Spirit & Tales

Creative, balanced cocktails, a fascinating menu, great service, beautiful views--we have no complaints about our experience here. Spirits & Tales is on the tenth floor of the recently renovated Oaklander Hotel. The high ceilings and glass walls make for beautiful views of downtown Pittsburgh. Honestly, we had just checked in, were tired and hungry, and didn't realize what a treat we were in for. Our server was great. A lifelong Pittsburgher, gruff, and no nonsense. He was perfectly happy to give us his unvarnished opinion of everything on the menu and help us decide between a surfeit of intriguing options. He really made us feel welcome and at ease while talking really good care of us. Last Thanksgiving, I tried my hand at beef bourguignon, and I only wish mine had been as rich, moist, tender and smooth as what we had here. The seared prosciutto that topped it was a nice touch, but I'm not sure it added anything. The stew was perfectly hearty and comforting all on its own. The grilled salmon with roasted brussel sprouts was also a great autumn meal. The cocktails, though, were the stars of the show. The Oaklander's bartender is a gem and of go back there just to see what else she comes up with. If you are a fan of classic cocktails, she has come up with some fascinating variations on timeless themes. I started with the Windfall, a variation on a New York sour, where the fruity Cabernet topper brings depth and sweetness to this whiskey cocktail. Benedictine and walnut bitters add complexity and a really nice evolution. I followed it with the S'mores Old Fashioned, which came garnished with an actual flaming marshmallow that you extinguish by swirling it in the drink. Despite the actual toasted sugar, it manages not to be overly sweet. My partner started with the Falling Berries combining smoky mezcal with fresh berries. She followed it up with the New Fashioned, a simple take on an old fashioned that swaps tequila for whiskey and accentuates it with hickory smoke under a bell jar. Delicious. Unusually for us, we might have had a third round of drinks. Like good restaurants, the portions were perfectly sized so that the idea of dessert was actually enticing. We got the flaming brown butter bourbon cake. I haven't had a flaming dessert since I visited Paris when I was fifteen and accidentally got tipsy when I blew out the flame before all the cognac had burned off. The cake wasn't as moist as I would have liked, but it was still very good. The menu is updated regularly here (quarterly?), so there's ample reason to come back. I love that we kind of accidentally stumbled into a fine dining experience, Pittsburgh style, and I'm excited to visit again.

This was my 3rd time there and we had lunch. I say skip lunch and try dinner or brunch instead. The 1st 4 pictures are from lunch. The lunch menu was limited and not impressive. I had a lox sandwich and the bagel was clearly thawed from frozen and not fresh. I was disappointed. My husband and my mom didn’t enjoy their food either. The place is beautiful and has good views. Brunch and dinner were awesome!

Had a great experience with dinner and drinks. No wait for a table of 2, we had two cocktails each and they were all fantastic, the seasonal pecan pie martini, the purple rain was very refreshing and the could be loved (is that the name?) were all good. The grilled octopus was super tender and all the sauces that it came with were amazing, the branzino did have some bones that were tricky but great flavor, nicely cooked. We had desserts and both the cheesecake (not too sweet -authentic basque style!) and the creme brulee were delicious.

I had brunch here, and my egg dish was a little bland. I was excited to see a Kir Royale on the menu as an alternative to a mimosa. The drink was perfectly balanced. It was also my birthday and the cake served for birthdays was delicious. I wasn't even in the mood for cake, but I couldn't put my fork down LOL. The atmosphere and views here are enjoyable. There is a parking garage conveniently located across the street.

One of the best meals I've ever had! Every course was fantastic, service was extraordinarily attentive and friendly, and it was a very chic restaurant with a great view of Oakland. Top tier, will definitely be returning!