- 26 Wyoming Facts: Fun Facts About Wyoming You Need To Know - October 31, 2023
- 26 Utah Facts: Fun Facts About Utah To Read Now - October 25, 2023
- 26 Idaho Facts: Fun Facts About Idaho To Read Now - October 24, 2023
Looking for the best restaurants in Denver? Here’s exactly where you should eat in the city.
As the people who live in Denver and the surrounding areas will know, it is well worth the trip to visit Denver for its restaurant scene.
There are so many good restaurants to choose from that it is challenging to select the best.
Nevertheless, we compiled a list of the best Denver restaurants we found that we thought were worth mentioning.
This list is not all the eateries and restaurants in Denver but will give you a great start when exploring the city.
You can get a natural feel for what Denver is like by eating at a wide range of restaurants,
- From casual eateries to fine dining spots
- Served food from around the world,
- Eat at places that serve the best tacos,
- Restaurants with great pizzas,
- Freshes Sushi,
- Even French restaurants.
Best Restaurants in Denver
Here are our favorite places to eat in Denver in no particular order.
Annette’s Restaurant
$$ | Website | (720) 710-9975
The Stanley Marketplace shopping center, formerly an aviation manufacturing site, can be found in Aurora, where Annette is located.
In addition, this newly opened contemporary American restaurant received three James Beard Award nominations.
Wood-fired cooking is a specialty at Caroline Glover’s restaurant, and the chef’s meticulous attention to detail shines through in her delicious specialized dishes.
Despite this, Annette offers a variety of desserts, including handmade pies and ice cream sandwiches, all of which show off her menu’s homemade appeal.
Glover wants each service at Annette to seem like a gathering of close friends. Therefore, their menus continuously change to reflect seasons and availability, making them one of the best restaurants in Denver.
Modern American food with a seasonal menu and artisan beverages are served in a small, bright restaurant with classy décor.
Address: 2501 Dallas St STE 108, Aurora, CO 80010, United States
Brixton
$$$ | French Cuisine | Website | (720) 617-7911
French cuisine with a contemporary spin is served in a hip establishment with an open kitchen and an inviting bar.
Although Brixton is not your traditional French brasserie, it makes it a unique restaurant in Denver.
However, regardless of how classic French you order or how far you stray from it, everything that is prepared in the kitchen is a smashing success.
As a result, begin with the baguette and butter that is extraordinarily creamy. And after that, allow your taste sensations to guide you from there, and you will experience one of the best French restaurants in Denver.
Address: 3701 N Williams St (E 37th Ave), Denver, CO 80205
Beckon’s Restaurant
$$$$ | Website | (303) 749-0020
With just a few seats, an eight-course tasting menu, Beckon’s pre-paid reservation system, and the city’s reputation for casual living, it was a completely new experience for Denver residents.
Chef Duncan Holmes and hospitality director Allison Anderson are the only two people in charge.
Both of these folks graduated from Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, so you can expect them to have the talent and discipline necessary to run a successful business.
However, even though the seasonal meals at Holmes are always prepared and presented with an eye toward subtlety, they tend to be more protein-focused in the colder months and more vegetable-focused in the hotter seasons.
Meat and seafood are at their peak during these seasons. For the best experience, you should plan to stay for at least two hours or more.
A chef’s stand in a restored home in Denver’s RiNo area has become a popular destination for locals because of its micro-seasonal cuisine.
Address: 2843 Larimer Street, Denver, Colorado, 80205, United States
Read next: Best Day Trips from Denver
El Taco De Mexico’s Restaurant
$ | Mexican Food | Website | (303) 623-3926
The traditional stucco taqueria exterior, with counter stools and booths for customers to sit in, is on display at this restaurant in Denver.
Tacos, burritos, and tortas are among the dishes on the menu that look like typical Mexican fare. El Taco de Mexico has been an institution for over three decades.
Even though this Denver restaurant’s senior chefs work in an open kitchen in the heart of the dining room every day, they are incredibly secretive about everything, especially their recipes.
As a result, first-time customers almost usually return for a Chile Relleno burrito after experiencing it for the first time.
It’s packed with cheese-stuffed peppers and delicious rice and creamy beans.
El Taco’s green chile is the most authentic variety of the traditional ingredient available in the Southwest. Tortillas are griddle-charred before being used as the foundation for tacos.
