31 editor picks in Denver.
31 upscale places in Denver, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Denver: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Denver food.
Sushi Den in Denver is Toshi and Yasu Kizaki's South Pearl sushi house since 1984, with fish flown daily from Toyosu Market in Tokyo via the brothers'.
OrderSit at the bar and order omakase.
TipReservations open online 30 days out and disappear in hours. The walk-in policy at the bar still works if you arrive by 5 pm.
Williams and Graham in Denver is Sean Kenyon's Highland speakeasy behind an unmarked bookcase, a James Beard nominee since 2011 and a Front Range cocktail.
Restaurant Olivia in Denver is chef Ty Leon and somm Austin Carson's Wash Park Italian pasta room and wine bar, with a 35-seat dining room, walk-in wine.
Tavernetta in Denver is Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson's regional Italian dining room in Union Station's Crawford Hotel, the sister.
OrderThe tagliatelle al ragu and any whole-fish course.
TipBook the chef's counter for a view of the pasta station. The Italian-only wine list runs deep on Friuli and Piemonte growers.
Death and Co Denver is the Ramble Hotel cocktail bar from the New York original, an Alex Day and David Kaplan operation since 2018 with a hotel-attached.
Rioja in Denver is Jennifer Jasinski's James Beard-winning Mediterranean dining room on Larimer Square since 2004, a flagship of the Crafted Concepts group.
OrderThe artichoke tortelloni and the goat cheese ravioli, both on the menu since opening.
TipSunday brunch with bottomless mimosas is a Larimer Square institution. The chef's tasting menu changes weekly and is the best way to see Jasinski's range.
Mercantile Dining and Provision in Denver is Alex Seidel's farm-to-table dining room and provisions counter in Union Station, sourced from his Fruition Farms.
OrderThe Colorado trout from the live-fire hearth and the house-made charcuterie board.
TipThe market counter sells the kitchen's bread, charcuterie and produce; the morning espresso bar is the city's best Union Station coffee.
Hop Alley in Denver is Tommy Lee's modern Chinese dining room on Larimer in RiNo since 2015, a Michelin Bib Gourmand that runs Sichuan and northern Chinese.
OrderThe cumin lamb noodles and the tea-smoked duck, both menu signatures since opening.
TipBook the bar counter to watch the wok station.
Annette Scratch to Table in Stanley Marketplace is Caroline Glover's James Beard-winning wood-fired neighbourhood kitchen, a small dining room and patio.
OrderThe wood-fired half chicken with smoked vegetables and the pasta of the day.
TipStanley Marketplace is a 12-minute drive from RiNo. Brunch on Sunday is the busiest service; the patio runs through October.
Cooper Lounge in Denver is the Crawford Hotel's mezzanine bar over Union Station's Great Hall, a destination room with classic cocktails and a view down.
Stranahan's in Denver is the city's first legal whiskey distillery since Prohibition, a Kalamath Street single-malt operation with a cocktail lounge pouring.
Bigsby's Folly Craft Winery in Denver is the RiNo urban winery making wine from Western Slope Colorado grapes, with a tasting room and a tight food menu.
Bistro Vendome in Denver is Jennifer Jasinski's Larimer Square French bistro since 2003, with a courtyard patio and a menu of canonical bistro plates.
OrderThe steak frites with bearnaise and the duck confit, both menu mainstays since opening.
TipThe courtyard is one of Larimer Square's best-kept patios. Brunch on Sunday with the French toast is the room's busiest service.
Izakaya Den in Denver is the Kizaki brothers' South Pearl izakaya next door to Sushi Den, a small-plates and yakitori room with the same Toyosu Market fish.
OrderYakitori from the binchotan grill and the wagyu carpaccio.
TipWalk-up only at the bar. The dining room takes bookings; the kitchen closes at 11 pm, later than most South Pearl rooms.
Potager in Denver is Teri Rippeto's market-driven dining room in a Capitol Hill row house since 1997, a daily-changing menu built around Front Range farm.
OrderWhatever pasta is on the chalkboard and the seasonal vegetable plate.
TipThe patio garden is the room's draw spring through fall. Closed Sundays and Mondays in 2026; book a week ahead for Saturday.
My Brother's Bar in Denver is the city's oldest continuously-operating bar since 1873, a 15th Street institution with Jack Kerouac history. Family-friendly.
Yacht Club in Denver is the Whittier neighborhood tiki bar in a converted Victorian, with classic rum drinks, a no-cover lo-fi crowd and rotating DJ sets.
The Cruise Room in Denver is the Oxford Hotel's Art Deco bar, an Officially-Designated Denver Landmark and the city's oldest cocktail bar since the day.
Run For The Roses in Denver is the Dairy Block speakeasy on Blake Street, entered via an alleyway neon sign, with a card-deck classics menu and rare vintage.
La Foret in Denver is the SoBo French cocktail-and-dinner room in the former Beatrice and Woodsley space, with aspen-trunk interiors, a pastis hour.
Forget Me Not in Denver is the Cherry Creek cocktail lounge in a former flower shop on Clayton Street, a Culinary Creative Group room with a long seasonal.
Spuntino in Denver is Cindhura Reddy's Highland Italian wine bar and trattoria since 2012, with house-made pastas, gelato and a tight natural Italian wine.
El Five in Denver is Justin Cucci's fifth-floor Highland tapas room with floor-to-ceiling views of downtown and the Front Range, a Mediterranean small-plates.
OrderThe wood-grilled octopus and the lamb shawarma.
TipSunset reservations book out a month in advance. The hidden side patio runs walk-ins; the elevator entrance is on Umatilla.
Spuntino in Denver is Cindhura Reddy's Highland neighbourhood trattoria and gelateria since 2012, a tight pasta-and-aperitivo room with house-made gelato.
OrderThe agnolotti and the ricotta gnudi.
TipThe bar pours Italian aperitivos and a tight natural-wine list. Gelato counter is open to walk-ins after dinner service.
The Matchbox in Denver is the RiNo cocktail bar on Larimer, a casual late-night room with pisco sours, frosted Champagne cocktails and a pizza counter next.
Tamayo in Denver is Richard Sandoval's modern Mexican dining room on Larimer Square since 2001, a rooftop patio anchor for upscale tacos, ceviche and tequila.
OrderThe tableside guacamole and the cochinita pibil with Yucatan-style achiote; flight of mezcal to pair.
TipThe rooftop patio runs March through October with mountain views; book it three weeks ahead. The bar is open for walk-ins.
X Bar in Denver is the Colfax LGBTQ cocktail bar in Capitol Hill, a friendly room with drag shows, drink specials and one of the city's most diverse crowds.
Bull and Bush Pub in Denver is the Glendale English pub brewing house lagers since 1971, a Front Range fixture with cask-conditioned ale and a long beer list.
Vin Rouge Wine Bar in Denver is owner Jen's Berkeley neighborhood wine bar near Tennyson Street, with a global boutique-organic list and a tight.
Carboy Winery in Denver is the Governor's Park urban winery and tasting room, with Colorado-grown wines, wood-fired pizzas and a Littleton sister location.
Golden Hour Wine Bar and Social Club in Denver is the LoHi Tejon Street wine bar since late 2023, a velvet-and-palm-leaf room with seasonal flights.
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