With summer fast approaching and temperatures heating up, there’s really only one thing you need: a killer patio. Okay, maybe two: a killer patio with an equally killer drink. We rounded up 20 of the best patios and rooftops where you’ll want to be sipping on something scrumptious, slathering on the SPF, and cheers-ing the Rocky Mountain sunset all summer long.

New Best Patios Additions

BurnDown

Washington Park West
New gastropub BurnDown only opened in the middle of last month, but the three-story establishment with rooftop views of the mountains and downtown has already generated plenty of buzz. Part restaurant, part music venue, the predominantly open-air spot features a courtyard, a sundeck, and three bars at which to fill your glass.
Drink this: You can’t go wrong with a spicy watermelon margarita on a sunny day.

Tom’s Starlight

Capitol Hill
The 24-hour Tom’s Diner may be gone, but from its metaphorical ashes has risen Tom’s Starlight, the vintage-chic lounge that also boasts a pretty groovy patio. Covering much of the former spot’s parking lot on East Colfax, the new patio features fire pits, fountains, mid-century seating, private cabanas, and a whole lot of artificial turf.
Drink this: The Radio Freqs cocktail, with pink peppercorn gin, Aperol, grapefruit, and lemon, completes the swanky, nostalgic vibe.

Room for Milly

A green patio.
The Terrace at Room for Milly. Photo courtesy of Room for Milly

LoHi
Room for Milly is one of the snazziest cocktail bars in town, so it’s no surprise that its new patio is oozing with style. The Terrace has a lush, Parisian theme and will serve bottled drinks out of an ice-cold retro cooler on weekends through Labor Day.
Drink this: For a boozy bev, try the rhubarb-infused Mr. Pimm’s, and for non-alcoholic patio sipping, the Hibiki Spritz made with green tea and hibiscus.

FlyteCo Tower

Central Park
This aviation-themed brewery’s patio is fully decked out—ping pong, lawn games, and an 18-hole mini golf course. (Not to mention the arcade and six bowling lanes inside its former Stapleton air traffic control tower home.) Early rising locals know that it’s open at 7 a.m. for coffee, bagels, and, yes, beer.
Drink this: Skip the hard decisions and grab a Flyte (a beer flight, get it?) of four five-ounce pours.

Elevated Rooftop Bar

Elevated Rooftop Bar. Photo courtesy of Elevated Rooftop Bar

Cherry Creek
You don’t need to be a tourist to head to the top of the Halcyon hotel; locals know that Elevated Rooftop Bar is one of the poshest spots in town for rooftop sips. Snag a private cabana and have your own Kardashian moment.
Drink this: Live the vibe and order a bottle of bubbly.

The Marigold

Five Points
If you like your cocktails with a side of plants, then pull up a stool to the Marigold for bromeliads and booze galore. After shopping for greenery at the plant shop/bar hybrid, post up on its second-floor deck overlooking Welton Street.
Drink this: Not surprisingly, Marigold specializes in botanicals, so gins are kind of their thing. Try the bright, gin-based Mind Your Elderflowers to stick with the floral theme.

Farow

Farow’s patio. Photo courtesy of Farow

Niwot
For a fancy al fresco feast, head up to Niwot’s Farow for a hyperlocal meal. With a goal of sourcing 90 percent of its ingredients from within 10 miles of the restaurant, you know your dinner on the restaurant’s spacious patio is going to be fresh.
Drink this: Get tropical with the Jungle Bird cocktail, a mix of white and black rum, pineapple, and lime.

Our Old Favorites

54thirty

Rooftop at 54thirty. Photo courtesy of 54thirty
Rooftop at 54thirty. Photo courtesy of 54thirty

Downtown
Denver’s highest open-air rooftop bar, 54thirty is perched atop the Le Meridien hotel on the 20th floor. Named for its altitude at 5,430 feet, this bar is popular—how could the city’s highest al fresco rooftop bar not be?—so get there early or be ready to wait. It offers oodles of sun during the day, fire pits during chilly nights, and Instagram cred during, well, always.
Drink this: New this year, the Guava Daiquiri sounds like summer liquified.

Improper City

RiNo
The best part of Improper City’s humungous patio? It’s dog-friendly, which means you get a side of puppy adorableness with your beer. And with a rotating lineup of food trucks setting up shop at IC, you and little Luna will never go hungry.
Drink this: The Baby Blues cocktail, made with gin, peach liqueur, and lemon, if you’re in the mood for something spiked, or a cucumber lime fizz if you’re not.

Forest Room 5

Forest Room 5. Photo by Brittany Anas

Highland
Forest Room 5’s patio is a Denver treasure. With tree stump seats, an almost-jungle setting, a bridge crossing a brook, and even a teepee, this hidden oasis should be on every Denverite’s must-visit list.
Drink this: The frozen Jack Torrance’s Maze, a mix of rum, nectarines, peaches, and lime.

