The coolest bars and restaurants in town

Thrillist 47 Denver
Adam Larkey
Adam Larkey

It's time for a new edition (easy there, Bobby Brown) of the Thrillist 47, giving you the best new and new-ish places to eat and drink. Some had to go (what happened, Red Star Deli?!), while other hot spots could not be denied (welcome, Drakes Haus!). Have a look at the list (organized by hood, this isn't a ranking) and make the most of your next night out.

LODO

The Squeaky Bean Thrillist 47 Denver

1) The Squeaky Bean
1500 Wynkoop St; 303.623.2665
Plating "cutting-edge, creative" seasonal cuisine (sourcing ingredients grown on their own farm) and some of the finest/most hilariously named cocktails in town, this spot has been racking up the awards since it opened.
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Euclid Hall Thrillist 47 Denver

2) Euclid Hall
1317 14th St; 303.595.4255
Beer lovers rejoice: 11 taps featuring CO's best brews and a selection of rare bottles/cans paired with hearty eats like poutines and sausages make Euclid a can't-miss, not that you'll be easy to miss either after crushing beers, poutines, and sausages all day.
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Viewhouse Thrillist 47 Denver

3) ViewHouse
2015 Market St; 720.878.2015
Finally, a place to get a beer AND unobstructed, 360-degree views of Denver. Hit their roof deck overlooking Coors Field for elevated pub food and the aforementioned beer.
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TAG Raw Bar Thrillist 47 Denver

4) TAG | Raw Bar
1423 Larimer St, Suite 010; 303.996.2685
A few doors down from popular sister resto TAG, Raw Bar isn't just a sushi joint, as they also plate exotic meats and ramen bowls from the tiny open kitchen located behind the bar.
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Green Russell Thrillist 47 Denver

5) Green Russell
1422 Larimer St; 303.893.6505
Fronted by the tiny dessert shop Wednesday's Pie, this high-class drinkery lies behind a swinging door and is known for featuring Mile High's finest mixologists.
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Cholon Thrillist 47 Denver

6) Cholon
1555 Blake St; 303.353.5223
The first restaurant from a globe-trotting vet of NYC's Buddakan and Spice Market, this modernly homey SugarCube space dishes French dishes with Asian ingredients, as in rice noodles w/ lamb sausage & Chinese broccoli, and slow-baked halibut w/wild mushrooms.
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The 1Up Thrillist 47 Denver

7) The 1Up
1925 Blake St; 303.779.6444
10+ beer taps and 25+ '80s-heavy arcade classics (Paperboy, Punch-Out!, Galaga, Donkey Kong) make this throwback bar a respite from LoDo's bustling club scene.
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Jax Denver Thrillist 47 Denver

8) Jax Denver
1539 17th St; 303.292.5767
The legendary home of oceanic eats has been a staple since it opened 16yrs ago, offering up some of the freshest, most sustainably sourced seafood in the state.
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The Kitchen Denver Thrillist 47 Denver

9) The Kitchen Denver
1530 16th St; 303.623.3127
One of Boulder's finest dining experiences is perfectly replicated in the heart of LoDo, offering the same farm-sourced "comfortable classics" in a space that feels like the country home of someone way too rich to live there year-round.
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Lucky Pie Denver Thrillist 47 Denver

10) Lucky Pie
1610 16th St; LoDo; 303.825.1021
Capitalizing on Denver's cosmopolitan pie demand after their first joint humbly stuffed the 'burbs, Lucky's has a sushi-style cheese bar, top-notch 'za, and a 27-tap concrete bar ready to make sure your voice ends up just as gravelly.
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FIVE POINTS

Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs Thrillist 47 Denver

11) Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs
2148 Larimer St; 720.746.9355
A mobile-food mainstay since '05, former repo-man and No Reservations-featuree Biker Jim's 61-seat dog dojo serves up uber-creative tubed meats via a deep fryer.
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The Populist Thrillist 47 Denver

