Brennan’s

First off, let me say I have been going to Brennan’s for years and am ashamed I have yet to review it. I cannot say enough good things about it. The décor is fantastic, the music (live or otherwise) is top notch, and the drinks are fantastic. It is one of the few places in the city where you can get a stellar cocktail in a relaxed low key environment. It is also a great place to meet people. I have had amazing conversations with people from all over the globe, this is something you just cannot get at many places in the city.
Finally, let me compliment the staff, specifically, Steve, Jordan, Zach, Aaron, and Rachel. I have never been in another bar that had such an exceptional staff who always make sure that not only are you comfortable, but your guests are comfortable as well. These guys go well above and beyond that. I have yet been to a bar with a staff as open, friendly, competent and willing to share stories (excellent stories might I add) as what you find at Brennan’s. Also, Kevin Brennan is frequently there and always another excellent host. What other bar will host a surprise music show in a small area with great acoustics? Brennan’s is one of a kind in St. Louis and is my favorite spot to take a couple friends and share cocktails until they boot us out.
Oh, and don’t forget about an entire room dedicated to ping pong.

Went to have a gar and bourbon. Laurie in her new jeans took unreal care of us. Great service and made us feel at home. Offfered the vip treatment but club was full. She spent time with us and was super

Huge fan of the place. Especially now that they have ping pong in their basement. I tend to be more competitive with a little more beer in me.

I came here on a Monday evening while waiting for a seat for dinner at a local restaurant. We ordered drinks at the main bar on the first floor– luckily we found a seat at the bar to sit, but it took about 20 minutes for the waitress to get to us. Once we had drinks, we were asked several times to get another round, so they redeemed themselves after the initial wait.
I know this is a «cigar room» for those in the know, however, I came here for a drink and not to smoke. The front door was open on this fall evening. Smoking patrons at the front door and outdoor seating made the place very smoky/​smelly. Not recommended if you cant tolerate the smell of smoke, even with no smoking allowed inside.
Huge selection of spirits behind the bar. No draft beer– only bottles/​cans. 4 ciders in bottles ranging from $ 5 – 12.

Super friendly bartender. Great outdoor seating. Love the drink menu (both in selection and the physical layout). My fiancé liked the cigar selection. Two thumbs up!

Good cigar for my friend! Great wine for us! Met some folks from Baltimore, where we came from. Nice atmosphere! Outdoors!!!

Brennan’s is a nice, quaint spot where you can get a glass of wine, have a smoke and play chess simultaneously.
The bar area is a bit tight but they have great outdoor seating where the fresh air is definitely a plus.
The customer service could’ve been better; we had to seat ourselves as the waiter moved hastily around us several times and left us standing in the doorway where we seemed to be in the way. I understand busy weekends but they should either have enough staff to accommodate the crowd or work on getting a hostess.
We sat at the table for several minutes unattended to before we finally left.
Beware beggars!!! It’s quite annoying when your outside trying to enjoy an evening out and strangers approach you asking for spare change at an establishment.

I wouldn’t recommend Brennan’s to my worst enemy. No not to even Osama Bin Laden.
I visited this place twice. Once yesterday to do a dry run and to see the beautiful loop. The other to see a good friend at a book promotional tour. The bartender yesterday had no idea that the author was coming. Heck, she didn’t even know the guy’s name.
I thought… OK.whatever. It was just a bad day. However, it seems that this establishment is suffering from piss poor customer service.
So, I come to the book event. That cigar room that they called a meeting room barely could fit Henry Cavill in a telephone booth.
Secondly, the establishment desperately needed bartenders. I don’t know if the Rachel Dolezal lady couldn’t keep up or she intentionally ignored me. I was standing at the bar trying to get her attention as she was serving customers who approached the bar before me.
She couldn’t even get my choice of wine correct as I kept telling her that I wanted red wine.
And the serving size was embarrassing as she served me red wine from a small plastic glass that was probably sitting there for hours. Seriously, only tiny Baptist communion cups were smaller.
My recommendation? Seriously revamp customer service or provide adequate support to your existing employees.

It’s a nice place to hang out and meet friends. You can buy or bring your cigar and smoke it in the patio. Stay away from their own brand cigars. Second cigar I’ve smoked from their own line. Unfortunately, once again one of the worse I’ve had. Burns really bad, uneven burn, empty pockets inside the filler. Taste wasn’t too bad. Other than that, staff is friendly and great selection on drinks.

Great selection of scotch, add friendly staff, great atmospere and a truly amazing private cigar bar upstairs and BAM, you have Brennan’s.

This place is great for specialty drinks as well as atmosphere. A good choice for an after date drink in a more private corner. I love the brick and wood!

This place as a Great hidden Cigar Bar and I would recommend checking out the downstairs cocktails. The bartending service is always on par!

