Denver is full of countless gin-soaked nests in which mile-high night owls can lounge; of them, few blend the estranged qualities of a cosmopolitan visage and reasonable prices like Forest Room 5.
Entering the bar is something like entering a skewed fairy-tale forest-the polished wooden bar glows invitingly in the dim, golden house lighting and a woman painted completely white plays statue in the corner, waiting to reach out and scare the living hell out of anyone that passes too close. The walls are bedecked with art ranging from black-and-whites of felled trees to a depiction of Smoky the Bear begging the logging industry for the lives of his compatriots.
The fashionable retreat's slightly spooky atmosphere does nothing to deter the varied cast of characters ranging from frat-boy types to hipster artsy folk. Despite the conspicuous gulfs in appearance and ostensible life pursuits among them, these soused spectators are unified by the allure of relative affordability and a clever menu of unique fusions of taste and innovative specialty drinks.
Novel ideas aren't confined to their aesthetic spread: FR5 distinguishes itself via the menu's "libations and other concoctions." This section is decked with FR5 originals, designer drinks that attempt to synthesize good-health and gut-rot-most notably represented by the Green Tea Martini. To satiate the beer connoisseurs, they offer a host of obscure European beers primarily hailing from Ireland and Scotland. FR5 completes the alcohol spectrum with a wine cellar as deep as it is palatable.
Unlike most bars moonlighting as restaurants, FR5's dining options are anything but conventional bar fare. Addressing a host of styles and flavors, the kitchen provides a spin on classic appetizers, such as truffled French fries, offers under-$20 plates of pasta alla vodka and fried walleye, and affordably decadent desserts including chocolate souffle with gelato. The food menu pales in size compared to the sheer girth of the drink section, but what's offered adheres to the adage "quality over quantity."
If Forest Room 5's mouth-watering menu isn't enough to draw out those lacking in social proclivities, the bar's varied entertainment offerings will. The final Wednesday of each month turns the bar from chic to geek, quieting the weekly music and shutting off the World War II propaganda cartoons that usually dominate a full wall to make space for the bar's monthly Tetris tournament. Children of the eighties: eat your heart out.
Forest Room 5 is located at 2532 15th Street, 3034337001, www.forestroom5.com
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