An Underground Alice in Wonderland Dinner in Colorado Springs

The route to this Alice in Wonderland dinner begins on a downtown Colorado Springs sidewalk and heads downward. A staircase leads below street level, trading the ordinary downtown block for a dark, intimate dining room where the storybook theme is worked into the surroundings with a polished hand.

This is not a bright tea-party interpretation of Wonderland. The look is moodier and more grown-up, with low light, intimate tables, booths and a bar area giving the room the cozy scale of a nighttime hideaway. Whimsical details are present, but they do not overwhelm the dinner.

Going underground gives the meal a useful sense of separation from the rest of an evening downtown. Once downstairs, the restaurant becomes a place to settle in over a drink, share a few plates and let dinner take its time.

The room can be quiet enough for conversation, though busier periods may bring a livelier volume. That makes it suitable for date nights and birthday dinners, but it also has enough energy for family meals and a group gathering before a performance nearby.

The stairway entrance is a practical point to know in advance. Access to the dining room requires navigating stairs, so the setting may not work for diners who need a step-free entry.

The design walks a smart line between themed restaurant and serious dinner room. Alice references appear throughout, adding visual playfulness to the dark palette and close-set dining spaces rather than turning the room into a caricature.

Even the drinks get involved. A rabbit-themed hat is associated with one of the beverage presentations, the sort of small visual flourish that makes a cocktail order more fun without interrupting the grown-up tone of the place.

The bar is worth noticing on its own. It offers another place to dine when standard table reservations are not in hand, though its limited first-come, first-served seating should not be treated as a sure thing.

The menu has enough starters to encourage a slow opening round. Risotto cakes are a substantial savory choice, while bison lettuce wraps bring seasoned meat and contrasting flavors into a more hands-on dish.

A charcuterie board can take care of the table while everyone chooses a main course. It brings together cured meats, cheeses, fruit and savory accompaniments, a generous arrangement for picking between sips.

Bread gets more attention than a routine pre-dinner basket here. Artisan bread may arrive with whipped butter or hot honey butter, an easy reason to linger over one more piece before the entrées appear.

Goat cheese shows up in more than one form, including a tangy citrusy preparation and goat cheese balls. Garlic frites and Brussels sprouts offer two more sides with enough personality to hold their own beside a steak or ribs.

For a classic special-occasion plate, the Wagyu center-cut filet is the order to consider. Its tenderness is supported by compound butter, demi-glace and carrot purée, giving the steak a rich, layered plate rather than sending it out to stand alone.

Bison short ribs are among the menu's recurring favorites, and whiskey sticky ribs offer a more casual, sticky-fingered alternative with plenty of dinner-table appeal. A ribeye is also on hand for diners who want a straightforward steakhouse direction.

Rabbit Meatloaf is the dish that makes people pause over the menu, and it is served as a notably generous entrée. It fits the setting neatly: playful in name and concept, yet firmly a substantial dinner.

Chicken Cordon Bleu provides another familiar route, with a juicy, herb-forward character. The range makes it easier for a mixed table to order differently without anyone being relegated to a token fallback choice.

Cocktails arrive with Alice in Wonderland names and presentations that match the room's sense of occasion. The Red Queen, The Duchess, The T Party, White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Purple Drank, Pear Martini and Espresso Martini give the list a playful vocabulary without limiting it to one style of drink.

White Rabbit has a sweeter profile with a pronounced coconut note. A pink lemonade-style drink goes in a more candy-like direction, while the Pear Martini and Espresso Martini offer familiar anchors for anyone who wants less theatricality in the glass.

Mocktails are given genuine creative attention instead of being treated as an obligatory afterthought. That is useful at a table where some diners want the festive presentation without alcohol.

Dessert keeps the meal moving after the richer entrées. Choices have included carrot cake, petit fours, a moon pie and caramel cheesecake, giving the table several ways to finish—especially if sharing is the plan.

The carrot cake is a particularly tempting closer, substantial enough to feel like a proper dessert rather than a token sweet bite. Decorative birthday touches sometimes extend to drinks and dessert, adding a little extra ceremony for celebrations without requiring the whole evening to become a production.

Reservations are strongly advisable, particularly early in the evening when the dining room can fill quickly. Tables, booths and bar seating create a few different ways to experience the space, but a reservation remains the more dependable approach.

Parking downtown may mean using paid street spaces, lots or garages, so the dinner works well as one stop in a broader evening rather than a quick in-and-out meal. The underground room, cocktails, starters and dessert all encourage a longer visit anyway.

Vegetarian dishes, gluten-free options and mocktails are identified on the menu, though accommodations vary by dish. The low-light setting is deliberate and central to the atmosphere; anyone hoping for a bright, open dining room will find a very different proposition beneath the sidewalk.