Thompson’s

This place is a very cool hang out but definitely for the young college kid. The drinks are great, but the atmosphere is geared towards a young crowd, especially downstairs.

Always a cool experience here. The ambience is great and the walls are filled with conversation pieces. I’ve been several times and introduced friends to this spot. Love it!

Nice surprise! The Atmosphere is a great place to relax and drink some awesome specialty drinks. Don’t forget to look at the bottom of your receipt and get the password so you can get into the hidden underground Pharmacy Bar.

Loved the Grapes of Wrath and 100 Years of Solitude cocktails. Neat atmosphere. Recommend!

It’s so nice to have this sophisticated, classy, grown up bar that you can still show up Fort Worth casual at. I see corporate groups, couples on date night, girls night, it can be anything you want it to be. This is a speakeasy and the street level entrance is disguised as a bookstore. The side entrance has a blue light and stairs to the lower level that requires a password (check their Facebook page). Upstairs and down stairs are both fun, they just have two different vibes. Both are beautifully decorated. The mixologists make phenomenal hand crafted classic cocktails and there is a book with descriptions so you can make the right choice. Drinks average from $ 8−12ish I think. Monday and Tuesday has an all day happy hour where a few of the cocktails are $ 6. It’s fun to sit at the bar and watch the drinks being made, lots of expert bar techniques that are specific to certain drinks. They play great music too.

They have a very long and extensive drink menu. Enjoyed the lighting and quiet atmosphere throughout the lounge. It’s a fun and comfortable place to have a drink.

Let’s start with the confession. I avoided coming here for months because I «just knew» it was going to be a trendy place where the staff and clientele are overly impressed with themselves. Mention of other places that DO fit that bill are for another review.
This place is flat out, bona-​fide cool. It’s a keeper. Bartenders are friendly, easy going, and very conversant in the magical beverage arts (I avoid the word mixologist — my little hangup).
As for the patrons, I think I’ve had more spontaneous — and enjoyable — conversations here per capita than most other establishments I’ve been in. I have, just for the record, been in scores, so I have a solid base for comparison.
Would I go back? My wife and I often do!

My wife and I have been wanting to get to Thompson’s for several months after hearing so many great things. I even liked their Facebook page to make sure we had access to the secret speakeasy bar. Last night we finally had the opportunity to have a fun date night downtown and made Thompson’s Bar the last stop. The vibe is a mixture of 1920’s, New Orleans, and slightly hipster but not the annoying ‘too cool for school’ kind, just the ‘hey awesome beard’ sort. The bartenders are some of the best, just watching them work and trading jokes/​stories with them was fully entertaining. I had a Rum Diary and it was served over crushed ice. The perfect balances of sweet, bitter, fruit essence and kick-​assness. My wife had a French 75, not too unique but the most well made one she has ever had, and it was simply delicious. Two drinks plus a generous tip was $ 37, so definitely on the pricey side, but considering the amount of labor and love put into them I would not hesitate to return.
There was a public art auction sort of thing going on downstairs, so the bookcase was wide open and no password was needed.
Get yourself over to 900 Houston folks, Thompson’s is really unique and special.

Great atmosphere! Makes a normal Fort Worth local feel like we’re stepping into a Boardwalk Empire scene minus the ladies.
Get the password and go downstairs… try the Old Fashioned, probably the best in the area hands down. Great date night or evening with friends. Only downside is no valet for the block of bars so be prepared to walk!

So I was in the Fort Worth area for a week and this place was just down the street from my hotel. On a recommendation from a waitress at the Capital Grille I ended up here. If fact it was so good, I ended up here three nights in a row.
Three nights, three different bar tenders, three great cocktail experiences.
The bartenders here know how to make a cocktail, and if you engage them in some friendly conversation they’ll find you something delicious to drink that you’ve probably never had before.
Next time I’m back in Fort Worth, I’m coming here straight away.

A great cocktail bar in Fort Worth. This location used to be a bookstore so they kept the ambiance. We loved the library feel to this location and it was cozy. The bar has a huge variety. The drinks we tried were really good. The bartenders are very friendly. There is another bar (Speakeasy) here that you’ll need to get a password to. It had a pharmacy feel to it and a bit more up beat. We enjoyed it here and can’t wait to go back.

