Smoke 'Em

Fidels'

Kansas City, Missouri » Westport

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There's nothing like the smell that embraces you when you walk into a cigar shop. It smells like a man, a manly man. Fidels', a Westport icon for many, many years, has been expanded (slightly–the space is still wonderfully intimate and cozy) and improved upon when it changed ownership in 1998. A lounge with a large round table and a smaller sitting area were added as well as private lockers in the back of the shop. Although we've stopped into Fidels' for the occasional cigar over the years, we didn't know about the lounge or lockers. There's a waiting list for the private lockers, they're all full up right now as annual membership is a mere $200 a year. The lounge, however, is open to anyone who wants to have a seat and have a nice, slow smoke. They don't sell alcohol, but you are welcome to bring your own bottle of scotch or whiskey to enjoy with their cigars. Fidels' was voted by Best Cigar Shop by Pitch readers this year, and now we know why. What an awesome space. We love the varying shades of dark brown, from the cigars and their boxes, to the tobacco leaves in glass jars and the furniture. The typography and design in cigar culture are wonderful. We think Fidels' would be great for a sophisticated bachelor party or a birthday gathering. And definitely just for an unexpected smoke.