Session Kitchen

they closed? nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

We stopped by Session Kitchen for a few drinks on the passport. I had walked by this place quite a few times so I was pretty pumped to give it a try. We were with a group of four, and I don’t think anyone was blown away by this place. The passport drink was some blue concoction and after everyone had had theirs, we were all curious if there was even any booze in there. Additionally, the service was just incredibly slow. There weren’t many people in there either since it was a Thursday night. Slow service, meh drinks, and the overall vibe seemed really confused to me. I don’t think we’ll be back.

I’ve been here a few times now and have always sat at the bar. The first time, we were sat at the special table above the bar with the private bartender. It was a girls night out and we came here for after dinner drinks. We had the best time with the bartender who made us specialty cocktails of choice and complementary brioche donuts since it was my friends birthday.
The other times I’ve came here were for pre-​dinner drinks while we waited for our table a Sushi Den to be ready. The bartenders were also able to make a custom drink for us after we told him what we liked. Drinks are amazing here. The drink he made had vodka, blood orange, ginger, blueberry, lime, mint and champagne. It was amazing.
There seems to be plenty of bar seating and table and booth seating. The décor is neat inside and seems like a fun place to be on a weekend night. The only reason why this place doesn’t get 5 stars is because I haven’t actually ate dinner here, so I don’t have the full picture yet.

A friend took me to this place so that I could try their desserts. Oh boy was I in for a delightful surprise!
At night, SK had a very mellow, relaxing, hipster vibe. Definitely a place where you could just sit, eat, and talk for hours. But the most interesting and eye-​catching feature was their hanging coalescent orange-​tinged lighting. Very hip.
The desserts, omg; each one had it’s own unique character and delightfulness. We ordered both flavors of cronuts (chocolate and vanilla cream cheese), some type of lemon tart, and vanilla custard with cinnamon roll. The last two desserts are vague descriptions because it does not show up on the menu. But my oh my were they all delicious.
The cronuts were soft, buttery, and sweet. Perfect for you sweet toothers! Both flavors will melt your heart.
The lemon tart is like that late night, hot summer satisfaction you’ve always fantasized about.
And the vanilla custard with the cinnamon roll is like a duet in dessert form. Eating one without the other is like Jay-​Z without Beyonce. *sorta, kinda?, it’s getting too late*
If you have a sweet tooth to satisfy, this is the place to be!

We decided to try Session Kitchen based on proximity and reviews. Prompt seating with a reservation. Decent beer selection. Our waiter offered samples.
We ordered the pickles and olive appetizer, fried green tomato for a salad and split the burger of the moment. All the food arrived at the same time which was not best practice. The olive and pickle plate was very disappointing. Two types of olives, nothing exotic, and the pickles were two carrots, banana peppers and cherry peppers. If I wanted banana peppers I would go to subway. No pickles to be found. The $ 11 fried green tomato salad was two slices of tomato, one red, one fried green, separated by ricotta cheese. I think embarrassing is the term to use for charging $ 11 dollars for that unimaginative salad and ashamed is the term for the taste.
The burger was the only highlight. Fries could have been served crisper as some were a bit soggy. Service was good but seemed to trickle off once a few other tables got sat.
I would not return. It seems the price is necessary to recoup the cost of the overly modern décor. Perhaps there are other menu items that would match the burger but there are too many other restaurants in town to try first.

