Last updated on October 12th, 2026 at 02:57 pm
Fun Food Tours
Full Disclosure: I’ve been a Viator Partner for a decade because when I wanted a Jack the Ripper tour in London, an Electric Bike tour in Boulder, or a Cocktails Tour in Denver, Viator delivered. In partnership with local providers, the Tripadvisor brand offers over 300,000 experiences worldwide. A tour with a local is the best way to get acquainted with a new city, get insider tips, and meet new friends. Viator tours are especially great for solo travelers or when your son (or whoever you’re traveling with) has to work, and you want to explore on your own.
Thanks to Barry, our guide on the downtown Denver Cocktails Tour, I met a fun family from Littleton, Colorado, and learned more about Denver’s history and food scene. We met in Union Station and climbed to the mezzanine, where he described The Cooper Lounge as a first-class, vintage experience (as in silver trays and service fit for the Orient Express). Now it tops my Next Time list.
We had a front row seat in the Tavernatta kitchen, which Barry says cooks the best steak in town. Tavernatta is part of the Frasca Hospitality Group, known for multiple James Beard Awards. Two more members of their family not to be missed are Sunday Vinyl and Tavernatta Vail where you can get an Aperol Spritz from an Italian-inspired secret window. Denver has its secrets, too. I learned the haunted history of the Oxford Hotel and that the Cruise Room was an inspiration for Stephen King’s book, The Shining.
Barry gave us tips on the speakeasy, Run for the Roses, at the Dairy Block, and where to get deals around town. A Kentucky-born Tennessee girl, I especially enjoyed the Butter Pecan Old Fashioned at Urban Farmer (made with Bulleit 95 Rye) and the BBQ slider at Poka Loka in the Maven Hotel. DELICIOUS.
Where Locals Chill
I love wandering my son’s quiet neighborhood when he’s working. Local ladies are all about Babe’s Tea Room. Make reservations with the girls or order online and take out tea and cucumber sandwiches (what I do). Around the corner I wandered into another Christmas market with handmade goods.I’m also a fan of Proto Pizza (known for having Denver’s “Best Pizza” and “Best Cannoli”) and Maria’s Empanadas, also on Platte Street.
Botanical Gardens and Road Trip
This visit, we finally made it to the Botanical Gardens. Sadly, night reservations were full, so we didn’t see the holiday lights, but we had fun having the place to ourselves. And, of course, no visit to Denver is complete without a drive through the mountains.
Thanks, Cole!
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