Discover the history, culture, and evolving flavors of downtown Denver on this 2.5-hour walking food tour along the newly redesigned 16th Street. The experience begins at the legendary Brown Palace Hotel, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Opened in 1892, the Brown Palace has welcomed presidents, celebrities, and generations of travelers, making it the perfect place to begin exploring Denver’s story. While no tasting is served inside the hotel, your guide will share its history before leading the group onto 16th Street.
As you walk through the heart of downtown, you’ll see how Denver has grown from a frontier-era commercial center into a modern city filled with architecture, public spaces, entertainment, and locally owned restaurants. Look east toward the Colorado State Capitol and its distinctive gold dome, which honors the mining industry that helped shape Colorado. Pass Denver Pavilions, a major shopping and entertainment development that helped bring new energy to downtown in the late 1990s, and catch a glimpse of the historic Paramount Theatre, an Art Deco landmark dating to Denver’s golden age of movie palaces.
Throughout the tour, your guide will point out historic buildings, public art, gathering spaces, and features of the newly renovated 16th Street.
Along the way, enjoy a progressive meal at four local restaurants. Taste hearty Colorado bison chili, a dish that connects the city’s modern food scene with the animals and landscapes of the American West. Stop at Lazo Empanadas for a warm, flavorful empanada inspired by Argentine culinary traditions. At Chopstickers, a family-owned dumpling shop just off 16th Street, sample handmade pork potstickers with juicy filling, tender wrappers, and crisp pan-seared bottoms.
The tour concludes at Trompeau Bakery near the Daniels & Fisher Clock Tower. This locally owned French bakery serves a savory green chile quiche made with flaky pastry, creamy egg custard, sausage, pepper jack cheese, and roasted Hatch Valley green chile. Green chile is one of Denver’s defining flavors, appearing on breakfast burritos, eggs, burgers, and countless other dishes. At Trompeau, it's incorporated into a classic French preparation, creating a final tasting that reflects Denver’s blend of regional ingredients and international influences.
More than just a meal, this tour is an introduction to Denver through the people, foods, and landmarks that give the city its character. Guests will learn about Denver’s history while supporting locally owned restaurants and tasting a diverse lineup of dishes shaped by Colorado traditions. It is part walking tour, part progressive lunch, and part exploration of one of Denver’s most important downtown corridors.
The tour ends at Trompeau Bakery, a 12-minute walk from the starting point. Guests may walk back along 16th Street or take the free MallRide bus, which runs along the corridor and returns riders toward the starting area in just a few minutes.