After some recommendations, mostly on cocktails (some would say the most important part ;)), I decided to give Sessions Kitchen a try for my girlfriends birthday dinner. Great location on south pearl, the atmosphere was great and the décor of the restaurant was really cool with a hip-​modern feel to it. The only thing to keep in mind is that it can get really loud so if your going for a quite dinner setting, this establishment is not ideal.
Our server was very attentive and personable throughout the entirety of our meal. The service overall was great, you can tell the full staff, from the hostess to the expeditors, had their strategy down!
Celebrating a birthday and having been told how great the cocktails are, naturally, we had just about every cocktail on the menu. Great and appealing concepts for drinks but did not live up to all the hype. Somewhat the most disappointing aspect of the whole meal. Here’s a review of each:
–Terminal– I couldn’t quite put my finger on the taste of this drink but it is very strong, to strong in my opinion. This drink used frozen grapes instead of ice cubes which was a cool twist I hadn’t seen with a cocktail before.
–T-​virus– tastes like lavender, but not in a subtle way, rather in a very overpowering way that made me think of a soapy lavender.
–That Brown Drink– decided to try something with a darker spirit but this drink tasted like a very light, almost watered down, version of a old fashion. Didn’t have quite the kick I was expecting.
–Cambodian mule– probably the best cocktail we had. Very refreshing and fresh, tasted like it came straight from a tree spout in the jungle.
Onto the food! We ordered the cheese plate and it was by far our favorite part of the meal, the Manchego and the Silly Billy Goat cheese were my favorites. The cheese was accompanied with warm pita bread, caramelized walnuts, dried cranberries, and a red pepper jam that was to die for!!! Highly suggest this plate for its variety of cheeses, quantity, and quality.
We also started with the lamb bacon because anything with bacon I have to order! Tasted like really good bacon, couldn’t really distinguish it from any other bacon Ive had.
We decided on sharing the mussels and the fava bean plate for an entrée and both were good but didn’t blow us away. The seasoning on the fava beans was fantastic but some of the pieces were very stringy and tough to chew. The mussels were dipped with a crab broth with some delicious sausage, the plate was cooked very well and very tasty but was pretty standard.
The restaurant was kind enough to comp a desert for my girlfriends birthday! We were given the Cronut plate that was pretty much 4 delicious mini donuts, two chocolate glazed and two cherry glazed. Each bite was warm and melted in your mouth but because of the richness of flavor and doughiness we were only able to put down ¾.
This is a cool establishment but other than the cheese plate we had, I wasn’t that impressed, partially because it had been hyped up by my friends so my expectations were high. The real dagger for me was hoping to indulge on some tasty cocktails and not one meeting my expectations on taste. Although I have some criticisms, I would still go back because they did have some tasty looking items on the menu (also that cheese plate again) that I didn’t get to try but I would definitely stick to wine or beer for drinks.

My husband learned about Session Kitchen’s mocktails, and decided we should go check them out. I started with a sage mocktail, and I loved that it wasn’t too sweet.
We started with a couple of small plates: the crispy brussel sprouts and the pickles and olives. I loved the brussel sprouts and need to learn how to make them at home
(with little hope that they would turn out as delicious!) The pickles were good, but too sweet for my taste.
I ordered the mushroom manwich burger for my main course. I enjoyed it– and I especially enjoyed that light, healthy feeling in my stomach when I left. It was also served with the thickest, most delicious French fries, just to offset the healthiness.
I finished with another mocktail, which contained blueberry and ginger. This one was a little sweeter but it was still delicious.
One other thing we noticed about our delightful experience at Session Kitchen was how friendly the hostess and our server were. I often feel like hostesses make us feel like we’re an inconvenience, but this hostess made it seem like she had been anxiously waiting to see us and was thrilled that we were there. The icing on the cake.

I am legitimately writing a review based on a mocktail alone. A group of ladies and I dropped into this place for a birthday celebration while waiting for a table across the street. This place was bustling. The service was great, I really like the layout and the atmosphere which was relaxed but not. See how helpful this review is? Relaxed but not — what does that even mean? I think it means you can wear your fancy pants, or you can wear your jeans — you’ll fit in either way. It’s a low key vibe but with an upscale undercurrent. Again — helpful, no?
But the mocktail. Those are kinda important to me these days since I said adiós to the alcohol for 2015. But I need something in my hand when I go out just out of habit it seems. That’s where the mocktail comes in — and Session’s are fabulous. So now I have to come back and try this place for dinner just so I can have more mocktails — they just might be my new vice.

Sessions is awesome! We had a party of 14 people and we were treated wonderfully. Our server was Nathan and he was exceptional!
But the real showcase here was the food.
What didn’t we have? Our group tried & shared pretty much everything on the menu.
We started off with citrus coolers mixed with either gin or vodka! Great start! The wine menu did not let us down either-​The table enjoyed several bottles of a stellar Chianti.
Many starters were tried: the charcuterie plate, the cheese plate, the brussels sprouts, the pickle tray, the arugula salad to name a few. There were no losers. Everything was incredible and we ate every morsel.
Moving onto the main course. It seems we tried swordfish, beef tenderloin, fried chicken, the burger of the moment, the portobello fettuccine. There was much cutlery in action.
Finally cronuts, flights of port, and all sorts of desserts came out. I think people were literally crying from happiness at the end of this meal.
I have been holding a grudge with sessions for a long time because it replaced my all-​time favorite Denver restaurant, Izakaya Den.
I’m glad I finally got over it and came out and tried one of my neighborhood restaurants that is truly world-​class. Way to go sessions!

