Karl Lagerfeld would not have approved…

I wore sweatpants out to the new-ish bar in Providence last night. (He was famously NOT a fan of said style of pants. Also, side bar, wonder what happened to his IG celeb cat Choupette after he passed?)

For the record, though, they were really nice looking ones from Splendid that I picked up in Florida last winter while staying with my mom.

And the friend who was with me didn’t even realize that they were in fact sweatpants until I spilled an entire drink on them, but I’m getting ahead of myself here.

Last night after a pasta dinner, we motored over to check out the Dean Bar at the downtown hotel of the same name. (And before spilling THAT drink, things were going swimmingly!)

The space itself has been completely transformed and looks nothing like it did in its former life, when it was The Magdalenae Room.

Gone are the cheeky illustrations on the walls that dated back to the days when it was a strip club called the Civic View Inn and the retro Euro (by way-of early aughts PVD) vibe.

The new look is more moody - in the BEST possible way - meets jungle.

First, there’s the leopard print rug under foot and the green upholstery on the couch seating. Next, see if you can spot the snake, jaguar, and frog in the wall paintings. And for the record, you will definitely need your bar buddy, date, or significant other to use their smart phone to light your (many) attempts at a drinkstagram photo. (Side bar number 2, still reeling from buying a new phone only a few short months before the release of the I-Phone 11 with its nifty 3 lense camera. #ughhh)

Think Elvis’ Jungle Room meets Nick Cave. Or Nick Cage in David Lynch’s Wild At Heart. With a dash of Rande Gerber (he of the LA luxe bars) thrown in for good measure.

We ordered the Mexican Firing Squad (tequila, grenadine, lime, some kind of bitters, don’t know exactly which because I don’t have a clear snap of the menu) and the Emerald (irish whiskey, vermouth, ditto on the bitters) from their cocktail menu.

Not gonna lie, their drinks are strong, especially for those of us who tend more toward the occasional glass of Pinot Noir or Grigio with lunch or dinner. Great news, if you too are more of a wine or beer person, there’s a pretty long list of those options to choose from.

It’s an ideal destination for your next date night, if you’re trying to impress your friends from the ‘burbs who rarely come into the city, or for a low-key complaint session with one or two of your crew.

*The Dean Bar is located on the ground floor (after the Bolt Coffee counter and before Boombox karaoke lounge) of The Dean Hotel, 122 Fountain Street, in Providence.