Common 414

I really like the atmosphere of this bar and the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Definitely a great jewel in downtown Raleigh.

Nice little cocktail lounge. Attentive bartenders. Solid drinks. Definitely will return.

The best Saturdays for the Missus and I are the ones spent wandering and stumbling onto cool experiences. Common 414 is one of the cooler ones we’ve stumbled into lately.
The best description I can give you is «Hipster Speakeasy.» The décor screams pre-​prohibition… the music screams Vampire Weekend (although the Beatles made a brief appearance).
It was early Saturday evening, so the joint wasn’t jumping yet (actually, the way we prefer it). The two bartenders were obviously gearing up for the crowd to come, but still took very good care of us and were friendly and engaging.
I choose a Manhattan… my ruler for a truly great Mixologist… and it did not disappoint. The Missus had a William Hill Chardonnay, which always makes her smile.
We came, we drank, we soaked up the cool vibe. We’ll be back.

One of my favorites downtown when I want a bartender that truly knows how to make an amazing cocktail. Super classy without being stuffy. It’s the cool place to go without feeling like you are at a place your grandpa should be. Every bartender here is amazing at their job. I promise you will not be disappointed at the skill and selection of the bartenders here.

It’s tough for a bar in Downtown Raleigh to really impress me. However Common 414 did just that for me last night. The ambiance is classy as well as the people who frequent this newer bar on Fayetteville Street. The kids stayed over at The Oxford and Coglins while the mix in this place were those in their upper 20’s to 40’s, dressed to impress, and could handle their liquor.
The bartenders are GQ af with their slicked back hair, well groomed beards and vest-​tie combos. I ordered a Moscow Mule and it was delicious. It should also be noted that they have their own signature drink menu along with anything else you could want.
I highly recommend this place. Give it a go! I’ll definitely be back.

Great drinks awesome atmosphere. Really had a great time. Ask for Izzy aka Israel he really took care of us.

A good place to meet, drink, and swing dance (they have the space for it!!! :D).
I’ve been coming here every two weeks with friends, after the 7 o’clock Sunday Mass, to swing dance. The bartender on Sunday evenings is very friendly, exceptionally knowledgeable, and creates some of the best spirits around that challenge you in a good way.
My only issue is that there is no steady live music on Sunday evenings. You can request that they play background swing music (and they do have a tape for that).
My recommendation to management is to have steady live music on Sunday evenings (or Saturday).
And… ((Idea!)): bring in a ballroom dance instructor (either once a week or month) to teach the basics to Swing dancing or the Foxtrot… There are a lot of current (and former) ballroom dance students, who are looking for a place to practice (and maybe a refresher lesson) outside of a dance studio.

This place will bring you back to the 20’s. I went to a burbon tasting and burlesque show and it fit well with the atmosphere of Common 414. The subdued lighting, blue glow around the bar and stage/​dance floor area, and the big comfy wrap around couches and fancy chairs all contribute to the the speakeasy-​style of the bar.
The burlesque show was enjoyable, however, the stage area should be elevated to allow better viewing. I am not sure if it is like this every night but after the show the DJ pumped up the music and it was so loud it was very difficult to talk. You didn’t really have much choice, it was time to dance. The DJ played current top jams and throwback hits which was okay but it would have been cooler if they stuck with the burlesque theme with the music.
If you like whiskey and bourbon, this is the place for you. They also serve cocktails and beer. It is a nice place, and definitely looks new. I am interested to see how it is on a night without an event. I will be back for drinks and dancing soon!

We ducked in on a recent Saturday afternoon to check out the Pappy I had heard they had. Being the dutiful wife I felt it was my duty to let Husband know I had seen a pic and we should investigate further. Investigation didn’t last too long when Pappy was found to be $ 125 a pour. Did make the guys appreciate their past Pappy experiences in DC for considerably less!
We stayed, however for other drinks and pretty much had the place to ourselves. No feel of the 20’s theme other than one song and then the music was switched out. Couch area was comfortable. Drinks okay. Nothing exciting, but a comfortable place to get out of the downtown crowds.

Up and coming hot spot on Fayetteville street. Ask for Charles, you won’t be dissapointed.

Update:
So it appears this place has been improving since I was last here. Not any major improvements but it’s getting better, especially behind the bar. They have definitely improved the service. The music level still could use an adjustment. They have added some additional events to keep the place interesting. I’ve give it another chance and update as necessary.

