DEATH & TAXES

Should You Book Death & Taxes?

If you've been to Death & Taxes before, the question on a return visit isn't whether it's changed — it's whether the cocktail program still earns its reputation in a Reno bar scene that keeps getting more competitive. For a first-timer, the short answer is yes, this is the right place to start if you want to understand what a serious craft bar in Reno looks like.

The name signals intent. Death & Taxes sits at 26 Cheney St in downtown Reno, and what separates it from the city's more casual drinking spots is a commitment to the cocktail as the main event — not an afterthought to a food menu or a sports screen. If you're arriving expecting a direct bar experience, recalibrate. The atmosphere here reads as deliberate and considered: lower energy than a club, quieter than a casino bar, more focused than a neighborhood pub. It's a room designed for conversation and for paying attention to what's in your glass.

For first-timers, go in knowing that the cocktail list is where the kitchen is. The drinks program reflects the kind of ambition you find at destination bars like Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu or Jewel of the South in New Orleans , structured, ingredient-driven, and worth reading carefully before you order. That's not a common standard in Reno, which makes Death & Taxes a useful reference point for anyone building a night out in the city. For a different take on the cocktail-forward format, Julep in Houston offers a useful comparison if you're benchmarking against other serious American bar programs.

Booking is easy , this is not a hard reservation to secure, and the venue doesn't carry the two- or three-week lead time of a tasting-menu restaurant. That said, showing up without a plan on a weekend evening is a different proposition than a quiet Tuesday. If your visit is date-specific, a same-week reservation is a reasonable call. Walk-ins are likely fine mid-week.

For a broader view of where Death & Taxes fits in the city, see our full Reno bars guide, our full Reno restaurants guide, and our full Reno experiences guide. If you're planning a full trip, the Reno hotels guide and Reno wineries guide are worth a look too.

Also Worth Considering in Reno

If Death & Taxes isn't available or doesn't fit your occasion, Antojitos Colibrí offers a different energy in the same city. For a sit-down meal alongside drinks, Centro Bar & Kitchen and Beaujolais Bistro are both worth checking before you commit.