Great drinks and an awesome place for happy hour. The Medjool Dates were very good and so was the burger. I was hoping to try some of the things other Unilocalers were talking about but they weren’t on the happy hour menu and they didn’t serve the full menu until 5pm. If I had know that we would have waited a bit longer to go. The atmosphere is really neat too!

We went to Sessions for a family birthday celebration. There were 7 of us and without exception everyone enjoyed themselves. Loved the atmosphere. We were surprised at how large of a restaurant it is considering its location on south Pearl. We started with several appetizers and they all disappeared rapidly. I had the hamburger for my meal, and while it was not a «great write home to mom» type hamburger, it was a very good hamburger. Service was efficient and friendly.

I was in Denver over the weekend visiting a friend who recently moved to the area. She booked us a reservation in the elevated bar area since it was «really cool» and «pretentious in all the right ways» and you’ll «love it.» (Her words — and it’s TRUE.) Our reservation was delayed by about 10 minutes, which was honestly fine. Session brought out two complimentary appetizers for us (the brussels sprouts and the spinach and sun choke dip) as a token of our patience. Good things come to those who wait, right?
Once seated, our bartender, Les, (who is hot af, tbh) tells us that there is not a cocktail menu at the elevated bar — he will ask us what we like and custom create it. Listen up, people: This guy knows what he’s doing. Our group of six had at least 3 – 4 drinks each and every drink was on point. While making one of my cocktails he says, «I want you to imagine you’re walking through a volcano while drinking this.» You best believe that I could feel the molten lava running down my body while my perfectly groomed eyebrows singed off my beautiful face.
When all was said and done, I got the shakes while anticipating the tab I racked up. (I unfortunately have exquisite and expensive tastes, which takes a toll on what I rake in from my depressing pay grade.) I was shocked to see that the cocktails were normally priced and affordable. PRAISE.
Long review short: ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would recommend.
P. S. Les also let us take selfies with frozen salmon heads attached to butter knives, so like… what more could you want out of a dining experience? #SalmonSelfieSaturday

Session Kitchen is a quick walk from the lightrail in the cute South Pearl district. I didn’t think I would enjoy this place so much. I was affraid it would be too loud and the food would be Sysco quality. I was wrong. We have been here a few times (without reservations) and the service is always spot-​on. The food is scratch-​made and delicious. Beer, cocktails and dessert. With the shared plates concept, its easy to have some dessert. Last time the had chocolate covered cronuts (spelling?).
I love Humbolt Fog cheese but every Whole Foods has it too. I also love menus with chicken liver mousse, seasonal sausage and brusels sprouts.

We came to Session for my 33^rd birthday… we had a party of like 15 …
The staff was super accommodating and sat us in a fun area–
Our waiter was so nice and was very present… since our party was so big they kept bringing us delicious appetizers to keep the party rolling… The food was beyond good… I sampled off everyone’s plate…
For dessert we had the donuts !! Too die!
I would totally recommend this restaurant to any one… Not to dressy — not to casual .just right
Have fun!

Still one of my favorite places in Denver. The service is always fantastic and the drinks are incredible.
The food… I prefer Brunch to Dinner, but the appetizers are always very good. Their brussel sprouts and their dinners are fantastic!
This past weekend, I had the chicken sausage sandwhich with hashbrowns, and a Christmas Ale from Breckenridge Brewery. Both were great!
My favorite drink that they serve is Whiskey on Ice. Sounds simple, but the ‘ice’ is a massive ice cube that is made with seasonal flavors. Examples are: Smoked Apple Juice, Blood Orange and Ginger. It infuses the whiskey, and becomes almost like a boozy slushy by the end.
Always love coming here!