How exciting! A roaring 20s themed bar on Fayetteville St! But… this bar does not have the same classy vibe as C Grace at all. This bar is a bit more casual and the furniture and décor feels thrown together.
They have nice cocktails and presentation. I had the Strawberry Rickey which was a delicious and refreshing cocktail. My boyfriend ordered the Moscow Mule which was served in a copper mug.
I’m just not excited about the place anymore. They do have prime location by the hotels on Fayetteville St which will bring them business but I am not sure how many locals and repeat business they will attract. 3 stars is accurate — just A-​OK.

This place is amazing. Almost the entire night, the music was incredible — so much I wanted to remember every song and make a playlist of it all! The atmosphere was something incredible — something you usually don’t see and experience in Raleigh. There were such varying age groups/​demographic and I was so thrilled to see everyone so happy! There were people a bit young, some old. The Common 414 had great sofas and love seats for people to enjoy along with bar tables and stools. It’s very open and airy and gives you the extra elbow room that many bars don’t offer.
Originally I found out about this place at the Food & Beverage Festival at NC State where The Common 414 had a little area. The bartender that was there representing the bar was dressed as all the bartenders do – telling me and my sister about the great drinks they offer. If you like the great gatsby, eloquent and vintage type of feel, then this is the place for you. We really were looking forward to going here and we were so happy to go! The Moscow Mule drink (basil, ice, vodka) was served in a copper mug and it tasted INCREDIBLE! A must try — don’t miss out! Most certainly will be going back soon!

Seems to be quite a few dedicated fine cocktail lounges and bars springing up around Raleigh and one of the newest additions is Common 414. I’ve only been getting to try them in the last couple of months though they’ve been around since mid summer it looks like. Look closely for the sign on Fayetteville St., in the same area and side of the street as the Marriott, the Sheraton, and Sir Walter Apartments.
Common 414 is done in a Roaring Twenties kind of setup. It also actually reminds me of the bar in the hotel of The Shining for some reason (in a good way). Dimly lit with period décor, it’s a nice place to settle down for a cocktail. One could dress up or dress down here. You can sit at the fairly long bar or one of the chair/​table setups as well as a sofa/​VIP type area (I think reservations are needed for VIP, at their website). The staff are dressed in nice suit vests and ties, sharp look. Common has a good menu of various custom cocktails as well as the usual libations you’d expect in this style of bar. I’m partial to the Reckless Myrtle with fresh blackberries and St. Germain. They also had a cask aged Manhattan that I got to try when they opened it, and it did the trick also. The staff has always been attentive and helpful in my visits as well, always a plus in a cocktail lounge experience.
Bottom line: Enjoyable cocktail bar set in Roaring Twenties type mode. Nice menu of custom cocktails to pick from, relaxing atmosphere, and good service. I like hanging out at Common 414!

Prime location on Fayetteville street for what I was told would be a «Great Gatsby» experience.
Went last night at 11:30PM to 12:30AM
Sorry, but the only thing the place had going for it was the drink selection. The drinks are really unique. We tried the Cuc of NY, the Old Sport, and the Honeybees ‘something’. Drinks were extremely tasty, but I have to say for $ 35 (for three) plus $ 5 tip (so $ 40) they were kinda TINY.
Small glasses (really small), alot of ice in mine, and I watched them get poured into the glass short, so we’re topped with something from the bar hose (water or soda).
In terms of décor, this place needs a make over from someone who remembers the movie :-(Sad to report it wad drab with poor lighting, and a really cheesy backdrop that changes color on a really tiny dance floor.
I couldn’t get the venue of music, but didn’t motivate me to dance and didn’t recognize a single song.
Sorry, but I was counting on this being a new spot, so set expectations high.
Alot of seating, but didn’t see a single server on the floor and this meant going to a crowded bar to fight for a drink. Not a nice way to service clients.
I dressed up a bit to go, cause I heard it was 25+ and dress code enforced. I was wrong. There were dudes in there with tee shirts.

Great joint. The only thing that keeps me from giving it 5 stars is that it’s the new kid on the block. There’s nothing not to like about this place. It has jazz, plenty of swaying, it’s dimly lit and they have a great drink selection. Time will tell if this place keeps their standard of quality, but right not… so far so good.
They have a good beer and wine list, but my thing is the harder stuff. I like a strong drink or a quality cocktail. They care about their mixology here and it shows. Whatever your flavor is there seems to be something for you.
Cheers.

