Nightlife in Denver

Belly up to the bar or kick back in marshmallow-like sofas and prep your palate with a specialty sip. MiniBar's inventive cocktail menu includes everything from mouth-watering martinis (try the miniBar'tini with Grey Goose L'Orange vodka, citrange, white cranberry, and a spritz of lime, $8) or a bubbly miniBar bellini (Lunetta prosecco, white-peach puree, and peach schnapps, $6). Small plates such as the spiced nuts (coated with kicky Cajun spices) or bacon-wrapped medjool dates are prime for sharing (served 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., start at $5 for one item). MiniBar also features a well-edited selection of salads, dips, and cheese plates to satisfy more intense cravings. Try the caprese salad ($9), flatbread and dips ($8), or the barbecue baby back ribs ($11).

Exposed-brick walls, soft string lights, and eye-catching art serve as the backdrop for a relaxing night over carefully selected wines, small plates, and conversation at Sienna Wine Bar & Small Plates. Shareable dishes include Toblerone chocolate fondue, house salads, and gourmet pizzas to tantalize taste buds and fill diners' stomachs, complemented by sips of wine from the bar's large list of libations.

Named for the basement vault hidden beneath the historic building for more than a century, the Blake Street Vault embraces its history. The dining room bears the original tin ceilings and exposed brick walls, and the menu is inspired by the food of early Denver immigrants. Dishes such as smoked green chili, burgers made from Colorado buffalo, and flaky chicken pot pies hearken back to campfire cooking, while only slightly more modern treats such as the restaurant's signature moscow mule cocktails impart an old-fashioned touch by being served in copper mugs. After eating, guests can explore the 150-year-old building, venture into its mysterious vault, and track down Lydia, the ghost whose high heels have been heard clicking across the saloon floors when the eatery is empty and trying in vain to start a conga line when it's full.

Every year since 2007, Jazz@Jack’s has won first or second prize in the Denver CitvVoter category of Best Live Music Venue due to its nightly soundtrack of live jazz, blues, and funk. The watering hole's co-owners and house band Dotsero regularly perform their acclaimed brand of contemporary jazz tunes, which floated weightlessly out of the speakers of the space shuttle Endeavor during a 187-orbit flight around Earth. A full calendar of local and national acts lures patrons into the sleek space, where walls of windows reveal panoramic views of the surrounding buildings' toupees. A vibrant hand-painted mural depicting musicians interrupts warm orange walls as the stage's bright lights spill onto a black-and-white-checkered dance floor. Tall tables serve as rest stops for dancers to intermittently sip wine and cocktails blended at the full bar, and a spacious patio encourages the sharing of conversations and selections from Jazz@Jack's smattering of classic bar appetizers and desserts.