Spy Raleigh

I visited «Spy» on Saturday, 3÷15÷14. On Saturday (and maybe Friday?) nights, Spy is a hip hop club. It was supposedly «Brian Dawson’s» birthday party. Here’s what I can say for this ‘club’ — if you want to go out with your friends to just «get out» or «do something», then Spy is okay. The line was kind of long — thankfully, my host for the night had reserved some space for us in the «VIP» section… however, the VIP secton should hardly be called that. It was jam-​packed with people! There was really no difference between the VIP section and the main dance floor. The promoters and manager should do a much better job to make sure that the VIP is way less crowded. Aren’t VIP sections supposed to be comfortable and have some level of exclusivity??? Which brings me to my next point — the serious lack of sophistication of the entire club and atmosphere. On Saturday nights, Spy is another mainstream hip hop club which books mediocre DJs (what is the DEAL with this HOOD music? … or am I just getting OLDER?). The crowd seemed to be college age — maybe mid-​20s. I was thoroughly disappointed. I did not expect to see this scene b/​c I’d previously been to «Spy» for classier evening-​time events (such as a magazine-​release party). But this Saturday night get-​together was a complete joke. The best club I’ve been to is in Durham (Republic) and the best DJ I’ve heard in the entire RDU area is a DJ named «Paradigm». Don’t waste your time with the club scene at «Spy». It’s just… lame.

Tuesday nights are awesome! Hulahoopers galore! Fun times and awesome music. Not too crowded on a Tuesday night either.

Tacky, tacky, tacky.
Can only speak about Spy’s nighttime incarnation; have never seen its daytime café alter-​ego. Came here for a friend’s birthday party and was less than impressed by the décor. A lot of bright squiggly waving lights, TV screens with scrolling self-​referential tweets, and some truly hideous paintings (there was a black-​and-​white warped portrait of either Anna Nicole Smith or Marilyn Monroe in her Diamond-are-a-Girl’s-Best-Friend costume as painted by a drunken Picasso-​wannabe-​but-​nevercanbe). I’m not a hard liquor connoisseur and didn’t pay attention to what they were, but the shots they mixed up for us (in honor of the birthday girl) were disgusting, resembling cough syrup. I abandoned mine after a minute sip. I appreciated the decently sized dance floor with a DJ up by the ceiling, and multiple bars spread throughout the place, but I loathed the music. Despite spending about 5 hours at this place, I didn’t hear a single song that inspired me to dance the entire night. It was all crap. I love dancing, and am not that difficult to infect with dance fever. This place managed to be a major dance music fail.
If you want to see girls in decked out in midriff-​baring shirts, short-​shorts, and fluffy ugg-​like boots trying out their rave-​dance moves, and watch fratty or military guys snort and stomp as they charge at each other like idiotic bulls, with truly terrible music as your backdrop, then this place is your ideal destination. You won’t find me here, though.

Have been here twice. Once for their mixology class, and once for a night out with about 12 friends. Had a blast both times. Fun dance floor, funky set up, interesting and friendly people and nice bartenders. Try the Tesla cocktail. Then again, understand that I’m IN LOVE with elderflower liqueur, so they had me at ‘elderflower’. When I went to order a round of shots for friends (yeah, we were having a good old time) the bartender talked me out of the boring kamikaze request and made us a round of Push Up Pops. Sweet with an unexpected sucker punch. Perfect to start the weekend off right. Looking forward to going back soon.

Terrible. I went to the bar with a group of friends. My girlfriend’s friend was asked to leave because her dress rode up a bit when she was dancing. Honestly, it wasn’t that bad, her ass was not out, nor was she booty dancing. And we go out a lot, I should know what’s inappropriate for a dance club by this point. Then my other friend was actually told by a manager not to kiss his girlfriend while in the bar. Are you serious? Who doesn’t make out in a bar. I saw them kiss it was pg13 not R rated. When I asked for my tab it was over charged. I asked for an itemized copy and I was told no, and that we needed to leave. Worst bar in Raleigh for sure. And on tip of it all we were asked to come on a party bus sponsored by Spy Bar! I’ve read a couple other bad reviews of this place on other sites, and they are correct. If you want to dance and dress up, and get good service, go to Architect, or Solas, or anywhere else. Very disappointed.

