Century Grand Is Three Bars in One

Century Grand does not announce itself in the way most destinations do. There is no obvious signal that you are about to step into something layered or immersive. What it offers only becomes clear once you are inside and paying attention.

Very quickly, you realize this is not a single bar built around a clever idea. It is three distinct spaces sharing one address, each designed with its own logic, mood, and sense of place. Nothing feels improvised or tacked on. Each room knows exactly what it is supposed to be.

This is not somewhere you wander into by chance. You come here with intention, even if you are not yet sure what you are looking for. Once you begin moving through the space, it becomes clear that there is more than one experience waiting behind the doors.

A Hidden Import House: M.E. Lee’s House of Exotic Imports

M.E. Lee’s is the quiet entry point into Century Grand, and it works best that way. Inspired by 1920s Chinatown, the space feels contained and deliberate. Shelves are filled. Lighting is low. The room asks you to slow down without ever saying so.

This is not a place built around spectacle. It feels more like a discovery. You notice details as you sit with them. The bar rewards patience and attention, which makes it a natural starting point. It sets the tone without trying to impress you.

The Drinks

Wonton Soup is built on Botanist gin and Jefferson’s Small Batch bourbon, with Yellow Chartreuse and an “Angry Duckling” wonton broth, plus lemon, mandarin, toasted sesame, and charred scallion.

Chop Suey uses mandarin-infused Bombay Sapphire gin with cachaça, Thai basil, fernet, mango, red bell pepper, carrot, and lemon + lime.

Mango Sticky Rice goes mango-jacked vodka and Joto nigori sake, with tangerine, sesame orgeat, coconut milk, pickled mango, and tapioca pearls.

A Train in Motion: Platform 18

Platform 18 expands the experience outward.

Designed as a 1920s train car, the space introduces movement and momentum. The windows shift. The seating feels intentional. Time starts to stretch in a different way. This is where Century Grand begins to feel cinematic.

The experience is structured, but not rigid. You are not just having a drink. You are sitting inside a story that unfolds at its own pace. It feels like travel without distance, which makes it a natural progression from the intimacy of M.E. Lee’s.

The Drinks

The West Side Cowboy is built with Garrison Brothers bourbon, pecan honey, red grapefruit, and honey-roasted chopped pecans. The ingredient list reads direct and grounded, and the drink arrives with a presence that fits the train car setting.

Accapella leans further into presentation. It is made with Nolet’s gin, Grey Goose, vanilla, peach, hibiscus, and Earl Grey cotton candy. The structure of the drink is clearly laid out on the menu, and the cotton candy element reinforces that Platform 18 treats the cocktail itself as part of the experience, not just something served alongside it.

Below Deck: UnderTow

UnderTow is the final descent.

Low ceilings, tight seating, and enclosed sightlines create the feeling of being below deck on a ship at sea. The room closes in around you, but never feels uncomfortable. The immersion works because it is restrained and consistent.

By the time you arrive here, the outside world feels distant. That is intentional. UnderTow is not meant to be rushed. It is the point where the night stops expanding and instead settles into atmosphere.

The Drinks

Blackberry Yuzu Margarita is made with El Tesoro Reposado, yuzu liqueur, blackberry, lime, and watermelon salt. The build is laid out clearly on the menu, and the drink arrives as a composed variation on a familiar format rather than a novelty twist.

Oatmeal Cookie Old Fashioned uses raisin-infused Bulleit bourbon, rich sherry, warm spice, and a Tiny Debbie cookie. It was on the menu for the holiday season.

Why Century Grand Works

Each space stands on its own. None of them feel like overflow. None of them feel like a themed add on.

You can visit one and leave satisfied. You can also move through all three in a single night and feel like you traveled without ever leaving Phoenix.

It is rare for a place with this many concepts to feel this cohesive. Even rarer for it to feel restrained.

Century Grand manages both.