If you’re like me, (and after two years of my blog you should be able to figure that out,) you don’t care for enormous ultra trendy clubs where the highest of fashions are mandated upon entering. Lots of halogen lighting, glass bars, and stainless are sexy and fun, but sometimes you just want to relax with friends, have a drink, and not worry about dressing to impress. Or if your purse or Diesel jeans are up to par.

I first thought of Sputnik as just another dive bar attached to another dive bar, convincingly called the “Hi-Dive,” but Sputnik goes above and beyond the stereotype of location. The food is excellent, the atmosphere is friendly and mellow, and evenings are accompanied by DJs spinning house and chill music. And design wise they’re no dive. Local art decks the walls above the booths, the long bar is lined with all types of vodka, and the DJ in the back corner is lit up by a large retro 70s lamp.

The same folks that own the Hi-Dive own Sputnik. The Hi-Dive is a music venue foremost, whereas the adjacent Sputnik offers a large food menu including coffee and espressos for mid day and a diverse selection of martinis for the evening. They’re open at 10am and serve throughout the day, and it gets crowded around 10pm as more arrive to enjoy music and socialize. The large semicircular booths are perfect for gathering with friends for a cozy dinner. Two other cool reasons to visit? Their sweet potato fries and free WiFi!

They’re located at 7 South Broadway, at South Broadway and Ellsworth. Menu and events at sputnikdenver.com