If you are visiting Denver Central Market, Izzio Bakery Denver is probably going to catch your attention pretty quickly. There is usually a line at the counter, and after trying the pastries myself, I understand why.
Izzio Bakery is especially known for its Colorado Queens, which are its take on a kouign-amann, and the oversized La Roulettes you have probably seen all over Instagram. But the Izzio Bakery menu goes well beyond pastries, with breads, croissants, muffins, buns, cookies, cakes, breakfast, and lunch.
We tried two of the pastries I was most curious about along with one of the breakfast bowls, and there was a very clear favorite.
Izzio Bakery is located inside Denver Central Market in RiNo.
Because it sits inside the market, it is easy to combine with other stops in the neighborhood. If you are spending more time nearby, my One Day in RiNo Denver: Where to Eat, Shop, and Explore has more ideas for planning the rest of the day.
And it is pretty easy to figure out which counter is Izzio. Just look for the pastries and, usually, the line.
The two pastries you are most likely to hear about at Izzio Bakery Denver are the Colorado Queens and La Roulettes.
The Colorado Queen is Izzio's version of a kouign-amann, with buttery laminated layers, a caramelized crisp exterior, and a softer flaky center.
The La Roulette is an oversized spiral croissant filled with flavored cream. It is dramatic, huge, and definitely the pastry you have probably seen all over Instagram.
Izzio also serves plenty of more traditional bakery options along with a full breakfast and lunch menu, so you do not have to survive entirely on laminated dough.
Although I was apparently willing to try.
If you are trying to decide which of Denver's popular food halls to visit, I also compared them in Denver Milk Market vs Denver Central Market: Which Food Hall Is Better?
The Raspberry La Roulette is one of Izzio's giant spiral croissants filled with raspberry cream. And yes, it really is giant.
The outside was crunchy and flaky, while the inside was packed with raspberry filling. It was sweet, messy, and very hard to eat gracefully—but that is not really the point here.
We also ordered the Raspberry Cheesecake Colorado Queen.
The Queens have all those buttery laminated layers you expect from a kouign-amann, with a caramelized crisp exterior and a softer flaky center. And then they added raspberry cheesecake to it.
I am already a sucker for anything involving cream cheese frosting, so this never really had a chance of disappointing me.
The caramelized outside gave it more texture than the Roulette, while the softer center and cheesecake flavor made the whole thing ridiculously good.
Save this for later on Pinterest so you don’t forget it.
I loved both of them, but if you forced me to choose just one, I would get the Colorado Queen.
The Roulette is probably the more Instagram-famous option, but I preferred the contrast in the Queen between the caramelized outside, the soft center, and the raspberry cheesecake flavor.
That said, I would absolutely order both again.
If you are visiting with someone else, splitting one of each is probably the smartest move.
Izzio also has a full breakfast and lunch menu, so we ordered the Farmer's Bowl with fresh cage-free eggs, chorizo, potatoes, peppers, caramelized onions, tortilla chips, cheddar, pico, and sour cream.
After eating approximately my body weight in pastry, having something savory was actually a very good decision.
The Izzio Bakery menu also includes breakfast burritos, bowls, avocado toast, pancakes, croffles, French toast, and several weekend brunch specials.
And next time, I already know what I am adding: one of their croffles and a crème brûlée croissant.
If you are planning to eat your way around the rest of the market too, my What to Eat at Denver Central Market covers more of the food options inside.
We were at Denver Central Market several different times, so I got to see the Izzio Bakery line at different points of the day.
During the mid-morning and afternoon, the longest wait I saw was around 10–15 minutes.
It moved fairly quickly, so I would not let the line stop you unless you are really short on time.
Izzio is not the cheapest place to grab breakfast, but the pastries are large, handmade, and made with quality ingredients. This is very much a you-get-what-you-pay-for situation.
The pastries are also substantial enough that you could easily split a couple of them if you want to try several flavors. Which, obviously, is what I recommend.
For a first visit to Izzio Bakery Denver, I would start with one of the Colorado Queens and one of the La Roulettes, since those are the two pastries Izzio is best known for.
My personal pick would still be the Raspberry Cheesecake Colorado Queen, but reviews also consistently praise the Caramel Pecan, Pistachio, Classic, and crème brûlée versions.
Beyond the Queens and Roulettes, the Crème Brûlée Crown/Croissant seems to be the strongest recommendation. Reviewers specifically mention the custard, caramelized brûléed top, and flaky pastry.
Croffles also come up several times, including savory versions, and the breakfast burrito gets a lot of praise for being huge, hearty, and flavorful. One reviewer even said it was big enough for two.
For a more substantial breakfast, the Croissant Eggs Benedict is another popular choice, and the Ham & Cheese Croissant is very highly rated too.
The Morning Bun and Almond Croissant also get strong mentions, although not nearly as often as the Queens or Roulettes.
So if I were building the ideal first order, I would go with:
And if you still have room—or just completely lack self-control around pastries, hi, that's me—add a croffle too.
And if Izzio is only one stop on your Denver eating agenda, my DIY Denver Food Tour: Best Places to Eat in Denver Colorado has more places to add.
Yes. There are plenty of places serving pretty pastries that photograph well and then taste merely fine. That was not the case at Izzio Bakery.
The pastries were every bit as good as they looked, the portions were substantial, and even the 10–15 minute line moved quickly enough that I would not hesitate to stop again.
Next time, I am coming back for the croffle and crème brûlée croissant—and probably ordering more than I need…again.
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Compare flights to Denver on Skyscanner.
For a bigger overview of the city, start with Top Things to Do in Denver Colorado.
If this is your first trip, A Weekend in Denver Colorado: The Perfect First-Time Itinerary can help you put the major stops together.
Search Denver hotels through Booking.com or Hotels.com.
For a hotel I stayed at in the city, read The Maven Hotel Denver Review: What to Expect.
Browse Denver tours and activities through Viator or Get Your Guide.
If you have a little more time in Denver, see The Perfect 3 Days in Denver Colorado for more ideas beyond the market.
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