36 Best Restaurants in Denver, Colorado

Chef-owner Frank Bonanno knows how to transform butter and cream into comforting masterpieces at this cozy eatery with warm colors and intimate seating. His menu is reminiscent of California's French Laundry—witness the foie gras torchon—but his Italian heritage has given him the ability to work wonders with house-made pastas and gnocchi, and he often offers a ragout or other long-stewed sauce. Be sure to try the creative desserts (such as brown butter pot de crème, an update on the classic French custard), and expect to be served by the most professional staff, trained by Jacqueline Bonanno, in town.

Two repurposed shipping containers sandwiching expansive patio spaces are the unlikely industrial backdrop for some of the best pizza and oysters in Denver. The owners of Cart-Driver have modeled their casual, unpretentious spot after truck stops in Italy—the Autogrills that focus on putting out simple, easily worked menus that focus on high quality—and the result is crusts that hold their crisp all the way to the center of each pie and briny-fresh oysters, satiny mousses of tuna and chicken liver, and an odd but intriguing roster of canned beers. Much of the food from the rather short menu is served on baking sheets and in jelly jars, and the effect is not smarmy but practical, while service is friendly and chaotic in the face of an almost-always packed place. Be prepared to wait, or bring a group of eight to snag reservations—or come very late, because they serve food until midnight every night (a second happy hour runs from 10 pm to midnight). A second location in a more typical building in the LoHi neighborhood is more spacious but serves the same savvy fare.

As if chef and restaurateur Frank Bonanno didn't have enough on his plate with nine other eateries---including Mizuna, Luca, and Osteria Marco---he opened this market hall containing two bars and 12 food counters. Among the offerings: a reworking of a former Bonanno eatery, Lou's Hot and Naked, and its Nashville-style fried chicken; fresh seafood at Albina by the Sea; wood-fired pizza at Bonanno Brothers Pizzeria; handmade pasta from Mano Pastaria; and boozy milkshakes and freshly crafted soft-serve at Cornicello Gelato.

This adobe structure near Red Rocks Amphitheatre, complete with flickering luminarias and a pinyon-pine bonfire in the courtyard, is a perfect reproduction of Bent's Fort, a Colorado fur-trade center. Buffalo meat and game are the specialties. The buffalo filet mignon with prairie butter and grilled quail with huckleberry preserves are especially good. Intrepid eaters might try the buffalo bone-marrow appetizer, fiery peanut-butter-stuffed jalapeños, or Rocky Mountain oysters. Costumed characters from the fur trade wander the restaurant, playing the mandolin and telling tall tales.

Brought to you by the same James Beard award--winning chef Alex Seidel of Fruition, Mercantile features a similar emphasis on fresh and local. The pretty space, with its powder-blue upholstery and milky-white walls, calms and invites lingering, ideal for a menu that includes starters doubling as small plates—the house-made ricotta is irresistible, and the "provisions" platter pulls from the farm's cheeses and pickles that are also available at the on-site market. But it's hard to stop there when freshly made pasta paired with duck confit and a crispy half chicken are options for main courses. Sit at the counter for a quick meal or to snack, and try one of the creative cocktails from a snappy list that also includes pricey but uncommon wines. Lunch, using the same tip-top-fresh produce, is also available as is a weekend brunch.

This dining room in Hotel Monaco is filled with fresh flowers and windows that let in natural light, making the space cheerful and bright. The focus is on true, multilayered Italian cuisine, such as grilled flatbread topped with cheese, prosciutto, truffle oil, and balsamic vinegar; or risotto made with an ever-changing and ever-pleasing variety of cheeses and fresh produce. The breads are baked in-house. The superior service and accommodating staff make for a pleasant dining experience. The large, roomy bar is available for dining, too.

