Guests walking into Trybal African Speakeasy are greeted by a mural from by African artist Ras Zakarias that depicts an ornamental mask and a headwrap-clad woman holding a drink. A neon-lit map of the Mother Continent accents one black wall, while others feature pops of greenery and dark wood paneling. An intimate six-seat bar completes the space.
“We wanted to build something that shows a true representation of Africa,” said Jeff Sankeu, who co-owns the business with friend and business partner Collantine Nkaum.
The bar, which opened in late October at 1670 Champa St., is part of a new wave of businesses in and around downtown that are planning to commit for the long haul. While the city center has often been defined by what it has lost since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic — and the shuttered storefronts and empty dining rooms — these fresh spots are signs that a reset may be in progress, with new attitudes and new strategies.
Marlee Brown serves guests at Trybal African Speakeasy in Denver, CO, February 25, 2026. (Photo by Kevin Mohatt/Special to The Denver Post)Trybal pairs elevated African cuisine with late-night programming and cultural storytelling designed to challenge perceptions of the continent while drawing new energy into the neighborhood. The concept was shaped over 18 months of planning and reflects Sankeu’s and Nkaum’s upbringings in Cameroon.
“ We really wanted to basically have food that reminds us of our mother’s kitchens,” Sankeu said. “It is really a homage to all of the hardworking African mothers who put everybody else first and put themselves last.”
Growing up, Sankeu remembers his mom waking up late at night when he’d come home from studying to make fried plantains and eggs — which is why Trybal serves fried plantains. The restaurant, whose menu Sankeu’s mother and sister helped develop, also has suya (skewered meat seasoned with a peanut-based spice mix), fragrant jollof rice simmered in tomato sauce, and other African specialties.
While Trybal initially offered small bites, Nkaum said requests from customers inspired the team to expand. “When people started tasting it, they were like ‘we want more,’” he said. “We really weren’t planning to become a food-focused concept, but people love the food so much, we see an opportunity.”
Positive feedback from customers prompted Sankeu and Nkaum to expand the menu and offer delivery via DoorDash in the coming weeks. Still, takeout orders miss a central part of their mission: to educate Denverites about African culture and prove that African food and drink can be fancy. Their efforts are evident in the beautifully plated presentation of the food and a tight selection of African-inspired cocktails such as the floral, hibiscus-zinged old-fashioned and earthy, sugarcane-infused Kango Kane.
Sankeu — who also operates Scatta Afrobeats, which hosts African dance parties in Denver and other cities — curates the entertainment roster of DJs and musicians. Plus, guests can only download a QR code to get into the speakeasy after they learn a fact about Africa on Trybal’s website, adding a playful hint of exclusivity.
“When people travel to the continent, they realize Africans want to feed you. They want you to eat, drink, dance—it is just a good life,” Sankeu said. “So we want people to get it, a little bit of a taste of that when it comes to our space.”
A shrimp dish ready to be served at Trybal African Speakeasy in Denver, CO, February 25, 2026. (Photo by Kevin Mohatt/Special to The Denver Post)A different philosophy
A mile away, three-month-old Fin N’ Tonic, 2461 Larimer St., has a different philosophy. Co-owner and hospitality veteran Sophie Vidal designed the cocktail and seafood bar to be approachable and affordable, and to prioritize regulars over special-occasion diners.
“We saw a hole in the RiNo area for a girly raw bar,” said Vidal, who owns the restaurant with her husband Jordan Cruttenden. “Because me and my friends love to go out and drink martinis and eat oysters, and that’s something that I’ve always enjoyed doing.”
Vidal and Cruttenden (both TAG Restaurant Group veterans) sublease the space from TAG, which made opening the bar economically viable for the couple. It was once an extension of Los Chingones RiNo but hasn’t been used since the early days of COVID-19. “It ended up being an opportunity I couldn’t really pass up because they really made it doable in a financial way,” Vidal said. “Me and my husband are very like normal people and would not have been able to pull off a restaurant opening downtown because I know how expensive that is.”
Because the space lacks a hood system, Vidal and Cruttenden decided to pursue a raw bar concept dishing out high-quality seafood in a casual setting. Fin N’ Tonic slings freshly shucked oysters, caviar bumps and small plates (think: snow crab claws and jalapeño-spiced Colorado bass ceviche) and pours well-shaken martinis and glasses of wine and bubbles. At happy hour (3 to 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.), guests can pair $1.50 oysters with $25 bottles of wine or grab a beer and a shot for $6.
