This place was awesome. The night we went there were some movies playing, the bartender was very pleasant and he made some really tasty drinks. The bar itself was pretty spacious and comfortable and overall we had a great time.

Honestly my favorite place downtown. It gets busy during the weekend, but not-weekend times are perfect! A quiet, small bar with great drink selection and even better staff! Easy place to get friends together and chat. :)

The staff was very kind and attentive.

Very relaxed and fun environment. Good couches to sit on.

The Lift is consistently great, with good service and drinks that are cheap (especially if youre going during half price Wednesday). I super recommend it.

The Lift is one of our favorite spots for martinis! The martinis are awesome and the vibe and atmosphere is always unique and a treat! If you’re looking for a true local experience with great drinks, be sure to check out The Lift!!!

Great low key place to be with friends, and the strongest drinks in downtown DSM

Easily one of the most comfortable bars downtown. Dim lights, soft music, and features local art on the walls that cycles regularly. The artsy aesthetic feels earned and doesnt come across as pretentious. The end result is a cool, unique atmosphere with quality, fairly priced drinks. Makes for a interesting start of a night out or a relaxing end of a long work day.

Very chill location and the music is delightfully offbeat. Great place to hang with friends.

2 for 1 martinis on wednesdays, great art (for sale too), attentive bartenders, good music, what more do you need?

Interesting spot in downtown Des Moines. Its small and intimate with a great mix of typically locals hanging out. Its a quieter that many clubs making it a great place to go when you want to actually talk!

Fast, friendly service. Loved the atmosphere. Went for martini night. An absolute must.

Best Martini Bar in DSM, real chill place for anyone and everyone. They have beer/craft beer and wine as well.

Kind of dank in a good way. Very comfortable with a decent selection of local brews. Would drink here again! Also found lots of funny bathroom stall writing.

One of my favorite bars in the metro as they have great drink deals on Wednesdays and Thursdays and always display local art for sale. Also there are comfy couches and local beers on tap. I love the laid back atmosphere - perfect for sipping a martini and playing a game of cribbage.

This is my favorite bar in Des Moines. The lighting inside is very relaxing. They rotate local art work for sale around the bar so the eye candy is different almost every time I visit. But the real jewels of this place are the martinis. They are made to style with precision every time. My usual is the Manhattan or the Frency. Cheers!

Visited Lift for Tuesday jazz night. Music and martinis were good. Service was quick and the couches were comfy.

Great local art on the walls and a nice selection of martinis. Bartender is always friendly and good alternative/indie music rolling

Some of Des Moiness best cocktails. For the REAL hipsters who made the town cool in the first place. All the vibe. None of the Manhattan prices or attitude. AWESOME staff full of fun stories that really knows its stuff.

The night we went here they had a band playing jazz style music. I feel as though this place has a laid back feel. The biggest complaint I have about this place is that it was kind of small. But over all, I think it is a nice place to go and have a few drinks with that special someone

Small and intimate. Quiet and comfortable.

Beautifully made tasty martinis, such a chill atmosphere!

2-for-1Martinis on Wednesdays, and a great space overall to just chill with friends after a long day. I love seeing the artist featured on the walls everytime I visit. The menu is drinks is delicious, and never changes (if you like that sort of thing).

One of my favorite bars downtown Des Moines due to the intimate setting, comfy seating, art work, and affordable prices.

Best martini in town. Cozy place with rotating at exhibits and a comfortable nook to seat groups in.

Perfectly chill and delicious.

Awesome selection for Martinis. Their half price happy hour is the best!

Saw Shawn Blake preform, out of Iowa City

Wednesday discount martini night is my favorite! All their martinis are great quality and delicious

Great vibe, 95% of the time great service though sometimes you can catch tenders who are just doing their own thing when its slow. Choices are good as well as the prices. This place gets recommendations from me for sure.

The staff is great! They have a wide selection of unique and classic martinis, but they serve anything youd find at a typical bar too. What sets this place apart is that it can be a low key relaxing visit. The also have rotating art displays from local artists.

This bar is obviously proud of its innovative takes on the martini and these arent bad. Im most impressed by their consistent delivery of very delicious classic gin martinis, however.

I love this bar usually, I went in tonight and the woman (who I have NEVER seen before and claims to have been working there for 11 years) closed the bar early and wouldnt serve me. Ive been in this bar for a while and was always served till 1:45. I was extremely dissatisfied with her service since she didnt even give any. I hope I never have to deal with her again.

