The Best Denver Bars: Stylish Spaces, Great Drinks & Easy Vibes

Every city has its own drinking personality. Some cities have intriguing speakeasies, some have buzzing nightlife, some favor the dive bars. Denver has a serious thing for beautiful boutique bars, creative cocktail lounges, and stylish neighborhood gems.

Typically, we despise Top 10 lists, because very often they are simply the 10 places someone went in a city.  Now…it is no exaggeration, but we have drank in a lot of places in Denver.  Too many to put into a blog, so we feel we need a Top 10 rather than an exhaustive list. We have whittled down to the places that consistently stand out for their cocktails, atmosphere, creativity, and unmistakable Denver vibe.

So here we are, with our first official Top 10 list.  That really isn’t just 10. And in no particular order, here’s where we think you should drink…

The Yacht Club (North Denver)

• Named to the 50 Best Bars in North America list, not just once, but three times (2023, 2025, 2026); but wait, there is more:
• 2023 Esquire Magazine Best Bars in America
• 2024 Best US Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards
• 2025 James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
• 2026 James Beard Finalist for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
• 2026 Food & Wine Global Tastemakers #8 Top U.S. Bars

With this impressive list, we were genuinely concerned that we were going to some hoity-toity fancy-schmancy upscale snobbery venue.  And oh, how wrong we were.  Bring it on down to the neighborhood bar level.  The Yacht Club is the place you hope to find on your neighborhood street corner.  I may just move to Denver to get this.  It is fantastic.  Borderline dive bar decor, with a little nautical, but not necessarily punch you in the face yacht club look.  It has dark walls, and fun signs. It is not huge, seating for 50. But really, 50 people feels packed in there, and there we were on a Saturday night, packed.

We got there when they opened and got seats at the bar.  I want to tell you how adorable Jake was, but that would diminish the amazing skill and kickassery we witnessed from him.  And I would never want to do that.  But Jake is cute (don’t let that go to your head, Jake), and they were short-handed, and he was busting out the cocktails with a dizzying array of skill.  Yet was still nice, and chatty with us.

Our drinks were amazing, they had a $3 mystery shot (which we could not pass up), and hot dogs.  They run the gamut of everything from a plain mustard and ketchup dog with a beer to a high-end caviar topped dog to a champagne mojito – upscale, low-down, they cater to all. Peggy and I split the caviar dog, and it was amazing.  My husband had the Lorraine dog. This was highly recommended by the doorman, however this was the bane of the bar staff because these take quite some time:  cheese spread (we think pimento from the look of it), celery remoulade, pecans, and pickled peppers.

Of course, our cocktails were top quality.  They are making clarified milk punches, chardonnay-based elixirs, and amazing traditional cocktails.  All of it.  

The Yacht Club is simply doing amazing cocktails and keeping it down-to-earth and high caliber. And we agree with every single award it has earned. 

Semiprecious (Sunnyside neighborhood)

We love a neighborhood bar.  It screams comfort and engages with customers; where nobody is angry, people commiserate with each other and everybody knows your name (sorry, got lost in the Cheers imagery).

And Semiprecious is all that but they are doing things a little differently.  When they say craft cocktails, they are doing small batching cocktails that take 48-72 hours from start to finish. They are carbonating and canning their own creations, they are hand-making their juices and shrubs and making frozen banana coffee espresso martinis.  They are Panda & Son’s-ing it up in a Denver suburb and we are impressed.  We had Semiprecious on our radar, but after meeting Eliza at Peach Crease, she reinforced our choice and told us to talk to Bill on Sunday (where they also have a local pizza cart outside for food). Bill and Jacoby were both awesome to talk to.  Friendly, engaging, and created such a comfortable atmosphere.  

One of Semiprecious’ signature cocktails is the Sour Cream and Onion Martini.  And I am telling you, it smells just like a bag of chips.  It is perfectly clear like a martini, but it tastes like those chips where “no one can eat just one” that I love so much.  So, yes, they do savory, but they also do a rum punch and two frozen drinks. The menu is categorized so you know what to expect.

Semiprecious is a win, and DO NOT skip the Moon Racoon Baking Co at the back of the same building where I had a miso peanut butter cookie and Peggy had a Peach pop tart.  The bakery is run by such seriously nice people. Go support your local female run businesses people!!

