The service is wonderful and the beer selection is on point, fries were tasty too but didnt try any other food on the menu.Will definitely come back!

Great music, great food.

Tacky, with weird murals. Kitchen closed 5 min early. Why do their waitresses wear corsets? Looks like the place is going for a rat-pack vibe, so the uniform choice is very odd. Also seems like a place Duke Silver would play :)

Delicious Martinis

Thursdays nights are the best time to visit, half-price sushi and discounted cocktails

Awesome atmosphere. We arent very fancy but we still felt comfortable here. Fun drinks. Great finger foods. Awesome staff.

What a classy place to enjoy a delicious dinner! They have a fantastic sushi menu and the martinis I have had there were just right! Happy hour on Thursdays is $5 sushi and $5 martinis, and my friends and I were lucky to get a spot in the restaurant because this deal is popular! The live music is always a pleasure to listen to. I was also here for my 21st birthday and received a free martini! :) Highly recommend!

I recently met a friend at the Black Water lounge for drinks and apps. I had the Blushing Lady martini and it was delicious. We also tried some sushi and apps to share which were good as well. We had to do the chocolate fondue and it was just what we needed to satisfy our chocolate cravings. I will definitely be back next time I am in the Duluth area.

This place is super fancy and the obvious main goal is the ambiance. They succeeded.It looks like a very high end establishment you wouldnt normally find in Duluth. The employees also act and dress like a high end establishment.But the prices are very reasonable and not what I expected when I walked in.The only downside is that it isnt very big so it could get packed some times.

Upscale lounge atmosphere. Dark/ Low lighting with chill music. Some nights they have a band performing smooth cabaret/jazz lounge music. Lounge is filled with warm candle votive lights as an accent and a small electric fireplace. Very classy feel. The ambiance is very warm and relaxing. A good place to chill and have a few cocktails with some friends. Good place to be able to converse without having to yell. Never gets real loud or rowdy. General crowd is made up of mid-twenty somethings and up. They have a vast cocktail menu, a sophisticated one at that. Their featured drinks are their martinis offering up many different options made with all types of Liquors, alcohol and infusions.So even if you don t generally like martinis you are bound to find one on the martini menu you will like. Thursday night is ladies night. Which is half price martinis. Normally rail drinks and cocktails run 5 to 6 dollars and their specialty drinks such as their martinis and mojitos generally run around 9 or 10 dollars. If you are looking for some good eats both their cheese fondue and Lady Godiva chocolate fondue are amazing and well worth the price and are totally shareable. I highly recommend Black Water Lounge if you are looking for an upscale elevated type of evening.

Brought my mom and grandma in with me this time to experience Ladies Night! The food was great. Unfortunately, I gave it 2 stars because our server Abby was very awkward and unprofessional. I believe there was an incident with another table this evening and she was telling all of her tables about how “she kicked them out” the rest of time we were there. Note to Abby, we just want to enjoy our experience, not listen to your drama.

Excellent service, food is great, and the specials are very reasonable. Shame theyre closing for 2 years starting January 1st, 2019.See you all in 2 years!

Love the atmosphere. Wonderful atmosphere. Old time dark and cozy feel. No rock music, just good old jazzy music. Great selection of martinis. Great happy hour.

Very nice place! Maxi is wonderful..I would have given all 5 stars however the guy that did the drum solo was a little too much could have done without that. It was too loud and my group was irritated. Other then that this place is great.

Great service, however, known in the past that the kitchen is suppose to be open till midnight. Went there for happy hour last night around 11and ordered our drinks. We actually saved some of our appetite for sushi. Server told us the kitchen closed early. Which was a let down considering that is half off sushi and ladies nightfor their martinis. Otherwise I love this place.

We had the attendees from our private ceremony (about 20 people) here for a dinner preceding the reception. We reserved the VIP lounge and could not have been happier with our experience. The food was done precisely when requested and was served family style just like we wanted and was delicious too. We got multiple compliments on our choice of food and venue and the staff (especially Carsyn) were very friendly and helpful. We would highly recommend Blackwater for everyone.

Yummy martinis and appetizers! I like the jazz music and ambience. Wish the female servers dressed nicer, those corsets are awful in the first place, but to add a tshirt with yoga pants just adds to it.

Great happy hour appetizers and drink specials. Would highly suggest the June & January martini that comes with dry ice! Service is typically average, they ask you how your food or drinks are and dont really engage in small talk or niceties.

Black water Lounge is one of the top notch bars downtown. You cant show up under dressed and you must show up late in the evening to catch the live music. The feel of the entire lounge bursts with 20s era feels and has delicious drinks. The waitresses are friendly and it is perfect for intimate dates.