Very cozy good drinks and good music

Wonderful bar for great drinks with a group, a first date or by yourself. No tvs, just music and conversation. Martinis are a specialty along with rotating beers on tap, and everything else you need for a good night out.

Great bar in a relaxed atmosphere to grab a drink. $3 drafts on Thursdays and 2 for 1 martinis on Wednesdays. Plus rotating art from local artists.

Russ is the bartender this Halloween 2018 & not only does he keep everyones glasses (& make a mean Manhattan), he knows his spooky music. Love this place.

Seems like an uppity bar at first, but the bartenders are very nice and once you start going regularly, you see it is really a chill, relaxed bar that sometimes has music. Ask for the Lula shot. Its a special, not on the menu drink. Coffee, boos, sweetness.

Reasonably priced drinks in a hipster atmosphere

On 3/14 I wrote this review on their FB page, Horrible service! Tyler The bartender made people wait a long period of time to serve them. It might be just Tyler, very rude and arrogant. I am not sure if he was prejudice . On 3/20 apparently Tyler asked his friends to attack me and say bad words to me because I talked about what I witnessed/experienced (see picture). Should we always be silent? A customer should be able to give a review, good or bad.

Great place with nice people and reasonably priced drinks

Great drinks... Nice service ... Get there!

Love this place. Always have great art up, nice staff, good prices, cozy vibe

Great drinks and a nice lounging environment.

Good music, great art, and even better bartenders. This place is perfect if youre looking for somewhere chill.

BEST MARTINIS, LIVE MUSIC, ART LIFE. Literally, a hole in the wall spot for us hole in the head types.

2 for 1 Martinis every Wednesday and Thursday is Pint night (reduced prices). This place is a DSM classic and the only bar in know in town that doesnt have a TV! Monthly art shows are worth your time. If you feel the service isnt great it is because The Lift isnt striving to be another Court Ave bar, rather it is a hip kid bar where bros arent the main clientele.

Small but good drinks

Good place to get a martini with a wide variety. Can get crowded and takes a while to get a drink, but otherwise a worthwhile stop

I love this underground athmospere when compared to the nearby bars. Great cocktails and very friendly and funny staff. A great discovery in Red Moines

Easily one of the best bars in DSM. Consistently great music and bar service, the vibe is unmatched. This place is a diamond in the rough of downtown bro bars.

Great little des moines bar. Good martinis. Good ambiance.

A little too artsy for my taste

Great martinis and live music. Check out Wednesday night 2 for$8 martinis!

Very rough bar, a distinct Latino gang presence, several fights while we were there. The girls in our party did not feel safe. Zero service and drinks no other bar would serve. This dump only proves what is wrong with Cort Ave. Please dont waist your money in this dump.

Worst rudest bartender in Des Moines. Will never buy a drink here with him behind the bar.

Great specials, rotating art work and the bartenders play the best music of all of downtown.

Depending on your vibe its a great place, the entertainment was awesome.

I had a good time with the charismatic waitress and the martinis were fire .

Distinct feliz navidad gang presence. Pretty cool.

My favorite bar downtown! Wednesdays are the best!

Good inexpensive drinks with a fast bar and good atmosphere.

Love this place. Great martinis, well priced, usually always ample seating, really weird art.

Good tumes, comfy couches and atmosphere. Lack of table service most time a bit of a bummer

Its a pretty cool place for millenial hipsters

If you want mediocre drinks for an exorbitant price than look no further! The staff is varies in quality but tonight on the 10th of December it was absolutely horrendous.

They wont let someone under 21 in even if theyre the dd and its below 0. Drinks are good though.

Great bartenders who try to know their audience.

Usually really crowded but great drinks

Friendly staff! Much quieter and chill bar.

Tall Jefe or TJ as some of you refer to is the leader of the JaTino gang and an excellent bartender.

My favorite place to go downtown. Live music on Tuesdays is always great too!

Bartender always on point as well as the Martinis...

Great dice bar

Great bartender. Loved him

Decent place to grab a drink in a good location! Check it out!

Love this place

Wonderful martinis and a good atmosphere.

Great deals on Wednesday

Excellently crafted cocktails

Everytime i walk out im happier than when i walk in. Every time.

Great martinis!

Best Martini in town.

Really enjoy the place but the staff is kind of rude unless you are over the age of 60.

Wednesday night they have two martinis for $8.

Best place for a martini

Great atmosphere.

Great atmosphere, very hip.

Great cocktails

Their martini selection is pretty big and you can get 2 martinis for 8 dollars on Wednesdays.