Nightlife

Juhl’s new Classic Jewel lounge is a cozy Downtown gem

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Classic Jewel at Downtown’s Juhl
Photo: L.E. Baskow

The Classic Jewel is disguised as an urban lounge, but really it’s a bridge—one that tips its hat to our Rat Pack past, stitches together Fremont East and the Arts District and opens its arms to a notably colorful clientele.

The bar, located on the ground floor of the Juhl, throws it back to Vegas’ glimmering heyday with Sinatra & Co. memorabilia, gin drinks like the Sammy and the Fitzgerald, and a classic red-and-white Ford Falcon convertible that co-owner and car enthusiast Jerome Harry parks outside.

Classic Jewel at Downtown's Juhl

Classic Jewel at Downtown's Juhl

Though the bar is new, you’d never know it by the camaraderie. On a recent Friday, a DJ spun James Brown, Rick James and OutKast loudly enough to energize the space but not drown out conversation. A full house of bar-goers gathered on lounge seating beneath a crystal chandelier or pulled up chairs to the blue-light-bathed concrete bar.

“I tell people it’s not a club, it’s a lounge,” says Harry, who owns the bar with partner Selina Brown. “Come after work and let your hair down.”

The Classic Jewel Martini, served dirty, dry or “with a twist,” crowns the cocktail menu, followed by favorites, priced at $10-$12, such as the Woodford Reserve Bourbon-based Mint Jewelep, and the Heat, a concoction of Sauza Hornitos Reposado Tequila, agave, orange and lime juices, chili salt and jalapeño. The rotating beer list features $8-$10 drafts and $6-$14 bottles, with several Tenaya Creek and Ballast Point selections.

The Classic Jewel is the first of a number of planned F&B establishments to open at Juhl. It’s a bridge, and a step in the right direction for diversifying Downtown.

Classic Jewel 353 Bonneville Ave. #11, 702-722-6750. Monday-Thursday, 4 p.m.-midnight; Friday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday, 1 p.m.-2 a.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.-midnight.

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