Great evening experience. Very reasonably priced food and drinks. A smashing bargain during happy hour. Very friendly and competent staff. Great entertainment. Decor and atmosphere is the best in Duluth. I can not imagine anyone going away disappointed.

Went there last night for my sisters 21st. There was 3 of us. 3 martinis, 1 chocolate fondue, 1 slice of cheese cake and one sushi roll. The food was good. BUT WE WERE THERE FOR OVER 2 HOURS.

Best Martini Ive had 8n years. Great low lit soft atmosphere. Alec our bartender was fantastic. Make it a stop when here.

This place and the A G Thomson house are the reasons we keep coming back to Duluth. The atmosphere is awesome. The dim lighting and the cushioned chairs make so cozy. The drinks are amazing, we love coming when they have happy hour. I love that they have specialty nonalcholic drinks like the lavender crush, it makes you feel fancy even when you cant drink. (We visited once while I was pregnant.) I tell everyone from the cities about this place. The live music is such a great touch, and the food is delicious.

We had the BEST dining/martini experience ever!!! Our server was beautiful and very attentive. The entertainment was spot on. Of course when your with the one you love thats the icing on the cake!!! We will be returning with companions.

A great night out in Duluth. Stylish place and never seen a bad act here yet. Priced fairly for the entertainment delivered.

It is our go to in Duluth. Great jazz, tasty drinks, delicious food. Throw in friendly servers and reasonable prices and you have a great place to hang out.

Really awesome atmosphere that I wish more bars today would have. Service was more than helpful and came to check on us regularly. This would be a great place to take a date if youre going out for drinks and want to watch/listen to some laid back music rather than the typical bar soundtrack.Its quite nice inside but the prices are relative to any other bar/lounge, which is refreshing for a fancier place such as this. Unfortunately I cannot speak on the food as I did not have any, but the next time Im in Duluth I will likely stop again.

Overpriced for not being particularly special, but the cocktails are quite tasty and the atmosphere pleasant.

Excellent cocktails, and friendly service. All this in a fun Speak Easy type atmosphere. This spot is on my must visit list when I am in Duluth. The bustier wearing waitresses are an added bonus!

We love the Black Water Lounge. We go there every time we are in Duluth. The food and drink is amazing and they have a great specials as well.My wife and her friends are up there this weekend. The Black Water manager (Karen) went the extra distance by hooking the girls up with a dinner from the husbands back home. She did not have to help us do that, however she took the extra time on the phone, personally found the girls, gave them a gift card, and also took extra care of them at dinner.A+ in our book. We will be back again. Thanks for making it a great night Karen.

I LOVE this place! I’ve been here multiple times, particularly on their Thursday ladies night with 1/2 price sushi and $5 martinis (I believe from 4-7). Plus they have live music. I recommend registering for their email list as they have great coupons they send, including a free bottle of champagne every once in awhile.

Worst service I have ever received in a restaurant, the food isnt that great either. The blonde hair manager is also terrible, she does not resolve conflict, only makes it worse. We will never be going back here.

Nice atmosphere but my partner had two questionable spots on her scalp removed the day before. Stitches, keep moist with petroleum jelly meant she was uncomfortable about her hair. A cap solved that but Blackwater has a no cap policy so she had to borrow a scarf! Very awkward experience. Dress code has nothing. Very awkward!!!

Very good atmosphere for a cocktail lounge, drinks are solid. Would recommend.

If I could give 9 stars I would have. Super chill atmosphere, excellent martinis, great jazz, and fantastic menu. The decor and environment is almost surreal and you could never tell by the outside how very stylish it is inside. The appetizers are well worth the price and dinners (more expensive than chain places) are unique and exquisite.

Very nice, classy place to have a cocktail or craft beer. The waitstaff are knowledgeable and friendly. Not a jeans and T-shirt kind of place.

The best happy hour in town! $5 martinis and good bar food. The staff is very friendly and the service great. Very upscale for Duluth. Great place to party and meet friends for drinks in the heart of downtown.

I wish I could award this establishment zero stars. My girlfriend and I walked into this swanky, faux-jazz club excited to try the food and cocktails after checking into our hotel for a weekend trip from Minneapolis. Upon walking in, there was no system set up for greeting so we sat ourselves. After waiting around for 30 minutes hoping to see a server we eventually left. No one paid any attention to us. No one greeted us. The atmosphere was horrible. The entire experience left me wanting to go home and swallow bleach. If you like hip and pretentious with a side of no service you might want to try this place out. The resulting gas I just passed from eating the Irish Pub fare down the street left a better taste in my mouth.

