20 of the Best Patios and Rooftops in Denver and Beyond

Summer’s in full swing and Denver boasts some of the best outdoor drinking and dining weather in the country (read: we don’t do humidity here). A killer patio is the place to be (and be seen) to soak it in—hopefully with an equally killer drink.

Below, 20 of the best patios and rooftops for everything from iconic green-chile-filled breakfast burritos to fine dining to game-filled nights with craft cocktails.

54thirty

• Where: 1475 California St., Denver (Downtown)
• Drink this: The guava daiquiri with pineapple and mint tastes like summer liquified.

Downtown Denver’s highest open-air rooftop bar, 54thirty perches on the 20th floor of the Le Méridien hotel at, you guessed it, 5,430 feet. Awnings and pergolas keep things shady when the sun is out, but after dark (until 12:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays) is when the fun really happens. The food menu runs on the snacky side, with sliders, tacos, and charcuterie boards, and on the beverage roster there’s an impressive lineup of bubbly by the bottle. With views encompassing the surrounding skyscrapers and the mountains beyond, this rooftop is popular—so be prepared to wait for seats, which are first-come, first-served only. —Allyson Reedy

Acreage

• Where: 1380 Horizon Avenue, Unit A, Lafayette
• Drink this: A Stem Ciders flight, so you can pit chile guava against blueberry lime.

Lafayette’s Acreage presides over the Boulder County suburbs on a west-facing hillside, delivering a panorama of Boulder, the Flatirons, and snowcapped Rocky Mountain peaks. The Stem Ciders production facility and restaurant spill out over the hill with a wraparound deck, patio, and lawn, where you can sample ciders and cider slushies and enjoy the likes of duck confit poutine, lamb burgers, and a bison short rib plate built for two. Psst: Parents—there’s a playground. —AR

Bonfire Burritos Arvada

• Where: 5800 Olde Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada
• Drink this: Start with a Mama Cecelia latte, named after Bonfire Burritos founder Cecelia Bustillos, who fed the current owners throughout their high school years before retiring and selling them the original burrito trailer.

A breakfast burrito joint may not spring to mind as a great patio hang, but Bonfire wants you and your family to stay for a while, and the kid-friendly outdoor area—more of a full backyard, really—offers a squishy artificial-turf play area, a big gazebo, tables with umbrellas, and a fire pit for those chilly mornings. Beyond burritos (in two sizes), there are also tacos and bowls as well as a full bar and espresso drinks, including boozy concoctions. —Mark Antonation

BurnDown

• Where: 476 S. Broadway, Denver (Washington Park West)
• Drink this: BurnDown keeps its house margarita on tap, so you can stay refreshed with quick and easy bar service.

Since it opened in 2023, gastropub BurnDown has attracted scores of sun seekers to its fourth-floor rooftop bar, which provides 360-degree views of the cityscape below. Lower down, you’ll find walk-out decks facing Broadway on the second and third floors. On every level, the central atrium makes you feel like you’re dining outdoors when you dig into loaded sheet-tray nachos, a hefty fried chicken sandwich, or an extra-thick chocolate chip cookie served warm in a cast-iron skillet. —AR

Corrida

• Where: 1023 Walnut St., Boulder
• Drink this: Good rule of thumb for life: If a G&T cart stops at your table, you should order something from it. This one’s loaded with fresh fruits, herbs, and other garnishes to personalize your drink.

There is no bad seat in the glassed-in dining room or on the patio at Boulder’s upscale Spanish steak house, Corrida. Located on the fourth-floor rooftop of the Daily Camera building, the restaurant specializes in dry-aged cuts of Colorado-raised beef, plus tapas, cured meats, specialty seafood, and local produce, all sided by in-your-face Flatirons vistas. Tapas and drinks on the deck are a must, but dinner is indoors-only. —AR

Duke’s Good Sandwiches & Burgers

• Where: 2748 Welton St., Denver (Five Points)
• Drink this: This place is old-school; stick with the theme and suck down a root beer float.

You know the al fresco experience is going to be good when the entire eatery is nothing but patio. Duke’s has no indoor seating, so dress for the weather and then dig into East Coast–style chopped cheese sandwiches, smash burgers, and hefty Italian hoagies. The back-alley setting feels like a neighborhood secret, but games, cheap beers ($3 Coors Lights; $6 craft cans), and occasional bands keep the vibe lively. —MA

The Fainting Goat Pub

• Where: 846 Broadway, Denver (Capitol Hill)
• Drink this: You’re on a dive bar rooftop on Broadway—so do as the locals do and opt for a pickle shot.

The Fainting Goat proves that sometimes the best rooftops aren’t new and flashy. The 16-year-old Irish pub features a cozy, living-room-size rooftop patio with a cluster of tables overlooking the mountains and the Golden Triangle. It’s strictly filling pub fare here, whether you choose Tetris-shaped tots, Irish egg rolls, or shepherd’s pie. Go Irish for your pint, be it Guinness, Harp, Smithwick’s, or Kilkenny. Sláinte! —AR

FlyteCo Tower

• Where: 3120 Uintah St., Denver (Central Park)
• Drink this: Skip the hard decisions and grab a Flyte (get it?) of four five-ounce pours.

