As champions of the tried-and-true, defenders of the Canadian tuxedo and devotees of the OG dive, we’ve always had a soft spot for the classics. And Raleigh knows a thing or two about the dynamic dance between preservation and reinvention.
Empire Eats
Few places capture it quite like The Raleigh Times. Housed in the historic 1906 Downtown building where the city’s daily headlines once rolled off the presses—and where The Raleigh Times name first made its mark—the longtime watering hole now pours pints in place of ink, pairing old-school character with a steady modern buzz.
Over the years, the space has been thoughtfully restored and expanded, now boasting a full bar, second-floor seating and rooftop patio that reads like Raleigh’s skyline story in real time—a front-page example of Raleigh’s power progress and historic hospitality. It’s one of those places where you can catch kids in soccer clothes, folks grabbing a cold one after work, or two suits trying out a first fling.
The whole gamut, gathered together—whether stopping in for a craft beer poured by a crew of Cicerone Certified Beer Servers, digging into one of the city’s best burgers or heading up for rooftop hangs with an elevated front-row seat to Raleigh’s evolving next chapter. Basically, the kind of place where history and happy hour share the same table (and views).
Some places come and go. This one just keeps showing up—and showing out. More than a century after its first chapter, The Raleigh Times still holds its place in the city’s story—no rewrite required. Proof that some headlines stay relevant. raleightimesbar.com
Glenwood South gets its groove back with new club opening.
If you thought Downtown Raleigh’s nightlife scene was cooling off, think again. Dropping a fresh jolt of after-dark energy on Glenwood South is Hibernian Hospitality Group’s Sage Room at Botanical Lounge, officially hitting the scene Jan. 28.
Originally launched as a private event space in 2021—when Hibernian famously resurrected its OG Solas into the three-story Botanical Lounge and Highgarden—the newly activated club level taps straight into the group’s nightlife DNA.
Longtime locals will remember Solas as a prepandemic post-up spot, from buzzy brunch bashes to high-octane DJ sets, live shows and packed dance floors—even weddings and private events—that kept the calendar humming.
Now, that same party-forward spirit returns with a mod edge. Channeling those vibey roots, Sage Room will feat. DJ-driven Top 40 playlists, luxe lounge seating, exclusive VIP bottle service and a small plates menu designed for late-night sharing—positioning it as a go-to for birthday blowouts, bach weekends and spontaneous dance-floor detours. Think elevated club energy without losing the approachable, anything-can-happen MO that made Solas such a magnet.
“We’re incredibly excited to bring this fresh vibe back to Glenwood South,” the team tells RM. “With the combination of great music, comfortable seating, tasty bites and top-notch service, we’re creating the perfect spot for a memorable night out.”
Perched on the second floor, Sage Room becomes another strategic stop in the group’s Glenwood South orbit—easy to fold into a night that starts with bites at Hibernian, spans pours at Peggy’s, Botanical or Raleigh Beer Garden; and ends on the dance floor. In short: proof that Glenwood’s nightlife pulse isn’t fading—it’s evolving.
Piggybacking off of Capulet’s almost-immediate success, Rosebud will carve out its own lane: a sophisticated midcentury-mod cocktail haven drawing inspo from Japanese culture and ethos, while honoring classic cocktails, multigenerational nostalgia and quality service. Layer in a hi-fi sound system and weekly vinyl DJs, and the mix lands as a distinctive cohesive space tuned to a rhythm Raleigh hasn’t quite heard before.
“Having the opportunity to respect what Ashley [Christensen] and all the great bartenders, including Zack, have done here—keeping what they did well and putting our own new spin on it—it’s really cool to have,” says Shanahan. “This was one of five bars before—now it’s one of 500, it seems.”
Writing a new chapter in local F&B lore, the bar will focus on classic cocktails crafted to perfection—no frills, no smoke and mirrors. “The precision is going to make us different,” maintains Shanahan. Leaning further into Asian influence, an omakase flight will anchor the menu, spotlighting three bevs (one of which may be NA or low-proof) curated ahead of time by the bar team and rotating monthly.