Cozy setting. Wonderful live music. Great food and drinks.

This place seems to have dropped in quality from my eye days, but its still the best place to get cocktails in town. The atmosphere and music are great. Service is lacking, not sure how it takes 10 to pour whisky over ice. That being said, next time in town Ill absolutely be back.

If you are searching for a classic, clean, gin martini blackwater is not the Mecca where your search will end. Then liquor is diluted, the olives are massive and tough, and wether or not you order a dirty martini it seems there will always be flecks of olive brine floating in the glass. Now on the other hand, if you want a decently mixed cocktail served in a martini glass, you will not be dissatisfied. The atmosphere and service is top notch and something to be celebrated. When you need a quiet place to sip and snack just head up stairs and towards the back of the lounge where youll find it to be warm, quiet, and oh so comfortable. If the atmosphere and ambiance are top priority youll be hard pressed to find a more relaxing spot than Black Water. If top notch cocktails are the desire look elsewhere... (There was very slow service and a mix up with our check which led to my group being there a lot longer than we would like, but it was a busy night and our server was new so I dont think that should be considered a regular occurrence)

The prices are almost as breathtaking as the food and drinks but the ambiance and hip and trendy crowd almost make up for it. A once a month sort of place unless youre impressing friends from out of town or you have money to burn.

Waitress informed me that they have a dress policy. No hats......Huh funny I didnt see that anywhere on the door when I walked in from the ballroom. I informed her of this and she didnt care. Guess Im walking a block down to Carmodys.

This is our go-to place for an evening cocktail and music listening. We are in our 50s and don want to wait until 10:00 for some rock band to blow our eardrums - we want great, honest music by some real musicians. Maxi Childs and her band will give you an up close and personal musical experience and will even take requests. Fly me to the moon Maxi!

Every single time Ive been to Blackwater Ive witnessed the bar staff flat out ignoring patrons wishing to order a drink. The last straw was New Years Eve. We paid A LOT of money for the ultimate package for New Years By The Lake and part of that experience was Blackwater. There were plenty of bartenders, including the assistant bar manager who insisted on washing glasses while telling fed-up patrons that another bartender would help them in a minute. That minute turned into half an hour before we finally gave up and left. For an establishment that makes its money selling drinks, they sure dont seem eager to do so.

Love this place. We ordered the fondue for 2 and martinis while lightening to jazz. Lovely night! Thank you for the experience!

Loved this place. Amazing vibe food and drinks

Really good martinis and sushi. Thursday night is the best time to go. Very cool place, I really like the lounge setting.

I was impressed! The wait staff was very accommodating! I felt very comfortable and would recommend this place.

Great happy hour and cocktails menu. The live music here is always on point (if you like instrumental / vocal jazz). Black Water is just in general a classy place to grab a drink and appetizers with friends or a date. I will definitely be coming back.

The food is always excellent. We had crab wontons, artichoke dip, mini pizza, and wings. The atmosphere is dark and candlelit, which I love- just dont try to read anything. Friendly staff and good selection of cocktails and martinis. They have great specials on select appetizers and $5 martinis during happy hour and certain days of the week.

Staff was amazing, ordered a $100 bottle of wine, the waitress poured it for us. Sushi was fantastic. Service was spot on, Abby was our server and the live jazz music and chill atmosphere makes waiting not so bad.

Boujee people work here. Place is nice but staff—not so much. Waitress spilt water on my coat and didn’t even say anything. Bartender was not busy. Saw me from across the bar with money in hand for a drink— 20 mins without greeting or serving.

The atmosphere is wonderful and the drinks are great. And big martinis for 5 bucks during happy hour in an upscale lounge is unheard of. But it is the staff that makes this experience. The bartenders and wait staff are always great. We go back again and again.

The best place in Duluth for handcrafted cocktails and an amazing atmosphere.

One of our go-to date night destinations. Great food, even better drinks, and on the right days great live music. Love the atmosphere and the service is friendly and fast. It can sometimes get crowded but we have never had trouble finding a table.

Excellent martinis - served very cold and in a chilled glass; dark and romantic, great atmosphere. The bar is gorgeous. Closed on Mondays - even though the sign in the window shone OPEN on our last visit.

Cant get enough of the lavender martinis! Great place my favorite spot

Awesome martini bar with a great vibe. It is sad that it is closed now

I like dressing up to get drunk, it makes me feel classy. Always good people at this place as well.

