The Cauldron Chicago

Bar · Wicker Park

The Cauldron Chicago

Bar · Wicker Park

4

1612 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622

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The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null
The Cauldron Chicago by null

Highlights

Immersive Potion Making experiences set inside a wizard themed pub!  

Featured in Eater
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1612 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622 Get directions

thecauldron.io
@thecauldronchicago

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1612 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622 Get directions

+1 732 538 7630
thecauldron.io
@thecauldronchicago

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Last updated

Mar 5, 2025

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@eater

"The Cauldron, a fantasy-inspired cocktail lounge in Chicago's Wicker Park, has closed. Known for its unique decor and themed drinks, the venue faced challenges such as road construction and loss of nearby businesses, which decreased foot traffic. Despite its efforts to attract local patrons with special drinks and distancing from the Harry Potter franchise, the bar could not sustain its operations." - Ashok Selvam

The Cauldron, Chicago’s Magic-Themed Bar in Wicker Park, Has Closed - Eater Chicago
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@eater

"In all of Chicago, there may be no bar better equipped for Halloween than The Cauldron, a multi-space cocktail palace that uses chemistry and technology to make magic with food and drink. Organizers promise “spine-tingling excitement” on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28 in a sprawling former bank building. Revelers should come in costume (the spookier the better). General Admission tickets ($20) include a specialty drink or shot, and VIP ticketholders ($125) will have access to an open bar and the Vault, a private lounge lined with hundreds of original bank boxes. Bookings and more details are available online." - Naomi Waxman, Ashok Selvam

The Ultimate Guide to Halloween 2023 in Chicago
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@eater

"The Cauldron, a London-based chain of wizardry-themed pubs, now occupies the former Bedford. Co-founders Matthew Cortland and bartender David Duckworth operate five locations in the U.S. and U.K. The Chicago outpost is their largest and most ambitious, featuring three discrete sections such as the 'Potion-Making Experience', a wall of taps with fantasy hunting trophies, and the Vault, a speakeasy-style bar inside a safety deposit vault. The location also includes a walk-in bar and restaurant with British food and interactive elements." - Naomi Waxman

The Cauldron Will Open Soon in Wicker Park - Eater Chicago
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@eater

"The Cauldron, a London-based chain, will transform the former Bedford into a magical-themed pub using science to create drinkable potions and wands that activate drink taps. The pub will feature an intricately designed environment with three spaces packed with interactive technology that patrons can control with their own sensor-based wand. The Vault, a speakeasy-style bar inside the 1920s-era building’s safety deposit vault, will offer classic cocktails and a collection of more than 4,000 keys with prizes in safety deposit boxes. The main event is a ticketed Potion-Making Experience where drinkers learn to concoct three cocktails that bubble, smoke, and change color. The venue will also house a walk-in bar and restaurant with a pub food menu featuring British food." - Naomi Waxman

The Cauldron, a magic pub, will replace Bedford in Wicker Park - Eater Chicago
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Kry Stal

Google
Super cute experience! We've gone twice--once for just drinks in the vault and once for the potion making class. Would recommend both! The vault is just a unique, casual place to chill and enjoy drinks. The class was a lot of fun. Yes, technically you pay to make your own drinks, but the way they provide everything is just so entertaining! It's hard not to have a good time. The staff work as a team and really engaged in the magical theme--everyone was always super pleasant and helpful. And the charcuterie board is yummy! Heads up though, this place can get expensive fast.

Rachel Bakke

Google
Nicole was our potion master and she was an absolute delight! We had a blast mixing potions and eating tasty food! Week nights are great because you can really take in the atmosphere, it’s pretty quiet. 10/10 would go again! We loved all of the beverages but the After Thyme was delightful!

Lynne C

Google
Had a fun time doing the potions class with our young adult kids. My young adult sons - ages 21 and 24 - LOVED this experience. There were adults of all ages enjoying it. The experience, atmosphere, and concept were very cool. Harry Potter fans would love it. Our service was meh. Even though each “class” is self-guided, you do rely on your server/helper at different points. Our class began about 30 minutes late due to other groups arriving late. Our server didn’t seem to be very into the experience unlike some of the other servers who seemed to be more into character. Drink #1 options were not a hit with our group. Our #1s went unfinished. Drinks 2 and 3 were really fun to make and we enjoyed the taste. There are non-alcohol versions of the potions available. And one in our group chose the non-alcohol versions and had just as much fun.

