My Favorite things in Denver.

Written By Amanda Proudfit
Colorado Interior Photographer Amanda Proudfit Denver Union Station

I am always being asked for recommendations on things to eat/see/do in Denver (with emphasis on the eats, my favorite part), so creating this guide is long overdue. Fortunately, travel guides are one of my favorite things to create (have you seen my work for the Female Foodie website?). There are so many amazing restaurants to eat at, neighborhoods to explore, parks to hang out in, shops, etc, so I’ll do my best to do list out my favorites. With most of the lists below- I could honestly keep adding places, Denver has no shortage of amazing restaurants and somehow more keep opening constantly! But I feel this is a good start with coverage in enough neighborhoods that you should be able to find something no matter what part of town you’re in. And, if you have a suggestion/place you feel strongly about for something you’re not seeing here, please leave a comment at the end!

Let’s start with eats.

Colorado Food Photographer Amanda Proudfit Cappuccino with sage

COFFEE SHOPS

  • Blue Sparrow Coffee (Highland, RiNo)

  • Brew Culture Coffee (West Colfax)

  • Crema Coffee (RiNo)

  • DC/AM (RiNo)

  • Huckleberry Roasters (Highland, Berkeley, Wheat Ridge)

  • Hudson Hill (Capitol Hill)

  • Little Owl Coffee (LoDo)

  • Lula Rose General Store (Congress Park)

  • MiddleState Coffee (Baker, Highlands)

  • Milk Tea People (LoDo, also technically tea but really good tea drinks!)

  • Moonflower Coffee (West Colfax)

  • Port Side (RiNo–also home to my favorite breakfast burrito)

  • Queen City Collective Coffee (Five Points, Wheat Ridge)

  • Rivers and Roads Coffee (City Park, Curtis Park)

  • Steam Espresso Bar (Highland, South Denver)

  • Sweet Bloom (Lakewood, Arvada)

  • Weathervane Cafe (City Park West)

BREAKFAST

  • Bacon Social House (Sunnyside)

  • Bodega (Sunnyside)

  • Call Your Mother (Berkeley, Capitol Hill — bagels!!)

  • Denver Biscuit Co (Berkeley)

  • DC/AM (RiNo)

  • Fox Run Cafe (Congress Park)

  • Hoja (Platt Park)

  • Olive & Finch (Cherry Creek and Uptown)

  • Onefold (Union Station and Uptown)

  • Rosenberg’s Bagels and Delicatessen (Five Points)

  • Sassafras (Highland)

  • Snooze (multiple locations)

  • Steuben’s (Uptown)

  • Stowaway Kitchen (RiNo)

Colorado Food Photographer Amanda Proudfit pepperoni sausage whipped ricotta deep dish pizza

The famous Brooklyn Bridge Pizza from Blue Pan Pizza, in the lunch special size form.

LUNCH

  • Blue Pan Pizza (Highland or Congress Park, Deep Dish Pizzas! Pictured above is their lunch special)

  • Comal Heritage Food Incubator (RiNo, tacos!)

  • Denver Central Market (RiNo, food hall with lots of great options)

  • El Camino Community Tavern (Highland, Mexican)

  • Gladys (Edgewater, Vegan- this is the reason to visit Edgewater Public Market, period.)

  • Leven Deli (Downtown, deli)

  • MAK Fam (Baker, Chinese)

  • Maria Empanada (Platt St or S Broadway, best empanadas!)

  • Mister Oso (RiNo) Try the smoked potato tacos, or else.

  • Nest at Nurture (Highland) Healthy cafe with small plates + fun drinks.

  • Postino (LoHi, Congress Park & Broadway) great spot for wine + charcuterie/sandwiches/snacks. $5 glasses till 5pm!

  • Sputnik (Baker, Vegan) – Dive bar serving up guilty pleasure style vegetarian or vegan food

  • Sweetgreen (LoDo or Cherry Creek) – salads + healthy plates

  • Tessa Delicatessen (Montclair, Classic Deli)

  • Vital Root (Berkeley) – delicious & innovative vegetarian food with something for everyone.

SWEET TREATS

  • Colorado Cherry Company – Pies. The Cherry hand pie is a must for first timers, they have a great selection of savory and sweet pies and are great enjoyed in the restaurant, at the park nearby or in the comfort of your home.

  • Bakery Four (Berkeley)

  • Get Rights Bakery (Wheat Ridge)

  • High Point Creamery (Multiple Locations) one of the best ice cream shops in Denver.

  • Izzio Bakery (RiNo) Baked goods in the Denver Central Market

  • Little Man Ice Cream (Highland) – Iconic ice cream spot, the salted oreo is a longtime favorite.

  • Olive & Finch (Uptown or Cherry Creek) – This cute little bakery also has great breakfast & lunch options!

  • Pandemic Donuts – (Curtis Park) can be found at Queen City Collective Coffee! Different flavors daily.

  • Tokyo Premium Bakery (Platt Park) – you can’t go wrong with Japanese treats!

Colorado Interior Photographer Cooper Lounge Union Station Bar

The Cooper Lounge at Union Station

DINNER

  • American Elm (Northwest, American)

  • Bar Dough (Highland, Italian) – Happy hour food + drinks here are a must, dinner menu is divine, and their weekend brunch is not to be missed!

