The Velvet Cellar — Restaurant in Denver

The Velvet Cellar is LoDo's hottest new restaurant featuring American dishes, artisan cocktails, & sommelier-curated wine. It's centrally located and just a short walk to both Ball Arena, Union Station, and Coors Field.

We arrived at The Velvet Cellar and were seated in the main dining room. Velvet Cellar offered an ambiance that made us want to enjoy each other’s company & imbibe - the open concept, exposed brick, u-shaped bar, and cozy banquettes were styled & inviting. The staff was exceptional. The Owner Reilly Chunn was a star; he made us feel right at home (as he did with every table) and he gave us great info on the restaurant & menu. Our server Keanna was so sweet - she was attentive & quick with service.

We started off with Signature Cocktails. The Best Kept Secret was made with...well, it's a secret! If you're an espresso fan, trust you will LOVE this cocktail. A must order!

The La Piña Fuego was made with Convite Mezcal Joven Esencial, Ancho Reyes, pineapple, more pineapple, and jalapeño. I loved this cocktail - it rushed onto the palate with a taste of golden pineapple and a savory acidity that finished off with the subtle heat of mezcal & jalapeño.

The Aspen Winter Sky was made with Aspen Vodka, violet, elderflower, lemon, and bubbles.

The Wild Magic Greyhound was made with Ford's Gin, vanilla, and blood orange.

The Korean Lollipops were made with hickory smoked chicken drums, gochujang barbeque sauce, and kimchi slaw. Mouthwatering - these lollipops were our favorite starter. The outside of the chicken drums were golden, crisp, and doused in the sweet and spicy gochujang glaze. The inside of the chicken drums were so juicy & tender.

The Ahi Aguachile was made with Ahi tuna, aguachile, pickled fresnos, cucumber, and red onion.

We couldn't go to The Velvet Cellar and not enjoy some wine! We had the pleasure of chatting with Sommelier Chris Dominey who leads the wine program and has carefully curated a selection of wines that is approachable (and would satisfy any connoisseur). We had a bottle of the Vincent Couche Eclipsia Rosé Champagne. This lovely blush sparkling wine had fresh aroma of apples and crisp fruit flavor that burst from the glass.

The Vincent Couche Eclipsia Rosé Champagne was paired with the Charcuterie made with the Chef’s selection of cheeses, locally sourced cured meats, grilled baguette, & seasonal accoutrements. This is the best charcuterie I've had in Denver - the hard gouda, classic brie, blue cheese, & lavender cheese were so good.

The Steak Frites were made with Centennial cuts beef coulotte, whiskey barrel shoyu glaze, peking duck frites, duck cracklings, & sweet mirin aioli. Freakin' delicious and pan seared to perfection, the coulotte steak had a rich beefy taste. The peking duck frites had an extra crisp crunch. The sweet mirin aioli leveled up the steak and fries even more. This was our favorite main.

The Crispy Lion's Mane Ragu was made with breaded lion's mane, bucatini, blue oyster mushroom ragu, crispy polenta cake, parmesan tuille, & basil olive oil. The breaded lion's mane pieces were huge and had a dense, clean flavor that faintly resembled crab.

For dessert we had the Sorbetto - so refreshing and the perfect ending to a...

I have been waiting to try The Velvet Cellar for a while now, and I FINALLY got the opportunity tonight!

The decor has such a warm, inviting chic appeal with an edge of sophistication. The bar is huge, and even when it was packed there was plenty of room for everyone seated there. Several large wine cases line the perimeter, and it was awesome to see the vast wine selection offered here. Lucas was one of the bartenders who served us tonight, and he had such a confident air to his experience and was able to lend some insight/recommendations to my meal.

Started off with a couple cocktails: "Best Kept Secret" and "The VC Old Fashioned". For appetizers we had the Korean Lollipops and Scotch Olives. The Best Kept Secret hits the palate like a Coke, then Dr. Pepper, then a root beer flavor, yet is an espresso cocktail over ice. Who knew!? It was wild and exciting to taste. My palate tends to shudder with most bourbon, yet The VC Old Fashioned was so smooth it was a delight to sip on. The lollipops were out of this world; so flavorful and scrumptious. I could've eaten 8 of them right by myself and been a happy camper. The Scotch Olives blew me away. I made sure to get a little taste of everything with each bite, and it made me appreciate the dish all the more.

For entrées we had the Salmon Couscous and the Farmhouse Chicken. The garlic rosemary mash of the chicken entrée elevated the dish to a whole new level. So much flavor, so delicious! The salmon was literally the best freakin' salmon I've ever had the pleasure to eat. The skin was crispy, the couscous was perfect, the homemade hot pickles and onions transformed the flavor to something I wouldn't have ever imagined.

My next drink was a hard decision of trying either the "Queen of Hearts" or a new cocktail called "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner". I went with the newer addition to the cocktail menu, and it was a light, spicy-but-refreshing cocktail that elevated the last of the meal for me. I was so stuffed by the end that I was disappointed I didn't have room to try the Ube Brûlée dessert!

Exceptional job and fantastic concept, y'all! The Velvet Cellar is exciting to the eyes and palate, invigorating to the neighborhood, and downright fantastic to enjoy alone or with friends. Needless to say I am stoked to come back to try more from their menu, like the Ahi Aguachile for my appetizer and the Shrimp & Grits or the Lobster Creste di Gallo for my entrée. Definitely won't be leaving until I try that Ube...

Birthdays are wonderful, especially the one I just or perhaps am still celebrating. Came here to discover a new spot before the rest of the celebration continued.

I suggest reservations since it’s popular being so central to Ball Arena (Tate McRae concert that night), ball games and just typical downtown events and busyness. Parking is street but we snagged a spot close by.

While we read it is a great date spot, I disagree for first dates. Quite loud, not an intimate setting and would make for awkwardness. The place is nicely decorated with purple lit wine racks and green velvet benches. But it’s lacking a certain sexy vibe to showcase the creativity of the chef and excellent staff.

Thoughtful in having a birthday note at our table to greet us, staff is quick and friendly always ready to make sure your needs are attended to immediately. Reanna was sweet, attentive and knowledgeable. Her suggestions were on point since it suited our taste style.

Cocktails are wonderful with the Death by Daiquiri being a favorite. It’s light and refreshing contrasted against its sister the Jungle Bird, a warmer sexy cocktail. The wine selection is a great variety to choose from and couldn’t resist the French rose and Spanish cava.

One of the most gluten free option menus for downtown and a welcome surprise. We decided against the shareable entrees but highly suggest the rack of lamb. That looks so scrumptious. We opted for several plates to share like the salmon crudo. Ooeemmggee what a creative and yummy dish. It was a gorgeous presentation. The cold blueberry granita looked like caviar but marrying it with the creme fraiche and jalapeño was perfection. Light refreshing and incredibly chef genius. The meatballs, gluten free surprisingly, was great with the sourdough focaccia. The marrow butter is THE most mouth watering oozy goodness you could devour.

Personally I am a big fan of birthday candles and birthday sparkles on my birthday dessert. But sadly my ube brulee came out naked with only pistachio crumbs to meet me. It’s such a unique taste and quite rich without being overfilling. The pistachios add that extra for the dish.

Overall I think you should stop in and have the items and graze a bit. I think when you love yourself a little extra, it’s about to get magical. Thank you for spending the evening feeding me...