We went there for drinks on a Saturday night around 8 PM, and had no problem getting a table. That seemed like a red flag for me as I would expect a location that looks this pretty swarmed with people to determine if the food met the atmosphere.
While we didn’t try the food, we were seated at a high-​top table, with stools that were about as comfortable as being water boarded. Within 10 minutes, I had enough of the torture chairs and moved to just standing while enjoying my whiskey on the rocks.
If you are going to provide a 4 to 5 star experience, even if it is just for drinks, you better consider than even when the bar is full, people still want to be comfortable. I can find this at any bar, and Session Kitchen needs to figure out how to be just average in that category. However, in terms of atmosphere and customer service, Session is just like any other restaurant.
Now I understand why it wasn’t packed, it’s just an average experience wrapped in gold leaf. Maybe the food could save it.

The hubs and I went back for a light dinner and drinks. Chad Gray took exceptional care of us.
We had the fried green tomatoes, delish, and the pork belly and watermelon which is seasonal and also super tasty.
We got the mussels too which I guess were new and didn’t knock our socks off, but hey,
All was wrapped up by some peach and berry amazing that we inhaled.
Chad also let us try Athol Brose which is oat soaked whisky? SO good.

We had a group of 10 meeting for our first dinner at Session. Located in the old Izikaya Den, the updated décor was really nice. A few of us arrived early and it was quiet with plenty of space at the bar. We got of to a shaky start as one of the bartenders was obviously too busy showing off for the waitstaff and hostess to even bother serving us. Finally the other bartender noticed us and saved the day. As mentioned by others, they may need to do some work with some of their staff.
After a few drinks at the bar we were seated and our server Nathan stole the show. He offered great recommendations and we split numerous plates among the group starting with Jam Session small plates and moving into the Group Session entrees.
Standouts include: cornbread and Brie –wow! Pork belly and watermelon and the fried green tomatoes. The tuna was awesome as was the salmon. Absolute favorite was the lamb. Great portion size and incredible rich flavor profile.
Drinks are kind of on the pricey side for the cocktails but wine and beer was reasonable.
All in all a wonderful experience and like I said, Nathan killed it as our server. I wouldn’t hesitate to bring service issues up to management as I see inconsistent service being their biggest issue from the sounds of it.
We’ll be back for certain.

Is this place the most amazing option for food? No.
But its located in the trendy and fun pearl street area so its always a great option to meet friends here for drinks and food.
This restaurant occupies the old izakaya den. Nice patio, downstairs, and upstairs area. Modern, bright colors, chic!
Service was great and the food was pretty delicious. Just make sure you order the right stuff:
–eggplant waffles: sounds strange but it was yummy!
–the pizza tart was so good! The crust was flakey and buttery… seriously couldnt stop eating
–kennebec fries with their savory jam. We ordered it twice! Salty french fries with a semi sweet dip is pretty addictive
–lamb collar was cooked so well that the meat was perfectly juicy and tender
Skip
–stuffed avocado… huge portion that kind of grossed me out after a couple bites. Maybe its a texture thing!
–almost pad thai. Its almost good… but i prefer the greasy noodles of a traditional pad thai… this was more like a lo mein. Tasted nothing like pad thai.
–sliders.:Dry dry dry!!!
Ive had better food elsewhere but this place deserves another visit or two… for those fries!

Apparently the reviews say this place is a hit or a miss. Honestly I loved Session Kitchen. But I’m also the type of person who will try a place regardless of how many stars they have since you won’t personally know if you like it if you don’t try it. BUT I’m absolutely happy I chose Session Kitchen to have my birthday dinner. Every dish I ordered was amazing – the charcuterie (cured meats with corresponding pickled sauces and bread) and Fruits De Mer (Grilled cobia belly, oysters, and hush puppies). Both had so much flavor!
I was also able to try this delicious personal sized pizza that my friend ordered. I’ve never had anchovies on pizza before and so Session Kitchen was the first to pop that cherry! It went well with the pizza but I don’t think I liked the anchovy on its own. This same friend also ordered cronuts! At first when it came out I thought, wow this looks so basic due to the confetti sprinkles on top but don’t be deceived by what it looks like because baby, it was soooo good. Another dish I simply adored was the pork belly and pineapples. I love sweet and savory things combined and the combination between the two tasted surreal.
Some things that weren’t necessarily my favorite was the Lamb Collar (I thought it was a little too dry) and my friend had ordered tacos… something tacos. Both okay. Probably wouldn’t order it myself since I’ve already tried them, but yeah definitely get the Charcuterie Board or the Fruits De Mer – you won’t be disappointed whatsoever.