Parable Cafe is already one of my favorite coffee shops in the city, and a couple years ago they added evening hours as Parable After Dark. Over recent months they’ve upgraded the cocktail experience with the addition of a small food menu and added regular live music to create a wonderfully chill night-time hangout.

Parable’s space transforms nicely in the evening hours with dimmed lighting, candles on the tables. There’s a corner of the bar that’s illuminated with a small sign instructing you to order there. You can close out your tab or leave it open, then grab a number and find a table.

Here’s the English Custard cocktail with pisco, bourbon, Amaro, oat nog, and black walnut.

Plus the non-alcoholic Carrot in a Pear Tree with gin, pear, cardamaro, tahini carrots, citrus, and egg whites.

The tiny limoncello, a house-made peppercorn limoncello with fresh lemon.

And while cocktails are the big feature, they offer wines, beer, sake, non-alcoholic drinks, and other tastes.

The food menu is focused on small plates, sandwiches, and a couple desserts. Just be aware that the online menu shows more items than are actually available at the cafe (at least on our visit). But what we were tried was all excellent.

We tried the breads and spreads, with thick slices of Dan the Baker breads and spreads like butter or olive tapenade.

They were also serving a delightful burrata special the night we visited.

And it’s hard to argue with the chips and jamon: sea salt chips layered generously with jamon serrano, dijonaisse, and piparas.

The heaviest feature on the menu was their smashburger, and nicely done concoction of a four-ounce patty layered with American cheese, pickles, lettuce, shaved onion, and special sauce on a house-made milk bun.

You can add fries as well. As far as a burger and fries goes, this is a great offering! Certainly fun to eat while sipping a cocktail.

Parable has a fun and helpful list of house rules hanging on the wall!

Parable’s evening kitchen is available Wednesdays through Sundays, 3-9 p.m.

Parable Cafe
149 S. High St.
Columbus, OH 43215
Web: parableparable.com
IG: @parablecafe