The best cocktail bar in the Triangle has a drink menu as vibrant as the decor

The Triangle's bar scene is full of delicious spots to get a drink, but two of the newest ones are generating buzz for being the very best in the area.

Earlier this month, dozens of nominations poured in when we asked readers who shakes it up with the sweetest creative concoctions and crisp renditions of the classics.

Out of 50 fan-favorite spots to sip on a spritz, here's which spots are raising the bar for the best cocktails around the Triangle.

Best cocktail bar: Nightingale Rooftop Restaurant & Bar

Nightingale Rooftop Restaurant & Bar in Holly Springs is located at 300 S Main St Suite 312.

Nightingale made its mark nearly two years ago as the first rooftop restaurant and bar in Holly Springs. Now, it's also known as the best cocktail bar in the Triangle.

You'd be surprised that a sky-high spot with decor as vibrant as its cocktail menu is nestled downtown of the suburban town, in a building that didn't even exist five years ago.

Made up of multiple areas wrapped with eight different wallpapers, the rooftop bar is on the third floor of The Block on Main, the mixed-use building in Holly Springs' village district.

Fittingly enough, that's where the team pulled the idea for the name, Nightingale - for being perched "high atop Holly Springs," overlooking the downtown area, The News & Observer previously reported, along with being a good spot to spend an evening.

Nightingale Rooftop Restaurant & Bar's outdoor patio, which is open year-round.

‘Modern cocktail culture, maximalist decor'

Nightingale typically has about 12 cocktails on its menu - half classics and half specialty drinks that rotate seasonally, all infused with their own personal touches.

As co-owner and general manager Matt Griffith says, sometimes it's an obvious spin on a classic and sometimes it's something brand new that you wouldn't think is obvious at all.

You see this with Gimlet cocktail made with their house-blended gin and house lime cordial, and the new "Flowers for Johnny" drink made with Jamaican rum, fresh grapefruit, Luxardo maraschino, cane syrup and violet.

"We always wanted it to be focused on really well done classics, and then some great creative spins because cocktails are incredibly popular. We wanted to be able to execute a really nice version of a cocktail bar that fit within a restaurant," Matt Griffith, who also runs Pimiento Tea Room, told The N&O.

"I think winning an award like this is just a reflection of the community saying, ‘Yeah. We love you. We love that you're here.'"

Nightingale Rooftop Restaurant & Bar also has a drink of the month special, with a portion of sales benefiting a specific nonprofit.

Nightingale bar menu

In the beginning, their original vision was a tapas-style restaurant with a very "cocktail-forward" drink program. But food-wise, they've shifted to offering bigger meals, like risotto, shrimp and grits and ribeye pork chop.

Throughout the years, you could say their cocktails have held their place as the star of the show. They even intentionally limit their beer and wine options.

"We definitely focus on things that are in season, because everything tastes better," co-owner and executive chef, Christy Griffith, explained. "Everything pairs well with what we're doing at the bar, even though I'm not necessarily collaborating with whoever's creating the bar recipes, but just the fact that they're using seasonal produce as am I. Everything just naturally goes together."

Nightingale even has a special social group for local cocktail connoisseurs, called Cocktail Club, where members can dive deep into a bit of cocktail history with an interactive mixology experience and live music each month. There is also Whiskey Club, a more intimate monthly event for guests to blind taste test different whiskeys.

The Emerald Room, a private event space often used for birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, and celebrations up to 50 guests.

"We wanted to be different from the typical cookie-cutter type restaurant, and we wanted to be more of a date night place," Chris Harol, a real estate developer and co-owner of the building, said.

"We wanted, not just to have a great meal and great drinks, but a great experience overall. I think adding those little different touches, whether it's the food, the drinks, the design, the service- it all comes into play to hopefully make this a great experience. … So I feel like this helped us feel like the decisions we made are working, and people seem to enjoy it."

Finalist for best cocktail bar: Wolfe & Porter

Wolfe & Porter in Raleigh is located at 905 W Morgan St.

A nod to literary classics Thomas Wolfe and William Sydney Porter - both natives of North Carolina - is a cozy bar outside of downtown Raleigh.

Though it officially opened its doors in May 2024, it was a project years in the making that started out in a space made up of a bottle shop, a five-seat bar and a couple of studio apartments.

Now, it's home to three bars, a cocktail lounge and a "hidden garden" patio with a stage for live music - with a goal to whip up delicious drinks with dynamic, robust flavors and make guests feel at home.

Initially, they just had the concept of being a quaint neighborhood bar, said general manager Richie Reno, but then more things within the building presented themselves. Now, they pride themselves on being a community space that caters "whatever you're into."

The downstairs Cellar, which has antique bourbon selections and signature cocktails, can also available to rent for private events.

‘A place for everyone'

"There's no reason we can't have eclectic menu offerings, but still be approachable and affordable. I think it's those three things that really come across to folks," Reno told The N&O.

From the names to its flavors, the team is putting a lot of effort and fun into mixing up the drinks you might see on the menu - which generally changes with solstices and equinoxes.

"I've worked both in independent bars and corporate bars and restaurants, and it seems like there is a certain number of vodka drinks, a certain number of gin, bourbon and rum drinks that those menus will have. I want to break that mold and just go wild with it," Jacob Gallant, assistant general manager and bar manager, explained.

"Sometimes it's what strikes me at the moment. Other times, I'm out for a walk with my family. … Sometimes it's experiences that lend themselves to creating a cocktail. Sometimes, it's just a funny name that you come up with out of the blue."

Wolfe & Porter offers cocktails, draft beer and wine.

Like the Wolfe of Morgan Street - a rotating cocktail that's the bar's take on an old-fashion that changes seasonally with different sweeteners, and the "Hopeless Rum-antics" with Kill Devil silver rum, Lime, dragonfruit and double-pressed coconut water.

Wolfe & Porter also has several different events each month, like weekly trivia, music bingo, karaoke, run clubs, cocktail classes and more.

Wolfe & Porter's back patio with outdoor stage for live music and special events.

Being named one of the best cocktail bars after only about a year in business? For the team, it's "hard to wrap their heads around."

"The amount of blood, sweat, tears, work, hours, effort we put into it - that's certainly very validating. ... It's a very welcoming feeling to see support from the community," Reno said.

"The fact that we were even nominated within the 50 blew my socks off."