The 5 best cocktail bars in Kansas City

Hoodline
Parlor.

Looking to try the top cocktail bars around?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top cocktail bars in Kansas City, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to fill the bill.

Kansas City-area shoppers tend to spend more in January at bars and lounges than any other month of the year, according to data on local business transactions from Womply, a provider of CRM and direct response marketing for small businesses. The average amount spent per customer transaction at Kansas City-area bars and lounges surged to $29 for the metro area in January of last year, 12% higher than the average for the rest of the year.

Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions.

1. Parlor

<b>PHOTO: Lauren A./<a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/parlor-kansas-city-2?utm_campaign=bfd2531e-3993-4bf5-8466-99319824b49f%2C19456628-c0a4-4b2e-80ed-7904511beb35&utm_medium=81024472-a80c-4266-a0e5-a3bf8775daa7" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:YELP;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">YELP</a></b>
PHOTO: Lauren A./YELP

First on the list is Parlor, located at 1707 Locust St. in Hospital Hill. The food court and cocktail bar is the highest-rated cocktail bar in Kansas City, boasting 4.5 stars out of 236 reviews on Yelp.

2. The Rockhill Grille

<b>PHOTO: Michael W./<a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-rockhill-grille-kansas-city-2?utm_campaign=bfd2531e-3993-4bf5-8466-99319824b49f%2C19456628-c0a4-4b2e-80ed-7904511beb35&utm_medium=81024472-a80c-4266-a0e5-a3bf8775daa7" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:YELP;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">YELP</a></b>

Next up is Crown Center's The Rockhill Grille, situated at 2000 Grand Blvd. With 4.5 stars out of 256 reviews on Yelp, the cocktail bar and New American spot has proven to be a local favorite.

3. The Ship

<b>PHOTO: Cheryl M./<a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-ship-kansas-city?utm_campaign=bfd2531e-3993-4bf5-8466-99319824b49f%2C19456628-c0a4-4b2e-80ed-7904511beb35&utm_medium=81024472-a80c-4266-a0e5-a3bf8775daa7" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:YELP;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">YELP</a></b>
PHOTO: Cheryl M./YELP

West Bottoms's The Ship, located at 1217 Union Ave., is another top choice. Yelpers give the cocktail bar, jazz and blues spot, which offers sandwiches and more, 4.5 stars out of 95 reviews.

4. Julep

<b>PHOTO: Becca D./<a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/julep-kansas-city?utm_campaign=bfd2531e-3993-4bf5-8466-99319824b49f%2C19456628-c0a4-4b2e-80ed-7904511beb35&utm_medium=81024472-a80c-4266-a0e5-a3bf8775daa7" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:YELP;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">YELP</a></b>
PHOTO: Becca D./YELP

Julep, a cocktail bar, whiskey bar and New American spot in Old Westport, is another much-loved go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 227 Yelp reviews. Head over to 4141 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 104 to see for yourself.

5. TikiCat

<b>Photo: Marc J./<a href="https://yelp.com/biz_photos/tikicat-kansas-city?utm_campaign=bfd2531e-3993-4bf5-8466-99319824b49f%2C19456628-c0a4-4b2e-80ed-7904511beb35&utm_medium=81024472-a80c-4266-a0e5-a3bf8775daa7" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Yelp;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Yelp</a></b>
Photo: Marc J./Yelp

Last but not least, over in Old Westport, check out TikiCat, which has earned 4.5 stars out of 135 reviews on Yelp. You can find the tiki bar and cocktail bar at 401 Westport Road.

This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.