Off the beaten path Boulder

Description:

The Alps Boulder Canyon Inn is a luxurious historic country inn surrounded by Boulder's mountain parks and located in scenic Boulder Canyon. The Inn has been described as the "Quintessential Boulder and Colorado Experience". Winner of many awards, including "Best Boulder Bed and Breakfast" in the Rocky Mountain News, Colorado's "Most Romantic Hotel" Denver Citysearch, "Best Bed and Breakfast" in the Boulder Daily Camera, "Best of Westword", and "Top of the Town" in 5280 Magazine, and featured in the New York Times and Country Inns Magazine. The Alps offers the most romantic and luxurious lodging available in the Boulder area and is ranked as one of the finest Inns in Colorado the West. This beautiful inn has been the backdrop for movies, hosted numerous tv programs and has been featured in several national clothing catalogs. The Alps' rooms offer many amenities including double jacuzzi tubs, working fireplaces, beautiful "Mission" furnishings, DirecTV and DVD, private porches or balconies, stain glass windows, air-conditioning, L'Occitane bath and spa amanities and Godiva turn-down chocolates. The Alps provides complimentary local and domestic long distance calling, WIFI and ethernet... read more

As seen on

Our Local Expert Says:

Living up to their slogan, “The Cure for the Common Hotel,” The Boulder Outlook provides English classes for their non-English speaking staff, donates 2% of their profits to non-profits and charities, and is a pet-friendly hotel.

Description:

The Boulder Outlook is located across the street from the University of Colorado campus and a half-mile from Boulder Creek. The hotel's indoor recreation area brings a little bit of Boulder and the Foothills indoors with its 11-foot bouldering rock (with a smaller one for adventuresome youngsters), its chlorine-free indoor pool with a waterfall, and its flagstone spa tub. They also offer a fitness facility and dry saunas.

Located within the hotel is Blues & Greens, which is not your common hotel restaurant. Blues & Greens serves locally produced food that is sure to satisfy businesspeople to families traveling on a budget to those requiring special diet, including many vegetarian and vegan options.

Our Local Expert Says:

Dine-in as often as possible and never feel guilty! The home-cooked delicacies contain organic ingredients purchased from local markets, food wastes are composted on-site and even the washing machines are energy-efficient. The Briar rose exemplifies eco-responsible luxury.

Description:

Find your sanctuary in the heart of Boulder at the foot of the Flatiron mountains. Discover the brilliant subtlety of sencha green tea as our innkeepers enrich your stay with quiet attention and lively conversation. Green hotel. Private baths. WIFI internet. Welcome home to the Briar Rose.

As seen on

Our Local Expert Says:

Their house specialty is pie, so be sure to save room.

Description:

The Walnut Café is a local favorite that serves both healthy breakfasts such as the Tofu Scramble and traditional breakfasts such as omelets, pancakes, and waffles. They also have another location in South Boulder called the South Side Walnut Café (673 S. Broadway).

Description:

Founded in 1948 as a forum on international affairs, the Conference on World Affairs (CWA) has expanded to encompass nearly every other aspect of life, including the arts, media, science, technology, environment, spirituality, politics, business, etc . Over the years, the Conference on World Affairs has been graced by such personalities as Roger Ebert, Patch Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Ralph Nadar, and Henry Kissinger. Attendees can attend free panels, plenaries, and performances on these nearly limitless topics over the course of the week of the CWA.

Our Local Expert Says:

This is arguably the most beautiful venue in Boulder, so be sure to check out the calendar while you're in town to find something to your liking.

Description:

Macky Auditorium is the venue of choice for many orchestras. One of the most popular groups to perform here is the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. Guided by internationally acclaimed director, Theodore Kuchar, who leads the prestigious Australian Festival of chamber music, this philharmonic has long been recognized as one of the finest in the country. Guest appearances have featured the likes of Itzhak Perlman, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yo Yo Ma and Sarah Chang. For details check the website.

Our Local Expert Says:

Leaf has some of the best food Boulder has to offer, so don't be scared by some of its unusual ingredients. Who knows, you might discover an entirely new food you love!

Description:

Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant creates delicious meals that vegetarians and omnivores alike will enjoy, although omnivores may not recognize everything on the menu. Leaf uses organic, seasonal ingredients and provides an international cuisine with menu items such as Oaxacan Mole, Jamaican Jerk Tempeh, and Matar Panir. One of Boulder's best health-conscious dining options, Leaf also provides a full bar highlighted by an environmentally-friendly wine list and Boulder's own organic Vodka 14 martinis.

Description:

Put on the sombrero and head into Casa Alvarez for a taste of Old World Mexico. Owners Ernesto Alverez and Betty Cormane create traditional favorites in an upscale (but bona fide) south-of-the-border atmosphere. If you feel like a change from the usual Mexican fare, order the house specialty, Mojara Frita. The dish is a whole fried freshwater tilapia with a side of beans. Numerous shrimp selections, vegetarian dishes and old spins on standard Mexican items complete the menu. The bar offers over 30 different types of tequila.

