Platform 18 at Century Grand — Restaurant in Phoenix

Two of my friends and I decided to check this place out for a lil galentine’s day event. We reserved a slot at 2:45 on a Friday. I arrived first and so I checked us in. The building itself is more long than wide, so both the area outside and Platform 18 is more on the compact side (but that just adds to the intimacy of the atmosphere).

The hostesses were super nice - they gave me the option to sit outside and enjoy the smoky ambiance outside Platform 18, or to get seated in the “train.” I sat outside for a couple minutes to get acquainted as well as take pictures lol. I got tired of waiting for my friends to show up, so I decided to take a seat on the train.

The real draw of this place is the ambiance. You’re sitting in a teeny tiny booth with two teeny tiny tables that can barely fit a couple cocktails on them, and you’re also viewing the windows which reminded me of Roku city when you haven’t been active on your TV in a while lol. It was a moving backdrop of the NYC outline. Since it was smoky outside of the train, there was also smoke drifting inside, which added to the sultry, historical atmosphere.

I thought it’d be more of an immersive experience or there’d be some activities that would tie into the theme, but no. Our waiter explained the menu to us, answered any of our questions, was super super awesome to us… but that was it. It was just like another other bar but the theme of it was a train set in the early 1900’s in NYC.

There were tons of different cocktails on the menu so anyone can find something that tickles their fancy. I was a little afraid because I am more of a sweet cocktail girl, but I also hate coffee (a lot of their dessert-y drinks are espresso-based), but after the waiter explained to us the different sections of the menu, I decided to order Texas and Her Mob. It came in a cool highball glass with an even cooler cylindrical ice cube. It was nice and carbonated and even though I wouldn’t want to recreate it at home, I enjoyed it and I’m glad I picked it. My friends got the El Fay Club, which came in an adorable tea cup which I wanted to take home with me, and the Americana. They both enjoyed their drinks too! We also got their only snack option - spicy popcorn, cheese, and olives. Only one of us likes olives and even the popcorn was a little too spicy for us, so we only really ate the chunks of cheese lol. It’s like these bars want you leaving tipsy after encouraging you to order multiple drinks and then not giving you any food lol. Safe to say, don’t come hungry.

A little while later, my friends ordered two more drinks. I cannot remember what one of them ordered, but the other ordered the Conjuring Valentino, which is essentially alcohol-infused coffee ice cream. Since I hate coffee, I hated the spoonful I tasted, but the two of them liked it.

Overall, this was a fun experience (mainly because of the company I was with), but it was certainly a one-time thing. Each cocktail is quite expensive, and you have to pay to make a...

TLDR: Immersive cocktail bar experience with unparalleled service and tasty drinks. Perfect for date night or in large groups with reservations.

Vibe: 5/5. Platform 18 is one of the 3 bars located inside the Century Grand complex. Century Grand is a spectacle in itself, as it's a cocktail bar destination, complete with 3 differently themed bars with their own special menus. At all 3 bars, reservations are highly recommended, as each bar has limited seating and can get very busy at peak hours. When you arrive at Century Grand, you walk in the main entrance and check in at the front host stand that is shared between all 3 bars. When ready, the host will guide you back through a series of windy hallways until you finally reach Platform 18. When you step in, it's almost as if you traveled back in time to the early 1900s. The bar is designed to mimic a bar train car that is traveling through the American South. The theming is expertly done, complete with period appropriate furniture and decor throughout the "train car". To add to the immersive experience, high definition LED tvs are mounted in the train car windows that loop Southern landscape in unison to give patrons the feeling of being on a moving train car. This visual illusion is paired with a convincing audio soundtrack of period accurate jazz music and train noises to further play with the senses. Truly a bar experience like no other and well worth the visit.

Service: 5/5. The staff at Platform 18 are wonderful at their craft. Not only are they well versed in the art of the cocktail, but they further push the theming by adopting a character role that is complementary. Our server assumed the role as our conductor for the evening and did a wonderful job making drink recommendations based on our palates. Drinks were perfectly served in unison amongst our group of 10, a challenging feat considering how small the bar is. Each reservation has a max time allowance of 90 minutes, so when we were near our limit, our waitress cleverly notified us that our final destination stop was nearing and if we wanted to end our journey with one last drink. Again, the small details with the theming really make this bar special.

Drinks: 5/5. With our group of 10 guys (Bachelor party), we were able to order almost the entire menu through 2 rounds of drinks. Overall, each cocktail was well balanced and aesthetically pleasing. Some of the fan favorites were the Army Navy and the Whiskey Sour. The menu can be slightly overwhelming if you aren't well versed in artisan cocktails, however the staff will guide you to the right drink. Drinks average around $18+, so this is a premium experience that commands a higher price. However, with all of the thought and creativity that has went into the Platform 18 experience, I believe it's more...

This was a very fun experience! We went with a whole group of friends and we all really enjoyed ourselves! Anyway, here’s my full review if you want to read about what to expect: First off, you should make a reservation and when you do it’s $20 a person for your “ticket”. They also let you know that you get a 90 minute time limit, which is nice when you get there as they should be running on time…but you may feel a little rushed at the end of your session there. Also keep in mind this is a cocktail bar only, they don’t have food. They do have some ice cream and sorbet if you want a little dessert with your cocktails, but that’s it. When we got there they took us to the waiting area and it was a very pretty, cool (as in not hot 😁), dark, and relaxing space. Then they took us back to a really awesome looking “train car” bar that looks like it’s moving as you look out the windows, and it’s a nice little scenery that goes by. Now…if you get motion sickness VERY easily like me then you will want to keep this in mind, you really do feel like you’re moving. Luckily I was able to combat this as I had medication with me to help. So if you do get motion sickness then either take medication before hand, or whatever it is that helps you, or you may want to avoid it here. Anyway, pictures do not do it justice, it does look so much cooler in person! They seated our group of 6 at the very back of the train car, which looks like a big booth wrapped around the very back with little tables. The tables are very small and you have to squeeze together as each one fits 2 people at the very most. There are quite a few little tables wrapped around the back so they seated other groups right next and in front of us. Not a problem unless you have issues with confined spaces with a group of people, but that’s what the alcohol is there for to fix right? 😆 When you first sit down they have a glass of champagne waiting for you, which I guess is for cleansing your palate between drinks but I don’t think anyone’s champagne lasted very long. 😆 They have a lot of different cocktails to choose from which are pretty pricey but they were definitely top notch and were very very good! The staff was great and our “conductor” was so nice and very knowledgeable! She could tell you about any cocktail they have on the menu. We didn’t get any of the ice cream/sorbet but some other people around us did and they said they were tasty. In the end we were very glad we tried this place out, it was really a good experience. That’s exactly what this place is about…it’s about your experience there, and the staff works hard to make sure you do enjoy yourself. I definitely recommend it as a fun and different place in...