Entry No. 72 — the Denver file — filed under: speakeasy
Retrograde
Walk into Sweet Action Ice Cream, ignore the cones, head for the walk-in freezer door, flip the light switch beside it, and wait. Behind that heavy steel door is Retrograde — a dim, glowing, outer-space-themed cocktail lounge that feels like a bar on a distant planet. The menu is all cosmic: drinks like 'My Alien Girlfriend' and milk-clarified Fernet oddities, served to a max of five people per party with no reservations. It's a real hidden-in-plain-sight gem behind an ice cream counter.
The move: Grab a couple of cones as cover, then sneak through the freezer door and order the weirdest space-themed cocktails on the menu in the glow of the alien lounge.
📍 Before you go You'll find it on E 19th Ave in Uptown/North Cap Hill, an easy walk from downtown — look for Sweet Action Ice Cream and head to the freezer door at the back. Because there are no reservations and parties cap at five, go early, especially on weekend nights; the lounge is small and fills fast once word gets around. Come on the later/evening side, since it keeps bar hours rather than ice-cream hours (those shift seasonally — check ahead). The space is wheelchair accessible. Street parking around the residential blocks is doable but tight, so leave a buffer. Pair it with the Uptown restaurant row along E 17th Ave a block over for dinner first.
- 📍 North Capitol Hill / Uptown
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 530 E 19th Ave, Denver, CO 80203 (behind the walk-in freezer door inside Sweet Action Ice Cream; flip the light switch and wait)
Hours: Mon-Wed 6pm-1am, Thu-Sun 5pm-1am. No reservations, first-come; parties capped at 5.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · secretdenver.com · Yelp
last checked: 2026-06-24