With so many great craft cocktail lounges in Raleigh, Common 414 has a ways to go. I went on Saturday night, and the place was so loud I couldn’t hear the live Jazz.
I had to wait for a good 20 minutes to get a drink and most of them were so-​so. I also expected a larger list of cocktails since it is a liquor lounge. I did enjoy the Cuke of York drink. It was light and refreshing, with the perfect amount of tartness.
Saturday was the grand opening so I plan to go back again in a few weeks to see if they have sorted all the issues out. Until then, I plan to stick with my go-​to liquor lounge C Grace.

Common 414 looks like a fun and happening place, with a «Roaring 20’s» speakeasy themed atmosphere and jazz music. Drinks at the bar are a somewhat odd mix of promising looking flavor profiles, some good fresh ingredients, and some bottom of the barrel liqueurs that don’t make for good mixed drinks. The «Roaring Peach» was excellently built and well balanced. The Blueberry Fizz was pleasantly fresh, but a little too sweet and simple and without much body or texture to the scant fizz.
The Strawberry Rickey was actually quite disgusting, with an overwhelming taste of cheap artificial flavor. I found out why when my companion asked what amaretto was used. It was a bottom-​shelf variety that imparted a really unpleasant lingering flavor to the drink. Kudos for the top quality fresh ingredients I saw in use at the bar, like basil and berries, but cutting corners with a bottom shelf liqueur is going to make the entire drink taste cheap even if the other ingredients are premium. Let me be clear — I like all of the ingredients in this drink and I think they go well together. I appreciate good amaretto. What they were using was not good amaretto, and this is one liqueur that when it’s not good, it can be very not good. I would be happy to pay more for a better quality amaretto so the flavor profile actually works, as it looked to be very well thought out and intriguing.
Some of the things they do right include the fun 1920’s atmosphere, comfortable lounge seating, pleasant and friendly bartenders, attractive drink service, solid ice rectangles instead of quicker-​melting cubes, fresh fruits and herbs for muddling, top quality local bitters from Crude Bitters, and generally thoughtful flavor profiles for the drinks. The Moscow Mule is served in a traditional chilled copper mug, which looked very appealing.
The ‘private membership’ structure is interesting, though not particularly a hardship as membership can be had for the simple expedient of filling out a form online. All in all, you can certainly have a fun time here, though I would definitely quiz the bartenders in advance with regard to whether all the ingredients in the cocktails you’re interested in are fresh and premium. Many of them are, and those are quite tasty. I would imagine they would be able to offer a top shelf alternative to anything that isn’t a good match for the ingredients that are fresh and premium.

When I first learned that Common 414 was going to open in Downtown Raleigh I was extremely excited! Ever since Baz Luhrmann’s remake of The Great Gatsby the roaring 20’s theme has been more and more popular. Unfortunately, this time it missed the mark.
The website for Common 414 depicts several animated images of 20’s era women in front of the similar golden backdrop that adorns the Gatsby film. I assumed that this bar would also display the same exuberance that one would expect from that time period. Rather than large, luxurious, and grand this bar comes across as cramped, thrown together, and even cheap. The furniture is nothing grand, the bar is too bright with the huge neon lights, and even the decorations around the room are too modern to support the «theme» this club wanted to achieve.
Common 414 does have its own handcrafted cocktail menu so that is definitely a plus and the bartenders seem rather skilled in their craft. The Old Sport and Strawberry Rickey were both delicious on a warm summer evening and are reason enough to go back.
Maybe it was just opening weekend for the place and I am being a little too harsh, but in my opinion if you want the true speakeasy feel go over to C. Grace on Glenwood South instead. If you are looking for just another club, then this place definitely fits that description.

Located on the far southern end of Fayetteville Street, Common 414 is the latest entry into the Raleigh bar scene. Going for a Roaring 20’s theme with a slightly speak-​easy feel, a group of Unilocalers popped in here for an early visit. The entrance and signage is located off the street and you have to sort of look for the place.
Inside it’s dark and there’s a centerpiece purple neon sign that puts the bar in a space-​age glow. Small stage with lit mural, some stuffed couches and seating all around, the crowd was a bit older than I expected. Or maybe just right for the theme? I suspect we have people coming in from the nearby hotels and/​or Jimmy V’s so… Bartenders were fine here along with the G&T I ordered, I didn’t notice a house cocktail menu.
Overall it’s early for Common 414 but it has a ways to go in my opinion. The place feels a bit slapped together for me and the 20’s/flapper theme was attempted by the long departed Roxy over in Durham. And I gotta admit the velvet rope entrance up front is always a turn-​off for me. So we’ll see what happens here for Common 414 moving forward…