The restaurant is hip and artsy, with exposed brick and blown-glass lighting, arched doorways, and textured draperies. Chef Jennifer Jasinski's intense attention to detail is evident in her tribute to Mediterranean food with contemporary flair. The 2013 James Beard winner for Best Chef Southwest, she also partners with Beth Gruitch to run Stoic & Genuine, Bistro Vendôme, and Ultreia; Gruitch is in charge of the front of the house here too, and together the duo has maintained a remarkably loyal following. The wine list presents Riojas galore, and is well priced for Larimer Square. The tiny bar is a nice stop for dessert, and weekend brunch features freshly fried doughnuts and a pork-belly-based "hangover cure."

With a sister restaurant in Japan (and another, Izakaya Den, next door) and owners who import sushi-grade seafood to the United States, it's easy to see why this chic sushi bar is the one Denverites count on to provide the best quality available. The sushi chefs here can meet your every request, and the cooked dishes are just as well prepared—don't miss the steamed fish baskets. Check out the tony crowd and feast your eyes on the luxurious fabrics and well-designed furniture. There's almost always a wait to get in, and parking can be a hassle, but for serious sushi-heads this is the place to be. Plan far in advance to sit at the Chef's Table for an even more elevated experience and special fresh-fish selections that are unavailable on the regular menu.

The modern and elegant Tavernetta features inventive takes on classic Italian dishes (specifically, from the Friuli region) such as homemade pastas, house-cured meats and cheeses, rabbit, quail, and lamb. The appealing, well-varied (and not surprisingly, Italian-heavy) wine list is curated by the multiple sommeliers on staff. The restaurant comes from the same folks who made Frasca and Pizzeria Locale such big hits in Boulder, along with the nearby Sunday Vinyl. If the dining room is full, the lounge area is just as inviting and offers cozy seating for walk-ins only.

With a name that means "house" in Japanese, this Denver version of a famous Austin sushi spot is one stylish space. The nontraditional menu is creative and takes liberties with classic sushi and cooked Japanese delicacies by adding decadent details such as browned butter and candied quinoa to coax even more flavor out of the super-fresh seafood. Omakase tasting menus feature six or 10 courses (there's a vegetarian version, too) and are the best ways to sample as much of the chef's vision as possible. Uchi also boasts one of the best service staffs in the city, with real attention to detail and dedication to the craft. 

This restaurant looks like a chic Italian farmhouse, with dried flowers in brass urns, hand-painted porcelain, and straw baskets everywhere. The food isn't pretentious in the least, however; it's more like Santa Monica meets San Stefano—bold yet classic, healthy yet flavorful. Duck braised with red wine; fresh pastas, including veal-stuffed agnolotti; and risotto with mixed wild mushrooms are all well made and fairly priced. The reasonably priced four-course tasting menu is the only option on Friday and Saturday, but it is a smart way to sample more of the kitchen's talents; adding the wine pairings ups the cost, but it improves the value. On weekdays, the à la carte menu is available on request, in addition to the prix-fixe menu.

Quite the character, Biker Jim was hawking his gourmet hot dogs—split down the middle, with Coca-Cola-caramelized onions and a squirt of cream cheese as a topping option—for years on the 16th Street Mall until someone finally convinced him to open his own raucous place. Now he's got two (the second location is at Coors Field), plus five food carts around town, and they're all always packed with folks eager to try a wild boar dog or a duck-cilantro dog. Sure, Biker Jim will do a plain all-beef version, but why go there when there are a dozen other delectable possibilities? On the side there's nothing healthy, but deep-fried pickles and fried mac and cheese beckon anyway. Chipotle-fired brownies with ice cream sandwiched inside make for an ideal ending.

Two brothers from England traveled the southern United States on a quest to learn everything there is to know about barbecue, and they decided to share the information with Denver. The result is some of the best 'cue in town, from St. Louis–style ribs to beef brisket, pulled pork, and chicken. The sauces are a mishmash of their favorites, including a vinegary one and a sweet one, and the baked beans use their smoked meats for extra flavor. Eat at one of the metal tables amid license plates and knickknacks from the boys' travels, or get it packed up nicely to go. There are six other metro-area locations, including one at Denver International Airport.

