Best Places In Denver To Take A Client For Cocktails

Maybe you're wooing a new client or rewarding an old stalwart. Whenever your company picks up the tab, Denver boasts a number of venues that mix up a mean cocktail and have the upscale ambiance designed to impress.

Shanahan's

5085 South Syracuse Street
Denver, CO 80237
(303) 770-7300
www.shanahanssteakhouse.com

NFL coach Mike Shanahan was known as the meticulous mastermind behind the Denver Broncos' success, so it comes as no surprise that the restaurant that bears his name can only be described as impeccable. Nothing but the best here, from ingredients, preparation, presentation and service, to the restaurant's interior - which includes a tasteful display of Super Bowl memorabilia at the entrance. Located in the Denver Tech Center, the atmosphere is stunning and signature cocktails are as impressive as the wine list. Live jazz and flat screen TVs offer smoothly integrated entertainment during any client meeting.

Elway's Downtown

1881 Curtis Street
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 312-3107
www.elways.com/downtown

Upon retirement from the NFL, former Denver Bronco quarterback John Elway created his first steakhouse in upscale Cherry Creek. The venue has continued to score big with locals, and a second version was inevitable. Housed in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, this incarnation matches its surroundings, much more tony and formal than its sister location. Clients will be impressed with the beverage list, appetizers galore and a generous raw-bar spread. The bar serves seemingly continuously, so you can down a mimosa with brunch fare or sip martinis at night. Open Sunday through Tuesday, 9 am to 11:30 pm.; Wednesday through Saturday, till 12:30 am.

Churchill Bar at the Brown Palace Hotel

321 17th Street
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 297-3111
www.brownpalace.com

Housed inside the historic 118-year-old Brown Palace Hotel, Churchill's classic library-esque, old-school atmosphere surprisingly attracts young professionals along with white-haired corporate brass. Cigar-loving clients can select from 60 hard-to-find varieties from the Brown's humidor, or you can bring your own to pass. Sink into leather couches and wingback chairs to savor carefully created martinis, single-malt scotches, small-batch bourbons and a selection of wines. Lunch and appetizers are available, as well as a plasma TV to catch sports or a stock market update. Open daily, 11 am to 11 pm.

Peaks Lounge

650 15th Street
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 486-4433
denverregency.hyatt.com

Denver's only booze room with a view, the Peaks Lounge sits atop the 27th floor of the Hyatt Regency in a sleek setting with a truly spectacular vista of the Rocky Mountains. Grab a window table at sunset for added drama. While a lot of the Peaks' allure is location, location, location (situated across the street from the Colorado Convention Center), it's a good venue to down some decent appetizers and decadent desserts to offset those peak-priced cocktails.