214 Best Restaurants in Colorado, USA

Unless you're planning some serious hiking, the town-to-mountain gondola is the only way to reach this high-end, sky-high eatery with a stone-walled dining room and panoramic windows. Locally inspired fare such as elk, bison, and lamb feature prominently on the menu. Even if your wallet isn't ready for a full-dinner splurge, you owe it to your eyes to soak in the views over a drink and truffle fries in the bar.

Dinner at Alys' is a simple treat, where the "international eclectic" prix-fixe options feature lamb, steak, chicken, or seafood; fresh vegetables; potato, rice, or pasta; soup or salad; and soft drinks, tea, or coffee (vegetarian dinners are always available too). Wine is extra, and you'll appreciate the attentive care taken with the thoughtful wine list—you might even have the opportunity to ask chef Alys Romer what she recommends.

Extraordinary flavors flow from ordinary ingredients in the shareable plates at this perfectly situated space at the bottom of Fannie Hill. Root vegetable salad tossed in balsamic dressing, Parker House rolls with a pinch of sea salt, and Korean fried chicken with gochujang hot sauce are best enjoyed with a craft cocktail or glass of wine by a fire pit on the large patio with stunning mountain views. Large windows, cozy couches, and banquettes with high tops invite casual dining in the front, while tables and dimmer lighting offer a more formal experience in the back. The "for the trails" menu offers a sophisticated spin on sack lunches perfect for adventurers on the go. 

The dining room at Bosq is small and intimate with a rustic-chic setting that's bright in the daytime and dimly lit for a romantic experience at night. The food is equally impressive, melding root vegetables and local meats and fish with bold, and sometimes spicy, surprises. Dishes displayed like works of art and decorated with flowers and meticulously placed sauces are almost too beautiful to eat—almost.

Feast your eyes on the intricately carved walls, pillars, and ceiling at this unique teahouse, a gift from Boulder's sister city Dushanbe, Tajikistan; Tajik artisans decorated the building in a traditional style, with ceramic Islamic art and a riot of colorful wood. The menu presents a culinary cross section of the world, with dishes including North African harissa chicken, spicy Indonesian peanut noodles, and Tajik shish kebab.

A pretty, egg-yolk-yellow but unfussy dining room is an ideal backdrop for fresh, locally sourced modern American dishes. The menu lists a significant number of vegan and gluten-free options that put some effort into their creation, such as quinoa risotto with butternut squash and mushroom jus. Meat eaters will be happy here, too, though: venison and beef tenderloins are lightly sauced (Cabernet veal demiglace, say) and treated to savory sides. The well-varied wine list starts off with a dozen by-the-glass options you won't see elsewhere, and the savvy staff is excited to share their picks as well as entice guests to try something new. It's easy to choose only from the small-plate selections and make a meal of it, but don't forget about the Mexican-spiced chocolate mousse and gingerbread ice cream sandwiches waiting at the end.

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.

Ski bunnies and shredders flock to this laid-back beach house downtown offering one of Aspen's best après-ski experiences. The crisp white walls and warm wood weathered by salt and sand offer a cozy spot to sip wine and clam chowder. A large table near the fireplace or a tucked-away corner booth are prime spots to share extravagant caviar, red snapper ceviche, or a lobster roll with a piled-high stack of shoestring fries. A fish tank and open kitchen add to the appeal. 

Pizza reigns at this Italian hot spot on Main Street, where a large, modern bar anchors the dining room and giant picture windows highlight views of the Collegiate Peaks. Choose house-made focaccia or sourdough crust and build your own pizza, or pick from a dozen specialty pies. Anything drizzled with balsamic is sure to please. This lively spot also serves up delectable pastas, salads, small bites, cocktails, and Colorado craft brews. 

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.

At this popular brewery, one of the largest brewpubs in the Rockies, you can belly up to the horseshoe-shaped bar and sample ales and lagers while you munch on burgers, sandwiches, or pub grub. The menu is steps above average bar food with plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options.

This farm-to-table restaurant inside the Elizabeth Hotel has a full wine market, so you can select bottles on-site at retail price for your meal. It all adds to the homey yet hip, slightly retro vibe and look—complete with tile floor and wood throughout—that matches well with food that is some of the city's best, including the Wagyu beef burger, bison bourguignon, and elk Wellington with puff pastry.

Located on the boardwalk, this cozy family-run café serves up hearty helpings, as well as advice on local sightseeing. The weekend breakfast buffet includes nearly 50 items—including biscuits and gravy, huevos rancheros casserole with house-made green chile sauce, and a wide selection of scones, pastries, and pies that are baked in-house.

