The Week the City Empties in Denver, Without a Car

I would start with the dinner you kept postponing, not a room you need friends to enter. Bar Dough gives the evening a clear subject: wood-fired pizza, handmade pasta and a lively LoHi setting. Let one dish be the whole plan rather than chasing company across town. Check the current menu and seating options before leaving; a reservation or bar seat is not promised.

For a solo drink, I want a room with something to watch before I want a conversation. Death & Co sits inside The Ramble Hotel, where the lobby bar gives the evening a setting without making mingling your assignment. Treat seven as a starting idea, not a guaranteed seat. Check current service and seating before heading to RiNo, then decide whether one drink is enough.

I would not build a night around finding an actually empty street. At Hop Alley, the open kitchen gives a solo meal a focus even when conversation feels like work. Let watching the kitchen replace small talk while you explore the Sichuan-inspired menu. Check the booking options before setting out for 3500 Larimer; the Chef's Counter is a separate choice, not an assumed walk-in seat.

A second stop should lower the effort, not turn dinner into a transfer puzzle. I would make ChoLon the landing after a LoDo walk, with French soup dumplings or small plates as the reason to sit down. Keep the next move on foot only if the route feels comfortable. Save the Blake Street address before leaving, and skip an extra venue when the meal already does the job.

Small plans are easier to keep when nobody else is coming. Marco's Coal Fired includes desserts alongside its Neapolitan pies, and the casual bar service makes a shorter visit worth asking about. I would make one sweet order the ambition rather than commit to another full dinner. Check the current dessert selection and whether a dessert-only visit works before heading to the Ballpark address.

The last train matters more to me than one more round. Wynkoop pairs its historic warehouse brewpub with an upstairs pool hall, so there is something to do if conversation stalls. Let your ride home set the finish instead of drifting until closing. Before ordering, check your actual return route, service alerts and final departure; being near Union Station is not a promise that your train is still running.

I would end with a place that gives next year a reference point, not another obligation. Ultreia sits in Union Station's Great Hall and serves Iberian tapas and pintxos, making a small final meal a sensible idea. Keep one note about what worked before you leave. Check the current menu before choosing your order, then save the address and the kind of seat you would ask for again.