bar review

Bars: The Irish Snug

By Ricardo Baca
Denver Post Staff Writer

Article Last Updated: 05/10/2007 12:28:29 AM MDT

The formerly intimate East Colfax Avenue bar Irish Snug is now giganto-pub with a much larger space downstairs. (The Denver Post / Ricardo Baca)

When the Irish Snug first opened, it was a sharply designed Irish pub with a couple of snugs - small, private rooms with a bell you ring when you're ready for another pint - and a warm staff.

The intimate East Colfax Avenue bar was a warm spot in a neighborhood that needed it. And while it was a sleek version of the Irish pub, it was still a nice space for a glass of Jameson or Bushmills.

But then something happened. The intimate bar became a giganto-pub. I was in there a couple of weeks ago when Eric, a friendly and familiar barkeep who has been serving me Red Bull-vodkas for years, asked me if I'd been downstairs.

"It's changed a bit," he said.

Well OK then. I grabbed my Jameson rocks and left my table of friends for what I thought would be a small sojourn. Down the stairs, though, was like stepping into the magic wardrobe, and I found another world - a sprawling land of couches, exposed brick, tables, video games, Guinness mirrors, booths and another full bar.

They call it Under the Snug, and the expansion more than triples the bar's overall size. It's comfortable and more leisurely than the upstairs, and there are still some killer nooks and nifty crannys to hide away in. It occupies the space underneath the bar and then continues on under the corner building, home to Urban Renewal Salon.

It's a worthwhile respite, especially on those nights when the upstairs - and the streetside patio - are just outrageously packed. And the Snug is hardly hurting for business these days, so there are plenty of those.

But the Snug is one of those bars, like the Thin Man or Sputnik, that is rightfully packed. It's a good concept bar run by good people. The clientele is solid, and the after-work contingent - celebrating its 3-7 p.m. happy hour with two-for-one calls, wines and select draft beers - is always in the spirit to drink and be merry.

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The Irish Snug

1201 E. Colfax Ave., No. 100; 303-839-1394

Funky: The best night at the Snug is Wednesdays, when the Gypsy Swing Revue takes over the main room on the ground floor. The band is ridiculously talented and instantly transports the mostly attentive crowd to the '20s.

Skunky: If you want a coveted spot on the eventful and always-active patio, get there early and hunker down.