12) The Populist
3163 Larimer St; 720.432.3163
This 60-seat ode to new American small plates comes from one of the guys behind stellar java-house Crema Coffee and rocks a massive patio and a "Victorian Dust Bowl" vibe.
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Trillium Thrillist 47 Denver

13) Trillium
2134 Larimer St; 303.379.9759
Larimer St's brick-walled 96-seater plates eats "rooted in the Scandinavian and American culinary traditions", and features a comfy lounge in which to sip homemade aquavit.
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Acorn Thrillist 47 Denver

14) Acorn
3350 Brighton Blvd Suite 150; 720.542.3721
A sibling resto to the ever-popular Boulder eatery OAK, Acorn pours innovative cocktails and whips up shared plates from an oak-fired oven, including the must-get Rocky Jr 1/2 chicken.
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CBD

Epernay Lounge Thrillist 47 Denver

15) Epernay Lounge
1080 14th St; 303.573.5000
A sushi bar/champagne lounge that drips sophistication, sex, and sashimi just steps away from the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
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Pizza Republica Thrillist 47 Denver

16) Pizza Republica
890 14th St Suite A; 303.623.2811
Planting its cheesy roots firmly in the CBD after pleasing the Tech center crowds (likely because they have many great apps... as well as entrees), Pizza Republica offers upscale, wood-fired Neapolitan 'za and 100+ bottles of vino just steps from the Big Blue Bear.
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Row 14 Bistro and Wine Bar Thrillist 47 Denver

17) Row 14 Bistro & Wine Bar
891 14th St, Ste 100; 303.825.0100
Row 14 serves upscale New American, inventive cocktails, and 90+ wines in a 120-seat "urban sophisticated" space that features a glass facade providing views of the Big Blue Bear peeking into the CCC, because, like many bears, he's probably into the hairless, nubile bodies of the Jonas Brothers.
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CAPITOL HILL

City, O' City Thrillist 47 Denver

18) City, O' City
206 E 13th Ave; 303.831.6443
The venerable Cap Hill hangout sports communal tables, lounge seating, and food you won't even mind is vegetarian: udon noodles topped with a soft egg, a fried egg/Fresno pepper jam/Gruyere sandwich, and 'za like the apricot preserve/green olive/roasted garlic/Brie "La Chagall" -- eat too many, and you'll be the landscape.
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BAKER

Punch Bowl Social Thrillist 47 Denver

19) Punch Bowl Social
65 Broadway; 303.765.2695
Rocking eight full lanes, '80s arcade games, ping pong, a "gastro-diner", a coffeeshop, and a bar, Punch Bowl is a massive entertainment palace, and best of all, it's open nearly 24/7.
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TRVE Brewing Thrillist 47 Denver

20) TRVE Brewing
227 Broadway; 303.351.1021
A minimalist, metal-inspired brewery where you might hear the bands their beers are named after blasting from the stereo.
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CITY PARK

Pinche Tacos Thrillist 47 Denver

21) Pinche Tacos
1510 York St; 303.898.2905
The popular food truck's brick-and-mortar pairs much-loved "street tacos" with small-batch tequila & whiskey in a 70-seater that's kept the original floors and brick walls from its start as a hotel in the 1800s, back when it had to compete with Only Western.
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Cafe Max Thrillist 47 Denver

22) Cafe Max
2412 E Colfax Ave; 303.333.0003
An "uncoffeeshop" doing its part to class up Colfax, Cafe Max offers tons of design mags to read whilst noshing on sausage and souped-up sammies.
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CONGRESS PARK

TAG Burger Bar at Madison Street Thrillist 47 Denver

23) TAG Burger Bar at Madison Street
1222 Madison St; 303.736.2260
Prolific chef/co-owner Troy Guard stacks the menu here with crazily inventive burgers like the over-the-top pork belly/fried egg/bone marrow salt/crispy chicken skin "Andrew Jackson".
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JEFFERSON PARK

