Williams & Graham

Neat place! Make a reservation. They’re packed every night of the week.
The hostess was probably the more interesting character I’ve ever met. Gemini twins!

The drinks are well crafted. Love the variety on the cocktail menu! I’m a fan of bourbon drinks and egg white drinks… they had both. If you like egg — I do recommend the Rose of Kali (although it is a bit on the sweet side) and the Old Old Fashioned (I judge a place on how good their Old Fashioned is and this one was spot on).
The whole speakeasy theme is nice with the bookcase door and all… but honestly speakeasy style is way over done all over the U.S. And if you don’t get a seat at the bar or a table you have to stand at some bookcases that are rather tall. If they were a bit shorter it would be more comfortable for my 5 feet 4 inch frame.

A friend and I were visiting Denver from Philly and on a Friday night, the original plan was to go to the Italian restaurant/​wine bar down the street — unfortunately the kitchen was closed when we showed up, but a waiter there was nice enough to guide us here! Looked like there were a few people waiting and bigger groups were being turned away because the wait time was too long. We checked with the two hostesses and they said they can accommodate 2 without a wait!
The place looks like a legit speakeasy (and more legit than a few I know in Philly), and I was not sure if it’s going to be one of those snobby cocktail bars with bartenders that only care about ‘sophisticated’ patrons. (I was wearing sneakers, jeans and an untucked shirt, and you could get turned away for that attire at some Philly speakeasies). But my fears were completely wrong. A gentleman seated us at the bar and the female bartender who served us (not sure of her name, Christina?) was one of the best with her craft! Not only was she attentive and friendly but she was genuinely interested in finding out the tastes of the customer she’s serving and customizing a cocktail to it. She gave samples of some of the ingredients used and took the time to describe the cocktail as well! She was one of the best bartenders in all respects!
We also ordered some food, and the Mac and cheese was amazing! I loved the dimly lit and windowless space, as a speakeasy is expected to be. I highly recommend you checkout this place, even if you don’t know anything about cocktails, the bartenders will educate you while they mix a great drink for you! I will definitely return if I’m in Denver again.

This place is the real deal and is easily one of the best cocktail experiences we’ve ever had. Few bars can make an excellent cocktail, but even fewer back it up with exceptional service – that’s what really sets them apart. I only wish the wait wasn’t so long, but maybe that’s a good thing, since I could end up there every night.

5 star bar.
Wow that place was fun. Just the speakeasy atmosphere makes it worth a look. Drinks were off the charts. The service was great. Our experience with the server Chad was actually great and positively different than someone else’s review here. I asked Chad if they could make my favorite drink which was off the menu. A perfect Brooklyn cocktail was what he brought back, nice. The only food that we ordered were the pretzel bites which were really good with two dips which were hot mustard and some dip made of fancy cheese the name of which escapes me in the middle of this run on sentence on this hung over Saturday AM. I will definitely go again. See you there. Cheers.

To be honest, I liked the atmosphere and most of my experience at this bar, however our server Chad is the only reason I didn’t rate this place higher. My husband and I spent a few days in Denver and had amazing service everywhere, and this was by far the worst service we had on our trip, and some of the worst service overall we have ever experienced.
A group of 4 of us went here and sat at a booth to order some drinks and an app or two. It was about 10:30pm on a Saturday when we got there. Chad took a bit to get to us, but it was busy so that didn’t bother us much. Then after the 1^st round, we honestly were in the mood to order a lot of their specialty drinks, however being that our drinks would sit empty, or near empty for at least 10 minutes before Chad would acknowledge us again, we didn’t have many opportunities to order too much.
Then when he brought us the bill, we were putting it on 2 credit cards. We clearly wrote on the receipt how much to put on each card. That was completely ignored and he split it ⁵⁰⁄₅₀. Again, not a huge deal. However before he could make that mistake, after us waiting to pay for about 10 – 15 minutes, with the cards clearly sitting there ready to go, I went to find him at the bar as we wanted to get somewhere else before it closed. He was hanging out at the bar with friends, taking shots, even looked over at me waiting for him, continued to talk and take shots for another minute or 2 before he acknowledged me.
And now, we have a 2^nd pending charge from the place because he obviously accidentally ran our card for the full amount first, then re-​ran it for half. I’m sure that will be resolved, but honestly, after years or experience working in bars and restaurants I can say I would NEVER hire this guy.

