Syntax Physic Opera

Syntax is so much fun! And, the food is divine!

Bingo was his name-​o, this place is fab!
I came on Mile High Soul Club night and can’t wait to go back! They had a couple live 50s bands play. The first had a seven-​piece band with a lead singer who sounded just like Elvis! They played on a small stage with a dance floor in front of it. Many people were dressed in 50s clothing with full skirts, mary jane shoes, and cat glasses. The crowd was mixed but mostly older folks with people ranging from late 20s to late 60s.
I arrived at 9 and had no problem getting in. There was a $ 5 cover and they ID-​ed me at the door. When I left around 11:30, there was a 25-​person line waiting to get inside.
The venue is dimly lit and is split into two rooms. The first has a large bar, hi-​top tables, and the bathrooms. The second has the stage, dance floor, and several low tables. They serve cocktails and small plates. I did not eat but had a cocktail and really liked it.
I’m curious to see what this place is like on non-​Mile High Should Club nights!
My only knock is that they don’t have coat check.

I want to love this place… And I feel in time I will. The atmosphere is very 1800s, intellectual, artsy, and open. The staff have always been rather pleasant and the drinks on point. The food (when available) is absolutely perfect. Catch a happy hour to try out some appetizers and drinks. There seems to be some event going on most of the busy nights and the most expensive cover I’ve seen so far is $ 10. This place is truly a gem on S Broadway and I totally understand now why I’ve never heard of it before. A place so laid back yet always bustling needs no hurry to advertise.

I’ve got four words for you:
MILE HIGH SOUL CLUB.
First Saturday of each month @ Syntax Physic Opera. Great dance party with a nice blend of Motown/​Funk/​Soul music and people (older folks swing dancing, college kids getting down, folks dressed to the nines in their best soul gear). It’s all of the dancing of a club minus the pretentiousness and ass-​grabbing. Oh, and with MUCH better music.
The cover charge I believe is $ 8, but is well worth it. Check it out!

Cozy little spot! We popped in for Friday night happy hour and jazz. The trout taco was our favorite – the trout was perfectly smoky and the portion was just right. The charcuterie board was great, too. I wasn’t wild about the baked avocado, but my boyfriend really enjoyed it. The Taos Lightening cocktail was fantastic! The bartender sealed the deal by giving us homemade caramels with our bill – such a nice touch (and super delicious). We’ll be back!

Love this place! Granted I’m only here about once a month for the Milehigh soul club event. But every time I’m here the bouncers are friendly — don’t really feel like bouncers — the bar service is pretty quick despite a busy/​packed bar, and I can always squeeze a spot on the dance floor.
The dance space is mid sized with two fans set up in the corners of the room to cool off while dancing.
Highly recommend this place for dancing your butt off with friendly strangers and your crew.

Great idea and feel for a place. The drinks are good, and they always have something going on– whether it’s jazz night or a coen brothers film every first Sunday.
The food, however, leaves much to b desired. Adopting the same eclectic taste as their drinks does not work well. The charcuterie was a lovely cornucopia of flavor, but the variety unfortunately did not stop there. The BLT is sweet and the bacon is over salted. The Bedouin– a pork sausage and house made coleslaw dish reminds me of a meaty cinnamon jaw breaker. The Mac and cheese is also sweetened.
It’s uncanny how unlikable the food is in comparison to the rest of the establishment. It needs to be toned down or revamped. It needs to be less sweet. I’m wanting a savory sandwich or hearty sausage, not angel food cake and a candy cane. How do you screw up mac and cheese?
Food aside, it’s a great place. Very low key with great ambiance. Get in after the kitchen closes!

Looking for a cheap, but awesomely fun night of dancing with great DJs? Lipgloss on Fridays is where it’s at!
Came here for a friend’s birthday last Friday. It’s the new home for Lipgloss. This venue is way smaller than Lipgloss’s old stomping grounds at La Rumba back in the day, but I think it’s an improvement. It makes for a more intimate and comfortable dance atmosphere. The cover is only $ 5.00 unless there is a special event. As with all Lipgloss events, there’s a lot of fun people watching to be had!
Drinks were pretty cheap in my opinion. My tall well gin and waters were only $ 5.00 each with decent pours. I’d definitely be interested in tasting their food during happy hour. Seemed like a varied menu of small plates with reasonable prices.
Lots of FREE parking! This makes me so happy, I could cry. Anyone who has had to deal with finding parking in LoDo or Cap Hill will understand where I’m coming from.

