Denver Travel Guide: Places To Eat And Things To Do

Writing a Denver travel guide is almost like me writing the Atlanta travel guide. Maybe I’ve never lived there, but I’ve spent more time in the Mile High City than almost any other.  Part of the appeal of Denver isn’t the city itself, although that’s great too – it’s getting outside of the city and enjoying the fresh – if thin and dry – air.

I’m going to break this down into places to eat, things to do, and helpful tips.

Places To Eat

Rioja

If you need a spot for a nice dinner out – this is my top choice. The food is so imaginative and the service is impeccable. We turned normal size dishes into shareable small plates and ate our way through half of the menu. The highlight of the night was the mimolette cheese which we almost didn’t order. It had came served with wild-rice crispy treats and apricots. Bonus: the restaurant is located in Larimer Square, so you can shop before grabbing a glass of champagne at the bar next door before your meal.

Avanti

Avanti calls itself a “collective eatery” and with 7 restaurants serving everything from burgers to poke, it’s an ideal spot to take a group who can’t decide what they want. It’s located in the LoHi neighborhood and has a rooftop bar for all your day drinking needs.

Truffle Table

Two words: cheese bar. Well, they do have more than just cheese, but honestly, who cares. All of their waiters are trained to talk about cheese like a sommelier talks about wine. They’ll help you pick a few selections based on your tastes and suggest drinks and other nibbles to compliment. They have the cutest sidewalk patio where you can enjoy a drink, some cheese, and people watch.

Four Friends Kitchen

This was a random brunch find in Stapleton, but the food was off the charts and they too have an adorable rooftop patio. It’s mostly southern food with their overnight grits and fried chicken being the crowd pleaser of our table. The location is a bit suburban for my taste, but the blackberry mimosa made up for it!

Departure

Billed as modern Asian, this Cherry Creek spot is v Instagrammable with the bar décor made to look like an airplane. If shopping is your thing, this is smack dab in the middle of the Cherry Creek shops and if you’re looking for an after party, be sure to check out the neighboring speakeasy – more on that below.

Fat Sully’s / Denver Biscuit Company

This place is awesome because you’re getting two in one. Diners can order from either Fat Sully’s (huge, delicious slices of pizza) or Denver Biscuit Co (exactly as it sounds). I went for the breakfast biscuits – which were amazing – but was eyeing my friends’ pizza slices as well.

 

Things To Do

Saint Mary’s Glacier + Idaho Springs

If you have a car and are able to get out of town, Saint Mary’s Glacier is a great short hike for the moderately in shape that’s less than an hour outside the city.

It’s a two-mile out and back that’s relatively low effort for the views you get. Hike just under a mile uphill and you’ll get to a gorgeous lake and the “glacier” – which to the uniformed (me) looks like a big pile of snow. Then, turn around, and you get this picturesque view of mountains in the distance.

After your hike, stop at the adorable Idaho Springs for lunch at The Buffalo and a beer at the connected Westbound and Down Brewery. The whole town is charming and looks straight out of another time.

Explore Neighborhoods – Washington Park

One of the best parts about Denver is that it has so many cute neighborhoods that have a few blocks of unique shops and restaurants. The friend I stayed with for a couple nights just moved to the Wash Park neighborhood and I was happy to get to explore a new part of town for a change.

Of course we went through the neighborhood’s namesake park one day and stopped for the best coconut iced tea at Nixon’s. We also ate yummy salads for lunch one day from Homegrown, and walked to South Pearl Street for dinner one night at Bird.

Red Rocks

You don’t have to be a music lover or even go on a concert day to enjoy Red Rocks. Go for the views and exercise, and make sure you wear tennies that can get dusty. There’s even a miniature museum on site with some cool facts about shows performed there.

B&GC – A Cherry Creek Speakeasy

Looking for an after-dinner drink? B&GC takes you back in time and provides cozy seating and strong cocktails. Make sure you get a reservation before you go and look for the pretty doorbell on arrival!

Helpful Tips

Denver is dry dry dry and the altitude is no joke. If you’re coming from sea level, I’d highly recommend at least 1 day in Denver before heading out into any mountains or hiking to get yourself acclimated. Drink more water than normal and pack all the moisturizers!

If you’re driving out of town at all, be sure to have a passenger keeping a close eye on the side of the roads. You never know what awesome animals you might see. Mountain goats, moose, and bighorn sheep are all pretty common.

Finally, if you plan to hike, use an app like AllTrails to track your progress. It’s helpful in showing how far you’ve gone, elevation gain, and where the nearest bathroom is. 😉

 

I have so many other suggestions as well – if you’re ever planning a trip, feel free to message me and I’d be happy to share more insights. That said, I got back once or twice a year, so I’d love to hear your recommendations for the future as well!

Let me know your favorite Denver spot in the comments.