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 opened in West Denver late last year, but while it's relatively new to the scene, it already feels familiar, and the people who fill the shop all feel like friends. Aptly named for the Guatemalan gathering where all are welcome, Convivio is the first women-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, or street food snacks, like tostadas and pan con aguacate; and pasteles like champurradas, tasty scones to dunk in your coffee. 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.
Huckleberry Roasters
4301 Pecos Street
866-558-2201
huckleberryroasters.com
Although Huckleberry has expanded since opening its doors on Pecos Street in 2013, the original location is still our favorite. The shop feels lived in, yet still 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. The Jubilee staff 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 there slinging Jubilee beans in the summertime. For those who can't make it out to Aurora, a second location of Jubilee opened in Five Points in 2020; it's a bit cozier, and feels very much like an extension of the original brand. Little Owl
1555 Blake Street
410 17th Street
littleowlcoffee.com
Tucked away in an unassuming storefront, 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 dimly concrete part of the city. 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 pretentious about it. There's a small pastry selection and carefully curated wares for sale, as well. 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.
Lula Rose General Store
3434 East Colfax Avenue
720-985-1846
instagram.com/lularosegeneral
Don't let the name fool you: Lula Rose General Store is a quaint coffee shop that's been providing East Colfax with delicious coffee since 2016. Over the past seven years, it's been a consistent source of quality coffee, 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 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.
Mango Tree
3498 South Broadway, Englewood
720-532-1648
mangotreecoffee.org
The original idea for Mango Tree was born in 2002 under the tree for which it's named, as a group of friends and neighbors gathered with the goal to alleviate childhood poverty. Their dream finally came to fruition in August 2021 when they brought the cafe and roastery to Englewood, in an area that's short on craft coffee options. Because of that, the spacious interior often fills up. Mango Tree offers a variety of house-roasted coffees, some of which come from its own farm in Guatemala. In addition to the usual lineup of tea, including chai and matcha, the cafe serves up its namesake mango shot — a refreshing albeit unusual combination of mango nectar, kefir and spices. The food menu includes pastries and Bonfire burritos, and you can also fill your soul knowing that 100 percent of Mango Tree's profits fund its network of food and education projects that help children locally and internationally.
Rivers and Roads
2549 East Bruce Randolph Avenue
2960 Champa Street
riversandroadscoffee.com
It feels like the sun is always shining at Rivers and Roads' original location in the Clayton neighborhood. Its 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. A husband-and-wife team, the Keens finally 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 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. Because Desiree's health condition left her intolerant to gluten, all of the pastries are gluten-free, though you'd never know it. Anything that can be made in-house is — from the syrups to the spice blends for its chai and golden tea lattes to a variety of smoothies. R&R also offers a small gluten-free retail market with items like snacks bars and soups. And with a second location in Curtis Park that debuted last year, you've got double the opportunity to add a little light to your life.
Roostercat Coffee House
1045 Lincoln Street
720-388-0356
roostercatdenver.com
Because it's set back off the street, it's easy to miss Roostercat at first glance when driving down Lincoln. The garden-level cafe has been there since 2012, when it boasted late-night hours and community events like open mics. Although the brick walls and reclaimed wood espresso bar give the space a moody vibe, it's accented with graffiti and lightened up with outdoor seating on the street and in back. Roostercat's darker interior is reminiscent of an early-2000s coffeehouse — back when you could smoke indoors and get coffee 24/7. It serves coffee supplied by sister company Glass Arrow and has a small food menu with classic fare like breakfast sandwiches and burritos from Dis Burrito. No longer open until midnight, Roostercat is slowly extending its hours in hopes of returning to its pre-pandemic glory days.
Rosebud Cafe
90 Pennsylvania Street
303-593-2119
rosebudcafedenver.com
Before Schitt's Creek put the Rosebud name on the map, there was the Rosebud Cafe. Named for the main ingredient of its best-selling herbal tea, the immigrant- and woman-owned cafe opened in 2016. Just off bustling Broadway, it feels like a classic neighborhood hub, with a mix of people working remotely, walking their dogs and meeting friends. The menu has a Mediterranean spin, with options like avocado toast topped with feta and red onions, Rosenberg's bagels topped with walnuts and zesty pesto, and a Persian breakfast with fresh sliced veggies, olives, eggs and pita. There's also a daily assortment of scones, breakfast burritos and sandwiches. In addition to its coffee drinks, housemade chai and a selection of loose leaf teas are available. Not only is the cafe vegan- and vegetarian-friendly, it also welcomes dogs and families. Rosebud's sidewalk seating and ample street-side parking make it the quintessential neighborhood coffee shop, the perfect place to enjoy a calming cup of tea, a quiet conversation or an afternoon pick-me-up.
The Weathervane Cafe
1725 East 17th Avenue
weathervanecafe.com
The Weathervane is reminiscent of walking into your grandmother's house — warm and inviting and full of tempting aromas, chatter and knickknacks. The shop, which celebrated a decade in business last year, 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, including unique flavors like fig ginger or carrot cake oats, curry chicken and chickpea wraps, plus 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 long-term 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.