Our Local Expert Says:

Infamous for cheap pitchers of PBR, this watering hole is quite different from many of the upscale places that populate the Pearl Street Mall.

Description:

This Pearl Street Mall hangout brims with locals and college kids. Although the dark stairwell entrance probably turns some people away, the inside is easy-going and much less stifling now that you can't smoke in there. (This fact may have also led to the establishment's nickname, "The Scumdowner," but it's far less scummy now than it used to be.) Six pool tables, two dart boards, a foosball table, and a jukebox make the place fun enough to hang out at all night. The bar pours a variety of beverages including an assortment of local micro brews.

Description:

Just 17 miles up the canyon from Boulder, the Sundance Café is one of the few restaurants in the charming little mountain town of Nederland. The Sundance Café serves delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner while offering a stunning view of the Continental Divide from both inside the restaurant and from the tables on their deck. Combine your visit to the Café with a guided horseback ride through Roosevelt National Forest, with trips leaving right from the Café (offered Memorial Day through mid-October).You can even stay in the Sundance Lodge, which is attached to the Café.

Our Local Expert Says:

While you’re up in “Ned”, be sure to visit the wonderful People’s Mountain Co-op for some delicious local foods.

Description:

Fifteen miles west of Boulder is a small town called Nederland, a place 8236 feet above sea level and filled with small western town idiosyncrasies such as NedFest (a summer bluegrass festival held in a baseball diamond) and Frozen Dead Guy Days (a festival based around a cryogenically-frozen grandfather kept in a shack behind a Nederland resident's house, complete with coffin races and "Frozen Dead Guy" lookalike contests). Enjoy the 40-minute drive up Boulder Canyon Dr. and stop at Boulder Falls on the way. Nederland's open space provides excellent hiking, biking, running, and cross country ski trails, and is close to the Eldora Ski Area. Barker Reservoir is a great place to go fishing, and Nederland's Fourth of July fireworks are displayed over this body of water.

Description:

Do not let the brown, unmarked door fool you. Inside, this old Nederland watering hole is a rare view of mountain history and culture served with some delicious American and Mexican food. Pioneer Inn--known in town as the PI--is worth a visit if just to view the rustic decor of wagon wheels, horse saddles and cowboy paraphernalia. On weekends live music booms about the dining room. Non-smoking and smoking sections are available. No children at the bar.

Description:

Khow Thai Café has been voted Best Thai Restaurant in Boulder Weekly's Best of Boulder County since 2003, so if the locals like it, you know it must be good. This relatively small, low-key café has an unassuming atmosphere but serves excellent thai food (nearly all of which can be prepared vegetarian). Each meal is served with a cup of soup and a spring roll, and the meals are served quickly and in sizeable portions. Located on Broadway - one of Boulder's main thoroughfares - Khow Thai is just a few blocks walk from the Pearl Street Mall and from the CU Campus.

Description:

Efrain's offers authentic Mexican food prepared by Efrain himself. This family restaurant prepares entrées with creamy refried beans and savory chile verde. Mild or spicy sauces are available for nearly every dish. Finish your meal with one of Efrain's crisp, hot sopapillas (a light, fried pastry served hot with honey). While you may have to wait for a table-especially on the weekends-one of their strong margaritas will make the time pass much more quickly…or at least more enjoyably. If you're looking for somewhere far from the tourist path, Efrain's is definitely the place to go.

Our Local Expert Says:

Pool tables, intimate lighting, and exposed-brick walls make this hangout feel less like a hotel joint, and more like a local favorite. Enjoy live jazz and blues on selected days, but be warned-this is a favorite hangout for college students on most weekends.

Description:

Hidden beneath the historic Hotel Boulderado, this cavernous maze of low-lit rooms serves as a Mecca for local and regional blues and rock acts. The classy, yet renegade-like atmosphere draws a range of people, from seasoned music veterans, to yuppies and bohemians. But whatever the flavor, the bar promises an authentic taste of Boulder and an entertaining evening.

Description:

This small nook of a restaurant, which serves nothing but breakfast, is a throwback to the Eisenhower administration in both look and price. All that is missing is the Everly Brothers on the radio. Booths and classic chrome counter stools give the room its time machine look. The all-breakfast menu offers the usual morning staples of pancakes, eggs, French toast, hash browns and biscuits all at great prices. Keeping with the mood of Boulder it serves organic coffee.

Their other location is located on the University Hill at 1333 Broadway St.

Our Local Expert Says:

With its charming ambiance and its delicious Louisiana Creole-inspired breakfasts, its no wonder that Lucile's wins the Boulder Weekly's Best Breakfast award time and time again.

Description:

Lucile's is a quaint restaurant near the Pearl Street Mall is nestled in a Victorian house complete with a large porch and deck. The staff is friendly, and the food is wonderful. Make sure to get here early on weekends, as the place is always packed. Children are welcome. The chef creates delicious Louisiana-style cuisine. Breakfast selections include fresh baked biscuits, waffles, and Eggs Sardou-a Creole specialty. Fresh fruit and cereal is also available. The lunch menu offers salads, Creole and Po'Boy sandwiches. No alcohol is served, but there are plenty of coffee drinks.