Michael Damato

Google
Went for a unique cocktail experience, ended up with drag queen bingo night. Had a fantastic time! Atmosphere, decor, and drinks were all great, this place is not pop up, but is looking to stick around. You don't need to book one of the experiences in advance to go and there are plenty of tables for walk ins. Things can be a bit pricey but I felt like I was getting my moneys worth both in quality and the spectacle of some of the drinks. I think one thing that could be improved would be labels for the ingredients on the bottles. It wasn't too hard to figure out but it would have made things a bit easier. Definitely will be making a return visit in the future!

Andrew Hassel

Google
Had a really fun time with the potions class. Got a few extra potions on the side that were really fun too! Our potion master was super helpful and fun. It is a bit pricey but for the entertainment and the atmosphere it's not atrocious. Super cool space with the ENORMOUS safety deposit vault. Highly recommend for a novel experience.

Lindsey Brocklesby

Google
Good spot for fun cocktails!! We didn’t do the potion experience. Expect to spend a couple hundred for a group of 4+. Service was great. I was a little mislead about the food menu. They only have charcuterie so I would suggest eating a meal before or after if you plan on having a few drinks. Vibes are very cool & love the HP theme.

Terrence Masson

Google
An amazing venue! The staff was friendly and professional, hot chocolate and the experience with lots of fun. We did not order anything from the optional food menu, but it was nice to have it available along with the darker chocolate option. Both of us were not available at the New York Flatiron location. I have enjoyed this both with my child and my partner!

Julie Lunda

Google
The grand opening was absolutely magical! What a wonderful spot to turn into such a fantasy experience! The vintage anterior architecture lends very well to the theme and speakeasy feel, and the concoctions deliver! Not only do you get to pour a drink with your wand, but you get to solve a clue to open the magic box to get the ingredients for your second potion. Very friendly staff who want you to have the best experience possible. If you plan to eat late, make sure to ask when the kitchen closes!

Regina C.

Yelp
The Cauldron was one of the bars I was really intrigued to visit. It has such a unique concept and I loved how there wasn't anything like it back home. We didn't make a reservation due to the $20 fee online to make one and good thing we didn't! We were able to walk in and snag a table and enjoy our night, no charge added. We ordered the Phoenix Feather and loved how it tasted! We had a deck of cards so we played a couple games and enjoyed our drink of the night. We also had the Chicago City Pass so everything came out to only $8! Such a steal! You can also do a mixing class in a separate room which we wanted to do but it didn't work with our itinerary. So make sure to also check that out!

Yining D.

Yelp
Came here for the Valentine's Day Potion Making class. It was a very fun, unique experience. You get 4 drinks: 1 glass of Prosecco, a fruity vodka cocktail, one love potion drink, and one lavender cocktail. The lavender cocktail tasted like watered down vodka with lavender added into it. It was not a very tasty drink, and I did not end up finishing it. But I did enjoy the experience of making the love potion in the cauldron. It's very interactive and it felt like you were in a chemistry class. You had to grab the staff's attention quite a few times to ask for ingredients while you're making your cocktails so there's a lot of waiting and down time. The experience is quite pricey too. $65 per person for 4 drinks. Each person also gets a cape, but they did smell like they've been worn quite often and hadn't been washed in a while. Our potion master made the experience fun but he was gone quite often getting ingredients for us. I think they could do a better job of knowing where each group is at in the drink process to have ingredients prepped. There's plenty of parking spots around the area. I would recommend doing a Spothero reservation. Service was prompt, friendly and efficient. The bathroom has a gender neutral concept, so there's urinals right behind the sink. I was washing my hands while a guy was peeing right behind me.

Jessica S.

Yelp
My friends and I came for drag bingo night and I was not super impressed. The idea is cute I think, but the actual services and food were lackluster. We got a cauldron group drink, which we thought we would be able to pour into our own cups and when we asked for cups, the server seemed kind of confused. We just passed it around between the four of us and took sips. It was pretty good and tasted like candy. The Drag Bingo was pretty fun - there were several rounds and the entertainment was great! Definitely the best part of the night. Our server seemed a little overwhelmed, I think she was the only one working on a pretty busy night. We ordered a charcuterie board, which was a little pricy from what I recall. It took almost an hour for the food to get to us and we were done with our drinks and ready to go by the time we got it. It was literally just random meats you could buy from a Target, what looked like Ritz crackers, and mustard.... I might come back for one of their events but likely would just order one of their cheaper drinks and I would definitely skip on the food!!