This aviation-themed brewery’s patio is fully decked out with pingpong, lawn games, and an 18-hole mini golf course (not to mention the arcade, six bowling lanes, and other activities inside the former air traffic control tower), so read up on the prices and reservation policies before you go. The dozen or so beers, slate of house cocktails, and Jumbo Jet (a double-decker burger with bacon and pimento cheese) will also keep you entertained. FlyteCo recently added tours of the 11-story tower, in case you want to take the stairs to the tip-top of the neighborhood, where you can see planes coming and going at Denver International Airport to the northeast. —AR

The Golden Mill

• Where: 1012 Ford St., Golden
• Drink this: Come on; you know you’ve got to try something off that tap wall. In addition to beers, there are wines, batched cocktails, and even sake.

When the Golden Mill opened in 2021, it didn’t just bring west-siders more food options; it also added a great seat-yourself rooftop to the Front Range’s already stellar lineup. Boasting views of Table Mountain and the equally iconic Coors brewery, the rooftop is the best seat in—or should we say on—the house, with tables under umbrellas and awnings to beat the heat. Besides the very on-trend food (Hot chicken sandwiches! Birria gorditas! Poke!), there’s a huge self-pour tap wall serving nearly 50 beers, wines, batched cocktails, and other adult beverages. —AR

Halo

• Where: 6985 E. Chenango Ave., Denver (Southmoor Park)
• Drink this: Order the Don’t Look Down, made with tequila, Licor 43, grapefruit, and lime. (But seriously, do look down; the miniaturized street scene is adorable from more than 200 feet up.)

The new Kimpton Claret hotel at Belleview Station boasts some big selling points: Italian restaurant Saverina; its chef, Christian Graves (formerly of Citizen Rail); and the highest (by elevation) open-air rooftop bar in Denver city limits. Halo sits on the 19th floor of the Claret at 5,817 feet, so the views of the Rockies, the southern suburbs, and the DTC skyline are without equal. And the food menu is fairly substantial, as bars go, with smaller bites like mac and cheese balls or house-made potato chips with caviar, and meal-size dishes from a brisket burger to wine-braised short ribs with mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts. —MA

Hey Kiddo

• Where: 4337 Tennyson St., Suite 300, Denver (Berkeley)
• Drink this: Go light with the zero-proof sour, a tropical but not overly sweet blend of fresh mango and passionfruit juices with earthy cilantro and tomatillo.

The sunset view from Hey Kiddo’s fourth-floor rooftop amid the venerable treetops of the Berkeley neighborhood is nothing to scoff at, but creative dishes are still the star at chef Kelly Whitaker’s Michelin-recommended restaurant and cocktail bar. Snacks are on order on the rooftop, with customer favorites like popcorn chicken, a Caesar salad, East and West Coast oysters, and milk rolls as soft and fluffy as Grandma’s. For more eats, head downstairs for Korean-influenced dishes that combine ingredients in surprising ways, such as the pork belly with red koji (a fermented rice), ginger oil, and hot mustard. The cocktails have simple color names, like Green and Blue, that belie their complex flavors. Red, for example, is a slightly tart concoction of tequila, lychee, and schisandra, a Chinese fruit sometimes called the five-flavor berry—a crimson complement to the multicolored evening sky. —Rose Cahalan

Improper City

• Where: 3201 Walnut St., Suite 107, Denver (RiNo)
• Drink this: Cool off with an Improper Queen, a summer refresher of gin, coconut water, honey, mint, and lime.

The best part of Improper City’s parking-lot-size patio? It’s dog-friendly, which means you get a side of puppy adorableness with your beer (choose from 36 taps). And with a rotating lineup of food trucks—we’ve enjoyed pizza and tacos on recent visits—the food is always as interesting as the scene itself. Keep an eye on the venue’s Instagram for upcoming parties hosted by neighborhood business, mini beer festivals, and other events. Or book your own 15- to 30-person soirée in the private outdoor cabana. —AR

Joy Hill

• Where: 1229 South Broadway, Denver (Platt Park)
• Drink this: Try the blueberry mule, a fruity summer twist on the usual vodka cocktail.

Wood-fired pizza and suds are highlights of this South Broadway hot spot, but we think it’s worth making a trip to Joy Hill for the rooftop deck alone. The partially covered patio looks westward over the rapidly developing Santa Fe corridor, so you’ll be able to spot incoming thunderstorms and take refuge under the awning or inside by the cozy fireplace. Visit during Joy Hill’s new lunch hours (11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily) or at happy hour (3 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily), when you can sip $6 glasses of wine and $8 cocktails before watching the sun set over the Rockies. —Barbara O’Neil

Kisbee on the Roof

• Where: 222 Milwaukee St., Denver (Cherry Creek)
• Drink this: Get adventurous with the Fire in the Peach, made with Altos plata tequila, peach liqueur, Ancho Reyes, lime, and agave.

