Alice in Wonderland-Inspired Cafe and Bar Brings a Touch of Whimsy to Boulder

Stumble down the rabbit hole for an experience that will captivate your senses and tantalize your tastebuds. As you peek through the larger-than-life keyhole that leads to Alice and Rose, you'll quickly realize this is no ordinary cafe.

The family-owned and -operated restaurant, which opened last month on the Hill in Boulder promises an immersive journey inspired by Alice in Wonderland."Our family lived in London and often frequented the Mad Hatter Hotel in London for afternoon tea," says co-owner Holley Ellis. "The inspiration came from there and a few of our favorite spots in Brooklyn. The concept is a nice mix between the two. It's fine dining with a bit of attitude and spunk."

The restaurant's name reflects both the Wonderland theme and the family's last name, de Roos, which means Rose. At Alice and Rose, the culinary adventure begins with a menu that transcends borders and embraces flavors from around the globe. The afternoon tea, for example, is "classically British and high-end," according to the eatery, which serves tea on china that was used in the Alice in Wonderland exhibition on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London in 2021.

"The highlight of that are the English cucumber sandwiches," Ellis says of the tea. "Our bread pudding is also a nod to one of our favorite bread puddings in the world — a white chocolate bread pudding originally created by Prairie Fire Grille in Birmingham, Alabama. Our lobster Benedict recipe is a nod to one of our favorite brunch spots in Del Mar, California. I love exploring different cities in search of our next inspiration. I think the most fun part of having a restaurant is trying to top your favorite dish.

"We're family-owned, and each member of our family is represented on the menu," she continues. "Our daughter, Ashton, is vegetarian and was instrumental in developing our bar recipes, cheese trays and salads. Our son, Durham, played a big part in deciding our pastas and designing our fruit-and-pancake tower. My husband, Scott, runs payroll and the back office. My main job was creating the concept design, menu and day-to-day processes."
Ellis and her family moved to Boulder just before the pandemic. "I love creating businesses, so I have a few small and large startups," she says. "The largest is an engineering firm I started in my twenties, and the smallest is the chocolate shop I opened five years ago. I really enjoy figuring out how things work and building a team to run them. It's fun to watch people rise up together with a common goal and accomplish it. I think I am probably a bit addicted to watching that happen. ... I own a chocolate shop and have a cake-decorating background, but this is my first time creating a restaurant."

The building that houses Alice and Rose opened as drugstore in 1908. Over the years, it went through numerous owners and identities, from a folk-music venue to a bicycle shop and, most recently, a bookstore. When the Innisfree Poetry Bookstore and Cafe closed its doors in September 2020, Ellis saw an opportunity to realize her fine-dining vision.

She worked for a year with interior designer Kari Whitman to create a modern look for the cafe that includes whimsical elements from Alice in Wonderland, from the top-hat light fixture to the eccentric custom-made throne chairs.

"The design of the space is our gift to the community," Ellis says. "We wanted to create a memorable, unique space that felt welcoming as well as being nice enough to encourage the community to celebrate their milestones with us. The first thing we did was design a community table for newcomers to our city so that they could sit with others and meet people instead of dining alone. Secondly, we designed large couches for groups to be able to dine easily together. We wanted to make sure Alice and Rose was the perfect spot to host a birthday brunch or dinner. Lastly, we added these great giant chairs painted for us by Jimmie Martin in London.

"We wanted the atmosphere to be nice but not stuffy. Our philosophy is that every customer should leave feeling better than when they walked in," Ellis notes. "We think food should be so delicious that each bite makes you forget all about what is happening in the world. We want the only thought in your mind to be how wonderful it tastes."
Ellis hopes to hold community dinners as well as newcomer meetups to foster a sense of community, too. This isn't just a place to dine; she wants Alice and Rose to be both a sanctuary for the senses and a go-to gathering place.

"My hope is that guests feel joy after they dine with us, and of course, we want them to be excited to come back," Ellis concludes. "We've had a few dine with us more than once, which is the highest compliment to our chefs and staff. That's the ultimate goal when you are trying to build a community. It's all about getting to know the repeat customers well and creating memories together."

Alice and Rose, at 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue in Boulder, is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit aliceandrose.com.