Imagine a place where you can kick back after a day of touring the city, riding the trails, attending meetings or working a day job. The views are amazing, the cocktails imaginative, and the beers and appetizers reflective of creative Colorado brew masters chefs. Want a really energetic happy hour experience? Add a dose of vintage games, Ping-Pong, bowling and more.

Fortunately, these images of happy hour heaven are reality in Denver. Check out VISIT DENVER's curated list of happy hour hot spots. Some even offer a late-night version!

GREAT VIEWS

Around Town
 

Justin Cucci and his company Edible Beats Restaurant Group have two happy hour havens with views, including the latest addition, El Five. Nestled high above the Lower Highlands (known as LoHi) district on the fifth floor of 2930 Umatilla, El Five’s spacious open-air patio sits adjacent to its big sister Linger, featuring a rooftop deck complete with a vintage lime green airstream trailer serving globetrotting small bites. El Five is like a best friend’s penthouse with a touch of the exotic, serving up traditional Spanish and Mediterranean tapas with influences from North Africa and the Middle East. Don’t miss the paella and desserts at Elk Five or the delicious food and drink at Linger, and “eatuary” located in a former mortuary.

Ale House at Amato’s is known for having one of the “happiest of happy hours” in LoHi. The menu is a nod to Colorado's craft beers, wines and spirits and includes handcrafted food as well. Erase the cares of the day away on the rooftop patio and quaff Breckenridge Brewery and Wynkoop Brewing Company beers for only $3 during happy hour, and try a beer cocktail or toast with a glass of bubbles instead. One of the best things is that happy hour is every day from 4–6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close!

Inspired by European markets and food truck roundups, Avanti F & B is a modern-day food hall in LoHi with seven culinary options situated in modified shipping containers. Dig into chef-inspired cuisine of such variety that no one goes home with an empty stomach and sip a pint of one of the 20 beers on tap, a classic cocktail or affordably priced yet tasty wines in the two bars, including one that spills onto a selfie-inducing rooftop patio.

Also with a prime LoDo location only one block away from Coors field, Viewhouse Eatery, Bar and Rooftop serves up panoramic views, a chef-driven menu and indoor and outdoor activities. Downstairs, glass garage doors open onto a turfed courtyard, complete with volleyball net and lawn games. During fair-weather seasons, there’s Live Music Rooftop Happy Hour on Wednesday through Saturday from 4:30–7:30 pm. Year-round, the $3 bites and drinks, $5 wine and cocktails and more during happy hour attract an enthusiastic crowd.

Del Frisco’s Grille Cherry Creek has a premiere upper-level patio with both secluded nooks for quiet conversation and wide-open spaces for mingling galore. It’s modern, inviting and stylish. Signature apps like Cheesesteak Eggrolls and Wagyu Corndogs are on the happy hour menu along with a cocktails, white and red sangria, and of course wine and ice-cold beer. Stay a while longer for an al fresco dinner.

 

Hotel Hot Spots
 

The highest, open-air rooftop bar in the city, 54thirtyRooftop (meaning 5,430 feet above sea level), is located at the brand new Le Méridien Denver Downtown. On the Elevated Cocktails list are taste sensations like Bubby Bees Knees, 5430 Whiskey Ginger and Key Lime Fizz. The beers are Front Range fresh, and there’s a good selection of Denver-crafted spirits and a varied wine list. Snacks and bites are far from ho-hum with options like Habanero Popcorn, Cheese Monkey Bread and Spicy Shrimp Lettuce Cups. 54ThirtyRooftop Bar will be closing for the winter season.  

The contemporary vibe that The ART Hotel Denver, Curio Collection by Hilton is known for spills over onto FIRE Terrace, the fourth-floor patio overlooking the Gold Triangle Creative District and Broadway Street. The fire pit itself is a work of art, complemented by lounge seating and cheery red umbrellas. Expect new American interpretations on classic craft cocktails, live entertainment on occasion, and tasteful nibbles such as bison and Colorado lamb sliders during “social hour” from 3–6 p.m.

Peaks Lounge perched on the 27th floor of Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center offers big views all year long. Huge windows overlook the downtown landscape and provide heady glimpses of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Enjoy a selection of wines by the glass, along with an outstanding menu of appetizers and desserts from 5–10 p.m. nightly. Don’t forget to try one of the Colorado cocktails made with local libations and organic juices and garnishes.

 

AMUSING PLACES

Punch Bowl Social opened its first location in Denver five years ago and has rapidly expanded to cities like Portland, Austin, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Minneapolis. With large, visually appealing interiors, Punch Bowl Social blends an upscale, diner-inspired menu and fresh bar offerings (e.g., amazing punch bowls to be shared, adult milkshakes, and yummy house-made sodas and fizzes) with a vintage gaming experience, including private karaoke rooms! 

Housed in the old Storz Garage at the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood, Ace Eat Serve has an industrial look yet playful atmosphere that serves as a backdrop for a Ping-Pong hall, dining room serving Asian-style comfort food, and bar with garage doors that bring the outdoors in. The outdoor patio has bar seating, picnic tables and two custom concrete Ping-Pong tables. Check out the Happy Go Lucky Menu served until 6 p.m. daily.

Located in the Denver Pavilions on 16th Street Mall, For The Win (FTW) may be the city’s newest amusing place but it’s linked to a perennial favorite, Lucky Strike Lanes, by a shared bar. FTW Denver is the third location in the nation after Chicago and Albany and merges gastropub cuisine like candy bacon BLTs and ahi tuna spoons, 24 beers on tap and a wide range of cocktails with state-of-the-art gaming. In tandem with the opening of FTW in December 2016, Lucky Strike was transformed with an edgy and stylish rocker vibe, similar to Lucky Strike’s flagship Hollywood location. Those who don’t want to bowl can play shuffleboard, billiards and Ping-Pong.