Dining in the Underground
The concept is deceptively simple: build a restaurant in a converted underground space that once served as a morgue, decorate it in the aesthetic language of Alice in Wonderland, and then make sure the food is good enough that people talk about it instead of the concept. The Rabbit Hole has achieved this with a consistency that separates great restaurant ideas from merely interesting ones. Three years after opening, it remains one of the most sought-after tables in Colorado Springs — and the kitchen has grown more confident rather than complacent.
Descending the stairs into The Rabbit Hole is its own ritual. The street-level entrance gives way to an underground dining room where the ceiling presses close, the lighting is deliberately dim, and upscale artwork inspired by the Carroll canon creates an atmosphere of disorienting beauty. This is not a gimmick wearing the clothes of a restaurant; it is a restaurant wearing the clothes of a gimmick, and the distinction matters enormously.
The menu is Contemporary European — ambitious, technically executed, and restrained in the way that confident kitchens are restrained: dishes are composed with intention, the flavor logic is clear, and the ingredients are allowed to be extraordinary rather than merely expensive. Caviar service opens the evening for those who understand the protocol. Seared venison with black truffle jus is among the best preparations of game meat in Colorado. The rack of lamb — roasted to order, sliced tableside in the manner that the underground setting somehow makes entirely appropriate — is the signature dish for good reason. Desserts are theatrical and genuinely good, which is a rarer combination than it appears.
The Cocktail Program
The cocktail program at The Rabbit Hole is exceptional — among the best in the city, and good enough to justify visiting for drinks alone. The menu is organised around the Alice in Wonderland theme without being slavish to it: the cocktails have identities of their own, with precise balance, quality spirits, and a creativity that rewards ordering something unfamiliar. The bar staff is expert, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about the menu in the way that indicates genuine investment rather than trained recitation.
For those who want to experience The Rabbit Hole without committing to the full dining room, the cocktail bar fills earlier and offers a more informal environment. This is the best entry point for first-time visitors who want to understand the restaurant before choosing an occasion.
Atmosphere & Occasion Fit
The underground setting creates an atmosphere of genuine privacy that downtown surface restaurants cannot replicate — conversations stay at the table, the street noise vanishes, and the theatrical environment creates an implicit permission to be present in a way that the outside world rarely encourages. This makes The Rabbit Hole particularly well-suited to occasions where presence matters: proposals, significant birthdays, and first dates where the objective is to be memorable rather than merely pleasant.
The dress code is smart casual, and the room is most comfortable when the guests dress to match its ambitions. The Rabbit Hole rewards those who bring the same attention to the occasion that the restaurant brings to the evening.