Vinyl commands a reverence few other music mediums receive, thanks to a mix of nostalgia, rarity, and quality nearly impossible to re-create in the digital age. Its enduring magic has inspired a proliferation of listening bars across the country, places where guests can enjoy curated record spins on vintage sound equipment and flip through menus of inventive cocktails.
Also called hi-fi or vinyl bars, these intimate spaces take inspiration from “jazz kissa,” a type of record bar that originated in 1950s Japan. And while they’re openly pretentious—in a good way—about music and mixology, they welcome all levels of connoisseurship. (Just don’t request a song. That’s a faux pas.) Below, we’ve rounded up a few standout spots to order up, kick back, and listen.
Equipment Room
Austin
Audiophiles will enjoy Equipment Room’s deep dives into handpicked albums, but they might appreciate the lounge’s tools of the trade even more. What was previously a storage room under Austin’s Hotel Magdalena is now a mood-lit refuge committed to preserving the integrity of vinyl, with a little help from a custom Klipsch sound system, several vintage McIntosh pieces, and spun copper subwoofers. Design director Tenaya Hills labored over every detail, from the artwork to the wood species of the built-ins (Douglas fir, thanks for asking), while a local record shop lends its expertise. “We took on a record store that we’d been shopping at for years and asked if they could curate a selection of records, just like someone would an art gallery,” says co-owner James Moody. “We didn’t want DJs, so the reason to come to EQ is the collection, not the calendar.” The drinks—whether a classic sazerac or a tropical concoction with Don Q and flamed lime—don’t hurt.
Dante’s HiFi
Miami
Nothing exemplifies a love of vinyl quite like the ten thousand or so records housed behind the DJ booth at Dante’s. Displayed on floor-to-ceiling shelving, this staggering collection belongs to the bar’s music director, Rich Medina, who has worked as a DJ since the ripe age of twelve and clocked nearly thirty years in the industry. (If you’re lucky, your mezcal and lychee margarita might come with an impromptu music theory lesson.) But Medina isn’t the only music savant in the house. It’s not uncommon for a visiting emcee to pick up the mic and explain a record’s origins or remark on its eBay value, making for a listening experience that’s as sincere as it is sophisticated.
Stereo
Atlanta
This industrial space on Atlanta’s DeKalb Avenue doles out café Cubanos by day and deep cuts by night, when the coffee shop turns into a listening bar that’s open late. With its retractable garage doors and leather couches, Stereo has a deliberately communal feel. “We wanted it to feel like hanging out in a friend’s living room,” says co-owner Ian Jones. That sentiment also pervades their musical ethos; Ian’s business partner Caleb Wheelus often gets behind the booth to pull from his personal collection or convince acquaintances to part with a precious LP for an evening. The bar menu is studded with whiskey cocktails and (thanks to the recent addition of a Suntory machine) Japanese highballs, a nod to its kissa roots. But whatever you order, it won’t be shaken; bartenders are careful to eliminate unnecessary noise.
More Southern Listening Bars
Looking for a hi-fi establishment near you? Try Groovers in Charleston (with a Charlotte location slated for 2026), Proper in Orlando, OK Hi-Fi in Corpus Christi, The Ibis in Wilmington, Commune in Atlanta, and Lorem Ipsum in Charlotte, all of which cater to a vinyl appetite.