Grow & Gather

Englewood
There’s already a lot going on at Englewood’s Grow & Gather: The former automotive shop now houses a hydroponic farm, urban garden, market, greenhouse, and a restaurant, the Feedery. But one of the best spots to enjoy all that hyper-locally grown produce is on the rooftop, at a table nestled between the greenhouse and grow bed retaining wall. (Note: The rooftop will open up for the season in June.)
Drink this: Grab an On the Fence kombucha or Huckleberry Roasters cortado for brunch, or one of the house cocktails made with Family Jones spirits for happy hour.

Corrida

Corrida’s dining room and patio overlook the Flatirons. Photo by Raul Garcia, Courtesy of Corrida

Boulder
There is no bad seat at Boulder’s Corrida. The upscale Spanish restaurant is built inside the glassed-in fourth floor of the former Daily Camera building, and its views of the Flatirons are jaw dropping. Whether you’re toasting from the expansive patio or the elegant dining room, the mountains are right there, providing the perfect backdrop for selfies or staring, depending on how you roll.
Drink this: Good rule of thumb for life, if a gin-tonic cart stops at your table, you should probably drink something from it.

Reynard Social

Reynard Social’s sixth-floor bar leads to an open-air patio. Photo by Riane Menardi Morrison

LoDo
Reynard Social, the bar on the sixth floor of the Thompson Denver, isn’t technically a rooftop. But you’ll most definitely want to enjoy this stunner of a space that leads to an inviting patio overlooking 16th Street. When the summer breeze blows in, you’re not going to care about technicalities.
Drink this: Watch the sunset with an apple and pear brandy-spiked Orchard Martini in hand.

Tamayo

Tamayo's patio is shady and welcoming. Image courtesy of Tamayo
Tamayo’s patio is shady and welcoming. Image courtesy of Tamayo

Larimer Square
Overlooking Larimer Square, the second-story patio at Tamayo by Chef Richard Sandoval is a prime perch for people watching. And it’s comfy to boot; the spacious terrace is dotted with couches, lounges, and wicker chairs from which you can sip one of the bar’s more than 100 tequilas.
Drink this: A fresh fruit margarita, preferably made with something tropical, like mango or pineapple.

The Golden Mill

Food hall from across a creek.
Golden Mill abutting Clear Creek. Photo courtesy of Golden Mill

Golden
When the Golden Mill opened in 2021, it didn’t just bring west siders more food options, it also added a great 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. Besides the very on-trend food (Hot chicken sandwiches! Birria gorditas! Poke!), there’s a huge self-pour tap wall serving 50 local craft beers.
Drink this: Come on, you know you’ve got to try something off that tap wall.

The Fainting Goat Pub

Capitol Hill
Broadway’s the Fainting Goat Pub proves that sometimes the best rooftops aren’t always new and flashy. The nearly 15-year-old Irish pub features a cozy rooftop patio overlooking the mountains and South Broadway’s—which makes for excellent people-watching. The beer list is also pretty solid, but the grub is worth checking out, too (try the Spicyaki wings).
Drink this: You’re on a rooftop on Broadway. Opt for a Pickle Shot.

Acreage

Acreage’s patio. Photo courtesy of Acreage

Lafayette
There may be no better place to catch the sunset than at Lafayette’s Acreage by Stem Ciders. Its wraparound deck and patio offer panoramic views of the mountains, and with a solid food menu—plus all those ciders and cider slushies (yes, we said cider slushies)—there’s really no reason to be anywhere else.
Drink this: A cider flight, so you can pit Stem Cider’s chile guava flavor against the salted cucumber.

The Red Barber

RiNo
Yard games? Check. Amazing views from a rooftop? Definitely. Fire pits for chilly summer evenings? The Red Barber’s got three. Frozé on the menu? You know it. This rooftop patio atop the Catbird Hotel meets even the highest patio standards, making all your al fresco drinking dreams come true.
Drink this: Pick your sign off the Red Barber’s astrologically inspired cocktail menu, like bold Leo’s passion fruit, pineapple, and rum concoction.

Postino

Various locations
It seems like it’s a core part of Postino’s business model to have a killer patio, and the three Denver locations—LoHi, Broadway, and 9+Co—are no exception. You’ll find plenty of outdoor seating at all three, but the Broadway Postino is especially charming with its indoor/outdoor bar, foliage-covered pergola, and cozy fireplace.
Drink this: The Sherry Mary, Postino’s take on the Bloody Mary, for weekend brunch.

Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not’s hip patio. Photo courtesy of Forget Me Not.

Cherry Creek
Whether you’re a part of Cherry Creek’s see-and-be-seen crowd or you just appreciate a really well-made cocktail, Forget Me Not is your place. Sip on one of mixology wizard Nicole Lebedevitch’s stunning creations on the hot spot’s chic, black-and-white patio, and take a mental victory lap for your day’s choices.
Drink this: Go with a group and get one of the mega-size (and mega-garnished) large-batch cocktails.

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Allyson Reedy
Allyson Reedy
Allyson Reedy is a freelance writer and ice cream fanatic living in Broomfield.