If your looking for a spot to have great conversations and great cocktails, must try this speak easy! It is a bit compact inside but definitely worth coming to this bar for some great cocktails. Must try the old fashion and caprinahs (i think that’s what it was called lol)

OK I’m impressed.
Both the drinks and the food here are outstanding.
Yes it’s a bit small — but by design. There’s going to be some waiting around — but that’s what the bar next door is for. It’s on the pricier side of things — but I don’t feel bad at all about it.
The seasonal drinks change out… every season — so they’re not exactly «known for anything» but it doesn’t matter — everything is great.
Service from all sides of the house was fantastic and I can’t wait to go back to try more of the menu out.

What a bar! But understand first that one doesn’t just walk in to W&G and order. There is a bit of a process which is one of the many qualities of the unique place.
The experience starts when you open the door. You get greeted by polite hostess who informs you how the place works. You sort of ‘earn’ your way in.
Once you are in, it is sort of like a walk back in time. But not just the design of the place. I’m talking old school service that is very, very rare in this day. The entire staff were friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and attended to our every need. The bartender made some tasty drinks from a full menu of choices.
The ambiance was so comfortable and realistic, I honestly thought Capone was going to walk in and order.
My favorite thing was then entire staff remembered my name.
I’ll be a regular for sure.

I’ve never really hung out in the highlands other than getting ice cream at little man. So one of my friends suggested a ladies night here on a Friday night. We somehow managed to scoop up 11 people to join us. Since I arrived first, I put our name down and phone number taken but was told that we wouldn’t be guaranteed to get in.
About one hour later, I got a phone call letting me know that there was enough space for us to enjoy their specialty drinks. You enter thru a secret door via a bookcase and low and behold «welcome to this speakeasy bar!» It was quite small and dark so they had all 11 of us standing at the bookshelf between the bar and booths. I’m quite short so the bookshelf tabletop was up to my nose; therefore, due to drunkenness throughout the night, I ended up standing on several books from the bookshelf haha.
The drinks are quite pricey but they are very strong. They have an extensive drink list and they serve food as well. Since I’ve been drinking gin beforehand, I asked the waitress for her suggestion and she pointed me in the direction of two of their gin cocktails. I decided on harlot’s halo and it was very delicious. Strong in the sense of it’ll sneak up on you because you can barely taste the alcohol. I was completely gone and done after 2. So proceed with caution.
I cannot wait to come back here because the atmosphere really transports you to a time where alcohol consumption was illegal. There is no happy hour but this is a bar that you should definitely visit for the experience and delicious drinks.

Items Selected:
Pear Brandy, Lime Juice, Soda Water
Harlot’s Halo — Leopold Bros Navy Strength Gin, Lemon Curd, Orange Tea Syrup, Lemon Juice
Ham & Cheese Croquettes with Herb Aioli
Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese and Spicy Mustard
Apple Fritters with Cardamom Anglaise
Suggested by friends as «a Speakeasy that takes its food seriously» Williams & Graham has been impressing Mile High City citizens since 2011 and although rumors of long waits as a marketing tactic have been espoused by some a 5:30pm arrival granted almost immediate entry to the bar behind a bookcase where service was nothing short of exemplary.
No doubt a place that takes its concept seriously, the barmen including owner Sean Kenyon exceedingly educated about their booze and happy to create any drink a guest can conceive, Williams & Graham features just the right mix of ambiance and intelligence to avoid feeling contrived or pretentious, the low lighting and leather perhaps expected while the vibe is actually far more «chill» than trendy.
Seated at the bar where guests are greeted with a gift of Pear Brandy, Lime Juice and fizz while a substantial drink list is explained as divided by spirit, those easily intimidated are encouraged to discuss preferences with one of three bartenders and although the classics are low-​hanging fruit for such a skilled team there is never really a push to up-​sell, a few elderly «Jack and Coke» types as well suited to Sean’s sense of hospitality as others ordering things more innovative.
Eventually settling on Gin for my drink of choice, the «Harlot’s Halo» featuring a cloud of Lemon Curd and Citrus Syrup atop a stiff and sizable pour of Leopold Brothers’ best, it turns out that Kenyon knows several Vegas acquaintances and although the bar was quick to fill his check-​ins were friendly and frequent, orders from the kitchen rolling out slowly as I chatted with a young intern who seemed well on his way to becoming an excellent mixologist.
Already well fed at Bar Dough, but interested in seeing just how good the «Bar Bites» might be, a duo of appetizers arrived perhaps twenty minutes after seating, the freshly baked Pretzel Bites pretty much par for the course despite excellent beer cheese while the Croquettes reminisced of a November trip to Bilbao with great flavor added by smooth aioli.
Surprisingly offering three desserts, a boozy cake roll ordered nearby appearing quite nice, a sudden surge in traffic saw orders notably delayed and considering tickets to the Avalanche game at 8:00pm my order was expedited, the unfortunate effect being far too much oil on each Fritter and the bowl originally being served almost flavorless without Anglaise, the sidecar only brought forth on request and still not enough to cover the greasiness up.

