Decades before it became the punk and rock haven it is today, the Lion’s Lair was a jazz club where legends like Billie Holiday and Dexter Gordon once played. While the storied dive bar is perfect for downing a beer or four, you can also see local bands there. Every so often, the Lair hosts big names in punk, such as John Doe or Mike Watt, and former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra occasionally puts on his own DJ dance party.
From the passion fruit and amaro-filled Paper Passion to the cantaloupe-infused pisco and sparkling sake One in a Melon, there’s always something new to try. Check out events like Western Wednesday, Dixie Krystals’ Drag Revue, and top-shelf music acts such as the Denver-based folk artist, Covenhoven. The Live Nation–operated Marquis Theater has garnered a reputation as downtown Denver’s favorite rock venue, due to its all-ages shows and a strong lineup of punk, metal and rock bands. Access to great pizza within the venue is a definite highlight.
TheBall Arena, in fact, puts on more than 225 events annually. Just a few minutes from downtown, this multi-use arena is near plenty of dining and hotel options. It also boasts three on-site restaurants, plus lots of delicious concession food.
Probably the only bar on this list that you enter through a bookshelf, Williams & Graham set the standard for Denver cocktails bars when it opened a decade ago. Just as important today, the dark speakeasy is the place to go for a good, stiff drink. Choose from a menu of classics or staff creations, marvel at the 500 spirit strong library of bottles, and settle in for a while. Bask in the red glow of this old-school Denver legend that’s officially been open since the day after the repeal of Prohibition.
Arrive early as we are not able to reserve seating for this special event. From classic dives to swanky cocktail lounges, this is where you should be drinking in the Mile High. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. For adults, the holidays are less about receiving and more about giving. Waking up bright-eyed in adolescence, giddy with excitement about what presents arrived from family or a big, burly man in red and white has become a fleeting memory. As the joyous approaches, stress spawns from work, travel, children and significant others as the shopping ever-looms.
From state-of-the-art stages to quintessential dives, here are our favorite venues for every kind of experience in the Mile High City. Our local music scene is popping and 404 wants to showcase Colorado’s top artists. We love our city and want to celebrate Denver’s incredible history, offerings, and talented residents.
Located a block east of Coors Field, Herb’s has long been a hot spot for jazz (it’s owned by jazz saxophonist Laura Newman, who leads Alive on Arrival) and other genres such as rock, blues and funk. Jazz pianist and organist Glad Girshevich holds court on Mondays, trumpeter Gabe Mervine on Tuesdays, Diana Castro with a funk jam on Wednesdays, bassist Dave Randon on Thursdays, and a mix of acts on the weekends. From the team behind Queens Eleven and Blue Sparrow, this bar on Platte Street opened in late February 2020, right before you-know-what shut it right back down. But despite less than ideal timing, it’s just the lush escape we need right now. It’s safe to say that pretty much everyone could use a tropical getaway right about now.
Part chic French glamour, but also part relaxed Coloradan sensibility, the new wine bar features a carefully selected wine list, offering the best of the US and France. Perhaps the best description of Bezel is that it’s the kind of place that has its own specialty ice program. So yeah, you could order a beer or a shot, but then you’d be missing out on the sophisticated cocktails and specialty ice, and do you really want to waste all that lavish frozen water? Just off the 16th Street Mall inside the Sheraton Denver Downtown, Bezel is glamorous, with prices to match. (Some cocktails are in the $20s.) Go when you’re feeling extra.
Fine-dining restaurants in Denver are beginning to make a comeback. During the height of the pandemic, many restaurants shifted to takeout-friendly menus and fine-dining restaurants struggled to remain open. After flying home to Denver on a redeye from a festival google reviews disappeared 2022 in Seattle, Dani Oprea quickly set to work adjusting back to their normal Denver life. With a love for avant-garde fashion, designing was something that Maa never thought to pursue. However, the beginning of Factory Fashion helped change her trajectory.