The Peach Crease Club (RiNo)

RiNo (River North) Arts District in Denver is a great eclectic artsy neighborhood with great bars and restaurants.  Peach Crease Club caught our eye after it was nominated by Tales of the Cocktails Spirited Awards for Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar in 2026.  It was a finalist, and that is huge in the cocktail industry.  

So, we popped in for a little looksee.  A slight 70’s feel, not tacky 70’s, just that wood paneled vibe.  There is a DJ-run vinyl booth spinning great classics, cozy booths, and a mirrored back bar.  The cocktail menu brings a definite “wow” factor.  We sat at the long bar which seats about 12 or so. The beauty and elegance was conveyed through the clean lines and old 70’s style speakers hanging over the bar and simple lighting.

Our bartender was Eliza, and she was amazing, friendly and outgoing and funny (plus, she agreed with our bar list for the weekend and was insistent that we had to go to Semiprecious).  Peggy ordered the Borscht in alignment with her recent savory cocktail trend. The foam on top tasted like liquid cream cheese with a hint of horseradish and balanced perfectly with the beets and dill in the cocktail. I had to have the Banoffee Pie (you know me, banana, butterscotch, sweetness), and although it was a great cocktail, I was hoping for something sweeter and more banana-y, but you know, scotch and bourbon aren’t sweet.  I am still a little salty that we didn’t stick around for the Green Curry or the Pavlova, so we are just going to have to go back.

Lady Jane (LoHi)

We first visited Lady Jane in the Highlands neighborhood a couple of years ago.  It is right up the block from Williams & Graham.  It was one of those bars that I latched on to for the name. Lady Jane by Joshua Kadison is one of my most favorite songs (yes, I am sure noone else has ever heard of it), I can hear it in my head every time someone says the name. (fun fact, our great-grandmother was named Jane.)

This bar has gorgeous, soft lighting. Pinks, greens, plants.  It is calming and elegant.  The service was fantastic, our servers helped recommend their favorite drinks, we did need to one and done it.  But it was one of those places that hit you in the feels and crawled into our hearts.

Additionally, this year (2026) Lady Jane was nominated for Best U.S. Bar Team at the Spirited Awards at Tails of the Cocktail. We love a place that functions as a team, and to me, this award is what all bars should be shooting to win.

Forget Me Not (Cherry Creek)

A happy little accident.  Which led to our questionable first experience at B&GC. Yes, Forget Me Not was the start of our downfall.  But it was so very worth it.  

We were just walking down the street in Cherry Creek, giggling like we do, possibly skipping, possibly just being goofy. Or maybe we aren’t that weird, just lucky.  We walked by this small bar that looked like a little house with striped awnings, a picket fence and picnic tables in the yard.  They were just opening, so we figured it was a sign.

So, what do you picture when someone says forget-me-not.  It’s a flower, a purple flower.  And this little place is exactly what you would think of if you were to make a bar called Forget Me Not. Crisp, clean, white, beautiful accents of grey, long maroon benches, high comfy bar seats, marble bar top.  Elegant for sure, with fun post-work Cherry Creekers hanging out.  Their cocktails are all bright and fresh. This is not a dark, sultry bar.  This is an upscale shake off the daily grind place.

Honey Elixir (RiNo)

We found Honey Elixir on a back alley as we were killing time before a dinner reservation.  It’s off a main road (Broadway) in RiNo, through a courtyard, there is a little side street with several bars and cute little shops. And we fell in love. I realized how lucky we have been when we find a “quick stop” prior to a reservation or a “have to” on our list.

It’s not huge, it’s not fancy, but it is comforting and cute and warm and welcoming.  There is a little couch, regular tables, and a small bar.  And amazing service.  It feels intimate, but also strangely energetic and fun.  Like you want to sit at a small table cackling with a small group of friends and mingling with the small group of friends next to you.

B&GC (Cherry Creek)

B&GC is a speakeasy, and you can find more about the fantastic entry on our Denver Speakeasy blog.  However, on that trip you may recall, we drank way too much before our 9 pm reservation.  We loved it, but were a little fuzzy on the details.  So we went again.

Ooh, there are stairs?  Leading down?  Don’t remember that.

