Dazzle ★ 4.7
$$$downtown{'monday': 'varies by show', 'tuesday': 'varies by show', 'wednesday': 'varies by show', 'thursday': '18:00-22:30', 'friday': '18:00-23:30', 'saturday': '18:00-23:30', 'sunday': '18:00-22:00'}
Dazzle at the Denver Performing Arts Complex runs 70 jazz, blues and large-ensemble shows a month across two rooms, the city's anchor jazz club since the late 1990s.
Tip: Shows nightly with the early set the easier reservation. Enter on Arapahoe at the corner of 14th; the room has full table service.
The Cooper Lounge ★ 4.6
$$$$lodo{'monday': '16:00-22:00', 'tuesday': '16:00-22:00', 'wednesday': '16:00-22:00', 'thursday': '16:00-00:00', 'friday': '16:00-00:00', 'saturday': '16:00-00:00', 'sunday': '16:00-22:00'}
The Cooper Lounge runs the mezzanine above Denver Union Station with 28-foot cast-iron windows, an Art Deco cocktail program from culinary director Kevin McCormick and small plates until 21:30.
Tip: Sunday through Wednesday closes at 22:00; Thursday through Saturday runs to midnight. Reserve via Tock for the window seats.
My Brother's Bar ★ 4.7
$$highland{'monday': '11:00-00:00', 'tuesday': '11:00-00:00', 'wednesday': '11:00-00:00', 'thursday': '11:00-00:00', 'friday': '11:00-02:00', 'saturday': '11:00-02:00', 'sunday': '10:00-20:00'}
My Brother's Bar at 15th and Platte has poured since 1873 as the oldest continuously operating bar in Denver, with a Jack Kerouac letter on the wall and a brick patio overlooking the Platte.
Tip: Open until midnight weekdays, 02:00 Friday and Saturday. The Johnny burger and JCB cheeseburger are the food orders; the jukebox is classical only.
Lion's Lair ★ 4.4
$capitol-hill{'monday': '16:00-02:00', 'tuesday': '16:00-02:00', 'wednesday': '16:00-02:00', 'thursday': '16:00-02:00', 'friday': '16:00-02:00', 'saturday': '16:00-02:00', 'sunday': '16:00-02:00'}
Lion's Lair on East Colfax has run live music in a low-ceilinged Colfax dive since the early 1990s, an Aladdin Lounge holdover from 1936 that signed a fresh ten-year lease in 2024.
Tip: Music most nights from 21:00, cash bar, last call 01:30. The back bar is the quieter spot when the front stage is loud.
PS Lounge ★ 4.4
$capitol-hill{'monday': '15:00-00:00', 'tuesday': '15:00-01:00', 'wednesday': '15:00-01:00', 'thursday': '15:00-01:00', 'friday': '15:00-02:00', 'saturday': '15:00-02:00', 'sunday': '15:00-01:00'}
PS Lounge on East Colfax has not changed since 1981, with floral carpet, a Houston Oilers helmet on the wall, a 100-song jukebox and free roses for women at the door.
Tip: Cash only, no cards. The welcome shot at the bar is the long-running PS tradition. Open to 01:00 weeknights, 02:00 weekends.
Candlelight Tavern ★ 4.3
$south-pearl{'monday': '11:00-02:00', 'tuesday': '11:00-02:00', 'wednesday': '11:00-02:00', 'thursday': '11:00-02:00', 'friday': '11:00-02:00', 'saturday': '11:00-02:00', 'sunday': '11:00-02:00'}
Candlelight Tavern on South Pearl runs a faux-brick storefront, neon Cocktails sign, pool tables, jukebox and burger kitchen as a Platt Park dive open 11:00 to 02:00 every day of the year.
Tip: Open 365 days a year, 11:00 to 02:00. The burger is the food order; live music drops in Sunday afternoons.