The first couple of nights, we stayed at Aloft Hotel, which was right in Downtown Denver. I was exhausted from our 5 AM flight from Phoenix to Denver & was already crabby. Then we found out parking was not free & after paying for self-parking, we were told valet would have been easier & cheaper. Heidi, the front desk woman at the hotel obviously sensed my frustration & sent up a gift bag to our room filled with rosé, other goodies, & a note apologizing & saying our parking cost was comped for our entire stay. I was very pleased with Heidi's customer service & definitely recommend Aloft if you want a great Downtown Denver experience. Just keep in mind that if you have a car, valet is cheapest.
Here are a few places we went to in downtown Denver:
- Tupelo Honey - Southern Restaurant - great food & service.
- Little India - TERRIBLE service. Great samosas, but I don't think I'd go back.
- Chriskindl Christmas Market - adorable little market with lots of homemade food & products.
Littleton was the most adorable town ever. It was all lit up in Christmas lights & Main Street was full of small businesses & some amazing food. For instance, McKinners Pizza has delicious pizza & iN-TEA is a cute little cafe with a huge variety of teas.
Below is a rundown of cities/towns we went to & the places we went in those areas:
Aurora
- Black Bear Diner had great service & good food but seemed a bit like a chain restaurant.
We did not like Aurora in general. There was no downtown or center of town. There were also a lot of big-box stores.
Boulder
- Bohemian Beer Garden - Croquettes & gluhwein were awesome! Great vibe for going out with friends or on a date.
- Speakeasy - License No. 1
- Village Coffee Shop
- Bramble & Hare - BEST DRINKS EVER!
- Lark Burger - fast-food burger joint with killer burgers. SO GOOD.
- Elements massage with Jodi & Natalie
- Chautauqua Dining Hall - restaurant in the mountains with great food & service.
- Radi8 - Epsom salt float tank. Call them & ask for the Groupon price.
Foothills Tour Through the Mountains
- Little Bear Saloon & Restaurant in Evergreen - Try Little Bear Coors. I don't like beer, but that was very good.
- Muddy Bucks - Massive & delicious Cinnamon Roll & Cider
- Red Rocks
- Buffalo Bills Grave at Lookout Mountain
Other Notes About Towns We Visited
We didn't like Niwot.
Longmont was nice. We ate at the Roost & coffee at La Vita Bella (Bar & Cafe)
Lafayette (we liked it)
Louisville (Huckleberry Cafe)
Superior (not so superior)
Lastly, Urban Village Eat & Sip in Lone Tree deserves its own paragraph. When I say this is the best Indian food I've ever had (& I'm Indian, so I'd know!), I'm not kidding. We did the Chef's Tasting Menu & I couldn't believe the quality (& quantity!) of food. Every dish was better than the next. The staff's service was on point, & the decor & atmosphere were very warm & inviting. I will 1000% go back when I visit Colorado again.
Overall, our 5-day Denver trip was very eventful, delicious, & a success.
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