Sarah E.

Yelp
We had high hopes after being at the London Cauldron multiple times. The Chicago location tries and if you haven't been to London it might be a fun night but.... The front staff were very friendly but our potions master was lackluster and not really into the experience. Their mythical creatures walk drinks were on the fritz the night we were there and they tried to fix them but again ‍ You have to make the drinks (potions) they tell you to, no choosing like London. The potion books (directions) were very sticky and unclean, the choices throughout the place were very limited and there was only a cheese plate to eat the night we were there. We'll pass on this location.

Samantha V.

Yelp
Food - 3 Friendliness - 5 Efficiency - 1 Atmosphere - 5 Value - 2 Average: 3.2 stars TLDR Nitty Gritty: Glad I had a great experience, but it's not a return trip sort of place as it is rather expensive for a limited novelty excitement factor. My main compliments go to the staff for having GREAT vibes and attitude, and I really appreciated Rafael, Amethyst, and Janet (I think that was the manager'a name, now I'm kicking myself for potentially being wrong, but she had a much more classic sounding name than our other staff helpers!) They were super friendly and helpful during our experience and were trying their best to manage our very large group in their 3rd operating week. The entire staff, including others whose names I didn't get, were very friendly and enthusiastic about making our experience special. The menu was rather limited to only a few selections of high-end quality bar food. The burger and fish & chips were the most commonly ordered items in our group and were tasty enough, but it was obvious that the overhead and novelty of the experience is really built into the prices. It's just more than I would care to spend on what is fundamentally casual dining fare. That's not to say it wasn't delicious... I DID enjoy the food. I don't drink alcohol, but was happy they offer a few cutesy non-alcoholic beverages. I enjoyed the experience of drinking a Shirley Spellman (aka Shirley Temple) out of a legit little cauldron with dry ice smoke and bubbles. But...at $10 a pop (literally) I would not get another one. The alcoholic drinks ranged from $12-20ish and I'm honestly surprised I could have gotten alcohol for not-much-more than my mocktail. I don't want to spoil all the nifty little surprises of the place...there are a few interactive fun mini exhibits so-to-speak that were entertaining. Our group was unable to secure the potion making experience, but we were able to enjoy some of the limited cool little discoveries nonetheless. We had two considerable issues with our experience. First, when we were trying to secure reservations for the Bachelorette party, we were initially told they couldn't accommodate the size of our party, despite having several weeks advance notice. After some back and forth, the respondants stopped communicating entirely until finally they replied after multiple days of radio silence and were, thankfully, able to accommodate us but not for the potion making experience. This was particularly disappointing because there were multiple times in the evening when, in fact, it seemed like room could have been made in the potion making room for our group. The second, more frustrating issue was that the serving staff had not yet nailed down their process for delivering the food to the correct intended diners. It was absolutely chaotic when the food started arriving at the table, and there were multiple mixups and errors. In the big picture, though, we all had a great time and were fed. The bill was also a little chaotic to figure out, of course. But that will happen whenever there's a large group. I am sure things will get smoother as they progress and get more experience in being open. Although I will likely not return, I was pleased to know they have more plans in store for the future for additional features of the restaurant and wish them good luck in their business!

Tiffany L.

Yelp
For all you muggles out there, this is a fun experience, if a bit overpriced. Pretty loud environment so hard to talk. Instructions are at a book at the table, and an instructor/server will help if needed. The cocktails themselves are fun to make, how it tasted is a different story but I wasn't really expecting much. The puzzle at the table was the highlight, need more of that. You get to wear a robe and wave around a wand! A fun date night!

Cassady H.