Brendon behind the bar had a good laugh when Peggy told him about our first visit. Apparently we weren’t the first ones to be fuzzy on arrival.  It was smaller than we remembered, too.  They’ve done a good job of recreating an art deco vibe, leaning into the speakeasy 1920’s vibe, without being cramped or dark.

ssn – LOL, “fuzzy on arrival” is going to be the name of my biography.

The bartenders are skilled mixologists.  Their drinks are a master class in cocktail creation, beautiful and balanced.  But they still take the time to talk and engage the patrons.

Our bar seat friends, Chase and Brock, were so freaking awesome!  And the four of us entertained each other and shared some amazing cocktails.  The classic martini, served on a bed of ice, my favorite (and Chase’s) was the Passion Fruit Caipirinha.  Their small plate menu included bone marrow, which we love, but also some crazy good wings.  

Glad we went back or we probably wouldn’t have included it in our list, because it was fuzzy, so very fuzzy inside.

So, go read the speakeasy blog, then come back and note that it is even better than we thought.  Oh, and the bathrooms…think Golden Tiki in Las Vegas without the penis door handles. Really cool, slightly erotic wallpaper, I see why it gets shoutouts online.

ssn – the bathrooms make the list of the 7 Most Beautiful Bar Bathrooms in Denver according to 5280 Magazine. Who knew?

Williams & Graham (LoHi)

On a street corner in the Highlands, Williams & Graham is a speakeasy hidden behind a wood and glass door that looks like it will lead you into a small bookshop.  Get all the entry details in our Denver Speakeasy Guide.

We had early reservations for a seat at the bar. Every drinking guest is given a welcome drink. It changes nightly depending on what the bartenders have developed for the day. We love a welcome drink.

Their menu changes seasonally, and are hand crafted by the staff (the best one of the night was developed by one of the bussers, which is insanely cool that anyone on staff can curate a cocktail, not just bartenders). There were many great choices, and we were thrilled that not all their cocktails included weird and off-the-wall items but leaned into the savory cocktail feels. Enough with putting peppers in cocktails for me but bring on the curry and saffron.

We ordered the bone marrow appetizer, the oysters, and the deviled eggs. The people next to us had the burgers and they looked amazing. They provided gluten-free toast for me, so a win for the gluten-free options.  AAANNDDDD, as a bonus to the bone marrow you can add on the “luge” at the end – whiskey or sherry poured down the bone into your mouth. Fantastically fun.

Side note, the bathroom is covered in little notebook pages with people’s drawings, advice, and humor, and I loved it.

Cocktails were a plus, the food was a plus, the service was plus, the pretentious men at the end of the bar were not a plus, but I cannot blame W&G for that.

ssn – also check out their location in Denver Int’l Airport in the A gates.

The Welton Room/Monkey Bar at Welton Room (Five Points)

We put off the Welton Room until our very last Sisbehaving day in Denver.  Again, I’m pretty sure I kept bumping it down the list because of the boring name.  Again, I was wrong (is this a pattern? No). Then we found out about The Monkey Bar.  These two bars are attached, share a kitchen, but are very different and have separate entrances.  Unluckily, we waited until it was Sunday to visit the Welton Room and found out that Monkey Bar is closed on Sunday – such a bummer for us.  But lucky for me, Pat and I hit it up the following week.  We are calling them as one ranking because we are running out of space for Top 10, and Top 11 is just weird, but you will definitely want to hit them both.

ssn – I dare say that yes, Patti being wrong about pre-judging is a pattern 🙂

There is a different, standalone Monkey Bar in Denver. The one we are talking about is technically called, The Monkey Bar at Welton Room, but for brevity, we will be referring to it as Monkey Bar.

Sunday afternoons are cleaning and prep days for Welton Room, but they are open and welcoming.  We get there, it’s empty, but Gabe is behind the bar and is a cool guy who usually is the bartender at The Monkey Bar.  The room is beautiful, it’s glass, black marble and brass, and black jaguar statues, cushy couches in green and in brown leather, lime green chair, and cool foot stools for extra seating.

The cocktails were fantastic.  I had the B-A-N-A-N-A-S, but Peggy had the clarified White Russian (my second choice).  Pat had a Welton G&T which came with a hibiscus ice cube, it was beautiful. We did try the potato tostones and they were fantastic!  So, if they are any indication of the kitchen skills and you are hungry, you will want to grab some snacks while you are here.

