One of the gems in Venice, this speakeasy has a great happy hour ($5 for a glass of wine) and eclectic performances by underground, global, and independent artists. Â I've been here a couple of times, once to check out a Brazilian concert that I heard about on KPFK and the second time for the Super Serious Comedy Show. Â If you're looking for a laid back spot with friendly bartenders, awesome locals, and really fantastic performances then give this place a try. Â They even have free popcorn! Â FYI...no food is served so make sure you eat at one of the food trucks or restaurants along Windward Ave.
Review Source:Well let me start off with the fact that the location is pretty primo. Â Right at Windward circle and steps from the Venice Boardwalk. Â Enter the Townhouse and go directly down the stairs to the right. Â Once down there its like being transported back in time and the decor is awesomely authentic. The celling is a bit low but Im a tall guy so im not going to bitch heavily about that. I came for a show on Wednesday night and a show I got one. Â The best part, Â the Wednesday shows are FREE. Â
I walked straight up to the bar to order a drink. Â I saw everyone drinking PBR tall boys and as a previous bartender I know PBR's are typically priced lower on the scale of all menu items. Â The charge was $8 for the tall boy....too much in my opinion and lead me to believe that the rest of the drinks on the menu are not nicely priced. Rule of thumb, pre-game a bit before going anywhere that has high real estate value and always bring a flask. Â Any way....
First up was a comedy bit. Â The two guys I saw, one was ok the other was a pro. Â I laughed at the headliner Dove Davidoff. Â He was interesting if not hopped up on some kind of drug but that might as well have been part of his bit. Â He was good. Â
Second up was a Burlesque show with the girls of BOOTLEG BOMBSHELLS. Â I got a front row seat and settled in. Â Note to any one sitting in the front row of a burlesque show, understand that you will get messed with or become part of the show. Â That's the fun of it. Â
All the girls (a troop of 5) were very very entertaining and performed very fun numbers with good music and fun outfits. Â My favorite performer was Lee Acosta on the pole. Â Im not a strip club guy but I can definitely appreciate the talent and skill it takes to work the pole the way she did. Â Half of her acrobatic tricks gave the illusion of defying gravity and for a tall woman on a pole only a couple of inches taller than she was (due to low celling height) was STUPID IMPRESSIVE. Bravo. Â
Akira has a fun set too where I was actually able to take a pair of scissors from her and cut away at her outfit. Â What can I say other than awesome and fun! Â I don't think any man has not had that fantasy before and if you haven't you need to live a little and open up your mind.
Bottom line the girls had a fun time performing and I enjoyed watching them. Â Im pretty certain a number of other guys and girls enjoyed it too because there was a load of hooping and hollering throughout the entire show.
I'll be back to the Del Monte next Wednesday to see what the BOOTLEG BOMBSHELLS have in store. Â The word on the street is that each show is different so that awesome.
Taking up the basement floor, this former speakeasy is a neat venue for live music and drinks. True point that it's tough to see since the stage isn't elevated, but you get great sound and a good concert experience.
Biggest complaint that will honestly affect when I come here next: it's HOT inside with its low ceilings and cozy quarters.  My friend and I went on a very cool marine-layer-already-rolling-in-at-10pm evening, and it was warm downstairs at just half capacity before the KCRW José James show earlier this March.  By the time José was crooning and making the ladies in the audience swoon an hour later, people were peeling layers off and trying not to stand too close to one another in a very packed house.
Given that, guess I'll next catch a show in WINTER. Â See ya then, Del Monte.
So this is one of my favorite places for a few reasons..
#1 the music is usually good.. I have seen great bands here.. some duds too but over all pretty good.. especially for the west side where there is not much to choose from. The room is a nice size and has a great ambiance. The stage can be impossible to see when the room is full because it is not elevated.. the sound system sounds good.
#2 the best old fashioned i have ever had! so tasty! and they use these giant ice cubes that just make it taste better some how..
On the weekends it can be super packed and more of a trendy scene.. but during the week it's more mellow.. just the way I like it.
