City Set

A cool little plaza in the Cherry Creek/​Glendale area that’s filled with a great variety of restaurants and really utilizes the space between the two hotels: the Resident Inn and Hilton Garden Inn right on Colorado Blvd. I’ve enjoyed my visits here, especially with diverse restaurant options that include Silvi’s Kitchen, Cuba Cuba, Jax, The Kitchen Next Door, Native Foods Café, Big Smoke Burger, World of Beer, and the recent addition of Platform T. I like the different price points and being able to stop by one establishment for dinner and another for dessert since they are all walking distance of each other.
Parking is for two hours and can be a tight fit, but there is an accessible parking garage underground that is a lot more convenient (especially on snowy days). I’m excited for additions to City Set in the future, but for now, I’ll be enjoying a bite to eat in this neighborhood.

Brilliant concept. So far we have tried Jax, Silvi’s (more than once), CubaCuba, and World of Beer. Everything has been amazing. To serve food to WOB and the hotels is just brilliant.

The only reason I can’t give it 5 stars is the parking situation. Always packed! I live close enough but on days when there’s a ton of snow it’s really tough. There is garage parking but that’s usually packed as well. I like the selection of restaurants. They did a good job having an array of different flavors!

Great place. I went often during the summer and there are plenty of places to eat and drink. I like the choices and need to go back and try some of the new additions. I am a little concerned about that high of a concentration of bars/​restaurants drawing attention of the Glendale police and opportunities for DUI. Better watch myself.

I love the variety of food offerings, but I came here on a Friday around 5pm and the parking sux That is the only reason I bumped a star.

Man. What a bummer. We headed back to Udi’s today and the service was sub par. Our waitress kept forgetting to do things. She brought us the wrong food and then at the end the wrong bill.
The food was bland and not worth the time or money.
It was busier today when we went in so all I can think is the kitchen and servers don’t handle the rush well. Sadly I don’t think I will be retiring anytime soon based on our experience today.

What a great idea-​a plethora of food and drink offerings in a non strip mall yet planned kind of environment. Being able to drink at World Of Beer but still have good delivered from the numerous eateries is genius. Jax is easily the best of the bunch (and the most pricey), but I can honestly say I have eaten at each place more than once, and liked it all. And best of all, it’s walking distance when it’s time to go home!

Love this place & all of the food options. Whether you’re vegan or a meat lover, it’s all here. Prices are affordable & the parking’s not always ideal, but it’s not bad. I’m grateful to live only minutes away & be able to grab something quick & easy without breaking my piggy bank!

City Set is an outdoor food court, I wish this place had existed when I worked at the JCC!
But it didn’t. And unless we’re going to Native Foods Café, I don’t see us coming here often. But it’s a great option if you’re in the area!

Strazza [strah-​zuh, strazuh, sträzuh]
Noun
1. A concatenation of street and plaza «that connects pedestrians and cars in a safe and flexible environment». (Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle, ⁹⁄₁₃)
2. A creative developer’s term for a surface parking lot ringed with restaurants and drinking establishments which happen to connect said developer’s two hotels.
Aren’t new, made up words illuminating? I came across the completely made up word «strazza» in the ‘Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle’ when reading about all the new restaurants that have been opening up in Glendale’s City Set development.
The word strazza sounds vaguely upscale. It’s a word which may remind you of a stroll through the Piazza del Duomo while you are devouring biscotti, one after the other. Or perhaps it is a sensual word which, when spoken aloud by the likes of Sophia Loren, will unfurl your flag. Strazza.
Where was I? Oh yeah, City Set. Yeah, none of the above dreamy notions will disrupt your visit to City Set. City Set is a very clever way of maximizing the real estate around the parking lot between the Hilton Garden Inn and the Residence Inn by Marriott. The line-​up of restaurants and drinking establishments which surround the strazza is indeed impressive and a coup for Glendale: Jax Fish House, Cuba Cuba Sandwicheria, World or Beer, Udi’s Café Pizza and Bar, and Big Smoke Burger are already bringing in the crowds. And still to open are The Kitchen Next Door and a Native Foods Café.
That’s a lot of variety which covers not only different tastes but different budgets as well. Smart, very smart.
All the restaurants and their patios are adjacent to one other and overlook the parking lot so it kind of feels like you are dining on a public square of sorts, a 21^st century commercial vision of an insipid street scene. I guess it’s like a food court too, except instead of tables in the middle, one can park a car directly in front of their establishment of choice.
If you can’t find a parking spot directly on the surface lot, then there is underground parking too which I personally find more convenient than competing for a spot on the strazza. There is a shared valet service available too, but I haven’t had the need for it.
City Set is A-​OK and I’m sure they are going to succeed because they seem to have the right tenant mix, the convenience of parking, are surrounded by the right demographics, and are adjacent to the busiest street in all of Colorado.
For me, I’d rather have the real thing, as long as there is valet parking of course. Strazza.

This new development went up super fast. Once there was nothing, and then a whole plaza with oodles of food options appeared.
Great addition to the neighborhood. A little bit of something for everyone, World of Beer, Big Smoke Burger, Jax (a personal favorite), and Cuba Cuba. There may be more but those are the ones that come to mind. The plaza isn’t completely full yet, so keep an eye out for the next establishment to settle down here.
Parking is a complete disaster here. Very tight quarters and difficult to maneuver around. I highly recommend the parking garage below, nobody seems to be using it right now and it’s more accessible then the rest of the parking lot.

Update:
A version of Kitchen Next Door should arrive by November.
They will allegedly also incorporate mobile ordering so that waitstaff will not constantly have to run back & forth between kitchen & table. Rumour has it there’s a rooftop patio as well.
And you can now make/​update reviews from the app. Finally!

City Set is the latest and greatest piece of the Glendale renaissance. There are two hotels, a great mix of sit down and fast casual restaurants, and a Verizon store. Almost everything you need, really.
During a recent visit, someone told me that pretty soon this place will be «the next Vegas». Certainly a bit of a stretch, but one day you will be able to stroll with your adult beverage around City Set and over to the Riverwalk that is scheduled to be completed in 2016, I believe. Pretty cool!
So why not five stars? Parking. There just aren’t enough spaces to accommodate both hotel guests and daily visitors. While complementary valet parking is available (currently the only way to use the parking garage), I’m not going to valet the car just to run in and grab a sandwich or a burger to go. I think even bike racks are limited but perhaps this will be addressed in the future.
In any event, City Set is a big boost for Glendale and a fun place to hang out. I’m excited to see what the future holds for this development.