Yelp
This is a very fun venue! It's dimly lit with a very Gothic vibe but of course what they're going for is a wizards den look. Our group was in the vault space which is very spacious and used for large parties. There are a few menus available with different themes for the drinks, it seems like they'll rotate drinks as time goes on to keep things fresh. We mostly got drinks but also had ourselves a charcuterie board of both meats and cheese. The board didn't last long with 7 people, if your in a large group you'll want more than 1. The drinks are the star here, they're colorful, creative, playful and interactive. I had 3 drinks. My favorite was my first, the duality of man. It has lime, pale ale, scotch, and a cinnamon cream foam. That foam! One of the best tasting drinks I've ever had. If your not into the wizard theme or over the top drinks then this is your best bet. I also had the Merlins resolution, which was super strong and too heavy on the floral notes for me. I finished with the Ode to Mullica, which came in a glass dome containing some smoke for effect. Very nice and straight forward with a heavy smoke flavor. Service was mostly quick, we did have to ask for for something we ordered that had been forgotten. They were very friendly though. This is a pricey experience that definitely needs to be booked in advance but if your into fantasy or perhaps the Harry Potter series then this is a fun way to get your drink on!

Lisa S.

Yelp
Crazy fun experience in a very cool atmosphere with-appointed props to create the feeling of magic and wizardry all night. Our package included 1 social drink, 1 specialty drink and 2 drinks we made ourselves using potions, magical tools, and a spell-bound recipe book. I just with the experience lasted another 30 minutes and felt a bit rushed to drink some of the most tasty cocktails I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

Nathan A.

Yelp
I took my girlfriend here for Valentine's Day for their valentines special potion making (she really likes Harry Potter). When we were waiting for our event we were given our wands and free to order drinks and chill at the bar. There was also a magician going around showing magic tricks so that was also cool. The event itself was your standard cocktail making class and it was only ok for us. We were given a box that could be unlocked with the wands and were also given cool Harry Potter like robes. However, the drinks we made ourselves ranged from pretty bad to just decent. It was actually kinda disheartening when we spent a lot of time making the drinks only for it to taste how it was. The service was great and the staff member that ran our event was helpful and energetic, but because it was a class like environment it felt kinda chaotic at times. Overall, I would recommend this place as a bar to go to as the ambiance is good. However, I would not suggest doing a potion class as that i didn't see it was worth it.

Michelle W.

Yelp
Such a FUN and UNIQUE experience - I cannot wait to come back! A small group of us popped in on Saturday as we happened to be super close by to see if they had any availability and they were able to seat us immediately! And your girl was stupidly excited! As a GINORMOUS Harry Potter fan this place is extraordinarily magical - but even if you aren't. It is not your typical bar/cocktail visit. The decor and atmosphere take you away and totally take over. You can pretty much forget you're in a basement of a building in Chicago. The drinks are different, a little pricy - but really good. The unicorn drink is very fruit forward but packs a punch and the shot tastes like a starburst. Our server was great - they were so funny and brought the enthusiasm- you could tell they loved working here and it's so completely understandable. I definitely will be coming back to do the potions class one day soon. There was a group in one of the back rooms in the middle of the class and it looked so so much fun!

Nick B.

Yelp
My friend and I came here for this past Halloween for the first time. we were both very excited wearing our Hogwarts wizards cloaks. It's a pretty cool spot cool atmosphere. Like it inside the bank vault. Cool gringots feel We came for a 730 reservation ... it being a weeknight we were thinking we'd be done and out by 10 o'clock. There were not many people there for Halloween night, but it was a weeknight, so I guess whatever, but that was noticeable and interesting. We bought pretty much every drink before we got there you can pre-order drinks. We started with the shareable I believe it was gin, tea drink. Every drink that was the one we liked the most. The other one we did was the old fashion. Everything else seem to be cheap bottom shelf liquor and a lot of sugar sugar. The worst part was the service was so disconnected. Our drinks were coming about every 45 minutes. Hard to get water refills. Finally our server left the carafe. It was creating such an unpleasant experience. We were both starving. you can get cheese and charcuterie. We put an order in for the wizards plate to get both right away. About an hour later at nine thirtyish we asked our server what happened to everything it was forgotten to be put in. We finally got a half hour later, the drinks continued to be very lackluster. we turned down a couple of shots realizing what was in them for another cocktail. We ended up being here till like 11:30-12, which was not what we wanted to be doing this happened because of how slow the drinks were coming. The last drink we got was the wizard one cocktail really disappointing. You just use one to push a button you couldn't reach otherwise to get a premade cocktail out of a fountainhead. The cocktail was not very good. It was very sweet, lots of sugar. We took the cocktail over the bar where we were not greeted by the bartender at any point. A couple of girls came in and tried to get some drinks, but the bartender also never spoke with them after 15 minutes they got frustrated. We spoke to them for a moment and they left. we left our terrible premade wizards cocktails and we also got out of there. Unfortunately, our experience was so bad and the service was so disconnected , this could be a really great place and it's a great idea. But it isn't executed right and it's failed. Everyone else that has gone, Seems to have had such a great time. Bummed... as the idea has such great potential and looks so fun in photos. Hoping service wise this was just an off night but sadly We will not be coming back.

