Knoxville had no need for another bar. Cha Cha is rather easy to access from West or Downtown, and Barley’s has every beer you’ll ever need (and a great pizza to go along with it). Then I heard about Sapphire. A place that was so sure of itself that it had no advertising and no signs. It sounded as if they didn’t really need me to visit. This intrigued me, so I made the journey.
Skip forward a few weeks and I cannot imagine how someone didn’t see the need for Sapphire sooner. It’s awesome. The interior is hip with various odds and ends in the jewelry cases that were in the building when Sapphire moved in. The one drawback to the ‘hip’ look is the bar chairs that are rather easy to fall out of when the night runs long.
Also, Sapphire is a non-smoking establishment. You can actually hold an after-hours meeting with other professionals without feeling like a smoked ham when you leave. The drink selections are superb, and they even have my favorite drink – Effen Vodka. And the food…you have to try the salmon with caviar.
Now, if we needed a cool bar so badly…and I didn’t even know it. What else is missing in Knoxville ?