Al’s Wine & Whiskey Lounge

Here are two words commonly used to describe bars, but I never thought they would be used together. «Upscale Hole-​in-​the-​wall».
What can I say? I can always use a series of adjectives. Small, intimate, cozy, high end, classy, expensive.
Personally, I don’t like going downtown, much less anywhere in the city. The people are rude and the parking is atrocious.
«With that being said», I found the most attractive about Al’s is the fully stocked and well maintained game room! I will definitely be back for the next Pinball Tournament.

Was here on Christmas Eve. It’s a small and one of the happening place in Syracuse. The bartender Mike was so friendly though he was busy. Definitely a place to be in again.

fabulous drinks, great bartenders they really know their liquors and wines. seating is very limited, hard to find seating for more than 2 and you have to scream over large tables, even though the sofas are nice. They could use a larger food menu. not good to drink on an empty stomach. I remember the cheese plates nice but that’s all I can remember. Might be because they don’t really have seats that are good for eating. so as long as you eat before you come.

Came by to meet my brother and his friends for a drink one night and had a great time sitting on the couches, playing jenga, and meeting some new people who joined our game. I decided to go for a cider with a shot of honey whiskey mixed in. I was hoping they would suggest a new type of whiskey, but when I asked for Honey, they suggested Jack Honey, which I love so I went with it! I was probably only there for about an hour but in that time, it filled up quick! Seems like a well-​loved spot and I would love to come back and try other whiskeys and, of course, some wine!

Al’s is one of my favorite downtown spots. The décor alone is enough to transport one to the hippest corner in Brooklyn, with low lighting, tufted couches, and a floor to (high) ceiling bar of literally hundreds of whiskeys. Always ask the bartender for a recommendation — I found my new favorite Bourbon (Old Scout) by asking for something «good for a beginner, delicious, but not too pricey.» The red wines are also fantastic. Pick this as a place to meet friends any night of the week (open 365 days a year!). I love Al’s. Give it a try!

The coolest place to grab a drink in all of Syracuse. If I could go every single night… I would. I don’t even like bars.

Go to bar in the area. It’s a favorite local space and has a nice atmosphere. Their happy hour on Friday has complimentary food — chips, dips, and more. They also have a few drink specials during happy hour.
Great liquor and wine selection and definitely a place to go if you truly like liquor. There’s an array of options and they have let me taste before if I never had things before.
It’s very dark inside, which is the only reason I gave 4 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time here. An amazing selection of wine and spirits. Very knowledgeable bar tenders which is essential given the variety of choices. I tried a delicious aged rum as well as a Japanese whiskey. Top notch. Will certainly be back!

This was my first time here, despite hearing about this place from friends, so I and five others decided to meet up for a drink and casual conversation.
When we arrived, it was barely past 8:00, so it was not yet packed and we were able to take in the ambience of the bar during this time as we ordered our drinks.
The bartender was nice and our drinks were strong and deserving of our money. I ordered a simple vodka on the rocks and my friend got a Jameson and Coke. We found a nice lounge area by the front that was comfortable and allowed us all to fit and converse.
The great thing about this place is that you can find areas to sit and actually hear each other. After a while, we were having a good enough time that we didn’t notice how packed it had gotten! Nonetheless, it was still a great atmosphere and I would definitely go back!
Maybe next time we will try their bar food, as I saw another group munching away with their multitude of drinks, though I couldn’t tell if it looked good from afar or not.

Al’s ambience with dim lights, Persian rugs, spacious interior, and interesting décor strikes you from the moment you step inside.
Affordable selection of nice beers on tap, with a seemingly good variety of wine and whiskey although we didn’t try those. Sandwiches and such can be eaten too!
Chess and Jenga available with funny and sometimes sexy messages written in pen on the blocks.

Literally stumbled upon this place quite accidentally, after staggering out of DInosaur and trying to walk off a gluttonous meal.
The club chairs and neon signs were enough to get us interested in looking inside, and once we saw the wall of bottles we were sold.
The bartenders are knowledgeable of the products, and definitely the place is huge so there’s never trouble getting service.
It was very comfortable early in the evening for a conversation, and even at night when it was a whole lot busier it was still a great place to have a few drinks.

Love this place! Very relaxing bar. The drinks are great, not watered down! If you want a good snack the chicken nachos are pretty tasty. However, they give you enough for four lol! There was only two of us and we weren’t that hungry, lol! Overall good experience every time!!!