I’ve frequented LipGloss events since the days of La Rumba and attended the Mile High Soul nights since the events were located at Beauty Bar. The music is always great, the venues tend to change but they all have their pros and cons. I’ve been to Syntax three times now. My rating is actually between 3 – 4 starts, but I figured 3 stars will get more attention from the owner (wink, wink).
Let’s start with the pros — I really like the atmosphere of this bar. It’s very hip but still comfortable. I like that there is seating around the dance floor and you can stay off of the dance floor if you want to have a conversation with someone. There is a really cool «gun/​revolver» collection (I call it a collection although I have no idea if this is someone’s actually collection or not) that separates the two rooms. It’s definitely a conversation piece.
Now the cons — The prices are steep, especially since the location of the bar is much further south of the other «South Broadway» venues. Lower drink/​food specials would get me in the door on a non-​dance night.
The cocktails I have tried were just okay. I haven’t found one that I am in love with.
I was excited to finally try some of their food, so I ordered the BLT, unfortunately I was pretty disappointed. The panini itself was on the sweet side. I think it may have been the tomato chutney? The sandwich didn’t have your typical «crisp» lettuce on it either, which I suppose survives the panini press better, but when I imagine a BLT I want that crisp romaine lettuce.
All in all it’s a great place to dance, but I wouldn’t start your night out at Syntax. It will be too expensive and although I only tried the one item, the food is probably better elsewhere.

The Syntax Physic Opera is unlike any — *any* — bar or club I’ve ever seen. A hangout spot, watering hole, and live music venue with a menu to which the term «eclectic» doesn’t quite do justice, to call it merely «fun» or «well decorated» would almost be insulting to the design of the place.
The cocktails include bases and flavorings such as beet lemonade, basil, ginger, and all manner of witches’ brew ingredients that work very well in each custom-​mixed glass. The food I didn’t try but it looked tantalizing as well (next visit, I promise).
There is exactly one flat panel on the wall and you will never see a sporting event on it, but rather a rotating series of thought-​provoking and conversation-​starting quotes from famous thinkers and polemicists as well as the local staff. The decorative books, potion vials, not-​quite-​pistols in cases, and jaw-​dropping photographic art are all woven into a single environment that offers not a single unpleasant place to cast your eyes.
I can’t think of another way to describe this space other than «beautiful» and yet that word seems hollow and barren compared to the reality. There is an undercurrent of poetry and symmetry that pervades the soul of the place. It draws you in and makes you feel comfortable and at home and yet challenges you to observe, to think, to feel, and you won’t want to leave.

My daughter had an event here last night so I dropped in for a drink and to spend some time with her. The atmosphere is great. Service was attentive and the drinks were very good. I am sure I will be back.

It’s not my favorite for the cost and the ambiance but it’s by far the best up-​and-​coming music venue in Denver. The owner treats musicians right and the stage is set for perfect sound. Recommendation: if you’re looking to check it out but not interested in music, hang at the bar. This place is taken pretty seriously by the musicians who play there and you’ll receive stares for chatting loudly in the live music area.
Tip: one of the best grilled cheeses in Denver. You wouldn’t expect it but ohmygah, yes.

Super fun, one of a kind place with a great variety of entertainment. Intimate setting with beautiful raised stage area. I love the décor and antique collections including old bottles, a radio, and pistols. The food is yummy with several small plate selections perfect for sharing with friends. Very unique drink selections infused with natural herbs. My favorite is the Billy Beck. Overall, great place and I can’t wait to go back.

Functioning as chic spot for a cocktail happy hour and a late night rowdy room full of fun-​loving people who like to boogie to live music.
This music venue evokes a style that, in my mind, can be best described as cool jazz. A tad reminiscent of a speakeasy where sultry women croon whilst perched on a piano, Syntax is certainly a perfect place to catch live music whether you’re in the mood or not. With the velvet drapes framing the shallow stage and the narrow dance hall, the setting alone creates a mood that is conducive for music — easy listening or crazy DJ spins.
But, if you aren’t (for some crazy reason) in the mood for music, the space is separated into two rooms, so you may belly up to the big bar with attentive and polite servers and escape the dancing crowds.
One thing I did enjoy was that they had a square to receive payment for the cover at the door. With cash being less and less frequent these days, it’s nice to know a business in this day in age would need a square if they are going to have a cover charge. Despite an entry fee, the drink prices were reasonable. With or without the music, I’ll be back.

