After a harried morning, the MCA Cafe offers a tranquil place to recharge and grab a light lunch. Perched on the top floor of LoDo’s glassy-cool Museum of Contemporary Art, the spot dishes up hearty soups, fresh salads, and made-to-order sandwiches. Don’t miss the generous roast beef, served on chewy ciabatta with tangy horseradish Havarti. Try it with a cup of the sweet tomato-basil soup.

The cafe is sleek and stylish—just what you’d expect inside the MCA. Best of all, two of its walls of windows provide bright, scenic views of lower downtown. The danger, of course, is that with a full bar, wines by the bottle or glass, and all that art downstairs, you may be tempted to linger all afternoon.

Save room for sweets from Icing, Etc., whose selections are sometimes inspired by opening art exhibits. The cafe, for example, featured raspberry French macaroons and tiramisù with red berry glaze in homage to the deep red found in the impressive large-scale canvases by Barnaby Furnas, now on display.

Tidbit: To access the eatery, you must pay the $10 museum admission fee. Or, buy an annual membership ($45) and receive 10 percent off each cafe purchase. Plus, students can visit the museum for free on Fridays.

1485 Delgany St., 303-298-7554