“Denver in general has gotten so expensive, and it is a hard place to own a business, and we recognize that,” Vidal said. “But we can absolutely offer things for less money, make it more affordable and build up a regular base that will support us because of that. We want it to be a come-every-week spot and make it a regular part of your routine because it’s not so unaffordable that people can’t do that.”
That kind of steady, everyday traffic, driven by both locals and visitors, is increasingly important to downtown’s recovery, not just for restaurant owners but for the city’s tourism economy as well.
“We know that travelers increasingly consider culinary offerings when making destination decisions, and our downtown dining scene is thriving,” said Richard W. Scharf, president and CEO of Visit Denver. He notes that convention attendees often fan out from the Colorado Convention Center for two to three unprogrammed meals a day, creating built-in demand for nearby restaurants.
More than two decades after chef Jen Jasinski earned the region’s first James Beard Award at Rioja — often cited as one of downtown Denver’s first “foodie destinations” — Scharf said the city center continues to evolve, giving locals and visitors alike new reasons to visit. With construction on 16th Street now complete, he adds, it’s become easier to explore the district’s growing mix of bars, restaurants and patios.
An ambitious project
Owner Anthony Lygizos poses for a portrait at Leven Deli Co., in Denver Colorado on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)While Trybal and Fin N’ Tonic represent intimate, owner-driven openings in and around downtown, larger and more ambitious projects are also taking shape in the city’s core, often with years of preparation and significantly higher stakes.
One of those is led by Anthony Lygizos, owner of Leven Deli Co. in the Golden Triangle and Leven Supply in Wash Park. His team plans to debut Leven Downtown in 2026 inside the new Block 162 office building at 15th and California streets. Though parts of LoDo seem quiet right now, Lygizos believes the moment marks “the calm before the storm.”
The confidence, he said, comes from what he’s already seeing elsewhere in the city. Leven’s Golden Triangle location, beloved for its grilled pastrami Reuben, house-made sourdough, and tahini brownie, serves about 1,000 people a day.
Related Articles
Four dishes we loved in February, like Joy Hill’s affordable pizzettes Denver restaurant group CEO steps down; lawsuit over ‘service charges’ continues Odyssey Italian closes temporarily after fire during service 10 Denver Restaurant Week menus that are worth the money Why choose only one cuisine? This buffet will take your taste buds on a trip.“That tells me that people want that connectivity, want that atmosphere and that kind of town square feel,” Lygizos said. “That’s alive and well in Denver.”
He hopes to recreate that energy downtown on a much larger scale. Unlike Leven’s fast-casual sister concepts, Leven Downtown will be a full-service restaurant with a bar, expanded wine program and an Italian menu centered on pasta, pizza and sandwiches. Tucked into the ground floor of the 30-story Block 162 development near the Denver Performing Arts Complex, the space will feature an open kitchen and a sprawling dining room — an undertaking Lygizos said required a substantial investment from the developer.
Lygizos and his team signed on to the project nearly two years ago, viewing the extended timeline as part of a longer-term commitment to downtown. Beyond creating a buzzy dining destination, he said the goal is to build a high-volume restaurant capable of supporting sustainable jobs and career growth in a city where the cost of living is rising.
“With the economic stressors with restaurants these days, we have a goal to be able to provide director-level benefit packages so that people can afford to live in the communities in which they support and serve,” Lygizos said. “We have a phenomenal team with a ton of talented people, and the downtown location presents new opportunities.”
Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.
Hence then, the article about new wave of downtown denver restaurants are part of a quiet dining revival was published today ( ) and is available on The Denver Post ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( New wave of downtown Denver restaurants are part of a quiet dining revival )
Also on site :
- White House Mocks Kesha Over Singer’s Outrage About “Disgusting” Use Of Song In Military Posting; She Responds: “Stop Using My Music, Perverts”
- Trump dismisses criticism from Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson over Iran attacks: ‘MAGA loves what I’m doing’
- Epstein deposition videos show Hillary Clinton in heated moments with lawmakers, Bill Clinton addressing hot tub photo