Specialty roaster Hex Coffee moved into a 2,700-square-foot space at Camp North End and now offers plenty of cafe seating, coffee drinks, natural wines, mocktails, and Japanese-inspired fare like karaage with white miso waffles.

Room Service, an eye-catching cocktail and small plates destination from the same team behind mobile Black Moth Bars, is the newest addition to Camp North End’s offerings. It nails a minimal, non-cramped mid-century aesthetic with sit-down tables and a fun bar top, making it an appealing spot for a date night, a post-work happy hour, or a long lunch with a spritz. Visitors won’t stick to their typical cocktail order here; they’ll want to experiment with over a dozen inventive cocktail concoctions ranging around $14, from a blood orange agave drink to a bright gin and matcha creation. Room Service doesn’t limit itself to being exclusively a cocktail bar, as proven by the whipped feta with fennel jam and hot honey, smash burger sliders, and jalapeno salt and vinegar chips with sweet roasted corn and creamy cotija. The easygoing, accessible location, menu, and atmosphere hints at this spot being hot for a long time. 

Andrew Schools and Larry Suggs have infused their veteran bartending expertise into a new moody bar in Villa Heights. With a steady following born out of Humbug’s pop-up at the Refuge Hotel, the new brick and mortar Humbug is shaking, stirring, and serving an impressive range of $14 cocktails, from a fernet espresso martini with salted cold foam to a crisp fennel-infused Aviation. And somehow, the eight shooters on the menu transform shots into expertly crafted, socially acceptable, even classy drinks at this intimate bar. It’s a walk-in only spot with a limit of six people per party — a choice that reflects a dedication to focused table service and a come-as-you-are neighborhood feel. Enjoy the tucked-away pool table that lives in the back, maybe on Amaro Mondays.

Located in the Wesley Heights neighborhood, Pizza Baby, like its name, is youthful and playful, with spritzy aperitivos and sprightly menu fonts and doodles. Order takeout, or dine in for an energetic, multisensory experience — scents of fermented sweet-salty-soft dough, sounds of staff serving, and sights of the cool, airy Los Angeles-meets-Rome aesthetic. Save room for chef Trey Wilson’s Brussels sprouts and sesame seed-crusted pizza, inspired by travels to New York, and the plentiful portion of soft serve (add amaro). Don’t be shy about blanketing everything — the remnants of crispy crust or the lush burrata — in that bonafide Sicilian olive oil or the dipping trio, featuring a crushable Calabrian chili red sauce. While Pizza Baby is in its infant stage, finding its footing with busy nights and new employees, it has promising potential as a fun adult pizza party.

Coquette, a French buvette by the team behind neighboring Mariposa, is a quiet patisserie by day and a buzzy dinner service/wine bar by night. It’s convenient (minus Uptown parking) in its walkability to popular uptown Charlotte event spaces and offices, and in its open-all-day hours, with caneles and tea at the ready. The white negroni with Lillet Blanc or a classic French 75 sips well with the minerally Prince Edward Island oysters, and balances the richness of the duck fat fried chicken and coq au vin. Inside, it feels dressed up in blue, gold, and pink, fairytale-esque, and ornamented with marble tabletops. And don’t worry, the employees do say “bonjour!” when you walk in.

Although 1957 Hospitality Group is dominating the corner of 7th and Pecan with Rosemont and Crunkleton, Puerta fills a new niche as both an evening restaurant and nighttime lounge. A modern Central American influence is palpable not only through the menu, with lamb birria empanadas, lightly spiced mole negro chicken, and dippable churros, but through the geometric tiled arches, handwoven chairs, and whitewashed brick. The cocktails — some biting (a pineapple and chile liqueur mezcal drink) and some boozy (tequila old fashioned with mole bitters) — are all created with agave spirits and can be sipped during dinner or late night hours, DJ and lounge chairs included.

Monday Night Brewing, a redesigned Southend warehouse with an unmissable mint green exterior, appeals to the varied tastes of Charlotte with a one(big)-size-fits-all aesthetic — a pool parlor, an expansive and firepit-friendly outdoor space, a moody lounge, and weeknight events galore. With chefs slinging Neapolitan-style pizza in the wood-burning ovens and cocktails by renowned Atlanta mixologist Tiffanie Barriere, Monday Night Brewing stays busy even, yes, on Mondays.

L’Ostrica found an untapped market in Charlotte — fine dining — and filled it with a sophisticated, yet inviting, tasting menu restaurant in the Montford neighborhood. Wednesday through Saturday evenings, the menu consists of five to 10 courses — delicate offerings, like a brilliant crispy beet chicharon or a velvety mussel mushroom cappelletti. Also, the caviar service is a must-get when feeling this fancy. For the casual or curious, try the daily to-go offerings from the market (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) or pop in for the evening bar snacks menu and cocktails, like the decadent fall whiskey, amaro, and Carolina persimmon drink. On Sunday evenings, L’Ostrica shifts the dining format to a Sunday Supper theme with a rotating a la carte menu. Note: Reservations are required (except for the bar).

Lorem Ipsum is, in a way, a hotel bar, but it’s cooler with Justin Hazelton at the helm, cozier with moody candlelight, and with much, much better music. That’s the main part of this bar’s identity — listening to rotating music offerings over the specialized sound design system, with paired visuals projected onto the wall. Alongside a small, specialty wine and beer list for sipping, there’s a classy Earl Grey take on an Old Fashioned, a banana-infused rum cocktail, and a salted, citrusy tequila drink, just to name a few.

The small team and secret tasting menu at Kappo En, in the back of Menya, respect the tradition and elegance of a guided omakase, prioritizing an intentional dining experience over a trendy and flashy night out. For a pre-paid $185 per person, diners will be presented 16-18 courses with ingredients straight from Japanese markets, and a catalog of sake and wine, with an option for beverage pairing. The experience is opened up with umami-dominant small appetizers, then a parade of prized Edomae-style nigiri, followed by a few standout cooked meats, from eel to wagyu, and concluded with an earthy dessert, like a matcha mochi. The counter-style dining area is so intimate that diners, witnessing the precise dance of an open kitchen, may feel like they’re in an artist’s private studio.