Opening Night at El Pub de Octavia

Clint, Jamie, and I made our way the few blocks from La Octava to the newest offering in Parque Lleras, El Pub de Octavia.

There were a few people hanging around outside, smoking, and as we contemplated whether to go in, we were told by one of the guys that there was no cover.

With nothing to lose, we walked inside.  I was slightly surprised to see a packed bar given the tranquil exterior scene.

The interior decor and bar were red, and I immediately noticed Paul, his roommate, and Scott from Casa Kiwi Hostel.  Soon after, I also noticed 3 beers on tap!  What a novelty.  Excited, I bought a round of beers for the guys.

We were soon drinking 3 Cordilleras which I later found out is brewed in Medellin, and yet to be a big enough operation for bottling.

The music alternated between rock (heavy stuff a la Marilyn Manson and Rage Against the Machine) and salsa, plus other genres too.

We met a bunch of girls near the bar, and had some fun dancing.  Around 3 am, I clocked out and devoured a cheeseburger at the nearby Mario Bros restaurant on Calle 10 before catching a taxi back to Envigado.

I left the other guys in good standing, and I while El Pub de Octavia was open  until 4 am, it had cleared out quite a bit since it’s peak of activity when we first arrived.

I really appreciated the beer on tap, and the music and a reasonable level.

There are plenty of other clubs where the music is too loud to have a conversation with someone without yelling, so it’s nice to know management at certain places can find a good middle ground between creating ambiance and blowing out eardrums.

The beer on tap was a nice change from bottles too.  I would certainly go back, and I have a feeling many others there that night would as well.