The Velvet Cellar

"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 fabulous meal."

"Our server was amazing, so kind. The food was amazing, worth the price. We got the Korean lollipops, New York strip, the steak frites, and dessert. The wine was also amazing. We spend $180 for both of us including a $30 tip. The only reason I’m putting 4 stars is because the owner was there and he talked to every table around us, except us… my partner & I were the only people of color (mid 20s), and he didn’t acknowledge us. We were there celebrating my boyfriend’s birthday and Chris even wished a table next to us a happy birthday. I don’t know, it just rubbed me the wrong way."

"The space is sophisticated and airy. As far as the food, most of it was on point. The menu is pretty small with only a few main dishes. The bruschetta and shrimp and grits were excellent. However the s'mores dessert was just ok, and probably the reason for the 4⭐ vs 5. Service was attentive, no complaints there."

"Had a fantastic experience at the Velvet Cellar for my friend’s birthday! Impressive wine selection with great atmosphere and service. We did a wine pairing with our meal and everything we tried was incredibly tasty. The charcuterie board had unique cheeses and Korean lollipops were very favorable. Our other favorites were the burrata, shrimp and grits, and risotto. Chris did a great job of explaining the wines and we’ll definitely be back."

"Had such a great time! The food was so good - the scotch olives were genius! Korean lollipops were crazy delicious and duck fat fries! Oh my. I'm still thinking about my queen of hearts, gin cocktail, Ashley, the bartender makes a fantastic drink. Can't wait to go back. It's just blocks from my work, soooo, see ya soon, Velvet Cellar!"