Velvet Lounge — Restaurant in Bend

I’ve loved Velvet for years, at least the idea and aesthetic of it. Really well curated interior with a great ambiance. The owner is the only person I’ve felt good vibes from. The rest of the team, especially recently, have unfortunately always had frankly unwelcoming, bored, avoidant, unenthusiastic, dead expression attitudes no matter the time or stress level. I’ve even been in when zero customers were in the entire building and based on the sole interactions with the bar, or lack thereof, the magic gets leached away from the place.

Without the bartenders, it’s just an empty building after all. A welcoming attitude or some conversation is the warm hearth that brings cold travelers back over and over again; people remember how they feel. Then again, even when the place is packed with people, I don’t feel any warmth or connection from anyone here. Maybe it’s a sign of the times, maybe it’s Bend in general. I’ll keep trying and coming back...

Definitely a cozy spot. Felt super intimate because of how small the space is, while still being super busy. Tyler is absolutely fantastic, he whipped up his own Whiskey Ginger with cucumber, it was fabulous. Great vibe to him, super friendly, and talented. The upstairs section was a bit crowded and the service was quick, but a bit awkward. She sort of assumed the whole bill I gave her to cover the charge of the drinks, that the remainder was hers, which, I was going to tip separately, but okaaaaay. Tyler’s service made up for the upstairs...

Super fun and laid back spot! My friends and I were looking for an upbeat, not-clubby type of bar and had walked out of 3 other places before finding this one. It is the perfect bar for a more sophisticated kind of night out. It was my 30th birthday and this was the PERFECT vibe I was looking for. The décor, furniture, bar, music was all beautiful. The bar tenders were FABULOUS, so friendly, knowledgeable and well dressed haha. Top-notch service and the drinks were the same. I will recommend this spot to everyone...