Got to see Fred Schneider from the B52’s do a guest DJ set at Syntax over Easter Weekend, purely by chance. Would much rather dance around to motown with my friends than eat a Cadbury egg, too. Put that in your basket and smoke it, Easter bunny!
Cover charge was about $ 10, kinda steep, but hey, it’s Fred Schneider.
Drinks were pretty basic, but I would expect nothing less from a music venue.
Dance floor was crowded, but hey, it’s Fred Schneider.
Pretty hip spot regardless. Am curious to know what it’s like at Syntax on a non-​Fred Schneider evening.

Love this joint.
Been dancin’ here a few times (which paid off with a Westword photo or two of the she-​beaux and I (swoon!)) and for the Cohen Brothers film thingee. Really great apps and cocktails during the latter, and the bar makes them dranks stiff during the former.
Three bathrooms is a nice touch, and bein’ in the joint when it’s dinner-​style and seeing it as a dance venue is really rad, because it totally works as both.
Folks at the door have always been dope, never waited too long on a cocktail at the bar, and they keep the joint busted with interesting venues. The vibe is waaaay good for the dance parties, too. Mile High Soul Club w/​that fool from the B-​52s???
Seriously, yo– this is it.

I can only speak to having a drink at the bar but I’ll be back to try the food.
First, let’s admit we are all impressed because the renovation has classed this place up a lot. Extending the Broadway stretch of bars a little further south, its classy and has live music.
I’m not sure what I was expecting from beet lemonade and vodka but it was really quite good. I really enjoyed the live jazz at happy hour.
If you’re a fan of the dice bar at Horseshoe, check out the penny floor in the bathroom, very cool (yeah, I check out bathrooms in bars).
We will be back.

I was in town for a few days from NY, stopped in because it looked interesting from the outside. The food was outstanding, now I don’t eat meat really so I had the vegan mac and cheese, it’s was soooo gooood and I don’t even like vegan mac and cheese. The chef really has something going on, so many creative combinations, (my meat eating friends were all raving about it too).
The cocktails we interesting and flavorful (I had the Snake Oil, it was awesome, but maybe not for everybody) and everything was reasonably priced.
The staff were super friendly and helpful, there was some great music playing, but when I wanted to take a break, I could just hang out by the bar and have a conversation with my friends without yelling.
I’m definitely coming back here when I’m in town.

The new spot for Mile High Soul Club (MHSC). The feel is nice. It’s a bit smaller than the previous spot at beauty bar. But the bartenders are friendly and the drinks are strong and good. The dance floor is also a bit small. My friends and I love to get down. We could use a bit more space. I want to visit a couple more times before I up the star level.

Oh hey, did you know there’s this place on Broadway, just south of Virginia, that’s super chic, slinging up fancy, inventive drinks, and fantastic small bites while awesome music serenade you?
No?
I didn’t either until this week when James F and I hit the town for a date night. I was in the mood for cocktails instead of beer (a shocker, I know!) and he had just mentioned Syntax to me earlier in the day, so we knew exactly where to go.
This place just exudes cool: dark bar and restaurant area without being overbearing; music stage; modern tables and chairs; and just enough red accent lighting on the bar top to be classy. But all of that is nothing if the drinks and bites don’t cut it. Luckily, Syntax has an amazing drink and food menu! The menu is small, which I really dig. However, everything looks so tempting that you may still experience choice paralysis.
Because we arrived during happy hour we tried the Sugar Lead, a beet flavored drink, with your choice of vodka or gin. Admittedly, this wasn’t my favorite: I didn’t really get so much beet flavor as I did earthy flavor. (Or is that beet flavor?) Oh well, it was crafted and presented beautifully, I’m sure this is someone’s perfect drink. I’ll opt for something less rooty in the future, especially since so many cocktails on the menu sound divine.
As for the food, we ordered the jackalope sausage plate, the goat cheese deviled eggs, and the goat cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. Everything was amazing, but the dates stole the show! What is it about wrapping bacon around other foods that just makes the world right?
Syntax is doing all the right things, from food to drinks to experience. I can’t wait to get back for many of their music acts (they have something going on nearly every night). As well as those bacon wrapped dates…