Ballpark's New Not-So-Secret Garden: Wonderyard Is Now Open

Francois Safieddine, the CEO of Lotus Concepts Management, which includes the ViewHouse and My Neighbor Félix concepts, hopes his latest venture will bring some whimsical new energy to the Ballpark neighborhood.

Wonderyard Garden + Table is now open at 2200 Larimer Street, in a long-vacant 100-year-old building. Inspired by The Great Gatsby and The Secret Garden with a touch of Alice in Wonderland, Wonderyard has a spacious interior complete with a large bar, DJ booth and quirky decor. The star of this show, though, is the sprawling outdoor space filled with couches, fire pits, string lights, teacup-shaped booths and — of course — a neon sign in front of a floral wall. This one says "Love begins in wonder," and guests can pose in front of it while perched on carousel horses.

The place caters unapologetically to the Instagram crowd, and the line that quickly grew outside for the soft opening on March 7 was proof that a lot of people will soon be making the trek here for photo ops.

While Wonderyard will be prime for nightclub vibes after dark, it is also a full-service bar and restaurant, offering lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, dinner from 3 to 10 p.m. daily and brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It will be open until 2 a.m. daily.

Heading up the food offerings is executive chef Jose “Pepe” Rodriguez, whose résumé includes stints at Frasca and Basta.

Here's a look inside this new secret garden — which is not going to be secret for long.
This project has been in the works for a long time, but last-minute details are still coming together — like figuring out why half the sign wouldn't light up for the soft opening.
Like the space itself, the cocktails are designed to be eye-catching, from the Le Cloud, served with a puff of cotton candy, to the glittery Supernova and the Queen of Hearts, which is designed for sharing and is served in a custom glass shaped like a purse (’cause, you know, girls like purses). There is also a full menu of N/A options.
Leopard-print carpet, blue vinyl booths and art covering the pale pink walls — no inch of Wonderyard has been left unadorned.
A projection screen at the back of the dining room brings the garden theme to life.
Wonderyard's many large booths make it an ideal place for groups.
The menu includes such shareables as charcuterie, burrata and hummus; salads; larger entrees like lasagna, a torta and steak frites; plus a lineup of flatbreads including the Miss Piggy, with chorizo, red onion and zucchini.
Seating options outside include comfy couches, many of which surround fire pits, and birdcage-like tables decked out with string lights.
The pink teacup-shaped booths will probably be all over our Instagram feeds soon.
“Wonderyard encompasses the love I feel for downtown Denver,” Saffiedine says in an announcement of his new venture. “I cannot wait to see how this new addition to the Ballpark neighborhood will impact the community, bringing locals and visitors close together over the backdrop of my wildest dreams come to life.”