Purple Martini

Elite '08

14

59

Mark M.

Boulder, CO

Have you ever had purple potatoes? The look kinda cool and the idea of eating a natural purple food is interesting - until you actually eat them.  They just aren't that great.  The Purple Martini is very similar.

Initially it sounds and looks like a cool idea. Hip bar on tip of 29th St. with great views and in fact the views are the best part.  You'll want to be looking outdoors as indoors is a cold concrete box that feels empty even when there are a significant number of people there.

Drinks all seem to be too sweet and nothing beyond normal in strength.

Service was mixed with most of it being slow and once in awhile an apology for the slow service.  Food was OK at happy hour prices but we certainly would have been disappointed had I paid the 2X non happy hour price.

Annoying music that only the low bass thumping could be heard while TVs played bad MTV videos that did not relate to said loud thumping.

Finally estimated our bill, put down cash and left feeling depressed.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

4

28

M C.

Boulder, CO

What kind of martini bar carries only one type of gin? I was stunned when I ordered a Tanqueray martini and the waitress said they didn't carry Tanqueray. So I asked for Boodles or Beefeater. No go there either. Your only gin martini option is Bombay Sapphire.

The key lime martini that another person in my group chose was curdled when it was brought to us, and another one tasted like cough syrup.

I thought our experience may have been an aberration, but I asked a co-worker about it later, and she had the same sort of experience.

The last time I walked past this place on a Saturday night it was nearly empty, hopefully this is a sign that they'll be closing up shop soon.

In the mean time, if you want a good martini on 29th street, head downstairs to Laudisio.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

22

189

Amanda W.

Boulder, CO

The Boulder edition! Really yummy martinis with probably the best view of the mountains in town. I kid you not it's really that awesome. The atmosphere inside is lacking, basically being just a big cement box. I suppose that would make it easier to hose out at the end of the night should those crazy college kids have one (or five) too many. But for those of us who don't return our liquor at the end of the night, would some tile, artwork, and maybe a velvet couch really kill ya?

We kept smelling cigarette smoke and had a dickens of a time trying to figure out why. Turns out it was the breeze through the handy-dandy outside ashtray thingy. My question is why do they have one? You aren't allowed to smoke in restaurants even if your outside (at least in Boulder), so something fishy seems to be going on here.

There is on occasion live music (I've only heard jazz so far). It was good and at least gave the place a little aural atmosphere.

Happy hour (4-8) is the time to go if you don't want to lay down up to $9 per drink. These were some of the drinks that we tried and received our approval:

Dreamsicle $4
Nuts and Berries $4
Strawberry Lemonade $4
Purple Martini $4

Pink Panties sound like a good drink but hubby couldn't bring himself to order it. HA! I think I'll give it a go next time I'm here.

Oh, and for you guys, the waitresses were pretty cute. My mom took a picture of one of the gals on the sly with her camera-phone to send to my brother. I know, my family is odd.

One star for the yummy drinks.
Two stars for the view. Seriously, check it out.
Stars four and five took a hike for lack of atmosphere, the smell of smoke and the kinda steep pricing.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

8

28

Ernest C.

Boulder, CO

First off, the good news: awesome view of the Flatirons with outdoor seating (but about as good inside too) and attractive servers in rather revealing black clothing (ours had a pleasant demeanor too, so you don't have to deal with a snippy attitude in order to get the eye candy).

That's about it.  As for the quality of the beverages?  The beer list is a who's-who of pedestrian big-brewery boredom (the usual BudMillCoors garbage, Guinness, Stella Artois, etc.)...so if you're a beer geek, forget about it.  But that's nothing special, beer geeks have VERY few options in this country as far as good bars go.

Their liquor list is rather small and mainstream with a few minor hits (I think they had Remy XO, though I was too afraid to find out their price).  So, nothing too exciting in that department.

Ok, fine, can they mix a drink?  Maybe, if they've heard of it (i.e., if it's on their list).  But I know from others that the bartenders are not very knowledgable in the world of mixed drinks, even classics like sidecars and the various styles of martinis (despite the name of this place, which might lead you to believe they're martini experts...apparently not).  To have to tell a bartender how to make a drink that's been around for 100 years is kind of embarrassing. Granted, there are thousands of named cocktails out there, but a bartender should at least know the big ones, right?  Play it safe and order from the menu.

And the vibe here just isn't for me, truth be told.  It has this trendily-swank vibe that just smacks of debutantes and too much makeup.  They're not serious about their drinks, so it's just a place to try to look cool, see pretty people, and watch the sun set.  Know that going in, and you can probably have an ok time getting liquored up for the movie.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review