Personality 3: The Dance Club
First Visit: December 17
R-​Line Stop: R9 + walk a few blocks (before 6:30pm). R-​Line Stop: R11 (after 6:30pm)
Over the last few months, I’ve been to SPY as it’s daytime personality, The Café, for a latte and I’ve been to SPY as it’s professorial personality, The Mixology Class, to learn how to make fabulous mixed drinks. I finally had a chance to visit SPY in it’s dominant personality, the place to put your hands in the air and dance like you just don’t care. Since New Year’s Eve was right around the corner, I wanted to checkout Spy as a night time party place before deciding if I wanted to ring in the new year at Spy. Well, let me jump to the conclusion, my husband and I and several of our friends celebrated the last night of the year at Spy so obviously I had a good time on my first visit to Spy, the night club.
When we arrived on December 17 at about 10:15 pm, we were the only people there. Yep, it’s a late night venue. Since the weather had turned brisk, I wore a winter coat over my party frock since I read a Unilocal review that mentioned Spy had a coat check. Yeah, they don’t want us to freeze or hang on to a coat all night. Very considerate. The review quoted the coat check was only $ 1…cheap! But inflation occurred and the coat check price was $ 5. We set up camp at the back bar so we would be closer to the dance floor. The bartender was great. I wish I got his name. He made us a champagne martini that contained my favorite liqueur, St. Germaine (an elderflower liqueur). They were delicious! One of my girl friends was «Ms. Butter Fingers» and dropped her martini glass. So sad to waste of a good drink. In a few seconds, an employee came running out with a broom and pan to sweep up the broken glass. The bartender gave my other girl friend a rag since the tumbling martini splashed upon her feet. Wow, that was fast, efficient, and considerate. One of our friends was celebrating one of those monumental birthdays, ya know the ones that end with a big fat 0. We asked the bartender to have a shot of Patron and a bottle of sparkling wine ready at midnight. We were dancing to the beat of the DJ who had us on the dance floor the whole night with one great dance song after another. Since it was the holiday season, Spy had a huge array of red and green strobe lights. It was very festive. At midnight we fought our way to the bar for our celebratory drink and when the bartender saw us, he pulled out the already prepared shot of Patron and immediately popped the cork on the sparkling wine. Yes, I was very impressed with this bartender. Awesome service! We had a great time and decided we wanted to spend NYE here.
When we arrived at about 10 pm on NYE, the club was packed with happy ladies and gents dressed in their most festive and sparkly party clothes. Our group of friends hung out at the back bar. I didn’t see my favorite bartender. However, the bar staff hustled to keep the drinks flowing. One thing I liked about them is that I didn’t get any attitude when I ordered a water. I like to alternate between mixed drink and water. At some clubs, they charge for water or they give you a small plastic cup serving the water with a frown but not at Spy. The DJ was great and we couldn’t stop dancing. However, we were forced to stop at about 11:40 so that a group of performers, sort of like Stomp with garbage cans as drums, with artfully decorated dancing women. The performers were talented and the show was very entertaining. But it was sort of a buzz kill right before midnight. Later in the evening, the drummers came out on the dance floor and everyone danced with and around them. Lots of fun! I really liked the count down to the new year and the release of all the balloons. Me and my friends had the best time… a great way to usher in the new year. Spy as a dance club is my favorite personality and I look forward to dancing at Spy again.

At the new years party now, no apps and no champagne as promised. can’t get close to the two bartenders working. Remind me, the fuck did we pay for? The momentum was thrown off with a performance, and the balloons didnt drop till after midnight. It’s the little things, guys. Very unhappy.

So, I am reviewing the Mixology Class that I went last weekend. Save your $$.
22 people were there; all had groupon’s (as did my 3 friends) where we were to receive a class and take home bar gear. Didn’t take home bar gear because, well, I didn’t hear the whole story but we got a «Free» membership to Spy; A $ 35 value. I think like most «private» bars, the membership is free.
Here is what we got for $ 15 (the discounted price, fyi):
Lecture
shot of some bubblegum flavored shot
Straw-​basil drink (yuk)
Cucumber and basil drink (double yuk)
That was all.
Not worth the money. Wasted $ 15 and def wouldn’t do the real price (which is $ 35). Get a book and invite your friends over to your place and make drinks.

