Ace Gillett's is a really cozy underground space that you can stay in for hours. Their food is delicious, though not terribly cheap for the amount you'll get. The drinks are unique, imaginative, and there's usually a featured drink (alongside house wine, etc.) for happy hour, and that featured drink is always delicious. They also tend to have a heavy hand when they pour the liquor, so watch out! The truffle fries are unbelievable! Â I hope to return sometime soon for a full meal, as for now I've only tried a variety of tapas--all tasty!
Review Source:This sultry lithe little underground bar, with its sexy yet approachable and friendly she-staff and lanquid live jazz serves some of the best food in Colorado, mostly tapa style, but always a entrée offering as well.
This is like 1940 shaking hands with 2010 hip and current with a living homage to the speakeasy lifestyle. Everything about our visit here was stellar. It is a small joint so get here early (7pm at the latest) and claim your chair for the music that starts at 8 on Thursday through Sunday.
Indulge in their decadent, fresh and accordingly expensive cocktails!
I would give Ace Gillett's five stars for atmosphere and music. Unfortunately the service, corked wine, and over anxious doorman knocked it down a few stars for me. Let's start with the Good-Great space and beautiful bar, all dark woods and cool back-lit barback. The aesthetics of this place are great, except that the entire place is carpeted. To me, this was just weird, but I feel like they added the carpet for the acoustics of the place so it wouldn't be unbearably loud. The band was really great-a jazz quartet that had the whole place rocking.
The Bad-Service was terrible. Having served many a table, I can totally understand that it was a busy Saturday night but the place was crawling with cocktail servers clad in questionably tight dresses, the place was well staffed. Our server was frantic the entire night, she definitely thought she was in the weeds. It took her 10 minutes to run my check, and we were seated literally steps away from the POS machine. Additionally, she would only come around to offer us more drinks once our glasses were completely empty and we were never offered water. I eventually asked for some and never got it. I looked around and we were not the only table suffering. The doorman really bothered me as well. I give Ace Gillett's full credit for  trying to be the premier (read only) speakeasy in Fort Collins. However, this doorman really rubbed me the wrong way. We had a large party reservation and we were all arriving at different times, we weren't having a meal, just after dinner drinks. I arrived, told the doorman my party's name, and was told that "We are so busy right now I don't know where your party is" In my head I was thinking "didn't you seat them?" I was told to "go look for them but make sure to come back to me and tell me where they are sitting so I can be sure you actually have a reservation". I was like "Excuse me?" but I just did as I was told. About an hour later, we are still waiting for a friend to join us. I went to use the restroom and found her seated on a bench next to the doorman. Apparently she had told him our party's name, and was told that the bar was "at capacity" and was not let in. She had been waiting for 30 minutes outside and couldn't get a hold of us as her phone had no service. At this point I was really over this doorman. I went over to his little stand where he was holding court with a few servers, one of which was ours, who should have been refilling my very empty wine glass, and told him the situation and that I was really disappointed that he didn't even attempt to find us and tell us our guest was waiting. He didn't even remember me showing him exactly where we were sitting and was still a jerk about letting my friend in.
The Ugly-Our server had obviously not been fully educated in wine at all as she served us not one, but two glasses of very corked wine. I asked her if she could please replace the wine with a new bottle and she came back with the exact same glass of wine (my lipstick prints were still on it). By this point I just gave up and enjoyed the music sans beverage. I liked the atmosphere enough of Ace Gillett's to give it another shot but only one more. Perhaps it was just an off night for everyone.
I was in Fort Collins on business and was staying at the Armstrong Hotel. I arrived rather late so I thought that I would grab dinner and a few drinks at Ace Gillett's. I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. I had mozzarella stuffed cherry peppers wrapped in prosciutto and the Kobe beff carpaccio. Both were absolutely delectable. For drinks, I had the ruby grapefruit soho martini, which was equally as delicious as the food. They have a surprisingly large menu: for both drinks and food. I also must commend them on their presentation. The dishes are small portions, but they are very aesthetically pleasing.
