The Best of Denver, Colorado
I have always had a passion to travel, but, with COVID, I had to cancel over 5 trips this year. My mental health hasn’t been the best, so I knew I needed to get out somewhere with the sun. So, off to Colorado we went. We did venture out to Colorado Springs and Breckenridge during this trip to head to either of the blogs as well for the highlights you can’t miss! Colorado has so much to offer and here are my favorites from Denver.
Where To Stay
Obviously when planning a trip, a very important factor is where to stay. When staying in Denver, I can not express enough that the best and only place you should look at is The Oxford Hotel. From the moment we arrived, I was beyond impressed with everything. You can’t beat the location, right across from Union Station, and walking distance to your every need!
From the moment we arrived we were impressed. The staff is so incredibly kind and courteous. Everything had been wiped down and the keys were presented to us on a tray for safety. The Oxford has many fantastic amenities such as a restaurant, Urban Farmer and a Speakeasy type bar, The Cruise Room. They also have Luxury courtesy transportation within a 2-mile radius of the hotel, a business center, Spa and Salon services, a fitness center and more.
The Oxford Hotel
The lobby is stunning and has a very vintage european look in my opinion. Masks and distancing are required. They had a lot of seating which was great for when you wanted to relax or even enjoy their bourbon hour, yes you heard that right. Our favorite of their many amenities was the daily Bourbon hour that you could either enjoy in the lobby or have delivered to your room. They allowed us to try a variety of different bourbons and even included a pour. We really enjoyed it and couldn’t have asked for a better start to the night.
Now to the room! Again, non-stop impressed. The Oxford’s entire aesthetic is this very classic yet unique vintage feel. The colors are soothing, the space is pleasing and the rooms are so cozy. We had the wonderful opportunity of staying in the Junior Suite. As you walk into the room you first enter more of a living space. They have a bar cart filled with bourbon, wine and snacks for a fee followed by a long homey couch and other seating. It was a great location for us to relax as we made our plans for the day or enjoyed a cocktail later at night.
The bathroom had this fantastic bright feel to it. With luminescent tiles and a minimalist classic feel. Great lighting for getting ready, perfect shower pressure and spacious tub for when in need of a little extra relaxation after a long day. Having the extra mirrors around the room also helped when it came to wanting our own space getting ready.
Overall the room had a fanatic and welcoming vibe. The Oxford has this Old European style however everything felt very updated and functioning.
Urban Farmer
As mentioned, one of the fantastic perks of all access at The Oxford, is the complimentary appetizer from Urban Farmer. Our first night in Denver we got in a bit late so we thought it would be a perfect way to start the trip. Urban Farmer has a rustic chic feel to it with still a modern twist. They had a fun Bowie quote lit up on the wall and lots of seating, we chose to be outside and enjoy the fresh air. We both ordered bourbon drinks and for the complimentary appetizer, we chose a charcuterie board. Everything was superb.
The Cruise Room
During our stay we also had the opportunity to visit the incredible speakeasy prohibition style bar, The Cruise Room. As you enter the dark red lit establishment, you are sat at a pleasant black booth to enjoy some hand-crafted cocktails.
The jukebox at the end of the walkway ads a little extra “oomph” curated the cocktails for us and we were in paradise. Each full of so much flavor and body. The atmosphere was full of little whispers from the nearby tables. There were blockers between the tables for safety. Overall, you can’t come to Denver without stopping by the Cruise Room, they really make you feel like you are in a top secret speakeasy.
We tried the America’s Cup, Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour and Paper Planes.
Now lets explore our favorites for food and drink
(Outside of the hotel)
I had only been to Denver once previously so my hope was to see new places and to not repeat what I knew. We planned to eat at Snooze across the way from the hotel located in Union Station because we had heard great things, however the line was too long and the waitlist didn’t seem to be moving. We decided to explore the farmers market for a while but once our bellies started to rumble we decided to head over to a favorite of mine from my first trip…
The View House
Although The View House was not a new location for me, the view overlooking the city and the open and lively atmosphere is always a plus for me. We shared the slow-roasted brisket skillet and yogurt and fruit, all were fabulous. OH and I can not forget to mention, $4 mimosas!
Death & Co.
After breakfast we took some time to walk around and headed towards RiNo. We stopped at Death & Co for a spiked coffee and were very impressed by not only the ambiance but the service.
There were two lovely baristas/bartenders who whipped together a fantastic drink to really caffeinated us for the day. We arrived as there were wrapping up from breakfast and even with the place a bit empty, it still had such a unique vibe to it. Definitely recommend.