Description:

Inspired by the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park, I. M. Pei designed this striking pink-sandstone building, which overlooks Boulder from high atop Table Mesa in the southwestern foothills. (You might recognize the center from Woody Allen's Sleeper; scenes were shot here.) Scientists study such phenomena as the greenhouse effect, wind shear, and ozone depletion to gain a better understanding of the earth's atmosphere. Among the technological tools on display are satellites, weather balloons, interactive computer monitors, robots, and supercomputers that can simulate the world's climate. There are also hands-on, weather-oriented exhibits and a theater. The Walter Orr Roberts Weather Trail outside the building's west doors takes visitors on a .4-mile, wheelchair-accessible loop along a path with interpretive signs describing various aspects of weather and climate plus the plants and animals of the area. The center also houses a changing art exhibit and a science-oriented gift shop. Allow 1 to 2 hours.

Description:

The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse was given to Boulder by our sister city of Dushanbe. Built between 1987 and 1990, more than 40 artisans from cities across Tajikistan created the elaborate, creative elements of the Teahouse, including its hand-carved and hand-painted ceilings, columns, and ceramic panels. The Teahouse serves a delicious international cuisine, including dishes such as Tanzanian Dagaa Seafood Stew, Malaysian Tofu, and Argentinean Skirt Steak. The Teahouse is in central Boulder, just next to Central Park and the Boulder Farmers' Market, making it a perfect place to stop for a midday tea.

Description:

Snarfs is one of the few restaurants in Boulder that is almost zero waste: nearly everything is recyclable or compostable (except the chip bags). So, while you can feel good about eating there, you'll also feel good about eating their delicious toasted subs. Sit outside at a mosaic table and enjoy your meal in the sunshine! Snarfs is a six block walk from the Pearl Street Mall, but there are plenty of other stores to check out on the way that are often missed because they lie outside of the walking section of Pearl Street. They also serve ice cream and milkshakes! Stop by their other location on the University Hill if you're by the CU Campus.

Our Local Expert Says:

Not only does the Pearl Street Mall have the best shopping in Boulder, but you could spend all day there listening to musicians, watching street performers, and having drinks and people-watching on an outdoor patio.

Description:

This four-block pedestrian mall is a unique and essential part of Boulder. With a wide selection of shops and restaurants, this mall is sure to keep you entertained as you stroll in and out of art galleries, listen to musicians playing free live music, enjoy the shows of buskers (such as the famous Derek Derek), and have a bite to eat on one of Pearl Street's many outdoor patios. It's also a great place for kids, with water spouts that come out of the bricks by 14th street, street performers making balloon art, and big animal statues on which to climb on the east side of the walking mall. In the summer, Pearl Street is host to many events such as Band on the Bricks and the Downtown Boulder Art Fair. The stores also extend both east and west of the walking portion of the Pearl Street Mall, so be sure to continue on to find more interesting stores and restaurants.

Description:

Just off the Pearl Street Mall, Sherpa's Adventurers is, at first glance, just a house. However, inside the house are a bar, an authentic Tandoor clay oven, and a Traveler's Library and Lounge, where you can peruse Sherpa history and photos. Another unique aspect of Sherpa's is that you can book Himalayan treks and volunteer opportunities. With its delicious, well-priced food, its interesting atmosphere, its outdoor seating area, and its proximity to the Pearl Street Mall, Sherpa's is a real Boulder gem.

Description:

Do not let the hole-in-the-wall facade and dilapidated interior of this restaurant fool you-Juanita's is one of Boulder's best-kept secrets. The overflowing portions of Mexican and New Mexican regulars, blue corn tortillas, steaming enchiladas, pinto beans and green chile satisfy the stomach, while an array of specialty margaritas quench the thirst. Every meal begins with seriously deep fried chips and homemade spicy salsa. The restaurant's comfortable booths are good for resting tired feet and antsy kids.

Description:

Established in 1941, the International Film Series (IFS) was Boulder's first art-house film series. The IFS played a crucial role in building up an audience in Boulder for the works by such directors as Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, John Cassavetes, and many more. As other theaters took notice of this growing audience they also began to expand their programming and, up through the 1980's, there were many single-screen theaters in town, some of which were also dedicated to art-house cinema. While most of those screens are now defunct, the IFS remains committed to eclectic cinema that is locally programmed. The IFS screens over 100 films every year at its two venues, both located on the CU Campus.

Description:

Blues & Greens serves up locally-produced ingredients in tasty dishes including vegetarian cuisine. This restaurant, located in the Boulder Outlook Hotel, creates every dish using fresh, organic vegetables and grains. True to their name, Blues & Greens offers live music featuring many local bands as well as national performers, mostly with a blues flavor. Their menu and atmosphere create a positively enjoyable dining experience and a great place to go for some exciting nightlife.