I don't smoke (quit long time ago), but my friends love cigars. Â However, I love their bar full with whiskey and scotches. Â So far, all the bartenders are very cool and very user friendly. Â It's a night monthly stop to step by this lounge. Â If you are drinker and smoker, then this is the place. Â BTW, they got live music, too. Â
The only thing I don't like about this place is the restroom either all the way up or down. Â I don't see any young crowd here other than me. Â If you like scotches and whiskey, then this is the place to hang a little with your friends.
Expected to be smoke by the cigar : )
First things first; this is a CIGAR lounge. That means that CIGARS will be consumed here. Anyone who patronizes the place will be surrounded by CIGAR smokers, and will exit with CIGAR smoke in their clothes. So no sniveling about that. Got it? Good.
This place has such an old school feel to it, with a well-stocked bar, several smallish tables and chairs, and live music most nights of the week. A great stock of top shelf liquor doesn't come cheap, but I find them no pricier than any other high-end place in any urban environment. And $25 for Woodford Reserve Four Woods suits me just fine. (Sidebar- if you love bourbon and haven't tried Four Woods, you're missing out on one of the greatest tippling experiences in life!) I'd mention that its highly desirable that you bring your own smokes, but any veteran cigar smoker knows that already.
Basin St. is a perfect way to end an evening in Old Town. The music isn't bad, considering where you're sitting, the atmosphere is warm, and the staff is quite friendly- unlike many cigar-friendly establishments in DC proper (yes, I'm looking at you, snooty Shelley's).
The cigar lounge is great. Not the most cost-effective of venues, with a single glass of Wasmund's going for... I think $12 and everything else sky high... but you don't come here expecting to drink rail bourbon all night.
Great people, good and well-stocked bar. Nothing staggeringly amazing but it was an overall enjoyable experience.
I love this place. Â Great for small or large gatherings of like minded cigar smokers. Â You can order good food and drinks as well. Â Good place to relax, watch a game or a live band or meet knew people hanging out in the cigar lounge. Â There is a parking garage right around the corner from this place as well which is very conveinent.
Review Source:Ok, havent been away from the New-ark, New York digs in awhile and decided to visit the political capitol as compared to the capital capitol (NYC).And of course, eating and imbibing in a new environment are a must.
  Anyway, stumbled upon this place by accident, heard the live jazz bouncing off the opposite store fronts. What a find! The absolute best place we went to during the whole trip. Great live music, great atmosphere, plush and lively, good crowd. Total fun. Good brown liquor selection, great cigar list, had my favorite AVO cigar. Son and I, one hour, one cigar each, and one hundred dollars later, a well spent last stop. BTW, if you like Bourbon, try Basil Hayden.
  The only problem, being from where I'm from, where the bars close at four and the after hours go well into the sunrise, closing at twelve just doesn't cut it. Advice: go early, go often, but at least just GO!
So, this place was like a surreal dream to me the first few times. I lived in Old Town for almost 4 years before I found this place. How I never heard the band playing before blew my mind. When I asked the bartender when they opened, he looked at me like I was stoned and said they'd been there since 1970-somethin'!
Anyways, great scotch and drink selection, awesome music, and a chill place to smoke a cigar. I give it my highest recommendation!
a very nice cigar bar but the drinks are a bit over priced and if you dont leave before 9 they will charge you a cover charge if there is a band playing that night. I left at 9:05 and still got charge so I wasn't too pleased with that but aside from that, if you're looking for a cigar/whiskey bar then this is the place to hit up in old town alexandria.
Review Source:We ventured into this upstairs lounge after a short walk in Old Town on a Thursday night and found this dark, smoky bar. We found two things we love: live music and cigar smoking. The crowd was sparse upon arrival, maybe 8 people tops, but quickly turned into a hot spot as the evening went on. We sat at the bar because being at the tables in the front would surely bring a head-banging headache the next morning. We were greeted quickly by a bartender who looked like he used to be the bouncer. He was very cold and distant at first, but warmed up before we left. We ordered (by his suggestion) two bowls of the she-crab soup, a couple orders of shrimp cocktail, and the crabcakes, which were delivered in that order. The soup was more than I could have ever expected: creamy, packed with flavor and chunks of crab, absolutely delectable! The best I've had. But it was downhill from there. The shrimp cocktail was satisfactory but basic. The crabcakes were less than stellar in flavor and the size of 2 Oreos stacked on top of each other. Blah! I'll pass on those next time. In a room off to the side, there was a big screen with leather couches and chairs where the NFL Draft was being broadcast. After the fact, we wished we had sat in there when it got louder, but those people had to come to the bar for service. There was no waiter or waitress walking around, just the two bartenders. Overall, we will not hesitate to visit this lounge when visiting Northern Va again.
