Bounded by Colfax Avenue, Lincoln Street, and Speer Boulevard, the Golden Triangle neighborhood once housed low-rise industrial and commercial structures; a center for car dealerships and repair shops.
It is now Denver’s civic and cultural epicenter with residential living, design offices, art galleries, restaurants, cafés, and retail boutiques sprinkled among museums and city, county and state offices. Among the neighborhood landmarks are Civic Center Park, where summer festivals abound, Denver’s City and County Building, the Denver Mint, the McNichols Civic Center Building, a cultural center for the people of Denver featuring regular art exhibits, the Denver Justice Center Complex, the Denver Art Museum, Denver’s Central Library, the Clyfford Still Museum, History Colorado Center, the Colorado State Office Building, and the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art.
Golden Triangle received its official designation as a Colorado Creative District in 2016.
Food & Drink
Lo Stella Ristorante
Owner Alessandro Polo is an eight-generation restauranteur from Portofino and features original recipes from the region in this quaint and intimate space.
1135 Bannock Street
https://www.lostelladenver.com
Leven Deli
Owned by restaurant veterans Anthony Lygizos and Luke Hendricks who met while working at Potager, Leven Deli is a hopping, sit-down lunch and happy hour destination in a former auto repair shop with outside seating. A Mediterranean-meets-Brooklyn menu includes house-aged pastrami, bread baked onsite, fresh ingredients and house-pickled vegetables.
123 W. 12th Avenue
FIRE
A feast for the eyes and palette, the ART hotel’s FIRE bar/lounge/restaurant is on the hotel’s fourth floor, adjacent to the lobby and offers both inside and outside seating elevated above Broadway. Art and views all around.
Bannock Street Garage
Dark dive bar in a former car repair shop, the Bannock Street Garage maintains that theme in its décor. There are plenty of games to play, big-screen TVs and and a patio out back.
1015 Bannock Street
Entertainment
The Curious Theatre Company
Established in 1997, the Curious Theatre Company has produced 20 world premieres in its first twenty seasons. Consistently thought-provoking plays are inline with Curious’ mission of to engage the community in important contemporary issues through provocative modern theatre.
1080 Acoma Street
https://www.curioustheatre.org
La Rumba
Denver’s renowned Latin dance club and concert venue featuring salsa orchestras, top Latin DJ’s, and concerts by international artists. Dance lessons offered every evening!
99 W. 9th Avenue
Art Galleries
Colorado Photographic Arts Center
1070 Bannock Street
Mirus Gallery
1144 Broadway
Walker Fine Art
300 W. 11th Ave #A
Sandra Phillips Gallery
47 W. 11th Avenue
Shopping
The Plant Garage
Formerly Urban Roots, managed by David Gesink, David bought this bought the business with Megan Murry, and Jim Henry, owners of PlantKind City Gardeners. This cache of botanic riches is also a monthly venue for a hosted last-Friday live music and beer from June through September.
1000 Acoma Street
https://www.plantgaragedenver.com
Central Denver Eyecare
Eye exams, glasses and contact lenses and a friendly and attentive staff.
1041 Acoma Street
https://www.centraldenvereyecare.com
The Sacred Thistle
A florist and gift shop with a rich and unique collection including pottery, baskets, Pendleton blankets, perfume, incense, greeting cards and houseplants.
1110 Acoma Street
Meek Vintage
Hand-made jewelry, previously worn fashion, new and recycled home décor and housewares, pottery, houseplants, unlikely perfume from Texas…
39 W. 11th Avenue
Place to Stay
The ART, a Hotel
The arresting ART hotel is a part of the Denver Art Museum complex, adjacent to the Museum Residences and with views of the Museum itself. This 165-room boutique hotel was designed by Denver’s Davis Partner Architects and features art hanging and standing on every level, each floor dedicated to a different artist and their work.
The hotel’s FIRE bar/lounge/restaurant is on the hotel’s fourth floor, adjacent to the lobby and offers both inside and outside seating elevated above Broadway.
1201 Broadway
Adventures in Golden Triangle
Dinner and a Play
What better way to start an evening than with dinner and a play.
Lo Stella Ristorante
1135 Bannock Street
https://www.lostelladenver.com
Owner Alessandro Polo is an eight-generation restauranteur from Portofino and features original recipes from the region in this quaint and intimate space.
A 7:30 curtain time meant early dinner and we were able to relax in Lo Stella Ristorante's comfortable interior without the usual bustle. A server translated Ilona's gluten free request into Italian to the bartender, who was happy to let us taste a couple of selections from the exclusively Italian wine list before we settled on anticipated pairings. Both the salmon and the veal scaloppini were delectable.
The Curious Theatre
It's a short walk to the Curious Theatre, where we saw Antoinette Nwandu's Pass Over, an uncomfortable story, inspired by Samuel Becket's “Waiting for Godot," of two young black men in America balancing dreams against hopelessness.
Levin Deli
We had a second warm welcome by Anthony Lygizos of Leven Deli restaurant, along with some of his very friendly staff where we had lovely Mediterranean-inspired lunch and cocktails al fresco in the midst of a buzzing, fashionable crowd.
The Plant Garden
There are several little boutiques to explore while walking around Golden Triangle’s... the first we stopped in was The Plant Garden owned by David Gesink.
This corner shop is full of interesting succulants, cactus, planters and colorful Chilewich mats. David hosts a party at the end of every month while the weather is still nice. Stop by and meet some of your neighbors, enjoy live music and have a cold brew.
Sacred Thistle
Locally owned by a mother daughter duo, this unique shop is located at 11th and Acoma. It's a florist and a gift shop with an interesting collection of jewelry, home décor, pottery, baskets, fragrances, art books, and greeting cards. Ilona took a liking to the large array of Amethysts!!! Her birth stone.
MEEK Modern + Vintage
Around the corner we were both captivated by this shop of curated vintage and handmade goods. The candles are super fragrant even when not lit. And we both loved the fragrances of West Third Brand, hand crafted near Austin, TX. Ilona can attest that even after Soul Cycle she could still smell the scents she sampled on her arms.
