace and Fox Liquor Bar have picked up the cocktail challenge.  And add one more, the Greenlight, to the bar-bar list!

Classic bar at the Greenlight, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Classic bar at the Greenlight, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Yeah, you might not have heard of the Greenlight because they’re a speak-easy and purposely hidden. Behind a book case over at the Architect, you’ll find a doorway hidden by a heavy curtain.  Inside it opens up to a large room with red leather chairs, marble tables and a large gilded mirror!  Windows on the front face gives this cozy space a slightly different feel with wind and the murmur of Hargett Street wafting into the lounge. A vested bartender in back is handling the small crowd and hands us a couple of cocktail menu.  The Greenlight mixes up some classics along with some house specialties.  I go with a bourbon sour to kick things off.

Bourbon sour at the Greenlight, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Bourbon sour at the Greenlight, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

 

Lauryn enjoying a Meet Your Beet at the Greenlight, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Lauryn enjoying a Meet Your Beet at the Greenlight, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

It takes a bit of time but my drink comes in a low-ball with a piece of lemon peel, very nice!  The drinks here are not cheap, probably about the same price as Foundation ($10 -$11) but well-made.  On a quiet Wednesday night with delicious cocktails, it’s easy to lose track of time in conversation and the warmth of the space.  One more before we head out and it’s soon time to take off.  We grab a couple of business cards in case we need to come back during a busier period.  Text ahead of time on busy nights and they’ll put you on a wait-list.  The Architect gets REALLY busy on the weekend, I’m guessing that even if you can get in here, it’s gotta be noisy.  So I’d stick to the Greenlight on Sunday to Thursday.  Speakeasy’s don’t work so well with a crowd and music thumping outside, eh?

Business card from the Greenlight, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Business card from the Greenlight, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

So after my first visit to the Greenlight, can’t wait to have an excuse to come back. The space works really well on a warm summer night and the cocktails are solid.  Now I just gotta figure out if there was a green light out front signalling if the place is open, darn it!  Next time…

 

Greenlight @Architect Bar

108 1/2 E Hargett Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

919.833.4949

Location on Google maps

Save

Save

Save

Related

Category: Raleigh, Restaurant & Bar ReviewsTag: Bars and Lounges
Previous Post:Al’s Burger Shack in Chapel Hill For Great Burgers and Fries…
Next Post:High-Quality Chocolates from Raleigh at Videri Chocolate Factory!

Sidebar

Subscribe to NC Triangle Dining

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

New Reviews!

  • A Visit to the New ZincHouse Winery & Brewery in Durham
  • Shake Shack, Chapel Hill – Burgers and Fries, Done Right!
  • Best New Restaurants and Bars in the Triangle, 2022 Edition
  • A Look Back at the NC Triangle Dining Scene, 2022

Categories

Inspiration

“Do a little better each day.”

– Thomas Keller, French Laundry

Popular Posts

Copyright © 2023 · NC Triangle Dining Food Blog · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme