The Exchange

As far as South Bend goes, this is a great little spot. They seem to have live music pretty often, not to mention their broad selection of bourbons and whiskeys. The interior seems like it used to be a bank or something corporate, but it’s been well repurposed. The furniture is a bit cozy bit chic. The prices are reasonable, be sure to have a DD or a number for a taxi: the drinks are tasty!

Now this is the place for some heavy meetings. Or some forthright discussion, Or some great whiskey and cheer. The aura of the interior is, well, that of an old bank; marble, and old money, rather austere. Feels formal, y’know? But in a good way. The bartenderess’s there last nite were the greatest, I forgot the names, but the one said that she was the manager. They both aided and abetted me in choosing my poison, and I also had a killer cocktail called an Avanti, I believe. One of the very few places in the town I rate a 5.

Exactly what I was hoping for in a whisky bar. Great atmosphere. Whiskey selection is impressive. Deviled egg appetizers. Yes please! Great place to try drinks outside your comfort zone. And their good. Fresh atmosphere. Clean and crisp with limited seating but different types of seating to offer. Great for happy hour with friends and coworkers. Probably not great for big crowds unless you all want to stand. Leave your miller light at the door this isn’t your local dive. Would love to find a cigar bar in south bend. This place may be on the way to offering this option outside. Will be back.

My brother and I went into The Exchange for an evening and had a wonderful time! Danni was very knowledgeable. She made our experience even more fantastic and was very funny. We had such a great time that I am recommending this place to all my friends and family. I will certainly be back.

This was my second visit here. I am not impressed by the cocktails. I visited with some friends. Two of us ordered sazeracs. The bartender started by pouring some absinthe into our glasses and setting the absinthe on fire. We had never seen this done before. If you google absinthe and fire, you will see that this is not advised and it is a sign that a bar is using cheap absinthe. Anyhow, the cocktails sucked and we left after only have a few sips of them. I am happy to pay a premium for great cocktails, but this place does not cut it.

Wow. Just wow. Awesome whiskey selection. Knowledgeable staff too. Throw in a great atmosphere and you have a winner.
Ask for Brooke or Jo… they’re the best.

I used to really enjoy this place but recently felt it was disorganized with poor management.
There didn’t seem to be anyone in charge who was knowledgable enough to accommodate me.
I will not be returning.

A wide selection of spirits, and well crafted cocktails. This is a lovely bar to visit. Quiet and understated, a place where you can have a conversation while having your drink without having to shout.

Classy! Very fun night out! They have a large whiskey selection here for those who drink. It’s not really the kind of place you’d go if you don’t like whiskey, and I’m not even sure if they have anything else. The seating is sort of limited and it’s definitely not great for large groups. I came in a group and it was hard to find a place to sit, but the staff was accommodating and didn’t act like we were inconveniencing them.

Went here last Saturday night and was unimpressed.
Pros:
— tons of whisky options
— fair amount of cocktails
— awesome bar stools
Cons:
— we went here at around 9 pm on a Saturday and there was literally 6 other people in the whole place… I’m sorry I don’t like drinking at empty bars
— they say they charge for snacks but in reality they don’t…not a fan of non-​transparent menus/​pricing
— food options aren’t good, especially the cheese spread

This place has the right idea, but the wrong staff. We had a large group meet here for a birthday. I had a very hard time getting served, even though there were 4 people behind the bar. There was one young lady that was eager to help me decide on a cocktail. She was super nice! I think she may have been a manager. Then came the bartender… he was the opposite of eager, and on the verge of rude. He gave me a margarita that was not full, or garnished. When I thanked him for his service, he replied with turning his back to me… uh… you’re welcome!!! My next trip to the bar was met with yet again 4 people behind the bar, and not one of them willing to wait on me. After standing there observing multiple people come and go (with cocktails) my friend finally waved down a bartender and asked for service. Maybe I’m a little critical being a bartender for 10 years and a server for 12 years. It just seemed like the back turning bartender had something against me personally? I’m not from the area, and this was my first visit to the exchange. I’m not loud, or rude… I try to be super nice to people in customer service. I have plenty of experience dealing with the public and people that are drinking so I make sure to be polite. So… not sure what was going on there. In fact, our entire group commented on how blatantly rude the one bartender was towards me. So I know I wasn’t imagining things or taking things out of context. Anyways… the bar is stocked nicely, and the atmosphere is really cool. I felt like I should be wearing a flapper dress! I would try this place again, but if I were to see that same guy working I would aim for a different server or bartender. Or go somewhere else.

This place is very classy and a cool place to take a date or just go sip on some whiskey at the bar. We went on a saturday night it was slightly busy but not too bad. Service was slow but prices were very reasonable! I only have it a 4 because the service was slow or it would be a 5. I highly recommend checking this place out.

