Denver property developer and restaurateur Ciaran O’Brien is opening a dual-venue concept at The Penrose, a luxury high-rise residence in the city’s RiNo neighborhood.
Slated to open partially July 12, Rose & Thorn will occupy the 16th story rooftop as well as a space underground.
Rose will feature a reservation-only lounge with a pool and top-shelf bottle service, and a 360-degree view of Denver’s skyline and the Rocky Mountains.
Thorn, downstairs, will be a speakeasy-style cocktail lounge.
The 4,000-square-foot Rose will be reached by a dedicated elevator. Once there, guests will initially be offered light items, though a full menu will be offered later in the summer.
On the opening menu are items such as watermelon salad with mint and lemon vinaigrette, crab guacamole and chips, street-corn riblets with poblano lime crema, ahi tuna tataki, and sliders and kebabs.
Plans are also underway for a happy hour menu with small plates such as blistered shishito peppers, jumbo shrimp cocktail, and blackened shrimp and andouille skewers.
Seafood towers, sushi rolls, and bowls and salad are slated for late summer, along with weekend brunch.
Thorn is slated to open later in the summer, accessed via the same elevator as Rose, just going in the opposite direction. There, DJs will perform, lighting will be moody, and cocktails will be complex, according to press materials about the concept.
Both bar programs are led by level-two sommelier Alan Garcia, who promises spirit-forward drinks downstairs and lighter options with plenty of rosé wine upstairs to go with the food made at the open-air grill.
“We set out to create something Denver hasn’t seen: a luxurious, all-day destination that adapts to your mood,” O’Brien said in a statement. “Rose & Thorn is a layered hospitality concept offering a refined atmosphere whether you are looking to relax in the sun or sink into something a little more intimate. Each space stands on its own, but together they create something truly unique.”
O’Brien is managing partner of Osta Holdings, which is also developing Agora, a 10,000-square-foot food hall with six dining venues in the Denver suburb of Applewood, Colo. Osta also operates The Patio at Sloan’s, bar & grill on Sloan Lake in Denver, and The Radiator, a coffeehouse in Denver’s Sunnyside neighborhood.
At Rose, Garcia is planning to offer variations on classics, such as a Lavender Paloma, a Fig & Smoke Old Fashioned, and The Penthouse — apparently a riff on the Porn Star Martini made with vanilla vodka, passion fruit, liqueur, vanilla syrup, and lime.
“Every cocktail on our menu is crafted to match the energy of the space: fresh, vibrant and perfect for sipping under the sun or stars,” Garcia said in a statement. “We’ve paid just as much attention to the wine list and spirit selection as we have to designing drinks that are both fun and thoughtfully composed. Guests will find familiar flavors with unexpected twists, along with a few playful surprises.”
Details are not yet available on Thorn’s food and drink.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