Al’s is one of the most authentic bars in Syracuse, earnestly interested in quality beverages, good company, and a mellow atmosphere.
Located in Armory Square, Al’s Wine & Whiskey Lounge plays the part of a 1920s bar. The room brings in the neighborhood with its old-​style storefront’s ceiling-​to-​floor windows. Inside is a veritable library of spirits. The shelves of liquor span the length and height of the inside wall, complete with rolling ladder that the bar tenders frequent. Of the walls that aren’t a bank of beverages, the brick of the original structure is trimmed by old wood accents. The room is low-​lit and comfortable, with unpretentious but «distinctly Al’s» furniture and décor.
The beers on tap are standard, but where Al’s shines is in its name: wine and whiskey (and nearly every other kind of spirit you can imagine). Its selection is vast, and has exotic features like Absinthe, Arak, & Pastis. You can pair your alcohol with equally fine meat and cheese plates (or paninis if you’re hungrier). I’ve never had a bad gin and tonic at Al’s. The service is always quick and the prices are reasonable.
My favorite part of the experience is the pinball. The machines they select are top notch and always in good condition. Stop by and I’ll play a round with you.

My favorite bar in Syracuse… Music is always great. People are very friendly. Food is delicious… And service is good. The bartenders are always willing to help/​suggest new things.
Always end up meeting someone new when I go.

What can I say about Al’s?!? This place is my one stop shop in Downtown Syracuse. It’s all in the name, wine and whiskey are what you have here, yet you can still get a cold glass of beer if needed. They serve great food and if you come in on Friday’s happy hour you can sample some of it. This is the spot where the atmosphere is always chill and everyone can hang out drinking with all great types of individuals from the Syracuse.

My favorite bar in Syracuse. I just like the class. Even the bouncers wear ties. This type of atmosphere has been lost anywhere else I’ve gone. The couches in the back are comfortable and quiet, but if you go on a busy night, your group will rarely get them to yourself. I actually prefer going here on non-​weekend nights to avoid the typical college crowds that Armory Square attracts– I don’t mind big crowds like that, but I think it takes away from the amazing atmosphere that Al’s has.

One of the coolest bars I have been to in a long time and by far the best bar in Syracuse. If you are looking for a place to chill, this is your bar. The music was great, the whiskey selection even better. Great service and atmosphere. I felt like I was sitting in a Speak Easy during the prohibition era of the roaring 20s. I wish a place like this existed back in Northern Virginia!

This is one of the few lounges I go to in Syracuse because you can really get any drink you want at Al’s. When you first walk in, the first and only thing you notice is a floor to ceiling wall full of different bottles on display for you to choose from – everything from rum to top-​shelf whiskey. The selection of beers on tap isn’t necessarily a huge selling point, but the beers they do have are really good local and domestic brews. The food, however, is nothing to write home about. The menu only consists of about ten different options and I wasn’t super pleased with what I’ve had (I tried the nachos and the buffalo chicken wrap). The prices aren’t too bad either!

One of the best bars I have ever been to! They have a long bar area so it is easy to get a seat at the bar. The alcohol selection is basically the entire wall behind the length of the bar. Both bartenders I met were extremely nice, very personable, and gave us great recommendations for wine and whiskys that we wanted to try out.
Beyond the bar are numerous couches and places to sit/​stand. There is a connected room that has even more couches and two Pinball machines and a pool table! The pool table and pinball machines were really fun and made out hangout even better.
I ordered their large meat and cheese plate and was not disappointed. It came with the meats and cheeses we ordered plus a homemade jelly and a huge piece of bread that was baked to perfection.
This place is right near armory square so it is super easy to locate and basically in a great location.
I would highly suggest others to come here !

Probably the best place to drink in Syracuse…
its far enough away from the campus to get away from the college students.
Has a great selection of alcohol, a lot of browns and pretty comfortable atmosphere. Think scotch, whiskey, bourbon, etc. Not a dive bar but comfortable.
The setting is a little dark with couches and bar stools.
Hard to say much more about it, but the people here are nice, usually a little over college ages and working in downtown Syracuse. Live music sometimes and sometimes not, I would just check online or in person.
Parking can usually be found on the street but if not there are a couple of garages around which arent too expensive.