Warning, this Denver Weekend post is going to be long. We ate and drank our way through the weekend and we are going to share it all with you. Truthfully, this was one of our favorite weekend trips that we have ever taken.
Thursday
We arrived in downtown Denver late on a Thursday afternoon and check in at our hotel. We decided to stay at the Ritz-Carlton which was the prefect location for us. Bonus, we were able to walk most everywhere. The hotel was beautiful and the service excellent.
That evening, met up with friends for dinner but were a bit too early to head out so we stopped by Elway’s in the hotel for a pre-dinner cocktail.
For dinner, we headed to Tamayo. We started with some chips and guac and shared the Taco Flight. It’s basically a large platter of 15 tacos, five of each filling: al pastor, mahi mahi, chicken tinga. It was the perfect choice for a group.
After dinner, we headed back to our hotel, beat but with tummies full. And, had the best sleep in a really long time.
Friday
Morning
For breakfast, we decided to try out Snooze. What a great choice it was; it was fantastic. There are 2 locations in the downtown area, but opted for the Larimer Street location.
While searching for directions, we noticed that you could put your name on the wait list for a table, so we did so. We still had to wait a bit, but it definitely helped. It’s a very popular places, but worth the wait. This place is well worth its own post, so click here to read all about it.
Also, we stopped for a snack at Habit Doughnut Dispensary, on our way back to the hotel. They have some create dougnut flavours. And, for a little twist you can add either a shot of alcohol or of CBD.
Afternoon
After a quick workout, to help burn off some of the morning’s gluttony, we headed to C Squared Cider. Their tasting room has a full gastro pub menu with craft beer and cocktails too. They share a space with Bierstadt Lagerhaüs Brewery and The Rackhouse restaurant.
We ordered a flight of their ciders. They were great, especially their ginger one. We also enjoyed a Slow Pour Pils from Bierstadt. It’s a great concept to have a cidery and a brewery share a space. This way, there’s something for everyone.
From there, we headed to Union Station to meet up with our tour. We booked a Cocktails and Bites Tour from Delicious Denver Food Tours. This included: 5 craft cocktails from top Denver mixologists and 4 appetizer pairings. Look out for another post for more details since this was a highlight of our Denver Weekend.
Evening
For dinner, we headed over to Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox. It’s what they call a “gastro-brothel” since it’s in the location where there was once a real brothel. It’s a very unique place, with live music and a menu of eclectic American food. It had crazy high reviews on Open Table so we knew we needed to check it out.
We weren’t super hungry but we shared a snack and enjoyed a couple cocktails. Next time, we would definitely go hungry and to see a show.
Saturday
Morning
On Saturday morning, we decided on Sam’s No. 3 for breakfast since it was just a short walk to the hotel. Their menu is extensive, portions are huge and our food came quickly. If you are planning on going, go early. As we were leaving, the wait for a table was getting pretty long.
After breakfast we went down for a walk by Union Station. It just so happened that they were having a farmers market. It’s apparently a regular Saturday thing from May to October. We bought a few treats including some tasty hand pies, kombucha and fantastic pickles.
Afternoon
For the afternoon, we booked another walking tour. This called Whisky, History and Outlaws Tour. We’ll write another post to cover the details of this tour. But, the tour started at Tivoli Brewing Company. And, we got to hear some fun stories about Denver’s history and taste a few whiskys along the way.
After the tour, we decided grab a bite at Lucky Pie. It was pretty busy! If you are going to stop in, we would definitely recommend making reservations. They make dough fresh every day from organic Colorado flour. Their pizzas are topped with locally sourced ingredients and cooked in a hand-built brick oven. What’s not to love?
Evening
In the evening, we had tickets to the Colorado Avalanche hockey game at the Pepsi Center.
It was a pretty good game and the Avalanche fans are pretty enthusiastic.
Walking back from the game, we got to see Larimer Square all lit up. It’s so pretty. There are plenty of restaurants with outdoor seating. It would be the perfect area to have dinner on a beautiful evening.
Sunday
Morning
For breakfast, we decided to go to Snooze again, but decided to check out the Union Station location. The food was good, but as far as atmosphere goes we preferred the Larimer Street location.
Afternoon
Our afternoon was spent in the RiNo District. We walked over from our hotel. We couldn’t help but notice all the fabulous street art around. Our first stop was Stem Cider’s Taproom. There we enjoyed a flight or their excellent ciders. They are some of the best that we’ve ever had.
From there, we walked over to Death & Co for a cocktail. Our server at Snooze recommended that we stop in there. It’s in the Ramble Hotel, a boutique hotel. The space was absolutely beautiful, cocktails great and would be the perfect place for a date.
Evening
For dinner, we went right across the street to Work & Class. Work & Class is a very interesting place. They focus on homestyle Southern & Latin American cuisine. We were in luck that evening, the special was gluten-free fried chicken. And, it was really good!
After a dinner, we unfortunately had to head back to the hotel to pack our bags and wrap up our Denver weekend festivities.
Monday
Unfortunately, we had a flight back to Calgary early morning. But, we did have the perfect Denver weekend!
Wary Travelers Tip
If you are flying back home via the Denver International Airport, give yourself plenty of time. Depending on the time of day, the traffic can be quite heavy. And, the line to get through security was insane. If you can get yourself TSA Pre Checked, do so.
In addition, since you are reading our Denver Weekend post, you might be interested in our other great weekend itineraries. Here’s a few of our favorites:
Finally, if you have other suggestions for destinations that we should be checking out next time we’re looking for a weekend trip, comment below!
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Ritz Carlton Denver