7 splurge rooms in Denver, editor-picked. tasting menus and the full big-night-out treatment in Denver. All Denver food.
Frasca Food and Wine ★ 4.9
boulder · 1738 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302
Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder is Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson's James Beard-winning Friulian dining room since 2004, the kitchen that started the Tavernetta program.
Tip: Boulder is a 40-minute drive from Denver. Frasca Caffe next door runs walk-in pasta and aperitivo without a reservation.
Beckon ★ 4.8
rino · 2845 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205
Beckon in Denver is Duncan Holmes's 18-seat chef's counter on Larimer in RiNo since 2018, a Michelin-recognised tasting room behind sister bistro Call.
Tip: Tickets release one month out at 12 noon on a Wednesday via Tock; sell out in minutes. Try the bar at Call next door for walk-ins.
The Wolf's Tailor ★ 4.7
sunnyside · 4058 Tejon St, Denver, CO 80211
The Wolf's Tailor in Denver is Kelly Whitaker's tasting-menu room in Sunnyside since 2017, a James Beard Best Chef Mountain finalist running East-meets-West fire-cooked courses.
Tip: Tickets release on Tock 30 days ahead at 9 am. Walk-ins are taken at the bar counter when bookings cancel; arrive by 6 pm to chance it.
Matsuhisa ★ 4.6
cherry-creek · 98 Steele St, Denver, CO 80206
Matsuhisa in Denver is Nobu Matsuhisa's Cherry Creek dining room since 2009, the chef's third Colorado location with the canonical Nobu-style Japanese-Peruvian menu.
Tip: The sushi bar pours through a separate booking link from the dining room. The Aspen location is the chef's original; Denver is the day-trip Front Range version.
Uchi ★ 4.6
rino · 2500 Lawrence St, Denver, CO 80205
Uchi in Denver is Tyson Cole's Hai Hospitality sushi room in RiNo since 2019, the Austin original's third location with the same omakase template and modern Japanese plates.
Tip: Happy hour at the bar runs Sunday-Friday with a $5 sushi list; cheapest way into a Hai Hospitality kitchen.
Guard and Grace ★ 4.5
downtown · 1801 California St, Denver, CO 80202
Guard and Grace in Denver is Troy Guard's modern downtown steakhouse since 2014, with an in-house dry-ageing program and a Colorado wagyu and bison selection.
Tip: The downstairs lounge runs happy hour 4 to 6 pm with discounted steaks. Book the wine vault for a private steak dinner.
The Buckhorn Exchange ★ 4.3
lincoln-park · 1000 Osage St, Denver, CO 80204
The Buckhorn Exchange in Denver is the city's oldest steakhouse since 1893, holding Colorado liquor license number one and a game menu that includes elk, buffalo and rattlesnake.
Tip: The dining room is the original 1893 saloon with mounted heads on every wall; second-floor lounge is quieter. Light rail stops 50 feet from the door.