A nod to Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, “Rosebud,” like Capulet, also reflects the local hospitality entrepreneurs’ background in filmmaking and love of cinema while diving deeper into the film’s central theme of nostalgia. That throughline comes to life in retro furniture sourced from Shanahan’s vast 10-year collection, an extensive vinyl selection, layered decor and even the Japanese denim workwear-inspired employee uniforms.
“If Peregrine is like an art gallery and Capulet is a sexy museum, then Rosebud is an analog archive vault,” emphasizes Shanahan. “It’s a very Americanized version of Japanese ethos—still rooted in respect, where everything is an homage.”
Photo by Sean Junqueira
While certain aspects of Rosebud will echo Fox’s iconic past, the basement bar will be almost unrecognizable upon completion—more cinematic set piece than neighborhood watering hole. The exposed brick walls will be covered with wood paneling and cream curtains; the OG black leather booths have been traded out for five different “living rooms” (separated seating areas with a couch, two chairs and a coffee table); and the bar is getting a glow-up from Raleigh Reclaimed, including a black marble bartop. A larger living room, curtain and neon rose will frame the front entrance, lending the space a moody, almost Xanadu-like glow.
Born and bred Raleighites, Shanahan and Opperman’s resurrection of a Downtown icon reflects their hope for DTR’s continued growth. “I’ve seen the ebbs and flows of DTR since I was a kid—and I don’t think you just can give up on a place that you’ve grown up loving and has shaped you,” says Opperman. “Creating new, exciting concepts around Raleigh is really important. That creative energy existed once here—and it’s dying to come back.”
Rooted in Raleigh’s past but built for now, Rosebud carries the city’s creative cocktail spirit forward—pouring something it didn’t know it was missing. @rosebudraleigh
“We’ll never abandon Downtown Raleigh or Raleigh in general—we just have so much hope for it. Now we’re hoping to create something that will bring people back Downtown.” —Robby Opperman
If there’s one thing you know you’re going to get at Boatman Spirits Co. when it opens in late May, it’s a damn good cocktail. Curated over the last decade-plus by local cocktail legend and Boatman co-owner and Manager of Beverage and Hospitality Zack Thomas—of Foundation and The Crunkleton fame, to name just a couple—the extensive menu boasts ample flavorful ops to satisfy all taste preferences.
And these aren’t just your run-of-the-mill ’tails—see: even boat-inspired bevs like the Punch Romaine, aka the last drink served on the Titanic (you know, before Rose didn’t make room for Jack on the door). Reminiscent of a fluffy snow cone, the rum- and white wine-based bev with egg white, shaved ice and soda is served in a big coupe glass for one.
“There are so many unique flavors in Raleigh that not a lot of people have tapped into,” says Thomas. Launching with bevs crafted around spirits the Boatman team has come to love, the forthcoming distillery addition in a few months will give Thomas a broader arsenal—“like a cocktail bar with a lot more tools I can utilize,” he muses of the restaurant-bar-distillery trio.
Similar to Death & Co Market’s Cocktail Codex, Boatman’s menu will be divided into classifications based on how the ingredients interact with the base spirit. Think sections like old-fashioned/julep-style drinks; “duets” (or “alcohol modifiers”) like Manhattans and martinis; “harmony-style” drinks such as sours; and “ensembles” including Tiki drinks and the like. NA selects round out a refined program to ease selection.
Leaning into the restaurant’s Mediterranean theme are such cocktail standouts as the Cleopatra julep, feat. a fragrant mix of olive oil-washed rye whiskey, cinnamon, rose, myrrh, cardamom and mint reminiscent of what historians have determined about the Queen of the Nile’s signature perfume; and the West Side Garden, paying homage to the Mediterranean meals that shaped Thomas’ West Raleigh upbringing via a medley of traditional ingredients like scotch, apricot and tahini.
Serving sips with a story, Raleigh history will be further reflected in bevs like the Black Velvet-esque Velvet Cloak—its name a nod to the historic Hillsborough Street inn—and Little Italy-inspired Little Raleigh, anchored by an acorn amaro Thomas is crafting in collab with Boatman co-owner, distiller and Production Manager Geremy Prichard.