A cool little speakeasy style bar with neat old-​timey décor (it looks like you’re in a library and sitting room). The drinks are a bit pricey, but reasonably priced given that they’re fancy cocktails. Huge alcohol selection and very nice drink menu with neat, creative drinks made up by the bartenders, plus many old favorites.

I love this bar! Kendall S brought us here for a nightcap on my recent trip to Fort Worth and I really enjoyed the ambiance + the drink menu. Plus the history of how it used to be an old bookstore won me over like nothing else.
It feels like a lot of love went into creating the space — the lighting is just right, warm and cozy; the furniture is vintage and comfortable, set up perfectly for small groups to have intimate conversations over cocktails; and the drink menu is substantial to say the least. I went with a basic French 75 and it was delightful.
We were in and out after just one drink, but if I were a local I could see myself spending many more hours at Thompson’s, sampling the menu, and enjoying the company of friends.

If I wasn’t ballin’ on a budget and actually a real balla’, I’d be spending my money here. But I’ll pop in every so often and splurge a bit. I don’t really venture into many drinks outside of bourbon/​whiskey based, so I can’t say much on the cocktails. The real reason I come back is for the strawberry fields drink. It is seriously like a fresh, wild strawberry in a drink with a wee basil leaf. Each cocktail is perfectly prepared, taking at least 2 – 3 minutes per drink. The wait is worth it.
As for inside and décor, well, good thing other Unilocalers have used their witty, cool adjectives. Less work for me. Go and enjoy :)
EDIT — don’t forget whiskey Wednesdays. Half price all whiskeys. Literally. (Heyyy Perry Van Winkle 23)
Also, Indiana Jones enjoys drinks here.

Saw this place on Unilocal and figured it was new. Right when I walked in I saw like a secret passage to the downstairs, it’s a bookshelf and she just pushed it open and it blew my mind. I didn’t go downstairs, I heard there is a password? Maybe? But also an entry outside to the basement.
Grabbed a seat at the bar. My eyes love to explore, checking out the new place, the style reminds me of that movie «kingsmans» like a classic British style. The staff dress the same way!
On to the drinks! They have a drink menu with lots of cocktails and wines. They offer beer as well. The drink menu will list speciality drinks and then cocktails by liquor ex. Gin, rum, cognac, vodka, etc.
I ordered strawberry fields forever I was worried cause it had cognac and I’m not much of a drinker I prefer a drink with a sweet taste. This drinks was pretty even by taste, I can taste the liquor and the strawberry, def on the strong side. My boyfriend ordered the side car, I cannot remember what was in it but you didn’t taste the liquor more of an orange lemon taste very good! Last drink was the grapes of wrath! My favorite drink so far! Reminds me of a dessert. Don’t let the egg whites freak you out.
I will be coming back here. This bar really focuses on the quality of their drinks.

Been in a few times while hopping around downtown on some weekend nights. I think this place has been more than one or two bars since it opened.
Thompson’s looks like it might have things figured out. It’s nice inside, dim, (yes!) and well laid out. It’s obviously geared for the mature crowd, either in age or behavior. I usually wind up in here by myself, and just plop down at one of the bar seats. The service is great, staff is nice, and the crowd is low key and mostly normal. Never seen anyone here trying to be somebody.
They have one of those «drink menus» that are still popular somehow, but I usually just go for the simple cocktails. I’m old school and boring like that. I like how they shove a glass of water in front of you when you sit down. Yes, the drinks are a little pricey, but here’s the deal… it’s one thing to pay (in this example) $ 9.50 for a call drink cocktail that is worthless, that will cause me to one and out a place. It’s a completely other thing to pay that much and get a good, strong, well made drink out of it. That I can live with, and enjoy. The drinks are made good enough to get away with the prices. They have a huge selection of liquor, and I even noticed some decent port selections, along with some good wines.
…and the atmosphere, it’s nice inside, furniture, layout. Even if there’s a crowd, it’s still quiet. You can’t really hear much talking going on more than a few feet away from you. Good acoustics, or maybe back to the whole «there are mostly adults here, the shot drinking goobers are somewhere else» crowd. Either way, it’s nice.
They do got that «speakeasy» gimmick thing going on tho… whatever. I knew this going in the first visit, knew about the whole password deal, but went in thinking I would check it out next visit. Once I went in, sat down, I found I really don’t care. I like it up top with the rest of the unknowing, or uncaring, masses/​trash/​uncool kids… my kinda people. I can tellya, I’m usually the ugliest person in the joint, and that’s good enough for me. They’ll give you the password once you buy a drink anyway, and at some point I’ll probably check it out, but honestly… I like it upstairs.

