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Denver’s dining scene is a feast for the senses, with a culinary landscape that continues to garner attention and accolades. From innovative eateries to cozy cafes, there’s something to satisfy every palate in the Mile High City.
Savor farm-to-table creations in charming neighborhoods like Larimer Square, where Victorian buildings house a vibrant array of boutique shops, wine bars, and restaurants. Explore LoDo’s historic district, where brick warehouses have been transformed into culinary hotspots offering diverse cuisines and unforgettable dining experiences.
Discover why Denver was recognized by Michelin in 2023, with 26 restaurants featured in the prestigious guide. From upscale fine dining establishments to hidden gems serving up local favorites, the city’s culinary scene celebrates creativity, quality, and flavor.
Denver is rich with chile-drenched burritos and enchiladas, but where can you find dishes like dry salsa-topped, agave-roasted sweet potatoes or carnitas where you get the whole crispy-skinned pork shank? Alma Fonda Fina, from chef Johnny Curiel, is a different sort of Mexican restaurant, one where you’ll eat the most soulful, creative food in a minimalist terracotta-flecked environment, all while (hopefully) sipping on an avocado margarita rimmed with house-made black “Tajin.” If you’re feeling social, book a seat at the chef’s counter, where you’ll learn about all the ingredients and techniques going into your stunning plates.
When chefs Anna and Ni Nguyen opened Sap Sua in the summer of 2023, there was a lot of commotion. The East Colfax restaurant (it’s behind Tattered Cover Book Store) was named one of Bon Appetit’s most anticipated restaurants ahead of its debut, skyrocketing diner expectations. The modern Vietnamese spot has lived up to the hype, serving a nontraditional menu that takes inspiration from better-known dishes, just elevating them in a unique way. Standouts include the hamachi collar in a just-sweet-enough coconut caramel sauce and buttery shrimp cake topped with trout roe, but really the fun is in exploring the menu and being surprised by what you taste.
First, the obvious. Noisette is a stunningly beautiful restaurant, where brass candelabras hang from a circled ceiling and crushed velvet chairs pop against white walls. Where your foie gras and Dover sole arrive on antique floral plates and your sauvignon blanc in cut glassware. What may not be as obvious—at least until you take your first bite—is the insane level of skill in the kitchen. Husband and wife team Tim and Lillian Lu are creating some of the most nuanced, delicious French food in town, evident in both the fancier dining room and in the attached casual bakery. Don’t force yourself to choose between a dinner of exquisitely prepared duck and monkfish or a breakfast of quiche and croissants; this is a destination worthy of your day and night.
Fusing together cuisine from more than one continent is Koko Ni (meaning “here” in Japanese), which found a fitting landing spot in the eclectic River North Art District (RiNo). You’ll find produce exclusively from Colorado farms, a 10-course testing menu drawing inspiration from France and Japan, sustainable seafood from around the world and handmade pasta. It’s hard to single out something specific from the menu because everything changes seasonally/daily, as it should in a perfect world. And one more thing. There’s some serious talent behind this joint. Chefs Paul Qui and James Gnizak teamed up to pull off some striking dishes. Qui is a “Top Chef” champion and James Beard award winner while Gnizak is a local hero with experience at other top restaurants like Rioja and Mercantile dining & provision .
If you can snag a seat at this tiny City Park restaurant—and it fills up fast, so definitely make a reservation—you’ll be rewarded with creative takes on Eastern European fare that will knock your socks off. Think: borscht, but without the beets (the beets are instead reserved for a red velvet blintz), kielbasa, but in terrine form and bison short ribs zinged up with spicy strawberry sauce. The cozy space matches that slightly-offbeat energy with kitschy décor of cuckoo clocks and retro propaganda. If it seems like Molotov is not your typical restaurant, well, it’s not—and that’s what makes it so refreshing.