24) Corner House
2240 Clay St; 720.287.1895
The chef here made a name for himself at Ace and Vesta Dipping Grill, but CH harnesses his talents to serve 3 meals a day. At lunch, check out the Gulf yellowfin tuna & sushi rice topped with avocado.
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LINCOLN PARK

Izakaya Den Thrillist 47 Denver

25) Izakaya Den
1487A S Pearl St; 303.777.0691
The award-winning Mile High institution Izakaya Den packed its things up in (bento) boxes and moved into a space next to its sibling resto, Sushi Den, keeping the same wood-filled Japanese decor and introducing a menu packed with pork belly marinated for 8hrs and bizarre Japanese bar snacks.
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Pizzeria Locale Denver Thrillist 47 Denver

26) Pizzeria Locale Denver
550 Broadway Blvd; 720.508.8828
This fast-casual offspring of its successful Boulder predecessor only needs ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SECONDS to bake their Neapolitan pizza using a customized gas oven heated to a balmy 1,000 degrees.
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SOUTHEAST

Slotted Spoon Thrillist 47 Denver

27) Slotted Spoon
2730 S Colorado Blvd; 303.756.3072
Like Chipotle for meatballs, SS serves up locally sourced meat (harissa lamb, Italian pork) in spherical shapes and drops 'em either on a roll, over pasta, or on a (ugh) salad.
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Thrillist 47 Denver

28) Historian's Ale House
20 Broadway; 720.479.8505
With 30+ local brews on tap and a monthly homage to different breweries with specials and giveaways, any time spent at Historian’s has the potential to be historic. It's best to pair those fine beers with any of their NINE signature burgers, but especially the one with the bleu cheese & bacon-stuffed beef patty (!!!).
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UNIVERSITY

Jelly U Thrillist 47 Denver

29) Jelly U
1700 E Evans Ave; 303.831.6301
Heaven for people who like their breakfast either sweet or meat-filled, or in the case of their famed maple bacon donut bites, both.
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Renegade Publik House Thrillist 47 Denver

30) Renegade Publik House
2043 S University Blvd; 720.401.4089
Even though you can't spell Barnes & Noble without the word "bar", books aren't usually an integral part of drinking establishments -- except at Renegade Publik House. The book-fetishizing DU offshoot of the incredibly successful Renegade Brewing Company delivers menus inside classic novels, but fills them with something far more interesting: thin-crust pizzas and craft beers from around the country.
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UPTOWN

Ace Thrillist 47 Denver

31) Ace
501 E 17th Ave; 303.800.7705
A behemoth from the Steuben's/Vesta Dipping Grill folks, Ace serves "Asian eclectic" cuisine on regular tables while you serve (...and even volley!) on eight ping pong ones.
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beast and bottle Thrillist 47 Denver

32) beast + bottle
719 E 17th Ave; 303.623.3223
This place is inaccurately named, because there are actually multiple +'s to eating here: it's from the team behind Encore on Colfax, and it's got in-house butchery, its very own beer, and brunch served Tues-Sat.
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Refuel Thrillist 47 Denver

33) reFuel
3455 Ringsby Ct; 303.296.4643
Refueling: it can refer to a process that involves getting more gas, or it can refer to... actually, the same thing could happen by eating too many awesome sandwiches at reFuel, a Taxi building-based offshoot of the enduring Fuel Cafe that offers plenty of to-go options for RiNo work crowds.
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HIGHLAND

Lou's Food Bar Thrillist 47 Denver

34) Lou's Food Bar
1851 W 38th Ave; 303.458.0336
Frank Bonanno's "take on American country food with French style" means plenty of vino and fried chicken worth the trip to Highland.
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Williams and Graham Thrillist 47 Denver

35) Williams & Graham
3160 N Tejon St; 303.997.8886
The only “1800s- and 1900s-style cocktail bar” in the area that's also a bookstore, W&G's accessed via a hidden entrance behind a moving shelf filled with “books about drinking” and “books by drunken authors”, where the only index is the finger being belligerently poked into your chest, eh? EH?
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Linger Thrillist 47 Denver

