New downtown drinking digs: Who doesn't love a (Rose &) Crown?

We don't want to hate on downtown Phoenix. Sure, it has its problems, but bagging on this city is as played out as skinny jeans. We're over it. So when a new bar opens up, we get super-stoked. Such was the case when we hopped into The Rose & Crown Pub on Saturday, January 26. Set in Heritage Square, it's the perfect place to watch the poor shmucks endlessly waiting for a table at Pizzeria Bianco. (Click here for more photos.) While their stomachs were growling, we were sucking back drinks, munching some tasty wings, and chatting it up with the regulars.

Even though it just opened a couple of months ago, the place already has regulars. We totally dug the floor plan, which split the place into a number of rooms so we could avoid the social incest that tends to happen in smaller venues. With darts, a pool table, and a roomy patio, Rose & Crown has the right idea, and we can see ourselves coming back for more.