If hunting makes you queasy, don't enter this Denver landmark and taxidermy shrine, where more than 500 pairs of eyes stare down at you from the walls. The dry-aged, prime-grade Colorado steaks are huge, juicy, and magnificent, as is the game. Try the smoked buffalo sausage or navy-bean soup to start. The handsome masculine vibe—with pressed-tin ceilings, burgundy walls, red-checker tablecloths, rodeo photos, shotguns, and those trophies—probably hasn't changed much since the Buckhorn first opened in 1893.

In a town that loves its steaks, the Rhode Island–based chain was taking a chance moving in and pretending to offer anything different from the other high-end big-boy steak houses. That said, Capital Grille—housed in a dark, noisy, broodingly decorated room typical of the genre—has much to recommend it, including a drop-dead Delmonico, textbook French onion soup, and terrific skin-on mashed potatoes. If you were ever to try steak tartare, this would be the place to do it, and the lobster is one of the best in town. The wine list is long, important, and expensive, but the service is remarkably eager to please.

Brought to Denver by the same folks who run the vegetarian-friendly WaterCourse, City O' City is a welcoming, casual, three-meals-daily bakery and café that offers gluten-free, vegan, and all manner of other dietary options in a bright, breezy atmosphere. Add cheese and eggs if you like, go macrobiotic, or imbibe from the wine and beer list—there are no judgments here. Two happy hours run daily from 3 to 6 pm and 10 pm to midnight and involve discounted snacks and beverages. The opulent-looking items in the pastry case are entirely vegan.

Classic French cooking is merged with modern techniques and regionally sourced ingredients at this chic, sprawling space that's filled with natural light and offers views of the mountains. Situated at the edge of LoDo and run by the Coohills, a veteran restaurateur couple, the eatery hosts local bands for free in the summer and has a year-round chef's counter, a large communal table alongside the open kitchen that's set up for tasting menus of 5 to 10 courses with optional wine pairings. Fans of authentic French fare can't go wrong with the regular menu, but check the blackboard for each day's more contemporary takes.

If it's martinis and jazz you're after, come to this casually elegant space (larger and snazzier after a move to the historic Baur's Building), which features comfort foods with a twist and small plates. Live music most nights makes this a laid-back spot. The cocktail roster, printed inside old jazz albums, is one of the most intricate around, and the Sunday jazz brunch swings.

Housed in the old Union Pacific Railroad warehouse, the restaurant, similar to the ones in Washington, D.C., and Boulder, is clubby, with dark-wood paneling and exposed brick. The food is basic American, and there's plenty of it: steaks, seafood, pizzas, and chicken served with hot corn bread and honey butter, and "bottomless" salads tossed at the table. This was one of the first brewpubs to pop up near the Coors Field ballpark, and it has withstood the test of time.

With 11 metro-area locations around Denver and Boulder (the original) and one in Fort Collins, this hip, homegrown chain of burrito joints gives larger operations like Chipotle a run for their money by using hormone-free meats and locally sourced ingredients and by offering three-hour daily happy hours and live music. The burritos are enormous—they even do a tasty fish version—and breakfast burritos (yes, they include chorizo) are nice options.

This larger space from the brothers who own Sushi Den next door, Izakaya Den is supposed to be like a Japanese izakaya, an informal and inexpensive drinking place where snacks are served. Instead, its menu is nearly identical to its sister eatery's, with a more extensive roster of tapas-style sushi offerings, and they share the same executive chef. That said, the high quality of fish imported from the owners' market in Japan is unparalleled in Denver, and several dishes—the hamachi, the crispy tuna, and the Wagyu carpaccio—are stellar.

A popular oyster bar serves as the foyer to the ever-busy Jax, whose brick-lined back dining room packs in the crowds, especially when there's a ball game at Coors Field three blocks away. A dozen different types of oysters are freshly shucked each day, and main courses make use of fresh catches flown in from both coasts such as ahi tuna, scallops, snapper, and shrimp. There are a couple of meat dishes and the sides are fun, too: buckwheat waffles, fries tossed with maple sugar, and radish kimchi. The same savvy seafood roster is served at the Boulder, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs locations.

