The Ten Best Coffee Shops in Denver

There's no question about it: Denver is a coffee town. It seems like every corner has a coffee shop, and a good one at that. When there are so many, and only so many days in a week, how do you choose where to get your morning cup of joe? To us, good vibes are as important as good coffee, and every one of our picks excels on both counts.

Here are the ten best coffee shops in metro Denver, in alphabetical order:
Convivio Cafe
4935 West 38th Avenue
conviviocafe.com
This Guatemalan-inspired shop hit the ground running when it opened in November 2022. The space was built with community-invested funds and money raised selling coffee at markets and pop-ups; it's filled with hanging herbs and mosaic-tiled walls evoking a Latin American cafe. The shop has a familiar feeling, and the people who fill it all feel like friends. Aptly named for the Guatemalan gathering where all are welcome, Convivio is the first woman-owned, Guatemalan-inspired bilingual cafe in Denver. Along with farmer-roasted coffee and tea, it serves deliciously inventive yet simple food options prepared by self-taught chef and co-owner Vivi Lemus. Don't miss the antojitos (street food snacks) like tostadas and pan con aguacate, and pasteles like champurradas — tasty scones to dunk in your coffee.
Huckleberry Roasters
Multiple locations
huckleberryroasters.com
Although Huckleberry has expanded since opening its doors on Pecos Street in 2013, the original location in Sunnyside is still our favorite. The shop feels lived in, yet maintains its brightness and cheer with vibrant, hand-painted murals, colorful signature "HUCK" mugs and friendly baristas. Whether you're getting the tried-and-true signature Blue Orchid blend, the fruit-forward Phantom Limb or one of its rotating blends, Huckleberry offers something for every palate on the coffee spectrum.
Jubilee Roasting Co.
1452 Kenton Street, Aurora
1075 Park Avenue West
jublieeroastingco.com
Jubilee began as a roaster in 2015, bringing craft coffee to an area of the city where options were lacking at the time. Owner Peter Wanberg turned an old warehouse into a cafe, roastery and artist space that continues to be a hub for coffee lovers and creatives alike. Even though it's been renovated twice, the spacious cafe still retains some of its original industrial warehouse feel mixed with an updated, modern vibe. Its slogan, "Be a good neighbor," comes through in every $2 drip and homemade pastry. Jubilee staffers know their stuff when it comes to coffee, and they're more than happy to share that knowledge with customers. Wanberg and his wife, Margot, also took over the City Park Farmers Market in 2021 and can be found slinging Jubilee beans there in the summertime. For those who can't make it to Aurora, a second location opened in Five Points in 2020; it's a bit cozier, but feels very much like an extension of the original brand.
Little Owl
Multiple locations
littleowlcoffee.com
Tucked away in an unassuming storefront, the original Little Owl shines in LoDo, offering a specialty coffee reprieve in an area saturated with chains. The cafe has limited indoor seating and a small outdoor covered patio shrouded in shrubs, offering a bright oasis and a bit of greenery in an otherwise concrete jungle. The sleek cafe presents as upscale and trendy, but its relaxed vibes make it an ideal spot to enjoy a latte thoughtfully created by staff members who love coffee but aren't too pretentious about it. A second, lesser-known Little Owl location sits inside of a hotel lobby at 17th and Tremont, offering another oasis for a caffeine fix in downtown Denver. In 2023, the company celebrated a decade in business by opening a third shop in LoHi, making for a trio of Little Owls within a two-mile radius.
Lula Rose General Store
3434 East Colfax Avenue
instagram.com/lularosegeneral
Don't let the name fool you: Lula Rose General Store is a quaint shop that's been serving delicious coffee on East Colfax since 2016. Over the past eight years, it's been a consistent source of quality drinks, service and people-watching. Pair your coffee with a tasty pastry or doughnut from Good Bread, the bakery across the street at Colfax and Madison. Good Bread's sourdough bagels are also the base for stacked breakfast sammies. With more windows than walls, the tiny Lula Rose is always filled with light. Flower arrangements from sister store Little Lula Plant Market and newer additions to the space, like a green velvet bench that runs the length of the shop, make for a cozy and colorful atmosphere.
The Molecule Effect
300 South Logan Street
720-350-4065
2215 South Broadway
720-350-4065
themoleculeeffect.com
