NO HAPPY HOUR BUT 30% off food with student Id (ONLY UNTIL 5pm on Friday and Saturday)
This is one of the most beautifully decorated places in the Cities. The loring Pasta Bar, the little scaled down version of the original Loring (in Loring Park) was built a few years ago to cater to an up-scale student crowd, as the only place of its kind in Dinkytown. However, the decor and hype of the place quickly replaced its campus bar status. All kinds of well dressed, good looking folk can be seen dining here. Most of the crowd is very artsy, like the original loring and drink prices are always on the high side. However, rail drinks do offer a higher level of booze (beefeaters is the rail gin) and concerts are usually quite cheap to get in to or free and are happening all the time. If you choose anywhere to go for decor, this is the place to be. Huge vaulted ceilings and funky brick-work are a telltale sign of the Loring, but the interior is constantly changing and is always eclectic and interesting. There is also outside seating which is even projected to the inside when the large windows are opened on the hotter days. For all these reasons The Pasta Bar doesn't get very smoky and is pleasant to be in. Although it’s common to have live music acts, there is usually little dancing as patrons prefer to sit and the large tables and sip their drinks. People are usually pretty friendly and music changes nightly. The Loring Pasta Bar sometimes closes a little early (11pm-midnightish), but if this happens, they will send you over to the Kitty Kat Club with comp tickets. They also offer cheap valet parking (although parking is easily found in warmer months a few blocks toward the residential). Their best specials are what they offer for students; ½ priced food everyday from 11am-7pm. I heard they did have a good hip-hop thing going on Mondays. OH, and don't leave until you check out the bathrooms, we used to go there sometimes just for that, but now we go for Sunday brunch which is superb.