The adage is true:  Everything sounds better in French. Le cinq a sept is a French phrase that literally translates as “the five to seven” and is referred to as the French happy hour. However, in the mid-20th century, what it naughtily meant was the period of time after work when those leaving the office would meet their lovers for a tryst before going home to their spouses. Eh, hem. Bittersweet, a restaurant near Washington Park, has taken the French happy hour to a whole new level with its Le Cinq a Sept menu this summer. Drink Denver went to visit with owner Olav Peterson.

While the restaurant on Alameda has been around since 2010, happy hour is something new.  

“Happy hour isn’t something that we’ve done in the past. One of the things we wanted to attract more of is our neighborhood clientele and we really feel the best way to do that is through something like a happy hour,” says Peterson. When asked about the French name, he says that is just the way they do things at Bittersweet.

“There is a lot of French technique. It [happy hour] was just something that we really felt fit because we’re not known for a traditional happy hour. The idea behind it was to find something that fits more of what we’re doing. Something that’s not your typical beer, hamburgers, and wings, more of a Parisian-style happy hour.”

While the Le Cinq a Sept menu is small - only three plates, four cocktails, and a paired down beer and wine list - the dishes and drinks are mighty and full of flavor.

The Bittersweet Shandy (pictured) is made with Ketel One Citron, Crazy Mountain’s Lava Lake Wit, and Clementine Soda. It has a lovely lemon/lime scent with its lemon garnish. The taste is light, and one barely notices the alcohol. It pairs deliciously with the Farfalle, which is petite butterfly pasta with leeks, arugula, smoked blue cheese, and balsamic. The dish is soaked in a rich, buttery drizzle that plays nicely with the Shandy. The smokiness of the blue cheese and balsamic balances the tartness of the lemon. This may be a small plate, but it is packed with taste.

The Smoky & the Bandit is made with muddled cilantro, Fresno peppers, lemon, and lime mixed with Mezcal Vago, Corzo Blanco, and Triplum, an Italian Triplesec, and strained into a chilled martini glass. The scent is smoky with lime and some spice. The taste is smoky mezcal with the pepper giving the lips a buzz. While the tastebuds get the essence of the mescal, this cocktail won’t overwhelm because the bar only uses three-quarters of an ounce. Created by one of his servers, Peterson says this is the most complex cocktail on the menu and may challenge the palate of some imbibers, but the taste is worth it. It pairs well with the crispy Asparagus, which is served in olive oil and surrounded with balsamic and parmesan. The balsamic and parmesan tone down the smoky mezcal and peppers of the cocktail.

The key to the cocktails is fresh ingredients, and the bar makes its own seasonal syrups. Peterson, a Colorado native, says they take the same approach to their cocktails as they do the food.

“Everything has to play nicely together. I say a lot of times that ‘everybody’s got to get along together in the sandbox,’ and that’s true of food and wine and cocktails.”

For Le Cinq a Sept, Peterson plays with the beer and wine list with a lot of items on the menu picked specifically for summer. Currently featured are Vongandy, Brut, from Vourvray, France, Triennes, Blend, from Provence, August Kesseler, a Riesling from Germany and Unus, a Granacha from Spain. Beers are an eclectic mix including Pinkus, a German Pilsner, Ommegang Fleur de Houblon and Inedit Damm, a Belgian White from Estrella Damm Brewery in Spain that was created by chef Farran Adria of the famous elBulli before it closed in 2011. All Bittersweet beers are in bottles because Peterson isn’t fond of taps. He says taps involve a lot of maintenance and, if not properly maintained, they can change the flavor of the beer.

Le Cinq a Sept is from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Small plates are $5, mélanges are $7, and Le Cinq a Sept wines and beers are only $5. For summer, enjoy the French happy hour on the 40-seat patio next to the restaurant’s vegetable garden. The menu does change weekly so check the website to see what tasty offerings this week’s French tryst will bring.

Bittersweet, 500 E Alameda Ave; 303-942-0320

Photos by Carrie Dow