The service was amazing. I indicated to the host that I am a visitor staying in the hotel and had never been to Ace Gillets. She notified my waitress and the waitress walked me through their menu and explained that they serve everything tapas style with a Mediterranean influence.
My first experience here was so good that I decided to have drinks and an appetizer with some colleagues here a few nights later. This time, I had the bruschetta. This was not nearly as good as the first meal I had here, but it was still very tasty (I should have ordered the Kobe beef again, but I thought that I would try something new).
As for the atmosphere, the place is very clean and well decorated. It has soft, low lighting with live music on the weekends. But because of the live music, it gets rather loud, which makes it hard to hear people (even your server).
If I ever visit Fort Collins again, this will be my first stop. I am very pleased with my experience here. I wish there was another location in my hometown.
Ace Gillett's is a must visit if you are visiting or living in the Fort Collins area, especially if you like Jazz music. What stood out to me was the amazing jazz musicians the night I was there. Just as impressive was the customer service, it was OUTSTANDING...two thumbs up! The bartenders are seriously some of the best around anywhere. You'll see for yourself when you go, so try a mixed drink. Located in the basement of the Armstrong Hotel and accessible from the outside sidewalk (downstairs) this is a don't miss place that should be on your short list for to-do experiences in Fort Collins. The food here is also fantastic and holds it's own weight in a foodie type of town. Get ready for a real Fort Collins experience at Ace Gillett's!
Review Source:To be honest I'm really hesitant to give this place 5 starts. Â Don't get me wrong, they definitely deserve it, but every now and then you find a place that feels like home; a place you don't really want too many people knowing about.
Ace Gillett's is a gem hidden in the basement of the Armstrong hotel. Â Live music starts at 8:00 four nights per week. Â Things really fill up and seating is limited so it definitely helps to get there early. Â
Drinks are phenomenal and moderately priced for the quality and ambiance (about $9 per drink which really ups the quality of the clientele as well). Â Yup, no dudes in wife beaters here. Â Heck, there's not even a swing in sight, you get to sit in actual chairs!
Ive frequented this spot for quite a while now. The food is to die for! And the drinks Ray makes are AMAZING! !! My husband and I just love the jazz on Sunday nights. Sometimes he still asks me to dance. There's no "real" dance floor, but there is room and no one seems to mind when we do. Everyone kinda goes into their own world once inside, but talking to the stranger next to you is easy as well, as everyone seems to be there for the same reason, to have a great relaxing time. Take that special someone to ACE'S today! They have live jazz Thursday-sunday nights. Maybe ill See you there!
Review Source:Mixed drinks. Live jazz. My kind of place. The only thing I didn't care for was the dated decor (felt like the hotel bar that it is). But I detected bitters in my grapefruit martini, and it was a very enjoyable, well-mixed drink. Service was attentive too. We grabbed one of the crescent booths toward the back, which was a great escape from the open floorplan of the main room. But it's also seated next to the 'stage.' So once the music started up -- much as I enjoyed it! -- it made it tough to talk; and we had to scoot on to the next bar directly.
Review Source:This place reminds me of the mid 90s when everyone was racing to join the hipster movement of being into big band Swing music. Â It's the same but substitute Jazz in place of Swing. Â It has the whole "sort of secret entrance" thing going on and the vibe inside is very black vest and fedora. Â
It's sort of a mix between a lounge and a bar. Â There should be a hostess because it's 90% table service in the main room but they don't, so there's kind of a survival of the fittest to get a table and protect your chairs when someone leaves for the bathroom. Â Food is average, drinks are priced about average too.
Super bonus points for the ultra attractive waitresses though.
We found this place on yelp and decided to give it a try - and we were so glad we did! The entrance is a little hard to find, but once you walk down the stairs it's immediately apparent that this place is trying to set itself apart from others on Fort Collins. The service we received during our visit was excellent
The menu is eclectic, but very well prepared. The drink menu is long with ample variety. The prices are incredibly reasonable for the quality of the food. Â I had the crab mac and cheese, and not only was it delicious, it was only $12. Â An It was much, much better than the dish we tried at Jay's bistro the weekend before.