36) Linger
2030 W 30th Ave; 303.993.3120
The brainchild of the man behind Root Down, Linger serves up world street-food and "apothecary drinks with herbs and tonics" in the former Olinger Mortuaries building, and offers skyline views of Denver that are second to none.
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Ale House at Amato's Thrillist 47 Denver

37) Ale House at Amato's
2501 16th St; 303.623.2738
Nearly 40 taps of CO-brewed beers and a rooftop that offers sweeping views of Mile High make this Breckenridge Brewery-owned pub a neighborhood fave.
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Uncle Thrillist 47 Denver

38) Uncle
2215 W 32nd Ave; 303.433.3263
The award-winning Asian comfort food coming from the open kitchen at this hot spot is chef'd up by a fan of the famed noodle bar Momofuku, but Uncle's takes on dishes like ramen & pork buns are all their own.
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Old Major Thrillist 47 Denver

39) Old Major
3316 Tejon St; 720.420.0622
From the chef behind the ever-popular Masterpiece Deli, this pork-happy resto serves "farmhouse cuisine" and stellar cocktails in a former rollerskating rink, though you'll be more jiggle than Bounce.
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Central Bistro and Bar Thrillist 47 Denver

40) Central Bistro & Bar
1691 Central St; 303.477.4582
"Clever, deeply nourishing" eats inspired by the techniques & presentations of the nation's best chefs.
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The Universal Thrillist 47 Denver

41) The Universal
2911 W 38th Ave; 303.955.0815
Open only for breakfast and lunch, The Universal has a menu with a Southern flair, featuring dishes like heirloom Anson Mills grits & eggs, biscuits & gravy, and cornbread rancheros.
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Denver Beer Company Thrillist 47 Denver

42) Denver Beer Company
1695 Platte St; 720.989.1253
Pouring 7-10 new varietals for every season (and serving them with fresh Bavarian pretzels!), DBC transformed a crumbling auto-body garage into a 60+ seat taproom, and even added a newer, more intimate barrel room.
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Churchill's Public House Thrillist 47 Denver

43) Churchill's Public House
1560 Boulder St; 303.477.1600
Just as the name of the pub offers an ode to one of their great prime ministers, its food and drink also proudly rep Great Britain, including "traditional pub food with a modern twist" (Double Decker burger!!!) and plenty of British beers on tap.
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Uber Sausage LoHi Thrillist 47 Denver

44) Uber Sausage LoHi
1535 Central St; 303.433.4575
The meattacular Uber Sausage's second location is more than double the size of the original on Colfax, but with the same reclaimed materials and patio seating, plus they're open for breakfast with egg 'n bacon Waffle Bennys and tot-stuffed Tex Wraps.
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BOULDER

Bohemian Biergarten Thrillist 47 Denver

45) Bohemian Biergarten
2017 13th St; 720.328.8328
Both authentic and worth your time, this 20th-century-style beer garden was dreamt up by a group of friends from the Czech Republic (motto: "We ran out of Czech/check puns in 1997"), and now slings imported beers and hearty Central European cuisine aplenty.
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Drakes Haus Thrillist 47 Denver

46) Drakes Haus
2900 Baseline Rd Unit 3; 303.473.9000
They're soaking burgers in merlot before grilling them, resulting in ultra-juicy meat topped with inventive international fixings. That's enough of a reason to be in the 47, right?
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Bru Thrillist 47 Denver

47) Bru
5290 Arapahoe Rd; 720.638.5193
The garage: it's where bands gather to practice, where dads accidentally saw off parts of their bodies, and where the exec chef/head brewer of Boulder brewpub BRU once crafted award-winning beers for a nanobrewery of the same name. This is his non-garage, all-amazing Arapahoe Rd space.
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