Entry No. 49 — the Denver file — filed under: speakeasy
Trybal African Speakeasy
“The quiz gate isn't a gimmick — it's the point”
There's no sign downtown — you're looking for an African mask on the door, and you won't get in unless you've already been to the website and answered a one-question quiz about African culture to unlock a per-person QR pass. Built by two Cameroonian founders (one a software engineer who coded the whole entry system), it bills itself as the first African speakeasy in the US: 10-12 signature cocktails in custom African glassware, comfort dishes reimagined with luxury touches, and storytelling woven through the room. The quiz gate isn't a gimmick — it's the point, and it means almost nobody wanders in by accident. Most people walking Champa have no idea it's there.
The story
Walk down Champa Street past the corporate office blocks of Upper Downtown, and you will walk right past 1670 without noticing a thing. There is no glowing sign, no marquee, and no velvet rope—just a solitary wooden African mask mounted on an unbranded door. Co-founders Jeff Sankeu and Collantine Nkaum, two Cameroonian transplants, opened the venue in the footprint of an old downtown wine shop. Sankeu spent five years throwing Scatta Afrobeats dance parties across Denver before deciding to build a permanent, sit-down sanctuary where guests could settle in and absorb African culture rather than shout over a nightclub sound system.
Nkaum, a software engineer by trade, custom-coded the speakeasy's entry system to keep out casual foot traffic. Before you approach the threshold, every person in your party must head online and answer a trivia question about African history or geography to unlock a single-day QR code. The gate is not a gimmick—it is a deliberate filter designed to ensure everyone inside actually wants to be there. Step past the doorman and you enter a dim, moody jungle filled with lush foliage and imported West African artwork. The bar serves drinks like the Soursop Silk and Tamarind Gimlet in custom-molded glassware alongside small plates of beef suya, jollof rice, and fried plantains.
What it's like
Do not wait until you are standing on the Champa Street sidewalk to take the entry quiz—take it at home on your phone before heading out, because wrestling with mobile trivia while the doorman watches is an amateur mistake. Once your code scans and you are inside, expect an intimate, greenery-filled cocktail lounge enveloped in low Afrobeat tracks that leave plenty of room for conversation. Keep in mind this functions as a high-end small-bites lounge rather than a full dinner joint; order the beef suya skewers (don't forget to sprinkle the extra suya pepper provided) alongside plantains and jollof rice. Reservations fill up fast on weekends, street parking in Upper Downtown is practically non-existent, and a mandatory 20% service fee is automatically added to your tab.
The move: Each of you takes the culture quiz at home to earn your own QR pass, then meet at the unmarked door and spend the night working through the cocktail list in custom glassware while the room tells you stories about where each drink comes from.
📍 Before you go It sits on Champa St in Upper Downtown, the dense business core a couple blocks off the 16th Street Mall, so plan on a pay garage or light rail rather than hunting street parking. The one rule that trips people up: you can't walk in cold. Both a reservation and your own per-person QR pass have to be sorted online before you arrive, and the pass only works the day you booked it — earn it at home, not on the sidewalk. The room is small and intimate, so it skews evening and books up on weekends; come on the earlier, quieter side if you want to actually talk. Being indoors, it's a solid year-round, weather-proof pick. Pair it with a show at the nearby Denver Performing Arts Complex or dinner along the 16th Street Mall.
- 📍 Downtown Denver
- 💸 $$$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1670 Champa St, Denver, CO 80202 (no exterior sign — look for the African mask on the door)
Hours: Wed-Thu 5pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 3pm-1am, Sun 3pm-10pm; reservations and a per-person QR pass required (pass valid only for the day of visit). Closed Mon-Tue. Confirm via trybalspeakeasy.com.
Pair it with
- Ghost Saloon — Pair Trybal's quiz-gated African cocktail lounge with another hidden downtown drinking den tucked behind a secret entrance on Larimer Square.
- Lincoln's — Contrast Trybal's tech-gated, high-end cultural experience with Lincoln's unadvertised, zero-frills $5 cash-only speakeasy just a few blocks away in LoDo.
- Dark Side of Denver Ghost Tours — Start your night exploring downtown Denver's underground bootlegging tunnels on foot before slipping past Champa Street's masked door for suya skewers and cocktails.
Good to know
How do I actually get into Trybal African Speakeasy?
You must book a reservation on trybalspeakeasy.com and complete a one-question cultural quiz to earn a per-person QR pass valid only for the day of your visit. At 1670 Champa St, locate the unmarked door with the African mask and scan your pass to enter.
Can my group just walk in cold without taking the quiz?
No. Walk-ins are not permitted, and every individual member of your party must have their own active QR pass generated online before arriving at the door.
What kind of food and drink menu should I expect?
The bar serves 10–12 signature cocktails and mocktails in custom African glassware—including drinks like the Soursop Silk and Tamarind Gimlet—paired with West African small bites such as beef suya skewers, chicken suya, jollof rice, plantains, and beignets.
What are the practical details for visiting?
The bar is located in Upper Downtown Denver near the 16th Street Mall, so use a pay garage or light rail instead of hunting for street parking. Note that a mandatory 20% service fee is added to every bill.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Westword · Official site · nakeddenver.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-07