The restaurant's steel-gray, orange-and-red contemporary decor belies the fact that it's one of the most authentic Italian restaurants in the city. Chef-owner Frank Bonanno summons the memory of his Italian grandmother to re-create small-town Italy through wild boar with pappardelle, goat-stuffed caramelle (pasta shaped like candy wrappers), and house-cured capocollo and homemade cheeses. His tiramisu and chocolate sorbet have to be tasted to be believed. Service, overseen by Jacqueline Bonanno, is as impeccable as it is at Bonanno's many other restaurants (Mizuna, Osteria Marco, Salt & Grinder, and Denver Milk Market, to name a few), and the wine list is agreeably priced and heavy on interesting Italians.

Pizzerias often claim to serve authentic Neapolitan pizza, but in this casual, brick-lined place, it's true: Marco's pies come out of the coal-fired ovens with a crispy-crackly crust, generously topped with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil, and just the right amount of homemade sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes. If New York--style is more your thing, they have that, too (try the Bronx, with meatballs), and they offer a thicker, Sicilian-style pan pizza as well. A freshly made cannoli is the only way to finish. There's a second location in Englewood that is usually less crowded.

A basic contemporary American menu offers classics done well at the Nickel, the restaurant located in the Hotel Teatro. Enjoy a top-notch burger, an entrée-sized salad, or Mediterranean-style salmon, all while kicking back in sumptuously upholstered chairs. Breakfast and weekend brunch offer some unique options like carrot cake pancakes. The room takes terrific advantage of the natural light that floods the space, making the ambience feel impressive and special. Rooftop bees provide in-house honey.

The Bonannos, whose restaurants number more than a dozen now and are all among the best in town, continue to have success with this reasonably priced, casual eatery. High-backed wooden booths, dish towels as napkins, and exposed-brick walls provide a hip, urban setting below street level for wood-fired pizzas topped with Frank Bonanno's homemade or imported cheeses and house-cured meats. Or try one of the sampler trays from the formaggi and salumi (fresh cheese and meats) bar, the Italian version of an artisan deli that greets you at the entrance. Salads are large enough to eat as entrées. The mostly locally sourced meat dishes shine—especially the lamb meatballs with housemade goat-milk ricotta. Happy hour runs from 2 to 5 on weekdays and features snacks for $8 and under.

This old-fashioned greasy-spoon diner specializes in Greek food, huge pancakes, and spicy huevos rancheros. It's a short drive from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and it's often packed, particularly on Sunday mornings.

The menu changes monthly at this industrial-designed restaurant, whose name, French for "kitchen garden," refers to the herb-rimmed back patio. The menu always includes a selection of salads along with fish and a thin-crust pizza from the wood-fired oven. Exposed ducts and a high ceiling make for a trendy dining room, and the floor-to-ceiling front windows allow the hip to be seen and the twinkling lights outside and in to be reflected for a warm glow. The wine list is all over the map but it's well priced and changes monthly to go with the menu; the servers are among the most savvy in town.

This pub-style restaurant offers 60 taps of craft beer from around the country, along with a short wine and cocktail roster and plenty of pub grub, including burgers (the PB&J is a marvel), fish-and-chips, and poutine. Most of the space is taken up by the 4,000-square-foot patio, with its huge TVs, open-air fire pits, and covered seating for large and small groups, although there is limited seating inside. The popular weekday happy hour from 3 to 7 fills up fast and features $1 off drinks and $2 off snacks.

Greek immigrant Sam Armatas opened his first eatery in Denver in 1927, and his three sons use the same recipes their father did in their updated version of his all-American diner, from the famous red and green chilis to the Coney Island–style hot dogs and creamy rice pudding. The retro diner resembles a fancy Denny's, and the bar is crowded with theatergoers and hipsters after dark. Good luck choosing: the menu is 12 pages long, with Greek and Mexican favorites as well as diner classics. The chunky mashed potatoes rule, as do the pie-based milkshakes, and breakfast, which is served all day, comes fast.