Review Source:Nice small little Cigar friendly bar/lounge in Old Town Alexandria, VA. From what I understand, they usually have a band playing live most nights (mainly on the weekends). We we went there it was a Friday night and the band was on fire!! They had a harp (harmonica) player that was killing old school rock n roll and blues tunes. I was impressed by the bands vibe and overall atmosphere of the place. Seating is okay for a small spot and the employees seemed nice.
The only down side is they charge each person a $5 cover when you order your drink. Â So when I ordered my Glenlivet for $10 and change, it came out to $16+...Dayum!!!
Therefore you cannot send someone to the bar to get your first drink because they want your cover charge. Not a big deal but kind of annoying if you're not sitting near the bar. Anyway, overall a nice place to enjoy good live music and a nice drink...and puff on a Stogie every once in a while. Â Definitely will go back when town.
What a surprise!
We randomly stopped in on a Saturday evening because I was anxious for a martini and thought this place could meet the call. Indeed they did... best martinis I've had in awhile. Instead of just having one drink and leaving, we hung out for several and enjoyed some food, too. The mac n cheese is a nice treat, as are the fried oysters.
The bar area of Basin Street is complete with dark wood, comfy barstools, and good bartenders, so we opted to stay there instead of venturing into the adjacent dining area. We also didn't stay long enough to see any live music, but there was some music playing in the background (a Tom Petty CD played for a good chunk of the time we were there... nice!)
In regards to the smoking: I was a little hesitant, but someone sat next to me smoking, and I couldn't smell the cigarette... amazing. However, once I left, I did have that bygone smokey bar smell that used to be the norm when going out for drinks. In a sense, it was a nice, but gross memory. I don't smoke a cigar often, but I do plan on going back sometime soon to enjoy one with a tasty beverage.
This is exactly what I look for in a cigar bar...
I should preface this review by noting that I visited Basin Street Lounge on a Tuesday night--it was quiet but not dead. Only a few couples were in and there was only one bartender, but they did have a live band which was nice! I opted to sit in the back because sitting up front where the band played was not conducive to enjoying a delicious stogie, lol. Just a bit to loud... being in the back definitely mellowed it out. Another bonus to being in the back was the super posh furniture. Who doesn't love vintage, tufted, espresso colored, leather chairs? Very fitting. Not that anyone else cares, but I was also rather impressed by the ceilings architecture and the chandelier. Definitely a gem. You have to bring your own cigars because there's no retail shop in here, I also recommend brining your own cutter and matches/cedar sticks/or torch light too because the bartender only had a single blade plastic guillotine cutter. It wasn't as bad as I thought but bring your own if you can. The lighter however was awful. I'm no fan of lighting my cigars with cigarette lighters. Not that they're contagious or anything, lol, its just that the flame is strong enough. I prefer cigar matches or cedar. Luckily I had a Fuente that night that came with a cedar strip so I was good to go... I did have to use the lighter to even the burn though. Anyway, great time. Stop in and check them out.
This is a great place if you are into 1) cigars, 2) jazz, and 3) a nice stiff drink, so this was absolutely perfect for me. Â Live bands Tuesday through Saturday. We went there on a Thursday and there was a Blues band playing. Â Solid selection of scotch and very comfortable seats to kick back and relax. I wish i worked or live nearby...
There is a small area with tables above the main bar area which is near the restrooms. It's a really well laid out cigar bar. The side room has a TV and is somewhat removed from the live band. We had no problem hearing the world series and enjoying our cigars.
I really do not understand how people give it a lower rating b/c it's a cigar bar. They refer to it as "the cigar bar" so it shouldn't be a surprise!
Really nice place. Central location in Old Town, beautifully furnished interior, quality live bands usually playing jazz and classic R&B, and a friendly staff. Large enough space that you can sit at a table close to the music if you like it loud; or in a side room with comfortable, overstuffed leather couches and chairs if you don't.
Only two beers on tap (Yuengling and Sam Adams), but they're two pretty solid choices with broad appeal. Small, quality selection of liquors. There's a nice tobacconist on the same block, so you can either pick something up there or partake of the bar's selection.