Cool atmosphere, good food with nice specials. the corsets on the wait staff seems excessive.

Fun atmosphere! Food is good. Half price sushi on Thursday’s!!!

My favorite place for martinis and sushi. June in January martini is the best, and the hidden dragon roll is my favorite sushi ever.

Drinks were good - get the cucumber press. Service was friendly, but they lost my debit card for 20 min... Also, for some reason all the waitresses were dressed with their bust pushing out of their shirt... Very dark atmosphere.

One of our favorite places for a cocktail. Even the food selection is superb.

The best martini bar in Minnesota. The soft lighting and fireplace create a cozy and romantic atmosphere that makes you want to stay for hours.

Pretty much the best cocktail bar in Minnesota. The only drawback is that I no longer live in Duluth!

For myself, one of the best places in MN to grab great scotch and great sushi. Everything else on the menu is delicious too. Awesome rat pack/jazz vibe inside too.

AMAZING Atmosphere! Great food and drinks!

Love the ambiance here, great easy to listen to music. The fondue for two, wonderful for you!

Great food! Decent prices for happy hour. I loved the Cucumber Press.

The Martinis are the best and the atmosphere is nice! Service is superb!

Always a great place to enjoy a good drink with great people. Sit down in a cozy chair or warm up to the friendly service at the bar. A complete package of great service, entertainment, and fun atmosphere.

We stopped here for a quick lunch. The service was great. The pork carnitas were fantastic! We also enjoyed the loaded tots. We will be back.

This establishment is getting 5 stars because of Tia. Thank you Tia for super service with a smile and authentic sweetness. All the best! Also, thank you for your recommendation of the Meomi Pinot Noir- delish!

Service is slow. The girls are dressed nice and the drinks are good but horrible service. We had one drink and it was a 45 minute ordeal because they messed up our order. Waitress was making a scene with another waitress, very unprofessional.

Reeeeally good, preeetty spendy. Fantastic staff.

Good music, good food and great drinks!!

I visited Duluth recently and was pleasantly surprised by this gem of an establishment! As a former Duluth resident, I fully understand how unique this atmosphere is- vibrant and classy. If you are looking to thoroughly impress while spending a night out, this is the spot.

Love it fun atmosphere! Great happy hour prices!

Food and service is great. Prices are a bit steep for this cheapskate.

Great evening hang out. Good food and live music.

Good apps and drinks. Half price sushi on Thursdays.

Love half price sushi night. Service is great sometimes, other times not great. Stop here for a drink every time I go to Duluth. The atmosphere I find is very cool.

Great atmosphere, martinis. Great music. Food is hit or miss, alot of items over cooked

The happy hour specials were decently priced and the food and drink good, but the waitresses wear corsets as part of their uniforms. Corsets. Seriously? I wont give any more money to this establishment that profits from sexualizing women.

Nice atmosphere . Staff can use customer service improvement .

Excellent place for food and socializing. Wish the new years celebration was better though.

Atmosphere was great. Half price sushi on Thursday. The Asparagus Roll is fantastic.

This is a GREAT martini bar. Good music too that isnt too loud.

Solid drinks and a great vibe! Always a fun place to go. (The food is meh)

Great atmosphere, service, and staff.Thursday nights for sushi and martinis are some of the best in the area.A must try!

Amazing atmosphere... excellent cocktails and food... A must stop when in the area

Mens restroom is always disgusting, your feet will stick to the floor and your nostrils/eyes will burn. The bar top is just as sticky.Martinis are good, food is okay.

Simple wonderful. Highly recommend.

I love the setting. Its sexy and elegant a perfect place for a romantic date.

Always have to come here on Thursdays for half off sushi! Its delicious.

Great place for a pint or two of Guinness. Thanksgiving buffet was very good.

This review is about the rock and roll sushi..I often come here for their half off sushi and $6 martinis on Thursday. I usually get a few different rolls and the rock and roll has been an all time favourite until the last three times I was there. The roll is served cold (the shrimp batter everything was cold) so I am wondering if they they pre-made the roll and refrigerated it..... Rice was grainy and tough, the fried battered seafood is cold. It is definitely not what I’ve been served before! And it’s been like this the past 3 times I was there. I haven’t gone to blackwater on other days so I don’t know if it’s the same or do they only do this on Thursdays since they are busy with the sushi special. I know it is already half off but there is no good excuse to lose quality? :/ All the other sushi is ok and I highly recommend Hidden Dragon :)I would still recommend people to come here (but not order rock & roll). Martinis good and service is swesome! Ambience is a plus.

Great Sushi and martinis in a relaxing environment.