Cool speakeasy with a secret entrance, delicious craft cocktails, friendly staff and a dark, hip space. I’d definitely go back, especially if I could get a table. The reason for the mediocre review is the minimal seating and mostly the long wait we had for our drinks. It took now than 30 minutes to get our drinks after we ordered them.

Sorry, but this place gets no less than 5 stars… Being from out of town, we went here on a recommendation… I was little iffy, as I have had experiences at Speakeasy type places like this that carry a pretentious attitude and try to be «exclusive.» This place was the complete opposite. The girl at the front was so kind, we were greeted right when we walked in by a nice man who sat us and explained the entire menu… we put our orders in with our waitress… They don’t keep the place crowded, that is why there is always a wait. It is well worth it. Moscow mules are a must from here as they make their own ginger beer daily.
This is a fun, quaint, classy place to come for a different night out. Loved it, and will definitely be returning!

I have been dying to stop in and I finally did on Monday evening. It’s certainly a unique experience — a dark little speakeasy disguised by a bookstore. Our wait was pretty short, but I was told that you can put your name on a list, leave and then they will call you when they have a table. The drinks were definitely expensive, it was around $ 10 – 12 for a drink, so in the words of Tom Haverford — Treat yo self. They have a huge selection of liquor, but since I am not creative, I ordered a pisco sour (yum) and a old cuban. Both were excellent. In addition to drinks, I also ordered an apple pie. Theirs is a little different, as it is deconstructed so essentially they bring fried dough, apples and cinnamon and a vanilla dipping sauce, it was really good. I would like to come back, it’s a neat experience.

This place is adorable. I’ve heard amazing things about this place and it definitely lived up to the hype.
The inside feels so authentic and cozy. I had a drink called the «Harvey Doppleganger» which was probably one of the best drinks I’ve ever had. I also tried the Blackberry Sage drink which I heard is the most popular. It was also good and I enjoyed how it wasn’t syrupy sweet but had actual blackberry flavor. I also got a cheese plate which felt pretty overpriced for the amount of cheese that we got.
Make sure you have plenty of time when you come here you’re pretty much guaranteed to have a wait with how popular this place and the small amount of room on the inside. It’s worth it though to visit one of the best bars in Denver.

Overall Experience: 3.5
FYI: My review is strictly based on my drinks and overall experience, which does not include food.
I love Williams & Graham’s bookstore theme. I love how the bar is hidden behind bookshelves. At first glance, W&G looks like an old school bookstore. The speakeasy reminds me a lot of the movie, The King’s Men. It’s hard not be lured by the theme and exclusivity of the speakeasy. Based on my experience, I don’t think it is worth waiting more than half an hour. Luckily for me, I came on a Sunday night and only had to wait for 10 min. And if you are okay with waiting, they’ll take down your # and call you when they are ready. Don’t worry, you can buy some time and enjoy ice cream at Little Man down the street.
Drinks: 4
W&G has a big drink menu that is organized by specials and type of liquor. If you’re going to wait 1+ hour for this place, I recommend trying their specials. I got the Harvey Doppelgänger, which was good, but nothing too impressive. My boyfriend got the Johnny Appleseed, which kind of tasted like a Long Island Ice Tea.
Service: 3
Nowadays speakeasies are more known for their mixologists & cocktails and less for their illicitness. Every time I’ve been to a speakeasy, a big part of my experience is watching the bartender or mixologist make my drink. This is when the bartenders showcase their mixology skills. However, it wasn’t like that at W&G. I was pretty disappointed with the service we received. The bartenders were more focused on talking with each other than on making our drinks and talking to us. It could be that I came during an off night. Regardless, I hope that this experience was an exception!
Food: TBD
I hear the food here is good, so I recommend eating dinner here while enjoying some drinks, especially if you’re going to wait!

