i've been to the sullivan's ringside bars on westheimer several times over the years. i say 'bars' because there are two of them - a main room, and then another room that has a dance floor and small stage for live music. the main room most nights has a small live act - or at least a piano player. the music in this room is geared towards the 50+ or so crowd - mostly jazz-ish standards. the rear room (which used to be free but now has a $10 cover!) has other acts, including a pretty good house band that does contemporary pop/rock and r&b covers from the 80's and on. generally the staff service is very good with experienced bartenders and hostess people. the crowd tends to be older - 30's and above. dress is business professional, but there's a wide range there. some guys come in in jeans and a polo, but most are in jackets. the women tend to be more dressed-up which makes sense for an evening out in the Galleria. the drinks are a bit pricy - $10 or so without a tip, but high prices do serve to keep a lot of undesirable clientele away and you don't have to worry about a group of drunken louts ruining your evening out. it used to promote itself as a cigar bar but since CoH imposed the no-smoking ban in bars, well...but you can still purchase premium stogies there and go outside if that's your thing. as for the singles scene, it can be somewhat of a meat market on a crowded evening. sometimes the atmosphere can seem a bit pretentious, but the ringside all and all is an interesting alternative to other bar venues around town for those in their 30's or older.
Pros: good service, live jazz, older cowd
Cons: pricey, older crowd, semi-pretentious ambiance
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