Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CAFFEINE EXPLOSION!
If you love lattes or kombucha tea, Boulder literally explodes with cafes, with its diverse options tailored toward
lycra-clad cyclists, university students or bohemian life. These are our favorites.
St; 6am-11pm Mon-Fri, from 7am Sat & Sun; ; 203, 204, 205, 206, 208, 225, DASH, JUMP) Sure,
the ambience might be diminished by the glow of two-dozen laptops, but the coffee is good enough (served in
pint glasses too!) and locally roasted. The scene revolves around eyeballing college co-eds and tapping away at
term papers - at least until the singer-songwriters start up. It hosts many up-and-coming musical acts.
7am-10pm; ; 204, HOP) This groovy loftlike space opens onto Pearl St, pouring forth a tempting whiff
of damn good coffee and handpicked organic loose-leaf teas. It also does fresh quiche, wonderful cakes in cups,
burly sandwiches and swift wi-fi. No wonder it draws the comely and studious in numbers. Monday is open-mike
night.
HOP) Asserting a PhD approach, this is the hot roaster of the moment, offering single-pour beaker coffee that
purists swear by, set in minimalist-hipster ambience. Bags of beans are reasonably priced. There's also an inter-
esting wine shop onsite and a great deli with craft cheeses and lovely, thick-crust bread.
6:30am-11pm Mon-Sat, 7am-11pm Sun; 206, SKIP) Brick walls, worn wood floors and red-vinyl booths
steeped in the aromatic uplift of damn good espresso. The attached bookstore sells used and collectible titles. Add
in the shady back-garden patio and fine tea selection and you'll understand why this is the longtime favorite of
Boulder's literary set. A thousand secrets and plot lines have been shared and hatched here.
$8-19; 8am-10pm; 203, 204, 205, 206, 208, 225, DASH, JUMP, SKIP) It's impossible to find better am-
bience than this incredible Tajik teahouse, a gift from Dushanbe, Boulder's sister city. The elaborate carvings and
paintings were reassembled over a decade on central park's edge. It's too bad the fusion fare is surprisingly dull,
but it's worth coming for a pot of tea.
St; 10am-9pm Mon-Sat, 11am-6pm Sun; 208) This traditional Chinese teahouse has an enormous selec-
tion of imported loose-leaf tea, including rare finds. Upstairs, patrons snuggle over steaming cups in quiet booths.
Snacks like mochi rice cake fuel the mood.
Drinking & Nightlife
The drinking here begins before the sun goes down, with almost every restaurant and bar
offering absurd happy-hour deals. Must be a student thing. You will find the student popu-
lation rules the Hill (the neighborhood immediately adjacent to CU) and often spills over
into downtown, making Pearl St a pedestrian party scene. Many restaurants double as bars
or turn into all-out dance clubs come 10pm. Of course, the best scenes aren't usually those
easily glimpsed on the surface (look for basement dives, jazz lounges, Prohibition bars…).
