We’ve all heard the mantra as it’s associated with real estate, “location, location, location.” Turns out the same is true for business meetings. Whether you’re having an initial meet-and-greet with a potential employer or you’re discussing your next big entrepreneurial breakthrough over a glass of shiraz, location can make or break your next meetup.
At The Top Candidate, we tend to have a lot of meetings out and about, expanding our network and making things happen from Denver to Boulder and beyond. That’s given us a unique perspective on some of the best places for an amazing cup of coffee or a well-mixed cocktail, or in the case of Proper coffee+cocktails in Louisville, a little of both. So enjoy this list of our top picks and if you ever happen to see us at one of our favorite haunts, stop by our table and say hi!
Best place to enjoy coffee and cocktails
We gave away our first pick in the intro above. Located in Louisville in a nondescript shopping mall, Proper coffee+cocktails has the perfect mix of clean, sleek design with warm, friendly service. They have a wide range of possible seating arrangements, and all the chairs are super comfy and classy. During our visits, music ranged from light indie to bebop jazz, and as the name suggests, they specialize in carefully crafted coffee and carefully poured cocktails. We’ve heard they’ll even mix the two together for a mean Irish Coffee, but don’t quote us on that.
Proper coffee+cocktails
400 W South Boulder Rd
Ste 1100
Lafayette, CO 80026
Best place to be served quiche by a hipster
One of our favorite spots in Denver, centrally located and a people-watching mecca, Crema Coffeehouse has been serving Denver’s hipster elite for just under a decade. Part art gallery, part all-day brunch joint, part next-level coffee house, this place has all sorts of little nooks and crannies (including a killer back patio) for you to duck into and conduct a productive meeting. We go there for the fresh-squeezed juice alone, an amazing combination of freshly juiced carrot, apple, beet and ginger. Healthy and delicious!
Crema Coffeehouse
2862 Larimer St
Unit B
Denver, CO 80205
Best place to mix business with bluegrass
There’s just something inherently disarming about authentic bluegrass music and a well-poured cup of joe. Or IPA. Get them both at Bluegrass Coffee & Bourbon Lounge, our favorite juke joint in Arvada where they serve up killer pizza alongside their signature lattes (try the campfire favorite) and Kentucky Coffee (bourbon and coffee, a match made in heaven). Seating choices range from table and chairs to a comfy set of armchairs with a table to hold your drink, and the servers don’t mind if you camp out in front of your Mac all day! But, you know, don’t forget to tip.
Bluegrass Coffee & Bourbon Lounge
7415 Grandview Ave
Arvada, CO 80002
Best place to get fresh roasted and ground
If you find yourself on the south side of downtown, right around South Broadway and I-25, make the time to stop by Corvus Coffee Roasters. This place takes their coffee beans seriously, and it’s the only spot I’ve found that has successfully married the flavors of grapefruit juice and espresso. Great seating options abound and the people that work at this bastion to coffee greatness are some of the friendliest in town (moustaches notwithstanding). You can actually watch them roast and taste-test their beans as you experience the fruit of their labor. And the freshly baked, chocolate-filled croissants? Yes please.
Corvus Coffee Roasters
1740 S Broadway
Denver, CO 80210
Best place to eat pie and feel granola
We might not live in Boulder, but we do find it to be one of our favorite places to visit. And The Laughing Goat is arguably the best place in town to order your favorite coffee drink, grab a table and write an existential poem about the human experience. Or maybe brainstorm your next big tech-disruptor breakthrough. It offers a great vibe that can only be found deep in the Boulder bubble, and great pie that pairs nicely with their craft beers or wines. And unlike almost every other coffee joint in town, this place is open until 11pm every night of the week. Who needs sleep when you’re writing the great American novel?
The Laughing Goat
1709 Pearl St
Boulder, CO 80302
Best place to get your bike fixed and your latte on
Denver is known for a lot of things, and the people here are passionate about their pastimes, but biking will always be near the top of the list. Denver Bicycle Cafe uniquely captures the best and worst of what Denver has to offer, and has attitude and gritty ambiance for days. Part bike repair shop, part coffee shop, this centrally-located cafe offers large community-style picnic tables and more private 2-tops and bar seating to accommodate all your meeting needs. They also have an amazing patio for the warmer months. Stop by and grab a coffee, a delicious house baked pastry and get your bike chain adjusted. Or as they like to say, “Bikes. Beer. Coffee.”
Denver Bicycle Cafe
1308 E 17th Ave
Denver, CO 80218
Best place to drink coffee in a coffee factory
You’ve probably seen Allegro Coffee in your local Whole Foods. Turns out, their roasting factory is up in Thornton. And while there may not be a whole lot of great reasons to go to Thornton, this is actually one of our favorite meet-in-the-middle spots for people coming down from Longmont or Fort Collins. The coffee is as good as it gets, and they always have a nice selection of tasty snacks. But the coolest thing about this place is the feeling you get sipping your perfectly brewed Americano in the middle of a major coffee manufacturing operation. Great place to break ice with a new contact.
Allegro Coffee
12799 Claude Ct
Thornton, CO 80241
Best place to drink up in the East Denver coffee desert
So you thought East Denver was just another name for West Kansas? While you’re not too far off, QuinceEssential Coffee House is one shop that’s singlehandedly reinventing this city’s coffee game. Set inside an old house and offering all the warmth and comfort that its location might suggest, they offer several rooms throughout the house to set up and get comfortable. We’ve seen everything from high-powered business meetings to people casually reading books, and everything in between. And they’re all right. Because when the coffee is this good, combined with their house-made syrups and delectable pastries, you really can’t go wrong.
QuinceEssential Coffee House
1447 Quince St
Denver, CO 80220
Best place to bump into someone from The Top Candidate
While all of the places we’ve listed so far represent unique, interesting (and tasty) places to hold your next meeting, we’d be remiss if we didn’t include at least one joint from our neck of the woods. And Hello Coffee has certainly earned its position on this list of the best and brightest places in northern Colorado to make a good first impression. The tastefully decorated space and skillfully prepared specialty lattes welcome you in, the great service, quiet atmosphere and easy parking keep us coming back for more. And make sure to come early to grab one of their locally-made breakfast burritos before they sell out. Power breakfasts fuel power meetings, right?
Hello Coffee
13701 West Jewell Ave
Ste 112
Lakewood, CO 80228
