Text by Katie Shapiro
Images courtesy of Limelight Denver/Ajax Downtown
Following Aspen One’s 2023 opening of Limelight Denver, a sister hotel to The Little Nell, comes a taste of Ajax Tavern.
Anchored steps from the train tracks in Denver’s bustling Union Station neighborhood, the lobby-adjacent restaurant offers a more metropolitan and modern take on the beloved Ajax brand. Dubbed Ajax Downtown, it’s the first-ever Aspen One dining concept outside of Aspen.
“Ajax Downtown is a true American restaurant drawing from influences from around the country, centered around the art of live fire cooking,” says Ajax Downtown’s executive chef Jared Becker. “Most items have touched our live-ember grill—from salads to desserts—and our team prides itself on responsibly sourcing Rocky Mountain-raised meats and fresh seasonal vegetables from local farms, making every dish in-house.”
While breakfast, brunch, and lunch are offered, dinner service is where Becker’s talent shines. In partnership with Josper, a Catalunya company specializing in woodfired grills and ovens since 1969, its special charcoal preserves moisture while adding aromatics from the smoke.
The result is innovative, instant favorites like oven-baked sourdough with crema di lardo and fire-roasted peppers, coal-roasted beet with Humboldt Fog goat cheese and pine nut gremolata, hickory-smoked duck breast, mesquite-grilled chicken, and a dry-aged, 48-ounce tomahawk. On the side, the potato pavè with smoked potato cream and black truffle is a fancy replacement for Ajax Tavern’s famous fries.
Its sizeable U-shaped bar is perfect for Mile High City meetings and post-work happy hours. Matt Gotlin-Sheehan, Ajax Downtown’s lead bartender, shakes up a dynamic cocktail program featuring concoctions from the “Beast of Bourbon,” which incorporates a wash of Woody Creek Distillers’ Ajax Barrel with dry-aged ribeye fat, maple, black walnut and oak. There’s also an extensive wine list and local, small-production craft beers on tap, including Aspen Brewing Company’s Ajax Pilsner.
Whether you’re stopping over in Denver before or after your trip to the high country or find yourself near Union Station, escape into Ajax Downtown for respite and delicious fare.
