The Best Bars To Visit In Salt Lake City

Image courtesy of Forbes. 

Salt Lake City is a city with a lot of sights and culture to experience, and whether or not you are there for a visit, at some point you’ll want to wind down at a bar that offers something good to eat and drink. 

GiftYa is a digital gift card supplier that offers gift cards for locations all over the country. They offer gift cards for restaurants, museums, theaters, and more. Check out GiftYa’s website and you’ll find pages upon pages of amazing gift options to choose from. GiftYa offers gift cards for many different bars and restaurants, some of which are right in Salt Lake City. 

1. Lake Effect

A bar in Salt Lake City that offers a curated drink menu. 

📍 155 W 200 S | Downtown | lakeeffectslc.com

At Lake Effect, you will experience a blend of master mixology and culinary artistry. It is a cocktail bar with a chef-created menu and curated drink menu you’ll be happy to try. It also has a beautiful atmosphere that you’ll enjoy spending time inside of. 

Drinkwise, you can get yourself something alcoholic or non alcoholic. Their cocktail menu includes creative drinks with fun names like the Midas touch, absinthe minded, and Barbie’s dreamhouse, and their mocktails include ‘like a virgin’ and ‘garden party.’ And on the food menu, you will find shrimp & lobster diablos, lamb ribs, and roasted sea bass. 

“This place is a gem for anyone who loves live music with their meal! The music really enhances the whole dining experience, with jazz downstairs and EDM upstairs during the week across three levels - so cool! The food and cocktails are great, and the rustic interior adds a nice touch.”–Yelp Review

2. Whiskey Street Cocktails & Dining

Cocktails on the original Whiskey Street. 

📍 323 S Main St | Downtown | whiskeystreet.com

Whiskey Street Cocktails & Dining is a bar and restaurant that will make you feel happy that you came. The name represents a part of Salt Lake City’s history from before ‘whiskey street’ was turned into ‘main street.’  

This cocktail bar serves a wide array of drinks. They serve a selection of house specials that include sangria, the smoking gun, ranch water, and a New York sour. They have an old fashioned menu where they serve a Scottish old fashioned, a Tokyo old fashioned, and a Paris old fashioned. You can also enjoy a seasonal classic, or any one of their beers, wines, or spirits. 

“It was a very good experience for me. I had brunch here. I got french toast and fried chicken and it was delicious. The chicken was crispy and the french toast was not too sweet. The waiter and the host were very accommodating too. The place was very clean and lived up to the name of the restaurant. Overall, I would recommend it.”–Yelp Review

3. Prohibition

A prohibition themed bar with a dress code. 

📍 151 E 6100th S | Downtown | prohibitionutah.com

Blocks away from where most other Salt Lake City restaurants are located, you will find Prohibition. It is a bar themed after the prohibition era that even asks that you dress to fit the 1920s theme. They will serve you even if you don’t, but dressing up can, of course, make the whole experience a lot more fun!

Prohibition serves wine, liquor, beer, and placebos, otherwise known as mocktails. Foodwise they offer shareable plates like elk carpaccio, vodka pasta, and vegan options that include tacos and sandwiches. You can also enjoy delicious desserts like beignets, creme brulee, and devil’s food cake. 

“Prohibition has a lovely ambiance, drink selection and food! Anna was our server on a Thursday evening. She was great and very helpful with suggestions. We got to enjoy live music with our dinner. Drinks were well crafted and tasty. The food was delicious and filling too!”–Yelp Review

4. Water Witch

A fun bar in Salt Lake City with many regulars. 

📍 163 W 900th S | Downtown | waterwitchbar.com

Water Witch is a fun place to grab a cold cocktail with your friends. They have many regulars because it is a favorite spot for a lot of people, and it might just become your favorite spot in Salt Lake City too! 

This bar has a list of signature cocktails and rotating cocktails. What they currently have to offer is the hot Todd, Irish coffee, and gravy boat. They also have lots of beers and wines to offer, and the ‘all night zone’ that includes many types of spirits like bourbon, whiskey, cognac, rum, and more. 

“Scoop is the man! This bar was amazingly amazing. If you're in SLC and you're a cocktail person, this place is a must. If you're thinking about not going here...you're thinking crazy. I had a mai tai. Then I told the bartender what kind of drinks I like, and he made me a phenomenal off menu passion fruit tiki drink that was one of the best cocktails I've ever had. Great atmosphere. Great people. My only regret is that I left!”–Yelp Review

5. The Green Pig Pub

📍 31 E 400th S | Downtown | thegreenpigpub.com

The Green Pig Pub is an eco-friendly pub that has more to offer than so many places. They have an amazing menu that accommodates all types of diets from vegan to gluten free, and they also offer live music on some nights. The live music is on Monday nights, karaoke is on Thursdays, and trivia is on Sunday and Wednesday nights. 