Latifah A.

Yelp
Come here with friends, family, or as a fun date night! This wizardly restaurant and bar not only has good food and unique, fun, instagrammable drinks, it also offers "potion" making workshops where you can make your own creative cocktails via mixing, measuring, and deciphering codes. The wizard theme runs throughout the bar as there are many hidden elements that can be 'unlocked' with the wand given to you upon arrival. Don't miss out on this unique experience. Even if wizards aren't your thing, you'll have a good time! The place is also unique in that it's housed in an old bank so elements of the bank can still be seen (such as an awesome vault!).

Britt J.

Yelp
Ah we were exciting for something unique-- this was like a makeshift Applebees vibes with party city Halloween decor. The drinks tasted like sugar flavored burnettes vodka. *As a someone who bartended for 5 years the quality of liquor was horrible. I literally left $17 sugar blue drink on the table and we went next door. Nothing as pictured. The staff was sweet. Just a hot mess. They recently opened so I think there are a ton of glitches service wise to work through. Hard pass!

Alana D.

Yelp
I really loved this potion making experience! Soo creative and cute. I plan on taking my book club back. The hosts are really funny and engaging. I only have 2 small issues: we came in for an 830 potion making class. However, we were sat in the same room as a 7 PM class. It was way too loud to understand anything anybody was saying. They should definitely think about separating the classes. Also, the hosts need to be a bit more hands-on with the actual cocktail making. The directions are cute and catchy, but not very clear. All in all, I had a fabulous time and look forward to going back.

Sarah R.

Yelp
I had such a fun time here. I took my husband for our anniversary as I am a huge fan of the franchise-that-will-not-be-named. We booked a potion making class and I totally nerded out. I got a wand at the entrance and a robe. I also drank a cocktail from out of a unicorn's mouth. (That wasn't a typo). The potions were super fun to make! The only feedback I have is that it would be nice if they had suggested adaptions to the recipes for people who don't like super saccharine drinks, as when we made them as directed they were both VERY sweet. However I had a great time and you could tell everyone was having a blast, including the staff. I wish we could have gone into the vault room, I cannot wait to see how they decorate it and use it in the future. This is a fun place to come with a group, and their website says they can even do virgin drinks for kiddos. Such a fun experience!!

Krupa S.

Yelp
I know this is a wizard's bar, but it truly made me appreciate my inner Potterhead. The vault speakeasy was gorg. Our server was amazing. We went to celebrate my husband's birthday. We tried various drinks with our friends. The duality of man was by far the most delish drink. The foam on this drink was phenomenal. We tried everything but the blob tequila drink and enjoyed them all. I'm sure we will be back!

v b.

Yelp
So fun. Came here with my husband and daughter, did the potion experience. Everything was great. Little hiccups here and there, but nothing major. If you come with a smaller group, two or three, you will be seated with another party. We were seated with another group of two, not a big deal, but it can get pretty loud, especially with small kids. Will return for drinks and food

Steve M.

Yelp
We drove by and saw a sign for The Cauldron and got intrigued by the signage. Looking further they offer a potion making course but more specifically one designed for Valentines Day. We signed up and arrived to ready to embark on a magical journey. I don't want to ruin the experience, but their potion making class is a lot of fun. It is interactive, the staff were friendly and felt like they enjoy their job making the experience magical.

Stephanie B.

Yelp
The Cauldron is a fun and imaginative place to visit for a quirky drink and some tasty apps. We received outstanding service from Mara and the host and manager were also very polite and welcoming.

Timothy C.

Yelp
Check your cynicism at the door and descend into the sublimely phatasmagoric and unrepentant nerdery that is The Cauldron. At The Cauldron magic is real and the potions master is in. If Gringott's had a speakeasy in the first basement, this would be it. Splurge on their signature cocktail booking which will have you blending your own drinks at a private table with the help of a mortar and pestle, a bevy of mixological paraphernalia, and a real magic wand. Straightforward pub fare compliments an experience of pure imagination. Bring your cool aunt and/or your nicest friends. Or, better yet, the snobby West Loop-obsessed friend you stopped liking awhile ago. You'll have the time of your life and never have to speak to them again!

