Recently I spent some time in Denver to visit my brother and thought I’d share some of the great places we visited.

(Mostly we ate and drank so this is really just a food diary, to be honest.)

These places are perfect if you are a first time visitor or a frequent Denver explorer! I have visited Colorado a few times and I always try to check out different places each time. This trip was definitely filled with some good finds that I think I will return to.

 

Basics

We stayed in my brother’s apartment while in Denver so I don’t have any hotel recommendations to give. I will say that renting a car would be very useful in this city if you are there for a while and plan to do a lot (A lot of the good stuff is pretty spread out). But you can uber around/walk depending on how far you plan to go. Denver also just recently started getting electric scooters! Companies like Lyft, Lime, and Bird have dropped off hundreds of these fun scooters around the city for commuters to use around the city! *Pro Tip: If you are traveling downtown from the airport, take the Light Rail! It takes you straight to Union Station and it was only $9 versus what would have been a $30 Uber ride.

 

Breakfast

Jelly – Our first stop after getting into Denver. They have the cutest little donuts, delicious breakfast food, unlimited mimosas, and homemade jelly! The little donuts had the most unique flavors and we couldn’t decide so we got one of each obviously! My brother got the “Corn Flake French Toast”… amazing. 

 

Sassafras– Hands-down the best food we ate this trip. I ordered the Pimento Chicken Biscuit and a Mimosa Flight and I was obsessed with everything. I am not the biggest fan of orange juice so anytime I can get some flavored mimosas I am all about it. They definitely have more southern/cajun style foods on the menu. Between the decor and food, I felt like I was back in New Orleans for a minute! I just loved everything about this place. 

 

Snooze– I didn’t actually go to snooze this visit but I have gone before and highly recommend. They have several locations too, even one inside Union Station. They have great food, tasty mimosas, and the cutest colorful decor! Snooze always tends to have a crowd, so get there early to beat the rush!

 

Lunch

Root Down– We went to the one in the Denver Airport but they do have other locations in the city as well. This place is organic farm-to-table goodness. I wanted something light so I just got the Steel-Cut Oatmeal. (which is weird because I kind of hate oatmeal, but it was SO GOOD!)  They also have unique cocktails if you are in need of a quick pre-flight drink. I got the Coconut Gin Fizz which was delicious and just what I needed.

 

Weathervane Cafe– After breakfast, we took a long walk to City Park and on our way back we stopped in here for some coffees. It’s one of my brother’s go-to coffee spots and I see why because it’s the cutest place! It is small but they have a little patio as well. Their menu includes sandwiches, pastries, oatmeal, salads, and more! I could hang out here all day.

 

Appetizers/Dinner

Linger– It was almost Halloween so obviously we had to eat at this former mortuary! Such a cool place. We ate up on the rooftop, split a bunch of appetizers, and drank a few drinks. Despite its appearance, the Green Tea Collins Cocktail (vodka, matcha, lemon, soda) was amazing and all of the appetizers we got were delicious!

 

Desert

Little Man Ice Cream– After Linger, we went next door for some ice cream. I could not stop talking about how good this ice cream was. It was insane. They had so many good flavors it was so hard to decide… thank goodness they allowed samples. I finally decided on Salted Orea and it was unlike any ice cream I’ve had before. Ugh, I need some right now. I have heard that depending on the time you go, the lines can get pretty crazy. We had no line at all though so maybe we just got lucky?!

 

Drinks

Williams & Graham– Go for the experience, stay for the unique drinks. As I was researching about Denver, I realized they have a lot of “hidden, speakeasy type” bars. In Williams & Graham, you enter through a bookcase and exit through a side door in the back. They had the weirdest costumer service here. Every hostess and waitress we came across shook our hands, asked our names, and welcomed us (You don’t see that often in Chicago). I felt like I was in a movie! Their menu was actually a story that incorporated each drink into it. This place was for sure a little fancier than we were used to and I honestly didn’t know what any of the drinks consisted of even after reading the menu. I do know that my drink was on fire when I got it, so that was cool!   

 

Stem Ciders– I love Stem Ciders! I’ve had their cans before and I knew I had to visit their cidery. They had limited-edition drinks such as Chili Guava and Salted Cucumber that were surprisingly so good! It was a beautiful night so we sat outside on the patio and played games until they closed. If you go on a weeknight they usually have special events going on such as trivia night or food pairings with local restaurants!

 

Extras

City Park– We had beautiful fall weather during our visit and a walk in this park was just what we needed after a long day of travel.

 

Street Art– Denver is filled with so much street art, especially in the RiNo area. Walk around, take some grams, and appreciate it!

 

Tattered Cover Books– I didn’t get to the real Tattered Cover Bookstore this time, but I did get a chance to pop into the smaller store inside Union Station and it was filled with great stuff! I could spend hours (and hundreds of $$) in a bookstore if you let me.

 

 

Have you been to Denver? If so, comment below your favorite places to visit. I visit frequently and like to check out new places each time, so I could use some recommendations!