Bloom Ultra Lounge: An underground garden serving up floral favorites in Colorado Springs

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As its name implies, Bloom Ultra Lounge is built on flowers.

Walking into the bar and restaurant is comparable to strolling into an underground hidden garden. Pink and white roses flow over the bar and green shrubs line the walls, all highlighted by lavender lighting.

The downtown lounge opened on Valentine’s Day this year underneath Oskar Blues and Bell Brothers Brewing. Co-created by Colter Lillich and Stephon Black, the basement bar neighbors Shrunken Head Tiki.

“The space was a raw space with no electricity, no water, just an empty dungeon until we came up with the design,” Lillich joked. “I’ve always enjoyed that process of coming up with idea and designing it.”

Bloom Ultra Lounge is located in the basement of 114 N. Tejon St. in downtown Colorado Springs. The bar is right down the hall from the Shrunken Head Tiki Bar.

The duo decided to open the bar with the goal of offering a high-end atmosphere, with luxurious tufted barstools and comfortable big booths, while remaining affordable. Lillich said he was inspired by recent trends on social media, especially sharing photos.

“People like to take photos of where they go,” he said. “It seemed like it was very on trend with the way the world is with social media and Instagram.”

Boasting drinks like “Flower Power” and “Bee Sting,” the bar hones in on the floral theme. Some of the ingredients you’ll find on the drink menu include huckleberry vodka, butterfly pea, lemon, creme de violette, lavender, chamomile, honey, hibiscus and rose.

But perhaps the most unique offering from the drink menu is the buzz button, which is served as a garnish with the “Bee Sting” drink with a bee pollen rim. This edible flower from the daisy family creates a numbing sensation in your mouth when chewed, Lillich said, and gives people a way to enjoy the drink in different ways.

“It gets a big smile and usually an ‘Oh my goodness,’” Lillich said. “This is an experience, which is what we want. We want people to have an experience when they come into Bloom, not just have a drink.”

Hospitality is the most important tenet of Bloom, Lillich said. The service is part of the appeal.

Two customers of Bloom Ultra Lounge try each others’ martinis. One of the martinis was rose while the other was a lemon drop.

“Our hospitality is what we strive for and to give people an experience, just because you can get a drink anywhere, and it really comes down to the people that are out there serving you,” he said. “We absolutely try to be in the service of, not at the expense of.”

As for food, the lounge serves fresh-cut meats, cheeses, crackers and jams for charcuterie boards. On Fridays, they offer cheese and dessert fondue, Lillich said. The space also hosts events like karaoke every Tuesday and a DJ every Friday.

“That experience comes from our team, which is really what Bloom is about. It’s about our people, the way that we provide hospitality, and then the drinks are actually secondary,” Lillich said.

Bloom Ultra Lounge, 114 N. Tejon St. #20, is open 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 4 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

More information can be found at bloomultralounge.com.

Gone for a short time, buffets are back, baby!

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