Photo: F1 Arcade Denver
F1 Arcade is the world’s first officially licensed Formula 1 experiential venue, blending the thrill of professional-grade racing simulators with high-end food, cocktails, and race watch parties. Started in London in 2022 and now expanding rapidly across the United States, it transforms the idea of an “arcade bar” into competitive socializing where guests can race on true-to-reality F1 tracks, dine on globally inspired dishes, and gather for everything from early-morning Grand Prix watch parties to late nights out.
The company’s newest location, its fourth in the US, opened near where I live in Denver in September. It’s housed in three interconnected buildings. The oldest dates back a century and shows its bricks. In the middle of the 15,000-square-foot space sits a wraparound bar that wouldn’t look out of place in a movie with modern Gatsby-level glamor. TVs showing races and race highlights fit between neon light fixtures that evoke a Formula 1 track. An outside patio takes advantage of Denver’s famous sunny days. On the patio wall, a planned mural from Denver artist Ally Grimm will help the space fit into its surroundings in the eclectic art neighborhood of RiNo.
During a preview before the official Denver opening, my first impression was that F1 Arcade could easily be mistaken for a racing-themed cocktail lounge if not for the 69 F1 driving simulators that filled the rest of the space.
“This is F1 all year round, but you don’t have to be into it to have a blast,” Liz Norris, the executive overseeing F1 Arcade’s US launch, told me as we walk through the space.
The concept is the first venue of its kind officially licensed by F1. That means access and attention to detail so everything matches the real circuit on seven tracks, with more to come. Suzuka, Silverstone, Singapore, Monza — they’re all there, laser-scanned down to the curbs. A single track in the game can take almost a year to develop, with attention to detail that extends to regularly updated sponsor logos on the track walls, the drivers for each team, and more. The simulators run on the rFactor 2 racing platform (from Studio 397, part of Motorsport Games), and I felt zoned into the race when I sat in the driver’s seat.
Wraparound 4K displays, haptic pedals, and force-feedback steering replicate every vibration, bump, and crash. You shake, you crash, you spin out. It’s visceral. I couldn’t help but think of the movie Gran Turismo and the real-world story behind it when Jann Mardenborough took his video game obsession and turned it into a racing career. Rather than give me any F1 driver dreams of my own, it showed me just how hard — and fun — this sport is.
Norris emphasized the constant updating going on in the background. When a team changes its livery, a driver leaves and new driver joins, or rules shift, “it’s a full-on process” to refresh the system, she says. “We’re constantly working with [F1] to try and stay ahead, but sometimes you’ll catch a glimpse of history — like a driver who just left yesterday.”
Guests can go head-to-head in small duels or split into teams of four or more, which turns the arcade into a kind of motorsport party.
Photo: F1 Arcade Denver
Boston, Washington DC, and Philadelphia opened in the US ahead of Denver, and Las Vegas is on deck. It feels like an unsustainably fast expansion. Then again, it’s partnered with a sport known for seemingly unsustainable speed.
That same attention to detail carries into the food and drink. Instead of wings and mozzarella sticks, the menu borrows from Formula 1’s globetrotting paddock: spicy ahi tuna tartare, brisket tacos, oysters, and flatbreads. LP O’Brien — a Netflix Drink Masters winner — oversees the beverage program, while Denver bartender Alex Jump collaborated on hometown-inspired cocktails. There’s the Montequilla, a Casa Bonita riff on the French 75 with tequila and brown butter; the Undercut Collins, named after F1 stunt driver Ben Collins that uses a Four Noses Brewing IPA and grapefruit aromatics; the Blucifer Bolt, a bourbon-absinthe nod to Denver’s infamous airport statue; and the show-stopping VIP Pass, a mezcal-bourbon hybrid that’s an inspirational mashup of a Pornstar Martini and a New York Sour, available at all the locations.
It’s a taste of the F1 experience brought to a town that won’t see an actual race outside of a screen. “It’s not your average sports bar,” Norris says. “You can experience a little bit of what it would feel like to be in the paddock club.”
For those who want to take their F1 experience farther, Norris gave me her top three tracks fans and soon-to-be fans should visit that are featured on the simulators.
Photo: Jay Hirano/Shutterstock
Silverstone is where the Formula 1 championship began, hosting the very first World Championship Grand Prix in 1950. For Norris, the track is more than just historic, it’s a festival. “Having British drivers, helicopters flying overhead, and the parties around the weekend — it feels like the ultimate experience,” she told me. Concerts by big-name acts run late into the night, while fans camp or glamp in the fields surrounding the circuit. The race itself delivers high-speed drama through corners like Maggots and Becketts, but for travelers it’s also a cultural trip: you can tack on a few days in nearby London or Oxford, blending British summer vibes with motorsport heritage.
Photo: cristiano barni/Shutterstock
Known as the “Temple of Speed,” Monza is where Formula 1’s Italian culture screams loudest. Norris lights up when she talks about it — not only because she’s a lifelong Ferrari fan, but because she’s been there, walked the track, and felt the energy of the Tifosi firsthand. “It’s probably the most interesting, amazing culture,” she said. “The food was incredible — I think I ate my body weight in Italian food that weekend, with Aperol spritz and negronis. And it’s affordable, too. You have people on picnic blankets with radios, drinking Italian beer.” Staying in Milan means fans can mix high fashion and art with the raw atmosphere of Monza, where Ferrari red floods the grandstands.
Photo: QIAN JUN/Shutterstock
If Silverstone is history and Monza is passion, Suzuka is obsession. “I am properly obsessed with Japan,” Norris said. “If I could go every year and sustain the 12-to-14-hour flight, I’d be happy.” The track itself is one of the most demanding in the sport: a figure-eight of rapid-fire corners where even pros struggle. Suzuka is also timed with cherry blossom season, making it one of the most picturesque stops on the championship calendar. Norris recommends combining the race with time spent in Tokyo: izakayas hidden behind language barriers, sushi and wagyu worth the trip alone, and the heady mix of tradition and nightlife that makes Japan a dream destination. “It’s got to be one of the top,” she said. “Drinking Asahi, eating the best food in the world, and then watching drivers take corners at 80 miles an hour — nothing compares.” 