"Even though it opened in 2015, this Chinese restaurant is still the cool kid in RiNo. Hop Alley is named after Denver’s 19th-century Chinatown, but it’s also a conversation starter and tongue-in-cheek wink at the neighborhood’s history. Located in a former soy sauce factory, the place serves up plates like tongue-numbing la zi ji and char siu beets that will convert even non-beet people, all with a side of blaring hip hop. They also recently expanded into a neighboring business, which means you might actually be able to snag a table here." - allyson reedy, patricia kaowthumrong