Stellar Jay
Restaurant · Central Business District ·
Live-fire rooftop dining with inventive cocktails and city views
Live-fire rooftop dining with inventive cocktails and city views
"The view-blessed rooftop of the Populus hotel is home to this stone-cold stunner of an indoor-outdoor restaurant and lounge, where contemporary cuisine cooked over an open flame is accompanied by classic cocktails with nifty twists: orange wine in the sherry cobbler, Thai tea in the mai tai, jasmine in the Negroni, and so on. Cheers to being in the right place at the right time." - Eater Staff
"On the rooftop of the Populus hotel, this drop-dead gorgeous, indoor-outdoor destination is built around a wood-fired kitchen that yields such convivial stuff as juniper-glazed bison-venison skewers, barbecued quail with roasted cauliflower and pickled hot peppers, and charred rapini in fish-sauce caramel with robiola and pistachios; the bar, meanwhile, turns out kicky cocktails like the Canopy Daiquiri with rhum agricole and Thai basil that call for a toast to good times with a great view. (Downstairs on the ground floor, Pasque — which serves contemporary cuisine with an emphasis on sustainable sourcing and low waste — is also stunning to behold.)" - Ruth Tobias
"The brand-new Populus hotel is home to not one but two white-hot dining venues, both of which are open for New Year’s Eve. Live it up on the rooftop, where Stellar Jay will be ready for revelry with a four-course menu set at $100 per person (excluding wine pairings), or enjoy the regular menu in the more leisurely environs of Pasque." - Ruth Tobias
"A rooftop, canopy‑inspired restaurant and bar offering indoor and outdoor seating with city views and a foliage‑covered patio. The menu leans toward social, tapas‑style plates and many items are cooked on skewers over live fire; highlights include a bison and venison skewer seasoned with smoky pine needles and juniper glaze, and Colorado beef prepared with fried rosemary and sunchoke crunch, often paired with sides like roasted beets with ricotta and smoked‑butter sweet potatoes. Cocktails are strongly recommended—especially a mezcal‑based old‑fashioned that pairs well with fire‑licked proteins—while a nonalcoholic Earl Grey spritz serves as a refreshing palate cleanser." - Bailey Berg
A live‑fire rooftop from a Denver-based team, perched atop Populus with vistas of Civic Center and the Capitol. Covered by Axios and open nightly for dinner; it channels Colorado seasonality with serious cocktails.