The live jazz music helps to create the upscale atmosphere, but can be a little loud at times.
While the food was meh, the cocktails are delish! So much so that we definitely overstayed our welcome AND spent way too much money. But sometimes, you just gotta get crazy, enjoy some of those spectacular drinks, and catch up with friends while listening to a bit of jazz. Love the cocktails. Love the vibe. Love the service. It can get loud, so be prepared to speak loudly.
Review Source:Ace Gillette's is one of my favorite places in Colorado, and I especially love bringing out of town guests here. The crowd is mature, and the atmosphere is modern art deco. I've sampled most of the menu, and it is consistently wonderful. The portions are small, though, so be prepared to order a bit more.
What really makes this place stand out is the cocktails. The head bartender is amazing, and can make any obscure drink you can think of. I swear he's a local celebrity, because every time I come in, he has 'fans' sitting in front of him at the bar. He is so awesome, I'm pretty sure anyone complaining about a drink he made is doing so because everyone else that ever made it for them did it wrong!
As higher end restaurants in Ft Collins are a little scarce it is nice to see Ace Gillett's. Walking down to the basement is a bit different, but reminds me of the Old Chicago gangster movies. The staff is great, shout out to Kevin the bartender and to Chef Henry for the scallops, the best I ever tasted.
Review Source:The reason for my 2 star review was the service.
The waitress we had was rude to us from the start of the evening. Â It's not as if we did anything to bring it on and we were not over or under dressed or out of place with the other people in the bar; the hostility was just THERE for some reason. Â
And what further baffled me is that we saw her being friendly and nice to other tables; they got their drinks before us, their food before us and they got some level of courtesy from her. Â Clearly she was capable.
We had the goat cheese and spinach fondue as what was meant to be an appetizer for the meal. Â It was good, and I also had an average mojito with it - not bad but nothing amazing. Â At that point, we called for our check and left.
Great service, mediocre food, gets loud and FAST.
My boyfriend and I came here for a meet & greet for a conference we were attending. We were early and decided to grab a bite. The menu is all over the place. Mediterranean, Spanish, American...I ended up with grilled shrimp over corn risotto, the b/f got pork skewers with nan. The shrimp was ok, the risotto was NASTY. Corn + risotto = gross. From what the b/f told me, the pork skewers were fine, not very filling though.
Our waitress for the evening was beyond accommodating, and very sweet. We wound up with about 40 people at the meet & greet, and they opened up a spare room for us so we didn't take over the main dining room.
Other than the food, the other negative would be the noise. Granted there were a ton of us, even in the main dining hall it got waaay too loud. Hard to have a conversation.
Overall, the bar itself is fine. I can't say if I return to Fort Collins I would go back.
On a Thursday night, Â we head down the stairs into a bygone era brought back to life in modern times with Hollywood style white leather chairs, circular booths under dim light from pendant lamps. Sophisticated and swanky without being pretentious. The joint was half packed and we snagged the last booth. As usual in this town, Â the dress code is black dress to blue jeans and no one looks out of place.
Round one of drinks: Manhattan, Sidecar and a rum Mojito (instead of the vodka style listed on the menu) expertly prepared by Ray, the head bartender. For round one we shared:
"Trio- Cannellini lemon and garlic hummus, Middle Eastern jalapeno garlic relish and spicy harrisa served with pita, pita crisp, Asiago flat bread, and crisp bread sticks"
"Papas Fritas- Fried Yukon Gold potato drizzled with aioli, harissa and fresh herbs"
"SHICHIMI TOGARASHI EDAMAME Seasoned, steamed edamame"
I had no idea what "harissa" meant but it was a light red dip with excellent flavor complemented with the spice of the jalapeno relish. Â The potatoes, almost unrecognizable in the low light, had a crispy coating with more of this mystery sauce. Â Edamame were standard. Â These three plates off the tapas menu are reasonably priced and might be enough for two but since there were three of us, we ordered more.
Round two was crab mac n cheese and an order of beef empanadas. Detectable pieces of lump blue crab with a mac n cheese for grown ups.