There are more than a few negative reviews about the cigar smoke here. This is a CIGAR BAR, and is thoroughly advertised as such inside and out. If you don't like cigar smoke (which is completely understandable), it's just not the bar for you. But that's no reason for a bad review; you might as well slam a sushi restaurant with "raw fish: yuck!"
I usually visit Basin Street Lounge on week nights when it's not crowded and it's alwasy a good time. The drinks are decently priced, the live music is always good, we've never been asked to pay cover, and the atmosphere is very relaxing. The only negative part is that they allow smoking and there are a lot of cigar smokers, so my clothes always smell aweful afterwards.
I've gone on the weekends, too, but it can be a little too crowded for my taste.
Gregg M and  I held a HH here; been here in the past and have had a good experience.  Unfortunately this one was not that great. Â
Downside #1 - its  a smoking bar.  Okay we knew that going in.  Unfortunately this time it seemed way more smoky than normal. Â
Downside #2 - No Happy Hour specials
I did try the crab mac and cheese - it wasn't bad though I've had better. Â
They are probably more like a 2.5 stars, since there are better bars, but I'll round up this time since the mac and cheese was actually decent.
Maybe I'm just getting old, but what I used to tolerate as a younger man no longer cuts it as an old fart. Â Â
The GF and I held our recurring happy hour at Basin Street Lounge. Â The BSL resides upstairs from the 219 Restaurant on King St. in Old Town. Â The establishment has a genteel feel with its beautiful, old, wood and glass bar and sitting room with a classic leather couch and upholstered chairs. Â The liquor selection is good, not great, but they do serve some of my favorite small-batch bourbons. Â The scotch selection hits the standard brands but all are under 15 yrs old. Â (I prefer my scotch to either be old enough to legally drink itself or at least be of the age of consent.). Â The selection of beer on tap is limited to two...Yuengling and Sam Adams...pretty sad. Â
The real deal-breaker is that the BSL is a cigar-friendly joint. Â On other occasions that we've been here for happy hour, there were no smokers while we there. Â On this night, there were probably 8-10 smokers scattered about the bar, but their exhaust permeated the entire room and the clothes, skin, hair, and lungs of our group. Â Blechhh! Â To add insult to injury, they don't offer any happy hour specials. Â It really wasn't a "happy" hour that we spent at the BSL, therefore, we finished our drinks, paid out and promptly took the group to Union Street Public House.
So, for those keeping score....No Happy Hour specials...Cigar-friendly...no more business from me.
My wife and I were walking around old town looking for a fun bar to relax in and have a few drinks and we stumbled upon this place. In the beginning, we really enjoyed the plush seats at the bar and the really friendly bar service. After we had been there about 45 minutes, the bartender told us that if we wanted to stay, we would have to pay a 5 dollar cover for the band that was going to start playing soon.
I have been to many bars that charge a cover when you are going IN to the bar, but to expect people to shell out 5 bucks after you have been there for 45 minutes isn't a reasonable request. There were no signs indicating this when we arrived, and so we kind of felt a little ambushed.
Late in the evening on a Saturday, after spending the afternoon meandering through Del Ray's Art on the Avenue festival, we headed over to the Basin Street Lounge, located above the 219 Restaurant in Old Town Alexandria.
The opulent chandeliers and rich furnishings in the the second floor of this century-old victorian row house instantly transported me to a bygone era, or perhaps a lounge in New Orleans. Tables and comfortable chairs were grouped in the front of the room, in good sight of the band, while a long wooden bar stretched towards the back end of the space. Tall, white columns stretched up to support a third-floor balcony overlooking the band.
There was an incredibly diverse crowd - young and old, preppy and plain, people of all ethnicities. Though many people were amusingly tipsy, all seemed to be there out of interest in the incredibly talented Primates Blues band. They played an excellent mix of jazz and blues, and the guitarist spun gorgeous sounds on his old Gibson.
The drinks were decent, but who was really there to savor the drinks?
A friend and I wandered up to the Basin Street Lounge (above the 219 Restaurant) on King St. in Old Town Alexandria, and just loved it. Â The jazz band was fantastic and kept the crowd involved in this intimate settting, while the bartender managed to wait on each group there with skill and promptness. Â The prices were more than fair, and I'll definitely go back to this place.
Review Source:
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