Sneekeazy Now Slinging Sneakers and Booze Above Element Kitchen & Cocktail

The newly transformed space above Element Kitchen & Cocktail fills a niche Denver didn’t know it was missing — a late-night dining spot, DJ lounge, and cocktail bar, that also fronts as a shoe shop.

Sneekeazy is sort of like a speakeasy, only it’s a sprawling second-floor space, and its entrance is marked by a collector sneaker showroom. “This is the library of a traditional speakeasy, but you can buy the books,” says Element and Sneekeazy co-owner Jon Spadafora.

At the guarded entrance, a glass display holds a couple dozen sneakers at any given time, ranging from a pair of Adidas Harden Vol. 1 for $140 to Retro High “Banned” Air Jordans for $2,500. This particular red and black pair is rumored to have been banned by the NBA when Michael Jordan wore them in the 1980s. But those in search of food and cocktails at night rather than footwear can just move past the case and black curtains.

Josie Sexton

Once inside, order from a list of $10 small plates such as charcuterie and bacon boards. All food items are taken from chef John Tesar’s Element Kitchen menu and available until 1 a.m. Cocktails for $11 include the Shakedown Street, with Bulleit rye, Averna, lemon, mint, and blackberry. Or there’s a $125 table-side punch bowl made with cognac, whiskey, rum, falernum, and cider.

Music is just as prevalent as fashion here, from a handful of artists hanging on the walls — Pink Floyd, Bob Marley, N.W.A — to DJs starting at 8 p.m. nightly. Watch for the occasional acoustic performance and sneaker tattoo party.

Status: Sneekeazy is officially open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday at 1134 North Broadway.

Sneekeazy

Josie Sexton

Josie Sexton

Sneekeazy

Josie Sexton

• John Tesar’s Denver Project Element Kitchen & Cocktail Opened on Broadway [EDEN]
• Experimental Cocktails Now Pouring in RiNo Alleyway [EDEN]
• A Sneak Peek of RiNo’s New Artsy Speakeasy Millers & Rossi [EDEN]