R Bar’s happy-hour menu is like that ex-girlfriend who gave you mixed messages all the time.
She loves you so much, offering mini-priced snacks that are both salty (olives and feta) and sweet (mmm, Brussels sprouts). But then her affections stray, leaving you with a glass of red or white wine for $6.
Let’s be honest: $6 isn’t a bad price for a glass of wine. But at a chill happy hour on East Colfax Avenue? I think it’s too much, especially since R Bar — positioned next to Trattoria Stella’s east location — also offers its well drinks for $3.50.
It’s a quibble, for sure. And that’s because this handsome, wood-warmed room — the former bar area for Cafe Star — is a pleasure to be in. Long tables encourage conversation. A good-sized bar and a friendly but busy staff take care of the thirsty.
Our drinks during a recent visit to R Bar were well made and healthily poured. My cocktails brushed away the work-all-week blues, and our bartender/server was there when we needed him, distanced when we were doing our own thing.
But the small-plate snacks were the highlight.
The olive-feta plate is something I would order every day of the week. Pitted kalamata olives dotted with gooey, mozzarella-like feta filled out a surprisingly generous order. The presentation, in a sharp paisley dish, was elegant without being pretentious. And the Brussels sprouts were the perfect accompaniment. Was it brown sugar in there? I couldn’t quite tell, but it gave them an unexpected injection of sweetness.
R Bar is a good fit here. You have the randomness of RockBar, the friendliness of the Atomic Cowboy and now the handsomeness and warmth of R Bar.
Now about those happy-hour wine prices. …
Ricardo Baca: 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com
R Bar
3209 E. Colfax Ave., 303-320-8635. Happy hour daily 5-7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight.