Luisa H.

Yelp
Great environment. Excellent service from Nicole. Fun drinks. A place to get together with friends. The venue was impressive , specially the vault.

Leroy C.

Yelp
What a place!! Drinks were incredible, the venue was beautiful, service was second to none! Such a unique and amazing experience both with their potions classes as the lead event and then sitting chilling in the spectacular on site bank vault or at the bar with the amazing drinks being made right in front of you! I hear they are brand new but are also launching programmes of weekly/monthly events to keep the place a technicolour revolving door of interesting Chicago based nights out! I'll definitely be attending some of their club nights - the staff were so engaged and made everything sound so much fun! 10/10 would recommend!

Jae M.

Yelp
Fun atmosphere, very friendly staff, and good food and drinks (but limited menu and a bit pricey). The gender neutral bathroom is to be expected in a place that hosts drag shows, but the lack of a privacy door for the urinals took me by surprise and led to an unfortunate interaction with another patron.

Mia L.

Yelp
This review is completely dependent on the understanding that this venue is new to Chicago and may (likely successfully will) improve over time. TLDR: bad service with mediocre drinks. Nice space and good attempt at themeing. May improve with practice but not currently worth it. Check in was chaotic and unorganized. We were haphazardly offered wands without clarity as to whether we each should pick one or one per group given comments about scarcity for parties checking in. We assumed one per person and were very quickly seated. The room was well decorated as were the other spaces which seemed large and appear to have further spaces for expansion in the future. Unfortunately, we were seated in what appeared to be an event space where we were promptly sat at a table with another couple and then ignored. We had booked a potions making experience and a specialty cocktail and were seated without any instruction on what to do or how to proceed finally, upon asking a server (potion master), we were instructed to put on robes provided at the table. These robes are only sized for small people and there were no options for anyone with broad shoulders or who was plus sized. This was acknowledged by a staff member who admitted that they were also not able to wear the robes due to this issue. This creates an welcoming environment as patrons are immediately unable to fully participate due to non inclusive sizing. After ditching the robes, we were finally given direction to follow a host to determine our welcome drinks. We were again paired with an unknown group who apparently had already received instructions and guidance which we were not given, resulting in a hurried and unclear encounter with the beast head drink dispensers. After returning to our seats, we were finally given some direction and began crafting our drinks. The setup was well designed and fairly magical and would have been excellent with care given to our experience with the servers if they had been in character. Unfortunately, they seemed overwhelmed and rushed with missing/broken components at different tables and a scarcity of other necessary parts which resulted in them running around and constantly blaming "house elves" for not setting them up properly. While I understand this venue has only opened recently, the fourth wall breaks were distracting and negatively impacted the experience As I have attended the New York version of this venue with high enjoyment, I am sure they will eventually figure out the issues but for now I would skip this iteration of The Cauldron. Drinks in the potion experience generally tasted good but both specialty cocktails were barely mediocre. Because we were largely ignored, we were not offered additional cocktails (we had prebooked signiture cocktails which we had to specifically request) nor were we offered food (currently only charcuterie plates. Groups of four or more seemed to get more focus and attention.

Spencer M.

Yelp
Did the experience with a group of friends and it was super fun and unique! We had a great time and the drinks were great! Good service and cool ambiance!

Trekforbeer B.

Yelp
Horrendous in all respects. Service is a joke, they never come and just talk to themselves. Prices are insane, $45 for two drinks. Drinks are bad bad. One was so bitter you couldn't drink, the other so sweet you can't even sip it. They use dry ice in an unsafe manner. The design is to cheesy, its like you're in a new realm. Major fail.

Jordan M.

Yelp
The venue is gorgeous and perfect for photos (and the staff are well aware you'll want some, so no worry about judgement there!), the drinks are reasonably priced, taste AMAZING, and look absolutely MAGICAL, and the staff really are the cherry on top of the whole experience. Crystal and Nicole made this trip a memory to last forever and I /will/ be back to see them!! They were unbelievably helpful, friendly, and accommodating I loved them!

Ashley S.

Yelp
Great experience! I wouldn't say that the cocktails were 5 stars, but they weren't bad and the experience was great. I would definitely recommend trying it at least once.

