By the time my dinner partner and I made our way to downtown Santa Cruz this past Sunday, the day’s light drizzle had turned into something a little more serious. It wasn’t quite a downpour, but it certainly wasn’t the kind of rain to linger in if you were wearing the nicest clothes you had packed for a weekend trip. And our dinner reservations weren’t for another hour.

We grabbed our umbrellas and ran to the nearest warm-looking place, which happened to be Red Restaurant and Bar.

It was warm and dry inside. We paused in the dim entryway to catch our breaths before climbing the carpeted staircase to the second-floor bar. Each step groaned and creaked underfoot. At the top of the stairs, there was a Christmas tree. And as we turned the corner into the bar, we were blinded by Christmas lights. There was a fireplace crackling and garland draped across the windows. And true to its name, the carpet, the rugs, the walls, the couches, the chairs, the bar stools, and the light fixtures were all red. It was perfect.

We took a seat at the bar, and as the bartender mixed our drinks, I asked about the history of the building. We learned we were sitting on the second floor of what was the old Santa Cruz Hotel, which was completed in 1877. It’s one of the oldest buildings in the city, and has survived not only the decades, but the earthquakes too. The building had been remodeled (the exterior today is more Streamline Moderne in style, and many of the interior features, like the wooden cabinets under the bar, were added during a 1970s remodel). After the hotel closed, the upstairs space held a few different businesses, including a spaghetti restaurant and a karaoke lounge.

For the last 16 years, though, the top floor of the old Santa Cruz Hotel has been this dark, moody bar. It feels like it’s been there forever. The couches are well-worn. The stained glass windows still bear the hotel’s name, and the wooden beams and window frames are clearly from another era.

We finished our drinks and thanked our bartender for the history lesson. By the time we made our way back downstairs and out the door, the temperature had plummeted and the rain had turned into a full-blown downpour. Once more, we grabbed our umbrellas and ran.

Here’s what you need to know before you go:

Location: 200 Locust St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Hours: Daily from 5 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Happy Hour runs 5-7 p.m. every day; on Thursdays it extends to 10 p.m.

You’re Having: The barrel-aged cocktails. We recommend the Buffalo Trace Manhattan, with bourbon whiskey aged 40 years.

Leave at Home: Your baseball hat and pajamas. Santa Cruz is preternaturally casual, yes, but Red Room does enforce a dress code. It’s nothing too outrageous, though: One of the items on the bulleted list is a simple plea for basic hygiene.

Best Yelp Review: “The location reminds me a bit like the inside of a nice ship—think Titanic but red & black, gentleman's club theme. Plenty of large staircases—like you're walking to a grand room—with big comfy sofas, dark wood, and little boat steering wheels to lock the bathroom stalls. … See you next weekend, Red Room!” —Cindy M.