The moment you’ve been waiting for is here: the everything-food-and-drink list to end all lists. We’re undertaking a rather ambitious project—a year-long endeavor that lays out our flat-out best picks of the most exceptional culinary experiences in Denver and Boulder.
We’ll cover the usual suspects: tacos and ramen, for example. Pizza and burgers, too. But think of this as the Herculean version of Denver and Boulder’s gastronomic universe. Over the next 52 weeks (give or take), we’ll post 104 different lists, wherein we’ll give you the lowdown on the very best neighborhood restaurants, bottle shops and butchers, food festivals, pop-up dinners, industry nights, cooking classes and kitchen stores, chef counters, spice shops and cake shops, Cuban sandwiches, Chinese hot pots, and even the best food from truck stops. Who knows? We might be compelled to feature a fantasy-filled list of strip club grub that goes beyond thighs and breasts.
We’ll get there, but in the meantime, we’re more obsessed with the kind of scenery that involves one the Mile High City’s greatest summer rituals: kicking back with a cocktail and swelling our bellies while soaking up the high life on a lofty escape in the clouds. This is where we aim for the sky. Absorb the views from these seven best rooftop retreats and you may never want to come down.
The Flat-Out Best Rooftop Bars in Denver
1. Coors Field {2001 Blake Street; 303.292.0200}
It doesn’t matter if the Colorado Rockies are in a slump, batting 500 or battling for divisional dominance: The 38,000-square-foot, double-level rooftop deck, located in right field, is worth the price of admission into Coors Field. The playground, bedecked with multiple bars and plenty of ballpark-worthy food to soak up the liquids, is reserved (mostly) for those who buy the allocated 2,000 tickets to party in the clouds. And while there are a smattering of tables and drape-sheltered cabanas that sport wall-mounted TVs, the majority of fans stand … in awe of their unsurpassed surroundings. From every vantage point, there’s a view to a thrill, whether it’s the downtown skyscrapers, Colorado’s majestic mountains or the field of dreams below.
2. Avanti Food and Beverage {3200 Pecos Street; 720.269.4778}
I’m already a huge fan of the foodstuffs at Avanti, a sociable culinary hall trumpeting two excellent bars and multiple self-contained restaurants that represent a diversity of cuisines—everything from paella to chicken karaage—but it’s the rooftop deck that takes my breath away. The open-air refuge, splattered with its own bar, community tables and mod-cool, custom-made furniture, is a lounge lover’s paradise–and, oh, those all-embracing views of the city skyline! A splendid oasis for a lunchtime rendezvous, an after-work cocktail session or a date-night huddle under the sparkling glitter of stars, this is a prime perch for every occasion.
3. Linger {2030 West 30th Avenue; 303.993.3120}
The first—and only—rooftop bar in Denver to outfit its square footage with a vintage RV that doubles as a bar, Linger still retains its prestige as the most worshiped outdoor shrine to the living, even while its history is grounded in the dearly departed. The sky-high signage won’t allow you to forget that it’s a former mortuary, but the food, a global romp that favors bold flavors and impeccable ingredients, coupled with snazzy cocktails that pack a punch, serves as a reminder that, up here, you’re living the high life in a city that already prides itself on its soaring altitude.
4. Izakaya Den {1487 South Pearl Street; 303.777.0691}
Despite the nocturnal hustle and bustle of bodies on South Pearl Street, this rooftop wellspring of foliage, bare woods and ropes of white lights is one of the most beautiful spots in the Mile High City to channel your inner Zen. Wash Park and Platt Park locals, along with denizens from downtown and sophisticated suburbanites, gather at the candlelit tables, flanked by brick and salvaged pewter tiles, to swish sake cocktails and sample the dazzling selection of Japanese small plates, pristine sashimi, and noodle dishes.
5. Solitaire {3927 West 32nd Avenue; 303.477.4732}
The rooftop terrace at Solitaire, perched atop the renovated Victorian house where chef-owner Mark Ferguson forks out painterly plates spotlighting world-spanning dishes driven by season-intensive produce, exudes a relaxing sundeck atmosphere that’s ideal for a couple’s night out or a reunion with long-lost friends. Tables, slatted with wood, peer over the whirl of activity on 32nd Avenue, but you probably won’t even notice; you’ll be too enamored of your sangria muddled with Asian pears and fresh berries. There’s a fireplace, too, to chase away the chill … once Mother Nature agrees it’s time for a reprieve from the swelter of summer.
6. Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar {650 South Colorado Boulevard; 303.756.6449}
From the sunset happy hour—knock back some briny oysters for just a buck-fifty a shuck while you slurp a paloma—to dinner dates that involve plump crab cakes, sparkling platters of fresh seafood, and a pimped out lobster roll, you’ll encounter unobstructed panoramic views of the city, not to mention Colorado’s peaks, from the terrace at the Glendale outpost of Jax. It always feels like a party up top, and with bartenders pouring suds from an impressive stash of craft beers and slinging potent cocktails like the Mexican Stand-Off (a concoction of jalapeño-infused Herradurra silver tequila, mezcal, cilantro, lime, and agave), expect the high spirits to increase as the night goes on.
7. Tamayo {1400 Larimer Street; 720.946.1433}
Wide-spanning views that sweep from Denver’s urban metropolis all the way to the jagged summits of the Rocky Mountains, coupled with tequila-charged margaritas and contemporary Mexican cuisine, set the stage for chef-owner Richard Sandoval’s date-night diversion roosting above his Larimer Square restaurant. The spacious drinkery, jazzed up with leafy vegetation, sleek wicker furnishings, terracotta tiles, and a roof to shield you from the rain, sleet, snow, and sun, also lays claim to its own bar ballyhooing Cerveza and a comprehensive cocktail roster—and if that’s not enough to seduce you, the guacamole (there are four superb versions of the classic Mexican staple) undoubtedly will.
Below is a master roster of our flat-out best lists published to date.
Best Beer Caves in Denver
Best Barbecue in Denver
Best Ethiopian Food in Denver
Best Reuben Sandwiches in DenverBest Butcher Shops in Denver and Boulder
Best Food Carts on the 16th Street Mall
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