Like craft beer and breweries, Denver is one of Colorado’s capitals for craft coffee and cafes. Making fresh brews from locally sourced beans, if you’re looking for the perfect cup of joe, you’ll need to know where to find the best coffee in the Mile High City.
Rest assured you’ll never have to go far to find your fix. From a range of coffee shops and little cafes across Denver, you’re sure to find the right fit for you. Whether for a meeting, a date, or simply to spend time with friends, there are plenty of options within the city. Apart from the obvious national chains, there are many local coffee shops that you will absolutely love to drop by.
Often you can go directly to the coffee roasters, which have their own cafe. Or find Colorado roasted coffee beans for a brew at a number of local coffee shops. These roasters source their amazing, passionately-sourced beans from all over the world, from Asia to America. We’ll mention just a few of the top cafes in the city, with many more to discover, and new ones opening every year.
Here are some of the top coffee shops and roasters in Denver, CO, in no particular order:
Crema Coffee House
Located in RiNo on Larimer Street, Crema Coffee House will remind you of the Pacific Northwest with its concrete floors, exposed brick, and peeling wood planks. Offering classic selections like espresso, cold brew, and pour-over coffee as well as quality beans from roasters like Counter Culture, Herkimer, and Queen City Collective, there are plenty of delicious options for everyone.
Apart from coffee, you can also try fresh juices, one of Crema Coffee House’s rotating kombucha flavors, chai, or other different kinds of tea. Their food menu is also great, with hand-crafted dishes that will keep you well-fed and happy. Everything is made in-house from fresh, high-quality ingredients.
Open daily from 7 am to 5 pm, excluding holidays, in addition to “The OG” coffee shop, they have a smaller bodega in the Denver Central Market.
Queen City Collective Coffee
Boasting locations in Five Points and the Baker Neighborhood, Queen City Collective Coffee is named after “Queen City of the Plains”, aka Denver. Getting their beans sourced directly from farmers and roasting everything on-site in small batches, you can purchase their coffee in a monthly delivery subscription.
Roasted on the first Tuesday of the month and shipped the next day, you’ll be guaranteed fresh beans. Also giving back through Made by HER, which empowers women coffee farmers who often do hard labor, yet go underpaid and unrecognized, Queen City Collective Coffee is open daily from 6:30 am – 2:30 pm.
Steam Espresso Bar
Established by twin brothers in 2013 and open daily from 7 am to 3 pm, Steam Espresso Bar has a unique take on coffee that only true coffee enthusiasts will be able to fathom. Using premium-quality beans sourced from micro-roasters, their specialty is using sustainable and environment-friendly brewing techniques to make the perfect cup of coffee.
This sleek Wash Park café serves beverages that bring out the authentic flavors of coffee, without the use of flavored syrups or paper filters. So if you’re looking for fancy, flavored coffee, don’t bother going here. With an industrial vibe, this shop is for true coffee lovers.
Corvus Coffee Roasters
Established in 2010, Corvus Coffee Roasters has become one of the most popular coffee joints in Denver. Housing a Dutch cast-iron roaster as well as several bagged beans on display behind the counter, from the moment you walk in, you’ll know how serious Corvus is about their coffee. Having welled-trained baristas, staples at Corvus Coffee Roasters include espressos and cappuccinos.
With plenty of drinks with unique flavors like citrus-spiced cola, strawberry syrup, and mint Kyoto-style brews as well as seasonal options like honey-pear lattes, rosemary, and lemon brews, coffee from Corvus is a craft experience. Open daily in multiple locations across Denver, stop by anytime from 6:30 am – 6:30 pm.
Little Owl Coffee
Little Owl Coffee in LoDo, is a small shop that can fit 8 guests inside and 8 out on the patio. It has a simple counter, a cooler, a shelf of products, and seats for customers. However, it is a perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee in a peaceful ambiance and really feel the taste of it. Serving coffee, tea, and pastries, this shop’s flavors pack a punch.
Little Owl Coffee’s farm-to-cup policy ensures you get pure brews, single-origin and single-estate coffees, manual brew methods, and craft espresso. They source their coffee from Middle State and ensure they serve a perfect blend with just the right amounts of coffee, foam, milk, or flavors. You can opt for almond milk, vanilla brew, or chai spices, depending on your mood and preferences.
The coffee shop is open every day, Monday to Friday from 7 am – 4 pm, and 8 am – 4 pm on weekends.
Huckleberry Roasters
Located in Sunnyside and Dairy Block, Huckleberry Roasters is one of Denver’s oldest roaster chains. Its best outlet is the Sunnyside location, where you can get several types of single-origin beans. Their signature blends make you soar, so make sure you try the Blue Orchid, Phantom Limb, and Topo Chico. Huckleberry Roasters also serves a variety of teas.
A busy café with a patio, Huckleberry Roaster’s food menu is worth mentioning. Make sure you try their special toast, which comes with the accompaniment of your choice. You can take a pick from options like peanut butter, banana slices, bacon bits, sun-dried tomatoes, creamy feta, etc. Both locations are open daily for your eating and drinking pleasure.
Stowaway Kitchen
For the best coffee and brunch, Stowaway Kitchen is the place to visit in Denver. Serving well-known brands and local roasts, apart from the obvious caffeine choices, you can get flats with cashew milk, Aeropress, flavored coffee, and many other options. Their hot chocolate and root beer are also to die for! They also have a liquor license and serve really mean and unique cocktails.
For brunch, start with avocado toast, which is the most recommended item on the menu. You can pick small or large plate sizes, like the chai-flavored porridge, Colorful Colorado, or the salt and vinegar hash. If you’re not in the mood to experiment, go for their eggs or ham. Stowaway is open Thursday to Monday from 8 am to 2 pm.
Apart from these brilliant options, Denver is home to many other coffee shops that deserve a special mention. Some of these remarkable places are Olive & Finch, River and Roads Coffee, Kaladi Coffee Roasters, Black Eye Coffee, and Weathervane Café. If you’re a coffee fanatic, make sure to check out all these places before settling in your favorite one.
And if you happen to head up to the flatirons, stop by one of Boulder’s top coffee shops. After the coffee houses close, keep the adventure going at one of Denver’s hidden bars and speakeasies. Sip on a cool cocktail to cap off your crafty day in the capital city.
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