If you are trying to decide between Denver Milk Market vs Denver Central Market, the biggest difference is pretty simple: Denver Milk Market has the better layout, but Denver Central Market had much better food.
Both are popular Denver food halls, both have plenty of options, and both are easy to work into a day of sightseeing. But after eating at several vendors at each, I would choose Denver Central Market without hesitation if food is your main priority.
Here is how the two compare, what we tried, and which one I think is the best food hall in Denver.
Denver Milk Market is located inside Dairy Block in LoDo, not far from Union Station.
Compared with Denver Central Market, it feels more polished, less crowded, and a little more connected to the hotel and tourist side of downtown Denver.
I actually liked the layout here better.
The seating was not all packed into one area, there were multiple places to sit, and everything felt a little more spread out. If you want to grab food and sit for a while without feeling like you are in the middle of a busy food hall, Denver Milk Market is more comfortable.
The food, though, did not impress me nearly as much.
If you are planning a full day around this part of the city, my The Perfect 24 Hours in Denver Colorado guide can help you figure out what else to do nearby.
At YumCha, we tried the French onion dumplings. The menu itself is fun, with dumplings, bao, noodles, wings, and other Asian-inspired dishes.
I really liked the idea of French onion dumplings, but the ones we ordered felt a little fast-food-ish to me and needed more flavor. They were fine, but I would probably try something different next time.
Lucky Bird focuses on fried chicken sandwiches, tenders, wings, and fries. We ordered the spicy chicken sandwich because it sounded promising, but it ended up being one of the weaker things we tried.
The bread was a little dry, and the sandwich just did not have as much flavor as I expected. It was fine for a quick lunch, but it is not something I would specifically go back for.
Prices were pretty comparable to Denver Central Market. For me, the difference between the two food halls really came down to food quality rather than cost.
I did not feel like Denver Milk Market was dramatically cheaper or more expensive. I just thought the food we tried at Denver Central Market was noticeably better.
Even though Denver Milk Market itself was not my favorite for food, there are several other places around Dairy Block that I liked more.
Kachina Cantina has a surprisingly affordable breakfast menu. You can get breakfast burritos for around $10, and there are also lighter options like a Greek yogurt parfait.
We also really liked the atmosphere here. If I were staying near Dairy Block and wanted breakfast, I would probably choose Kachina Cantina over the food hall.
If you want to stay right around Dairy Block or Union Station, you can compare Denver hotels on Booking.com.
Poka Lola Social Club is another good option if you want drinks and a snack instead of a full meal. The food menu is small, with things like soy-garlic wings, ranch fries, a Wagyu dog, and a chicken sandwich.
We liked their mocktails, and the indoor-outdoor atmosphere was really nice.
If mocktails are a priority for you too, I have more places in Best Cocktail and Mocktail Bars in Denver Colorado.
So there are definitely good food and drink options around Dairy Block. I just thought the actual food inside Denver Milk Market was much less memorable than what we ate at Denver Central Market.
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Denver Central Market is in RiNo and felt much more like a neighborhood food hall filled with local vendors rather than a polished downtown attraction.
It is definitely tighter inside and can feel more crowded than Denver Milk Market. The seating is more concentrated, and during busy times it can get packed. But the food quality made up for that for me.
We tried Izzio Bakery, Crema, Lunchboxx, Temper, and Green Seed, and I would order everything we tried again.
That did not happen at Denver Milk Market.
If you want the full breakdown of the vendors we tried and what I would order, read What to Eat at Denver Central Market.
The vendors at Denver Central Market felt more distinct from each other.
We could get pastries from Izzio Bakery, coffee from Crema, savory food from Lunchboxx and Green Seed, and chocolate from Temper, and every stop felt completely different from the last.
There were also more things I genuinely wanted to come back and eat. That is the biggest reason Denver Central Market wins for me. The food had more personality, the overall quality was better, and it felt more local.
For even more places to eat around the neighborhood, my One Day in RiNo Denver: Where to Eat, Shop, and Explore guide covers how to work Denver Central Market into a full day in RiNo.
This is where Denver Milk Market has the advantage. Denver Milk Market felt less crowded, and I liked that the seating was spread throughout the space rather than concentrated in one main area.