And whatever event you visit for, you can enjoy it while drinking plenty of draft beers, ciders, pilsners, IPAs, and ales. There is also a great selection of food offered on the menu. It includes beef sliders, street tacos, Cubanos, chile verde nachos, and more!

“I always enjoy the Green Pig. It is my go to location before a concert, U game, or any other event downtown. I haven't found a dish I don't enjoy. The service is always fast and friendly. It's a little loud on weekends. If you can get a seat on the patio deck upstairs I recommend it. It's a great view and a little quieter. Take my word for it, you won't be disappointed at the Green Pig.”–Yelp Review

6. Scion Cider

A bar that is dedicated primarily to cider! 

📍 916 Jefferson St W Ste | Downtown | scionciderbar.com

If you’re a fan of cider the Scion Cider is where you need to go when you’re in Salt Lake City. They have over 225 ciders along with wines, beers, and spirits. This cider focused bar offers a rotating menu of modern and traditional ciders and ciders from urban producers and artisans around the world. 

This cider bar has something to offer that will please every palate. On top of all the ciders and drinks they have on tap, they also have a rotating snack menu. You can get gourmet potato chips, charcuterie boards with imported cheeses, focaccia, nuts with olives, and more. 

“It's so cool that this area has a dedicated cider bar, with a huge selection and knowledgeable staff to guide the decision-making process. We're pretty new to hard cider. My favorite was definitely the Original Sin Black Widow, which is a blackberry cider and pretty sweet. This seems like a fun and low-key place to try something new, and they even have an outdoor patio.”–Yelp Review

7. Cooper Common

Order wines, cocktails, and oysters. 

📍 111 E Broadway Ste 190 | Downtown | coppercommon.com

Head to Cooper Common for natural wine, cocktails, and oysters. You can go there to eat, drink, and enjoy foods and cocktails that you’ll want to go back to again and again. 

They have a list of creative cocktails that include buttered bee’s knees, hour of the wolf, and drunken angel. There is also plenty of beer, wines by the glass that come in red and white. And on top of all there is to drink, you can order oysters, shrimp cocktails, crab beignets, steak frites, and more. 

“I love this place. It is small and quite cozy with muted lighting and nice jazz background music. The service was attentive and kind. I played mocktail roulette and the bartender made me a yummy cocktail. I ordered the winter sundae which had vanilla soft serve, brown sugar oat crumble and chai spiced pear jam because I am a sucker for anything chai and it was so good.”–Yelp Review

8. The Bayou

A Creole and Cajun spot right in Utah. 

📍 645 S State St | Downtown | utahbayou.com

The Bayou has won ‘best beer selection’ in the city from 2003 till 2023, and if you visit you will understand exactly why. There are many choices available when it comes to beers to drink, and the food they serve is mostly creole and cajun, which is something great to find outside of the actual bayou! 

If you want to enjoy something to drink along with some cajun food in Utah, you will have a great time at the Bayou. The beers available go on and on, and there are numerous sweet cocktails and wines to choose from as well. There are numerous classics on the menu as well as creative variations on the usual. 

“We've come to this place many times over the years. The gumbo and jambalaya are really good. We've tried a lot of different dishes over the years and most are done well. The drink selection is extensive and the bartenders do a great job. It's comfortable and a place you can relax w friends over drinks.”–Yelp Review

9. Piper Down Pub

An Irish style pub in the middle of Salt Lake City.

📍 1492 S State St | Downtown | piperdownpub.com

Piper Down Pub is a bar for drinks, parties, and live music. It is known to be one of the best pubs in Salt Lake City. It offers plenty to eat, drink, and an Irish vibe in the heart of Salt Lake City. 

This pub holds events that happen weekly. They also offer weekly lunch specials like tacos on Tuesdays, a burger with fries on Thursdays, and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. This place will not disappoint whether you primarily go for the food or the drinks. And on top of going there for weekly events, you can plan and set up parties with everyone you know! 

“Great pub with an awesome vibe! The food was delicious, with generous portions that definitely hit the spot. The drinks were spot-on, and the bartender really knows how to keep the energy up and made our night even better. Highly recommend the wings; they're packed with flavor and cooked perfectly. If you're looking for a relaxed spot with great food and drinks check it out.”–Yelp Review

10. Twist

A party spot with great food and drinks. 

📍 32 Exchange Pl | Downtown | twistslc.com

Twist is the bar to visit if you want to go and have a lively and fun time with your friends. It is a unique multi level bar, bistro, and nightclub that offers anything you need in one place. There is an amazing patio outside where they host parties that feature live DJs, and it also happens to be the safest bar around! 

“On vacation visiting a friend and we ended up coming in back to back nights because we had such a good time. Love the vibe of the upstairs/downstairs dynamic. Really liked the guy behind the bar, Mike. He made some solid drinks. Definitely a spot to revisit.”–Yelp Review

Salt Lake City is an amazing city packed with great bars that you should visit, and this list consists of some of the best they have, so pick one out when you’re in town and go have a good time!