Downtown Denver sights and meals
 

I will be in Denver for business in late January, staying at the Adam's Mark. I will have at least an afternoon to enjoy the city and would love some tips of what to see. Also, I'm looking for some good local restaurants in the area. As always - thanks for your ideas.

Maggiano's Italian restaraunt is 1 block from the Adams Mark. Price per person $22-$32, but you get large portions and it is very good.
Exit the door onto 16th Street and turn left. Walk to the middle of the next block, and there is a movie theater sign. Turn left at the sign and enter a recessed shopping area. Maggiano's is in inside this little shopping area.

There are many restaurants on 16th Street. Check out citysearch.com for info.

Inside the Adams Mark is Bravo Restauranti. It is fine dining and more expensive. When I was there, the waiters took turns singing opera and other tunes.

Pinnecale Club in the Hyatt is extremely overpriced for the meal, good 38th floor view. The Palace Arms in the Brown Palace, 1 block away, is very good, but very expensive and rapidly heading toward overpriced.

There is another thread on this topic "Downtown Denver Restaurants"

Sights depend on what your likes are and if you are driving. There is a museum, planaterium, I-Max Theater2-3 miles way. 16th st mall is ok, but only if you like to shop.

I thought the Downtown Aquarium was very cool. It's also got a restaurant, but it's fairly new so I don't know if it's good, consistently or sporadically.

Can you be more specific on what you want to do? Shop, go for a walk in the park, aquarium/muesum type stuff?

Maggiano's isn't local, it's a chain, but still pretty good. If you want to walk, I'd take the mall shuttle down to Larimar street and go the shops on Larimar square. Also the Tattered Cover Book store is down in that area.(ask you Hotel for specifics for both). Great Restaurants on Larimar, Samba Room (Cuban), Capital Grille (steaks), Lime (not great food but drinks), Rioja, Tamoyo (upscale mexican. http://www.larimersquare.com/restaurants.html

If you want to explore some cute neighborhoods and do a little shopping, take a cab to Old South Gaylord Street or the Highlands area at 32nd and Lowell. Lots of restaurants in these areas as well.

Cherry Creek for more upscale shopping and dinning is fun too.

We visited (The Unsinkable) Molly Brown's home and wandered through The Brown Hotel. We stayed at the Oxford, built two years before The Brown by the same architect. Love McCormick's Fish House in the Oxford for its great raw oyster menu and very good seafood entrees. The Cruise Bar is art deco and a take off on a lounge on the Queen Mary. It reopened the day after Prohibition was repealed and has cool neon lights. The Tattered Cover Bookstore is a fun place for a coffee and to wander.

If you want a delicious dinner head for Elway's in Cherry Creek--John Elway's new restaurant. DELICIOUS food. You can eat a good appetizer and have a drink in the bar also. They make an absolute killer cucumber lime martini. Second the Cruise Room of the Oxford also for a 'tini. Denver Chop House over near Coors Field. For a memorable Japanese meal go to Domo--a country Japanese restaurant in a martial arts academy.
Vesta Dipping Grill is very good. If you like Vietnamese, take a cab to the New Saigon on Federal. For lunch and shopping go down to LoDo. Eat at the Market Deli. For excellent seafood, go to Jax Seafood in LoDo. LoDo is more fun for shopping than Sixteenth Street Mall, I think. For power shopping go to Cherry Creek. If you don't have a car, taxis are not expensive.

I like to use www.opentable.com for ressies all over the country including Denver. Gives you the opportunity to see what's available, links to restaurant websites, and to earn points toward dining discounts.

Hoffbrau House for food. I had never heard of a fajita until I ate there twenty years ago. I've been eating fajitas in a big way ever since.

Don't miss the Denver Art Museum, a quick walk across the park from your hotel. It's small and very do-able in a short period of time. Great Western and Native American art.

I second the vesta dipping grill for dinner which was mentioned earlier. Lunchtime-Green Salad Co near the Westin hotel just off 16th St is yummy. It's casual-ordering at the counter.

I third Vesta... I had dinner there last week. AWESOME!!!!
http://www.vestagrill.com/