The Rabbit Hole — Restaurant in Colorado Springs

First, let me start by letting you know this wonderful restaurant is located downstairs below street level. A great begin to your experience down The Rabbit Hole. The stairs leading down are not the only entrance to this wonderland, look for the elevator it's nearby.

We started with the French fries truffles. The menu does a great job describing the dishes, so I'm going to try and focus on the flavors, textures, appearance and overall taste. The menu descriptions will be at the bottom.

We started with the Truffle Garlic Frites, which our waitress recommend and we throughly enjoyed. The are served warm with in a bowl with the sauce in the middle. They were crispy on the outside with tender potato in the center. The Herbs and Truffle Salt blended beautifully in the Truffle Oil and was a perfect dipping instrument for the Creamy Smoke Sauce. It was a large portion and a good indicator of what was to follow.

Beyond soda and water, the only beverage ordered was a server recommended Marble Cerveza, Mexica Lager - not often but occasionally we'll try a beer. This was the first time we ordered a second serving.

The first Entrée was the Seafood Pasta. Served in a large bowl with a very rich and creamy sauce with garlic and sautéed cherry tomatoes over Cavatappi Pasta. Mixed into this wonderful pasta and sauce were huge shrimp, scallops and crab. This addition of seafood is where the complexity of the sauce works it majic. Again a large portion that will allow for something to take home and make sure you want to return for more. The seafood was all cooked to perfection.

The second Entrée was Mac and Cheese. This dish is a replica of the first dish, minus the meat and cherry tomatoes. We had this as our vegetarian choice and it was also an excellent meal. Basically, it was the same wonderful fullness and flavor, just made to allow vegetarians to enjoy the rich creamy awesomeness on the same grand scale.

The finale Entrée was the Rabbit Meatloaf. After all, if you're going down The Rabbit Hole you have to have the Rabbit Meatloaf. First and foremost, do not let the size of your portion intimidate you. Remember, you ARE the Apex Predator here. I was sure how this one was going to taste, but the kitchen outdid itself. The combination of ingredients rabbit, bacon, potatoes, carrots and herbs covered in a generous portion of Honey Adobo Demi Glace was fantastic. There was not an overly gamey taste, but rather a wonderful hint of rabbit that made this dish a table favorite. Again, large portion, enough for some later.

Finally, dessert, Carrot Cake. A must try. Rich creamy icing and rich flavorful carrot cake. This is how carrot cake is supposed to taste and the size it is supposed to be when served to company. Again, large family sized portions enough for some later.

The part I didn't want to leave out is the service. Top notch. Our server was amazing. She was there when we needed her and always a step ahead of us when it came to what we would need. Friendly, beautiful smile and an excellent attitude. She was well organized and quick to respond. A real credit to the establishment.

As mentioned above, here are the items ordered as they appeared on the menu, minus prices as those change based on numerous reasons.

Truffle Garlic Frites Fries Tossed in Truffle Oil, Truffle Salt, Creamy Smoke Sauce, Fresh Herbs (Vegan, DF, GF)

Seafood Past Cavtappi Pasta, Crab, Scallops, Shrimp, Italian Cheese Blend, Garlic and Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes, Panko Topping, Fresh Herbs (GF available by Request)

"Mac" n' Cheese Cavatappi Pasta, Roasted Garlic, Italian Cheese Blend, Panko Topping, Fresh Herbs (GF available by Request)

Rabbit Meatloaf Bacon Wrapped Rabbit, Honey Adobo Demi Glace, Whipped Russet Potatoes, Charred Carrots, Fresh Herbs (GF, DF by Request)

Carrot Cake Four Layer Cake, Cream Cheese Frosting, Nuts,...

This is an EXPERIENCE - one that must be had by every foodie and fantasy lover. The Rabbit Hole was recommended by a work colleague and they did a pretty good job of describing just how cool this place is, but did NOT do it justice. You have to experience it to really know. Words simply cannot describe the world you descend into.

So, you go down the rabbit hole. There is a magical feel starting from then! It's most magical at night with the twinkle lights in the dark, but the moment you open that subway door and take the first step inside, it all starts. There is a selfie/insta corner and then you head to the actual restaurant. It's dark and fantastical all the way through. The walls are decorated with paintings from the Land. There are mirrors and nooks which make you feel like you're exploring a new world. Every single turn you take reveals a new pictorial or interior design secret. Nothing in this place has been put there by chance. It's all thought out and planned. Our experience was even more fantastical thanks to the groups of diners next to us, who were dressed in Wonderland characters. I mean, this place probably earns 3 stars just on the basis of the feels and design.