“The cocktail medium is awesome in that it’s one of the few culinary experiences where you have to tell a story,” emphasizes Thomas. “Why do we call a Manhattan a Manhattan instead of rye whiskey and vermouth? It’s meant to talk about the story.” And soon, that drink menu will write its own story—one that’ll have Raleighites talking for months to come. boatmanspirits.com
The cure for a boring night out: the new Bitter Social
A bar isn’t just a place to get a cocktail or grab a beer or glass of wine. It’s a gathering ground—a spot to pull up with your person or fly solo, yap with the bartender, and connect with strangers who turn into friends. … So, happy hour meets social hour, if you will.
Embracing the social side is Bitter Social—as the name suggests, a new bar/social space from the team behind local faves Bittersweet and Johnson Street Yacht Club, Kim Hammer and Lewis Norton.
“I have always firmly believed that bars are community centers,” says Hammer. “I’d like to push that as far as I can with this concept. I want to have a place where everybody can come and meet new people… and you know you can drop by and there will be something going on.”
Slated to debut Downtown later this summer, the concept will take over the rooftop Gallo space, which wraps its run Cinco de Mayo, while downstairs restaurant Centro will remain open. It’s a bittersweet goodbye (pun intended) to the 2015-established mezcaleria—but a full-circle moment for the dynamic duo, who shared an early date and rehearsal dinner there. A fitting handoff rooted in friendship, shared memories and mutual vision, Gallo co-owner and building owner Angela Salamanca approached Hammer about doing something with the space after deciding the bar had lived out its purpose.
From left: Lewis Norton, Angela Salamanca and Kim Hammer | Photo by Monarch & Oak Photo, courtesy of Bitter Social
“It just felt really right to be able to pass the space on to somebody who I not just trust, love and have known for a long time, but respect the work they do within the community,” emphasizes Salamanca, whose Gateway Plaza Mala Pata and Peyote projects are expected to bow soon. “There’s some sadness, some grief, some struggles. But I think, at the end of the day, this is what we do. There’s beginnings, there’s endings… and everything happens exactly how it’s supposed to happen, the way it’s supposed to happen, in the way it’s meant to happen.”
Hammer promises the new concept will make Gallo proud with a fresh energy evoking if Bittersweet and Yacht Club had a baby. So, that trademark all-are-welcome vibe that sparks relationships in lieu of an hourslong Insta doomscroll.
In an effort to provide set programming, Bitter Social will host events on the daily—whether you want to participate or just sit back and watch. Essentially, “things we’re all doing anyway, but just doing them together,” maintains Hammer.
Picture monthly smutty poetry and prose nights cohosted by Blackbird Books & Coffee, along with a monthly “trashy wine club” pairing vino with everything from potato chips to candy. Add in dance parties, the return of Bittersweet’s monthly gin club, a Dear Diary night for reading personal entries, a Grammy watch-party with a DJ spinning Grammy-nominated hits all day— even slow Sundays featuring movie showings or cookouts. So whether you spend your Sundays reading or crocheting, you can do it at Bitter Social “so you’re getting out into the world and existing in a space” with others.
Photo courtesy of Bitter Social
“I’m really excited about slow Sundays because I feel like I’m that person,” she muses. “I don’t want to do anything big, but I like to be around people.” Hammer will also harken back to some “Bittersweet lore” by reviving unique activations from the cocktail/dessert lounge’s early days, like screening Dazed and Confused with a keg in the middle of the room, or “making cherry pie and watching Twin Peaks all day.”
To set the stage, Hammer will be revamping the Gallo space—keeping its beautiful bones a la wood-paneled walls, exposed brick and plants, with a glow-up that includes fresh paint, new loungey furniture and a tweaked layout. “I’m feeling a very 1970s conversation pit kind of vibe,” Hammer explains. “It’s just really important to me that it feels of all times for all people.”
A curated roster of drinks and snacks tailored to each event or theme night will round out the experiences—plus popular potables like whiskey sours and martinis (including the espresso martini), canned cocktails, beers, spirited and THC/CBD seltzers, mocktails, and coffee. And, who knows, a serendipitous collab with Salamanca could be in the cards as well.
“I’ve always been a believer that the communities we live in are a reflection of what we do,” says Salamanca. “For me, this feels really good because the collaboration with Kim and Lewis will yield some really fun stuff we are missing. I think it will be good for Downtown.” @bittersocialraleigh
