Cruise Room
Lounge · Union Station
1600 17th St CO, Denver, CO 80202
![Cruise Room by The Oxford Hotel [Official Site]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62346547/TheCruiseRoomDenver.0.jpg "Cruise Room by The Oxford Hotel [Official Site]")
Highlights
Classic cocktails, Art Deco vibe, intimate red lighting, historical landmark
Classic cocktails, Art Deco vibe, intimate red lighting, historical landmark
"The Cruise Room opened the day Prohibition ended, celebrating the same way most Prohibition days had been celebrated—with lots of booze. Nearly a century later, not much has changed at the Oxford Hotel’s classic martini bar, and that’s a good thing. The mood is still sexy mid-century modern, and the drinks are heavy on the spirits, light on the syrups. Yes, it can be a little red light special-y with the constant crimson neon lighting, but it adds to the time capsule feel. We prefer to skip the wall of booths and instead grab a stool at the long, svelte bar." - allyson reedy
"The Cruise Room opened the day Prohibition ended, celebrating the same way most Prohibition days had been celebrated—with lots of booze. Nearly a century later, not much has changed at the Oxford Hotel’s classic martini bar, and that’s a good thing. The mood is still sexy mid-century modern, and the drinks are heavy on the spirits, light on the syrups. Yes, it can be a little red light special-y with the constant crimson neon lighting, but it adds to the time capsule feel. We prefer to skip the wall of booths and instead grab a stool at the long, svelte bar." - Allyson Reedy
"Modeled after a lounge on the Queen Mary, this LoDo icon in the Oxford Hotel opened the day after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 and still looks every inch the Art Deco haunt it did then, from the carefully restored murals to the mirror-backed jukebox. It drinks that way too: Classic cocktails are the way to go here — Gimlets, Sazeracs, Sidecars, and all." - Ruth Tobias
"For a real old-fashioned Christmas Day, head to the Cruise Room — established in 1933 — to soak up its Art Deco atmosphere and classic cocktails alike from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., when a pair of holiday dinner specials will also be on offer: prime rib ($65) or spiral-cut ham ($55) with roasted root vegetables, smashed red potatoes, and Brussels sprouts, plus chocolate cake or pumpkin pie ($14) for dessert." - Eater Staff
"Opened in January 2007, Downtown Cocktail Room became a 3,000-square-foot, warm bohemian-chic speakeasy tucked behind a simple marquee at the corner of Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard, with dim red tones, angled spotlights, lounge-style seating on padded sofas, and a rear bar where bartenders poured classic cocktails and seasonal signatures. Drinks included the Killa Kiwi (vodka, kiwi puree, vanilla syrup, and lemon) and the Downtown Dill (a gin-and-cucumber riff on a Bloody Mary), and it was noted as one of the only bars in town that can reliably make a banging Ramos Gin Fizz—provided the night was early enough and the tip large enough for the five-minute dry shake. Memorable touches included two-way-mirrored bathroom stalls and a history as a locals-first destination that helped spur downtown’s renaissance after Tony Hsieh’s investments; owner Michael Cornthwaite recalls opening it to serve nearby city employees and law firms and later watching the neighborhood change. Facing pandemic-era shifts, rising costs that pushed cocktails above $20, demographic changes after Cornthwaite relocated to Colorado, and evolving nightlife on the block, he announced DCR will close sometime between November 8 and November 13, and hopes longtime locals stop in one last time for a shot of Fernet or a Ramos Gin Fizz." - Janna Karel
