Hang Out at Denver's "It" Bar
Drop by 5 Degrees on a Friday night and you'll find yourself awash in a sea of beautiful people, proudly displaying their designer labels and air-kissing hello as they drape themselves over a bar stool (if they're lucky) or perch near the bar (if they're late). Candy-colored vodka cocktails are the specialty here-hence the name, which comes from the perfect temperature to serve a martini. But don't discount it as just another lounge; menu designer Eric Roeder (of Bistro Vendôme fame) makes snappy small plates that are well-worth sampling from a cushy couch in the neo-Baroque dining room. Call to reserve a table near the back corner and you'll be in prime position for the resident sport: people-watching.

Also try...The 9th Door, for Spanish tapas and a classy, chatty atmosphere, or Tryst Lounge, where single urbanites escape their lofts to savor the house specialty, strawberry-infused vodka.