Within less than a week while my other half was out of town, I returned on a quiet Monday evening. Anxious to explore the "Specialties" section of the menu, I slipped onto a stool at the curved bar and ordered a mojito.  My eyes were immediately drawn to two dishes my other half would never care to split: the roasted beet salad with "goat cheese croquette" and the hand rolled gnocchi with a variety of mushrooms from Hazeldell local farm.  The salad was splendid with golden beets and croquette satisfied my recent craving for (lightly) fried goat cheese.  Slowly worked on the salad until my main dish arrived.  I selected one gnocchi and it melted in my mouth with a poof of pillowy potatoes. The skills of  Chef Heller shine in these two dishes leaving me anxious to try more. Luckily for those that don't care for mushrooms there are 3 types of gnocchi to try.
During the four days between my first and second visits, I learned that harissa is a North African spicy red pepper dip. While chatting with another bartender I discovered the chef just started bottling harissa and a bottle was mine for $7.
Well prepared and well deserving of high praise. Impressive for a date night, special occasion celebration
As many restaurants do, the menu here changes somewhat with the seasons and a new one will be one the way soon. There is plenty more left to sample from the menu and I will return soon.
In a town overflowing with themed bars and college hangouts, Ace Gillett's brings a very welcome touch of class and swank to Old Town Fort Collins. This easy-to-miss spot is the perfect escape from the tourists and college crowds swarming the streets above.
Atmosphere: The subterranean lounge is tucked away under the historical Armstrong Hotel. Â The lay out of the lounge is impressive and cozy. There are intimate booths, small tables, and a long and stylish bar. The swanky design is the perfect setting to sip some top-notch cocktails and enjoy the jazz band that plays four nights a week. .
Service: Â Service at the bar was friendly although a little slow, but considering 4 out of 5 drinks must be muddled, it is understandable. With that being said, the bartender was very busy making drinks for the five cocktail waitresses hustling to and from patrons in a packed house.
Drinks: Â The bar staff mixes up an assortment of martinis from classic to cucumber as well as other alcoholic concoctions. The cocktail menu is strewn with ingredients like elderflower and ginger and all drinks are a relative bargain during their daily happy hour.
Food: Â Ace Gillett's offers a menu of fine Mediterranean style tapas, appetizers and pizza style flat breads as well as a few desserts, all for about $10 and under.
There's no better place in town than Ace Gillett's for a combination of excellent service, wonderful cocktails, and sophisticated  ambiance. Whether you arrive casual or dressy you're sure to be warmly welcomed by a staff who all work together to make your experience enjoyable.  Savor great drinks, lively conversation and a strong feeling of camaraderie with the eclectic mix of folks around you. The menu is diverse, a little pricey, and the dishes carefully prepared and very tasty.  For me, it's the perfect way to start, spend, or wrap up an evening.
As a regular I was both amused and offended by another reviewer's portrayal of being chased down College after leaving,  Ray, the enigmatic dark blur of activity behind the bar, possesses an uncanny ability to watch over everyone while busy serving up the next order.  He also has a genuine concern for customers' satisfaction, comfort and safety.  I have no doubt he approached the couple outside the lounge  door not to question their choice or judgment, but honestly to make sure they had not been annoyed by someone or something he observed that they themselves had failed to even notice.  In Fort Collins we call that sense of community.  Too bad the person posting the criticism didn't understand that.
So, as a visitor to Fort Collins, a friend and I decided to visit Ace Gillett's for some jazz and drinks on a Friday night. Now, my friend and I are not fresh faced co-eds, but we're in our twenties, and when I walked in I was surprised to find that most people were of the more mature variety. Probably my parents' age. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I was kind of taken aback. Then we get to the bar and see that the martini's are $9! I'm used to those prices in CA, but in Fort Collins?? Crazy!! Coupled with the fact that the jazz set appeared to be done for the night, friend and I decided that we'd rather go someplace else for drinks.