Came here with 3 friends on a Saturday night a few weeks back. Overall I enjoyed my evening and would definitely come back again. The space had a great atmosphere and lots of cozy places to talk (or not) with a sexy someone.
: Pros :
–No cover for ladies on Saturday. This could have been because we called ahead to get put on a ‘list’, but I’m not sure. Doesn’t hurt to call in advance if you know you’ll be stopping by.
–DJ played interesting music. Can’t say it was what I had been dying to dance to all week, but it was definitely nice to take a break from Top 40/​Rap and hear something a bit more techno.
–Bars closed at 2am, but the DJ was still playing music when we left around 2:30. This was awesome. Instead of being rushed out and made to feel like an unwelcome, trashy party animal, I left the bar relaxed, smiling and happy. I know it turns into a loooong night for the bar staff, but wow, it was a really nice experience.
–Coat check, $ 1 per coat. The gal up front handles this. (Winter is coming!)
–Crowd was certainly diverse. There were sexy gals, prowling gents, hipsters and even a guy in a wheelchair.
–Management fixed a drink error quickly. I noticed my drink was missing the sugared rim, and moments later the bartender was back with freshly sugared glasses. Some people could spin this into a con since my drink shouldn’t have been messed up in the first place, but I like to give them props for how they handled it. Sugar is the way to my heart (or at least my sweet tooth!)
–Outdoor smoking patio was right off the dance floor, and a nice place for others in my group to grab a smoke without having to walk all the way out front.
–Oh my gosh, can’t believe I almost forgot this: there is a machine right off the dance floor that pumps out freezing cold air. Wonderful for when you’re overheated from shaking your booty. The air comes out of moveable pipes connected to an astronaut sculpture. Just hit the button and feel the arctic blast. Badass! (Disclaimer: it had broken down by the end of the night. But it was nice while it lasted, LOL.)
: Cons :
–$ 5 cover for guys. I am very anti-​cover so this was sort of a drag.
–Back bar had menus listing their special cocktails, but didn’t have the proper ingredients to make the one we asked for. Our second choice tasted pretty awful, but sadly I don’t recall the name of it so I can’t steer others clear.
I will report back in the very near future after I take the Mixology course!

Never came to Spy while it was café lounge during the daytime (which I still find it amazing that they can transform those two things vice versa, I have to see it with my own eyes one day), but once they put away the French press and the percolator and bean grinder, turn the light down, and crank the Top 40 tracks up, Spy is totally in business for regular weekend nightclub scene.
It’s a bit trendy I think: 1) the look and design of the bar allows more contact between the bartenders and thirsty folks; 2) the white couch lounge room let you chill with your party, if you are too cool to move your heels on the marble floor; 3) a DJ booth that’s technically on a floor all on its own because in order to make a request to the DJ you will have to really climb into his «secret base;» 4) the contemporary gas fireplace sitting in the middle divider wall that keeps club-​goers quite warm both on the dance floor and near the bar.
Alas, something is amiss. When you have more patrons hugging the bar than out there trampling the dance floor, you cease to be a dance club, you are a pub; personally, I have something against paying covers just to drink. Then there was the crowd: I have seen a guy with khaki shorts and sneaker kicks and baseball cap, sharing a corner of the bar with girl that has an outfit on so tight and posh, you can pin an quarter under that dress and tell whether you get head or tail. Lastly, but most certainly not the least, «Baby» by Justin Bieber? «and I’m like baby, baby baby, oh! Like baby, baby, baby, NO! WAY! turn that Ryan Seacreast AT40 off.»

Spy is one of the newer places in Raleigh, that on any given night caters to a different crowd. I typically end up there tuesday night for great electronic music, and on weekends, markets itself to more of the club crowd. Perfect for a good night out dancing, and the drinks are always great. They don’t bother with «well» liquors, and all of there base booze is excellent quality, as well as, having a great selection if you’re particular. give spy a shot, and you wont be dissappointed. The music is spot on, the people are nice, and the drinks are stiff. what more is there?