Let’s talk about this place! A hidden gem in Fort Worth that is such a cool spot. The bar at the top is setup like a library. You automatically feel relaxed once you enter this place.
The basement is the cool part to me. You enter on the side of Houston St and you need the password to enter. Once your in the WOW factor hits you! I don’t want to spoil it for you. So you must make time to check this place out.
The cocktails are strong and so good! My favorite one was «Killing Pablo»! No food is served so you can bring food in the basement from La Perla next door or the bar across the street.

Win #1 — Half off Whiskies on Wednesday.
Win #2 — Old school elegance and civilized vibe.
Win #3 — Bartenders can hold a conversation. We talked Oil and Gas, Golf and then animé.
Win#4 — Proximity to various steakhouses. This could be the best place to have one or 2 more drinks while that steak digests.
Enjoy!

Love it. Thompson’s is seductive, secretive, sexy… and while their cocktails are anything but simple, their overall concept is definitely back to basics. It’s wonderful to have a new bar downtown that’s totally focused on quality of drinks, that’s it. They’ve got a really beautiful menu with house-​made simple syrups and fresh grown herbs. It’s not cheap, but the prices aren’t insane either, and I think they’re worth the quality of product, service, and ambiance for sure. Probably $ 10-​$ 15 for a cocktail (and there are maybe 12 pour of wine available total), but the options are really seclusive and alluring.
The bar itself is extremely dark — close quarters. There’s some cozy seating, couches and chairs and coffee tables; very much a «living room» essence, and pretty vintage. Dreamy light fixtures and weathered pages from old books all over the ceiling. Thompson’s gets its namesake from the original Thompson’s bookstore that occupied this same space in the early 1900s, so they’re definitely alluding to those roots in both décor and attitude.
The «speakeasy» is downstairs… I haven’t been yet, so I can’t say anything about it, but I do know you have to have the most recent password to get in. I love that idea. It makes it exclusive and special… you can see the blue glow from the street. I’m definitely heading down their next time. The upstairs is just so cozy that I didn’t feel a reason to move. :)

I’ve been lamenting the fact that our downtown recently lost a bookstore and put a Cheesecake Factory in its space. It’s a sign of the times, certainly, but that makes it no less sad to me– it very well could also be a sign of us plunging headfirst into a dystopian, semi-​literate, gluttinous WALL-​E future. Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t have all the answers.
So when I first saw «Thompson’s Bookstore» in the former Bar-​9 space, I got very excited, thinking that maybe downtown was getting rid of a bar that I was not at all fond of and putting a bookstore in its place, and that this was in fact an act of the universe balancing itself out.
Well that’s not the case, as it turns out, but I’m still very excited about what’s going down here.
As you walk up to the door, there’s absolutely no indication that this is a bar. The windows are even frosted so that you can’t see in. But open it up, walk right in, and you’re transported to a space with plush chairs, comfortable places to sit, books on the wall, a cozy living room.
Downstairs (which can be accessed, by the way, by a super-​secret open sesame bookcase passageway, or from outside by a staircase with a blue light indicating that they’re open) has another cavernous bar space, decorated to an antique pharmacy theme. I was told by the bartender you’ll need a password sooner or later to get in, but figured if he wasn’t telling me, it probably wasn’t worth the effort asking. I’ll just sit upstairs at the isle of misfit barflies with the books, thank you very much. Books are my friend.
Drinks are very good, and I feel like the drink menu will lend itself to a lot of comparisons to the venerable Usual here in town. If you’re asking my opinion, I think the drinks are marginally better at the Usual, but they’re still very good here. Plus, this place has fantastical realms of secrecy and make-​believe embedded in the experience, which makes it very cool. Let’s call it a wash.