But see, then comes the food and drinks and you just cannot stop gushing! We were hungry but even now (completely stuffed) that menu looks delicious. To start with, we ordered The White Rabbit and the Rabbit Hole Mojito. Now, I don't really like coconut in my drinks. I don't like coconut rum either. But it said "flaming marshmallow" and I had to see that. It was definitely worth getting it. Even with all the coconut, it was a fresh delightful drink that I enjoyed. My friend's Raspberry Mojito was delicious and I definitely enjoyed that more since Mojitos are right up my alley. Highly recommend both drinks though!!

Onto the food: we ordered the Carrot Ginger Burrata. Everything about this - the Burrata, carrot ginger puree, the almonds, the pea tendrils and even the lemon - was fantastic. We finished every inch of that plate, lemon and everything. For those of you concerned, the lemon was not very tart and a bit of the Burrata with the puree and lemon is worth it.

For the entrees, I was torn between the Rabbit meatloaf and the Seasonal Catch. I went with the Seasonal Catch which was a broiled rainbow trout with jasmine rice and tequila lime Napa slaw. For a girl who LOVES spices in her food and cannot tolerate bland food, I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed the trout. It was salty, juicy and cooked so well that it cut easily. The sweet jasmine rice and the slaw were perfect accompaniments. I definitely recommend adding some pepper on top for those of you who need a little kick in their food like me.

My friend was torn between the Pork Belly and the Duck Confit and went with the Duck Confit, a choice she thoroughly enjoyed throughout. She kept repeating, "sooo tender!!" and, "falling off the bone!!" throughout the meal. The duck was really really cooked well, was indeed falling off the bone and the bbq sauce was simply delicious!! My friend always boxes her leftovers but doesn't actually eat them. This time however, she states she will. Because that delicious duck is meant to be finished!

We finished the mean with the carrot cake. It's a pretty big piece so definitely meant to share. It was so so so good!! Moist, perfect sweetness and not too much cream cheese frosting. We had to take it to go too because we couldn't finish it. But it is worth getting even if you're full from the meal.

This is pricey. Between the two of us, we spent about $145 with the tip. But it's an experience that must be had.

P.S. Sorry if I have spilled the beans on Colorado Springs' best kept secret. But such a secret isn't...

This place was recommended in a You Tube Vlog I was watching. My kind of style and vibe. I guess it's a pseudo speakeasy? It's more of a best kept secret location underground.

You can easily walk pass it like we did. It's located in the middle of the block of E. Kiowa St in front of Bonny and Read Seafood. So from the side view, it looks like a subway station. From another angle, you'll see the doors that almost looks like a phone-booth with regular doors and it'll say The Rabbit Hole, so that's why I say it's not really a speakeasy if it's not really a “secret” entrance. Once through the doors, you walk down a flight of stairs and wha-la!

Reservations are hard to come by and must be made way in advanced. Like three days in advanced and they open at 4pm. I wasn't sure what day we were available and didn't make reservations but the bar is first come first served. So we winged it on a Friday night at 6:30pm and got a seat at the bar for two.

As always, I asked for sweet drink recommendations and was recommended the Cherry Limeade which was syrupy sweet. I should have said refreshing sweet which would be the The Rabbit Hole mojito.

For food, we ordered 4 dishes under Nibbles which were appetizers. In order of importance:

Duck Wings ($12) - Marinated in kung pao sauce, peanuts and hot chili. This dish was by far the most bold in flavor and lived up to its name. It was also very crispy and not dry.

Watermelon salad ($13) - So refreshing and the watermelon was sweet. It was stacked in layers and came out looking like a sushi roll. Watermelon cubes as the base, then a slice or cucumber, crumble of goat cheese, then topped with greens in a sweet onion vinaigrette.

Roasted Brussels sprouts ($12) - A simple dish of brussels sprouts in a citrus ginger glazed with slices of carrots and bacon bits. This dish hit all the flavors but it would knock it out of the ball park if it was crispy. It wasn't soggy, it was just cooked like boiled not roasted.

Crispy pork belly taco ($14) - This was recommended by our server. I wouldn't order this again. It came with three tacos and when it came to the last one, my friend asked me, “Hey, do you want to split the last terrible tacos?”. The flour tortilla shell seemed pan-fried which created a crispy outer shell but it tasted like store bought or old flour. The fillings inside was so much fluff before you can even taste the protein, three bites in. We mistaken that the crispy meant crispy pork but it was for the taco shell.

Based on quality, taste, service, ambiance, and overall experience, I would give this place a 4.5...