good restaurants in Denver
 

Any recommendations? All types of cuisine and levels of establishments are fine - but, steaks are especially popular in our group.

thanks for any suggestions!

jujubean,

If it's steak you're looking for, you'll find just about every steak chain--as well as several independents--in the Denver area. Here are a few of my personal favorites--followed by some old standd-bys:
1. Del Frisco's: DTC - Denver Technological Center: Very classy & quite expensive. Beautiful & big cigar/scotch lounge. Excellent food and service.
2. Sullivan's in LoDo (Lower Downtown): Like this place for the bar with live music. Price is maybe 2/3 of Morton's or Del Frisco's but the food is still very good. Good gathering place for drinks and hors d' oeurves.
3. Brook's Steak House (DTC): Beautiful independent with top quality food and service. I prefer Del Frisco's but this is a close second.
4. Elways (Cherry Creek): New--non-smoking--steak house owned by, surprise, John Elway. Haven't been there yet but have heard pretty positive things about it.
5. Fleming's: Another new one (part of the chain) whose target market is women. Non-smoking, with a little less "clubby" feel to it.
6. Capitol Grill (downtown): Yet another steakhouse chain that recently moved into the Denver market. Have only been for drinks but it was very nice and the food looked like classic steakhouse fare.
7. Ruth's Chris (downtown): You know the name; you either love it or hate it.
8. Morton's (downtown and DTC): See above.
9. Gallagher's (downtown): Not sure if it's part of a chain but believe it's a little less expensive and more casual. Know nothing about the food, service or atmosphere.
10. Steak au Poivre (Cherry Creek): Just opened this week, SAP is being marketed as "French bistro-meets-steakhouse". You pick your cut and then pick sauces to go with it. The building it's in was a nice independent steakhouse before (New York feel) and I heard they really didn't change the decor--which is good.

Hope this helps!

AL ((d))

jujbean,

Don't know how big your group is (if it's a big one they wouldn't necessarily fit in all of these places), however, here are a few of my non-steak favorites:

1. 9th Door (downtown): New "hot" tapas place. Very cool; great tapas.
2. Adega Wine Bar (downtown): gourmet small plates and an incredible selection of wines by the glass.
3. Mel's Bar and Grill (Cherry Creek): New York/French influenced Bistro. Great room, great locals place. Try the mussels and duck.
4. Bistro Vendome: Nice little French place with a great patio.
5. Luca d'italia: Italian by the owner of mizuna--awesome.
6. Il Fornaio (downtown & DTC): Yes, they're both part of the chain but I've never had a bad meal at either one. Ever.
7. Rioja: Mediterranean done to perfection.
8. Red Square: Wonderful Russian food with many surprising dishes.
9. North (Cherry Creek): New "hot" italian place. Nice room, great food.

Let me know if you have any questions!

AL ((d))

thanks for the insights. I should not have used the word "group" in my post since it will only be my husband and I maybe with another couple or two - it's a pretty fluid thing. We'll be in town for a conference - you know how that goes - sometimes you're joined by others, sometimes not. Thanks much for the recommendations! - They'll come in handy.

jujubean,

Where will you be staying? Will you have use of a car? Is anyone in your group familiar with the Denver area?

Denver Chophouse in LoDo has good steak plus fish, etc. Nice historic building.

Funny I have never had a good meal at Il Fornaio. Rioja, I ate there when they were fairly new and it was great. Last time it was mediocre, but the staff compensated by being snotty.

I love Barolo, especially their wine paring dinners. The owners takes the staff on an annual pilgrimage to Italy. Trust me these folks know their food and wine!

Elway's is terrific. A friend had their "filet mignon on the bone". Said it was the best single steak in his life (and this fellow has been lots of places). They have a lamb fondue appetizer--grilled lamb riblets with blue cheese.
Vespa Dipping Grill is good.
We have had an actual bad meal at Ruth' Chris.
We love Le Centrale for French--particularly for mussels fixed MANY ways. VEry reasonable.

