Denver is known around the country for its outsized craft brewing scene. Thankfully for coffee snobs, the Mile-High City has also developed an exceptional craft coffee culture. If you’re looking to impress a coffee connoisseur or simply find a better cup of morning joe, try one of these third wave coffee shops.
Amethyst Coffee Company
Open since 2015, Amethyst Coffee Company serves Commonwealth Coffee and a carefully curated selection of rotating beans from other roasters. In addition to quality craft coffee, Amethyst is known for its white-and-wood geometric design and chia pudding.
Black Eye Coffee
An exposed brick wall and reclaimed wood tables give this LoHi craft coffee shop a trendy hipster feel, but this place is more than just looks. This shop’s top-notch coffee is sourced from single-origin suppliers all over the country. The original Black Eye Coffee is just over 10 minutes’ walk from AMLI Riverfront Park. Black Eye’s Capitol Hill location is also worth checking out. It’s art deco-inspired space turns into White Lies cocktail lounge each night.
Carbon Cafe & Bar
Also a 10-minute walk from AMLI Riverfront Park, Carbon Cafe is known for its edginess and affordability. The coffee, cocktail, and food menus here are rife with creative twists on tried-and-true classics. Between 3 and 6pm, craft beer and house wines are and everything on the food and cocktail menus is 25-percent off.
Hudson Hill
Tasteful modern decor, delightful handcrafted cocktails, and excellent coffee vie for patrons’ attention at this Capitol Hill coffee shop. Hudson Hill is a 15-minute walk from AMLI Park Avenue, located on the corner of 13th and Pearl St.
Little Owl
This aptly named LoDo craft coffee spot was one of 21 featured on Thrillist’s 2014 list of America’s best coffee shops. Little Owl has an authentic Italian coffee bar feel, serves coffee roasted at Commonwealth and Sweet Bloom, and owns one of the most highly coveted espresso machines in existence. Little Owl is a 15-minute walk from the LoDo apartments at AMLI Riverfront Park.
Metropolis Coffee
If you like your coffee beans roasted and served Seattle style, hit up Metropolis Coffee. The Denver craft coffee company uses beans from Seattle-based roaster Herkimer. Metropolis has three locations, including one in LoHi that is a half-mile walk from AMLI Riverfront Park.
Novo Coffee
With four locations, Novo Coffee is the most prevalent craft coffee purveyors on our list. Novo serves drip coffee and classic espresso beverages, but its pour over and nitro cold brew coffee are especially popular. The Capitol Hill location is a 15-minute walk from AMLI Park Avenue’s Uptown Denver apartments.
PigTrain Coffee
Denver Union Station is a cool place to do just about anything. That it houses a cafe serving legitimately good coffee only makes drinking a cup of coffee in the historic railway station all more enjoyable. PigTrain brews Novo coffee, and serves a selection of adult coffee beverages.
The Thump
Another Capitol Hill craft coffee shop within walking distance of AMLI Park Avenue, The Thump roasts its beans on-site. Thump is based in Oregon, but its Mile-High City roastery is the Thump’s only operation outside Oregon and is well-received by Denver coffee aficionados.
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