The rooftop lounge at the Jacquard Hotel reopened for the summer with a new cocktail menu starring a chilly frosé and summery cocktails like the Strawberry Tides (with Prosecco, strawberry-infused Botanist gin, lime, and agave). Sip your drink of choice under a rooftop cabana (starting at $250) or grab a lounge chair by the pool with a view of Cherry Creek and its many construction cranes. Don’t forget to purchase a day pass online ($39 for adults, $29 for kids) before your day visit (noon to 6 p.m. daily) or use OpenTable to make a reservation on Fridays and Saturdays for adults-only hours with a live DJ. —BO

Rare Bird

• Where: 245 Columbine St., Denver (Cherry Creek)
• Drink this: Live the vibe and order a bottle of bubbly.

You don’t need to be a tourist to head to the top of the Halcyon hotel; Rare Bird is one of the poshest spots in town for rooftop sips, wood-fired pizzas, and fancy grilled-cheese sandwiches. Relax in a rattan rocking chair by the fire pit, cool off under a shady tree (part of the rooftop garden vibe), or book a private cabana next to the open-air pool and have your own Kardashian moment. —AR

Rook

• Where: 3770 Walnut St., Denver (RiNo)
• Drink this: If you don’t mind drinking with the enemy, order a pitcher of sangria or John Daly before you destroy your friends at Uno.

Shareable pitchers? Check. Instagrammable ambience? Check. An impressive library of board games? Check(mate). Denver’s newest rooftop bar, nestled on the seventh floor of the Catbird hotel, is dedicated to spirits and strategy. After you pull yourself away from views of RiNo, Five Points, Cole, and Elyria-Swansea below, claim one of the curved velvet banquettes inside and challenge your crew to everything from Codenames to Candy Land. Outside, flex your college frat skills with cornhole or your steady hand with big Jenga. Food is minimal but appropriate; think walking tacos and fancy hot dogs. Rook also hosts various game nights, like Guess Who tournaments, Mahjong open play, and pool parties (don’t wear your swimsuit; it’s billiards). —Jessica Giles

Rose & Thorn

• Where: 1740 36th St., Denver (RiNo)
• Drink this: Opt for a cleverly named cocktail (like the Mile Haiku, which is described on the menu in haiku format)—or the bottle service, if you want to party like it’s 1995.

Rose & Thorn actually encompasses two separate bars at the Penrose, one of RiNo’s newest apartment buildings. Thorn is a subterranean speakeasy-style lounge scheduled to open later this year; Rose, which officially debuted on July 12, is the rooftop bar and pool soaring 16 floors above the neighborhood. Enjoy the experience in a lounge chair with a drink in hand, but be sure to get a taste of menu items coming from the open-air grill. Flame-grilled skewers are the most substantial eats, but a Dungeness crab cocktail, watermelon and feta salad, or plate of ahi tataki pair well with hot summer nights. —MA

Schoolyard Beer Garden

• Where: 1115 Acoma St., Denver (Golden Triangle)
• Drink this: Yes, this is a beer garden, but sometimes we’re just not in the mood for suds. A brief cocktail menu from the cafe side offers a handful of spritzes; ask about the variety of the moment.

The long-abandoned Evans School in the Golden Triangle has been refurbished with an expansive patio, indoor dining hall, and cafe. Called Schoolyard, it’s the perfect place to play hooky under the shade trees of the beer garden, which debuted in May. Enjoy bratwursts and burgers alongside your favorite Colorado brew, or try a poke bowl or basket of Wisconsin cheese curds. Well-behaved parents, kids, and dogs are welcome, so make it a family outing. —MA

Sorry Gorgeous

• Where: 1350 40th St., Denver (Cole)
• Drink this: Splurge on a cocktail as luxurious as your surroundings with the $18 L.B.D, a martini with both vodka and gin, dry vermouth, manzanilla sherry, pastis, olive, and a twist; top it with a bump of caviar for an extra $10.

If you feel like you’re at the edge of civilized Denver and traveling through a residential apartment building to get to Sorry Gorgeous, that’s because you are: The 12th-floor cocktail bar opened atop Novel RiNo, a building with more than 450 units near where Walnut Street dead-ends northeast of downtown, in October 2024. The benefit of being on the fringe is unobstructed sight lines of Mile High City skyscrapers and the mountains, but good luck tearing your eyes away from the endlessly Instagrammable interior. Thankfully, the space is long and narrow with accordion glass doors, so you can lounge on the emerald green banquet inside while still soaking in the sunshine and views afforded by the open-air patio. —Jessica LaRusso

Tamayo

• Where: 1400 Larimer St., Denver (LoDo)
• Drink this: Pair the bold and spicy fare with a fresh-fruit margarita, preferably made with something tropical, like mango or pineapple.

Overlooking the southwest corner of Larimer Square, the second-story patio at restaurateur Richard Sandoval’s recently remodeled Tamayo is a prime perch after strolling and shopping at the businesses below. And it’s comfy to boot; the spacious terrace is dotted with couches, lounges, and wicker chairs beneath shady pergolas. Choose from creative takes on Mexican classics—like pork belly guacamole, wild-mushroom huaraches, and jackfruit tinga—before finishing off with a pour from the bar’s selection of more than 100 tequilas. —AR