It has been too long before we came here. Last night was the night and it was everything I had been expecting. For a Wednesday at 9, we still waited 15 minutes. Not that we minded but at a more sociable hour and night I can imagine the wait is long.
We had a standing area which was fine as we had only planned on a drink. I ordered the old Cuban, our friend ordered the blackberry smash and the hubs ordered a Japanese whiskey.
From start to finish, the whole experience was too notch customer service. This is not your regular bar but rather an elevated adult experience. It is so lovely to enjoy a cocktail and the lovely setting for the experience and not with the goal of getting wasted. Definitely going to come back!

This place is SOOOOOO COOOL. First of all, you enter through a bookshelf and you have to «sign in.» The one of the walls of the bookshelf opens up and you enter this dimly lit, velvety atmosphere. One side is the bar seating, the other the booths.
The menu is broken down into 2 pages of food and 12 931 203 820 938 pages of drinks, each classified and sorted by liquor. THE FOOD WAS AMAZING and the drinks definitely had their fair share of alcohol. For started, ordered the plaintain chips, mac n’ cheese with bacon jam (OMG TO DIE FOR), and the watermelon salad. The plaintain chips were AMAZING and covered in some sort of coconutty, limey drizzle with an avocado dip. The mac n’ cheese (I drool just typing this up) but was so perfectly cheesy and mixed BEAUTIFULLY with the richness and slight sweetness of the bacon jam. Love love love it. The watermelon salad was of course, refreshing, and the citrus vinaigrette was the perfect light/​heavy combo for the plate.
For mains, ordered the W&G burger with caramelized onions, the scallops (WOW AMAZING), the lamb skewers and the risotto. EVERYTHING was VERY delicious and the flavors were immaculate for the ingredient it was paired with. My two favorites have to be the scallops — amazing, amazing, amazing flavor with the best pairing of corn and veggies and the risotto which was the perfect texture and amount of richness in terms of creaminess.
For desserts, tried all three — the brownie with salted caramel ice cream (DROOL), the white chocolate coffee mouse with cocoa powder tuile, and the key lime pie with shortbread. Really cute presentations for the dishes and the brownie was breathtaking with the saltiness of the ice cream. Wasn’t in love with the coffee mouse but really enjoyed the extra garnishes they had with it like the cocoa powder tuile (Almost like cocoa nibbles or crumbles) and the key lime was deliciously sour and sweet. Come try everything — you won’t be disappointed!

Williams & Graham is certainly a specialty visit that I often recommend to those who have not tried it. They provide a unique experience, spectacular drinks, and you get to say you have been there! The room is small, hence a speak easy, and the service very personalized as they ask your name and then fully use it throughout your experience. If you don’t find something on the menu you like the bartenders are exceptionally talented and can somehow through a few questions create the exact drink you wanted. With this experience though you must go in knowing:
1. There will be a two hour wait so plan accordingly
2. This is a small venue so large parties is not what it is really meant for
3. Your in Denver, yes you can dress up but you can walk into any 5 star place and still see people in jeans.
4. It is pricey! These are all specialized drinks that provide top quality liquor so you’re paying for a great drink and no headache the next morning!

Amazing service. We arrived at six and were seated within fifteen minutes. Chose two seats at the bar and happy we did; the service was fantastic and i appreciated seeing how much care goes into the crafting of the cocktails.
Crafty summer cocktail list and a great cheese plate (bread from Grateful bread was insanely delicious). The ambiance gives the impression of an escape and while I would certainly not be happy to wait for a seat (entrance doesn’t allow for a lot of comfortable standing area), I am happy I didn’t have to wait for my first experience. Next time I would probably be willing to wait a bit. Will definitely be back.
I will add that the cocktails are pricey. However, considering the taste, restaurant atmosphere, and care taken to create the concoctions, I feel it’s worth the occasional splurge.