  • Cart Driver (Highland or RiNo, Pizza)

  • Dio Mio (Italian, RiNo)

  • El Camino Community Tavern (Highland, Mexican — one of my favorite quesos in town)

  • El Five (Highland, Spanish) Mediterranean tapas paired with a great view of Denver

  • Hop Alley (RiNo, Chinese)

  • Izakaya Den (Platt Park, Sushi)

  • La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal (Ballpark, Mexican)

  • The Greenwich (RiNo, New American) Great pizzas + a ton of great veg options for sides. A must!

  • Mister Oso (RiNo, Wash Park, Latin inspired cuisine)

  • Q House (City Park, Chinese)

  • Potager (Capitol Hill, New American) Hard to put into words how great Potager is. A family owned restaurant tucked away in Cap Hill serving true farm to table fares. Try the seasonal souffle!

  • Safta (RiNo, Middle Eastern fare)

  • Señor Bear (LoHi, Pan Latin) – Great for happy hour, brunch, or just dinner in general!

  • Somebody People (Platt Park, Vegan)

  • Spice Room (Sunnyside, Indian)

  • Spuntino (Highland, Italian) – Reservation recommended, great nice date night spot.

  • Temaki Den (RiNo, Sushi hand rolls) – from the great minds of Sushi Den!

  • The Spice Room (Berkeley, Indian)

  • Uchi (RiNo, sushi)

  • Uncle (Highland or Wash Park) – this is the home of my favorite ramen in Denver. Waits can get outrageous but it’s great as takeout too!

  • US Thai Cafe (Edgewater, Thai)

Colorado Interior Photographer Amanda Proudfit Death and Co Bar

BARS, BREWERIES + MORE.

  • Adrift (Broadway, Tiki Bar!)

  • Citizen Rail (Downtown)

  • Cooper Lounge (Downtown)

  • Death & Co (RiNo)

  • Denver Beer Co (Multiple Locations)

  • ESP HiFi (Lincoln Park) Wine bar with the best music.

  • The Family Jones (LoHi, distillery)

  • Fort Greene (Globeville)

  • Hudson Hill (Capitol Hill, day drinking & snacks)

  • Improper City (RiNo)

  • Middleman (City Park)

  • My Boy Tony (Berkeley)

  • Noble Riot Wine Bar (RiNo, reservations recommended)

  • Our Mutual Friend (RiNo)

  • Room for Milly (Highland)

  • Stems Cider (RiNo)

  • Sunday Vinyl

  • Talnua Distillery (Arvada)

  • Tatarian (Berkeley)

  • The Wild (LoDo)

  • Wildflower (LoHi)

  • Yacht Club (Cole) Dogs + drinks, what more could you ask for

PARKS

  • Cheesman Park- right next to the Botanic Gardens. A great picnic or hang out spot. Can be kind of a party park on the weekends.

  • Washington Park – aka “Wash Park.” So many options with this park. You can walk/bike/skate/scoot the 2.3 mile long loop around the two lakes, stroll through the gardens, have a picnic under a tree, rent a paddleboard/boat, & more. In a beautiful neighborhood that’s equally as lovely to walk through if you like seeing pretty houses too.

  • City Park – so many options in this park as well, but you won’t want to miss the view of downtown from the park at sunset.

  • Sloans Lake – the loop around the lake here is better on foot, it gets a little crowded to try and navigate on a bike (but there are roads with bike lanes around it as well). Come here to hang for a while, then go grab some food at the nearby Edgewater Public Market food hall.

  • Commons Park – right by REI. The Denver Skate Park can be found here, you can dip your toes in the water in summer to cool off a bit.

SHOPS

  • Dairy Block – Free Market

  • Tennyson Street – (Between 38th and 44th) Dona Forte, Miller Lane Mercantile, Feral, to name a few!

  • South Broadway – Vintage shopping galore + more.

  • RiNo- So many good boutiques scattered throughout here - Recital, Meek Vintage, and more.

  • Sacred Thistle (pictured above)

  • The Conifer Shop

THINGS TO DO

  • Denver Art Museum- located near the Capitol building and the Denver Public Library (both also worth exploring).

  • MCA Denver – Admission is free the first Saturday of each month!

  • Denver Botanic Gardens

  • Red Rocks Ampitheatre – a concert here is a must if you’ve never been.

  • Downtown/16th Street Mall/Larimer Square- just walking around these neighborhoods is a fun thing to do! Check out the updated Union Station, stroll through Larimer Square, cross over the river on Millennium bridge, etc.

  • RiNo- Art mural exploring

  • Santa Fe Arts District- gallery strolling, vintage shops, murals, wine bars

STAY

  • Kimpton Hotel Born

  • Lifehouse Denver

  • The Maven Hotel

  • The Oxford Hotel

  • The Ramble Hotel

  • Halcyon

  • The Source Hotel

TO THE MOUNTAINS!
But of course, and last but not least! Plenty of trails and outdoor activities to be had in the mountain areas surrounding Denver. Some good starting points:

  • Lookout Mountain Park

  • Rocky Mountain National Park

  • Mount Evans

  • Evergreen/Conifer

Amanda Proudfit
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