It's actually a former speakeasy and the only reason I'm reviewing is that in pretty much any other place with this kind of vibe (trendy basement speakeasy bar etc), the bartenders are going to be pretentious and hard to get ahold of. Not so at Del Monte. They're super approachable (in fact, they approach you first! Whoa!) and friendly and talkative and helpful. I lost my credit card and every bartender behind the bar did a search for me. Obviously they found it the minute after I canceled it, thank you universe.
Also the setup is pretty sweet. My friend's band played a show here and I was in the middle of the room and didn't feel I needed my earplugs (not that it wasn't loud, but just not earsplitting and migraine-inducing). There's also all these booths along the wall so they're not in the way of the crowd and you aren't getting squished if you try to sit. This is very important.
Friday night was my first visit to DMS, some friends and I followed one of our favorite bands there. Apparently, it used to be an actual speakeasy in the prohibition era, so that adds to the allure and sets the vibe pretty well. The place is relatively small with a low ceiling and a bar running the length of the room.
The bartenders make a damn fine cocktail; a couple friends ordered a Manhattan, a whiskey sour and a Old Fashioned. Everyone was very pleased with the end result and spent about $12 a drink.
The place didn't get very crowded, which was nice. I'm not sure if that had something to do with the band or the type of audience they attracted but it kept the room comfortable. Overall, it's good to know such a fun little place is in my neighborhood. I am looking forward to going back.
Just a tip: you probably don't want to go there cruising for dudes/chicks/whatever you're into as the interior is extremely dim. You really could have no clue who you're going home with until you emerge onto the streets of Venice.
Whoa. Â (in my best Joey Lawrence accent). Â This place is a trip. Â
I consider myself a pretty cool chick, but after hanging out here last night, I was reminded that I will never be cool enough for Venice. Â Venice peeps make Silverlake hipsters look like a bunch of Bieber/Pitbull/Katy Perry fans.
But I digress, this review is about Del Monte Speakeasy....Julie R is right. Â This place was built in 1915 and is a real speakeasy. Â Props for authenticity! Â It's downstairs from the Townhouse which is nice because if you're there to see a show, you can hang out upstairs while you wait for it to start. Â The space is mostly standing room with a few tables along the right wall that you can somehow reserve. Â There is a full bar downstairs as well. Â The look is dark, with lots of draping and old. Â I would say its vintage, but no, its just run down, but cool. Â The space is pretty tiny, which initially made me very happy because it meant it would be very intimate. Â It probably fits 200 people? There is street parking and a paid lot across the street for $10 (BUT BEWARE: Â They will take your $10, make you park yourself and then close all the gates around the lot so you end up in a stacked parking situation!). Â
Now for the not-so-good: Â The show space is very small, which initially is awesome, because its so intimate BUT its narrow, long and flat, and at the same level as the stage. Which translates to, YOU CANNOT SEE the performer. Â And if you are 5'4" like me, this REALLY SUCKS. Â And like any standing room only situation, there is ALWAYS going to be that douchbag person that rolls in late and decides they are going to park it right in front of you. Â Also, I went to a show last night (early March) and it was SOO HOT. The performer even commented that he was on the hottest stage he'd ever performed on. Â So be warned if you plan on coming here over the summer that this speakeasy may not have installed central air in 1915.
I'm not sure that any of these issues are necessarily deal breakers if there is a performer that you really want to see, which was the case for me, but I wish I would have known what to expect. Â Unfortunately I am only the third to review this place, so I went in competely blind. Â Good luck!
It's in the basement under the Townhouse. Decent. Live music. Full bar. Bartenders in vests making all the old classic cocktails. Apparently it was a real speakeasy bar during the prohibition period. Being a visual person I like edwardian interior, the wallpaper, the long wooden bar and the slightly run down look, makes you feel like you have stepped back in time. Check their website for nights it's open and what style of music is being played. I heard sometimes they have burlesque shows too.
Review Source:
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
