F1 Arcade Opens in Denver: Here's How To Go
- Kick The Concrete
- Sep 12
- 6 min read
Denver is continuing to grow in influence and stature. With the announcement of plans for a new stadium with a retractable roof for the Denver Broncos, it is clear the city is preparing for big events like a Super Bowl. Part of the city's expansion includes the introduction of an F1 Arcade, a racing experience that is taking the country by storm.
The F1 Arcade in Denver opened on Wednesday and is the fourth location in the United States. There are also arcades in Boston, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia with a fifth location in Las Vegas set to open next month. The original F1 Arcade opened in London in 2022.
We have previously been to the F1 Arcade in London and were curious how the Mile High City location compared.
The F1 Arcade in Denver is located in the hip RiNo District (River North) close to Denver Central Market, the King Arthur Baking pop-up, Arc'teryx and Larimer Lounge. It is in a brick building that's fairly subtle — minus the Red Bull Racing car out front.
Guests are welcome to walk-in, but reservations are recommended to secure your spot at one of the 69 racing simulators. The space is filled with neon lights, including fixtures in the shape of F1 circuits (just like the London location). The simulators line the walls and high-top tables for dining are scattered throughout the open floor plan. The venue is essentially split into two rooms with a beautiful art deco bar in the middle.
Pricing at F1 Arcade Denver
There are three pricing tiers at the F1 Arcade in Denver based on the time of day. All time slots on Saturday and Sunday are considered "Peak." There are also two ways to book. A reservation for parties of 3 people or less is called "Head To Head" and you race each other and computers. For parties of 4 people or more, you would book "Team Racing" and take turns accumulating points as a team.
Offpeak (12 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. M-F)
$22 per person "Head To Head" for 3 races in 30 minutes or "Team Racing" for 4 races in 80 minutes
$32 per person "Head To Head" for 5 races in 45 minutes
Standard (2 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. M-F)
$27 per person "Head To Head" for 3 races in 30 minutes or "Team Racing" for 4 races in 80 minutes
$38 per person "Head To Head" for 5 races in 45 minutes
Peak (5 p.m. to 11:40 p.m. M-F, all day Saturday and Sunday)
$31 per person "Head To Head" for 3 races in 30 minutes or "Team Racing" for 4 races in 80 minutes
$42 per person "Head To Head" for 5 races in 45 minutes
The F1 Arcade in Denver will also host watch parties. Some of the races will be shown as replays while others will be streamed live. Pricing varies on the race.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix Rewatch Party (Baku) - Free
United States Grand Prix Watch Party (Austin) - $49 for General Admission that includes food and drinks
Racing the Simulators at F1 Arcade Denver
When Kick The Concrete went to check out the F1 Arcade in Denver, we made a "Head To Head" reservation for 1:30 p.m. for two people on Wednesday, opening day. We followed the instructions and were 15 minutes early for our time slot. We were greeted by a welcoming staff member in a sparkly F1 Arcade jacket who led us to our simulators and explained how they worked. There were a few minutes before the racing actually started, so we went to get sodas at the bar.
Tip: We don't recommend going to the bar for drinks before racing if you arrive close to your reservation start time because we ended up having to rush back. Instead, stay at your seat in the simulator and someone will come around and take your order.
Use the link provided after booking your reservation online to create a profile. When you arrive, use the QR code on the simulator to sign in and keep track of points while you're racing. You can pick from a range of difficulty levels from Rookie to Elite. The higher you go, the more realistic the racing is. Rookie is almost too easy and doesn't react as sharply to your actions. You don't get to pick your team, but it is assigned to you. We were assigned Stake Kick Sauber and Red Bull Racing. Then you race against the people in your party and computers at randomly selected tracks. We raced at Silverstone (which we were excited about because we attended the British Grand Prix last year), Zandvoort and Monza.
The simulators vibrate and jolt around a bit and have speakers in the headrest to create an immersive experience. If you've been to a race, you know one of the best sounds in the world is the roar of an F1 engine. The simulators are quite large and made us, two women, feel a bit swallowed up. But the racing is fun, especially as you understand how the controls work. Each race is timed, not counted by laps. So wherever you're at on the track when the clock expires is where you finish.
Food and Drinks at F1 Arcade Denver
After racing, we decided it was time to eat and check out the food, which has been hyped up. And rightfully so.
Guests seat themselves and are served by friendly staff.
We ordered the Dynamite Fried Chicken ($16), which was highlighted as a Chef's Choice item. It is four fried chicken tenders served with a chili and lemon aioli and it was incredible. The chicken was tender and juicy and breaded just enough. The aioli was very flavorful.
We also got an order of truffle fries ($8) and they were very good. The potatoes are cut in between shoestring and steak fries and were just the right amount of crispiness. The aioli that they were served with was smooth and rich. 10/10 recommend.
For drinks, there is an extensive list of beer, wine and signature cocktails. Lewis Hamilton's Almave non-alcoholic tequila is available. On the menu, the Welcome to Miami margarita ($18) with passionfruit spiced hibiscus can be ordered as a "Designated Driver" with Almave to make it non-alcoholic and cheaper ($14). Another option is the Mule in the Paddock ($14), which is basically a non-alcoholic Moscow Mule made with Almave.
We ordered a Welcome to Miami the Designated Driver version and a She's in the Lead cocktail ($18), which was made with cucumber and rose gin, lemon, blueberry wine, rose and egg white. Both were very tasty. The margarita had just enough spice and tang and the She's in the Lead was fragrant. The cocktail was also cool to see the continuation of how F1 is embracing women through programs like F1 Academy.
The F1 Arcade in Denver lacked a few of the unique touches that made the London location so exciting. The England one has areas zoned P1, P2, P3 and WC, which cleverly stands for both "winners circle" and "water closet." There's also interesting engine-shaped sculptures, a wall of iconic quotes from the sport and an awesome view of St. Paul's Cathedral across the street.
At the Denver location, the React game was malfunctioning while we played it. (Hint: When the middle button stalls, hit any other button to get the game working again.)
Overall, the F1 Arcade in Denver offers an energetic environment to experience the thrill of F1 while enjoying top notch food and drinks. It is a great way to feel like you're out and about in a cool city.