A decade ago, Megyn Rodgers and her husband, Mark Landman, opened a business that was part coffeehouse, part bar and part gallery in the Art District on Santa Fe, adding a second outpost in Wash Park in 2020. While it was forced to close its original location in March 2023, it has continued to showcase local artists of all genres and provide a neighborhood meeting space for book clubs, community events and everything in between on South Logan Street. With a menu as eclectic as its interior deco, it offers standard coffee drinks and bulletproof coffee plus kombucha, beer and wine on tap, its signature Venetian cream nitro cold brew and light bites that are all made in-house. In February, it debuted a new location with a drive-thru and walk-up window in a former Dairy Queen on South Broadway, and its owners still hope to return to Santa Fe Drive in the future.
Queen City Collective Coffee
Multiple locations
queencitycollectivecoffee.com
Started by brothers Eric, Luke and Scott Byington, Queen City opened in the Baker neighborhood in 2018. Since then, it has quietly but steadily expanded to a total of four shops, most of which are within shared spaces. The siblings combined their passion for coffee, community and collaboration to bring unique coffee blends to the Queen City of the Plains. Coffee directly sourced from partnerships the brothers built while living in Africa, as well as other relationships they've established directly with farmers all over the world, can be found on the menu. Queen City recently closed the OG space it shared with Novel Strand but reopens April 5 inside of Town Hall Collaborative, giving guests access to tons of seating in the 7,700 square foot space along with plenty of parking, a sweet patio and food options from the Easy Vegan. If you dig the collective vibe, be sure to visit its outpost in Gold's Marketplace in Wheat Ridge, or its shop inside Dardano's in Broomfield, which is also outfitted with a drive-thru.
Rivers and Roads
2539 East Bruce Randolph Avenue
303-321-3052
2960 Champa Street
303-343-3084
riversandroadscoffee.com
It feels like the sun is always shining at the original outpost of Rivers and Roads in the Clayton neighborhood. The building formerly housed a mechanic shop, and when it was renovated, owners Michael and Desiree Keen kept the garage door, allowing for lots of natural light. The husband-and-wife team realized their dream of opening a cafe together after years of health struggles, and they did so with a clear mission in mind: love above all else. Michael mans the roaster, and Desiree, whose health condition left her gluten-intolerant, is the visionary behind the baking. Pastry flavors change almost daily, but staples like the breakfast sammie and hash (both with vegetarian options) are available every day, and take-home baking mixes of favorites like cheddar biscuits, waffles and banana bread are available in-store and online. A second location debuted in Curtis Park in 2022, and a food truck followed in 2023.
Subjective Coffee
3695 West 72nd Avenue, Westminster
303-284-4424
subjectivecoffee.com
While we still love Roostercat Coffee House at 1045 Lincoln Street, its owner, Jeff Bebout, opened a new cafe completely of his own design in early 2023. It's chic and cool, like Roostecat's well-traveled older sister (even though it's technically younger). Formerly home to Joyful Ballroom Event Center, Subjective's space is huge, so there's plenty of seating if you're looking for a spot to work, a lounge area to enjoy coffee with friends, and tables big enough for board game sessions. The interior is curated with retro-inspired decor, from the seats to the wood-paneled television and record player. The exterior sign follows suit, showcasing Bebout's skills as a neon artist. Plus, the coffee is all roasted in-house as part of Glass Arrow Collective, an employee-owned group that includes Roostercat.
The Weathervane Cafe
1725 East 17th Avenue
weathervanecafe.com
The Weathervane is reminiscent of walking into your grandmother's house — warm, inviting and full of tempting aromas, chatter and knickknacks. The shop, which has been in business since 2012, occupies a two-story carriage house that was built in 1896. Small but mighty, the food menu offers a mix of breakfast and lunch items such as fig-ginger or carrot cake oats; curry chicken and chickpea wraps; and a variety of pastries. The upper level used to house a small secondhand clothing store, but that space now has extra seating. The cafe also added a gift shop with a kitschy selection of local and small-batch goods such as chocolates, jams, apparel, pins, stickers, zines, beverage vessels and candles. The Weathervane manages to fit a lot into a tight space, including funky seating and a handmade coffee bar. The close quarters may contribute to the tight-knit community and friendly baristas, many of whom have been there for years and will welcome you with a smile, whether it's your first or fiftieth time in the door.

Bonus: You can also find a caffeine fix at the Best of Denver Readers' Choice winner for Best New Coffeehouse in 2023, the purposefully minimalist Procession Coffee, which started as a cart before opening in Zeppelin Station in 2022.