You'd THINK this is where the story ends, but this is where it gets crazy! The bartender proceeded to CHASE US DOWN College Ave and ask us why we were leaving!! Uhh?? I couldn't believe it! He asked us if "someone offended us." ??? We were so weirded out, we told him we were just looking for something cheaper and more casual, no offense. Happily he seemed appeased by that, invited us to come back another time and went back inside.
So if you come here but don't order anything, beware, you might get chased down!!
Ace's is by far the best establishment for consistency and creativity! The bartenders know what they're doing which is refreshing, pun intended. The food menu puts their competitors to shame and I've yet to have the cook hand deliver my plate at any other establishment in Colorado. I recommend trying their dinner specials, 7 out of 8 times they have been perfection to my taste buds. It's a perfect date night or solo outing especially because they have live jazz on the weekends. The wine selection is great  and the bartender knows how to keep your glass full.
Review Source:Ace Gillett's is my favorite bar in town for both quality of cocktails and  atmosphere. I fell in love this past winter with a martini they had on the menu -- made with chocolate bitters. It is also the only place I feel justified dressing up to go out to.
The live jazz is great! Just don't expect to have an intimate conversation with several of your best friends during a set -- it gets quite loud.
The few small plates I've had have been okay -- we had a tuna dish of some kind once that was quite delish -- but I've never tried any of the meat dishes so I think that may have something to do with my ambivalent attitude towards the nosh. Â
And the people watching gets 5 stars: Ray (the bar manager) is easy on the eyes and its fun to watch him (and the many women who flirt with him)! Not to mention it seems to be a trolling ground for a handful of wealthy men (of any orientation) so you never know who might be buying you a drink ;-)
The bartender here knows how to make a Gin & Tonic. Â You would think that it would be a hard drink to screw up but many places in Fort Collins can do it.
Even when it is busy I have been able to grab a drink at the crowded bar. Â
It's nice to hear live jazz being played in the corner and to have a well made cocktail.
My buddy and I drank there one night and when closing time came around the bartender didn't just boot us out the door he asked if we wanted another round.
I like that it is downstairs and you can avoid the college crowd. Â People who come here do so to drink and talk. Â Not down Red Bulls and Vodka and vomit in the bathroom.
Dress a little nicer and be curtious to your fellow patrons and you will enjoy your time here. Â Tip well if you have good service, places like this need to thrive in Fort Collins because they are rare.
Im a huge fan of jazz bars and excited to see one at the hotel I stayed at (Armstrong). Â Over all let me tell you something, I am an older gal and really like some comfortable atmospheres. Â This place had good drinks, good food and good music. Â I will definitely be back when I come to Colorado. Â For someone who reviews restaurants, the experience as a whole was delightful and cozy.
Review Source:My girlfriend and I recently took a weekend to go from Denver to my old stomping grounds of Fort Collins. We stayed in the Armstrong Hotel and were delighted and super-excited to find that there is now a "vintage cocktail bar" in the basement. After going to on these types of places in Denver, we've been seeking out similar places anywhere we travel - so the fact that there was one in Fort Collins had us both giddy.
The place has a good setup, basement of the hotel, kind of a hidden entrance, vintage decor throughout, jazz quartet playing next to the bar, etc.
We walked in, glanced over the menu and then asked if the bartender could make "special cocktails" based on specifications we gave. I consider the ability to make an amazing off-menu cocktail the cornerstone of these high-end vintage cocktail lounges that are springing up all over the place. You weren't ordering mixed drinks off a menu in 1940, I'm guessing.
The bartender said "no problem, we do it all the time" and asked what we wanted. I ordered the same drink I always order at these places, sort of as a test of the bartender's abilities: "Something spicey but not sweet". Various bartenders in different bars have made this a wide variety of different ways, and while the product may have differed drastically - it was always something I enjoyed... Until Ace Gillett's, at least.
My girlfriend ordered something more conventional. She'll probably write her own (similar) review, and I don't remember what he drink was, but I tried it and it was not exceptional or special at all.
