Avanti Food & Beverage — Restaurant in Denver

I came here solo because I was new in town and was looking for a relaxing bite. It was like a perfect storm because everything went wrong.

First, i was greeted by a waitress who didn’t know how the place worked at all. She must have been new because she couldn’t figure out how one even orders a drink over there! She never came by so I had to go to her to ask. Turns out there’s a PDF drinks menu online but you order at the bar, unlike the food, which you order through a different website. Great UX.

The waitress at the bar took legit 10 minutes to check my ID because she thought it “felt too thin”. They didn’t have an ultraviolet ID checker (or any experience with IDs apparently) so I think she literally showed it to everybody until someone who looked like a manager finally gave it back and let me order. Granted it’s a WA drivers license which is very different, but then that waitress didn’t apologize and acted like I was somehow at fault.

I ordered food from Lea Jane’s, which doesn’t seem to be there anymore (no wonder). The collard greens were too salty and the waffle fries old and dry. Chicken sandwich was ok. The online order website was very clunky, super confusing and didn’t send me a text when food was ready even though I know I entered my number correctly. The guy said “sorry dude I texted you like 6 times”. My food was cold.

Only giving it two stars because my Banana Old...

I do love this place but get there early.....it's huge and still does not have enough seating for all the other fans of this place. Another of Denver's great collective eateries.....similar to The Source and Central Market....but I honestly think better than its competitors.

First of all, that view of downtown! Superb. Parking is a bit rough but after 5:30, Avanti offers valet so definitely take advantage of that.

Booze is pricey.....my tiny glass, and I mean tiny, of Sangria was a whopping ten bucks. It was yummy but was gone in about 5 sips. Come here for the ambiance and the camaraderie and the ability for everyone to choose different foods but don't come here to get a buzz.....unless you want to drop a small fortune.

As for the food, I can only comment on what we had. We started with pita and hummus from Souk Shawarma and it was fantastic. Warm pita triangles combined with a chunky hummus....perfect combo.

Husband had sushi from Bamboo Sushi (I can't remember what kind) but he said he was not a fan. I, on the other hand, have to RAVE about my shrimp and grits from The Regional. Perfect spice, creamy grits and a good shrimp to bite ratio. That all being said, it was a small portion. My advice is to order two.

Great people watching, young hip crowd and based on seating, it is set up...

Pretty cool spot, great views, in a neighborhood with atrocious parking (you've been warned). I enjoy having a meal here and then going across the street to Happy camper for Xmas lights and drinks. Avanti also has a pop up tiki experience upstairs for Xmas (fun to hit both In one night but heads up you need a reservation for Avantiki) - it was cute but also could stand to be a little more experiential. For example, they bothered putting up this insanely cool tiki mask sign/display right when you walk in but the tables in front of it are so close, you really can't take pictures with it or enjoy the aesthetic. Many of the cocktails aren't actually served in themed glasses and the music could stand to be more "luau". Staff at Avantiki was absolutely wonderful, super friendly and attentive.

VEGAN STUFF: There definitely are some vegan options (Vegan Arepas or the Greek bowl are both good but missing something) ... it feels like there should be more options, since there are so many kiosks. Feel like this is a missed opportunity. I get that once you leave Boulder the VG GF opportunities dwindle, but like.... Surely there are people in Denver who want these things from this...