Where To Play, Stay, Dine & Drink In Denver

Photo Credit: Aaron J. Selter/Shutterstock.com

Denver, Colorado is a place where you’ll find 300 days of sunshine, a thriving cultural scene, diverse neighborhoods, some of the best restaurants in America, and natural, rugged beauty. Regardless of why you’re going — be it a concert, culinary, or its plethora of outdoor activities — here are the things you must do when visiting The Mile High City.

WHERE TO STAYPhoto Credit: Four Seasons Denver

Located in the Mile-High City’s historic Larimer Square district, Four Seasons Hotel Denver is definitely the place to stay. It’s centrally located to all things downtown — restaurants, shopping, and more — and recently underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation, completely transforming itself into a sleek urban oasis with newly remodeled guest rooms, suites, meeting and event spaces, public areas, and its restaurant, EDGE.

The design team from Marzipan, the original designers of Four Seasons Hotel Denver for its official opening in 2010, focused on Denver’s architecture, urban geography, and social scene as three key elements to the design language for the renovation.The connection to Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, which gracefully frame the Mile-High City like a half-moon, are woven into the design with the layering of geometric and organic forms throughout the property.

Photo Credit: Four Seasons Denver

The transformed EDGE Restaurant, the hotel’s signature American steakhouse, offers a new look as well as a new menu, one that features raw bar selections, fine aged cuts, cocktails, and innovative dishes. Its EDGE Bar follows suit, having been expanded into three areas, all spread throughout the lobby level: The Corner Bar, just off of the lobby — the original EDGE Bar, which is more spacious and where you can often find live music and entertainment, an al fresco patio off of the original bar has been redesigned and allows an outside option for guests, and inside the restaurant, spanning from the new raw bar all the way around to the private dining rooms.

The Spa has also reopened with enhanced safety precautions, offering guests, residents, and the local community a relaxing reprise. Guests can treat themselves with the gift of self-care with a deep tissue massage, a luxurious manicure and pedicure at the Level 3 Salon or one of the Spa’s signature experiences, like the Biologique Recherche Second Skin Facial, a regenerating electro spun mask used as a genuine alternative to fillers which visibly lifts and corrects signs of aging via use of patches that are made with the latest technology, similar to 3D printing, and utilize electric force to weave a fiber patch comprising 80% hyaluronic acid, or even EmSculpt, which is rare to have offered outside of a medispa.

The Four Seasons Denver is located at 1111 14th St, Denver, CO 80202

Photo Credit: Four Seasons Denver

WHERE TO DINE

Photo Credit: Jeff Frieberg

One of the best meals I’ve had all year was at Brutø, a partnership between Kelly Whitaker’s Id Est and chef Byron Gomez. Talk about exclusive: there’s only 18 seats here at the Dairy Block eatery, but when you DO get in, it’s an unbelievable sensory treat, 11 courses-strong, with serious nods to Gomez’s experience in Michelin-starred restaurants.

The restaurant itself is stark and minimalist, but not uncomfortable, with a staff that eagerly explains each dish (dietary restrictions accommodated) and where a rotating group of chefs present your courses in front of you with seemingly zero preparation — it’s like the food magically materializes out of thin air.

Here, there is a zero-waste kitchen philosophy, which earned the eatery a Michelin star as well as a Michelin Green star for its sustainable practices. The tasting menu restaurant has consistently championed full utilization and fermentation as core tenets of its approach to food, and working alongside Brutø general manager Suzanne Roberts, formerly of Mina Group, Tartine Manufactory, and Atelier Crenn.

Each course is presented with wines (should you choose that option) that are rare, decadent treats. It’s an unforgettable experience that I’d greedily have time and time again.

1801 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202

Photo Credit: Ritz-Carlton Denver

Other restaurants on our hit list for Denver include Tavernetta, an ambient Italian experience from the James Beard Award-winning team of Frasca Hospitality Group inspired by the food, wine, and culture of Italy right by Union Station — a hedonist’s playground of handmade pastas and Italian-focused cocktails and wine; Elway’s at the Ritz-Carlton Denver, an elegant homage to steak and greatness from former NFL great John Elway; the Wolf’s Tailor, a zero-waste restaurant that, like Brutø, has also received a Michelin star and Green Michelin star; Safta, chef Alon Shaya’s modern Israeli-focused playground at the Source Hotel in RiNo; and Beckon, a Michelin-starred eatery which offers vegetarian and omnivore options in RiNo from chef Duncan Holmes.

Photo Credit: Tavernetta

THE BAR SCENE

Photo Credit: Death & Co.  

We’re big fans of the bar scene in Denver. Death & Co, which first opened in 2006 in Manhattan’s East Village, takes up residence as a full-scale hospitality experience inside The Ramble Hotel, leading all food and beverage experiences across the property in addition to a sprawling lobby bar. The cocktail list is among the city’s best — you’ll be spoiled for choice. But if you need a starting place, try the Secret Third Option, made of Arette blanco tequila, peach, yellow bell pepper, Manzanilla sherry, and lime. Another place you must try is Yacht Club! Located in North Denver’s historic Cole neighborhood, this is a bar with zero pretension that’s a happy blend of elevated and low-key with stellar cocktails. Try the Draped Up: vodka, lemon sherbet, Champagne, malt vinegar, creme fraiche, and potato skin. I love Lady Jane for its decor — it’s an Art Deco paradise — which means beautiful drinks in a beautiful space. Try the Leaf Peeper: bourbon infused with the flavors of pepita, plum, pasilla, oats, and cacao.

  Photo Credit: Shawn Campbell

BEST OF THE REST

Photo Credit: Stan Hill/Shutterstock.com

Downtown Denver may be a bit industrial, but its surrounding areas are all natural beauty. Visit the Red Rocks Amphitheater, where some of the world’s biggest bands clamor to play for its natural acoustics, or spend an afternoon at the Denver Botanic Gardens, getting lost in art and nature. The Denver Museum of Art is also a great place to spend a rainy afternoon (though there aren’t many — there are 300 days of sunshine in Denver!); it’s currently featuring my kind of exhibit in Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak.

Photo Credit: Paisin/Shutterstock.com