Our experience started out very positive. We came to Spy Raleigh for their mixology class, excited to learn more about mixing drinks. The décor is fantastic and we were greeted by Josh, whose enthusiasm about mixology was contagious. Unfortunately, it went down hill from there. Josh then introduced the students to two reps from Absolut who proceeded to spend the next hour advertising their products. We were taught very little about actually mixing drinks. This is a shame. I suspect that Spy Raleigh may have something interesting to offer, but have no intention of returning to find out – there are simply better places that don’t charge you to sit through an ad – had I know what this «class» was, I would not have wasted my time if it were free; please save your money and time and take classes elsewhere!

I don’t think my overall recollection of Spy deserves 4 stars but I don’t want to penalize the establishment for the crowd it attracts. This place is probably a 3.5 star-​er at best.
I don’t reckon I’ll be going back here anytime soon. It wasn’t awful, just not my scene. If you’re into girls in skimpy clothes, boys in frat attire and moderately mainstream music then you’ll dig this place.
I felt terribly overdressed. Not fancy overdressed but I felt that I was quite literally wearing too much fabric to cover my body in comparison with other ladies. It sort of felt like a little bit of Glenwood South in Raleigh’s warehouse district.
Bartenders did have flair, I’ll give them that. However, while it was cute of the bartender to try to spin my napkin to me after the 5^th fall and fail I asked him to just hand it to me.
I would be interested to come back here during the day to check out their coffee lounge!
The set up is spacious, clean and posh so for that: 4 stars. If I was rating the crowd, you might see 1 — 2 star (s) here.

1. Top 40 remixes. They obliged our request for ‘Hello’ even though we first tried to climb the DJ booth.
2. There was a professional photog there to make the patrons look bright and beautiful.
3. Good turnout — packed dance floor. How it should be.
4. Speedy bar service.
5. Not Glenwood South.
Our girls’ night stop here was a win!

By day, coffee lounge! But by night, dance club! That makes it a little tricky to review, since I’ve only experienced the latter. My group of girls was able to skip cover, thanks to Amanda R and her connections (fancy!). And we entered the large space. VIP areas were bedecked with balloons. Two bars to choose from, beautifully back-​lit. And a divider with a fireplace flanked by open shelves. The space before is for mingling, and the space beyond for bump n’ grinding.
I loved that the DJ was elevated in this god-​like balcony booth that allowed him to read the crowd (though I’m not sure he did — our group wasn’t digging on the songs, anyway). And the towering position did make it difficult to put any requests in (maybe that’s discouraged! =)
I added a star for the cocktail waitresses who were actually really nice when they approached us about sitting in the VIP section (oops), and warmly invited us to sit until the reserved party showed up. The bartender was also good about getting my order and pouring quickly, despite a bar that was about three deep. He also did some flair, which I LOVE, and which you never seem to see around here.
The crowd. Well. It was very meat-​market-​y. Which is to say, I felt out of place for not wearing a dress that was three sizes too small and hiked up to never-​neverland or sporting a bronze that’s even 360degrees around. On the flip side of that, I was actually really relieved that I didn’t have to go to all that effort before leaving the house, or have to deal with some of the sadly desperate men that were sporting porn ‘staches, mopping their sweat up with napkins, or circling the perimeter looking to pounce. Hooray for happily married!

This is just a brief review mainly on the set-​up and décor’ of Spy Raleigh which I thought was pretty cool. I came here recently for a networking event and really like the space and modern décor. The overhead lighting fixtures in the walk-​way when you enter are especially appealing, very colorful! It looks like Spy is still may be a work in progress, but would be somewhere I would visit again.
The coffee bar and alcohol bar concept is a bit of an odd combination to me, but perhaps it will work. I ordered a few domestic beers and was served promptly despite a good sized crowd for the networking event. This is a private club since they don’t serve food, so you have to fill out a membership card. There is no fee to do this.

This review is for Spy Coffee Bar (not the night club):
I had a great experience — Jennifer, the manager, was so friendly and really knows her stuff. She shared with me the details of where she orders the coffee from, and I can tell she put a lot of love into the choice of vendors.
Try the Iced White Latte (: Amazing!
I definitely recommend this place for a work meeting, a date, or just to chill with your friends… go now — your taste buds will thank you!

