Entry No. 25 — the Denver file — filed under: speakeasy
Vaultaire
“an intimate European basement that shouldn't exist under a Denver storefront”
Beneath La Foret's woodsy dining room on South Broadway, a cellar door drops you into Vaultaire — no sign above ground tells you it's there. It's a HiFi listening bar tuned for low light and careful listening, not shout-over-the-music nights: an analog rig spins European synth-wave, post-punk, and underground disco while a Jason Patz beverage program pours vintage and rare spirits alongside French small plates. Walk-in only, no reservations. The whole thing is engineered to feel like stumbling into an intimate European basement that shouldn't exist under a Denver storefront.
The story
You won't find a sign for Vaultaire on South Broadway. To get down there, you walk into La Forêt—the French restaurant occupying the former Beatrice & Woodsley space at 38 S Broadway—and approach the host stand. Mention you're looking for the cellar, and you'll be guided around the right side of the desk down a flight of stairs. Below the dining room, Guest Floor Management—the hospitality team behind Union Lodge No. 1 and The Tatarian—built a subterranean listening room modeled after the low-lit underground synth-wave and post-punk haunts of late-1970s and 80s Europe.
The room trades South Broadway tavern noise for vaulted ceilings, dark woodwork, and high-fidelity analog sound. An analog rig spins vinyl drawn from European synth-wave, post-punk, and underground disco, tuned for quiet listening rather than shouting over speakers. Beverage director Jason Patz built the bar program around vintage and rare bottles—you might find a pour of 1970s Dubonnet mixed with vintage gin alongside modern craft cocktails—paired with chef Jamie Rutherford's French small plates like duck rillette and escargot au Champagne. You didn't hear it from us, but if you're searching online maps, the venue lists 39 S Broadway on its site, so ignore your phone's pin and head straight for the entry at 38.
What it's like
Arriving right at 6:00 p.m. on a Thursday or Friday is the difference between snagging two seats near the speakers and standing around waiting for space to clear. Expect a dimly lit, candle-heavy basement room that fills up fast because reservations don't exist here—it's strictly first-come, first-served. The vibe is slow, deliberate, and quiet; you come to listen to analog vinyl pressings, sip vintage spirits, and split French small plates rather than shout over bar-crawl crowds. Because South Broadway curbside parking is competitive on weekend nights, give yourself an extra ten minutes to park down a side street in Baker before heading inside.
The move: Show up early Thursday-Saturday (walk-in only), claim two seats near the speakers, and let a bartender steer you through vintage spirits while records spin and you split French small plates.
📍 Before you go Don't trust your map app blindly: the bar lists itself as 39 S Broadway online, but the door is at 38 S Broadway, so look for La Foret and head for its lower level rather than hunting a separate marquee. It's deep in the Baker / South Broadway strip, where curbside parking is your realistic bet — give yourself a few extra minutes on busy weekend nights. As a bar, it's 21+, and since seating is first-come, the small room fills fast once the night gets going; arriving early in the evening is the difference between two good seats and standing. South Broadway's antique shops, record stores, and music venues make easy before-or-after stops. Days and seasons shift, so check ahead.
- 📍 Baker / South Broadway
- 💸 $$$
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Beneath La Foret, 38 S Broadway, Denver (basement entrance; no street signage — listed as 39 S Broadway on its own site)
Hours: Open Thursday-Saturday, 6 pm to close. Walk-in only, no reservations.
Pair it with
- Bar Max — Pair Vaultaire's curated analog vinyl and vintage spirits with Bar Max's custom flavor-wheel approach to craft cocktails on East Colfax.
- Invisible City — Follow Vaultaire's subterranean European synth-wave session with an evening immersed in globally sourced artifacts in the Santa Fe Arts District.
- Hell or High Water Tiki — Contrast Vaultaire's low-lit, quiet HiFi vinyl sanctuary with the chaotic pirate-tiki energy at Hell or High Water in RiNo.
- Fort Greene — Match Vaultaire's underground cellar setup with Fort Greene's unmarked, vintage-laden cocktail lounge inside an 1880s Globeville building.
Good to know
How do I physically get into Vaultaire?
Enter La Forêt at 38 S Broadway, approach the main host stand, and ask for Vaultaire; a host will direct you around the right side of the desk and down the stairs into the basement bar.
Can I make a reservation ahead of time?
No, Vaultaire is walk-in only with no reservations accepted, so arriving near opening at 6:00 p.m. is the best way to secure seating.
What kind of music do they play on the HiFi system?
The analog turntable setup spins curated vinyl focusing on European synth-wave, post-punk, underground disco, and late-1970s through early-1990s European club tracks.
What is available on the drink and food menu?
Beverage director Jason Patz focuses on rare and vintage spirits, historical cocktail recipes, and European wines, while executive chef Jamie Rutherford prepares French small plates such as duck rillette and escargot au Champagne.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Westword · hoodline.com · Official site · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-07