Sit. Stay.

The Velvet Hippo is a neighborhood bar for everybody. Opened in July 2023, you’ll find us on Orange Street in historic downtown Durham, North Carolina. We’re here 7 days a week serving fun and fanciful signature cocktails, local beers, creative mocktails and slushes, and light bites in a welcoming space complete with rooftop views of downtown.

Come enjoy a vacation vibe in a cozy space that feels like the bar from CHEERS and looks like a tropical getaway.

Our Hours

Monday-Thursday: 4pm - midnight
Friday: 4pm - 2am
Saturday: 12pm - 2am
Sunday: 12pm - midnight

Kitchen open ‘til 10pm Sun-Thurs, 12am Fri & Sat!

Yappy Hours:
We’re happy to welcome well-behaved pups to our roofdeck on Saturday and Sunday from 12pm-6pm! Because we can’t have pets inside, please bring dogs up via their VIP stairs two doors down to the left of our main entry.

Best of Durham Readers Favorite 2024 badge in red

Best Cocktails | Best Mocktails
Best Late Night | Best New Business

Best Mixologist | Best Neighborhood Bar
Best NA Drinks | Best New Business

View fullsize Come have a Saturday with us! @gayagendanc will be heating up the dance floor inside, and we’ll have the heaters and fires on outside! 🔥🔥🔥 $7 Brat shots and $4 Austin Eastciders all night. No cover, must be 21+ w/ID present. . . . . #saturd
View fullsize 💃🏽TONIGHT🕺🏽and every 1st & 3rd Friday, it’s Latin Night with DJ Synko! If you’ve been before, you know we stay lit starting around 9:30pm, so come early, grab a spot near the dance floor, and get ready to dance your cares away. No
View fullsize Well, hello there @gardenandgun! 🪴Thank you SO MUCH for visiting us on on recent swing through Durham! 🐂 . . . . #durhamnc #downtowndurham #bullcity #gardenandgun #durhambars #womanowned #neighborhoodbar #discoverdurham #visitdurham #southerntravel
View fullsize ‘Tis the season to ✨treat yourself✨(and maybe your team) to a well-deserved celebration for another year in the books. With a special menu created just for groups, flexible indoor & outdoor set-ups, and no event fees, The Velvet Hippo is th
View fullsize Welcome back to Durham, Comicon! Come get fired up for this weekend’s festivities with tonight’s special 💚💜 . . . . #nccomicon #durhamcomicon #comicon2024 #incrediblehulkshots #durhamweekend #durhamnc #durhamevents #saturdaynightdurham
View fullsize Time for another installment of our team highlights! It’s a great way to get to know some of the folks who work so hard to make your visits magical. Let’s meet 🦄Deanna!🦄 Deanna (she/they) grew up in Winston-Salem and has been proud t
View fullsize Grateful for you all 💕
View fullsize Just about 2 months left to pack all the fun you can into 2024! 🎃🪩🎁🎉 Here’s what we’ve got planned for ya, in addition to our regular bingo, latin nights, and dance parties: 🎃Thurs 10/31, 8pm-12am Howl at The Moon Halloween Party w
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View fullsize We’re giving away a pair of tix to see @anidifrancofilm ‘s screening of 1-800-On-Her-Own at Music trivia bingo tonight! Come play with @vivicaccoxx for your chance to win these and other lovely prizes during 3 rounds of fun starting at 8p
View fullsize Just can’t get enough democracy? You’re in luck! Voting starts 🌟TODAY🌟 for the @indyweek Best of The Triangle! All the winners in the county-wide awards (the primaries, if you will) are going head-to-head for the Triangle-wide distincti
View fullsize Fun fact, y’all! 🧑‍🏫 It’s kind of a no-no to incentivize voting, even if it’s just a lil treat for people who already voted. So, instead of doing that, we are making a donation to 🐂@bullcity.votes🐂, a non-partisan grassroots
View fullsize Costume too good to wear just once? Have to go trick or treating on Thursday? Can’t party on a school night? Whatever the reason, you have another chance for spooky celebration at our Halloween Never Dies Dance Party on Saturday, November 2nd!
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View fullsize ☠️ s p o o k y s e a s o n ☠️ . . . . . #spookyseason👻 #durhamhalloween #durhamnc #halloweendecor #skeletons #falldecorations
View fullsize 🔥 It’s going down on Orange Street this weekend!🔥 Tonight kicks off with 🎶Music Trivia Bingo by @vivicaccoxx and @jorden.the.dj; Friday is 💃🏽Latin Night with DJ Synko; and Saturday @jorden.the.dj is back for our 🪩 Saturday Night Dance Par