When the 50-year-old Mexican restaurant reopened in summer 2023 under new owners Matt Stone and Trey Parker (aka the creators of “South Park”), there was, to put it lightly, some hullaballoo. Casa Bonita is a beloved Colorado icon, after all, a family-friendly destination for any sort of celebration that warrants gorilla-suited cliff divers and sopaipillas. Would the guys preserve the pink palace’s peculiar charm? Would those cliff divers, the roaming mariachi bands and Black Bart’s Cave survive their Hollywood facelift? And, above all, would the food—which had never been known for being especially tasty—finally be great? The answer to all of those burning Casa Bonita questions is yes—Casa Bonita is back, and it’s better than ever. Especially the menu, which is under the direction of chef Dana Rodriguez, a James Beard nominated chef known for taking simple, fresh ingredients and turning them into culinary magic.
With a name like Hey Kiddo, you can probably guess that this is a fun restaurant. But besides all the playful touches—a shaken rice dish served in a lunch box; drinks that go beyond the colors of the rainbow; heck, there’s even a secret bar, OK Yeah, in the back—Hey Kiddo serves up serious food and drink. From the talented team behind The Wolf’s Tailor, Bruto and Basta, the menu is full of unexpected but carefully considered dishes, like house-made bucatini with fermented black bean sauce that packs in-your-face levels of flavor and a wagyu short rib in a sweet pear soy glaze that eats like a steak. This isn’t the place to come for a quiet dinner for two, but if you’re looking for a side of quirk and spirit alongside an excellent meal, this is the spot.
Casa Bonita in Denver, Colorado
Perhaps more than any dish on the syllabus, the congri y maduros — sea-salted plantains, black beans and rice with sofrito, fresh herbs and a splash of citrus — channels Erasamo “Ras” Casiano’s Latin American and Spanish roots. Casiano, along with business partner Diego Coconati, opened Lucina Eatery & Bar in Park Hill, its warm and fashionable atmosphere marked with potted foliage, boldly whimsical floral wallpaper and mid-mod stools and chairs. Along with the black beans and rice, consider the superb paella, a weekend-only marvel that might showcase mahi-mahi, mussels, blue oyster mushrooms, chorizo or piquillo peppers. And don’t overlook the beverage scroll, a spirited ballad of alluring cocktails, wines and beer.
It’s always slurp season at this West Highland ramen parlor where besotted enthusiasts pile in for all species — including offbeat ones — of the thick Japanese noodle soup: smoky miso and bacon confit; the ferociously brain-penetrating Deathwish; shrimp and pork tantanmen; lemon-glazed chicken shoyu (soy); prime rib shoyu; roasted mushroom ramen laced with chile jam; and kimchi Bolognese mazemen. But while the human race could quite possibly exist on ramen alone, Glo, a buzzy space with kaleidoscopic paper-lanterns, exquisite plateware, a hand-painted mural of a skull spewing noodles, must-see bathrooms (truly) and a frolicsome outdoor patio, also produces intoxicating small plates, skewers and cocktails, including the standout Seven Samurai, a union of bourbon, vermouth, passionfruit, egg white foam and a twist of crushed peppercorns.
Yes, Comal Heritage Food Incubator serves wonderful, scratch-made huevos rancheros, chicken biryani and Mexican Coke-braised carnitas that are reason enough to visit the breakfast- and lunch-only spot’s new digs in RiNo’s ArtPark. But there’s so much more to this fast-casual joint than great food. It’s a restaurant with a mission, doubling as a social enterprise that trains immigrant and refugee women from countries like Syria, Mexico and Venezuela for careers in the food industry. The earn-while-you-learn model means that the women get money and experience to open their own food businesses while diners get legit food from the women’s home countries. A true win-win.
When Michelin awarded a coveted star to The Wolf’s Tailor at its first Denver ceremony in September 2023, diners collectively went, “Well, duh.” The Sunnyside restaurant has been collecting awards and fans since it opened in 2018, pushing the boundaries of even chef Kelly Whitaker’s wild imagination. Think Japanese-Italian fusion (but in the best possible way), zero-waste, entrust-tasting menus, house-milled grains and Robata grills. There’s a lot going on here, and it’s all deliciously mind-bending. Wherever you score your reservation is a win, but if you can get a table in one of the private patio tents (don’t wo
Denver’s Mexican food scene stretches from a gluttony of taco trucks and humble taquerias with sensational salsa and condiment bars to rustic…