Boulder's most opulent restaurant has formal service and thoughtfully prepared food, served in a sophisticated space with oversized windows and tables with crisp, white tablecloths. Executive chef Chris Royster has fresh fish flown in daily and is noted for the exquisite combinations of ingredients on his daily-changing menu, which might include Wagyu ravioli; Colorado lamb rack, loin, and shank; or Maine lobster soup. Choose between the four-course menu or multicourse chef's menu with optional wine pairings.

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.

One of Boulder's best restaurants (with three James Beard honors) serves meticulously prepared food in the style of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy, in a bustling dining room with a backlit wine wall. You choose from two prix-fixe tasting menus and might feast on dishes including an antipasto such as fish crudo; a house-made pasta with pork ragù; and lamb with hay-smoked potato.

Candlelight, fur pelts, plush pillows, wooden skis, and European antiques come together in this bistro to create a cozy and charming Swiss chalet, a nod to the one where owner and retired pro skier Raphael Derly vacationed as a child. The authentic setting is supported with a divine, seasonal menu—with such traditional dishes as escargots, foie gras, boeuf bourguignon, and dessert crepes—that references Derly's upbringing in the south of France.

Getting to this restaurant is certainly half the fun, as you must catch a gondola up the mountain, then hop on a snow cat to get across Game Creek Bowl during the winter, or shuttle or walk in the summer. The Bavarian-style lodge is members-only for lunch, but open to the public for dinner all year and for an outstanding Sunday brunch in summer. Be prepared to linger over a multicourse meal as you enjoy spectacular views of the slopes and the mountains beyond. Park at the Lionshead parking garage to catch the gondola.

Locals constantly debate where to find the city's best "slopper"—an open-face burger smothered in cheese, red or green chile, and onions—but there is no question you will find an authentic Pueblo experience at this dive bar, where the dish was first served. Bikers and families converge on the large outdoor patio during the summer to devour the messy burger. Add a pile of fries to the top for the true slopper taste, and make sure to pair it all with an ice-cold Coors in honor of the building that was once a distribution center for the state’s largest brewery.

The stately appearance of this Pines Lodge restaurant belies its friendly, welcoming attitude. The fresh, farm-raised, cage-free food philosophy makes for quality ingredients, and the chef here truly knows how to make the food sing. There's live music most nights. If you get chilly on the patio the waitstaff brings out blankets.

Steamboat's most intimate restaurant is in a building that once housed Harwig's Saddlery and Western Wear, but it's open only one night a week, for a Friday-night four-course prix-fixe menu with optional wine pairings. The classic French cuisine, with subtle Asian influences, is well crafted, and the menu changes monthly. There are two dining rooms, one that is more formal, and the other casual. The innovative duck and seafood dishes are highlights as are the fresh oysters on the half shell. But the menu takes a back seat to the admirable wine list: owner Jamie Jenny is a collector whose wine cellar contains more than 10,000 bottles, and you can order more than 40 wines by the glass. 

At this seafood hot spot, the butcher-paper-covered tables, exposed brick walls, and unique light fixtures encourage a cool, festive vibe. Explore Jax's delicious culinary creations by digging into a plate of peel 'n' eat shrimp, then moving on to seasonal combinations like citrus-glazed salmon, spiced tuna with aioli, or the staple fried fish po'boy. There's a branch in downtown Boulder, too.

It may be housed in one of Telluride's oldest buildings, but La Marmotte provides one of the city's most modern dining experiences, with menu offerings that expertly intertwine French and local influences. The candlelight-and-white-tablecloth atmosphere and simple, contemporary decor is, like the cuisine, sophisticated without being snooty.

In the heart of Vail Village, this contemporary French restaurant has been a local favorite for years and shouldn't be missed. Chef and owner Paul Ferzacca demonstrates his modern take on French cuisine with dishes like succulent bacon-wrapped pork with roasted cauliflower and a black-fig mostarda and chicken paillard with a beurre blanc sauce, crème fraîche potato puree, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and capers. For dessert, try the chef-original peanut butter mousse with peanut brittle and grape sorbet. The service is top-notch, and the behemoth wine list is dominated by French and Californian labels. When the restaurant is busy in the summer, grab a seat on the patio for a quieter, breezier meal.

Small plates are the way to go in this convivial, casual setting, which was indeed the Steamboat Laundry from 1910 to 1977 but now serves tasty modern American bites such as fried shoestring potatoes served with black pepper aioli and pork belly on cast-iron biscuits with blueberry-fig jam. The dining room is rustic and cozy—exposed brick and original wood—and the service is spot-on. House-cured meats and hand-crafted cocktails are also specialties. If you show up without reservations, the spacious bar is just as good, with its high-top tables and the roomy bar itself; the impeccable service spills over into this area, too.

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.

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.

Durango is a meat-and-potatoes kind of town, and the rustic Ore House is a splurge-worthy place to indulge (just ask the locals). The steaks are fantastic, and there are plenty of expertly prepared seafood and vegetarian selections as well.