We made conversation at the bar with some people next to us a mentioned The Green Russell in Denver. We both love it, and for anyone who likes Ace's - go to GR if you are in Denver because you will love it too. Interestingly enough, mid-conversation, the bartender said that he "didn't like it at all." This was kind of shocking and so I asked why. He said that he didn't like having to wait 20 minutes to get a drink. Fair enough, I thought - but we sat down over 10 minutes ago and I still hadn't been served... I consider the wait a part of the price of a fine cocktail, but it seemed hypocritical.
When I finally got my drink it was... utterly disgusting. I'm not sure what exactly the bartender did, but my drink looked and tasted like straight Absolut Peppar with crushed ice and a half of a jalapeno in it. It wasn't that it was too spicey - I've had spicier that were delicious... it was just bad. So bad, in fact, that some people at the bar dared their friend to order one of the same and chug it. We played along, but in all honesty if you are the bartender at a place like this - you should see this coming and ask those rowdy folks to leave. There are plenty of bars in Fort Collins for chugging vodka, and (we'd hoped) this place was different.
Overall this was the place we were most excited about visiting and ordering drinks and it was my *least* favorite by far. We also had drinks at Drunken Monkey, Crown Pub, El Monte's, Bondi's, and Snooze. All of them were quite a bit better in both service and drink quality.
PSSST!
Buddy, this is the layout. Â Enter the Armstrong Hotel lobby. Â Walk straight past the front desk, keep your head down. Â If the manager notices you just nod, they're in on the plan. Â Just past the elevator on the right is a doorway to the basement. Â Careful, it's easy to miss (wink). Â Turn right at the bottom of the stairs, go to end of the hall, Gillett's is on the left. Â
FROM A WHISPER TO A SCREAM
The place opens at 4pm and it's dark, empty and quiet, just the bartenders prepping for the day. Â Grab a seat at the bar or if you've business to discuss on the QT there are secluded booths available. Â Soon others wander in and you'll start hearing the clink of glasses, the rattle of martini shakers, bits of subdued conversation. Â Around 6:30 the Jazz piano guy shows and the night begins to heat up. Â The crowd thickens, the voices raise, groups at the bar start mingling, laughing, and sharing stories. Â By the time the rest of the band arrive and start to jam you better have a seat or you'll be standing in the aisles. Â By 9pm there's muscle, errr... bouncer, Â ah... a maitre d, yeah maitre d at the door keeping riff-raff from packing the joint.
Yep, this is the kind of place where you expect to see Nick and Nora trading good-natured jibs while Asta tugs on a waiter's pant leg  or Joe Cairo bartering with Sam Spade for the black bird.
CONS
Whoa! Â No hoods here dis is respectable joint. Â However it's no place for the weak of wallet. Â You'll need some lettuce, clams, moolah, green stamps to hang here. Â But if you want something cheap there are beer joints just littering this little burg, go there ya mook.
DENOUEMENT
From one of the reviews I expected to see a mouse or two. Â I looked high and low. Â Mostly low. Â Not one damn mouse. Â I paid good money - no mouse. Â I do feel a bit gipped.
Ace Gillett's is in the basement of the Armstrong Hotel. It seems very much off the beaten path which may be a deterrent for drunken college kids. The prices of Ace's may also play a factor in that too. Normally I embrace the college crowd but when they are drunk and loud in Oldtown it is hard not to feel put off by them.
Ace Gillett's is a wonderful bar that serves some of the best drinks in town! I had the Ginger Crescent which is very much like a ginger martini and it was delightful! I had something else very similar to a Mojito but had more or a citrus taste to it which also was amazing!
Ace's is mainly a bar but they also serve food too! Depending what you order sometimes the portions may seem too small, just right or quite big. I ordered the gnocchi which was delicious!! However though it was a very small portion and left me still pretty hungry. My partner, Steven ordered a pizza which almost seemed too big for him! That too was equally wonderful to eat. If I have any 'complaints' about Ace Gillett's it may be that but whatever you get and how much I am sure will be good! Be sure and ask your server how big the portions are or order something in addition if you are planning to have a full fledged meal here.
The atmosphere is very mellow, and atmospheric. Very similar to a piano bar and some nights they do play music here! Definitely a great place to go that often gets overlooked by most people because of it's location but that is what makes the experience all the more alluring!
