Cryptatropa Bar

Quintessential Olympia! Friendly bartenders who take their craft seriously and an intriguing atmosphere that you just have to experience! Let the bartender choose your drink for you, these guys know their stuff!

Great cocktails. Chandeliers, best «dealers choice» cocktail I’ve ever had. A nice change from the hippy hangs. Expect some decent metal music to match. One of my favorite bars I’ve ever been to.

One thing about this bar is it is very hard to find in the dark and it is really easy to walk or drive past it when you are looking for it. The inside is like a vampire’s wet dream, with dark corners, red lights and goth music on the jukebox. I visited early in the evening on a Wed and I was one of the only people there but I kinda felt like I was interrupting the bartender’s night. After seeing some reviews remarking about exotic drinks I asked him if there were any signature cocktails and the answer I got was something about how they are in the middle of seasons so they weren’t really offering anything at the moment. ok?
So I order a pricey shot of bourbon and a beer. And for the amount I paid for the shot, you would think you think he would go a little heavier on the pour. Either I got this guy on a bad night or you have to be a regular to get decent service. Anyway, the bourbon I got was pretty outstanding and I liked the ambiance, so I might try this place again when there is a different bartender working.

I love the shadowy ambiance, the drinks are all a little bit more exotic and fun than other local dives. The bartenders are cool — I loved trying the absinthe — really cool presentation. The music is always something I’ve never heard before and I’ve enjoyed the scene every time I’ve been there. I really enjoy being able to order a drink without a crazy long line or a bunch of people yelling over one another — every time I’ve gone it’s been a laid back crowd. Oh, and I had fun posing with the giant demonic sculpture atop the entry way table. Good times.

Let me just say this is by far, the coolest bar I’ve ever been to. It’s perfect for a first date because you are guaranteed to have things to talk about. Drinks were nice and strong. Beers were great. I’m going there again. Maybe even alone. If I dare!

I went in the daylight before the creatures of the night showed up. It’s dark in the back, who knows what goes on back there. Long happy hour; until 7. Cheap drinks. The bartender was a nice Ginger gal. I think only the daywalkers venture out in the light. After all, they have no soul to lose.

Hands down the best bar in the area. Free jukebox, quality drinks and good atmosphere.

The crypt is hands down the best bar in down town olympia. If you like doom to post punk you will find it in the juke box. They also offer a great selection of infusions that they make cocktails with. If its a cold day definitely order a ginger hot tody!

Eh. It was ok. The drinks were just as good as any other. When I asked where the bathroom was, the bartender pointed to a dark doorway and said something like, «first door on the left». I walked through the doorway into a pitch dark hall and had to feel along the wall until I found an open door and a switch inside.

I can never remember the name of this place, so I just call it the tire shop. Anyway, two visits, two excellent bartenders who both care about excellent cocktails and are extremely knowledgable about libations of all sorts. You find a lot of hipster bartenders in Seattle, but if you really want your socks blown off, you might have to go down to Olympia. This dimly lit, goth hangout has a beautiful, old bar from a place in Detroit, if my memory serves me right. If you are a disaffected youth, there are a lot of pretty much unlit booths, but if you care about your drinks, sit at the bar and chat up the bartender. Try a rye manhattan with a brandied fig. Or an aviation, or just ask the bartender what she feels like making. I suppose I should remove a star for the truly rank bathroom, but I don’t spend all that much time there, so who cares?

First site when you walk in besides the bar, is the embalming table. It’s dark in there and I’ve fallen in love. It always looked like it was closed so I’ve countlessly walked passed. I won’t be making that mistake again. Dark reddish ambiance lighting with a fricken huge satan type statue in the middle of the place is really cool. These are the types of places that make Olympia so fun and unique. I love the cozy intimate booths as well to sippy sippy on some dranky dranks. This place is right up my creep alley and I will be returning. I want that embalming table… I would also like a job there lol

Black and red and cold ambience with semi private booths and decent selection of interesting booze caught my attentiion although I’m a beer drinker. I enjoy the Caldera IPA. I tend to go when in in the mood for someplace that is mysterious and catch it at a moment when business is a little slow.

This is an intimidating place but the bartender was really nice. We asked him to recommend a shot and it was amazing! I think everyone should check it out because the décor is one of a kind.

