Below Bar

«College bar» meaning the people here are between the ages of 21 – 25. I did see more than a few goth and vampires at this place. The people seemed to be friendly and the bar and wait staff was nice. The location is pretty cool since it’s located in a back alley and you have to go through a winding hallway to get to the venue. I would not be a regular here, but it’s cool to check out once. I heard they have free PBR until 11pm otherwise I would rate this 3 starts — check their website.

On my way to grab a cocktail on Larimer, I was somehow talked into stopping into Below by a very persuasive promoter wearing a lay. My whole experience at this spot was confusing. I remain baffled by the Hawaiian costumed promoters encouraging people to try Below because there is nothing tropical about this spot. The theme inside seems to be part goth, part glitz, and the crowd was a mix of people decked out and those sporting jeans and Ts. The drinks were reasonably priced and poured well. However, when I walked back out the unfinished basement tunnel to the stairway, I wasn’t quite sure why I had come in the first place.

If you’re a vampire, a child of the night, or a random ally spelunker, Below is the place for you.
The first time I was taken to Below I was with one of my most crazy friend. She headed down a back ally behind Larimer (or the backyard of 5 Degrees) and dragged me down a side alleyway. At the end of this side ally there was a dude just standing there (nope, nobody else). He ushered us down the stairs without saying a word. Now I’ve seen Hostel, totally thought at this point that death was imminent.
The bottom of the stairs didn’t help. Big metal door leading to a skinny white hallway that leads to another skinny white hallway that leads to another unmarked door equals a complete «What the hell am I doing here moment».
Then the second metal door opens to something completely unexpected.
A nightclub. A frickin Gothic looking posh vampire style nightclub. It comes complete with DJs, awesome bartenders, and beautiful people. The music rocks.
It’s like a frickin catacomb at this place. On a busy night I counted no less than 5 rooms (3 of them hidden) and 2 DJs. For your first time, have somebody guide you here or go with some friends. It is creepy as all heck getting here the first time. After that, feel free to explore and chat with the awesome friendly bartenders.

Free pbr and champagne on Thursdays before 10. I’m totally there!
Also good after hours club.

Now I know I wrote a review on Pie Hole and B-​Low before. I made my friends go with me to their Grand Opening last November, make that 2 Novembers ago. It was a riot! Then I went back again the following week for the pizza. Yeah, Pie Hole serves up a mean pizza with all the red crushed pepper your hands will allow you to shake in that naughty motion. (I hope they still do!)
B-​low was a dark and sensuous bar with a small private room with some decadent seating options. We had a mini photo shoot there and made a few friends.
I’ll be back in town in a couple weeks and bottle service here we come!

Below changed management and became BEAT! I over generalized a bit with my first few good experiences in my last post.

I’ve never gotten into the vibe at this place. It’s somewhere between wanna-​be pretentious and sleezy. I get the theme: dark, gothic, lounge… it’s just, sigh, boring.
For me, if I go to a lounge it’s because I want a) listen to good music, b) sit and talk to friends, c) people watch and get hammered. The music is OK– subpar at best; the vibe is a little to pretentious for me to just sit back and relax and hang out with buddies; and the place is too dark for me to people watch (plus the darkness gives way to bumping into creepers in the hallways).
This place just doesn’t get me feeling like a virgin on prom night… and that’s the vibe I like to enjoy every time I go out. Okay, maybe not that extreme, but I think you get the gist.

Went here for new years and in true 2008 fashion it sucked. We had called a week in advance to reserve two tables for bottle service for 15 people and were assured we would be taken care of. They sat us in the very most back room (basically a hall way to the bathrooms were someone had puked in the middle of the floor and you could still see the where the mop had wiped the stench away). This was totally unacceptable and we asked to be moved immediately. After being placed in another awkward area it took them 30 min to bring out all the elements of our bottle service. One trip was the one bottle of alcohol, the next was three cups, then maybe one chaser. it was ridiculous. I have gotten bottle service at other clubs and the service was excellent and well organized and that’s how it should be for paying a ridiculous amount for convenience. As if this wasn’t enough this club has no dance area it’s just an unusual layout of little connecting rooms… LAME. Overall Below is the perfect name for this club because it was way below my expectations.

This is not the secret vampire lair that you seek. This place does not exist so don’t try to find it!
However, if such a place did exist it’s interior would be really cool with black tile and gothic style white tile crosses everywhere. There would be a really awesome and drop-​dead gorgeous Bartender/​GM named Steph (anie). They would have a few thrones… a really chill set of white leather couches and freaky black and red bathroom… that you get trapped in.
AND, they would have some really good drink specials on Grey Goose. Call it an over active imagination, but if such a place did exist it would be very awesome… akin to a Wizard turning you into a whale.
PS…yeah it’s worth looking for the place and especially worth taking someone there for the first time. I’ve only gone on Thursday nights and it’s always really chill.
The first night we went there was unforgettable… Yeah, you 3 girls know who you are and you the one with short hair and the glasses… JUMANJI! Hawt!

Grand opening party was SUPER FUN. It is hard to find, but well worth the effort. Laid back crowd and the décor screams cool. The Heaven/​Hell theme is well received. The bartenders are hot and fun and the music was old school hotness. Think Prince.
Solid merging of lounge/​dance club/​bar without imposing on either.
I have grown very bored with LoDo and this place actually re-​sparked my interest to go out.
Pi & B-​low is a great concept which is brilliantly executed. BTW the actual address is 1422 Larimer Street, 80 202, but it is below the surface ;)
Sidenote: The eye candy was yummy as well.

the reason there’s no address above for this place is because i don’t think it has one.
it took me ten minutes of walking into the kitchens and storage closets of all the other larimer square restaurants and clubs to figure out which set of back stairs to go down to get in, and i’m still not sure i went in through the front door…
…but therein lies the attraction.
if you are into «hard-​to-​find» places that are «ultra-​cool» (make that «almost-​impossible-​to-​find» places that are «insane») this place provides in spades. and you might need a spade to find it.
buried amongst the catacombs of larimer square’s ancient dungeons, bill ward’s new joint (his other success is slim 7 in another hard-​to-​find lodo alley) captures some of the atmosphere of a victorian brothel (oversize gaudily-​upholstered, heavily-​carved furniture) carefully blended with the minimalist lines of the private departure lounge at a ‘70s jet-​port (large white plain sofas and glass tables). and there is fleecey stuff on the walls too (white plastic aquarium grass)? hmmm.
we cantered through a long plain wiggly corridor after descending a flight of railinged steps (the sort where bodies are always dumped in new york slasher movies) to find a noisy dark bar and some interesting night creatures. it was halloween and a bit too early to sample the full madness, but our host, the large and affable drew, bought us a few drinks to keep us from leaving for a few minutes and we bantered with the competent DJ, who was playing some cool tunes.
i’m not sure, but i think it is actually two clubs joined together. there were two very different atmospheres and seating areas. i heard somewhere that his first was called «pie hole» because «pi» was taken, and the second was called «below» (cryptic clue as to how to find it), but i might have been hallucinating again, which isn’t unusual.
nothing grabbed me as uniquely compelling in either space, except perhaps the «private room» which had an enormous gothic bed-​chaise thing in it, with room for several fembots to roll around on, and slightly better access to the bar.
i don’t know how long these places are supposed to last before getting a face lift, but this one looks like it has a few more months in it and was entertaining enough to go back to, so i will try it at a busier time, assuming i can find it again when i am sober.