The Top 88 Places to Drink Near Bodega
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- Punch Best New Bartenders · Mak Kelly
- Westword 2024 · Best Bar for Girls’ Night · Best of Denver
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
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- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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Rank 3. Mezcaleria Alma
Mexican
Tucked next to chef Johnny Curiel's flagship, this agave bar doubles as a serious kitchen, and the two halves push each other into strange, good territory. The mezcal list is long and thoughtful, the cocktails inventive, and the food pulls from Mexico City's restless energy with Japanese and other detours woven in. A Michelin star and a New York Times nod followed quickly. Plan around the bar counter if you can.
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- Westword 2026 · Best Secretly High-Tech Cocktails · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar
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Rank 6. Sunday Vinyl
Wine Bar
The conceit here is that every night out feels like a dinner party at a sommelier's apartment, right down to the records spinning in the background. Bobby Stuckey, the master sommelier behind Frasca, built this wine bar around the idea that great wine and great music belong together. Wednesday flights pair pours with a specific artist's catalog, moving from Billie Eilish to Hendrix depending on the week. A James Beard semifinalist for its beverage program.
- Esquire The Best Bars in America
- Wildsam The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
- Wine Enthusiast Forward 50 Restaurants
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- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Eater Johnny burger · Denver’s 20 Most Iconic Dishes
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- Spirited Awards 2024 · Winner · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar
- 50 Best #67 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Esquire Old Bay Martini · The Best Martinis in America
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Rank 10. The Cruise Room
Art Deco Cocktail Bar
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- Esquire The Telegraph · The Best Martinis in America
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
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- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- Wildsam The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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Rank 15. Noble Riot
Wine Bar
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
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- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Erika Whitaker and Kelly Whitaker - ID EST
- 5280 Best for Filling Bellies · The 23 Best Bars in Denver
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
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- Punch The Who’s Who of Beer Cool
- Westword 2023 · Best Beer Service · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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Rank 19. Hey Kiddo
Korean Cocktail Bar
A cocktail lounge called Ok Yeah tucked into the back tells you everything about the vibe here. Hey Kiddo is a playful, Asian-inflected restaurant and bar on the third floor of a Tennyson Street building, with a rooftop deck most people don't find on the first visit. The menu runs on shareable plates, and the team behind it earned a James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalist nod. The room skews young and loud in the best way.
- Westword 2023 · Best New Restaurant-and-Bar Combo · Best of Denver
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- 5280 The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
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- Huckberry The 50 Best Dive Bars in America
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
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Rank 21. Xiquita
Mexican
The menu at this Uptown Mexican restaurant isn't fully translated into English, which the staff treat as a feature rather than a bug. Chef Erasmo Casiano's cooking runs from dry-aged hamachi crudo to duck carnitas tacos, and the cocktails lean on prickly pear, tomatillo, and jicama. Esquire named the Martini Cochinero among the best martinis in the country, which tells you something about where the bar program sits.
- Esquire Martini Cochinero · The Best Martinis in America
- Westword 2025 · Best New Restaurant · Best of Denver
- 5280 The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
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Rank 22. Hell or High Water Tiki
Tiki Cocktail Bar
- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- 5280 Best for a Big Night Out · The 23 Best Bars in Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Use of a Leopard Speedo · Best of Denver
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- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Denver
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Rank 26. The Electric Cure
Tiki Cocktail Bar
- Westword 2024 · Best Satanic Gay Tiki Bar · Best of Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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Rank 27. Rougarou
Southern
Southern cooking and a cocktail program that pours buttermilk and benne seed into the glass share equal billing at this casual Five Points restaurant and bar. The chef runs with heirloom grits and collard greens but also hot-and-sour catfish and sorghum-tamarind pork shoulder, so the kitchen respects the tradition without being hostage to it. The team behind the preeminent cocktail bar Yacht Club runs the drinks side, which explains the ambition in a room that looks relaxed about the whole thing.
- 5280 The 13 Best New Places to Eat and Drink in Denver
- Eater The Best New Restaurants in Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best New Bar · Best of Denver
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- Thrillist The Best Bars in Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Westword 2023 · Best Pickle Shots · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2026 · Best Culinary-Inspired Cocktails · Best of Denver
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar
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Rank 33. Malinche Audiobar
Nikkei-Mexa Japanese Cocktail Bar
The concept here is a Japanese jazz kissa, a vinyl-focused listening bar, filtered through a chef who thinks huitlacoche and yuzu belong on the same plate. The food runs "Nikkei-Mexa," meaning Mexican and Japanese ingredients trading places freely, and the cocktails follow the same logic: sotol meets sake, charanda meets shochu. A taco cart parks out front most nights. Small room, big sonic ambitions, and a crowd that showed up for all of it.
- Eater The Best New Restaurants in Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Dessert With Salmon Roe · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- Westword 2023 · Best Bar Decor · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best Neighborhood Bar That Feels Older Than It Is · Best of Denver
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
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- Westword 2025 · Best Place to Get a Warm Beer on Purpose · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- Westword 2025 · Best New Bar Where Everything Is $5 · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- Westword 2025 · Best New Neighborhood Bar · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- Esquire The Best Bars in America
- Eater The Best Bars in Denver
- 5280 The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
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- Westword 2026 · Best Brewery Upgrade · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Brewery to Take Visitors · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Beer to Drink Ringside: Helles · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2025 · Best Distillery for Cocktails, With or Without Booze · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
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- Westword 2024 · Best Bar to Visit Alone · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Westword 2023 · Best Dive Bar With a View · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2024 · Best Coffee Shop for Conversations · Best of Denver
- 5280 Best for Catching Multiple Buzzes · The 23 Best Bars in Denver
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- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Westword 2023 · Best Patio for Tortured Writers · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2023 · Best Punk Bar · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Westword 2024 · Best Surprisingly Vegan Bar Food · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2024 · Best Bar on a Snowy Night · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Westword 2023 · Best Bar/Restaurant for a First Date · Best of Denver
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Rank 70. Emerald Eye
Caribbean Cocktail Bar
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Rank 73. Major Tom
New American
The name comes from David Bowie's "Space Oddity," and the kitchen leans into the theme without going full theme-restaurant about it. This New American bar and restaurant on Larimer keeps things approachable, with a concise menu that rotates through tight, careful cooking. It shares a block with the tasting-menu sibling next door, so the crowd tends to know what they're doing, which keeps the energy easy without feeling sleepy.
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- 5280 Best for Day Drinking · The 23 Best Bars in Denver
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Place to Drink With a View · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2024 · Best Vintage Beer List · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- 5280 Pork Tenderloin · The 17 Best Sandwiches in (and Around) Denver
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Rank 79. Ay Papi
Caribbean Cocktail Bar
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- Westword The Top 50 Bars in Denver Right Now
- Westword 2024 · Best Philly Cheesesteak at an Iron Maiden Bar · Best of Denver
- 5280 Cheesesteak · The 17 Best Sandwiches in (and Around) Denver
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Rank 86. The Lazy Greyhound
British
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