Shannon N.

Yelp
Fun experience if you love Harry Potter. Adequate drinks, didn't try the food. Wouldn't go if you aren't a Potter head though.

Logan D.

Yelp
vibey bar - service was great. however the reservation "processing fee" cost more than my 1 drink tab. we had the bar to ourselves, no reservation was necessary. i left feeling bamboozled.

Logan M.

Yelp
The ambiance is great and the drinks inventive, but buyer beware: they add a 20% gratuity to their already high priced menu.

Stephanie W.

Yelp
Mara was the BEST. Super friendly and kind. Made our entire experience the best. I will for sure be coming back and bringing new faces!!

Rebecca N.

Yelp
Such a fun and unique experience!! Drinks were delicious and our potion master, Mara, was amazing! Would definitely come back!

Elizabeth K.

Yelp
So much fun!!!! My family and I went for my husband's birthday. We had a blast! We did the potion making class. It was fun and engaging. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a unique drinking experience.

Joyce S.

Yelp
The atmosphere was okay but the experience was very disappointing, the tickets were purchased as part of Leakycon. We thought it was going to be more hands on actually creating potions. It was a let down As even with the one free drink per person. My first drink was so strong could not even drink it, went back for non alcoholic drink, couldn't drink that either as it was basically just pineapple juice. The other members of my party drinks were alright we were also supposed to have A buffet that made up of popcorn, cookies, mashed potatoes and meat or turkey meatballs, we did not bother trying that as we wanted to leave after paying 22.00 with gratuity for one drink that tasted awful. We were all disappointed.

Margaret C.

Yelp
Such a fun experience! The drinks were so good and the whole process of making the "potions" was so cool! Our server Jack was super helpful and everyone who worked there was so into the theme, it made it super enjoyable. A great time for any Harry Potter lover or drink lover!

Bret V.

Yelp
Excellent experience, I don't know our servers name but she had glasses and a kick ass attitude. Would recommend. Keep kicking ass server lady.

Taylor G.

Yelp
My boyfriend and I went on a Friday night- it was packed to the brim and our waitress seemed completely overworked. She couldn't remember our orders, and I heard her confusing orders at the table next to us several times. She brought us the wrong drinks twice and I honestly just felt bad for her bc she seemed confused and stressed. Our drinks were lacking the presentation that we came for, it is supposed to be spooky and fun and the little details like glitter in the drinks and the the fog bubble are important bc that's why we came here. The waitress completely skipped over the fog bubble in my drink and my boyfriends drink was also lacking any decoration or presentation. It's a bummer bc they advertise it that way all fancy and fun. It was so dark we could barley see and usually that's fine but when paired with how crowded it was and with how humid and hot it felt I didn't enjoy the dim lighting. Lastly our drinks and tickets were quite expensive and they were very small and we tasted very trace amounts of alcohol. In the end we had to wait over 40 minutes to pay for our 2 drinks were empty lol our waitress just didn't come back for a long long long time (bc we wanted to get the heck outta there) . I went to the Edinburg location and it was 1 million times better. I hope they improve this play for next year :(

Rachel Anne K.

Yelp
An Enchanted Experience - Best Staff Ever If you are looking for a unique, fun, interactive experience, you need to book a potions making class at the Cauldron. Located in an old bank with vintage safety deposit boxes lining the walls and an original bank vault speakeasy, the ambiance is amazing but the thing that made our night one to remember was the staff. We had booked a potions making experience for two online, or so we thought. After discovering that there was a snafu with our reservation not going all the way through (totally our bad for not realizing we hadn't received a confirmation email) the staff would have had every right to turn us away on a busy opening weekend but they did the exact opposite. The owner Matt offered to set us up with an impromptu potion making experience at the bar that he lead for us. He was so friendly, engaging and incredibly accommodating. Several of the staff came over to check in on us throughout the night. The potion making experience was awesome. The two cocktails we made were delicious - I won't say any spoilers but suffice it to say, the interactive elements were very cool. We ended up eating dinner there as well and the dishes (burger and fish & chips) were delicious. We capped off the night with one of their signature cocktails in the speakeasy vault. We'll definitely be going back and bringing our wizard-loving friends with us! Can't say enough good things about the staff - they went above and beyond to accommodate us on a busy Saturday night and made the experience amazing.