Bierstadt Lagerhaus
If you are looking for a nice open area, nothing too fancy, to just chill with friends, chat and enjoy a beer….Bierstadt Lagerhaus is for you! We met up with a buddy of mine and enjoyed some drinks outside. The staff was friendly and it was probably the most spread out/most ideal for covid safety. We did take a look inside and they have such a unique and fun set up. We would have enjoyed the ambiance but it was just far too beautiful of a day to stay inside.
Improper City
I think I would have to say, although all the places we visited in Denver were great, Improper City takes the crown for best place to day drink. The environment was hipster meets tailgate. Full of food trucks, a variety of unique seating and killer drinks. We hung for a while and overall really enjoyed the energy that surrounded us.
When it comes to places to visit in the evening, we have a few notable places.
Williams & Graham
Our absolute favorite place is Williams & Grahams. It is actually a funny story, we thought we were walking into the Odyssey next door, however, one wrong turn and we found ourselves walking through a bookcase, into a dark room, and being greeted by the extremely kind Kenny with a welcoming drink. We were literally giddy over the fact that we accidentally ended up at a speakeasy. We did not plan to eat, but couldn’t help but indulge in the Sriracha Mac and Cheese and Spicy Fries. Keaton was surprised with a unique drink curated for his needs and I went with a good ol’ Old Fashioned. Everything was marvelous. I couldn’t recommend it more.
Recess Beer Garden
Side story, 2 years prior to this trip, the last time I was in Denver, I was visiting my “grand-big” from my college sorority. I had just met Keaton and was in that gushy crush stage so I couldn’t stop talking about him and then here we are two years later all sitting at a table together. ANYWAY, Recess Beer Garden was more of a lively fun environment rather than a unique atmosphere or hot spot. It’s not something I would recommend to a foodie looking for something unique, but if you are looking for a good time in a very active area, this would be a great spot for you. I would like to mention that the Waikiki Sneaky was delicious, and indeed sneaky…
Pony-up
Rewind to our first night in Denver… Keaton and I had no idea that due to the pandemic the bars closing early was a rule here too. We looked online for blogs similar to the one you are reading, when we found one that had a very colorful review of Pony-Up. I wish I could link it for you all here, but unfortunately we can’t find it again. It was too late to go the first night, so we figured once we said goodbye to our friends it was worth stopping by. It is also located near The Oxford too, so that was a plus. The service was great and even after all we had eaten, once we saw a nearby table’s food, we couldn’t help ourselves. We ordered the Chicken Tenders and a potato dish and it was all incredible… regardless of the 3 Waikiki Sneakys… Although Keaton did forget his card and we had to come the next morning, it was still a perfect way to end the night.
Avanti Food & Beverage
Now let me start by saying, when you are reading anything on my blog, you will only be reading the truth… I do not sugar coat anything. I would say when asking for recommendations on places to visit Denver, Avanti Food & Beverage was the place I heard the most. They do not take reservations so I politely messaged them on IG, asking if it was at all possible to get a reservation since we were in town short term and wanted to experience and write about our experience. The girl who ran the page was so kind and did in fact reserve us a table. Now before I get to the negative that I am sure you can tell is coming, let’s talk the positives. Avanti is a very large establishment with a ton of fun and unique areas to dine. You have a server for drinks at your table and the place is dining hall styled, where you walk and order from where you would like. Our serve was fantastic and the drinks were great.
Now here comes the rant… let me start by saying the manager was so beyond rude it left an awful taste in my mouth for Avanti. As I went to get our food I was photographing the venue, not people, and as I was approved to do, she fully charged me and very aggressively asked “What the hell I was doing” and asking me who gave me the right to do this. I was STUNNED… I have never in my experience ever had someone handle a situation so rudely. I feel a place as big and known as Avanti would be all for exposure. After I explained what I was doing and that I spoke with their social media girl for approval, she still insisted on holding my phone to read the messages in detail. Once she realized I was doing nothing wrong she quickly flipped the switch and nudged me with a “haha sorry girl.” I can understand how a manager can be concerned if someone is photographing their place without any knowledge as to why, however it should have been handled very differently and she was beyond unprofessional. At that point I was no longer interested in Avanti and can’t imagine how she treats a normal guest if this is how she treated someone who was trying to positively promote her establishment. The food in my opinion was mediocre and unfortunately this is not somewhere I would recommend at this time. The last thing I want to say is this, I had heard great things and maybe this was a bad day for her, but if this place interests you I would say go for it. This may not be your experience but I am not the kind of person to share anything but the truth on my platforms.
To end things on a high note, I love Denver, and CO has a piece of my heart. We had such a great time and can’t wait to go back! Keep an eye out for the Colorado Springs and Breckenridge blog coming out soon!
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