We are staying at a small inn downtown - thought it would be better than one of the "big boxes". We will have a car the whole time. I know nothing of the Denver area, nor to my knowledge do any of our friends. I have been in CO once as a college kid on a crazy roadtrip - we went into CO from Wyoming to say we went in! Now, 20 years later, I'd like to see a bit more... I plan to do some golfing, take a trip up to RMNP for a hike (I will not be attending the conference - so I'll have lots of freedom and freetime!) and catch some of the museums. Other than that, not much planned. I am a big fan of the Zagat Surveys, but there hasn't been one for Denver in 3 years! We all know how much quality can change from year to year...

my husband and I tend to like unique places. On a recent trip to Italy - just got back a few weeks ago - we looked for places that seemed like 'hole in the wall' type places and we were rewarded! Some of the best food came from unexpected places!

But I find that when we go to towns for these conferences, many of the attendees just go to the most mainstream places and they keep going to the same places night after night! This time, I want to be armed with information and plans!!

Juju if you like unique then there are some great places downtown.

My favorite is Avenue Grill. It is that old style bar/rest. It reminds me of the days of Sinatra.

Mezzuna is fabulous. One of the best places in all of Denver.

Fourth Story is in CHerry Creek. Another great restaurant.

I love the happy hour at Ave. Grill. Martinis are a steal. Then the filet is never a failed meal. Service is great. They treat you like royalty.

In CO everything is pretty casual. I wouldn't wear jeans to any of the places I mentioned. But, you will not need a jacket.

oh another good one is at Hotel Teatro. Jou Jou. :)

All of the places I mentioned here are unique. Not chain at all. That is how I like to dine as well.

We have enjoyed the Sunday brunch at Il Fornaio.
Have a martini in the Cruise Room at the Oxford Hotel--very art deco and cool.

If you have a couple of hours free, go to Cherry Creek, just a few minutes' drive from downtown on Speer Blvd. There is great shopping there in an indoor mall and outdoor boutiques in Cherry Creek North. The Tattered Cover is a great bookstore, with a coffee shop and the wonderful Fourth Story restaurant for an upscale meal. Also try Kona Grill's happy hour half-price appetizers and pizzas-- it makes a nice meal sitting on their outdoor patio. Also in Cherry Creek is Go Fish! restaurant (for fish obviously). Little Ollie's for Asian. Cherry Creek Grill for barbeque. Panera for good sandwiches and salads. Noodles for noodles. Whole Foods market for great takeout snacks. Jamba Juice for great smoothies (there's one in Whole Foods). Lots to do in Cherry Creek. Also, I second the recommendation for the Avenue Grill, on 17th Street at Washington, just a few blocks east of downtown. Great value, great service, great food.

The Keg downtown, or Bistro Vendome. I haven't been to Mizuna but it's supposed to be very good.
The Ship Tavern in the Brown Palace hotel, Rialto Cafe, Marlowes. Tamayo for upscale Mexican, Piatti and Campo di Fiore in Cherry Creek for Italian, and Highland Garden Cafe in Highland, 10 minutes northwest of downtown in a beautiful old house.

Sue

Don't mind me...just flagging for future reference.

I think Highland is where an excellent cheese shop is also.

The good cheese shop in Denver is located 2nd and Holly.

I wouldn't waste my time going over there if you are only visiting. I would if you were in Paris. :)

Otherwise stick to downtown. There are a ton of great places.

Deja Vu is a new find for us as well. Very good.

Is that in Highland? This was written up a while ago--won an award--or maybe one of their artisanal cheeses did.

There is a cheese shop at Lowell and 32nd Ave in Highland. St Killian's Cheese Shop. Right next to Mondo Vino wine shop.

Sue

If you don't mind a 30 minute drive from downtown Denver, consider the Manor House in the Ken Caryl valley. It really is an old manor house now turned into a restaurant, and it's beautiful with awesome views and good food. www.themanorhouserestaurant.com

Sue

If you drive to Boulder, there are endless choices there, too. Chatauqua Park is our favorite summertime sunset dinner experience, on their wrap-around porch, watching the changing colors on the Flatirons. Beautiful. Also you can catch live music at their little theater there, and take a nice walk in the foothill park.