So, while The Welton Room was classy and cool, The Monkey Bar was a true Gem.

The Monkey Bar is an Espresso Martini Bar.  It’s more casual, but still nice and cool inside. We loved the golden monkeys on the bar.  The room is black and grey and has a big roll up window that has seating on both sides and makes the place feel bigger and airy-er. 

Gabe was bartending again and was busy crushing it behind the bar.  We were sat and entertained by Eric (assuming the c instead of a k).  You would think he was a northern midwest boy from Wisconsin or Minnesota (thin, blonde, adorable), etc, then he opens his mouth and out comes a Brooklyn accent. He was funny and great with sharing his experience with working in bars and The Monkey Bar (he never wants to work anywhere else except with these owners).

Speaking of the owners, Gabe is making espresso martinis in a multitude of flavors, then he hands them off to a really sweet Thai gentleman who puts the finishing touches on them. Finishing touches are the whipped coffee topping, sprinkles, chocolate chards, cotton candy, etc. to make these cocktails an experience. There is a second gentleman seating people, cleaning up, and serving the cocktails where he takes the time to explain the contents.  They were both so genuinely nice and invested in the whole venture.  Turns out they are the owners!  It was awesome, because they were definitely hands-on in their business and ensuring everyone had an amazing experience.

Dearly Departed (LoHi)

We managed a trip to Dearly Departed on our last night in Denver (however, I kept calling it Deadly Deceptions).  It is relatively new, they have just celebrated their first anniversary.

People consider Dearly Departed a speakeasy.  But it is not really hidden, there is an exterior sign pointing to the basement floor of the Teocalli (which looked like a fantastic place for dinner).

I was struck at how much I loved it here.  At the bottom of the stairs turn right and basically behind the stairs there is a bar.  It looks beautiful when you walk in, cream and black, with gold and red rose accents, oh, and really cool chandelier crystals hanging from the ceiling.  As you get in further towards the bar, you see that it wraps around and there is a whole other room on what would be the other side of the staircase.  It feels intimate and warm.

Ben was fantastic, fairly new but friendly and chatty about sharing his knowledge.  The menu is set up with five different cocktail versions (martini, old fashioned, sour, spritz, and highball), and for each version there are three categories (Bud, Blossom, Wilt).  Each category highlights the approach: classic style, slightly spruced up, and fun/experimental.

We learned from Ben that they make all their own juices, but they do it by infusing Everclear with the rinds of the fruit so that they get the flavor but not the sugar. In fact, there is no fresh fruit in the bar, because it goes bad so quickly and causes bugs and ants, etc. The bases of their cocktails are all made in house.

And do NOT snooze on the food.  The oysters were great (several spots had great oysters – in Denver, didn’t think we would find that in the mountains), but the real star was the steak with garlic chimichurri, I almost licked the plate.  

Jonathan was the other server, and I do not want to fail to mention him, because he joined the conversation late in the game, but we had a cool talk about giving back to the community and how important it is to be involved and help where you can, when you can.

Denver Bars – Theme Specific

Yes, we need to add on to our Top 10, because we had a few disagreements about what should be on the list.  And I felt we needed a well-rounded list with bars for every occasion and mood.  While Peggy did not disagree and did like them, she did not think any of them made the Top 10.  I did, and I write, and so here we are.

ssn – what can i say…I am a sucker for an aesthetic, vibey space and intricate cocktails.

Best Hotel Bar(s)

These both have strong arguments for being in the Top 10, so this is our way of squeezing more bars in!

Death & Co (RiNo)

Death & Company is inside The Ramble Hotel.  And I know, it’s odd for us to promote a hotel bar, but keep in mind, this is a branch of the famed Death & Co in NYC.

Way more sophisticated in atmosphere and décor than your average hotel lobby, Death & Co is known for it’s amazing service, knowledgeable bartenders, and quality craft cocktails.  It is very whiskey bar feel, with dark wood and leather; elegant is a great word for Death & Co. They separate their menu by drink styles, and I love that, I know right where to go to find my wheel house:  Fresh & Lively and Bright & Confident over Peggy’s Boozy & Honest or Elegant & Timeless.