My girlfriends and I had a girls' night out here last night. Overall, we loved the place and plan to make it a once a month thing!
When we first arrived, there weren't any seats open in the main part of the lounge so we sat in the "overflow" room. This part of the place was absolutely underwhelming. It reminded me of a banquet hall or my mom's dining room. Eh.
Some seats quickly opened up near the bar, however, so we were able to move. We ordered some drinks and some apps. The food was really the star here. We got 2 orders of Papas Fritas and an order of Philo Wrapped Brie. The potatoes were so good that we (literally) licked the plates. Seriously.
The atmosphere was really swanky- dark, sexy, with a jazz group playing in the background. I'll definitely be back!
Visiting from out of town. Â I was in the mood for a 'tini, and Yelp really came through. Â This is a wonderful place.
I loved everything about the place from the live Jazz duo, to the low ceilings, low lights, and really cool decor. Â It's in the basement of the Armstrong Hotel down in the old section of town with all the restaurants.
I'm a martini geek, so grumbles first. Â It was a bit off putting that they didn't have many variations of the real Martini on the menu. Â Basically, they had a bunch of weird concoctions with all manner of ingredients, which is fine, but they aren't Martinis. Â As for real martinis, there was only one, the Winston Churchill Martini. Â I forget what they called it, but its just gin shaken with an olive.
The bartender had no knowledge of gins, which is a requirement if you are going to make and sell Martinis. Â She was very good looking, pretty bright, and very nice, but if you want to work in a Martini bar, you should be at least conversant in gin.
Other than these two things, I would have given it 5 stars.
They had a reasonable selection of Gins. Â It was pretty cool to go to a place where the Bombay Sapphire is down in front with the frequent pour liquors. Â
They served a martini, made well, according to instructions from a gin that was new to me. Â Oxleys from London (worth trying if you're a gin geek)
Didn't try the food, but it looked and smelled delicious. Â They seem to have a nice bunch of happy hour snacks.
I will make it a point to come back next time I'm in town for sure.
I've been to Ace's a good half a dozen (or more) times since it opened, and I can't begin to say how awesome it is to have a new bar in town that doesn't cater to the college crowd. The drink menu is creative and really well priced for higher-end spirits/cocktails. The mixology is a little off on some drinks (martinis were good, but my old fashioned was way too sweet and fruity), but the overall bar experience is a good one: great selection/variety. Â
The decor is nice as long as you don't look at the south wall, or god forbid, you have to sit in the spill over room, which has all the aesthetic charm of a low-rent wedding hall, or a hotel conference room (which I think it is during the day). The place has the feel of being unfinished, like the decorator ran out of money or ideas two-thirds the way through. The back bar is beautiful, and the service is excellent. All of the staff are attentive and incredibly friendly without being annoying.
The tapas are competent, but not all that original or particularly delicious. The serving sizes are nice for a late night snack or even a light meal. I liked the papas and the cheese plate is a winner, but the flat breads were actually pretty bad.
The music is the real star here. A great jazz combo that rotates players from night to night (Combo Thus-Sat, solo pianist all other nights I believe), so you get a good mix of smooth, hot, traditional, standards, funky (tho never really "funk"), and bop. I think they could probably diversify things a little more, maybe get some vocals in the mix from time to time? It's "safe" music, performed by very talented musicians, and will appeal to a wide audience, regardless of your level of familiarity with jazz.
The crowd changes nightly, but tends to stay in the 30-60 range, some nights skewing older, some nights younger. A lot of the patrons look like they're on group dates (roving packs of mating couples). A good place to grab a drink after dinner, or meet friends for a cocktail, but after several visits, the charm/novelty wears off, and leaves you wanting more.
I loved the atmosphere in Ace Gillett's.....swanky, cozy, dark, and warmly welcoming. Â Ray, our bartender, was friendly and attentive. The happy hour specials are great - including $2 draft beers (all local craft options). Â Although we didn't sample any of the small plates, we heard they are delicious. Â It's definitely a unique venue - a great place to take your spouse for an evening out or a very nice first date....or even a group of friends looking to relax. Â The ambiance underground truly makes you forget the whole world above you!
