Entry No. 116 — the Denver file — filed under: speakeasy
Bernard's Tiki Room
“Most people drinking downstairs never realize the phone booth goes anywhere”
The Arvada Tavern is Olde Town's original cocktail bar, but the real secret is upstairs: Bernard's Tiki Room, a rum-soaked Polynesian lounge you reach by stepping into a nondescript old phone booth and through the wall behind it. It only runs a few nights a week, with classic tiki drinks, the occasional live band, and a cozy room that feels a world away from the tavern below. Most people drinking downstairs never realize the phone booth goes anywhere. Reservations help, since the room is small and weekend-only.
The story
On April 7, 1933—the day Franklin D. Roosevelt's signing of the Cullen-Harrison Act legalized beer and wine nationwide—Arvada issued its very first tavern license to Adrian Klein at 5707 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard. The building survived decades of remodels, including a 1940s Chicago World's Fair-inspired redesign that left behind terrazzo floors and glass block windows. Decades later, when tavern owners Mike and Lenka Juchelkova set out to restore the historic Arvada Tavern, they noticed a vintage wooden phone booth sitting near the front. Late one night, they dragged the booth over to block the stairwell doorway, cut a hole straight through the back panel, and turned the hidden staircase into a secret entrance.
Upstairs is Bernard’s Tiki Room: a cozy, low-ceilinged Polynesian lounge squeezed into a single room above the main tavern. While patrons downstairs order draft beers and comfort food like schnitzel and pierogi, those in the know step through the phone booth doors to sip classic rum cocktails surrounded by vintage tropical decor. Most people drinking at the main bar downstairs never realize the phone booth in the corner actually leads anywhere.
Because space upstairs is tight and the bar only operates late in the week through the weekend, Bernard’s maintains a low-profile, semi-secret cadence. On Friday and Saturday nights, local musicians squeeze into the corner of the small room for live sets, turning an unassuming suburban 1930s tavern into an improbable hidden tiki hideaway.
What it's like
Walk into the front of The Arvada Tavern, ignore the main bar area, and head straight for the wooden phone booth near the entrance. Push through the hinged back wall and head upstairs to enter a dim, intimate room bathed in warm tropical lighting. The lounge is small and fills up fast, particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings when live bands play between 7 and 10 p.m. Drinks are focused strictly on classic tiki formulations served in traditional glassware. If street parking along Olde Wadsworth Boulevard is clogged, skip hunting for spots and head directly to the free RTD parking garage by the Harkins theater on the south side of Olde Town, or take the G Line light rail, which drops off a short walk away.
The move: Start with a cocktail downstairs at the Tavern, then slip through the phone booth into Bernard's for tiki drinks and a live band in the tiny upstairs lounge.
📍 Before you go Look for The Arvada Tavern on Olde Wadsworth in walkable Olde Town Arvada — there's no separate Bernard's storefront. Once inside, the old phone booth near the front is the way up; its back wall swings open to the stairs. The room is tiny and only opens a few nights a week (typically later in the week into the weekend, with live bands on weekend nights — schedules shift, so check ahead and consider reserving). Olde Town's street parking fills on weekend evenings; the free RTD garage by the Harkins theater on the south side is the easy fallback, and the G Line light rail drops you a short walk away. Make a night of it — Olde Town's restaurants and bars are all within a few blocks.
- 📍 Arvada (Olde Town)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Upstairs at The Arvada Tavern, 5707 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada, CO — entered through the phone booth at the front of the Tavern
Hours: Weekend-only; generally evenings after 6pm Thu-Sat (live bands Fri/Sat). Small room — call The Arvada Tavern (303-690-6269) to confirm/reserve.
Pair it with
- Secret Level Arcade & Bar — Pair hidden tiki cocktails with 1980s retro arcade cabinets and pinball, located right in walkable Olde Town.
- The Electric Cure — If you want a darker, punk-rock spin on tropical rum drinks, head 3.5 miles south to this Edgewater tiki dive.
- RitualCravt — Balance your night of secret rum drinks with a daytime stop at Wheat Ridge's coven-run metaphysical shop and folk-magic school under two miles away.
- SomePlace Else Brewery — Keep the offbeat Arvada night going a mile away at this dog-friendly brewery pairing house beers with vintage pinball tables.
Good to know
How do you access Bernard's Tiki Room?
Walk into The Arvada Tavern at 5707 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, step inside the old wooden phone booth near the front entrance, and push through the false back wall to reach the stairs leading upstairs.
When is Bernard's Tiki Room open?
Bernard's operates on a weekend-focused schedule, generally opening Thursday through Saturday after 6 p.m., with live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Call The Arvada Tavern at 303-690-6269 to verify current hours before heading over.
Do I need a reservation to get upstairs?
Reservations are strongly recommended because the room is small and fills up rapidly on weekend evenings. You can call The Arvada Tavern directly to check availability.
Where is the best place to park in Olde Town Arvada?
When street parking along Olde Wadsworth Boulevard is full, park for free in the RTD garage near the Harkins theater on the south edge of Olde Town, or take the RTD G Line light rail.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: 303magazine.com · Instagram · tastingtable.com · mytiki.life
last checked: 2026-06-07