Since its debut in 2016, Denver’s Culinary Creative Group has pushed its aesthetic — refined but also decadent — and its food with each new restaurant opening. Mister Oso, A5 and Ash’kara have all received Michelin nods, while the Cherry Creek bars Bar Amorina, Ay Papi and Forget Me Not continue to attract a well-dressed and high-profile clientele to their chic environs.

Sorry Gorgeous, the cocktail lounge that opened last October on the rooftop of NOVEL RiNo, seems to be a distillation of the group’s philosophy. Perched atop the 500-unit residential building, at 1350 40th St., each detail of the showbiz-ready space has been carefully curated.

Culinary Creative CEO Juan Padro says Sorry Gorgeous was inspired by the NYC institution Joe’s Pub, a personal favorite of his that since opening in 1998 has played host to the likes of Lady Gaga, Alice Coltrane, Wynton Marsalis and Dolly Parton. “We aspire to be very theatrical within the context of a cocktail bar,” he said. “There is a theater to service.”

“It’s meant to evoke sexy. It’s femme fatale. It’s evocative. It’s supposed to be moody,” adds Culinary Creative beverage director Nicole Lebedevitch.

DJ Whoo Kid, a former touring DJ for both Eminem and 50 Cent, played at the opening party, and Padro says the place will continue to attract big-name talent. Peter Paul Scott, who has been credited with being instrumental in merging the worlds of fashion and hip hop while acting as Director of Marketing for Tommy Hilfiger, has been tapped as Culinary Creative’s Entertainment Director. He will continue to bring big-city elegance to Sorry Gorgeous’ programming.

The cocktail menu is short and potent. The eleven cocktails and two non-alcoholic concoctions were all designed by Lebedevitch, each one showcasing her position as one of the best drink designers in the city. The Journeyman combines Blanco tequila, green tea, lemongrass, pineapple and Thai basil for a boozy porch pounder that would be as happy poolside as it is at the table. The Ce Soir is a bit more posh, though its mixture of cognac, yellow Chartreuse, Cynar and Regans’ orange bitters is no less punchy. The Rye-Tai, with rye whiskey, walnut, burnt orange and lime has been described by Lebevitch as “friends of the Mai-Tai. He’s a spicy, nutty cousin.”

And then there’s the view. NOVEL RiNo, just a stone’s throw from the Mission Ballroom, has a completely unobstructed view of downtown, backed by the expanse of the Rocky Mountains.

Before taking a seat, many guests flock to the patio for photos, with staff kindly obliging and offering to take a snap or two. “People are already coming up to do their engagement photos here,” said Padro. “We are creating a really cool thing for the building, for the greater community and we’re adding something really special for Denver. From this angle, it looks like a big city.”

Early arrivers can relish the place’s serene and sumptuous charm, while later guests might indulge in a different scene entirely. “The atmosphere from three to six is very different from six to nine and very different than nine to close,” grinned Lebedevitch. “It’s a cocktail lounge, not a dance club. But make no mistake, people are dancing,” added Padro.

On November 13, the group opened Magna Kainan downstairs. It’s the sister restaurant of chef Carlo Lamagna’s Portland-based Filipino joint Magna Kusina. Dishes like the Lumpia Shanghai, fried eggrolls filled with pork and roasted mushrooms, the Sisig, crispy pork head with onions, calamansi, soy sauce, Thai chili, scallions, and poached egg, and the Kare-Kare, which combines braised oxtail, tripe, bok-choy, eggplant, long beans and pumpkin seed, all make a compelling case for why Lamagna was named one of Food and Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2021. He was also a James Beard award finalist for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific in 2022.

Lebedevitch says that while the upstairs drinks don’t play off the flavors or ideas of Magna Kainan the two are interrelated. “We’re here to be Magna’s hug. We’re here to be the before and after,” she said.

Sorry Gorgeous is a game-changing addition to Denver’s bar scene. “I think Forget Me Not was a necessity for Cherry Creek,” said Lebedevitch. “We’re continuing to grow these neighborhoods,” she continued, adding that she’s excited to be just a few blocks down from area stalwarts Brasserie Brixton and Yacht Club.

Padro says this may be one of Culinary Creative’s last local openings unless there is a fundamental change in the way the city does business. “Denver is getting prohibitively expensive to do business. Unless we can get our labor situation fixed, it’s just not feasible,” he said. Even so, he noted that there are already plans to bring Aviano, The Fox and The Hen, A5 and Mister Oso to new markets.