Review Source:Down a dark, narrow stairway underneath the Armstrong Hotel, there is a small, swanky place. The subtle deep sounds of piano, bass and drums whisper through the crisp night air. It's a Fort Collins Speakeasy, a hidden gem of sorts, unless you've been aware of the chatter going on around the city. It's a place to take a date on a night out for tasty tapas, a place to meet up after work for some of the best drinks in town, where you can loosen your tie and relax to the soothing sounds of jazz. It's Ace Gillette's Lounge.
Ace Gillette's is owned by Steve and Missy Levinger, who also own the Armstrong Hotel. Named and inspired by previous 1950's Armstrong owner, Ace Gillette, the lounge evokes the feeling of class and sultry sophistication that enveloped city speakeasies during the years of prohibition. A soft dark atmosphere with espresso woods, large purple circular booths, delicate tea light candles, and one of the best places to entice Fort Collins since its opening in March of this year. This place just oozes romance.
I've been to Ace's a couple of times and I loved it from the start. They had me on my seat with anticipation during the weeks before their Grand Opening with some of the best tweets on Twitter (beautifully poetic, too bad they didn't keep it up). It's one of my favorite places in Fort Collins, especially for a flirtatious date or a posh night out with the girls. They have some incredibly creative and delicious tapas using unique ingredients (black garlic!) and some of the best drinks I've had here in our lovely Choice City.
Tantalizing food, hypnotizing drinks, seductive atmosphere; the suave Ace Gillett's is the sexiest spot in Fort Collins. It's the best date night lounge around. Guys, if you want to get lucky, bring your ladies here.
Ace G's just opened recently. My experience was very positive. I see tons of potential in the place and hope for just a few little upgrades in time.
Service - excellent! I was approached 4 times for a drink order in the short time I was waiting for a friend. Drinks came back fast and the water glasses stayed full! Â
Music - great jazz combo playing there on a Friday night. I would like to see a small stage instead of just playing on floor level in the music corner.
Atmosphere - great dim lighting with candles on all the tables. Awesome retro feel. The lit marble behind the bar caught my eye. I couldn't help but feel the place is still in progress though. Overall it felt a little...unfinished?
Menu - only had a drink off the martini menu. It was great for the price but I am not an official source on that. I think the drink menu could use a little expansion.
Fort Collins has a new gem! Â Ace Gillett's is a stylish, upscale, retro-cool new lounge located under the Armstrong Hotel in Old Town. Â From the moment where you spot the low-key set of stairs to the place, you'll know that this is not the typical Old Town place.
Start with the Decor. Â Absolutely beautiful, retro-cool, and true to what they were trying to achieve. Â The lighting is stunning, the chairs, tables, everything, well done. Â The piano and musician's area looks great.
Ambiance-wise, it's not your typical old town college-friendly hangout. Â The staff is dressed nice, the piano player is wearing a rather dapper suit. Â The crowd was a mix of 20 somethings and 30 somethings, mixed in with people staying at the Armstrong Hotel.
The drinks - outstanding. Â The menu may take you a little off-guard, until the highly knowledgable and friendly bartender explains the drinks were consistent with the way martinis were made in the 40's. Â The shelf is stocked with gins and vodkas that not only include the usual, but item's you won't see often. Â And Ray, our bartender, can talk to you about the virtues of each of the various drinks on the menu.
The food - a diverse menu with mostly small plates. Â We only had one -- chicken curry samosas with a very nice chutney. Â It was a hit! Â It is clear that the kitchen is staffed by pros that take pride in their food, and that the food is not an afterthought at this lounge.
I am THRILLED that Fort Collins has a place like this -- a wonderful, sexy little low-key lounge that serves great drinks from top-notch staff, and has a small plates menu that I'll keep trying over and over. Â I used to have to go to Denver for an experience like this. Â I'm glad we now have a top-notch place like this in the heart of Old Town Fort Collins!
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