One time, about 2.5 years ago I went met up for drinks with a guy I met on an online dating site at this bar. It was dim and I liked the gothy vibe inside. My favorite part was the big table with the life-​sized demon statue in the middle. It was like having a drink with Satan.
Anyway, the guy was a total creeper. He kept approaching these people who I assumed were friends of his. They were a little aloof– I assumed they were being super dark goth kids. Well, I figured out pretty quickly that the guy was being a weirdo and didn’t know any of these people who were obviously on first and maybe second dates. I excused myself to the ladies room and never returned to Cryptatropa. I also never met up with anyone from an online dating site again.
Maybe I’ll go back some time… Unless I see creepy guy.
Hey, If you are that creepy guy from OK Cupid, it wasn’t you, it was me. Ok, it was you.

So I am a new to the bar scene, and this bar was best so far. A lot of times, when I go to the bar, bartenders and people there turn their noses up at me because I am dorky newly 21 who doesn’t know what I really want, but the bartender was really cool and explained things to me and even helped me pick out my drink so I didn’t go too expensive. He was the nicest bartender out of all of them seeing that on my 21 birthday not even one bartender acknowledged it was my birthday and were rude to me.
I also liked the atmosphere, and the dark secluded booths. I went on a Monday so it wasn’t that crowded, but it still had a cool atmosphere to it.

Took a trip down to Olympia to see a band play here. The awesome spooky atmosphere was such a compliment to the bands dark sound making for a very surreal experience. Very dark with dim red lights throughout. Lots of private seating in the back and an impressive bar up front that looks like its something out of the movie Dark City. I asked the bartender, nice guy, for a recommendation and had a whiskey ginger which tasted excellent and was priced fair. I really wish they had a cocktail menu to browse though, even if it changed often.

This is a REAL goth bar. This is a place you go when you want to just go to the outerspace and chill out. If you’re a 30 something gen xer who wants to feel like you can be yourself for an hour, come visit the Crypt!
No annoying pop music on the FREE juke box — all hand picked goth stuff. Garmarna, Sisters of Mercy, etc
You’re never going to find another place like this. I wish they had a food truck outside though, those pub tables scream for some good food. I find myself not visiting right after the thought «Man I’d love to go to the crypt… but I’m so hungry»
They will let you bring food in though, last time I checked, as long as you do cleanup.
Excellent craft drinks. They have a menu to select from (I love bars that do this!) Old ones too, like the 1800’s Brandy Alexander and new ones like The Bloodhound.
An array of rotating beers on tap
No champagne, and last time I checked they did not know if there was a corking fee available for bringing your own champagne.
The staff allows meetups to meet here as long as you buy a round. I had to stop the meetups here because it was just not enough space and it was too loud. they have a big area in the back that I would love to rent if they got in some couches.
No dancing space.
Church pews and confessional style booths for sitting. Amazing!
Life size statue of Satan
Embalming table.
Authentic 20’s DECO bar is the most gorgeous thing you have seen.
Dead flowers.
Clean bathrooms!
Friendly bartenders, one of which is friendly without smiling, ever. true goth.
Wishlist: Wifi, true spanish Tapas option, a comfortable meetup area in the back.

Best Moscow Mule EVER. Hands down. They make their own lime cordial & ginger syrup. DELISH.
We were recommended to this place by the locals for their absinthe (which was a fun experience although I do not much like the taste of absinthe…). The staff was incredibly friendly & informative.
The décor was amazing… A little off putting at first what with the embalming table & life-​size demon. However, the staff was friendly, the crowd was friendly… We came back like 5 times in 1 day!
Nice row of table/​pews for private seating.
Cash only.

I love this place! In all honesty I’d give Cryptatropa 5 stars if they changed the lighting in the booths. Right at the bar the lighting is perfect (red-​lit!) but they’re using way too bright yellow bulbs in the booths. Why even mention this? Lighting in bars is paramount, silly.
Everything else about this bar is excellent: location (right next the the artesian well downtown), ambiance, and drinks. And you don’t have to be a goth to feel at home. It has a very relaxed atmosphere and is frequented by a nice and interesting crowd (I even met an actual porn star here once).
Speaking of drinks, there is no better place in town to get a Bloody Mary. For reals, if you’re a Bloody Mary fan and you’re in Olympia, you must order one here.

This place is dark… some might think it’s scary… i don’t agree. I think it’s goth chic… They have an embalming table… OOooooOOoo.
Contrary to what people thought in high school, I am not goth. i just dress outside of the lines that society deems as normal. Maybe it’s not goth… it’s fancy, dark, did i mention the embalming table? Anywho, it’s a rad place that plays decent music (ie the theme song from twin peaks was totally playing last time I was there), cheap drinks ($ 4-​$ 5 well), and awesome bar tenders.
This is quickly becoming the first bar on my «Oly bar hip-​hopping» list. If you have a chance, try the whisky ginger (I think it’s $ 5)…the ginger bites back.