A truly amazing hidden gem!!! (Literally, I’ve had friends be unable to find this place)
The cocktails are the centerpiece, of course, and everyone here does a truly amazing job. I LITERALLY dream about the lemon drop, and order it at other restaurants and bars in metropolitan cities, and NOTHING compares to The Exchange.
As if perfection in drinks wasn’t enough, the vibe is truly sophisticated without being stuffy– love that I don’t have to worry about obnoxious ND students ruining my night here. Sumptuous leather and granite and deep stained wood contribute to a cool classy lounge feel straight out of the early 20^th century. I always enjoy coming out to the Exchange, and as much as I want to spread the word, I also would be happy keeping this little hidden secret to myself!

I am a big fan of this place (having recently had my wedding reception take place here). We came in here multiple times since last January, and were always impressed with the impeccable service and helpfulness of the staff. They know how to make a great drink, and are also willing to explain different components of drinks, make suggestions on what you may like, etc. By far our favorite was Robin, but management moved her back to Café Navarre.
The atmosphere is absolutely stunning, and one of a kind in South Bend (in my opinion). It offers a refinement not found elsewhere. From the beautiful furniture, lamps, chandeliers, etc.- it is a really nice place to relax and enjoy a cocktail.
Speaking of cocktails: by favorite my favorite was Sir Robert the Savage. It contains whiskey, lemon, crème de cassis (a black currant liqueur), and its so yummy. My fiancé-now-husband’s favorite was the Horse’s Neck, which is kind of like an upscale whiskey and ginger. If you like whiskey/​bourbon– this is your place.
We also tried their charcuterie and cheese boards, and while not over the top, they offered solid meats and cheese and were a nice accompaniment to our drinks.
We ended up renting out both the Exchange and the Vault for our reception (for ~190 people) and it was perfect. The staff handled the crowds with ease, and everyone raved about the service, the bar, and the food.

This place is beautiful inside. It was an old bank so there is a ton of marble every where. All the furniture is beautiful. A lot of leather. The place is very well put together. The drinks are a bit pricey $ 10 – 20 for a whiskey drink. I’m not a fan of whiskey — but I still like this place. I usually just stick with one of the craft beers. My boyfriend loves their drinks. Everyone I have ever gone there with has loved them as well. They have a pretty great cheese/​cracker tray. I think it came with 5 or 6 different cheeses. Overall — great place, great staff, great drinks!

I would consider myself a bourbon snob and even though Manhattans are my favorite drink I would truly say the gem of the Exchange is the old fashion. It is the best one I have ever had. I’ll see you there!

Great atmosphere, wonderful service, fantastic cocktails. This is one of my favorite downtown haunts. I’ve never had a bad experience or bad drink here. (Word of warning: don’t come hungry. They have limited plates, which are prepared at their sister restaurant down the street, Café Navarre. Selection of limited, and sometimes they run out.)
While their wine and beer options are great, what makes them unique is their huge whiskey and bourbon selection.

Fantastic atmosphere, a bit hard to find… my drink while inventive wasn’t my personal taste, however my husbands was very well done. Would definitely recommend it!

I went here with my fiancée two weeks ago and we were very pleased. We were excited to find an adult bar in South Bend. This place is very clean and has a modern minimalist feel (dark wood, stainless steel). The environment is relaxed. You can have your choice of various lounge areas around the bar to sit and have conversation over the low music (which was a great playlist of adult contemporary — John Mayer, Jack Johnson, The Fray, Adele, Jason Mraz, etc.).
The selection of whiskey is great and the mixed drinks are very good. The price is about right (~$ 13 for an aged whiskey, and ~$ 9 for a mixed drink, you can see their menu on their website) and the service is prompt and courteous.
If you’re looking for a sophisticated getaway from the normal South Bend bar scene, this is it.

Nice interior, solid cocktails, and great service. The crowd is mixed to older and the place gets crowded quickly. The oversized furniture may need to be reconsidered.
While the drinks were great (Hummingbird, Bourbon blossom are favs), a bit more research into the mixology scene in New Orleans and Chicago wouldn’t hurt, as these mixology hotspots often highlight drink recipes on their sites. SB does not have a good cocktail bar that offers tiki, depression era, and new style cocktails so this place ads nicely to the mix.
Most of the customers were drinking beer and there were some loud jocks but overall a upscale crowd. This said, you can come in dressed well or casually. Do drink cocktails… You can drink beer someplace else.
The food is a good plus but things are prepared at the sister site Navarre so they can run out. Our snacks were good.
The servers were very helpful, fun, and professional. Top staff. Very friendly crew.
The lights are too bright. Got to get the lighting issues worked out.
Overall for SB this is a top place.