It was easier to sit down and relax. Denver Central Market is noticeably tighter inside. It definitely gets busy, especially later in the day and around popular meal times, and seating fills up quickly when it is crowded.
We went on both a Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, and while it was busy both times, it never felt overwhelming to me. We were also able to find somewhere to sit without a problem.
If you really dislike crowded food halls, though, Denver Milk Market is probably going to feel more comfortable.
Your itinerary may also make the decision for you.
Denver Milk Market is in Dairy Block in LoDo, which makes it extremely convenient if you are staying near Union Station or already exploring downtown Denver.
Denver Central Market is in RiNo, so it works especially well if you are spending time around the RiNo Art District, Larimer Street, or the restaurants and shops in that part of Denver.
I would not necessarily cross the city just because one is slightly closer than the other.
But if you only have time for one food hall during your trip, I still think Denver Central Market is worth choosing for the food.
I would plan about an hour at either Denver food hall if you are casually visiting and trying a couple of things. Denver Milk Market is easy to walk through, order something, sit for a while, and move on.
For Denver Central Market, I would allow closer to 1 to 1½ hours if you want to turn it into more of a mini food crawl. There are enough good vendors that I would rather order smaller things from several places than sit down with one full meal.
Giving yourself a little extra time also means you are not trying to inhale a pastry, coffee, lunch, and chocolate in 45 minutes. Not that I am saying it cannot be done.
For me, Denver Central Market wins by a pretty wide margin.
Denver Milk Market has the better setup. It is less crowded, the seating is more spread out, and it is extremely convenient if you are staying near Dairy Block or Union Station.
But I am going to a food hall for the food, and Denver Central Market was just better. We found more things we loved, the vendors felt more distinct, and I left wanting to come back and try even more.
If I only had time for one? Denver Central Market. Easily.
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For a bigger look at the city, start with Top Things to Do in Denver Colorado or A Weekend in Denver Colorado: The Perfect First-Time Itinerary.
If Denver is part of a longer Colorado trip, Spend a Week in Colorado: The Perfect Denver and Golden Itinerary can help you put the rest of the trip together.
You can compare flights to Denver with Skyscanner.
If you want to build even more eating into the trip, check out my DIY Denver Food Tour: Best Places to Eat in Denver Colorado.
You can also browse Denver tours and activities on Viator or GetYourGuide.
“Outside Terminal 3” is not a pickup location at PHX.
Before your driver pulls in, text them four things: your terminal, north or south side, door number, and inner or outer curb. Grab your bags first, then call them in. Drivers can wait free in the cell phone lot instead of circling. Getting through security is easy; getting picked up is the hard part.
Save this for your Phoenix trip ✈️
Come for the architecture, stay for the view.
The Chapel of the Holy Cross has been built into Sedona’s red rocks since 1956. The outside overlooks get busy, but inside is quiet, with huge windows framing the rocks. It’s free, takes 30-45 minutes, and has a paved, wheelchair-accessible ramp. Make sure to bring water in summer.
Save this for your trip planning!
Order it well done. Trust me.🍑🍕
Peach & Pancetta Pizza at Hideaway House in Sedona: roasted peaches, salty pancetta, ricotta, basil, extra-crispy crust. Split the house salad, grab a prickly pear lemonade, and get a patio table facing the red rocks. Skip the bread if you want room for another slice.
Save this for your Sedona trip✈️
Pack your bags, Denver is not just a mountain layover. RiNo alone can eat a full day between the murals, food, and bars. Skip the concert and hit Red Rocks midday instead, you’ll basically have it to yourself. Golden’s a 30-minute trip if you want a change of pace, and if food drives your travel like it does mine, Denver Central Market and BRUTØ deserve real time on the calendar. Give it three days minimum, four if you’re eating your way through it. Save this.
Stayed at The Maven in Denver’s Dairy Block and the location alone sold me, walking distance to Union Station and most of downtown, string lights right outside at night. The room was spacious and quiet, even had a swing in it. Real talk though, there’s a $28 daily resort fee and parking isn’t cheap, valet ran us $59 a day. Bed was a little firm, but that’s the only complaint I’ve got. Save this before you book.
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
