Newly opened in the Highlands, Avanti Food & Beverage is a unique partnership with several Denver restaurateurs. Seven different food stations are inside one building with Avanti providing all the drinks. Think of it as a global food court with a lounge.

Avanti, inspired by European markets, has completely remodeled the historic Avanti Building at 3200 Pecos Street. Once home to Avanti Printing & Graphics, the 100-year-old, two-story building has unobstructed views of the downtown Denver skyline. Enjoy these views from the second-floor deck which features picnic tables and a bar.

The seven restaurants inside Avanti include MiJo, a global noodle joint; Brava! serving wood-fired pizza; Poco Taqueria; Farmer Girl; the Venezuelan inspired Quiero Arepas; Souk Shawarma; and Bixo, serving Mediterranean food with a Mexican flair. The five restaurants on the first level are housed inside modified 8x20 foot shipping containers. Two restaurants, Bixo and Souk, are located upstairs. Each restaurant has a dedicated space, but guests can order food from any or all of these places and sit in the communal dining tables on both levels. That means a group of friends can dine together while ordering whatever type of food suits their fancy. Need something to wash down all that grub? Avanti has everyone covered.

While soda, tea, and water are found at a self-serve station, the full-service bar stocks a variety of cocktails, including three on tap, 20 beers on tap, and 20 wines, most by the glass. There are even servers that will take your drink order and bring it to you.

Ten of Avanti’s taps are dedicated to Dogfish Head Brewery of Delaware. Rob Hahn, co-founder of Avanti along with Patrick O’Neill, grew up with the brewery’s founder, Sam Calagione. Calagione was the one Hahn called when it was time to stock the bar with beers, and Calagione came through with 10 of his best. Calagione considers Avanti “Dogfish’s Home Base in Denver.” However, there is no need for Colorado beer fans to fear. The other 10 taps are committed to Colorado craft beers including Great Divide, Post, Odell, Ska, Platte Park, River North, and nearby Prost. Other Colorado and Dogfish beers can be found on the bar’s Bottles and Cans menu.

Dogfish Head and Prost even collaborated on a beer, the Collabo-Ryezon served at the bar. This rye-wheat beer has a 5.7% ABV and only 12 IBU, making it a very drinkable summer beer.

The cocktail menu features three drinks in kegs and served on tap to ensure consistency and freshness. They are Sunset Boulevard, The Queen of Bombay, and Scout’s Honor. Classic cocktails like Palomita, The Fancy Pirate, and the Old Fashioned are “built” at the bar one by one. Cocktails and tap beers will rotate with the seasons.

Head to Avanti Food & Beverage to get seven different restaurants under one happy roof. Cheers!

Avanti Food & Beverage, 3200 Pecos St.; 720-269-4778

Photos by Carrie Dow