Address: 714 Santa Fe Dr., Denver, Colorado, 80204, United States
Ginger Pig Boulder
$$ | Asian Cuisine | Website | (720) 324-8416
With the success of her food truck business, owner Natascha Hess has become a household name in the restaurant sector after a long and winding road.
Hess’s travels to Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, and the Philippines and her time living in China provided her with a wealth of culinary inspiration.
The tempting items on the menu can be enjoyed as a snack, including Auntie Zhang’s Chinese Noodles and Bangkok Balls.
Fans loved her delicious dishes while she was a food truck seller, which has won numerous honors for its unique Asian fusion food.
In addition, they do everything they can to use foods obtained locally and produced sustainably by some of Colorado’s most well-known farms.
A wide variety of beers, wines, and saké are available, in addition to cocktails that feature Thai chilies, yuzu (a citrus liqueur), matcha powder (a green tea), and drinks made from lemongrass. The bar menu also features a decent selection of other alcoholic beverages.
Address: 4262 Lowell Blvd, Denver, CO 80211
Ghost Box Pizza
$$ | Website | (970) 200 – 8880
It was first conceived as a ghost kitchen to make it through the epidemic. Since then, it has been relocated to the heart of downtown Lafayette.
The pizza at Ghost Box is consistently ranked as one of the best in Denver.
At Ghost Box, the emphasis is placed on wood-fired pizzas in the Detroit style, which are topped with a wide variety of creative and classic ingredients.
Even more unusual is the Detroit-style Potato Rosemary, made with mascarpone, garlic, and onion that has been melted together.
Nevertheless, you can have either version on a Margherita pizza. Stem Ciders are on the menu, but other beverages, such as the Ghost margarita, are also enjoyable.
Address: 103 South Public Road, Lafayette, Colorado 80026, United States
The Cholon Restaurant
$$$ | Asian Cuisine | Website | (303) 353 – 5223
The towering ceilings, oversized windows, massive concrete pillars, marble flooring, and sleek banquettes exude refinement and privilege.
Lon Symensma’s enthusiastic cooking, inspired by Southeast Asia’s market items and street delicacies, only adds to the ambiance.
ChoLon means “huge market” in Vietnamese and is named after Saigon’s largest Chinese-influenced market.
It also contains Executive Chef/Owner Lon Symensma’s first name, as it “felt fitting” to create ChoLon in Denver in 2010 after his extensive culinary trips around Asia.
ChoLon’s menu features renditions of traditional Far Eastern foods and subtle allusions to Lon’s classical European upbringing.
For example, French onion soup is unlikely to be discovered within a hand-pleated Chinese dumpling, but you’ll find wacky dishes like these on his menu.
The umami bombs are the French onion soup dumplings and an upgraded twist on Singaporean kaya toast with a foamy “egg cloud” for dipping.
Address: 1555 Blake Street, Suite 101 Denver, CO 80202
Cantina Loca
$$ | Mexican Food | Website | (303) 284 – 6738
Dana Rodriguez, also known as Loca, is a future chef at Casa Bonita and has been a semifinalist for the James Beard Award three times.
At the first location that she owns and operates, she serves Mexican dishes, like tacos, enchiladas, and snacks.
At Cantina Loca, having a good time is the focus of everything, from the crispy pork rinds served with salsa to the savory tacos topped with barbacoa.
Then, try some of Rodriguez’s tequila and mezcal, distilled by Doa Loca, to wash it all down.
In addition, they offered some of the best mezcals and tequilas money could buy, to just the right amount of Loca to go with your Boca. In addition to that, they provided authentic street food from Mexico City.
Address: 2890 Zuni St., Denver, CO 80211
Kiké’s Red Tacos
$$ | Mexican Food | Website | (720) 397-0591
Kiké’s Red Tacos, located in a parking lot in West Highland, is where you should go to get authentic tacos.
Kiké’s Red Tacos created a name for itself in the food truck world in 2020 with its Birria de res products.
These included quesadillas, mulitas, tortas, burritos, and even ramen on occasion, in addition to tacos with consommé for dipping.
Each dish is a triumph because it is either decadent, fragrant with spices, cheesy, or crisp on the outside and oozing with juice.
Address: 3640 W 38th Ave, Denver, CO 80211
Hop Alley
$$$ | Chinese Restaurant | Website | (720) 379-8340
Tommy Lee’s long-standing favorite in RiNo takes traditional Chinese dishes from the area and gives them a passionate modern touch.
The Beijing duck roll and the Chongqing-style fried chicken with chilies are some dishes that first-timers have to try.
