Last night we ventured out to the Brown Palace Ship Tavern. It was a little celebratory toe in the water for downtown dining after a long pandemic year of eating in. The portly bald restaurant manager in his mask looked just like Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. We enjoyed our soup and salad every bit as much as others enjoyed the prime rib special. Some things never change. Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The nautical theme for this place is rooted in the storied history of Denver’s hotelier Brown family. Charts on the Tavern’s walls detail trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific shipping lanes. “Unsinkable Molly Brown” was a passenger on the Titanic who made it out alive, unlike Leonardo DiCaprio. The Brown Palace has been continuously operating in downtown Denver at the corner of 17th and Broadway since 1892. The Ship Tavern opened in 1934. All in all, we highly recommend – whether just for a toe in the water, or as a recurring regular gig.