Killer iced coffee:
The iced coffee at the Spy Coffee Bar will leave you wanting more, and more and more. Most iced coffees are made with a hot brewed coffee, usually a flavored coffee, over ice and served with sugar and cream. Nothing wrong with it at all… that is until you have tasted an iced coffee made with cold brewed coffee. You heard that right, cold brewed. Interestingly, cold brewing coffee is nothing new. The process has been around for more than 30 years, albeit not commercially on a wide scale… but that is an essay all it’s own. Back to the iced coffee at Spy. They serve iced coffee with cold brewed coffee concentrate over ice and they top it with what appears to be mineral water from the bar. The resulting drink is smooth and tasty and contains far less caffeine and acidity than your conventional iced coffee from that major chain who’s name I will not mention. All science aside, this coffee was so good, it stood on its own. I never drink coffee without some cream and sugar, even iced coffee. But before I knew it, my cup was empty and I was in Cary… i turned around and drove back to Spy Coffee Bar to ask about buying another one.
Let me finish this article up so I can get to Spy and order another iced coffee. I need to learn how to cold brew coffee so that on those times when I cannot get to Spy I can enjoy a nice cup of coffee, and maybe an iced coffee from time to time. Find your way to Spy Coffee Bar as soon as you can and not only enjoy the décor and ambiance, but make sure you order yourself an iced coffee and I promise, you will never forget the experience. Thank you Jennifer for introducing me to the best iced coffee in Raleigh, even the best I have ever had, including coffee from arguably the mecca of coffee, Seattle. Spy Coffee Bar has the best iced coffee hands down.

Wow! My experience, although brief, wasn’t anything like the others who have reviews listed below. We went the first weekend they opened and were pleasantly surprised. I will admit I thought the club would be a bit larger. The lay-​out is a little weird, but the décor is all-​in-​all pretty nice (they did cut corners in a few places though).
It was our last stop, so we didn’t order any drinks, but rather went in to see what all the hype was about. I thought their VIP room was pretty neat and they had a lot of little niche areas for small groups.
I would definitely go back.

I went to Spy Raleigh this past weekend, and I should say that they are lucky to even get two stars from me. Now I will admit that I am not a huge fan of «dance clubs» but at the same time, since I am going in with a bad taste in my mouth to start, it is hard for them to really tick me off. However, Spy Raleigh managed to do just that.
I would give them 1 star, but being as they are a new place, it was opening weekend, I am not going to completely dog them. First things first, when you go in you are required to fill out a membership application. I am not really sure why, and I have never had to do anything like that at any other dance club in Raleigh, so not sure why I had to there. I am glad that I went with my gut and put down fake information because I will not be going here again.
Now the inside of the building is actually quite nice, which is to be expected since it is brand new (and this is the real reason it was saved from a one star). I liked that they had an outdoor patio, even though it was more like an alleyway.
With all of that out of the way, it is time to reveal the real reason I will not be going, and also the reason that I left way before the night was over. Since I am not a fan of dance clubs the main reason I agree to do with my friends is the alcohol. Now Spy did not have a great selection at all, which is fine because most clubs do not, however they do have Jack Daniels, which is just great for me. I ordered one up and the nice bartender poured it right in front of me. I go back to my friends and take a sip, and guess what, it is not Jack Daniels. Bourbon/​Whiskey is one thing in this world that I know, and so you are not going to be sneaking crappy cheap bourbon pass me. I would not have been upset except for the fact that I saw the bartender pour it out of what looked like a fairly new bottle of Jack. This place takes brand name bottles and fills them up with cheap knockoffs in hopes that people will not notice. Guess what? This guy did, and this guy will not be going anywhere near this place again. Add in the fact that the glass tasted as though it had been washed in salt water and I can say that this might be one of the worst of Raleigh.
If you want to find a place to go dancing that is not that busy, then this is the place for you, just do not order anything of value, because you will be getting the knock off brand instead. If you want a good dance club that actually serves you what you order then stick to Solias or Red Room.