Also, the turnip cake with shrimp and sausage in black garlic sauce is delicious.
Given its reputation for Asian-infused cocktails and performing a variety of wines and ciders, the bar staff is more than capable of meeting the challenge posed by the menu’s pairing recommendations.
Address: 3500 Larimer St, Denver, CO, 80205
Misfit Snack Bar
$$ | Website | (303) 353-4207
Located within Middleman bar, Misfit Snack Bar is a little snack bar with a lot more personality than it has actual square footage.
East Colfax, with a history of prostitution and prostitution rings, was due for some changes. It’s not just the cheeseburger that’s popular here; the menu changes frequently.
Also, there are just a few restaurant personnel, meaning that order fulfillment can take a long time. In the meantime, they work slowly and methodically to get the job done.
Address: 3401 E Colfax Ave, Denver, Colorado 80206, US
Farmhouse Thai Eatery
$$ | Thai Restaurant | Website | (303) 237-2475
This family-run restaurant in Denver has something for everyone.
Even though all of the typical curries and stir fries are available upon request, the menu is designed to encourage exploration by providing an excellent variety of seasonal dishes that are otherwise difficult to locate in this area.
There is a good reason why one portion of the menu is designated as “Must Try.”
You won’t be able to find the following specialties on the Front Range, but you can find them all right here.
Vibrant seasonal salads, intensely aromatic stews, and other unique dishes. Yen ta fo, for example, is packed to the brim with meaty shrimp, calamari, and fish balls.
Address: 98 Wadsworth Blvd #117, Lakewood, CO 80226
Restaurant Olivia
$$$ | Italian Cuisine | Website | (303) 999-0395
This Italian date-night retreat in Wash Park exudes elegance and refinement on account of its management by three seasoned Mizuna alumni.
Olivia is an Italian restaurant in Denver that centers its menu around pasta dishes and produces all of its pasta by hand.
Their cocktail menu features expertly crafted drinks with a playful twist and an Italian-focused wine list that also features a variety of wines from around the world.
Address: 290 S Downing St, Denver, CO 80209
Work & Class
$$ | Website | (303) 292-0700
Work & Class offers a big meal and a strong drink at a reasonable price. Keeping the “Work & Class” credo has been a personal priority for chef/owner Dana Rodriguez and business partner Tony Maciag since this Denver restaurant opened.
Removing the succulent and savory cochinita pibil or the roasted cabrito goat from the menu would be like severing the lifeblood of the dish.
Do not hesitate to get a little bit of each option and some homemade tortillas to scoop it all up. It highlights the value of the cherished RiNo flagship that she and her team have established.
The menu offers a diverse selection of hearty meats and vivid side dishes, with a nod to both Mexican and Midwestern American culinary traditions.
Address: 2500 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205 – blocks away from Coors Field
Sushi Den
$$$ | Website | (303) 777-0826
Since it opened its doors in 1983, Sushi Den has been widely regarded as one of the most outstanding Japanese Sushi restaurants in the United States.
Because the Kizaki brothers work tirelessly and are meticulous about their sourcing and customer service, the top attraction on Old Pearl Street is still packed with patrons thirty years after it opened its doors to the public.
The specials list includes Tasmanian trout and California uni one day, and then the next day, it may consist of golden eye snapper and striped beakfish flown in from Japan.
The staples are undoubtedly impressive, but the specials list is where you want to be.
Address: 1487 Pearl St, Denver, CO 80210
More Denver Restaurants Worth Checking Out
- Fortune Wok to Table – Chinese restaurant in Cherry Creek
- Ultreia – Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch’s Union Station homage to Spanish and Portuguese cuisine
- Uchi Denver – Sushi & sashimi are matched by a robust drink menu at this contemporary eatery offering happy hours.
- Bang Up To The Elephant – bright spot in Capitol Hill serving Caribbean-inspired dishes
- Comal Heritage Food Incubator – aspiring restaurateurs run this breezy lunch counter, serving primarily Latin American dishes
- Rioja – Locally sourced, imaginative Mediterranean dishes & wines in a high-energy dining room on Larimer Square.
- Barolo Grill – Upscale Italian menu & an extensive wine list are offered in classy quarters with a romantic vibe.
- Izakaya Den – Hip eatery crafting traditional, intricate Japanese small plate fare in a stylish space.
Did you enjoy reading about these restaurants in Denver? Then share this article with your friends!