Call Me Pearl (LoDo)

Call Me Pearl is located inside The Rally Hotel. It is a stunning space! Huge windows that look over McGregor Square, an incredible pearl chandelier that spans the entire ceiling, silver/champagne tones and lots of plants (but someone explain the lack of lights on just one section of the chandelier).

Our cocktails were fantastic but the star of the show was the Happy Hour menu. We think we found our Best Bite of the Year in the Bisque Shooters. Coconut curry bisque with tempura lobster bites on top. Insane!

Call Me Pearl is really hitting all the marks with the vibe, cocktails, food and service. It earns a solid spot on this list.

Best Dive Bar(s)

We couldn’t pick just one, they were all good, but we will keep it brief and you can decide what fits your vibe.

Bar Nun (Capital Hill)

Do not to go Bar Nun if you are the least bit offended by sacrilege, it is a dive bar dedicated to crapping on traditional religion.  They also have fantastic food.  It’s eclectic and irreverent, and that is exactly what you should expect from the bartenders.  And don’t skip the vending machine in the back room.  They have live music on certain nights in the back room.  It was fun, they don’t take themselves any more seriously than you should take them (especially with the body bag greeting you in the entryway).

Dive Inn (Platt Park)

A dive bar, for sure. But a dive bar with a dive theme.  There is a motorboat in the middle of the bar that serves as a party table.  The bar is lined with boat seats for bar seating. Every day classic cocktails, several Mai Tai inspired without being tiki drinks, and beer, plenty of beer.  And classic bar food.  It is solid, and fun, and a great hang-out and drink with your new friends at the dive bar.

The Crypt (Uptown/City Park West)

One of my new favorites.  The Crypt is a very heavy metal bar.  VERY heavy metal with horror movie themed.  Live music at night, and a great stage back room.  Posters, creepy relics and movie memorabilia adorn every available space.  They have shots, they have music, they have an atmosphere that makes you wish you were a death metal head banger in a mosh pit…even as a middle aged (+), chubby white girl.  There are protest posters, and an anarchy feel.

Chris, our bartender was super cool and part owner, not death metal scary, and made us $5 Crypt Shots. Other drinks were themed with names like Levitated Corpse and Pandemonium. Peggy admitted it was cool but was just not her vibe.  I put a Sisbehaving sticker next to sharpie graffiti that said God Loves Sluts, and so I disagree, this place was clearly made for her.

ssn – I appreciate the commitment to theme and the great service. But even in the middle of the afternoon, it was too much loud for me…I am clearly too old.

Best Tiki Bar

Adrift (South Broadway)

This was a planned adventure at Christmas time, so we got a Christmas Tiki.  And if you have a passion for Tiki bars, this is a great one.  Down on Broadway, close to a lot of other bars, this could kick off a weekend in fantastic style. A cool bar with Christmas lights, all your expected Tiki drinks with some inventive well thought-out new additions.  Lots of bamboo and lots of fun from the servers and bartenders who are there to provide a great experience.  This is a fun one.  Kick off a night of drinking with a fun, over the top, and just slightly tacky Tiki bar.

Best Girly Bar

Wonderyard (LoDo)

Downtown, close to Coors Field (where the Colorado Rockies play – baseball, y’all), there is a corner bar, which we didn’t think too much about until we walked by the outdoor garden.  Wonderyard is bougie and pink and floral.  The center seating area is the tea cups from the Alice in Wonderland ride at Disney. Around the outside of the patio are gold trellises adorned with flowers.  There is a raised covered patio area with firepit seating and leaves and flowers hanging from everything. Inside, there are pink neon signs, a large square pink neon-lit bar, and the entire back wall is a screen that shows a flower garden or other girly motifs.  If you are on a girls trip, or a bachelorette weekend, this is your place, and several of your selfie spots. 

The drinks are tailored to their garden feel, and mine came with cotton candy, a little Dr. Suess feeling, but which melted blue on top of my pink drink.   The neighbors in the next tea cup over had food that smelled amazing (tortas and nachos).  

Denver Wrap Up

We’ve been exploring Denver’s drinking scene for years and with spots like these, we don’t intend to slow down. We will continue to return to old favorites, discover new spots, and do all of the important cocktail research along the way.

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