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite weekend spots to grab a drink. Downstairs is quite and relaxed, a great place to meet up with a friend or two and catch up or have a date night. Upstairs always proves to be an enjoyable crowd of young people enjoying an excellent selection of wine, beer and cocktails! Brennan’s has something for everyone. Also, the smell of cigars is ever-​present but not overpowering, which is, to me, very enjoyable and contributes to the atmosphere. However, if you don’t like the smell of cigar smoke then this may not be the bar for you! The only downside is the drinks are a bit pricey.

Great Scotch selection and upstairs smoking room. (I guess for members only??)
Super vinyl selection upstairs to set the perfect mood. Thanks to Jack for the Dj-​ing and Scotch recommendations. If I lived nearby, I’d be a regular.

Brennan’s is a chill bar that’s great for having a relaxing cocktail and nice cigar. Yes, the «cigar room» is for member’s only, but there is usually plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy a cigar as a non-​member. The staff has always been exceptional on each of my visits, going above and beyond to make sure my group is doing alright.
The main rooms can be crowded on the weekends, full of yuppies like myself pretending to be sophisticated. Even so, both areas are still fun and the staff and available drinks make it work. The backroom, however, is where it’s at. Enjoy a cigar while sitting on leather-​back chairs listening to smooth sounds from vinyls. Pure class.
I’ve been lucky enough to go with my friend who’s a member on multiple occasions, and those visits are the reason for the 5 stars. The main areas I would give 4 stars as it’s a typical bar scene but with good drink selections. Member or not, Brennan’s is a cool bar that’s definitely worth a visit for some scotch (neat, of course) or cocktails on a weekend out in the CWE.

Brennan’s is a great place for a date or to be with a group. On Friday night they were pretty crowded but thankfully we snagged a seat outside. The bar tender who helped us out was incredibly helpful and friendly!
I ordered the pineapple mojito –AMAZING! It was so refreshing! My boyfriend had a lavender whisky drink and he wasn’t as pleased with it but he still liked it. He also had a cigar and loved it!
If you’re not a fan of smoke, this is not the place for you! I will definitely stop by Brennan’s soon :)

I can’t help but find places like Brennan’s a little intimidating. I’m not a seasoned scotch drinker or a cigar person and I always feel like I’m impersonating a James Bond character when I order. If you are looking to learn a little more about scotch, bourbons, & really well crafted mixed drinks in a gorgeous but un-​intimidating environment, Brennan’s may be the place for you. My drinking companion and I wandered in here after a late dinner in the CWE and had a wonderful experience. The bartenders were able to answer question and make recommendations. They humored me when I asked about proper ordering technique and let us sip a 15 year old choice. We didn’t partake in any cigars but the room had the spicy smoky smell I attribute to high quality cigars. Not an overwhelming scent at all and it really only adds to the relaxing ambiance. Gorgeous front room where you can see the careful attention paid to details in almost every nook and cranny.
Updated
Since Brennan’s added food to the menu I have no real reason to leave. Possibly the best drinking establishment in the city.

Casual atmosphere unlike any other in the CWE. Lack’s the overtly pretentious nature of some of the other cigar bars and scotch clubs around. I plan on coming back again!
Update:
Previously I had given Brennans 5 stars (see above). I moved away and went back last night for the first time in several years… Man has this place changed. Now the young hipsters have moved in so I’m moving out. Too bad.

I really love Brennan’s. The vibe I get from the place is so chill & relaxing. The upstairs lounge is the perfect place to hang out with friends or that special someone.
My husband and I love to come here and relax after dinner. He loves the cigars and I love the cocktails. The staff is always super friendly & helpful. They will always help you pick out the best cigar or wine that they offer.
Rachael is our favorite bartender. Always happy and smiling and ready to please. We like to come when she is working!
Brennan’s is a must for places to check out. You will not be disappointed!

Things I learned about Brennan’s:
No, they do not allow smoking inside at the bar area even thought it is a cigar bar.
They have an extensive Whiskey and liquor selection.
The ‘Purus Entertainment Lounge’
is more like a creepy dungeon than a lounge. I seriously thought I had a come to a filming of Saw 9… It seats maybe 30 tops and is super-​intimate.
I recently attended a comedy show here, and it was great, you could practically touch the performer. The sound and acoustics were great and the lighting was perfect. So, despite being creepy, it was a great, intimate setting for a comedy show, besides being a little uncomfortable in terms of being really cozy with the other people attending the show.

One of the nicest cigar lounges I’ve been too. Amazing whiskey/​scotch selection, classy décor, down side is indoor cigar lounge is private except for Monday’s and the cigar selection is mediocre. They do something unique which is nice they are ageing/​infusing cigars I had an olive series v that was being aged with cloves it was very nice and not by any means overbearing. They also have there own line of cigars which are pipe tobacco based cigars, I didn’t try one and wish I had, I will next time I’m through.